LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 20 March 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There has been an unprecedented shortage of work on the Sydney water front, and it was estimated that i:>idle hands totalled more than 2500.

The Minister for Defence states that a full inquiry will be made regrading the delay in landing the returned soldiers at Auckland on Friday.

r Says a New York writer: There has been a tremendous change in Amm erica in the transformation from commercial self-interest to a real unselfish and patriotic country as a result of U.S.A. coming into the war.

A Dalmatian named Mark Pavlovich was charged at the Auckland Police Court, before Mr. F. A. Fraser, S.M., that he made a statement indicating disloyalty in respect to the present war: “If it is to fight against the English, I will go.” He was fined £5.

In supp- rting a motion protestng against Samoa leing allowed to revert ;o Germany, Mr. Kinross White, at a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Crunty Council 1 , said: “I have heard on very f.:' a authority that the Kaiser is a very large shareholder in a larg? firm there.”

After the coastal steamer Huia, which has had a protracted voyage from Wellington, berthed at Dunedin, her hatches were lifted with the intention of discharging cargo. A watersider discovered fumes issuing from a case of phosphorus, which was hoisted on to the wharf in flames. The outbreak was extinguished with several buckets of water.

It is understood that the Government intends to fix a maximum price for broad shortly. The price for the 41b loaf at present varies from about Sd to lid in different towns of the Dominion. It is considered that those differences are not always justified by local conditions, hence the reason for the Government control. It is expected that the maximum prices will vary to meet the varying conditions.

The swordfish with a broken sword, which was captured at Russell on Friday, was received in Auckland on Saturday morning, and has been proved to be the one which rammed the launch Virginia on February 19. Upon examination it was found that the original sword, about 2ft in length had been broken almost exactily in half. The fish weighed 2671 b, measured 10ft Sin from the tip of the sword to the tail, and 44in in girth.

For too long a period New Zealand’s staff sergeant-majors, who are professional soldiers, have been held back from participation in the war the only change offered of getting practical experience and promotion. When they wanted to go t° t* l6 they were told they could not be spared. But hope and help have come at long last. Among the men who have just returned via Auckland are about 20 sergeant instructors v\ho have come back for duty in New Zealand, where they will replace men holding similar positions, who have not yet had an opportunity of going away.

Excellent value in ladies’ handkerchiefs. Plain lawn hemstitched 3d, 4d, sd, 6d, 7d, 8d 9d and lOd each.— ( Collinson and Gifford, Ltd.

The Red Triangle sports weightguessing competition was won by W. Beard and F. Robin, both of Raetihi, who tied in estimating'~The correct weight—93lb. The guesses registered ranged from 10 to 149£lbs.

The members of Jack Waller’s “Look Who’s Here,’’ Company who has just completed a five weeks season at the Grand Dpera House, Wellington, succeeded in raising the sum of £4OO at a benefit performanie given by them on Monday last to help swell the Reg Triangle total. Mr Waller is bringing his attraction to the Town Hall, Taihape on Tuesday evening next Mr J. L. Cathro was in town yesterday completing the arrangements.

The passing of a young Gallipoli veteran named Colin Travers brings out the fact that he lost his stripes in Egypt through inventing a practical joke (says a Sydney paper). Marching his squad along the road one day, he noticed an A.S.C., waggon loaded with beer approaching. He promptly halted his men, formed them up, and as' the beer -went past it got a royal salute. But a staff-officer who saw the incident adopted the Harold Bcgbie attitude and reduced the joker to the He’s now in a world where maybe playfulness is less fatal.

A novel means of raising money for a patriotic fund was disclosed at the conference of the Victoria League In Christchurch during a discussion on the best means of raising funds for the purpose of presenting an aeroplane to the Imperial authorities. One lady delegate said that the branch she represented had, in the money-raising mission, adopted a standard waist measurement, members having to pay an amount in pennies for each inch that their waists were over that size. Here is a hint worth while to some of our Taihape patriotic bodies, anc judging by the waist line of some of our townspeople a tidy sum of money could be raised.