LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 212, 15 February 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The growing of rubber in the tropical parts of Australia is a comparatively new venture, so it is gratifying to learn that the rubber already prouueed is of excellent quality.

■Eight members of the Okato Football Club are now serving their country in the present crisis, either in Samoa or in Egypt. This is a good record for a club whose membership numbers only about 20, and whose members are mostly engaged in farming pursuits.

Nowadays the name of Noah is seldom bestowed on unsuspecting infants—for which, no doubt, tlie infants are duly thankful. Morey's advertisement in this tiaue contains a seasonable reference to a man named Noah —a man who said grt«4 things. Turn to it!

Tlie following amounts have been received on behalf of the Rielly Fund: — Amount previously acknowledged, £27 2s 11'/jd; Post and Telegraph Dot Club, (per Taranaki Herald), 10s Gd "S" Tarurutangi (per Taranaki Herald), 2s (id; Friend, Is; Newton King, 10s; W. T. H., 2s fid; Friend ('»er Daily News), 3s 6d; total, £2B 12s liy,d.

Som e miraculous oscapes are being experienced in the fighting line. In a letter just received by Mr. P. b. Hollings, of Masterton, an account is given by a relative of his, who is on tlie transport waggons, and has lost no less than sixteen horses. He had the back part of oiip of his waggons smashed, but, so far, has himself escaped injury. A young French lady writs:—Wc had sucli a touching little ceremony here last Saturday. We have four English soldiers buried in tlie field near our bouse by their companions; it was left to our care after the battle. Our priest erected a cross with those words: "Thanking the brave English soldiers who, by their bravery, prevented our villages being wrecked. May they rest in peace.'' So last Sunday all the village people eame with wreaths of flowers; the tombs were blessed and consecrated.

A rather dastardly act was recently perpetrated at the Marton dam. It appears that not very long ago about 300 trout were put into the dam, and they were doing well. A few days ago, however, large numbers of them were found dead on tlie water's edge. There appears to be every indication that someone used dynamite in order to get a haul, and it is hoped that the perpetrator of the outrage will be landed by the police, into whose hands the matter lias been placed, by tlie Marton Borough Council, a resolution having been carried at the ordinary monthly meeting that the police be asked to make investigations.

Siara is making rapid headway, according to Mr. Gerald Morris, a representative of tlie Eastern Tin Syndicate, an Australian concern, lie lias just returned to Sydney, after securing a concession of territory there. A railway line which would ultimately run from Bangkok to Singapore was being built by the Siamese Government and the Federated Malay States. One peculiar feature was that, though it was being built with British capital, the majority of the sectional engineers were Germans. The Siamese were inclined to side with Germany, mainly on account of their antipathy toward France, arising from tile boundary dispute, and the Germans were, of course, not slow to take advantage of the current in their favor.

Mn A. S. Malcolm, the member for Clutlia, has made a very sensible suggestion to the Prime Minister. He advocates that a greater proportion of seconds, or pollard, should be mixed with our flour, so that the supply will be greater and the price somewhat reduced. There are not a few people who pin their faith to whole meal, or brown bread, in normal times. It is claimed to lie more wholesome in every respect than the white bread. Why, then, should not the community indulge in brown bread for a period? If the Government, or the Food Commission, could arrange with the millers to mix a proportion of seconds with the flour, we should overcome a good deal of the present difficulty, and we should be a~more healthy people.

Describing the habits and customs of the people in Egypt, a member of the New Zealand force now encamped at Zeitun, writes as follows to his relatives in Auckland:—"Tho women here have strange customs. All native married women must wear veils covering all except their eyes, and we white men tanst not look'at them for fear of being knifed by their husbands. The Syrian women, are, as a whole, the moat consistently pretty women I have seen. They are' about as dark as a quarfcr-east Maori, but l&ivc very pretty, though sad features, and wear a sort of veil over their mouths and the lower portion of their face. You arc not supposed to look at them, as it is against their religion, but sometimes the boys get "the glad eye." j

The Ilawke's Bay Herald of yesterday had the following:—A young bride had a most unpleasant experience in Napier recently. Arrangements had been made for the wedding to take place at the Cathedral at 2 o'clock. At the appointed hour, the'bride and her friends drove up i„ five motor cars suitably decked with white ribbons. The party entered the church, and were alarmed to find that the bridegroom had failed io put in an appearance. After a long wait a messenger was dispatched to the brid■>groom's home, but he was not there. Eventually the bride and her friends left the Cathedral, the wedding ceremony being abandoned. It is not known exactly why the bridegroom failed to keep his engagement, although several more or less wild stories are told.

Mr H. Cole, of Frarikleigh Park, sent to the iNewa toflice o\i. Saturday a scinple ca,se of magnificent plmav to the News office on Saturday a

Tlio Homo liner Orari lias arrived 111 the Waitara roadstead. Her cargo wij consist of 32 barge-loads, and loading is expected to be completed übuut Wi'dncsday next.

