LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 133, 29 October 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho Tlicatre Royal, New Plymouth, is at present undergoing extensive alterations, which, when completed, will, we are informed, bring it into line with tho most up-to-date theatres in tiie Dominion.

Columbus has returned to Spain bringing news of wonderful new lands across the sea. "How much shall 1 write on it?" queried the auaritimo reporter of tho Cadi/. Evening Bulletin who had brought in the etory. "Don't write anything," replied the editor. Jjet Columbus pay, for his advertising if tie wants to. It's probably a real state promotion scheme."—Newark News.

One of a flock belonging to a farmer at Makeno has established a unique lambing record for or.e ewe/ the "increase' having reached 500 per cent.•Do ewes, it is stated, gave birth to . »ex,ei, but one of the lambs died Th» remaining five (says the Oaanaru Mail)' nave tin ivon wonderfully considering tiu heavy handicap imposed on the (mother uy having to rear so large a family. Prince Lichnowsky, the German Ambassador before be left, was greatly depressed. The Kaiser asked him 1 short tune ago his opinion of the stale of things between Ireland and England "fu all honesty," he said, "I replied nvil war was inevitable. But you English are such an extraordinary race "l cannot understand yon. and now I am going back to face disgrace." "If lucre- is any man who can live with that Woman, you can hail" me judge " said John Hoffman in the Court of Domestic Rotations at Chicago recently "She ma/le m t . sleop in the bam with the horses. When I tried to have a social.game of cards in the back yard she would sneak up behind and soak us with the garden hone. And," here •Johns voice broke, "when we got back he had poured water in all the cans and the beer was spoiled." . The English War Office has taken over the entire outfit of several of the large motor cycle manufacturers for use with its expeditionary forces on the Continent, and it is evident Ihat the motor cycle is no longer regarded as a luxury, for they have become part, and a valuable part, of the business or war. the pay of English mote* cyclists on active service has been fixed "at os a day Whilst in England they receive a day, but have to provide their own food.

.Some enterprising reader of a Swiss journal, which dias been regularly pub.islimg Wolff Agency reports since the war began, has discovered that, if the fictions of this German news factory -had been fact, the French had lost; .SSO,OOd ni'O.'! 'n killed, wounded and prisoners, that the Allies had lost U.vZZ cannon, that 117 generals and 1213 has -been captured by the Germans, and that there must be at least 800,000 Russian, prisoners of war in Berlin. Also the British 'Expeditionary Force had up to the same time suffered complete "annihilations'' twice.

It is mentioned bv cable that, during one of the battles when Joffre and trench, were turning the tide, -the weary Kaiser sat on his horse for two hours in dead silence watching the whirl of events. Never before since his accession has he been silent for two hours in his waking moments. All that time he neither- issued an ultimatum, or composed an opera, or founded a new civilisation, or re-organised the army, or did anything. It reads like tho story of a broken man.

An unusual discovery was made in a irtilly close to Picton this week by two lads who wer e rabbit-hunting. The fern was recently fired, and the lands came across about 100 spoons, knives, forks, eggcups, and tumblers, which, it is bilicved, had been removed from tine George Hotel, Pictort. burnt down fourteen years ago. There was (says a Marlborough paper) some comment ihe enquiry on account of the iaqt tint there was no evidence of the silver-ware-among, the debris. It had evidently been rescued from the flames, "planted" in a safe spot, and forgotten in \h& i icitcmcnt.

Australia is sending as many doctors with the Expeditionary Force for Europe as it can spare. The doctors are going for small pay. They get only the pay corresponding to their rank, with field ■illowanees—£l -2s Oil for a captain, and ?-o on. Obviously they are losing large -urns by the voluntary departure from home. One leading Melbourne surgeon, who makes at least .f.'WK) a year in Melbourne, is going a.; a. Major, with [.inspects of spending hi- little earnings of £OOO a year on essentia] personal expenses. Another popular ' Melbourne Mirgeon, Dr Fred Bird, i* troing without ray, and taking w'rh him an assistant, two nurses, and an expensive equipment. ii has been at Lord Kitchener's soecial •■eqmst Ihat the ''oiii'rariweailh Government and medical profession are making this special effort.

One of (lie fca/ure ri of the position on the Continent (states the London IWar Cry) is th,. number of Salvationists who have hern called foi military service in ■th? Tarious countries where- conscription prevails. It will be realised in a mo mint that soldiers and officers must go to the field of batle, and this applies eipiailv to our leaders. At .the moment of writing wo -believe that Colonel Albion Pevron, of French-Switzerland, Colonel Fnraachon, in command of our work in France, with his general secretary, Brigadier De'.apva/.. and Co-.n-mic-iniicr Cosnndev arc all liable to be calbil up immediately. In Holland. Coiiiinis-ioncr Rhlsdel h doing his lit 'iio.-t alike will the tvoo'is, with 111:: wounded brought over the liordor from Liege, and with llk- swiri-ring people whose income and work arc of necessity declining.

