LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 251, 1 April 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The postponed TJruti sports meeting takes place to-day. The firm of A. and G. Price, Thames, has completed its 04th large locomotive for the New Zealand Railways Department.

The total number of electors on the roll of the Borough of New Plymouth is 4975, 350 names having been added during the last few weeks.

Intending passengers are asked to note that a train will meet the Rarawa at Onchunga, on Friday j April 2, at 8.45 a.m.

Mrs. Dowling and Mr. Bary are working hard in preparing the children at the West End School to take part in the procession on Easter Monday to Kawaroa Park.

Messrs. Hatrick and Co. have purchased a site for a warehouse near Mr. Jackson's stables, Devon Street East, and purpose commencing the erection shortlv.

The swimming sports at the saltwater baths on Easter Monday will commence at two o'clock, and the ' demonstrations of diving and fancy swimming will bo put on at 2.45 p.m. The "Lord High Hyprocrite," so aptly described by Mr. Frank Morton, will figure behind wire entanglements in the, great menagerie procession to the West End on Easter Monday m-.irning.

It is likely that a team from the Trentham camp will play in the New Zealand Rugby championships. There is said to be practically a representative team among the soldiers under canvas.

There have been four bankruptcies in Wellington during the past quarter, as compared with two in the corresponding quarter of last year. None occurred during March.—Press Association telegram. The directors of the Okato Dairy Company yesterday decided to call a general meeting of shareholders of the company to discuss the question of installing a cheese-makiiig plant for next season.

The present crisis is helping men to a clearer idea of brotherhood. W'li.ii master and man have served in ill" same regiment, when the artisan !ias veeeived a commission, and an I'.lmii Imv lias served as a private, when all have faced death together in the tranches, and liave fought side hy side !'■ r manv a. wearv month, H is impossible lo think that they will return to the Old Land with class hatred in their lieiut (says Bishop Watts Ditelifiuld),

A JDaily News representative gathered iir.,Stratford yesterday that patrons of tiie gymkhana arc coming on: Easter Monday from near and far, ;md this great holiday outing will he, as the sliowmen say, bigger, brighter, and better than ever.

The Eltham Borough Council;' which wag faced with the necessity for purchasing a new piano for the- Town ITaIT, that purchased three years ago having been worn out, yesterday secured a magnificent Hopkinson grand (;t'lf)s), with a twenty years' guarantee, from Mr. Hoffmann, New Plymouth; Seventeen years ago in Bfcthlirst,' where he was editing a paper, Mr. Frank Morton lent a casual caller five shillings. After his lecture last' night, Afr. Morton was accosted by the same ntan who handed him the five shillings. 'Mr. Morton admits it is a unique ex- ; pcrience.

■; Tlie Taranaki Motor Transport'Co.'s '?mis will run from Opunake to New 'Plymouth as usual to-morrow morning, .returning in the evening. A special trip will be made to the mountain house at 0 a.m., and in the afternoon, at two o'clock, a second 'bus will run to TnglewofS'd, via the junction road, returning via licppcrton. At the Salvation Army Hall' to-mor-row night, a service, entitled' " Songs of the Cross," will be held. For Sunday a full day's services are advertised, anil at the evening service the children will render a very interesting service of song, entitled " Wee Elsie." The- connective reading will bo given b'y- Adjutant Home.

A New York merchant, writing from Los Angles on February 7 to his agents in Auckland, said: "I have bee n to the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, attending to the installation of our exhibit. I am pleased' to congratulate New Zealand, through you, on the beautiful building and interesting exhibit your country has contributed to the success of the enterprise." The latest report about the sea serpents is to the effect that they were seen by the captain of a collier off Mokau. He .reports that they were still heading for Kawaroa Park, and, at the rate at which they are travelling, ho judges that they will arrive there in ample time to take their part in the big carnival on Easter Monday. There is overwhelming proof that New Plymouth people favor Kawaroa Park as a picnic and pleasure resort. The' plantations, the paths through tho> trees, the magnificent seascape, the prox-. imity of the enclosed saltwater baths, the stretch of sand and the rocky pools, swarming with little fish at low water, and, above an, the accessibility of the place, make it abundantly evident that here, in the West End, is to bo found tho present and future pleasure-ground of the populace. Sir Hiram Maxim Tias presented the Canadian troops at Salisbury with five tons of pork and beans prepared in pound-tin rations under his own direction and in his laboratory. Old experience has taught him, lie says, the nutritive value and the excellence of this particular dish for winter campaigning and the sample he sends after the.simple heating treatment he proscribes assuredly deserves all he says as to payability and appropriateness for commissariat use.

An example which is worthy of bein,» followed by many of the younger generations of the gentler sex has just been set by nn old and respected resident of Wanganui East. A lady, who is in be? 80th year, has knitted seven pairs of bed socks and six pairs of mittens as a contribution in response to Queen Maiy's appeal on behalf of the British sick and wounded soldiers. The parcel containing this acceptable gift was received by the lady superintendent of the St John Ambulance Association.

