LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 8 February 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tin; annual report of the Auckland Gas Company shows a profit for the past year of £GO,OOB 15s 2d.

An impudent theft is reported from tho Takapuna (Auckland) district. The Chinamen who till the vegetable gardens in the Northeote-Lako road had dug a held of potatoes, and these, it is alleged, were removed by means of a horse and' trap during the night by some unknown outsider.

Two advertisements to bo seen in Cliristchureh just now:—From a Sydenham shop window: "Don't go elsewhere to b e robbed—stop here!" & candid Cliristohureh tailor adcertises: "Your friends wouldn't know you in a suit made by us!"

There is going to be a decided shortago in woollen dress materials during the coming winter, several New Zealand firms having been notified by tho Home, buyers that their orders have been cancelled owing to the goods being unprocurable.

A Paris newspaper remarks that the action of the French, authorities in coirjmandecring all the taxi-cabs for army service was a master-stroke, everybody being familiar with their unequalled propensities for making fearful charges.

A peasant who sat every day fishing near a road that French troops marched over, came under suspicion. IA search showed that his line was a field telegraph wire, which connected his instrument in a basket at his side.

Over 3000 miles of double-width khaki have been manufactured by the -woollen and worsted looms of Huddersfield and Come Valley during the past thret months.

Information has been received that the wife of the commander of the illfated Monmouth, which was reported lost in action off the Chilian coast, has received a cable from her husband, from an unknown source, to the effect that he is alive and well, but a prisoner. It Is, therefore, probable that at a later date a very complete story of the engagement between the enemy's ships and the Good Hope may be made available for public information.

The recent advance in the price of hemp has given tho flaxmilling industry a stimulus that is general throughout the Dominion. The depression caused by the rapid drop of values on the outbreak of the war, caused many mills to be closed down, and others to be worked on reduced output. This disorganisation of the industry has caused a certain amount of depression in some of the, towns in the western portion of the Wellington district, particularly Foxton, Levin and the adjoining townships. Prospects now, however, are very much brighter, as the mills closed down have been re-started, and the other mills are working at a higher pressure.

An extraordinary feat of shipbuilding was announced by the secretary of the Admiralty on December 17th (says the London Times). The new light cruiser Caroline was built by Messrs Cammell, Laird'and Co., at Birkenhead, in ten months. Her keel was laid on January 28, 1914, she was launched on September Ist, and was delivered complete on December 15th. The contract date for delivery was May 21st, 1915, or fifteen months after the laying of the keel. The Caroline, which belongs to the latest class of light cruiser, of which the famous Arethusa is an example, though a triilo smaller, is of 3800 tons, 420 feet long and 39 feet beam, and armored with a 3in belt. She is armed with two flin and four Sin guns, of the latest type, firing a 31 pound shot, and two torpedo tubes. Her contract speed is 29 knots, and is probably equal to at least 30 knots at full power, and she, like the rest of the class, burns oil fuel. At least one other of the new group is either commissioned or nearly ready, and there arc half a dozen more in various stages of completeness. Mr W. E. Smith, of the Duncdin railway goods staff, who wrote to Mr Chappell, the composer of "The Day," congratulating him on tho widespread popularity achieved by his poem, has received an intresting letter from Mr Chappell, and also an autograph copy of tTie verses, which have evidently been issued in leaflet form, in England. Mr Chappell's letter is as follows: "Dear Mr Smith,—Very many thanks for your kind and appreciative letter. It is nice to know that one's efforts are not in vain. The lines have penetrated to every quarter of the globe, as is manifest from the leters I receive: Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, India, Australia, America, and Canada, and yours from New Zealand, besides shoals'from Great Britain. I am proud to think that I have been able to do some little good in tho world. Please accept enclosed copy as a small token of my gatitude for your kindness in writing. Yours fraternally, Henry Chappell."

English as she is "spoke" will ever provide its pitfalls for, foreigners, though some are not so deep as the following:—A Frenchman was forced to. go to a friend for advice. "Can you tell me," h 0 asked, "vat heet is—vat you call a pole bear? Vat is a pole bear?" "A polar bear, you mean?" "Yes, yes, vat is heem?" ""Oh, he is'a bear that lives on the ice and eats fish." 'Mon dieu! And me do zat! Nevaire.', Nevaire!" exclaimed the Frenchman" "You do it? What do you mean?" "Veil, a man in de house vere I lecve, he die, and they say to me, vill I be pole bear for heem. Live on de ice and eat fish! 'Not even for a dead man! Nevaire! Nevaire!"

I During the early years of the FrancoGerman war of 1870, when the position of Belgium was being much debated, Mr Gladstone put the British question very clearly in a letter to John Bright. "If th(! Belgian people desire, on their own account, to join France or any other country, I for one. will be no party for taking up arms to prevent it," hi! said. "But that the Belgians, whether they would or no, should go 'plump' down the maw of another country to satisfy dynastic greed, is another matter. The/ accomplishment of such a crime as this implies would come near to the extinction of public right in Europe, and T do not think we could look on while the sacrifice of freedom and independence was in course of consummation." YOU SHOULD BEAR IN MIND. That by using the commercial eucalyptus oil, which is now bought at Cd per lb. weight and bottled, and on account of the large profit pushed, you are ex-posing yourself to all the dangers to 'i the use of turpentine will expose -irritation of the kidneys, intestinal tracts and mucous membrane. By insisting on the. GENUINE SANDER'S EUCALYPTI EXTRACT, you not only avoid these pitfalls, but you have a stimulating, safe and effective medicament, the result of a special and careful manufacture. A trial will at once convince. Quality in a small do9e distinguishes it from the bulky and dangerous products. Remember: SANDER'S EXTRACT embodies the result of 50 years' experience and of special study and it does as promised; It heals and cures without injuring the constitution, as the oils on the market frequently do, Therefore, protect yourself by rejecting other brands. SANDER'S EXTRACT nosseseo curative properties peculiarly 'is owe, end cm le ajed with pcrfe,-*

An all-steel silo ia being erected .it the Moumahaki Experimental Farm.

