LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 5 August 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Official advice has been received that the 38th. Reinforcements had airived at their destination, all well.

“When the Government set up the Efficiency Board, it chose five men who were reputed to be among the mos« capable in New Zealand. They were acclaimed as splendid men with great business acumen. But when they reported in favour of prohibition, they were called Damn Wowsers.” —Rev. Mr. Gray, at Palmerston North.”

A reminder is given of the Railway Grand Social' to be held in the Three Stars Theatre, on Thursday, August Sfh. Every effort is beign made by the committee to make it the biggest and most enjoyable social function held in Taihapo, and with that end in view have engaged first-class orchestra, and the floor will receive every attention to make the dancing pleasurable.

Employers are warned, by advertisement in another column, against employing Jugo-Slavs or other alien enemies without, (the approval off (the Commissioner of Alien Services. Employers who now have such persons in their employment are required to send to the Commissioner a list of all such persons not later than Aughist 15, 1918. These requirements also apply to those engaged in contract work.

A well-grown performing pig which is to appear at Fuller’s vaudeville theatre, at Wellington next week, escaped from durance vile about 10 o’clock last evening, and provided a jungle hunt for innumerable small boys and adults in Courtenay place. After dashing into sundry shops in the vicinity it sought relaxation in the theatre, but was most dexterously caught and held by the ear by an ingenious door-keeper, who handed the escapee over to its owner.

In .a lecture at Auckland last week Colonel Sleenaa, Director of M-»itary Training, paid a tribute to the Territorial Forces and the Senior C-t riots in the prosecutin'! o" ihe war. Fruitfully tie whole ur'gbia 1 strength of the Territorial Force (30,000 had gone to the front, and since the war 28,000 Cadets had entered the Territorial Force. He did not think that the work this home training had done for New Zealand was sufficiently appreciated, for though raw recruits had been trained sufficiently for the firing line in a few months, only the stiffening provided by a proportion of trained and experienced Territorials had enabled this to be done.

The Defence Expenditure Commission report that 1167 soldiers have been returned to New Zealand from abroad medically unfit, without ever having been in the firing-line. The cost of training, maintaining, and equipping a man,- and of getting him as far as Sling and back, is, on the average, £lso—amounting for 1167 to £175,050. This is supposing all these men were single men. Estimating that these men could have been pursuing their ordinary callings, on a low scale of pay the average earnings per man would be £l3O, a total of £151,710. making the loss to the country £326,760. In other dominions the percentage of returnings has been much greater; in Canada and Australia about four times as much.

It is etimated that the revenue de-1 rived from the duty of one penny on j the cheques in the last financial year in England was £1,340,000,

The estimated population of the Dominion on June 30 last was 1,165,250, including 49,776 Maoris. The excess of births over deaths for the June quarter was 4195.

Cabinet has agreed to give £SOO to the various patriohicT services to make up to a certain extent its revocation of the telegraphic privileges which those bodies have been enjoying.

Competitions held at the Red Cross Shop for July resulted as follows: — Pair knitted sox, No. 39,, W. McLennan; lady's silk set, No. 94, Mr B. Fitzherbert; tea cosy, correct No. 200, C. M. Candlish and B. Grayling tied, and will have to draw off.

German newspapers say that the Americans are armed with shotguns, because they cannot shoot with rifles, and even- the Zeitung contributes to this campaign of depreciation, actually .alleging that the Americans are armed with tomahawks.

During the course of cross-examin-ing a witness in an assault ease at Wellington on Friday, counsel said: “You tried to land the defendant one but he ducked and landed you one instead. Is that not so?” “He did,” replied the witness, “and it was a beauty too.” '

The election for three vacancies on the Wanganui Education Board, held on Thursday last resulted as follows: — South Ward (Foxton), A. Fraser 122; J. K. Hornblow 84. Palmerston Urban Area, P. C. Freeth 15; H. J. Caution 11; Mrs Crabb 8, Wanganui Urban Area, W. B'ruce 20; R; Sewell 11.

The Defence Commission, in its report, in dealing with the question of wearing uniform, istates- that where possible, all men irrespective of rank, employed on purely administrative W T ork should be in mufti. Of course, in camps uniforms is necessary. Quite an erroneous impression is conveyed to the public by seeing so many men unncccesarily in uniform.

A popular public social will be held in the Presbysterian Gynasium Hall on Wednesday next. The social has been organised with the view of augmenting the funds of the forthcoming “Cake and Apron Fair,” and will consist of musical items, competitions, and a good supper. There will bo several noveltias Submitted during the evening, which should be of a very enjoyable character.

The danger attaching to handling of benzine was exemplified in the case of the steamer Defender, which was destroyed in Wellington Harbour on Friday last through an explosion of benzine. The men were loading benzine in a hold when a man appeared with a naked slush light in the next hold which was divided by a bulkhead from which some of the rivets had been withdrawn. Immediately a sheet of fire shot with a blast acros the hold, severely scorching the men working there, and causing a. fire which resulted in the destruction of the steamer.

At the last committee meeting of the Red Jersey Appeal it was decided to approach the Red Cross Society to sec if it was possible to make a joint campaign by both bodies. The secretary of the Red Jersey Appeal informs us that the matter will be discussed by the Red Cross Society at its meeting on Thursday next, when representations of the Red Jersey Appeal will be present. In consequence of this, the committee meeting of the Red Jersey Appeal called for to-night will not be held, but members will be notified of a meeting when the decision of the Red Cross Society has been arrived at.

Speaking of shearing in Peru, the Rev. H. A. Job says. —“Knives were not used, but rather pieces of sharpened hoop iron or broken bottles. If a man in the off season found a broken beer bottle, he would wrap it up and guard it carefully till next s«ason. Needless to say, there are no such feats as shearing 100 sheep a day. About the most I ever heard of a native doing was 12. Also, I need not say that the sheepare not very handsome creatures when they are finished.” Mr. Job incidentally remarked on thg amazement he himself caused by shearing with 'a' pair of scissors, and passing through a score or so animals a day.