LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 196, 27 January 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In various parts of ike Commonw<.aitii i and of the Do-minion, boroughs and' municipalities -are busy changing the r names of their towns and streets wner- > ever they have a Germanic sound.. This can be done with a minimum t>£ expense and .at no subsequent lost to the ratepayers, but it is'an aftogei. wr different matter when an old-estabiibiied commercial concern voluntarily relinquishes its title on sympathy with the wave of national sentiment that pervades .the Empire. The position achieved by the Dresden Piano Company during its honourable career of over thirty-*two years has been materially aided by the felicitous title chosen at the start, .and the company is now undoubtedly parting with a very valuable asset in following the example of the boroughs and municipalities and changing its name to the Bristol Piano Company, Limited. This sacrifice will, we believe, be much appreciated by the public of New Zealand, more particularly as it is evident from the announcement made bv the company i'.i another part of this issue, that it had nothing foreign about it other tlian the to-day more or less unpleasant title.

A famous London doctor was asked by a nervous lady patient what he considered the worst ailment of the age. and gazing severely at her he replied: "Wheels, madam, wheels," and informed her that if people went in for sensible walks and cultivated their gardens instead of rushing about on bicycles or in motors, their nerves would not be continually out of order

'lf people only knew what the Bay of Island has to offer as a holiday resort," said Bishop Averill, "I am sure there would be hundreds of visitors to North Auckland. It seems to me that you cannot come to the end of its attractions. One could spend a year there, and visit a different attraction every day."

A correspondent at the front writes: One does not occupy an empty trench now, one jumps it. "A month ago we lifted them," an engineer told me. "It was not a proper trench we had been holding, but a low natural ditch with a small bank to it. It was rather a salient point, and we were glad to clear out We left it mined, and in the evening the enemy came in We made them jump." The Indian -Uoops have played the same trick

The planning of American towns seems strange to anyone accustomed to English ways, and Mr. J. H. Howell was agreeably struck by the improvement. Most of the towns of moderate sie, he says, have in nearly all residential streets beautiful avenues of trees,"while the footpaths are bordered by strips of grass, kept well cut by the occupiers of adjacent houses. The gardens are seldom fenced from one another or from the road, and yet they are not molested. Even the lawn of thfc corner house was not crossed by pedestrians in a hurry, while flowers, though not general in gardens, did not seem, to be picked. Indeed, in the town of Northampton a large nursery garden, with many choice and beautiful flowers, stood quite open to one of the main roads. When a tree was in the way of a footpath it was the footpath that had to move, while the fixing of electric installations was never allowed to disfigure a tree.' Even parts of the town that would be unsightly wero often transformed by these beautiful avenues. The Americans' love of trees was one that New Zealanders would do well to emulate.

The following regimental order was issued by Lieutenant-Colonel Malone, of Transport No. 10, immediately after the destruction of the Emden by the Sydney:—"The O.C. troops wishes to draw attention to the fact that so far as is known the Arawa was the only ship, and certainly the only transport, to pick up the wireless message from Cocos Island which eventually resulted in the destruction of the Emden. The credit is due to Private Falconer, Wellington Infantry Regiment, and Wireless Operator Raw. The former was on wireless duty at the time, and although unable to read the message in its entirety, picked up the words "5.0.5." and "Strange warship at entrance." He at once woke Wireless Operator Raw, who (although the Emden tried to block communication) by tuning the receiver differently managed to read the Cocos message through the Emden block. The information was passed through the Maunganui to H.M.S. Melbourne, and resulted in the destruction of the Emden. It will thus be seen that Private Falconer's vigilance and attention to duty, and Wireless Operator Raw's ability and knowledge of his work achieved very important results, and should serve as an incentive to all ranks to do thoroughly whatever work is entrusted to them."

