LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 53, 23 July 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

'Wild pigs must be fairly numerous in the Utiku district just now. A party of three secured no less than .13 pig's within a few 'hours last Sunday. The dry canteens at the recent Takapan tamp have yielded a revenue of $-100 to the Defence Department. The "■■venue has been distributed among the various units. One rather deplorable development in the Bible in Schools agitation is a flood of correspondence pouring in upon members of Parliament, telling them what will happen to them if they do not support the Bible league's proposal. It is not often that titled gentlemen appear among the list of those gazetted to appointments under the fiovernment in New Zealand. The current week's Oazette states that the Count Rene du Montaigu has been appointed an officer under the Fisheries Act.

The retailing of fish by the municipal market in Wellington is growing into a considerable business. During the first six months of last year, the sales numbered 10,317, and the total revenue was £6(15 2s 10d. During the corresponding period of this year, there have been 23,027 sales, of a total income of £IO9O 15s 7d. The largest number of sales in a month was 5051 in .lime. The fish has all been sold in small parcels.

A lad who was taken to the Wellington Hospital on Friday to have a small bullet extracted from liis left hand tells a somewhat remarkaMe story. He savs Unit he mis walking up Buckle street, '.n Friday morning when lie suddenly felt a pain in his hand and found that a bullet had wounded him. The lnillet. which is considered to have come from n pea- •■. went almost right through the hand but missed the hones. The hoy can give no idea as to where the missile was fired from.

Rome interesting figures have been collated Try the British Trade Commissioner in \ew Zealand in connection with the registration of motor ears and motor-cycles in the Dominion from May of last year to April last. The number of automobiles was liSfin. of which VMfl came from America. 1082 from Britain, 939 from Canada, and -2(>4 from France. The total were made up as follows: Wellington. Hawkc's Bay, and Taranaki, 1«14; Canterbury. 75-1:' Auckland and -Poverty Bav 745; Otago and Southland. 408; Westland and Nelson, 153. The number of motor-cycles was 4117. and pf these, 3530 were 'of British make. The registrations in Wellington, Taranaki, and Hawkc's Bay totalled lf>o4, in Canterbury. 1143, in Otago and Southland &17, in Auckland and Poverty Bay 407, and in Westland and Kelson, 160. For the corresponding period last, year, the totals were: Motor cars 2708; motorcycles, 3234. The returns do not include the nuiriber pf cars and motorcycles in Marlborough.

Public miv;ting.= in connection with I.jc Kducalion ij'i.l arc -bring calied in luglewood l ami Stratford to-mon-ow night. At the meeting of motorists to be 'held at New Plymouth to-night the Motor lii.l will come up for discussion. Motorists from all parts 'of Taranak'i are likely to -ire present.. A householders' meeting will lie' held ii' tlik- 'Mimi school on Anyn'st 5 )'::y the olccti; n of a school committee and the consideration of 1 lie school boundaries. Mr. A. 11. ll'alconube will rcprcsi nt the IvliK-atiou Board. Mr. Annrcw isiirbairii, -linving vindicated liis |-"isoiial honor, lias decided to distribute, among deserving public bodics tlie solatium of £SaO which tiic (.hristclm-rcli jury awarded him in the lcccnt libel action against the Otago Daily Times.

Rumor hath it tat Brigadier-Gencnl Duvics, at present commanding the 3rd Infantry Brigade at Aldershot, will return to the Dominion at the end of the present year. It is also stated with a good deal of reserve that the term of engagement of Sir Alexander Oodlcy expires during this year of grace, and that the projected re-appearance of the little man from Aldersliot is therefore significant (says the Auckland Observer.) Tt is reported, states an Auckland paper, that last Sunday night's southbound Wellington express ran into a railway jigger on the main line in the vicinity of the Taukau station. The jigger is stated to have been securely locked when left by some, platelayers in the station yard on Saturday afternoon. The collision resulted in the jigger 'being smashed to matchwood, but no damage whatever was ,-ustained by the train, which proceeded on its journey after stopping to ascertain if anyone bad been injured. The police are investigating the matter, which, so far. remains a mystery.

Chemists in Dunedin are desirous of shortening the hours in which their premises are open for 'business, and the majority of them have signed a requisition to the City Council asking that the closing hours should be fi p.m. on four days of the week, the shops being opened again from 7 to 8 p.m. on the halfholiday, instead of 7 to 9 p.m. as at present, and closing at 0.30 p.m. on Saturday. Arrangements are being made for the establishment of a central night dispensary, in charge of a registered chemist, for the supply of urgent medicines after the shops are closed. Schemes similar to that proposed in Dunedin have been established in Tasmania, and the arrangement is said to be working very satisfactorily.

The Fitzroy Bowling Club is to be congratulated upon the enthusiasm which brought together such a large assemblage at last night** social at the Oood Templar Hall, and upon the absolute success of tihte gathering. Over forty tables were occupied in the euchre tournament, controlled by Mr. Clvas. Bond. The prizes fell to 'Mesdames W. TTarvey (13 games) and Miss M Tunbridge (12 games-, and 1 Westers R. J. White (12) and W. Way (11). In each case tlbere were level scores for second place, Miss Tuniliridge having to p'ay-off with Mrs. J. Harvey, and .Mi-. Way with Messrs Angus and L. Hammond. After a splendid supner. a dance was held, with Mr. W. Way as M.C., and Mrs. OorgeV orchestra supplying music of undeniable excellence.

Reference to the shockingly bad state of the teeth of children in the colonies was made by I)r. Hardwick Smith. Medical Superintendent of the Wellington Hospital, in the course of his address upon "How to Live." He attributed the marked difference in the teeth of Children at Home to the fact that they did not have the" same luxuries the people have out here, and he specially condemned the eating of too many sweets, particularly after meals and before going to bed. He urged the eating of raw apples, stating that he believed that if. after each meal every child ate a. good piece of raw apple it would not be necessary to even have toothbrushes. The teeth, he said, were the gates of the body, and once they became broken down, its defences were gone. On the subject of Military Pensions, a correspondent writes to the Hawera Star:—"Mr F. M. B. Fisher, the Minister in charge of Pensions, still persists in refusing to reeognfee the services of men who helped to suppress the Maori war, because, forsooth, they were not actualy under fire. Any man who has been on active service—such as the recovery of the bodies of those slain at the. White Cliffs in 1869—should be entitled to be classed as medal veterans and thus be eliffiible for military pension. Th« expedition referred to comprised for the most part youths 'between seventeen and eighteen years Of age who had been under arms twelve months prior to the White Cliffs atrocity. I trust, to those who have borne the heat and burden of the day, but who did not actually come to grips with the enemy, a sufficient number of broad-minded men will be found in the House to force the hands of the Government in this direction."