LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 197, 28 January 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Education Board yesterday thu inspector was granted permission to hold over hia report on the application of t,ho West End committee for additional sccommodation at their school until after the schools re-open, when definite information may be obtained with regard to the roll number of each class.

Before any war film is screened at a picture show in America a photograph of the President is shown, followed by a notice signed by him requesting the public to refrain from expressing approval or disapproval of the scenes depicted.

A good many people pooh-pooh the statement that youths are in the firing line of the German army, but the iollowing obituary advertisement taken from a Berlin paper, shows that the report is but too true: "On the sth of November, before Dixmude fell in the conflict for the Fatherland, my deeplyloved eldest son, our beloved brother, Hans Jurgen Schultze, aged sixteen years." An officer who was recently resting in France with liis regiment describes the amusement which the recreation of the British soldier causes tile inhabitants. He says: "We had a paper-chase on our half-holiday. A British officer, dressed up as the Kaiser and mounted on a piebald horse, rode about eight miles across country, dropping bits of paper. Then about 50 of us chased him on horseback, and nearly caught him. Villagers turned out to see the fun. They thought he was a real German, as he wore a big helmet and was covered with iron crosses!"

A probable sufferer from the Belgian anguish will be the Duke of Wellington. For 09 years the city of Brussels lias paid the Dukes of Wellington ' £BOOO per annum in consideration of their ancestor's services at Waterloo. " There have been signs of late years that the Belgians had come to regard this annual tribute as a fair tiling to drop. 'The Socialists, in particular, were getting nasty on the subject in the last Parliament that sat before the German invasion . By the time the present trouble ends, the Belgians should have a great general or two of their own to pension.

".My neutral informants tell me there is now practically no more tea in Germany," writes F. 'W. Vile in the Daily ' Mail. What is Bold and served as such Ms described as tasting like hay. Coffee, 'it is said, will almost have completely .disappeared by Christmas, and rice is already a vanished commodity. Austria ,'is facing a flour famine, with 110 proaspect of relief from Germany, which is already baking a good deal of its bread from potato meal. But Germans bear all their discomforts in the luxurious hope of the forthcoming conquest of /England. ' What the awakening from their dreams will be is beyond all comparison the most fanatical speculation war conjures up at this time of writing."

There are in New Zealand 200 bowling clubs, wit'li a membership if 11,000.

Napier business men have already d<v natal over £l5O towaijls the expenses ol the next mardi gras.

OablG advices from London receive,; In New Plymouth this week quote ch. :it 84s per cwt., with a firm demi... Butter was quiet at 1445.

During December the Wanganui tramways carried 217,507 passengers, or 7300 more than for the same month in ISJIS. The total revenue was £l'K(i;i 4s lid., of which the Gonville Tramway lioard earned £475 6s 2d., which was £B2 ahead of the running costs of the Board's lines.

At the annual meeting of the Uruti Sports' Club, it was decided to hold the annual sports, if possible, on tile first Thursday in March. Mr C. Barnitt wa.appointed chairman, and Mr W. Heron secretary. The balance-sheet showed that the Club has a credit balance of £3l IBs.

The whole length of the English East Coast and South Coast down to Southampton has been entrenched and protected by wire entanglements, whilst hundreds of guns have been mounted. The approaches to all ports, from Southampton to the north of Scotland, have been elaborately mined.

At a meeting held in the Chamber of Commerce at Auckland yesterday, ui:der the auspices- .of the Farmers' Union, it was decided to form a New Zealand Farmers' Union Breeders and. (Jraziers branch, in order to conserve the interests of this branch of the industry. --Press Association.

After some falling-off in the demand from Vancouver for New Zealand butter, there is every indication that the Canadian trade is now coming back to normal. By the Niagara a consignment of 11,000 boxes was shipped to the Canadian port from Auckland, and it is stated that in spite of the drought the produce is of excellent quality, arid the high standard "attained by the Dominion product is fully maintained in the coniignment about to be 3ent away. The falling-off of the past few months is attributed by a contemporary merely to

the passing effects of the money market and other war influences, and is of no importance as indicating tile prospects of the expansion of the New Zealand butter trade in the American markets.