That there would be no danger of the Maori soldier starving should the service cominisßariat fail is the opinion held by those well qualified to speak with authority after close observation of the Maoris now in training at Avondale, says the Auckland Star. It would appear that the modern Maori has inherited, almost unimpaired, the genius 'for practical foraging which was one of the vital qualifications of his forefathers in the strenuous struggle for existence. The soldiers in the making at the Avondale camp have, therefore, a flying start in one of the essentials of successful soldiering, and whatever of foodstufi's there may be in the vicinity of the battlefields of Europe, or Asia, or Africa, will not long escape the instinctive skill of these natural prospectors to fossick it out. They have scoured the country in the neighborhood of the camp at Avondale, and won eels by the score from places where the white man, 'in his ignorance, never dreamed there was any edible wealth at all. When, at the holiday time, they prepared a festival at which to entertain their friends, foragers returned, to the camp cooks with boughs laden with strings of eels they had taken by hand from neiglibor- [ ing creeks and swamps. To lend variety to the feast they secured great bundles of "pulia," which some white people know as "native cabbage," from beds recognisable only to the initiated. The Maori is not uninterested in food, and when he can do so well strictly within 'the bounds of the law of trespass he may be trusted to look after himself with some success on foreign soil, where property rights are temporarily in abeyance.

"Unless something unforseen occurs," said the Federal Minister for Home Af- ' fairs (Mr. Archibald) a few days ago, "the Kalgoorlie-Port Augusta railway will be finished in two years." From this the Minister went pn to say that at a meeting of the Federal Cabinet it had been decided to invite tenders for twelve •locomotives, and the States would, in ' addition to private firms, be asked to 'submit applications. Owing to the war some of the State workshops were not, he said, fully employed, and they might like to get some of this work. Whilst every effort would be made to obtain the locomotives in Australia, some lo-

comotives of a certain type were wanted without delay, to push on with the ballasting, and if there were no immediate J prospect of getting them in Australia it might be necessary to order them abroad This contingency would, Mr. Archibald trusted, be avoided. Asked about trying the internal combustion type of locomotive, Mr. Archibald replied that in the case of a long stretch of line such as the transcontinental railway, with th e risk of trains being stuck up a long way from the base, no such experiment would be tried. He was, however, strongly In favor of trying new methods, and if he had a short line to deal with he would certainly like to make the experiment.

■At the of tiio S.M. Couit yesterday .iuc°rniDg. not one judgment was entered, although a few easps wer» struck wit, confessed or adjourned. At tile S.M. Court yesterday morning, jund agents' licenses were granted to Messrs L. Jacob. J. -S. S. Mediev, and R. F. Cornwall. There will be no full moon during February.

The Chief Postmaster advises that '.he Wellington-iVaples mail despatched: oil the 4Mi December arrived in London on 24t!i hist., eight days late/ - We are in receipt of two handsome wall plaques for 1915, also a diary from the local agents of the Royal Exchange lAssurance Co. (Messrs E. Griffiths and Co.-) A large number of natives have assembled at Waihi (near Waitara) from all parts of the North Island. The visitors include the Hon. Maui Pomare. There are 34G0 Maoris represented.

One Waimate raspberry-grower has 30 pickers at work at the present time. The reports are that „he crops are good. The strawberries, however, have not received the same, degree of benefit from the recent rains. ; During tli past week the sum o£ £SI2G Os Id in rates was paid to the Taranaki i iountv Council by ratepayers anxious .<> escape the imposition of the statutory ten per cent, penalty. On Saturday, the 23rd, the last day on which tiie penalty eould be escaped, over £4OOO was paid in.

A leading Christchurch butcher, in an interview, sa;d there was every 'indication of an ftnpnnding beet famine. A) present there was little beef at any price below 40s. per 1001b finding its way to shops. Tlb.re was undoubtedly a dearth of fat cattle, and export buyers were scouring the country giving priefcs for all descriptions of beef, which would lave astonished cattle raisers of by. gone years.

A swarm of bees settled on the kerij stones in front of the Pot-t Office yesterday morning, and caused considerable surprise to unwary pedestrians. A large crowd assembled, and newcomers rounding the corner ine.vita.bly to get well r.mid the bees, sometimes with unpleasant results, before discovering their presence. • A Novmanby resident Secured a rarity the other day' in the form of an albino blackbird. It was quite white with pink eyes. (He managed to catch the bird just out of the nest and kept it alive for .some days. Had lie been 'able to rear it, ihe considers he would have had qa.ts; a treasure.—Slpr. Feilding's municipal electric light was switched on on Friday night for the first time. There was a very popular demonstration. The light was swished os ever the borough 'by the Mayoress (Mrs A. M. Ongley). The scheme has cost £II,OOO, and supplies light for 20 miles of streets, and also private lighting and power. Two Diesel engines, each of 000 horse-power, are installed at the generating station.

