LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On and after May 26th the stationmaster at Ohingaiti will be withdrawn and the station treated as a flag station.

The postal authorities announce that parcels containing prohibited articles addressed to any soldier abroad will not be stopped in the meantime, pending further information.

There is a serious shortage of benzine in Auckland at present, and there is no indication Of early relief. The stocks held by importers are barely sufficient to meet Government contracts and the more essential industries and as a result supplies for private use are practically cut off 4 At several of the schools in the district areas are to bo planted in trees this year, for experimental and educative purposes. It is desired to teach the children the value and necessity of forestry and to give proofs of the growing power's of different varieties of trees and their usefulness for providing fencing timber, firewood, etc.

"It's charges like this that make,.a solicitor's bill, of costs a scandal," said Mr Justice Hosking at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, when a lawyer 'S bill was before him for taxation. The item that brought the remark from his Honour was a charge of five shillings which the solicitor had charged for serving a summons on himself!

Says the Fielding Star: It is only right that the residents of the borough should be told that a member of the Borough Council complained last night that the cemetery was not paying. The Mayor replied that the only way to make it pay was to make people to die faster. The wage of the sexton was quite low enough and the job was not one that was eagerly sought after.

A transport arrived at Auckland on Thursday evening, bringing home 526 invalided and wounded members of the Expeditionary Forces. A large proportion of the wounded men were put out of action in the Passchendaele fight, while a number were in the engagements at Messincs and other battles, There were cnly two or three cot cases, all the rest of the men being "walking" cases.

A peculiar accident befell a lady resident of Newtown (Wellington), the other day. She- was standing in the yard when a motor-car drove into a clothes-lino attached to a chimney on thp house. This caused the chimney to collapse, and the bricks fell on the lady's head, inflicting severe injuries. She was admitted to the hospital suffering from injuries to her head and left Keg m H.(Jr condition fts {reported to be serious.

It was stated in G-rcymouth recently (says the Star) that the list of recent appointments to the Legislative Council contained the name of a gentleman who, three months ago, passed to a higher sphere Inhere turbulent politics are unknown but where, we are constantly reminded, there is also a marked distinction between the "Upper" and "Lower" mansions beyond the skies. Let us hope., if the rumour be true, he is now firmly enthroned in the Celestial Assembly.

The business premises opposite the Town Hall, lately occupied by the De fence Department, is advertised to let

Mr A. W. Murdock, relieving officer, is acting as Postmaster at Taihape pending the appointment of a successor to the late Mr. B. T. Missen.

Count von Luckner and Lieut. Kircheiss of Motuihi Island fame, passed through. Taihape by mail train last night en route to their summer residence at Motuihi Island.

From private to colonel in twenty two months is the record of Lieut.Colonel George Bead D. 5.0., a Western Australian who returned to Fremantle from the front last week, From Gallipoli he went to Flanders, where ho gained the D. 5.0., He was put out of action at Rening Heist by an aeroplane bomb. Colonel Read was in charge of Dalgety and Co's wool interests at Fremantle when he enHsted,

Speaking at a dinner given in his honour in London, Sir George Buchanan, British Ambassador to Russia, who is now on leave, took occasion to correct the widespread report that at the time of his abdication Emperor Nicholas was ready to conclude a separate peace. Sir George said there was not a word of truth in this report. Doubtless Nicholas had much to answer for, he remarked, but he would never have betrayed the cause of fhe Allies, and was always a loyal friend to England.

The German Royal Society of Science at Gottingen announces with great satisfaction that its scientific observatory in Samoa, according to news just brought from the Soutn Seas by the wife of a German physician, is still in full working order. Observations are being made without hindrance from the New Zealand authorities, into whose possession Samoa passed in August, 1914. Only the observatory's "connections with the outer world" have been cut off, "especially those maintained with friendly institutes in America."

The fate of the Russian generals continues appalling, and the name of Kaledin has now been added to the melancholy list. Of the generals who carried out the great offensive in 1916 there is Brussiloff broken and maimed for life; Alexieff is righting! for bare existence; Russki, the greatest of them all; Lichitsky, one of : the paramount discoveries of the war; Radko Dimitrieff, the Bulgar hero; Lesh—they are all lost or dead; anc Scheherbacheff has a price upon j his head. The lesser men are" sweeping streets or selling papers.

"Trentham is overstaffed." This was a disclosure made to the Defence Expenditure Commission. And the reiterated complaint is that there are many eligibles hiding behind uniforms in the very department'which should be the first to set the example of sending its officers and men to gain l ' experience in actual warfare. We wonder whether the lure of the high salaries, plus corresponding "extras" for expenses, is not too . strong ; for some of the gold-braided stay-at-homes who hold down office desks instead of carrying on over in Palestine or France or Flanders or otherwheres.

On Thursday the Government Statistician's office posted 27,800 cards to men of Class C, Second Division (married men. with two children), some of which were received in Taihape. Each recipient is warned to ensure a correct classification of himself. For example, if a man has lost a child since he was originally classified in Class C, he must state this fact. Neglect makes the father liable to a penalty of £IOO. Within the limits of the information in the Statistician's possession cards have been posted to all known members of Class C. If any man who belongs to this class has not received card, he should communicate at once with the Government Statistician. In all cases the receipt of cards should acknowledged.

The euchre party held last night in aid of St. Margaret's Bazaar fund was very well attended, and proved to be a very envjoyable function indeed. Twenty-eight tables were provided for the convenience of the players, and they were fully occupied. Mrs. Pleasants won outright the prize for the ladies, presented by Mrs. Studholme. The competition for the gentlemen's prize, presented by Mr. Loader, brought forward keen competition, Messrs Smith and White tieing for first honours. In the play-off Mr Smith proved the winner. Mesdames Mercer and Dymock disposed of sweets during the evening, and did good business. Rev. Mr. Stent officiated as salesman in the disposal of flowers just before the party terminated. The excellence of the arrangements for the comfort and enjoyment of the players during the everting was very commendable, and the success of these functions for the remainder of the season is assured.