Burbank plums have reached the Auckland market in such quantities that the prices have dropped to a point at which they will not pay the growers. One firm, alone received 3000 odd cases ; the other day, and is desirous of informing clients that, further consignments of this fruit should not be forwarded to them. In the shops, plums are being sold at 2d per pound, but the price per ca§e is very much lower, ■Several manufacturers of jam have refused to accept any further consignments of plums.

At the commencement of the war a scheme was undertaken at Lower Hutt, Wellington, of planting several acres of land with potatoes, the object being to help to relieve any distress that might arise. The crops have come on well, and on some of the plots the potatoes arc ready to be dug. It has not yet been decided how to dispose of the potatoes, but it is understood that, in the event of there being no local distress, the crops will be sold and the proceeds handed over to one of tlie patriotic funds.

A trap accident oocurred at Tataramaika yesterday evening, as the result of which Mrs A. A. Shaw, of Okato, sustained a fractured collar bone, and was considerably shaken. Mrs Shaw was driving with. her daughter, Mrs Willis, -Iri(L at the top of the Katikara hill the horse shied and captized the trap, throwing both the occupants out. Tlie horse kicked itself clear. Mrs Gyde came quickly to the ladies' assistance, and it was found that while Mrs Willis had "scaped with alight bruises, Mrs Shaw bad been injured as stated. Tlie injured lady was brought into town by Mr Gyde in a car, and after being attended to by a doctor, was removed to a private hospital.

(Argentine is shipping horses to England. Of a 'November sale in London of "100 high-class horses imported direct from the Argentine," mail advices report that "there were many fine specimens of the Suffolk Punch and Shiro horses crossed with the natiye mare, besides a number which showed a cross with the thoroughbred. A big crowd assembled, amongst whom were some of our biggest buyers, together with the Army representative. Competition, when the sale commenced, ruled spirited and keen to the end of the sale, two private buyers having accounts of over £IOOO each. Every horse brought into the sale ring, 98 in number (two being sick), were sold, and made the satisfactory average of £4l 14s. Prices were very steady, for the highest /was 56gns."

"One outcome of the present war, I anticipate, will be the creation of a stronger Pacific fleet, which will involve the co-operation of Australia, New Zealand and Canada," remarked Sir Robert Best, a member of the Federal House of 'Representatives, who arrived in Auckland on a holiday visit the other day. "Wliile I have always been of the opinion that New Zealand acted wisely in standing out of the Commonwealth," he continued ,"I am yet looking forward to a real co-operation in naval matters. The value of a strong naval arm for the defence of these waters has been demonstrated by even our small Australian fleet, and it was gratifying beyond measure to us to know that our navy was able to assist in the protection of your troopships. Then, too," added Sir Robert, "there is plenty of room for co-operation between our two countries in the matter pf trade, for there is room for a greater interchange of products between 'New Zealand and Australia on better terms than at present."

There is evidence that the question of whether women should work in Government offices after G p.m. is at present reeeivisg the attention of the Department of Internal: Affairs. That a regulation of this kind applying to young people of both sexes would he right ami beneficial, one is prepared to admit It often happens that young cadets and typists are called upon to do a great deal too much night work. This, in the ease of cadets who should he preparing for their compulsory examination, is obviously unjust, and in the ease of young typists is overtaxing and unwise unless there is suitable supervision.—Public Service Journal.

Musical people will he interested to know that the letters "ffi" at present stand for "floral fete"—an unprecedented example of which, in aid of a fine causa, will be seen in beautiful Pnkekura Park on February 4tih net. i WHOOPING COUGH, Never neglect Whooping Cough", for children are often permanently injured by the awful straining of the cough. There is no danger -whatever from whooping cough when Chamberlain's Couglt Remedy is freely given. It should be given si onee, repeating the dose frequently. It liquifies the tough mucus, makes it easy to expectorate, keeps the cough loose and counteracts any tendency toward pneumonia. Sold bj all chemlita and etareEttpen. ,