LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, 10 July 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It is stated that one reason for the fall in the price,of corrugated iron, etc._. is to be found in trade-pushing consignments from America. The War Ofliee ‘h«a.s announced that between theledate of the armistioe and noon on June 16, a total of 108,644 oificers and 2,779/70‘,7.men have been dcmebiliscd or discharged as medically unfi.t for service. Men are streaming away at the rate of 40,000 a week.

The hospital ship Marama is due at Auckland On July 17th witfi draft 264, containing 29 ofiicers, 11 nurses, and four masseuse, and 648 of other rzmks. Amongst th-ose returning age: F. E. Bagley, Taihapc; E. Baufigld, Taihape; J. G. ‘Gould, Ohakune; J" E. Greeks, Taihape; C. Jeayes. Taihape; and Heremaia, R'a.e'tihi.

The laurel-wreath must surely be awarded ‘(says a Melbourne journal) to the Sydney old clofmerchant who wrote to the relatives of a ’flu victim, “Kindly accept my sympathy and condo]ence_ . . . ‘Should you have anything on hand from the deceased person and feel inclined to dispose of them, I shall be pleased to call. . . G-r-r! . -

says the Ncwizealand Times: At the present moment, quite a battalion of returned soldiers are being permanently employed in Wellington at high salaries. They are not so nlueli in evidence at .the moment, because the authorities, prudently recognising theeffect, on the public mind of such a perpetual display’ _ "of gold braid, have decreed that it is not necessary for them to appear in uniform. But they are on thé"“’pay-roll to the country. They are costing us an ‘immense amount of money annually and with the arrival, of every {roofiship the favoured legion is numerically increasing. V K . ' , .3 _ ,

A shop and«house,,of four rooms, wash-house and conveniences, is advcrtised =to let.

The Wellington caterers have formed an association, and decided to increase the price’ of meals by 25 per cent. ..

‘ ‘A case: of encephalitis lethargica (sleeping sickness) has ‘been admitted :to the Taihape Hospita‘*l. ‘The patient is a boy six years of age, named Bil'fi‘e'i' beck, who resided at Tawara Street, Ohakune. - ' »

The Kaitieke County Council on Saturday authorised steps to: be taken to raise £IO,OOO for re-forming and metalling the road" from 'Manunui to Owhango. This and other loans previously mentioned, together with grants, make the total money to be spent within the county £49,000.

An at-tenrpterd .burgla.ry of the Farm--01's’-CO-operative Auctionecring Company’s premises occurred on Monday. The safe was untouched, and the stock remains intact, ‘but the "door shows signs of a. bar having been used. The lock was strained, and would not open this morning when the staff arrived A carpenter ’s' assistance was sought -to force open the door,’ when it was found that practicalty no=th’ing had been touched. Even 2.. small sum in change was in its accustomed place.—Taumarunui Press.

The largest German gun yet. landed in New Zealand is new on View in front of the Town Hall, Wellington. This is a 5.9 i- -piece, captured during the New Zealanders’ victorious advance on September 29 of last year. \Vith an 18foot barrel V‘\‘eligh-‘i-ng approximately three and a-quarter tons. it naturally i_mpressed those. who watched it being placed in position recently, much more than the light field guns and howitzel's already shown. New ‘Zeal-and soldiers, too, can testify that itis just as impressive in its worhas in its appearance, for the v_10()lb shell was amongst the most effeetive the Germans used during tlle c_alllpaigll. _VVith its high velocity, great" 'aecu7:acy, and good bursting eifee-t. the 5.9 was scarcely regarded with affection by the <livi_siQll‘:A‘

An appeal to refrain from statements likely. to create suspicion be'tween employer and. iemployiee !wa’,'s made by Sir James Allen, in addressirfg a. deputation from the Timber VV-o«rk-ers’ Federation. .Sir James referred to a.’ statement. that while» an employer had been fined 10/ for a. breach of the Factories Act, a worker, for :1 trivial offence against fhe War. Regulations would be likely to be imprisoned for two years. «Such partiality, he considered, was unknown in New Zéaland He hoped that both sides would refrain from making statements liable to increase any feeling of hos'€ilit.y, so that one ‘day the parties miglit be brought »t'o_gether and a real understanding eifected fortlie benefit of aul.

iWithpabout a, "ton of policemen aboard, the nl6't"ol' prison van came to grief on the -Wellington side of the Taita. Gorge, at 10 o’cloek yesterday morning. The car was taking la. dozen constablesqout. to ’~l‘renthal'n‘to doduty at the races, and when about to effter the gorge a motor lorry suddenly cut across the front of the police" Vehicle. To save a violent collision, Constable Hollis, Who was driving the prison van, steered the vehicle downuva. four-foot bank. This caused the‘front. axle to bend, and the car, although it did not ‘capsize, was completely disabled. The constables proceeded on to the races in other vehicles, and the Post’ and Telegraph Department staif .‘g.ot: the <.l:imaged car to Petone.

There is a good story told of the retort made to the Kaiser by Sir John Pent]-and Mahaffy, Provost of Trinity Colelge, Dublin, who died recently. At a reception, at which the Queen of Spain, then newly wedded, was present, Dr, Mahaffy asked how she was gettingbon with Spanish, and, eulogising it as “the grandest of languages” he x,:uote_d Charles V.’s saying how he “spoke Spanish to his God, Italian to his Wife, French to his mistress, and German to his servants and dogs.” The Ka?ser, seeing the Queen laughing, crossed the room to ask what was the joke. “I have known her Majesty only ten minutes,” was the Provost's reply, “and already we have some: thing to conceal.”

