GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 99, 22 September 1914, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

"The existing war has interfered ithu the building trades in this Dominion and many of our members have been thrown out of work on that account,' says tbe monthly report of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters ami Joiners. "Auckland seems to have felt tbe full force of the blow; 70 are signing the vacant book. Christchurch, Otago, Timaru, Hastings, and Napier ftTe also in a very bad way. Only 21 of our members were out of employment in New Zealand in August, according to the monthly returns. This month's returns show that there are 121 of our members out of work."

An exciting incident took place on board the German-Australian liner Australia in Colombo on the night of Augusv 2!), according to statements by passengers .a t:.o mail steamer Mooltan. An oflicer of the Australia is said to have attempted to descend towards the holds, where there was a large amount of explosive. When a Punjabi guard requested liim not to do so, the ollicer insisted on going below, and pushed the guard on ono side, lie was oil his way down when the Junjabi fired and wounded him. The ollicer is stated to have been removed to the hospital.

During the sitting of the Magistrate's Court at Tauwarunui on Thursday (says a correspondent of the Herald), a case was called on in which both counsel, one from Cambridge and the other from Taumarunui, had joined the expeditionary force within ten minutes of each other 011 the same morning. Another solicitor had received instructions from both sides, but, in fairness to the lirstcomer, he gave him priority. The other brief was sent on to the remaining solicitor, but when the case came 011 no plaintiff conld be found. He had also volunteered and left.

An unfortunate altercation took -placs at the motor and cycles' dinner a.t Wellington. Ono of the guests called for sow Turkey without. Cirecce, and tho waitress rather rudely replied, '"You must ha Ge.nnan." He said, "No, I'm Hungary." His friend thou mmgetl him and (said, "Don't Russia or she won't Servia," The waitress then retired and returned saying, "Do you ittend to Roumanui." The guest then •replied, "Certainly I want Samoa." The waitress* then 'became somewhat familiar, and said, "King the Belgium, and I'll call Nancy. It will only cost you a Jew Guinea."

The safety of the Southern Pacific does not appear to bo causing such concern to passenger and cargo steamers 11s was th« ease two or three weeks (reports the Auckland Star). Passengers who arrived by the Navua from Suva on Thursday stato that the voyage was accomplished without incident, and even without apparent precautions. Whereas the Navua had gone down to the Islands with masked lights, she returned with ordinary lights. An Island | passenger, when asked if the war was causing much concern in the Fijian Group, replied in tho negative. "The people would not be surprised to see German warships turn up any day," he said, "but they are really taking matters very calmly." In reply to a further question the visitor remarked that there did not seem to be any marked scarcity of food.

Hardships of baeliHor life are influneing at least one. members of tin: expedition force stationed in Samoa to think serioii'iily of getting into double harness when he returns to >fc\v Zealand (says tlie !l'ost). "When I get back to tiie metropolis," lie writes in a letter received in Wellington, "the first thin" I intend to do is to get married. This unalterable resolution is the. result of having to do my own washing and sew-ing-on of buttons. Perhaps even before I return I shall have taken to myself a wife—from among the natives. They wash well, anyhow, although they do knock Hades out of the clothes. ' The method adopted by the natives is to take the clothes to tli» river, soap them well and place them on a stone. Then they bang them with a stick, occasionally rinsing, until the clothes are clean."