LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 29 March 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Co]d southerly weather is being experienced throughout the Wairarapa, and snoAv has fallen on the Tararua ranges ■■■ i ■'.'..« Reginald Joseph Devonshire was committed for trial at Masterton on Friday on a charge of alleged theft of moneys amounting to £771, the property of the Bank of Australasia.

The New .Zealand Dairy Association Ltd., last week distributed among its suppliers the sum of £105,933 i)/<: This covers < SS7.Bo2slbt. *>f 'butterfat, (supplied during February*.

"She has been earning too much money at the munition works—£6 a week for a girl of 17—tboro is no sense in it," says Mrs. Richards of Pontypridd (Wales), whose daughter was charged there with stealing £lll the property of her father, a colliery labourer

Every elector should make up his mind on which side his vote will be cast on April 10. Those still undecided should road on page 6.

Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Davey publicly

thank the people of Taibape and district for special kindnesses and considerations during Mr. Davey's late illness.

Influenza has reappeared at Marton, where several cases have been reported. One case, that of a man with a wife and 13 children, was removed to the Wanganui Hospital, where he died on Friday.

The saw-milling industry in the Catlins apepars to be booming now (says the Clutha Leader), despite a shortage of labour. In some cases men are being paid as much as 50 per cent above award rate, sawyers receiving up to £3OO a year with free house and firewood.

The following 'vessels ishoull be within wireless range to-night and Sunday:—Mararoa, Pateena, Fain worth, Argyllshire, Lcitrim, Port Melbourne. Mocraki, Wfstralia. V/estland, Mamira and Kurow. For Sunday: Westralia, FarnwOL-fch, Leitrim, Argyllshire and Mamari.

•Sergeant-Maijor Forrest, whto fcn's for some time been in chargo of the local area of the Territorials and Cadets, has resigned Jfrom the Government service, and will be leaving the district very shortly. SergeantMajor Beattie, of Feilding, has been appointed to succeed Sergeant-Major Fcrrest, and will arrive in Taihape ion Monday to take up his duties.

The opinion was expressed by his Honour Sir Robert Stout at the Gisborne Supreme Court that it was a degrading course to hoard up money until the children to be benefited by the same came of age, and without givirfe: the children the necessary education. In fact, the money under such -dreunrstanoes might becomfc a curse. Mr. Mark Kershaw chief health inspector at Christchurch, giving evidence before the Epidemic Commission recently, expressed the opinion that more power and resopnsibility should be given to health inspectors. Experienced men were not permitted to put their ideas into practice, and their instructions to householders, were often over-ridden by the health officer

The London "Evening News," says: "The fact that 80 per cent of the mines in the great barrage between Scotland and Norway were laid by the United States Navy is now disclosed. These ships laid mines with remarkable speed—s,22o mines were laid over 56 miles in 3 hours 51 minutes. Upwards of 50,000 mines were used altogether, and £10,000.000 was the cost to the United States Government. Althought 4,700 men were engaged in constructing the barrage, there were practically no casualties. The United States detachment is now engaged in clearing it away."

In a Berlin night haunt, one of the many luxurious dancing-rooms now punning there, some Hun officers in immaculate evening mufti a few clays ago spotted a British officer in khaki. They went up to him ami demanded to know, in bullying tones, why he was not in mufti. I give his reply, made in fluent German: "Firstly, I 'dcn't see what the its got to do with you; secondly, I have no mufti; thirdly, I'm in Berlin on duty doing the same job as you've done in Belgium for over four years, but without behaving in the same rotten caddish way you did." The Huns fled.

At Christchurch, on Friday a con

fcrcnce of station holders on high country was held to discuss steps necessary to destroy keas. Speakers agreed that he ravages of these birds were becoming increasingly serious. An instance was given where a sheep was killed as low- as 700 feet above sea level, and it was feared the 1 might take possession of the whole country. Te meeting resolved to ask the Government to declare keas noxious birds, and give a grant of 5s a head for killing them; also that it should be compulsory for the county councils to employ men to kill the birds.

At the meeting of the executive of the Provincial Farmers' Union, at Palmerston, a reply was received from the Minister of Lands to a request that the farmers should be placed on an advisory board in connection with the purchase of land for returned soldiers. The Minister of Lands wrote that it would be impossible to acecde to the request, Some members pointed out that he advice given by leading farmers to the Land Purchase Board had ben disregarded and none °f the places suggested been secured. The Board had turned down suitable land at a fair price, and had purchased land totally unsuitable at a much higher price. One member gave an instance whero a Suitable property had been offered and rejected. It was afterwards purchased 'by a speculator who eventually sold it to the Government at a higher price.

• "-!The Public Service Entrance exam-

ination for shorthand writers and typists will bo licit! on May 31st next. Applications close on May 21st. Further particulars will be found in our advertising columns.

A notice with reference to the special licensing poll to be taken on April 10th. from the Beturning Officer of the Oroua licensing district, 'appears on p. n ge 1 to-day. to which we direct the attention of those interested.

At Maungaturoto Court a local butcher was fined £5 by the magistrate for feeding pigs on uncooked horseflesh. It was elicited that defendant had bought up horses for the purposes Defendant said he had been feeding only his breeding sows in the fashion stated hut had discontinued the practice for three months.