Speaking at the ‘social at Hawera in honour of the Minister of Education, Mr. J. R. Corriganf said", in re-.i'<-rcnrm to the inflation of land values: that he considered it only fair to Sound a warning to young men proposing to go on theland at these high prices. He said that it would be necessary to get into touch with the best methods of production‘ and the best methods of farming if they wish to have a. chance of success.’ The infiation of values was not in the best interests of New Zealand. It was a Well-known fact that lean years followed fat years, and it "was not right to base estimates on what ‘has been done during the fat years. “I consider," he said, “that the man going on to _the land now will have a. harder row to hoe than I had, and it behaves‘ me to give what advice I can to those eoming on to be farmers ‘in the near ‘_£“utuie,"‘ . i ’

The Old Girls’ Hockey Club, at a

special meeting; Z‘-decided’ to --hold a dance at. the ‘Town Hall on Friday, July 25th. Full particulars will appear later. V

Speaking at a meeting of the Canterbury Philosophical Institute, Mr. Edgar F. Stead said that at times a mysterious “something"’ would attack certain animals in New Zealand causing them to be almost exterminated in certain places. i For the want of a better nameihe would call this “something a sickness A‘ In many places Where rabbits had thrived a. few years ago there Was now hardly any, and he doubted whether strong, healthy rabbits introduced to these places would thrive. He considered it would pay the Government to investigate the matter as it applied to rabl bits. ‘

The problems in connection with demobilisation are so numeruusfiand often so unexpected that the Defence Department is constantly revising and extending its regulations. It welcomes the assistance and initiative of all its offi-:.ers, no matter what their rank_, as the following extract from the latest Headquarters instructions will -indi-cate:—-“lsf any regulation now in existence with regard to demoblisation or civil re-establishment of soldiers appears to prevent quick, smooth andeflicient administration and thereby acts disadvantageously to the soil-_ dier, it should immediately be brought to the notice of the Oflicer Commanding District, and submitted by him to General Headquarters for transmission to the Department concerned for considerationiof its revision,-” V

By special request, Mr and Mrs Stan. Peyton have decided to repeat the “Grand Revue” which was given in the Town Hall some months ago. The excellence of -the Revue, its beautiful setting,‘ ail<l.rnus_ic"_a.l __and terpsichorian gems, will still be fresh in the minds of those'wllo were fiortull~a.te enough to‘ ‘Jepresent at its performance. The organisers will, in the inain, adhere to ‘the original programme, but’ will infreduee several lhiovelties. Mr" Et'ev‘en-c-aux, of Tziihape, will be the‘ scenic artist, ‘and several new seenes: will be painted. ’A"rehearsxa'.l will be held in Town Hall Supfierroom to-night at "8 o’elock,-and all those interested, parti'eularly- those who took part. in the original performance, are urgently requestecl to be present; The Revuexwill be staged -on Saturday, July .sl9tll, as pr».rt of thc_Peace ‘Celebration pro'gramme‘. _

A Christchurch nierchant Stated that the Government. has ‘made a remarkably good bargain with the Colonial Sugar Company, considering the price of sugar in other parts of the World. He told a. refiorter that the ‘rise arnountecl ‘to £1 's] a ton, which was equivalent to a rise of 10d perA7Olb bag. New Zealand, he said, couldnot complain =34; "all about”. the.”-‘ price ' of singer. Some time ago he had secured a copy of the British ‘Board’ of Trade prices for sugar, which were from £3s‘ to £37 per ton, as 'aigain‘st‘ the latest‘ price of £23 15/? in Au"ckland. ~ He pointed. out that the price in Melbourne was in ‘t.he rAeg‘io'n7o’f £3o.‘ “It iwasiallready fairly generallywknown that unl‘(‘fine(7.» sugar,'"if‘s'hilspéd’i from New Zealand- to America,-‘would return a better price thanTth_e present-day refined on the local market. c Mr Ford anticipated an increase in the retail price of id per lb. _ ‘

A pretty war story, full of pathos, was told by Major J. B. Hine, M.P., -1.5 the unveiling ceremony at Huiroa, on Monday (says the Stratford Post). Hassdni Mahomet is the little Egypt.ian boy whose parents were killed in the war, and in return for the kindness extended to him by the New Zealenders, he used to do odd jobs in camp. He was such an obliging chap that in‘ tiniethe regiment became much attached to him, and when the war "'l3 -over, and ‘he was told that he would have to go back to his native place, Beirouth, he tvept until his little heart. nigh broke. The officers could not bring themselves to enforce the decree, and it was dceided. if possible, to bl‘inghim' out to New Zealand_ “So, boys and girls,” said the Major, “some day you may meet Hassam Maliomet, and you will remember that by his ‘industry as a. sign of gratitude he was an example to all, even though an Egyptian boy!” The interest of the children was refleeted in the longing. expression in. their eyes, and one may, be quite sure -that Haésanl Mahomet will have a. great reception should he ever-strike out for Huiroa. ‘