LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 May 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

British shipowners received compensation amounting to £104,013,271 for 'requisitioned vessels lost during the war. Tiie original cost of the ships is estimated at £51,116,806.

Prom 800,000 to 900.000 animals wore in the service of the British War Office during the war. As many as 165,000 horses were commandeered during the first ten days of hostilities

Bulgaria’s obligations reach, about £400,000,000 excluding Germany’s claim to £80,000,000 for munitions of war, which Bulgaria may disown, and also a German advance of £54,000,000

At the dispersal sale of Mr. C. A. J. Lovett’s Hereford herd at Peilding on Tuesday, the Hereford bull, President Wilson, fetched 2220 guineas. The Purchasers’ name was not revealed. This is believed to be the highest price ever given for a Hereford bull.

No subsidy for war memorials will bo paid by the Education Depart in on t except in the case of honours boards in schools to which the Department has already committed itself. Intimation to this effect has been received from the Hon. A. M. Myers. A fire occurred in the rear of the Vacuum Oil Company’s premises at PQrt Ahuriri, Napier, yesterday morning. Motor spirits and oils to the value of about £4OO were damaged. Prompt action by the brigade saved the bond store, containing 30,000 cases of oils.

The following vessels will he within wireless range to-night: Maori, Mararca, Patecna, Monowai, Atheuic, iand Kurou. We are glad to report that Dr. Boyd who underwent a serious operation a few days ago in a private in Wellington is now progressing slowly but favourably. Dr. Parker is at present faking Dr. Boyd’s practice.

Owing to an obstruction in the gate of the dam, the electric current over the whole Borough will be cut off from (5.30 to 8.80 to-morrow 'morning. This step is absolutely unavoidable, and an attempt will bo made to minimise as far as possible the inconvenience caused.

The annual meeting of members of St. Margaret’s Church will be held in the Parish Hall this evening. The business to bo transacted consists of the report, and balance-sheet, election of officers, and general. A full attendance of parishioners is earnestly requested.

The Postal Department has made a regulation to the effect that gam.feand fish forwmrded through the post must be -packed in straw .or some similar substance, the whole enclosed in calico, or thin sacking, and the contents of the parcel must be indicated on the cover

A bushman named John O’Neill, aged 33 years, cut his throat in the Metropolitan Hotel, Wanganui, on Tuesday afternoon. Ho obtained a loan of £1 from the licensee, and after having a drink said ho was going to his room to take medicine. A few minutes later he was found with his throat cut from ear to ear

The shortage of coal at Auckland should be eased somewhat during the next few days, as vessels carrying approximately 12,000 tons are due there towards the end of the week. Two steamers are coming from Newcastle and two from Westport, while a part cargo will arrive at Onehunga by one steamer from Greymouth.

A letter sent out by a leading Christchurch firm last week seems to indicate that the woollen mills of the Dominion have not yet caught up with the civilian ’ demand for their goods. The letter states: “At the present time jerseys are practically unprocurable in Christchurch, and although we, together with the other warehouses, have them on order from the different colonial mills, we are unable to get delivery of them, nor can we get any information as to when we may expect delivery.’

ft is popularly supposed that the New Zealand envoys., Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward, have made some sort of an impression on the British public, and have contrived to let the people of Britain know at least that they come from New Zealand. In'the “Daily Graphic,’ of February 10, p. pictorial paper in London, there is published a photograph of a wedding group. Underneath the picture. •,appeared the following description; “New Zealand Premier’s son marriedd’ “Captain Cook, son of the Premier of New Zealand was married at Golder’s Green on Saturday, to Miss C. M. Watson, of Golder’s Green. Sir Joseph Cook is on the bridegroom’s right, Mr. and Mrs, Watson on the left of the bride.”

The sugogstion that the observance of Anzac Day should be transferred to ■tT. George's Day, April 23, was mentioned by Bishop Averiil at the service in the Auckland Domain. He said no doubt the suggestion had been made in the best interests of Anzac Day. but he thought it would be better to transfer the observance of St. George s Day to Anzac Day and so maintain the days which was enshrined in the affection and sympathy of all Xcw Zealanders. Returned soldiers, parents and wives of fallen soldiers and citizens had the right to make such a request and demand that Anzac Day should be observed as a day of national commemoration, thanksgiving, and inspiration. Bishop Averill’s remarks were greeted with loud applause by the returned soldiers present.

A New Zealand soldier with the forces in Germany, writing from ,Retrath, near Cologne, on February 2, to Mr. W. R. Quennell, of Caversham, Dunedin, states;—“Life in Germany is none too sweet. It is bitterly cold. The wind nearly cuts one in) two. Plcnt3 r of .snow and frost. This little village is about ton miles from Cologne by tram. It is< a dead-and-alive, hole • —about two men and a dog in It, that’s about all. The civvies stick us up in the street and say, “Nix chocolate,” asking for chocolate, which they get, I don't think. If they are not after chocolates it is cigarettes. They arc U miserable looking lot. They live on potatoes and oat about 41b. each at a go. My word, they do shovel them down. They are poorly fed. A piece of soap, half the size of an ordinary tablet of toilet soap, costs 6/ pnd boots £5. The poorer classes have paper boots, with wooden soles. Butter is. £2 a lb. meat 24/ a lb. I cannot imagine how they live at all.’*