LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 175, 2 January 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A mean theft was perpetrated at Pahnerston, the other evening, when, during his temporary absence, a thief raided Mr. L. D. Duhl's premises and removed about 80 head of valuable, poultry. Their value is estimated at £IOO.

"What do you mant with all those hammocks and phonograph records and fancy groceries," asked the storekeeper. "Going to have summer boarders V" "No," replied Farmer Contossel, "1 wouldn't waste all them on summer boarders. I'm trying to make the place attractive enough to persuade a few farm hands to linger around an' help me out with the wheat crop."—Kansas City Journal.

Mr. Crow, of Aorangi, has (says the Feilding Star) .received tho news of the loss of his two brothers, naval men of long standing. One met his death in the ill-fated Bulwark, mysteriously blown up in Sheerness harbor, and the other was killed in a naval action on hoard the wrecked Good Hope. A third brother, an infantry officer, is at present at the front.

Here is a story frcm a London paper about a War Office clerk. —An officer was reported missing, and then killed. He got back to England by a round about route, went to Whitehall and personally assured the War Office that he was alive. The official gravely informed him that his Statement would be enquired into! v Mr. W. Keating, of the New Plymouth Defence Rifle, Club, left by Thursday night's steamer for Auckland, where he intends to compete at the Auckland Rifle Association's meeting next week. It is probable that the New Plymouth Club will also he represented by Mr. H. C. Evans, who is at present in Auckland.

Mr. W. A. Collis, secretary of the New Plymouth Expansion and Tourist League, received a telegram on Thursday from a party who had motored through to Mokau, saying that the journey had been completed in three hours, the roads being in perfect condition This will be good news to motorists, who have hitherto been deterred from making the run by the almost impassable nature of the roads beyond Uruti.

There is a remarkable similarity between the flags of the Allies. France. Russia, and Servia all employ the same colors, i: '. the arrangement differing. In regam ;.i the flags of Russia and Servia, it may be pointed out that, as the colors are the same, a Servian flag upside down would be a Russian and viceversa. Belgium flies a tricolor, with the colors vertically, as in the ease of the French flag. The Belgian colors, black gold and red, are said to symbolise the emergence of the country from darkness into light through blood and fire —a most appropriate device. ,

Much resentment has been excited in a small settlement in tho Mangonui district (states the Auckland Herald) by the manner in which the daily bulletins of wa." news are being virtually suppressed by the local postmaster. The oflice is held by a German farmer, and, as is usual in country districts, the postal business is transacted in his residence. Settlers in the neighborhood state that the official refuses to display the telegraph messages for general information, and enquiries for news are evaded by irrelevant answers or by statements which have frequently been found inaccurate. Messages reporting the enemy's success have, however, been promptly displayed.

People who ride push bikes in Auckland not only must have the machines registered, but, in addition, the registered number must be painted on the bicycle, says the Star. About twenty youths who neglected this precaution'came before the Police Court on Thursday morning, and had to pay fines. The reasons given lor the numbers being absent were many and varied. One youth had borrowed his brother's bike without asking, and lie was told that in such case he also borrowed his brothers sins of omission, and had !■> pay for them accordingly. Another young man, at a cost of '•'s lid in fine and costs, learned that to stick a numbered paper on the mudguard was not a proper compliance with the bylnw.

The difficulty of obtaining adequate supplies of different materials is daily becoming more and more apparent to New- Zealand importers (savs the Auckland Star. Dress stuffs and soft goods, drawn largely from the north of France, are no longer available'. Linen is a line likely to be seriously affected, for the flax used comes largely from Austria and Russia, and Irish linen is made up to a large extent from European suplies. The glove trade is also going to be seriously affected, the French manufacturing towns being' mosllv in the war zone. Altogether the softs'goods trade is, during the coming year, likely to be faced with a growing problem'in the matter of supplies.

