LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, 2 August 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The number of people in the United Kingdom who pay income-tax is about 3,400,000. ‘

'i‘hey are asking and getting, £2OOO for seven-ro»omed houses in the suburbs of Palmerston.

Death awards for" insurance of SOl- - «fotafilving more than £157\.000,~ DOC have already been made by the United States War Risks Insurance Bureau.

“We seem to be standing before a Defence Minister, who is military mad,” said the Rev_ J. J. North (president of the Christchurch Council of Chnrclies) at the annual meeting of the council. “He told me in a private interview that there was so much lawlessness in the country that it could only be kept‘ from going to damnation by the drill sergeant.”

Returned soldiers are anxiously awaiting" the anlloulleement of the. de~ fence Minister and the Government, as to the gratuities to be paid in respect -of service in the war. It was expected that the scheme would be complete long before this, but it has been held up from -time to time by delays in the obtaining of information from other parts of the Empire. Now that it lms been cleiayed so long, it is probable that it will be held over until the political leaders arrive. The question is one of great imporance. involving :1, heavy expenditure, and for this reason it is desirable tlnat the -heads of the Government should be consulted.»Dominion. V

It is sfated as a, result of recent clnanges in the Defence administration two more ofiieers will be stationed. in’ Palmerston North in peace time than was found necessary in war timc.___ M.D. Times. '

Thousands of rats were disturbed by a £20,000 fire at a Thames wharf near the Tower Bridge a few weeks "a-gwo», the river being black with ta swimming mass searching fol-'qual.tQrS new. It was stated at the May meeting -of the London County Council that 500. Women» tram conduetors ‘had resigned voluntarily since the uahrmistice, and that theremaining 1250 would go when the men returned,

We are given to understand that the much-discussed Wanganui-Raetihi telephone communica.ti'on is likely to. be. come an accomplished fact before very long, and that the lineéwill be one of the fifst works undertaken as soon as ma.terial, of which there has been a, great shortage, comes to hand.

The sheep-farmer, in common with those engaged in other pursuits, has been forced to expedicnts in View of the railway curtailments. As an instance, an enterprising run-holder near Lawrence reached a local store recently after a, rthree h-ours’ run with his ear Well laden with fu-11-sized b"a.le of wool and four large bundles ‘of sheepskins.

A swiudler has been doing 9. thriving business among the faithful Brandenburgers. He arrived in a. motor car, and summoned all the rich pceple in the vil:l'ages.' Then he told them he was a. courier frem the ex-Kaiser, who was suffering from hunger because the Dutch, incited by the Allies, refused to give him food. The people hastened to pack the car with all sorts of gifts for the ex—Kaiser.

News has been received in Wellingtor: that Captain Trevor Holmden, M.C., has been made a major, and is new acting in the" ‘judicial department at Hilla, not far from Bagdad. Major I-lolmden, who is an L.L.B.bof Victoria College, left'Wellington with the Main Body, and"while serving at G:-illipoli received a Commission in the Dorestshire Regiment; His duties in i\lesopot.':unia, are of an onerous nature. He is called upon to try many important cases, and is hé;'ving a very busy time indeed. Mrs_ Holmden (3. daughter of Sir’ Robert and Lady Stout) is expected to depart from Vvellington next. month to rejoin her husband in Mesopotamia.

No improvement whatever has as yet taken place in regard to the great shortage of woollen goods in Auckland. A few packages have lately come to hand from overseas, but, as one local warehouseman expressed it, these are but “a drop in the ocean." of the present great need. There had been nothing to alter the position during the last month_ The few consignments ‘of goods which came tohafifi were immediately divided between so many waiting customers that there was practically no benefit to anyone. Dealers who hairordered 500 or 700 pairs of blankets were receiving perhaps half a dozen. The same thing also applied to practically every ‘other line of woollen goods. ;

-Now that serioushconsideration is being given to the suggestion to put frozen meat on the retail market for public consumption, the question as to its palatability is being discussed by those seeking information. Reliable information from actual‘ experience gained by the manager of a leading auctioneering firm, while on at trip to England, was given recently to tan Auckzland Star ,‘report'er. 'The gentleman was a guest at a. leading hotel. He was informed that at times frozen meat was served with the meals. Anxious to try it that he might judge for himself between tlze fresh and the frozen product, he asked to be served on clifferent occasions with both. This was done, and he gave the assurance yesterday that it was impossible for him to judge bet\\'eell'fijJ;%‘le two, so alike were they. In fia.ef‘f£i’iie said, they both were tasty and wholesome,

The coloured dress suit (says a London paper) for men has positively arrived. “After four years’ neglect.” says a London tailor, “the dress suit is made of dark blue cloth, the coat we are receiving inquiries for coloured dress suits. Several such orders have already been executed. From what I can see, the dark suit is going ‘to be very popu]:lr_ The suit is made of dark blue cloth. the coat lapels being: covered with black silk as of old, and black silk is also used to cover the buttons. A stripe, in black silk braid, is carried down the outside of the trousers leg, and the general effect of th suit is very smart. Other shades fol' Which a demand is expected are dark purple and chocolate browfi.“W'he. ther the new taste will go as far as crimson, sky blue, or orange yellow, I cannot say, but, anyhow, evening parties of the future loek like being brighter.” ' WOUGS’ Gui-eat Peppermint cure, For Coughs and Colds, never-\fails.

_ The following '"y~'ess'el. will probably be within wireless range to-night:— Maori, Mararosa, a}_ld_Pateena.

eialudonn oJulyqar9oc lunbU.t nal'ri\'e

Vvrits have been issued__ by_~ the liqfiidator of the Dominion Portland Cement Company, Limited, of Auck land, Mr_ F. T. Eyre, against certain of the past directors of the company, claiming the sum of £IBB,OOO for allagcd negligent management of the company’s affairs.

Mr H. D. Bond, jeweller and watch~ "maker, of Taihape, has a notice of particular interest to those who are in need of jewellery anfi electroware. An air of distinetion is dent to a _dining or tea table equipped with the cutlery he is prepared to supply. "An inspection of the stock in his shop will quickly verify this statement_

A meeting of 500 members of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association, held last evening, instructed the executive to take any steps it considered necessary to compel the Government to appoint a Royal Commission, to inquire into the charges made regarding the conditions under which patients were treated at the featherston Military Hospital.

Owing to the curtailment of the trafiic and The‘ impossibility of securing material, several of the leading builders are being compelled fo discharge a number of hands at Hamilton. This is particularly unflolrtunate, as the building trade is exceedingly brisk, and :the curtailment of the builders’ sfaifs will mean that many men in «allied trades will be thrown out of employment.

A number of cases of motor cars being taken by‘ unauthorised persons and used for “joy rides” have occurred in Hamilton recently. In one case a large car was taken, and was discovered in a side street,the next morning with empty benzine tank and exhausted batteries. Another Was taken a few" nights, later, and. was found fhe next morning. One was removed on Saturday, and has not beenrecovered yet. .