A considerable-number of sheep continue to be railed from Masterton to the Feilding district to be grazed.

The employees of the Kgmont Box Factory held their annual picnic at Xew Plymouth on Saturday.

The five hundred crates of cheese sent Home by the Xormanby Factory in the Turakina realised 875."

It is rumoured (states the Waimate correspondent of tha Press) that speculators have been scouring the Waimate districts, offering upwards of Cs a bushel for wheat, for delivery months iliencc.

At the Rualuira Farm of Instruction a small area of chou mollier has stood the drought well and is nearly {it for cutting- Apart from this, lucerne is the only successful fodder crop this season. It has been used for soiling purposes for tuie past four month.

There is land in New Zealand, especially in the South Island—Southland and Otago—that has been in permanent pasture for over thirty years and has never had a dressing of fertilisers, yet the pastures are said to be as good as when laid down.

The "Knock Out" is having a great run at the Empire Picture. Theatre. J It is one of the funniest pictures imaginable; no one knows how funny a boxing contest can be till this film is seen. There ia a variety of other pictures on the programme.

A settler in the Halcombe district was Recently somewhat gleefully recounting his; prospects. Hi 3 wheat crop, lie said, was equal to 40 bushels per acre, which, at Gs per bushel, would be worth£l2 per acre—a very exceptional yield. Cropping now, with an ordinarily good production, would seem to be more profitable than milking, with infinitely less labor.— Advocate,

At a meeting of the Taranaki Vcteians' Association on Saturday an invitation was accepted from the .Xgamotu Foreshore Improvement Committee to a picnic there in celebration of the anniversary of the province and the ,battle of Waireka. It is likely that the younger men of the town will as usual, entertain the veterans in the evening at a smoke concert.

The following amounts have been received on behalf of the Reilly Fund, to provide an unfortunate youth with an artificial leg:—Amount previously acknowledged, £2l 4s 11-y 2 d; Mrs. M. Eraser (per Daily News" list), £1; "Sympathiser" .(per Daily Xcws list), 2s; Mrs. Paddison, Tarurutangi (per Taranaki Herald), 10s; Mrs. Norton, Tarurutangi (per Taranaki Herald), 2s; General Laborers' Union donation, £2 17s; F.'Plumtree, ss; "Wera," Is; "Friend," Is; "Friend," 2s; W. Briggs, Is; E.D.. 2s fid; D. Newsam. 2s; E.F.L., 2s fid; H. Harvey, ss; L. Hare, 2s Od; J.M., 2s fid. Total, £27 2s ll'/oil.

The increasing popularity of the New Plymouth seaside, and particularly the Kast End beach, is shown by the frequency with which the inland schools utilise it for picnics. Last week the Stratford picnic was held at East End, and on Saturday the Egmont Box Company's staff, from Elthani, disported themselves there. Toko will be seeking sand, sea, and sunburn to-morrow, Wai.tara o n Friday next, and Whangamomonaj will held the sand-forts on Saturday. On the 18th the morning train will drop the Midhirst picnickers at Autcre Street, and the Eltham district and school picnic is fixed for either the 18th or 20th. This makes seven school picnics for the month, a very sure indication that the enterprise of the East Enders is appreciated. One effect of these juvenile outings will be to assist in New Plymouth's scheme of advertising its attractions as a holiday resort.

"If we had the boats available to take the moat Homo; there would soon ha a meat famine in New Zealand," was this .lemark .passed by a Mamiwsitu buyer to a Standard reporter recently. He explained that with, the high prices at 'present ruling for beef farmers were naturally eager to sell, but the number of ships available at present had restricted the export to a large extent, and it would require several times the number or vessels with refrigerated accommodation now in commission to take the meat Home. As an instance, of the present slate of the market he added that in addition to fat stock, stores were being sold for export to England and were averaging about £7 10s, where a few months back the ruling price was in the vicinity of £3 Ms, a rise of £4, which would quickly tempt owners to sell.

A while ago public attention was directed to the work in Wellington of a micreant or miscreants whose prey was the girl with long braids of hair hanging down her back. Several cases were reported of girls being robbed of their hair by the simple expedient of cuting it off, but the police were unable to trace the offender. The publicity given to the outrages seemed, for a time to discourage further outrages of the sort, but the hair thief has again got to work. Oni Saturday night a visitor from the south went for a walk through the city with friends. At the junction of Manners and Willis streets their progress was impeded by the. presence of a crowd, and while they were waiting to get clear, the visitor felt a slight tug at her hair, which she wore hanging loose. Not thinking 'that anything was amiss, no notice was taken of this at the time, and it was not until they had proceeded some little distance on their way that one of the companions "noticed that the long tresses Were gone. They bad been cut off short but the thief had evidently been in a great hurry, for he left some strands untouched.