LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, 19 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The names of the 5000 zzzen drawn in this week’s ballot are to be published in a Gazette mn Wednesday next, July 24.

Over 20,000 faz-mers azzd farm labourers in the .Dominion have already been accented for military service abroad. •’ W‘- *'=- v : - !

Mails close here on Saturday, July 20th at 9 a.m. for: Tahiti, Penrhyn Island, U.S.A., Canada, Central America, United Kingdom, Europe.

'Cabinet has approved of the acceptance of the valuable historical library left to the State by the late Mr A. H. Turnbull, and decided to purchase the building in which it is now housed The library will be controlled by the Government "'Chief Librarian, and the general management will be under the Science and Art Board, of which the Ministers of Internal Affairs is chairman. . Many people have been surprised by the very large proportion of men weeded out by the Military Medical Boards as physically unfit for service Among the most surprised is the 'Minister of Defence (Sir Jas. Allen), who remarked to a deputation that the largeness of the percentage of* rejects (about 60 per cent) was impressed on him every day “The first thing we must do,” he said “is to improve the physical standard of the young men.”

Mr. W. H. Hill, editor of the East Grinstead Observer, Sussex, England, writes to a Wellington friend: “We are rationed for several essential things now, but there is no real shortage yet of general commodities. Cheese is unobtainable, and one or two things are difficult to get, but we arc very far from starvation stage. We all long for the end of this terrible' struggle, but would sooner suffer far greater privations than give in.' 7

Six bags of parcel mails wore stolen from a steamer which arrived at Sydney recently. It is believed the theft was committed before the vessel left San Francisco, although they were not missed until the boat arrived at Sydney. An American manufacturing firm sent a consignment of felt hats, valued at about £250, by parcel post to Sydney. This method was adopted in view of the shortage of cargo.space. Each mailbag contained a box enclosing 24 hats, so that a gross is missing. Recently a quantity of gold fountain pen nibs, valued at about £9O. disappeared from the parcels mail which arrived by another vessel.

Two lady boarders are wanted in a good, healthy home, Hz' a central position.

We are informed by the Postal authorities that there is no communication with stations south of Kaikoura and Nelson owing to the heavy snowstorm last night.

The sound of shattering glass was heard in the vicinity of Kuku’ Street at 7.30 this morning, and on investigation it was found that the lower, portion of the large window in the electrical department facing Main Street had been blown in by a sudden gust of wind.

The passengers by the Main Trunk train which arrived in Auckland yesterday morning indulged in the novel pastime of snowballing during the few minutes stopipage at Waioum on the previous evening. The station yard and the surrounding countzy were covered with snow to a depth of several inches.

Our readers are reminded that The series of euchre parties is being continued by the ladies of St. Margaret’s Church every alternate Friday evening at the Three Stars Theatre. Special. arrangements have been znade for an ezzjoyable meetizzg to-night, and an open invitation is given to every resident of the town to be present. Without doubt these euchre parties are amongst the most enjoyable social entertainments Taihapians are provided with. Last Friday evening an unusually large audience congregated at Eazzgataua to see the pictures, but the oil engine was in a skittish humour and would not do its bit. The crowd stood good huznouredly about izz the street. Finally the benzizze about the engizze and in the shed burst into a lolaze, and for a few minzztes there was soznc excitement. Eventzzally the engine was dragged out of the shed, and flaznes beaten ozzt„ azzd all danger of a conflagration was over, and everyone went home.’ 7 —Ohairune Times. The trials and tribulations of a motoring party, numbering three, from Taihape to Palmerston and back yesterday, bad been many and varied. It was not until two zniles on the other side of Rata on the return journey, however, that the good spirits of one of the members of the “joy ride” gave out, simultazzeously with the petrol. The red and green semaphore lights of the Rata railway station could just be distinguished in the distance when the sparking fluid gave its last ignition, and the trio decided to “foot” it into Rata to procure a fresh supply. Accordingly they set out, and after traizzping for about a mile in .silence, a query by the cheei’ful one of the victims as to whether the distance between them and the red and green lights was lessening, was met with the following reply from the aforementioned joyrider: “I think the dashed lights must be at the rear of a departing train!” And. they still tramped on.