Yesterday was a busy day among the haymakers. The weather of late has been very changeable, and the showers have greatly interfered with saving the hay crops. Generally speaiking, a line swathe has been harvested. Whilst being unsuitable for garnering dry fodder for the winter, the green crops are benefitting by the rains, and it is doubtful whether the farmers of this district have ever faced the cold season with greater confidence in this respect. The growth ( of grass, too, is 'phenomenal.

At the Devon-Eginont 3treet crossing yesterday, a lady and her li'ttle girl had a narrow escape from serious injury J; vlie result of . a collision with a motorcar. The lady was crossing Devon street as the car rapidly approached. Bewildered, she hesitated whether to go on or go back. The driver of the car jambed on his brakes hard, but was unaWe to avoid collision. The mother seized hold of the bonnet, but still was dragged half it- the car, while the child got a leg be ' veer, the spokes of the Wheel. Another '■ -*f revolution would probably have bro' in its leg. The mother and child, _vn little the worse for their startling experience, were motored hom»

Shortjy after 2 o'clock yesterday an incipient fire occurred in the Kasii Clothing Co.'s premises. Mr Broome, tha proprietor, on returning from luncheon, found that a rag fire in ail upstairs back room had ignited Hie adjoining walls. The Brigade was suminioncd. Meantime he hosed the tiro from a tap in the next room and had it well under control when tlhe engine arrived. It was then completely extinguished bv the aid of chemicals. The damage to the walls was slight, and a small amount of stock was spoiled. But for th prompt action of Mr Broome, serious consequences might have resulted, as the fire would s»'on have spread to the neighbouring premises. v

Three bundles of notes, totalling a considerable amount, and the proceeds of a property sale, were left by a lady on a chair at a Dargaville Theatre after a picture performance. The fact that t,hey were missing was not noticed until the lady arrived home. Early on Sunday morning the caretaker was interviewed, but lie announced that he had seen nothing of the missing treasure. As an after thought, however, the caretaiker walked down the body of the hall to the chairs indicated, and there, sure enough, were the rolls, just as they had been left).

A striking effect of the benefit resulting to traffic going north through the improvements on Mt. Messenger was •>een on Thursday last, when Messrs. Johnston Bros, took their traction en.ii'iit' mill trucks, also motor lorry, over the hill. They were conveying timber, and other material, for the new Putiki bridge, and had no difficulty whatever, despite a big load. It would have been impossible to have got the engine across with the old conditions prevailing. Messrs Johnston Bros, can claim to have taken the first traction engine ov?r the liiil.—Mail.

In a letter home to friends at Hamember of the Main Expeditionary Force give the following interesting account of Christmas Day was one the

majority of us won't forget in a hurry. J he ship's captain proved himself a real sport and patriot that day. With Cap lain Fallas s consent he broke all rules of New Zealand transports and touted for all hands on Christmas morning. At 10.30 all hands were paraded and marched to the canteen, where each man received a nip of whisky at the frkipper's expense. Before marching to the canteen a rather amusing incident occurred. The men were called to attention and then came the order, "All those who prefer soft drinks fall out on the left," but the ranks were as rigid as if on 'Governor's inspection—not a man moved. Tlie officers had a good laugh over it. I think this shows what prohibition would do, as there are lots of men wit,h us who would not go near a pub in the ordinary course of events, but the mere fact of "having" to do without H created a desire for "forbidden fruits." Anyhow all hands had their nip and voted the skipper a "jolly good fellow." This was not all. He also provided us with a special Christmas dinner out of his own pocket, and a very decent dinner it was—soup, goose and fowl, and duff with real "brandy" sauce and dessert. The mess tabl'ei were all hung round with flags, etc., and looked quite flash,—Star.