LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 September 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A splendid bearded cattle bitch with pup, four months old is advertised for sale by a man who is foing into-camp at once.

Tenders are invited by the Wanganui College Trustees for 30 to 40 cords of 4 feet firewood,.on truck, for delivery in February.

The name of Lieut. Walter C. Gibbs, wounded and l admitted do hospital, appears in- the last casualty list issued. Hie sister, Miss D. Gibbs,- of Taihapo is his nest of kin. ■

The old boys of the Auckland Grammar School have a splendid record for Avar services. To date a total of 234 have laid down their lives, and many hundreds have been wounded.

Now potatoes have made their appearance on the Auckland market, but it will be about a month hence before they will be offered for sale in any appreciable quantity.

The elimination of the study of German from the,public schools of Garrett (Ind.) was signalised by a parade of the pupils, who ended their march at the municipal flag-pole, where a huge bonfire was made of the German textbooks,: more than 1000 of which were consigned to the flames.

It is reported that a North Island resident has discovered a pill, made by a certain patented process,, which pill, when dissolved in water, produces a beverage whose taste, smell appearance and effect as that of old mild Scotch whisky. Prohibition, where is they' sting?

A fight between between two well dressed women was an unusual sight in Christchurch the other evening. Prior to the striking of blows, the women had been quarrelling fiercely in a storm of words. Then suddenly their passions got the upper hand, and they came to grips.' After a couple of rounds, during which no great physical damage was done, they moved up the street engaged in wordy conflict.

The recent disaster to the Turks in Palestine eclipses any previously sustained by them in modern times. The only parallel was during the Russo-Hurkish war when on October 24 1577, the Eussian Army of 120,000 under General Skobeloff captured Plevna, taking 30,000' prisoners and all their cannon and war material. General Allcnby’s victory was more decisive. Ho had not nearly so many men under his command as the Eussian general, but his operations accounted for 50,000 Turkish prisoners and 325 guns and a huge quantity of war material, besides destroying the Turkish armies operating in Palestine.

Feeling runs high amongst locomcn in the different depots on the Main Trunk Line, owing to their being called on to work so much night duty without any extra remuneration, and in this connection, the Taihape branch of the E.P.C A, passed the following resolution at its last quarterly "meeting;—“As night duty is ever on tljc increase and little consideration shown by those responsible for keeping this to a minimum when the timetable is being revised from time to time, we draw the attention of onr executive to the extreme necessity of pressing the Government to pay a substantial penal rate for such hours worked, and enjoyed by all emploj'ees outside the Government service. ”

On the present scale of national expenditure, the United States could finance the war if necessary, for 25 years says the Philadelphia city statistician

What no doubt constitutes a record cargo of chaff, so far as Wanganui is concerned, 10,000 sacks was brought up from Lyttelton by the Ngatoro on Thursday.

Shearers and grocers’ assistants are the only -two clasps of labour that have received incrlfsed wages nearly proportionate to the increase in cost of living. So says the Government Statistician,

Diphtheria is still uncomfortably prevalent in Wellington, According to the Health Inspector’s report to the Hospital Board, 48 cases of diphtheria were reported during the month ended September 17 and 49 the previous month

The cold storage extensions being made by the Auckland Farmers ’ Freezing Company, arc almost completed. The increased storage was equal to 200.000 601 b. carcases, making a total capacity of the firm’s three works of 700.000 60 lb. carcases.

Two milk vendors in Auckland on Thursday last were charged with selling milk containing 10 per cent, of added water. In fining each of the defendants £2O apiece, the magistrate remarked that it was the duty of the court to see that the sale of food and drugs in their pure state was maintained.

There is anything but unanimity among the members of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. The Newmarket branch carried the following resolution, with only five dissenients: — “IWo consider that the usefulness of our present general secretary (Mr M. J. Mack) will be much enhanced should he succeed in winning a seat in Parliament, and in any case his candidature is an excellent proof of his ability and standing as a recognised leader in Labour Politics.'' The local branch of the Wanganui Post and Telegraph Association, at a meeting on Friday, resolved to place on record <( disapproval of the discriminating manner in which the Government dealt with questions of war bonuses and salary increases in the Public Service," and requesting the Government to grant the Post and Telegraph Service war bonuses and salary increases on the same basis as other branches of the service, to take effect from April 1, 1918; also, in view of the depreciating value and purchasing power of the sovereign, and the absolute inadequacy of the war bonus, to make up the deficiency in actual value of salaries compared with prewar conditions, the association demand a general increase of not less than 20 per cent, on the salaries of all members of the Post and Telegraph Service. ,

A correspondent, writing to the New Zealand Herald, apropos of one of the country trains, makes the following comments on the service:— Havng occasion to travel to Waimahku last week I -was advised by a friend (one of the grumblers) either to w r alk or ride if there was a hurry. In the end I took the train. Of the outward trip I will say but little. Conditions word unfavourable- A fresh head wind was blowing and just beyond Henderson a rabbit straying on the line caused some delay. The conditions on the homeward trip were good, with a fair wind, and in sporting parlance, we fairly romped home doing the 21 miles trip to Mount Eden in a title over two hours, including stoppages (40 minutes). It is but fair to state the train was the express; what the ordinary service is I do not know.