LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 June 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The cribbagc tournament between the local Fire Brigade and the returned soldiers played last night, the firefighters won by 14 points to 13.

In the latest casualty list appears the name of Private J. Laurenson, who has been reported wounded. He is a brother of Miss Laurenson, of Taihape.

One feature, of unsuual interest will attach to yesterday's ballot for Class C reservists, in that Mr. Malcolm Fraser, the Government Statistician will be a candidate for a place in the drawing.

A large number of the new giant aeroplanes have been completed in England. A Parliamentary wit suggested they should have Scottish jokes painted on their wings so that they cannot be seen. What an injustice to Caledonia.

At the dairy conference at Christchurch last week it was stated that 17 years ago the dairymen of New Zealand, assembled in conference at Palmcrston, congratulating themslevcs upon having lifted the annual export value of their produce to the £IOOO mark. Last season's dairy produce is estimated to bring into New Zealand a return of £10,000,000.

Tho Wairarapa Age says: We are informed on reliable authority that there are 200 reservists in the First Division of the Wairarapa Group Are'a who have failed to respond to the call. They have been gazetted, and called upon to parade, but have not put in an appearance. There are twenty group areas ir New Zealand and if each of these shows a similar deficiency, it may be roughly stated that 4000 men are shirking their responsibility. Are effective steps being taken to run these men to earth?

A house in Ruru Road, with workshop and fowlruns, on three-eighths cf an acre of land, is advertised for sale.

It is a peculiar thing that all the six press delegates who are proceeding Home were compositors, while the President of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association (Mr, P. Selig), who had to decline nomination, is also a compositor. The only linotype operator of the six is Mr. Fred Pirani.

Yesterday afternoon Mr R. H. Smith, son of Mr R. W. Smith, M.P., met with rather a painful accident at the Bennett's Siding Sawmill. It appears that. Mr Smith was walking along a plank that was large enough to carry two or three men, when it suddenly snapped giving Mr Smith a fall of several feet, in which he sustained a severe shaking and some bad bruises. He was brought into Taihape by Mr. Smith sen., who had been telephoned for, and was subsequently attended by Dr. B'oyd. It is not expected his injuries will confine Mr. Smith to his home for very long.

Just before noon to-day the firebell rang out a merry peal, drawing attention to a fire that had broken out in a cottage in Maitai Street —leading from Hautapu Street to Carver Street —owned by J. Champion and occupied by Mr. Rugg, of the Rink Motor Garage. The kitchen chimney is one of the old-fashioned iron kind, anci it was found that the fire had got in, over the mantelpiece, betwen the wood lining of the wall and the outer rusticating. The fire brigade was quickly on the scene, and after removing a few boards the fire was quickly and easily extinguished. The damage done was only slight.

At a meeting held last week at which the question was raised as to the high price of butter, a statement was made to the effect that it was better to sell at lower prices rather than let that article go bad in the freezer. This has caused some amusement among those acquainted with the freezing industry. "The statement about butter going bad in the freezer is absurd^'' remarked a gentleman in a position to speak with authority upon the subject. He added: "If you put bad butter in a freezer it certainly will not come out any better, but on, the other hand, put good butter in and it will not come out any the worse."