LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 March 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Most of the tomato crops in the | Fox to a {district iiavo suffered hrbm j blight. Potatoes, however, were almost free and go»d ';rop!s ore recorded.

The oyster season is heralded by a splendid consignment of that delicious bfvalvi, being received by Lurajud Bros., the ITaihaipe fish purveyors*. Messrs Lurajud invite attention do their new oysters.

An American patent Las been granted an English inventor for a shoe with detachable soles, and heels, which can be easily replaced when worn. The autographs of the British, French and ]ltalian statesmen who took part in the Allied Conference in London were sold recently for £7OT>.

At St. Andrew’s Church, Martinborough, on Wednesday last, a very pretty wedding took place, when Unieo, elder daughter of Mr and Mrs W. P. Moore, of Kaiwaiwai, Featherston, was married to Mr W. H. Nicholls, eldest son of Mr A. C. Nicholls, of Taihape. The Rev. J. C. Abbott was the officiating minister.

Replying to a question asked in Parliament by Mr R. A. Wright, M.P., Sir James Allen, Minister for Defence, states; The request of the Returned Soldiers’ Asociation that the present separation allowances for dependents of soldiers of the peditionary Force be made retrospective has again been carefully considered by Cabinet, which has definitely decided that the proposal to make the allowances retrospective cannot be agreed to.

Some misapprehension (says a contemporary) may' |)ei caused by the statement of a Nelson soldier in a letter that General Richardson informed his unit that ‘he had 2000 wives to ship out to New ealaud and that another 2000 would leave England during the next few months. There seems no m'eans to suppose that the general has undertaken such heavy matrimonial) responsibilities, the wives being probably those of Now Zealand soldiers.

The next English and Continental mail ( will arrive at Auckland per R.M.S. jMakura (and is expected /to reach Wellington on Tuesday next. The Hon. Arthur Myers said it must not be taken for granted that the approval of the Minister to the raising of capital to float companies necessarily implied that the proposed companies were worthy of support by possible investors. It was simply an indication that from a national standpoint it was not considered necessary to restrict the expenditure, should investors desire to spend the money.

The position with regard to the accumulation of wool in. the stores at Auckland has been considerably relieved by the fact that the steamship Livingstone now in port there, has lifted some 13,000 bales-. There arc at present in store at Auckland about 46000 bales, in addition to ! which there is a big accumulation of scoured and Isliped wool amounting roughly to about 15,000 bales. Contrary to all expectations the Avdol this year, notAvithstanding the fact that the epidemic delayed the- shearing to a considerable extent, is not nearly as seedy as that of last year.

A remarkable incident is related by a soldier who has just returned to the Dominion, One day during a British offensive a lai’ge batch of German prisoners were passing through the colonial lines, and the New Zealanders were watching them curiously. To the surprise of all, one New Zealander stopped lai prisoner and (indignantly demanded what he was doing there. The German sc challenged replied in perfect English that it was net his fault, and that he had been visiting Germany when the .war broke but. and had been conscripted without ceremony and sent to the front. He added that he did not want to fight, and had been looking for an opportunity to surrender. The New Zealander explained later that the man was a German who had lived in Now Zealand for some time before the war, and had worked on the questioner’s farm in 1913.

Some interesting remarks concerning the groat German bid for Paris were made by Mr E. Gilkinson at a Y.M.C.A. luncheon at Dunedin on Friday last. During the gteat push in March, he said, the Fifth Army Wllapscd, 'find several of /the best British divisions were rushed in to fill the gap. Two Australian divisions wore sent to the neighbourhood of Amiens, and the New Zealand Division—then with an actual fight* ing strength of 15{000 men —was taken from Belgium and pushed in near Bapaume. ' Th'e New Zealanders actually met the Germans, led by a sergeant-major on a bicycle, matching into the town to look for billets, and immediately hurried itheir machine guns on them, drove them back a mile, and hold that front right on till l he advance’ French, pjapers wore filled with accounts of the Now Zealanders, and one newspaper had the heading: “How the New Zea’finders Saved the British AkmyL ’ ’ In a little over a week the New Zealanders had over 4700 casualties in that sector.

When “TAN-OL” comes in, dullness goes out. A splendid polisher for floors and furniture, leather and tan shoes. SS

A young lady, engaged during the day, is desirous of obtaining board and residence with a private family.

The following vessels will be within wireless range to-night:—Maori, Mararca, Pateena, Navua, and Essex.

A gold cross, a war keepsake, lost by a lady on the Taihapc Railway Station, is advertised for land a reward offered.

A young, smooth-haired, black and tan dog, which answers to the name of “Jack,” lost at Winiatla, is advertised for, and a reward of £1 is offered by Mr D. Gordon, Taoroa, Telephone 58W.

Harvest thanksgiving services will be conducted in St. Margaret’s Church, on March: 9tK Parishioners are requested to kindly leave gifts of produce at the church before Saturday evening.

To-morrow, at the Tui Street Auction Mart, Messrs Ward and Co. frill sell an Indian motor cycle, in perfect order; a Collard and ,Collard piano, hiad little use; bedsteads, iron and wood, furniture, sewing machines, pure-bred fowls, and other useful, article's.

A very (commendable action performed by a boy named Jim Doull, of College Street School ,Palmerston, ■at the (swimming sports in the municipal baths (reports the “Times”). Just as the mixed relay race was nearing completion, one of th'o competitors, Olive Feast, was noticed to bo in difficulties about five yards from the end' of the bath. With great presence of mind the lad plunged from the high diving board fully dressed, and afforded her assistance, several other lads oromptly coming to the rescue. Young Doull was loudly prais'ed for his plucky act.

We would earnestly appeal to tall business and private people to contribute to the motor reel for the Fire Brigade. None but those who diave had a run with the present old style reel can imagine the hard work it is to dhag the reel to the scene of a fire, and then the firemen have to start straight away combating smoke. The motor will have many advantages, the principal being that the men will get quickly to the scene of the fire, and not having had the hard exertion of dragging the reel will' be in better condition to fight against the fire and ’smoke. T\yoc of the local firemen, who must be keen members, have guaranteed the amount, £l4O, within four months, therefore if volunteer men arc keen enough to do this it is up to the townspeople to back them up in this forward movement.