LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 December 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"When I go out on Saturday afternoon I can make a resolution that I will not have more than 16 drinks for, anyone, and stick to it." said a witness at the Petone Court

"What is the alternative?" asked a defendant at a Wellington Court "One month," replied the S.M. "•Well, as I am free of money as a frog is of feathers, I will accept the alternative,"" retorted the accused.

An Order-in-Council fixes the maximum prices of bacon and bam, when sold by manufacturers or wholesale merchants, upon the usual trade terms obtained on December 1, 1917—sides Is lid lb., hams Is lid, rolls Is 3id. The order comes into operation on January 6.

A typrographical error occurred in a paragraph which appeared on Friday. It was stated that Mr J. Sherwin's Christmas Toy Show was situated next to the Town Hall. It should have read next the King's Picture Theatre. A splendid selection of toys is now on display therein. A mean theft took place at the Post Office •Savings Bank counter in Christchurch the other day. A lady of 83 years of age, was waiting her turn to deposit a few pounds in the names of her two grandchildren. A pound note and .a deposit slip were in each book. She left the books and notes on the counter and crossed to the desk for her umbrella. When she came back a moment later the books .and money were gone, and no trace of them could be found.

A special maitr.ee will be shown at

the King's Picture Theatre to-morrow afternoon.

Special Christmas carols will be played by the Salvation Army Brass and String Band to-morrow night.

We have received from Mr A. Spence, draper, clothier, and milliner, a very neat, artistic, and useful calenI dar, suitable for any wall or desk and J not too bulky, for which we thank I him.

Messrs Ward and Co. will hold a special Christmas auction sale at the Tui-strect Mart to-morrow afternoon, i at 2 o'clock, \vhen there will be sold ! to the hgbest BRlder geese, fowls, potatoes, gooseberries, and a large line j of useful goods, many of which are I very suitable for Christmas presents.

Cr. Ecid at the meeting* of the Borough Council on Friday night drew attention to the stagnant water lying opposite Messrs. Rice's and De Loree's sections, and to tipping of rubbish on the side of the street in that locality. The foreman was instructed to find out who were the guilty parties.

Dr. Pomare, who had visited the Maori kiangas westward of the Main Trunk railway between Auckland and Wellington, also in the King Country and Thames districts, estimates the influenza mortality (amongst the Natives in that area (which includes th whole of Taranaki province) at about 45Q. Probably the toll of Maoris deaths is little short of 1000.

At the hospital inquiry on Saturday Mr Robert McLaren attended and said he had been a patient at the hospital for five months, and that he ha;, been exceptionally well treated during the time he had been an inmate o'f the institution. Mr 'Albert Aplin wrote protesting against tne manner in which the "Taihape Times" had "condemned" the medical superintendent, the matron, and the nursing staff. He gave testimony to the excellent way the doctor, matron, and nurses had worked to save his little girl

At the Borough Council meeting on Friday some discussion took place on the registration, occasion being taken to point out the difficulty of the classification of dogs for registration, purposes. One councillor stated that any old sort of a dog was a sheep or cattle dog, at 2/6 a head. The Mayor stated that the onus of proof of a dog's status lay on the owner, and the collector could demand the owner to make a declaration therein, and in case of refusal the collector was within his rights in demanding 10s. Another councillor remarked that a former collector had been nearly assaulted for asking an owner to make a declaration.

The wisdom of the old adage. 'Look before you leap." was proved in a case hcaJrd at the Magistrate's Court this week in Christchureh. Two men were charged with having been on licensed premises during prohibited hours. The evidence showed that the police had gone into the hotel in question before 9 a.m. iand had found men charged, in the bar. On being questioned, one of them stated that he was a boarder. "What's the number of your room?" queried the sergeant. "Number 9," was the prompt response, but investigation showed that '' Number 9,'' was the linen closet. Needless to say, further .subterfuge was unnecessary.