Not nmeli is about it in the press here, but the fact ivticuim tlmf. t.U" >inan]mx, whVh started in Sydney two winter* a; n 'o, lias not ;. ii been stamped out (writes flift Sidney correspondent of Tlie Tost), l-'ri-ali eases continue to occur lit the average, vale of. two a day. They are niosll•/ mi the mi iropolitan area, lur: some of tlif.ni are from widel.y----t-cparafed count iv .|-l:iff><. Tn view of w!i:\t the health authorities of New South Wales itself have said about i!ie uncertainty regarding tin- continuance of the present mildness of type of the disease, t'iie position is unsatisfactory. Several eases were reetu'y discovered in one of tlio camps of Kxpeditionary Troops at Sydney, but prompt action in the way of isolation and a'i-ronnd vaceinntion lias 'apparoi.'th- checked the trouble there. Ami'y stiitements arc beinn made, in official quarters in the other Slat's about s'aehnr-s on the part of the New South Wales authorities as bavin? allowed the' sma'lnoji to.continue It i,s pointed out Unit it was only on solemn promises by New South AVales Ministers that measures would be taken fo r the effective staniuin- out of the rmallpox in New Son". Wales that the other States agreed shortly before last Christmas to (lie. liftbe; of. the embargo phuvd on Sydney and th" slackening of the restrictions on I ravel, from New South Wales into one of the other States. Demands are being made in Victoria and Queensland for the reimposl(ion of tlie embargo.

When ia doubt, use "f'unin" Coffee for breakfast and supper. Quickly and eas-', ily made, refreshing and wholesome., 28

Mr D. J. Hughes, Liberal candidate for laranaki, opens hi B . campaign at Okato on Saturday next.

Hie Farmers' Co-op. propose ti> a:art operations in Wavorley upon the farmers of that district taking up a minimum share capital of &SOOO.

Die, long-expected and much-desired run seemed to have arrived last evening, but, despite the lowering clouds, showers proved o£ short duration. The weather turned suddenly colder. 1 John Hammond, with several aliases appeared before Air. .A. Crooke, S.M.', yesterday, and was charged with issuing a valueless cheque for £2 at Otorolanga. Accused, against whom there were other charges, was remanded to appear at Hamilton.

A now arrangement in relation to polling at the general election i rt decidedly one that is on the side of economy. Schools are to be used as polling places whether there is a hall available or not, and schoolmasters will probably act as deputy returning officers. The matter was before the Taranaki Education Board yesterday, an/1 as the Board had 'no option it consented to the proposal. The ordinary meeting of the Tararaki Crown Lands' Board, which was to have been held yesterday, lapsed for ii ant of a quorum. Mr. G. H. BulUrd, 1 Commissioner of Grown Lands, wan absent in Wellington on departmental 'businet-as, and as Commissioners A. Coxhead and AV. W. Joues were the onily members in attendance, Ibe meeting could not be held. A -special .meeting of the Board will be held at Taumaruwii on Friday, November flth., to deal with applications for land in the Aukopae block. For the convenience of Taranaki exhibitors at tho Palmcrston show next Week, the Manawatu A. and P. Association has arranged with the Hallway Department for a special stock train to be run on Tuesday, leaving New Plymouth at 5 a.m., and arriving at Palmcrston about twelve, hours later. Quite a number of Taranaki exhibitors will be forwarding stock by this train, including Messrs E. Griffiths and Newton King (New Plymouth), Street (Bell Block) and Taylor (Eltham). The reputation of the Germans for devastating countries in which they operato is no new thing. Friedrich von Gentz, the eminent German publicist, who acted as secretary to the Congress of Vienna, writing to a friend from Cambrai, in 1815, says:—"Of the terrible devastations which the whole road from | Brussels to Paris is said to have suffered I have not yet seen a sign. Everything is as though in the deepest peace; and if one did not from time to time see foreign soldiers, one would not suspect that war is here. I suppose, however, thai all that is said about this in the papers refers to the Prussian military road. My good fortune has led me on to the English." In Kaye's "Lives of Indian uncertainty regarding the continuance Officers," too, Wellington is reported to have said: shortly after Waterloo.— "The Prussians (he observed) behaved horridly, and had not only lost character, but their object; for more was destroyed than taken; and in such scenes of indiscriminate pillage and harshness, those who deserved to suffer often escaped, and the benefit, when they was any, generally fell to them who deserved it least. My doctrine has always been [ the same, (said he) to go to work, systematically—to play light with individuals -but grind the State,''

The annual meeting of members tof tho New Plymouth Swimming Club was io have been held last night, but was postponed until Friday evening at the Town Hull.

A reminder is given of the sale of work to-day in the Good Templar Hall on behalf of the debt extinction fund of the Baptist Church. Visitors will find a very tempting collection of plain and fancy needlework, including Indian, Chinese, Ceylon, rice and chicon work, as well as exquisite lacework, and garmeats for ladies and children. For the children there is a marvellous doll stall, in which they will find many treasures. At the refreshment stall afternoon tea will be dispensed, and in the evening a musical programme will be carried out, as well as the usual competitions. The .sale opens at 2.30 p.m.