A thrilling story was told to a Dannevirke reporter by Mr. V. Castles, of To Uri ,in connection with the grass and log fires. He said he was just going over to the house of Mr. L. Breakwell to offer him assistance when he noticed the fire creeping up behind the house. The family were apparently totally unaware of the grave danger they were in, and when Mr. Castles reached them the flames had caught hold of, and were sweeping through, the motor shed. By the time Mrs. Breakwell and the family were safely placed in the motor ear the whole were alight and the ph.'c. was an i:if. .t..». All the occupants of the car were more or less singed by the fire before they had cleared from contact with the raging flames,

' Capt Ja/mes Mitchell, of the Do- ' minion Hotel, Hawera, <hag sold his hotel and offered his services to the futhorities for the front.

Tile Home steamer Waiwera is in Waitara roadstead, loading- about 800') carcases for West of England ports. The Buteshire is due on the 31st inst, to he followed by the Somerset early in January.

New Year's Eve in New Plymouth was very gay. A good crowd haunted the street till a late hour, seeing in the New Year, and hilarity prevailed. The shop windows were decked in their gayest garb, and attracted considerable custom for a New Year's nijjht.

Tail ilemire, according to the Kawakawa correspondent of the Auckland Herald, says this is the holiday season and he does not mix politics and pleasure. At the Kawakawa sports one of his supporters got into a heated political discussion. The new member pushed his way through and dragged his ■man out, informing the crowd that "Politics can wait, the sports can't,"

By direction of the President of the New Zealand .Methodist Conference, special intercessory prayers, hearing on the war, will mark the morning service to-morrow at the "Whiteley Memorial Church, the hymns and sermon being in keeping with the carrying out of the President's wish. The evening service. will be, in general, a bright New Year's sovice, the liev. Chappell's sermon theme being "The Duty of tfoigctting."

The members of the New Plymouth Defence itille Club are lemiuded that a handicap match will be fired on the Eewa Kewa range to-day. The shooting at ranges 300, 500 and 000 will commence at 9.30 a.m. and at 800, 900 and 1000 at 1.30 pm. Amitnun|itifm iwpil be obtainable on the. range. Members of the club should endeavour to be present.

Those familiar with CMt. Messenger will remember that at the summit the road, in order to get round the point, described a circle, with the exception of about half a chain. The Government contractors have made a great improve-' snent by cutting through this half chain of the hill, and thus doing away with the bend altogether. Although ' there are still many sharp corners, the worst of thern have been greatly eased by the blasting away of thousands of tons of the hillside .—Mail.

Yesterday was an ideal New Year's Day, and all and sundry were holidaymaking. The beaches attracted their thousands! the various beauty spots in and around New Plymouth were largely 'patronised; followers of the turf had a great day out in Stratford;-whilst Now Plymouth bowlers participated in the local tournament to their hearts' content. Altogether it was a truly enjoyable New Year's Day and should certainly mark the beginning of a happy ■' new year. Reports of the various func'tions appear elsewhere in this issue.

The New Plymouth Post ■ Office reports that from the 21st to 24th December. 1014, it transacted the following business, as compared with that for 1913. The number of mail bags and hampers handled for 1014 was 1953, as against 1726 in 1913, an increase of £27. Stamp sales this year totallei £4lO 17a iy,d, as contrasted with £387 3s 7d taken last year, making an increase in this year's total olf £23 13s CVad. The number of forwarded messages was 2291 (2821 last year). This is partly to be accounted for by the dcjcniasc 'in tlhe niuubuT ■of greetings sent. The number of telegrams received in all codes were 3847, egainst 2594 received in 1913. a decrease of 47. Transmitted telegrams, counted one way only, made up 3502, as compared with 3575 for IW3, showing a slight falling olf of 73 telegrams. The general volume of business shows a slight falling off, as is only to be expected under present conditions, but the stamp sales, which form a revenue standpoint is the most important depart■ment, &hows a fairly substantial increase.