LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 150, 1 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

English and Australian mail 9, ex Niagara at Auckland, will arrive here per Rarawa, (to-day) Tuesday lat. During one of the battles in France, the sergeant-major of a machine gun ' section of the British army had his head taken clean oil' at the shoulders by shrapnel. The tremendous destructive forco of lightning was amply demonstrated during the storm on Sunday afternoon at Tikorangi. Bluegums at I(ha entrance to 'llr. B. P. Jury's farm were struck, rooted up and enveloped in Haines, while huge limbs weighing several hundred weight were hurled across a road into an adjoining farm. During the ' storm cattle sMtered among tihe trees, 'and Mr. Jury had the misfortune to lo.e I'two valuable lioilers.

In the region of Senonnes, close to the Vosges Mountains, the boundaries of Alsace and France, Germans disgujsed as women appeared in tho open fields for the purpose of digging' up potatoes. They also endeavoured to rescue supply waggons from an escort and to take them towards the German lines. On both occasions the ruse was discovered, and frustrated. French troops opened fire on them, and the enemy scampered off. The sham women were detected by the grenadiers' boots, which were discernible beneath their petticoats. Commandant Fouche, of the loyalist leaders, was treacherously captured by Boer rebels. He was informed that h{ ■would not see the sun rise, and was placed in charge of four mounted guards, who tied a rein round his neck and compelled him to follow at a rapid rate on foot. He was continually prodded with rifles. lAfter about two hours of this sort of tiling the little squad halted Fouche suddenly knocked down two ol the nearest rebels nearest to him, seized a ride and shot the others, and then escaped.

The Post Office advises that a new combined received telegram form and envelope will be brought into use at the local telegraph office to-day. This form bears on the face of it, just above the address, the legend, "New Zealand Telegraphic message." The 'form is enclosed at the back by two gummed perforated tabs instead of a "sticker." On the tubs are printed the words "New Zealand telegraphic message," and to open the form the ends should be separated at the perforation.

"Are you in favor of the admission of women to Parliament." was a question put to Mr A. E/ Glover, at a meeting at Auckland (says the Star). "No, I am not," declared the candidate. "I vot-

Ed in favor of the admission of women to the Upper House, because ther« they only sit for a few hours a day. But in the House we sit day after tiny till three and four o'clock in the morn-

ing. and the tirades and abuse arc so bad that it is no place for any woman."

Tlie usual fortnightly meeting of the. Loyal Egmont Lodge, was held last evening, Bro. 'L. Brabant, CvG., presiding. Letters of recominend'«.tion were granted to members of the lodge who have left with the Expeditionary Force. ' Two candidates were initiated and accorded the usual lodge honors. A letter of condolence was authorized to be .sent to the widow and family of blie late Tiro. I. Morrison, P.G., who liad always taken an active interest in the lodge and had occupied the N.G.'s chair for three terms. The lasti quarterly balance-sheet showed the funds of the ' lodge to be £7083 18s 4d', and the membership 220. Maritz, tho South African rebel, is deeribed by the Capetown correspondent of the London Times as a mercenary soldier of fortuae, who took £40,000 from tlie Union Government to equip an irregular corps, and, having secured this sum plus considerable military equipments from Capetown, as well as a machine gun section from Prince Alfred's Guards, has sold himself to the Germans. Certainly he has tricked General Smuts, who, it is interesting to recollect, was tlie first to recognise the talents of Maritz when he was operating with the rebels at Calvinia and Kenhardt in the South African war, and was mainly instrumental in procuring his rapid rise from the rank of corporal to that of general. This is the personal side of the account which General Smuts may bo trusted to settle.

When Mr. Doiikrill, then Mayor oj Xew Plymouth, laid tho foundation stolU; o) tile King Edward Coronation Land rotunda in ivawaj'oa Park, it was generally voted an absurd location, for the place was a wilderness, wil'li only a nairow ,path wandering through the lupines. Ihose who were responsible, however, for the selection of the site have their decision justified to-day, for now tlie band rotunda stands in the eent-re of a lawn bounded iby ijie Tisch avenue. There lt re numerous seats about, swings and swing-boa (s, a bungalow at which afternoon tea is available. every day, and a refreshment stall for the sale of sweets, and so on. There Ims been quite considerable planting, anil new roads and paths have been cut. The place becomes more aiitrac--1 by week, largely on accountj of the voluntary labor put in a few public-spirited residents who are the heart and soul of the West End Fore- 1 shore Improvement Society. Tim ladies of the West End: of ijjic town have given grand assistance, and on Thursday afternoon and evening will make another special effort to raise funds for furthering the good work of the society. The sale of work at specially constructed ' stalls alongside the bungalow will include needlework, produce, plants, and articles of innumerable variety. There will be gabies, competitions, and entertainments, afternoon tea, and so on, and pa,rons can depend on spending an enjoyable afternoon and evening and at the sam« 1,-inte helping along witih their mite the, flu,, work of the society. Mrs. » oods' orchestra lia« been engaged for the evening function, and in the afternoon will contribute a programme of music on a pianola kindlv lent by Mr. liiilfniami.

In _conm\--tion with the sale of Mr. Oldham's herd of grade Jersevs at Waiwakaiho on Friday next, it has to be noted that tho herd, wlhicli sias done so well previously, as shown bv the factory figures, is now beating all records for this season of the yefeir viz., September, October and November once 4.4, once. 4.7% thrice 4.8, once 4.0 and thrice 0.0.

A general meeting of, .Liberals and,' supporters rf Mr. Hughes wiU be held in I the Town Hall to-night.

The re-opening of the Theatre Royal, which hap lately been considerably altered and improved, was celebrated after the pictures last evening, by a 'little function given by the proprietary at which il'i.re was a representative attendance. Ilia Worship tho Mayor presided. A short toast list was mcussed, eulogistic reference being made by several of the speakers to the enterprise and faith in the town shown by tho proprietary, and tho hope was expressed that they would meet with due reward. A fuil account of tho improvements, which biing tho building into line with the best appointed and modern theatres of Australia, appears in another part of this issue. Winter, which has set in early this year in Europe, will be more than an infliction of hardship on the soldier; it will be the test of the army organisation of the combatant Powers. History abounds in examples of armies ' which held their own with a certain amount of stubborness, though poorly organised, as long as summer endured, [but when the rigours of winter fell iupon them, their weakness in the matI ter of supplies made their caso hopeless. The terrible experiences of the British Army in the Crimea may be quoted. Out of 24,000 who died, only 4000 owed their death to the clash of battle. The remaining 20,000 perished of exposure and ! dysentery. In the winter of January and 'February, 1871, the deeds of the | well-equipped German Army and of the desperate French Army provided a re'mark&ble contrast. 'During the second ■week in January, the German general, 'Manteuffel, with two army corps, and i 188 guns, made forced marches through I the ice and snow of the mountains of ICote d'Or. They were well booted, well 'olad, and well fed, and they suffered no | great hardships. At the same time, ; Bourbaki's French Army of 100,000 was in plain country, with no forced marches jto make, and it was perishing. Oft February 1, 84,000 French crossed the Swiss [frontier and laid clown their arms. "Their ' I clothes were dropping with tatters. . .

feet and hands frost-bitten. Some had lost their toes; the limbs of others were go frozen that every movement was agony. The men stated that for three days they had neither food nor fodder served out to them." (Colonel Hozier, ,'lThe Franco-German War.") v