LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 9 August 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A troop train passed through Taihape last night in route for Auckland with men on final leave.

The wholesale price of kerosene in New Zealand has been advanced by 6d per case. The rise took place on Saturday.

According to a statement made l at a meeting in Foilding recently, any balloted man who goes into camp without appealing may be considered to bo a volunteer.

An appellant giving evidence before the Military Appeal Board in Palmerston yesterday stated 'that hte had seven married brothers. If he were sent to camp his home would be the fifth in his family to bo closed up through the war.

The “Queen City’ ’is now 137 miles ahead of the Capital. The northern trail has now reached Waimarino. Auckland is now 206 miles on her journey as against Wellington’s 69. Hamilton has alloted herself the gigantic task of collecting £25,000.

“It may seem «a deadly thing for a Bishop of the Church to decry a pacifist but I believe/’ said Bishop Julius, preaching at the Cathedral, Christchurch, “from my heart and soul there is no more bitter and cruel enemy of our nations and of truth and righteousness and liberty than the men who are bidding us end the strife nem. con. and accept peace of any kind.”

Every soldier who has come into contact with captured German officers has the same tale to tell—that they are brutal to their men. and insolent to their captors. A war correspondent sends me (writes a Londoner) the following story in illustration of this: Noticing that some officer prisoners in a cage were looking eold, tired, and hungry, he offered one of them a bar of chocolate. The only reply the Hun vouchsafed was to scowl and to turn his back on him. Passing on to another cage he again produced the chocolate with the same reply from the German “officer and gentleman.”

A social and dance will be held by the Huia Hockey Club in the Three Stars Theatre on Tuesday evening next.

The Timaru Presbytery passed a motion by 13 votes to 1, in favour of a poll on the Efficiency Board’s prohibition recommendation.

Face powder manufactured from rice has been prohibited by the French Government. An official report stated that 100,000 soldiers’ rations of good rice are wasted daily on women’s powder puffs.

A Gazette contains amending regulations providing that every solicitor who makes default for a period of one month in causing his trust account for any year to be audited, shall be liable to a fine of not less than £SO, and not more than £IOO.

The correct pronunciation of General Foch’s name is frequently discussed in conversations. Some insist that the accent on the “c” should be hard, others that it should be soft. The correct way is as if it were spelt “Fosh.”

An accident occurred to the Raetihl train on Wednesday evening, whihfe fortunately had no more serious consequence than to delay the train considerably. After leaving tbe main station the two front wheels of the engine went off the line.

A Wellington tobacconist, Richard Houldsworth, was fined £lO on Wednesday for sending safety matches through the post. It was stated in evidence that safety matches were dangerous, as they were readily Inflammable.

Coptain McDonnell on Wednesday gave the Military Board in Palmerston an instance of what could be done in an cmbergency. A large farm in Hawke’s Bay, running 8000 sheep and 800 head of cattle, was being managed solely by its owner and one shepherd. The owner was called up, and now the shepherd has been left to look after the -whole place by himself.

“Viking” is coming. This is not the title of a new picture, but is fihe name given by Mr Clement Wragge to a new storm disturbance which is approaching New Zealand from the Tasman Sea. “Viking” has no special preference for any particular part of the Dominion, as the whole country will be affected by heavy gales and much rain.

A very successful dance under the auspices of the Taihape Railway Staff took place in the Three Stars Theatre last night. About sixty couples took the floor and danced io excellent music supplied by Mr. Lang (piano), B. Grayling (violin), W. Roberts (violin), and J. Gibbs (cornet). Extras were played by Messrs Gwilliam and J. Ormond. The floor was In first-class order, making dancing -a pleasure, and reflected great credit on those responsible for working it up. Messs T. Bentley and T. Giles acted as Ms €., while the secretarial duties were ably carried out by Mr, W. Buhner. The committee desire to thank Mrs. Treadwell for assistance given in connection with the supper arrangements.

It is announced that General Foch •has been, appointed a Marshal of France, and that General Petain has been awarded the Medaille Mijitaire. The great honour of Marechal de France is given only to those who have won two battles of a decisive character. It was bestowed upon Joffre upon his retirement from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the French armies, in recognition of his victories on the Marne, the Aisne, and at Verdun. Owing to the long peace before the present war the title had been in abeyance, but it was revived with great enthusiasm in favour of Joffre. Now Foch, after his successes in the stemming of the tide of the enemy attack on the Arras-Montdidier front in Aprjl, and in breaking the Marne offensive, is raised to equal dignity, and for the first time since the Second Empire France has two soldiers bearing the baton.

Yesterday, (Mrs E, Loader, of Taihape, received a telegram from the Defence Minister conveying the sad news that her brother, Private A. Kloth, had ,been killed in action in France on July 23. Private Kloth was well-known in this district, having at one time been in the employ of Mr. Donald McLennan. He had not been long out from England when the war broke out, and when in 1916 the call came for men he enlisted, and went into camp in March of the same year, joining the Cyclists Battalion. In May, 1916, he left for the front, and had been on active service right up till he was killed. During his residence in this district Private Kloth, by his bright and engaging disposition made a host of friends, who will be grieved to hear of his death. The passing of this fine young fellow adds another name to the list, already grievously long, of the boys from this district who have made the supreme sacrifice in endeavouring to make the world safe for democracy.