The Elthani Argus understands tha it ha.s been finally decided timt flOpunake branch railway will eoune, vith tlie main line at the Te lto. station.

A number of 'Waitara sports participated in a big dividend at the New Plymouth races. It is estimated by ilie Mail tliat through the win of Mr i\ Aubrey's horse, Bay Prince, over £IOOO was brought 'back to Waitara. The value of the Daily News as an advertising medium for the 'province v/a-:, shewn ou Saturday, when .Messrs Siiaw and Paine received a larke number of telegraphic Piiqiiirics from central and south Taranaki, as well as local applications for work, as the outcome of iheir advertisement for carpenters.

upon milking, the Argus give 3 the following: A Ngaere farmer's custom it was, towards the fall of the year, to put his cows, 50 of them, in a paddock of kail. One night something prevented liim from ■following lii-3 usual custom. Next morning's factory returns showed a decrease of lOOlbs in his supply.

A telegram from Wellington states that Professor Davis, of Harvard University, who was one of the distinguished American scientists to visit New Zealand recently at the invitation of the Government, has Tctumeil the grant of £73 which ho received towards his expenses. He has asked that the money ■bo used :by Mr Cotton, lecturer on geology at Victoria College, to defray the expenses of his study of the mountains and coasts of New Zealand.

The date sot Sown for the District Camp at Waiwakaiho, February 2(ith to March 10th, is not finding favor among farmers, many of whom, whilst strongly supporting the defence scheme, consider that the Defence Department should have showed more consideration for farmers by setting the camp for a month later, when, the milking season being further advanced, men could be spared more readily. The position is the more acute because many of the farms are already short-handed, owing to the large number of milkers, sometimes two from the one farm, having responded to the Empire's call.

A monster carnival is to be held at Kawaroa Park by the West End Foreshore Improvement Society on Easter Monday, to raise funds for various improvements in the grounds. This energetic body is launching out on ambitious lines, and is going to make a gro:it efiort at Easter to finance the new schemes. The hearty co-o.peration of the Citizens' Band lias been secured, details are not settled yet, except that there will be a great procession through t'lio town to the park, arid probably swimminjj sports will be held at the baths.

A friend of bygone days called at the Inglewood l\ecord ofiice on Wednesday, and, during conversation on "things in general," said: "Well. I've been right through this island, from far north of Auckland, down the centre through Taupo, on to Napier, through .Masterton, down to Wellington, and back up this coast to here, and l have not during the whole of my travels seen any grass 4o come near the abundance and greenness of that round your district. It's magnificent, and to see it now makes one wonder how anyone could ever leave such a place." Such was the expression of opinion of a. Hawera business man, who does, perhaps, more travelling through the land areas of the island than any other in similar pursuit, and, what is of infinitely more consequence in this case, he is always very wide awake when lie travels, and knows to a nicety the value and advantages of lands and districts, and that was his unasked opinion,

The dailies seem to have suppressed all reference to the way in which the news of the attack by two Turks on a Broken Hill excursion train was received in Germany. Th e following official statejmcnt was issued in Berlin, where the news created great enthusiasm:—"A notable success has been achieved by our arms in Australia, near Broken Hill, where a force of Turks surprised and put to flight a superior force which was being transported by rail. Forty of the enemy were killed and seventy wounded, the casualties among the Turks being only two killed. Broken Hill is an important mining centre and port on tlie west coast of Australia. Th 0 success of our arms practically assures the control of the valuable metal mines in the neighborhood, and leaves the way open for an attack on Candbris, the capital of Australia, and its most strongly fortified centre, although owing to the flooded condition of the country an attack may be impossible until next spring."

At the last meeting of idle executive of the Tarannki School Committee's Association -there were present: Messrs P. G. Smith (chairman), W. Reid, Q. H.' Dolby, A. C. Downes, A. Smart and G. S. White. An apology for absence w.13 received from Mr W. F. Short. The question of bringing' |inta tforco the clauses of the Education Act relating to compulsory attendance at technical classes was considered. After some discussion it was decided to ask the chairman of the town school committees to l-ring the matter beforo the householders' meetings which will be held shortly. The following gentlemen were elected vice-presidents of the association with a seat on the executive:—Messrs Simpson (Inglewood), Wakefield (Waitara), Skoglund (Stratford), Bradley iWhangamomona), Wooldridge (Okatol Looncv (Opunake). The secretary was M'stniet-ed to write to the board asking for 'particulars as to how the remits were: dealt with which wore passed at the last ?onference and forwarded to the hoard. Jito next mooting of the executive wil' bo held on th,-> 24tHi inst. (show night!, and any school committeeman in town vull Iv invited to attend.

Tli,. -Melbourne, T.til.'s, sale lias only a few more days to run, Saturday, the 20th inst., being positively the last day. Anyone who has not yet availed himself of .this great bargain event should certainly make a point of visiting the store before the sale ends. There are bargains for everyone.