LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 3 January 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Three men named E, F. Harris, Herbert A. Hardy, and Don. McLean, were before Mr Aldridge, J.P., this morning, for being drunk in Taihapc yesterday. Harris was fined £1 and costs (or seven days) and the other two were fined 10s each. A notice appears in another column calling a parade for drill of the 43rd Company Senior 'Cadets for Wednesday, January 15!h, at 7 p.m. It is just as well to remind parents and cadets that these parades are compulsory, and non-attendance renders the delin- \ quents liable to prosecution in a court of law. Piquant revelations of what an i Emperor is like, as it were, in his shirt-sleeves, are contained in the book just published by Dr. Davis, an American who was his dentist for 14 years. The Kaiser spoke to the dentist familiarly on all sorts of subjects connected with the war. Here was his farewell when Dr. Davis was leaving for America on the entry of his country into the struggle: — "If I you should see my cousin, the King of England, kick his shins for me!" Speaking at a luncheon given by Dr. Cleary, Eoman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, General Pau said ho was not one of those who believed that with Allied victory the German menace had been finally slain. The German militarists had shown no signs of repentance; their regrets were for their failures, not for the wrongs they had perpetrated. Though defeated, they" would await the day of revenge and the world must needs be watchful There was yet no sign of a change of heart.

Americans vote King George a "regular feller" —which is one of their ways of announcing . that one is a good sort, and the American press this describe the manner the King ate buckwheat cakes, with the Queen at the American canteen in London: ".George and 'Mary are ordinary visitors, come to disturb no one, to mingle with all, to be friendly. No distinction for them; and above all, no ceremony. They want to eat an American dish, and sit down with the boys at one of the. big tables covered with oilcloth. 'Buckwheat cakes is the best thing we have,' says the host, a little flustered by the visit.

"Pansy" was one of our newest tanks, and she had a. great day on her first trip into the enemy's lines. She got within five yards of a dug-out, sat down, and waited. Then the door opened, and a German staff-captain strutted out. He blinked at the tank in a sceptical sort of way. He looked at the tank, and the tank looked at him. Neither moved for a moment. Then the German drew his revolver and emptied it at the monster. One of the tank guns swung round till it pointed at his chest. The weapon slipped from the Hun's fingers, and his hands went up. His rage when he was handed over was indescribable. He was speechless with indignation.

At New Brighton on Anniversary Da3 r , while two young women were sitting on the sands, one of them saw a lady's handbag lying close at hand without anyone in charge of it. On opening it she discovered a bank book, with £350 to credit, a roll of notes, and some silver Later in the afternoon (says the Cb.Tistcb.ureh "Sun?) she noticed two women apparently looking for something. She spoke to them, and ascertained that the lady to whom the property belonged had not noticed her loss until she had re turned to the city, and then came back at once to look for her bag. The woman who found the bag returned it to the thankful owner. Her reward I was a curt "thank you."

Canada to-day is said to be the richest country in the world per capita (writes a Toronto correspondent) Her war debt per capita is lower than that of any other fighting nation. During the past year Canadians accumulated 485,000,000 dollars in bonds and over 160,000,000 dollars in cash more than they had on July 31st 1917, that represented concrete accumulated wealth. On July 31st this year the deposits in banks were more than a billion five hundred million dollars, or 160,000,000 dollars more than was on deposit in Canadian banks on the same date a year previous. In the meantime Canadians had invested 425.000,000 dollars in the Victory Loan. 1917, and besides that they bought in the twelve months 60,000,000 dollars' worth of provincial and municipal bonds.

An Australian report says that 55 transports will arrive in Australia between January and April. The majority of the transports will be steamers which have formerly visited Australia, representing units of the White Star, Blue Funnel, Commonwealth, and Dominion, Aberdeen, Federal ships, and other lines, and also vessels belonging to companies which have no regular connection there, such as the Union Castle. About thirty former cargo vessels, averaging 5000 tons deadweight each, the majority of which are British standard ships, are also included in the total referred to. Practically the whole of the vossels will proceed to Australia in billast for the purpose of loading wheat for Eastern Mediterranean ports and elsewhere. In addition to the list mentioned, twelve other steamers, units of the Commonwealth Austral fleet and enemy requisition, will be trading regularly be- ; tween the United Kingdom and Aus- ! tralia.

One of the neutral writers on the war, who observed the doings of the Germans during the days of the earlyoccupation of France, has told a story which is so characterisitc of the Hun mentality as to be worth repeating. A chateau had fallen into the hands of the invaders. The unfortunate owners watched the stripping of their walls and rooms without hope, until suddenly there came upon the "scene a GermsftTbfficer whom they had entertained in their home, and to whom they had shown every courtesy. To this officer they at once appealed, with the result that he requestd them to accompany him round the house, and to point out every article they desired to save. Overjoyed at their fortune In finding their friend, they proceeded to pick out th real treasures of th echateau. When the labour was complete, and" these treasures had been carefully selected and collected their late guest calmly turned to his soldier servant, and directed him to have these carefully packed and dispatched to his address In Germany. That was the German method of returning old friendships and courtesy. White, Faacy, and Raireord Voiles, 42 inches wide —excellent value—2/6, 2/9, 2/11, 3/6, 4/6 per yard.—The Big Value House.—Collinson and Gifford, Ltd.—Advt.

An Australian platoon had a gay interlude during one of the operations in which they so severely drubbed "Jerry" (says a London writer, on the authority of "one of our most gallant officers"). They rushed a German general's headquarters, and found there among the souvenirs a box of brandnew iron crosses ready for issue to the Huns. The Anzacs rose to the occasion, and as soon as they got a few minutes' "breather" they held -in investiture on their own. The men lined up, and each of them had an iron eros solemnly pinned to his breast by a n.c.o.

A good instance of the Hun's artfulness and caprice of fortune in the battle zone is given by a Gisborne officer in a letter to his father. A body of New Zcalanders moved up" and occupied a town recently evacuated by the Germans The town was littered with rubbish, which they proceeded fo clean up. Along with a party of men the writer was assisting in the cleaning up, and when about to move a box lying at the side of the road they were called elsewhere. Singularly enough, the box remained, although the rubbish all around was subsequently cleared away. After a week's occupation the New Zcalanders received instructions to move on, and a party of half a dozen men were passing the spot when one of them accidentally tripped on the box, which exploded, killing all s*x. It was remarkable that the box should have reamined untouched in the middle i of the camp all the week.