LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 January 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The French Academy of Physicians has decided to request that the treaty of peace should prohibit all scientific relations with the associations of savants belonging to the Central Empire.

The censorship on all wireless messages to and from all ships and shore stations is suspended as from to-day. This does not apply to men-o’-war, for which all wireless messages must pass through the naval medium.

April 10 is the date fixed by the Government jfor .'the taking of \the, referendum on the question of abolition of the liquor traffic, with compensation to those at present conducting that trade. The main roll of electors is closed. A supplementary roll will be issued in about two months time.

The inquest on a man found in a lavatory at the Dannevirke Railway Station on Saturday disclosed his identity as Samuel Alfred Rossiter, a well-known resident of Tamaki. He was loft in the lavatory by a relative to sleep after having had a severe fall whilst drunk, and died during the night from hemmorrhage of the brain, a verdict being returned to this effect.

The Dodge motor car still stands pre-eminent, and their latest model is “a thing of beauty and a joy forever.” Taihape Motors, Ltd., on page eight, announce that they have received one of the latest creations of the Dodge Company. There arc very little structural differences .between this model and its predecessors, but certain improvments have been made, the chief of which are the oil filler and the switch. Intending car buyers frould do well to call at the garage and have the capabilities of this model demonstrated to them. Large stocks of spare parts are to hand.

Fruit prices in London when the last mail left were more astounding than the local rates. For instance, Cox’s Orange Pippin apples wore quoted at 1/6 to 2/ each, Blenheim Orange at lOd. to 1/3, and King’s Pippin at 9d to 1/3. each. Pears ranged from 2/6 to 3/ apiece, peaches from 2s to 4/, lemons 5d to (id. each, oranges od to (id each, grapes from 3/6 to 12/ per lb., beetroots were 2d to 3d each, mushrooms 5/6 to 6/ per lb. and melons 4/ to 7/6 each.

Recently several fires occurred at Invercargill in unoccupied houses under circumstances suggesting incendiarism. On Saturday, William Lawrence, a youth employed as a messenger by the brigade was arrested on a. charge of setting fire to a house in Don (Street. The police stated that the accused admitted guilt in connection with six fires. He was remanded till January 9.

“Teach the people what sea-power means,” said the text of a speech made by Lord .Jellicoe at the Navy 'League Nelson Day luncheon in London. “It is extraordinary that in this nation, which exists mainly or solely by sea power, so large a proportion of our countrymen do not understand in the very least what sea power means.” In the Dominions over, the seas they realise to the full how their existence and the existence of the whole Empire depend on the sea.” A youthful housebreaker, fifteen years of age, was apprehended by Constable McKay on Friday in Martin street, Wellington. The hoy had broken ino a house in Taranaki street on January 2nd, and had stolen a sum of £lB. The occupants of the premises were absent at the time, _and the boy must have had knowledge of the box from which lie took the money. It contained the sum of £l4O, and the theft was soon discovered and suspicions rested on the hoy. On being questioned, the boy gave evasive answers and was consequently arrested.

Two properties have been bought recently by the Government in Wairarapa for settlement by discharged soldiers. One of the purchases is from Messrs. J. and 0. Bidwell, an area of 2197 'acres, which will be subdivided into about thirty sections. The Minister of Lands, the Hon. D. H. Guthrie says that this is the best of dairying laud obtained at a reasonable price, and he anticipates some very successful settlement. This area is nearly ready for selection. The other block is West-mere, more than 3000 acres, land of varied quality, which will be divided into six or eight sections. The Minister states that this land was bought at a price which will give the occupiers a good opportunity.

For sheer unblushing impudence (says the London Express) it would be hard to beat a German enterprise which is announced in Uobor Land und Mocr: “A number of Gorman capitalists, shipping firms, and engineers, Iravc combined to form a company with a capital of 4,4800,000 marks (nominally £24.0,000). which should appeal to every patriotic GernVan. Our glorious L T -boats have sunk at least £10,000.000 worth of Allied shipping. This new war salvage company, equipped with the latest products of Teutonic genius in the shape of lifting apparatus, will raise may of these vessels and make them >a part of the new German mercantile fleet. ”

The big cargo steamer Orator, which i arrived at Wellington on Sunday alternoon from Lyttelton to complete her cargo for London, is equipped wAh ingenious devices for protection against mines. They take the form of two torpedo-like objects that are placed in the water in a mine-strewn area and towed along, one on each side of the vessel. By the angle of their rudders these dummy torpedoes keep out from the sides of the vessel, and can be regulated to move along at any depth. When they come in contact with a mine mooring wire they sever it by a jawlike apparatus at their forward points. These mine protectors have been in general use for some time on vessels navigating European waters. I Many hundreds of tenant farmers 1 and small holders, says the London j Daily News (August 27), are being j evicted from their farms. “The general public,” Mr Arthur C. Dowding, solicitor, -writes from 14, South Square, Gray’s Inn, “will wonder why these ' evictions are taking place. The answer is that thousands of farms and small ! holdings are being sold, and unless a tenant is able to purchase at the present inflated war prices he is generally evicted. Landowners are obtaining huge prices solely by reason of their ability to evict their tenants and give a purchaser possession./’ “Absolutely true,” was the comment made by a well-known agriculturist in an interview with a Daily News representa- * tive on the subject of the inflated prices and evictions. “You see,” he said, “every day announcements of estates to be sold. The price of land at the present time is enormous, and there is no doubt that many owners are taking advantage of this artificial j Inflation to throw on to someone else [ the odium or the onus of increasing \ the rents.”