LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 224, 1 March 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dunedin telegraphs that during tin; month therr were recorded ill Duiicd'H 110 births, 73 deaths, ami 30 marriage. <. I:i February, 1914, the figures wc.v 1 ,0 births, (52 deaths, 55 marriages. A Fitzroy resident called at the News ollice last night with a. circumstantial complaint, which has been referred to the military authorities for their attention, Our informant can rest content that there shall be no recurrence of the nuisance. Several cases of pocket-picking are reported in connection with the Hamilton races. One man was relieved of a wallet containing £7O, and two others lost about £l7 ea;-h. Several other smaller losses have also been reported. "I'm the 'mug.' that's why I'm here!" This was a deputationist's brief and pithy introduction at the Wanganui Borough Council meeting oil Tuesday night. He explained that his fellow deputationists had not turned up. Despite the adverse conditions created by the war, over SQO students have been enrolled for the first term of the Wellington Technical College. -This number is approximately the same as last year's enrolment. The information published on page two of this issue, that there will be no poll locally in the licensing committee election, is incorrect. Besides the renomination of the old committee, Mr 1\ I'. Corkill has be?n persuaded to stand. ,so that a poll will be necessary. In this issue the notice of polling-day is advertised by ihe returning officer. A movement is being made in connection with the Rimutaka deviation, saya the Carterton News. The AssistantEngineer hag arrived at Fcatherston, and arrangements are being made for a camp for the survey party at Pigeon Bush. The first route to be gone over I is the Waiorongomai one, which will join in at Pigeon Bush.

The directors of the Kaponga Co-op. Dairy Company have let a contract for the erection of two new curing rooms — one at Riverlea and one at Rowan road. They arc to lie built in ferro-concrete, and will each measure 40 x 20 feet. Mr J. A. DufTill designed the buildings, and Mr J. G. Grant, of Hawera, was the successful tenderer.

A Stratford boy with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Egypt has th e following in a recent letter: —"The local politicians are well represented here in one company there are three Okeys (one son and two nephews of the New Plymouth member), a son of "Bill' Jennings (Taumarunui), while young Hawkins is just across the way. There is a son of "Tom" Mackenzie here, too, in the Mounteds. An artilleryman, writing from the front, says:—A batch of German prisoners were brought in from the trenches a few days ago. Some Scotch Tommies, seeing their wretched condition, at once went into the estaminet and ordered coffee for them. There is practically no personal hatred against the individual German soldier; but when our fellows have seen or heard from their own pals what has been done by the German military system, then they see red.

Pat, who had joined the new army, was given his uniform by the Quartermaster. Everything fitted all right till lie came to put on the trousers] which lie said were far too tight. ''No, no." said tiie Quartermaster, ."they're fine "1 tell you they are too tight," said Pat; "they're tighter than me skin." "Nonsense, Pat, how can they be tighter than your skin " "Begorra," exclaimed Pat. "5. can sit down in me skin, but I can't sit down in the trousers."

A young man named Hovell, aged about 20, son of the postmistress at Tokaanu, after helping at a social gathering felt sleepless and went for a hot b;\th. lie became dizzy and fell into a boiling pool. He got out unaided, after which two Maoris and Mr Martin heard him shouting and took him home. Dr Latelimore was brought tioni fa upo and ordered his removal to the Rotorua Sanatorium, where lie arrived accompanied by his mother at 10 p.m. He was very badly scalded and died during the night.

A hot spring lias been struck on Mr Alley's farm at Hikutaia in the Thames Valley. At ISft sand and mud were met with, and varying country was intersected by the bore until a depth of 100 ft was reached, when what was evidently a large log was passed through. At 170 ft it was decided to relinquish boring, but no sooner had the rods been lifted than there was a rush of.water, and to the surprise of'all it proved to be hot, and with a similar taste to the Te Aroha waters. The flow is at the rale of about 101)0 gallons per hour.

A little Martou boy, Leonard Warren, aged nine years, having heard so much of sufferings of the poor Belgian children, thought he would like to raise some money /or them (says the Rankitikei Advocate.) At first lie had a patriotic meeting or his schoolmates, each one bringign a few pence, but as he did not get enough this way lie started a canvass of the town, and last week, quite unassisted, he collected the satisfactory sum of £3 Ills. He wishes this to be spent on children's garments, and is sending the money direct to the Belgian Consul at Wellington,

l>r Lyttelton, headmaster of Eton, in an address to the officers and men of the 4th Kent Buffs, said that at the outbreak of war he received on an average four telegrams every day from parents asking him to let their sons go off to serve their country without delay. Later he found that practically tiie whole college wanted to go, anil hehad the greatest difficulty in making the younger hoys understand that age was a consideration in active service. Over 1GI) Etonians had already laid down their lives in the war, and some of these were at the college last summer.

The fine afternoon, and tile privilege afforded of visiting one of New Plymouth's most beautiful residential properties, as well as the fact that they were assisting in a very worthy cause, tempted large number's yesterday to' visit ''Brooklands," which 'Mr. Newton King had thrown open. Tiie well-kent lawns, together with the profusion of beautiful tlowers and the magnificent stretch of shelter bush, were a source of delight. Mr \ George's orchestra gave a sp'eudu! programme of sacred music, A co lection, the amount of which wanot ;'v:iihible last night, was taken ui> in aid of the Belgian Fund, Mrs. TCirkl>v had charge of the afternoon tea arrangements, and the ladies were ke;it busv.

The world-wide war fever lias gripped the children of Melbourne, and, as in Europe, is bringing destruction in its wake. During the past few weeks youthful warriors in the city Lave been waging battles royal, British v. German, in tlio city parks and gardens. Thev have dug trenches in the sward, tliey have used the turf for bullets r>'Ul grenades, they have built barricades of the foliage of trees and shrubs, and incidentally they have caused the parks and gardens committee to put two men on work every evening, smoothing and tidying the scarred battlefields. The committee lias also issued a, circular appealing to parents to prcvcifc fi;rt!:or &rrr.2<\

An elderly man, who should have more sense (says the Opunake Times), was parading the town on Wednesday nig'it in woman's attire. Several youths of thrown recognised him and jostled him home. The policeman appeared soon after, Irnt the individual had disappeared into his domicile and there shed his skirts, etc. A deputation of "knuts'' afterwards waited on the masquerader and gave him to understand t'hat lie would be court-martialled and ducted if he was caught parading ais a woman again. The ■3illy old man!

The transposition of two letters in a i ame lias been the means of putting tin' country to considerable expense. Last Monday a lad named .McWilliam Ropiha uas brought before the local court and I leaded guilty to having stolen a motor cycle at Smart Road. He was committed for sentence, and as the Supreme Court was in session at Palmerston North, ho was sent before the judg.' there. There was a typographical error in the typewritten depositions, where tin? name was spelt "Rophia," and accused had signed as "Ropiha," so t'.ie judge refused to allow the case to go on, it being impossible at that stage to amend the papers. The lad was at onee re-arrested oi;d brrught back to New '"PI,-mouth, where •>» Saturday he was again charged with the same offence. All the evidence was re taken, save that of ono witness v iio was not available. The Maori again pleaded guilty, and wag again committed to I'almerston North for sentence.