POOR IN GREAT BRITAIN BELGIAN FUND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 182, 11 January 1915, Page 3

POOR IN GREAT BRITAIN BELGIAN FUND.

•C s. d. Previously acknowledged .. 1245 !) 2 Miss Eva Blanehett 15 0 Miss Olive Bishop 7 0 £1247 1

Rumor has it that a libel action between two Napier shopkeepers is to be commenced (says the Telegraph) 111 connection with certain statements made at the last general meeting of the Napier Retailers' Association. Nine-pence is the price of the 41b loaf of bread in Wellington, and there is talk of an increase of Id per loaf. It is stated that there is a dearth of work in tlie Queen city for carpenters and painters, who are idle in large numbers. Trade unionism in Asutralia, according to figures issued a few days ago by the Commonwealth Statistician, has gripped the workmen to the extent of creating a record for the world. Great Britain occupies second place with 71 trade unionists to every 1000 of the population, and Germany third with 05. New Zealand is fourth with a proportion of 50, and Denmark fifth with 50. Rouinania occupies the last place with but one trade unionist per thousand of the inhabitants. As regards the actual .number of trade unionists, Germany conies first with 4,275,000, followed in order by €reat Britain with 3,240,000, United States 2,300,000, and France 1,400,000. Australia has 433,000.

A gentleman would not believe that ' a German waiter in his hotel, or German waiters in other hotels, constituted a danger to the commonweal (writes a. London correspondent). To all the as- ] sertions of a friend he remained obstinately loyal to his own conception of the German character. The friend, who speaks German fluently, took him to lunch, and arranged that at the end of the meal h.. would say in a v. msper and furtively to the waiter: "Where do you mobilise?" As he settled the account, he put the question rapidly to the waiter, and the latter, sinking his voice to the same level, said, "At Dover, sir." Jt is better that there should be one ten thousand acts of injustice than that England should have a German corps assembling already armed and ready equipped, with an intimate personal knowledge of every yard of her surface, within her borders.

The story is told (says a Southland paper) of a well-known Werepa angler .who made a sensational catch on the Waiwera (Clifton). Leaving his mates he was rather anxious of securing the catch of the day and the largest fish. Near Clifton Homestead, the banks of the stream are well covered 'with flax. He cast well down stream, and his expectations ran high when nearly all his line ran out. He began to realise that something exceptionally good was in storo for him, hut when he got on clear ground, he fund that he had hooked a cross-bred slice]). Travelling down the side of the stream, and doing the lOOyds. in about lOsee., he managed to save his rod and line, minus the cast. A serious complaint is made by a Wellington member of the Samoan force in a letter to his parents. He alleges that the authorities in New Zealand are ''"neglecting the Samoan troops shamefully," more especially in regard to clothing. The troops are still wearing, in the height of summer, their heavy khaki uniforms. Thinner suits '.'•"pre sent, but they Were so poor in (juality that Colonel Fulton forbade the men to wear them. "Some of the men," continues the trooper, "are right through their boots, while dozens of others haven't decent pants to wear. If we come hack to Xew Zealand dressed as we are, it would be good-bye to William and Co."