LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 155, 26 November 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Kaponga tradespeople have decided to close down all shops at New Year on Friday and Saturday, January Ist and 2nd. The total number on tho roll in the Egmont electorate is WA. This is an increase of 337 on tho total enrolled at the 1912 by-election, when the figures wero 6127. There are 5102 on tho main roll, and 1302 on tho supplementary. The Citizens' Band has arranged to hold a "Flower" Saturday on December 5, when a band of young ladies will raiso money for tho Poor in Belgium Fund by selling flowers in the streets of New Plymouth-. The band will play in tho town both in tho afternoon and evening.

An English papear asks: "What will happen as regards the clerical work of London after the war is over ? Hundreds ot healthy your fellows now in camp declare that never again will they take up c-ity work, but will try their luck in the colonies, farming and such like. The call of tho open-air is well nigh irresistible when once one has responded to ifc."

At yesterday's meeting of the Education Board, the Education Department notified tiliat at the last examination of tho City and Giulds of London Institute held at New Plymouth, Mr J. 1/. Cartwright secured a pass in electrical engineering in Grade 1; Walter G. Wilkie obtained a pass in Grade 2 (continuous current); and Cora N. Nisbet a first, class pass in (plain cookery. Grim trophies of the war are being gathered by some of the Ghurkas now on I active servico in Europe. An English, nurse, writing to a friend in Auckland, states that the Ghurkas aro wearing as button-holes ears cut from dead Germans. "An Algerian soldier came into hospital," she said, "with the head of a Gorman in his helmet under his arm. We had to give him chloroform to get it away from him, and, he kicked up a fearful fuss when he woke up and found it gone." Tho members of the Maori contingent at Avondale continue to show marked improvement, the past week concluding the iirst rtontli's training. Rifles have not been served out to all the men, and next week instruction will be given in lv.uskctry exercises and shooting. Some cases of uniforms have arrived, b,ut as there were not sufficient for the 500 men in camp, none will bo served out until there ar enoughf or the wholo force.

Yesterday there must have been at least one thousand visitors to the. camp. The local residents held a "cake day" the previous Sunday, something over 30011) of cake being contributed. A serious accident happened on Monday (saya the Opunake Times) to Miss Lockley, who, with her younger sister and father, were driving into Opunake. It appears that when near the down grade to the Waiau bridge the horse shied at a bike that was left standing near the fence, causing the trap to capsize, the elder girl receiving serious injury to her head. Dr. Barron attended the sufferer, who was subsequently taken by motor to the Manaia private hospital. The little girl received nasty wounds on lior hand. Mr. Lockley luckily escaped from anything serious. The old homestead of Mrs. Tiirkett's, on the Elthain road, and occupied by Mr. Silvester and family, was burnt to the ground on Monday. On Friday the chimney caught five, anil the blaze was quickly smothered. On Monday the fire broke out afresh, and had obtained too strong a hold to fight it successfully. All efforts were directed to saving the furniture, and a fair amount was removed before the salvage party were compelled to leave their work of rescue. It is presumed the (ire. smouldered from the first outbreak, and increased unobserved until it burst into a strong flame. The fire occurred in the early afternoon. We believe there is no insurance.— .Opunake Times.