Mr. F. flable, of Puniho, has just received a letter from his sister in London, in which she stated that all that was said in the papers about the cruelty done by the Germans to little children was true; indeed, she considered that the papers could not publish one-half. In a hospital to which she is attached there was one little, girl, seven years of age, whose stomach was literally ripped open, and several children with ears and hands cut off. In fact, she considered that the atrocities were too horrible to describe.

Tlie principal reason given by the Government for placing an order with fi n American firm for construction of ton locomotives was that they would be built in six weeks and landed in New Zealand before Easter. The, engine.*, however, are not to hand, though Easter comes within a week. The Haweva Star's Wellington correspondent was informed by the Hon. W. IT. Herries that the locomotives were completed within contract time, but shipment was delay 'd. They are, however, now on their way to New Zealand.

Despite the stringency of tne money market at the present juncture, and the pervading disposition to go cautiously, in matters financial, the East End Committee have every confidence in meeting their obligations in regard to the Borough Council's requirements in connection with the extension to the pavilion. Indeed, so much are the efforts of this energetic, committee appreciated, that one or two prominent and 'public-spirited townsmen have signified to the committee their willingness to sign a guarantee for a substantial amount of the security required.

Mr. P. J. Flannagan. the indefatigable worker for the East End Reserve, was down the line yesterday, and was inundated with inquiries as to the various competitions and events on Easter Monday. Judging from inquiries, the baby show will see a big field entered, and there will be keen competition. Eltliam has always had a warm corner in its heart for East End, and the fact that the talented Eltham Band, of twenty-four instruments, lias been engaged for the day will ensure a great crowd of Eltham enthusiasts. The champion West Coast tng-of-war team, i.e., Kahotu, will be competing at the sports.

There is at least one Taranaki farmer who has apparently missed his vocation, lie should have entered Parliament, where finesse in finance would have secured for him the portfolio of Finance. For some considerable time he had owed a tradesman in his township an account for a few shillings. Early in the month he tendered a cheque for a larger amount in payment of the, account, and, on receiving the change, took the wind o,ut of the tradesman's sails by requesting that the cheque should lie held some three weeks before presentation. The request was acceded. It is pleasing to chronicle that it was dnlv met.

The executive committee of the EiIham Co-operative Bacon Co., arc to report to the next meeting of their dire-t----ors o„ the feasibility of extending thcT operations to freezing. They have a large storage room, which only requires insulating, and power going to wane, and it, is thought (hat ir'proper use could lie made of these it would give full employment to nil their hands as well as enable the company to put in appliances to use oll'al and diseased pi.-s, which at present are buried and wasted instead of being turned into vnhnibh inures. It, is llioiiehi possible also that twcnlv or Ihiriv head of entile could be put through dailv, which Hoiihl assist the gem nil work of II onceru and be n ivenienrc, 100, in assisting to relieve (he congestion which is frequently experienced by freezing companies along this coast,—Star,

' The new freezing works at Patea have bee n favorably commented upon by several freezing works people recently, both' the* general design and fcrro-con-erete work meeting lijpro-ual'.Mr Anioorc who carried out all the ferro-concrcte work, received a request from the promoters of the Rangitik'ci Freezing Co. to erect the new works at Feilding, but unfortunately had to decline owing to various contracts he had'in hand.—Star. Mr John ]). Rockefeller, who is reported to be the richest man in the world, has given- during- the last twelve years 73,000,01)1) dollars for the promotion °f education throughout the United States. This fact' is brought out in a report of' its work' issued by the General Education Board which Mr Rockefeller founded. Of this sum Chicago University lias received K1,!)i)4.3 Kl dollars, and the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research 10,267,022 dollars Captain Warren, of the b'.s. Westnieath, which is at present loading in the roadstead at (Jisborne, was for time Years engaged in the Dardanelles trad". He informed a reporter that once the British and French' fleets get through/the Knrrows, there will Ife nothing to stop their progress to Constantinople. The portion of the straits where the naval mishaps occurred are the narrowest part, being only a-mile wide for two miles, and heavily fortified: Chanak is the place where the ships have to hand in their papers, and no boats are allowed to pass in after sunset. The forts ci>n be plainly seen, and' resembled grassy mounds, through which the muzzles of the guns protrude.- When- the British 1 and French fleets force this narrow passage, as they assuredly would. th.it would sound the death knell of Constantinople. •Every trade, profession and industry is represented in those forces, states the Cairo corrcspondentof u London journal. This morning in the street I met an Australian private. "I am going to buy carpets to send home," he said. "T,et us get a dragountn and'go-into the bazaar." The dragoman was found and he took us to a. large shop. Carpets we'V. spread' out. Tins one cost £SO; so did another; a third was valued at £IOO. "But," said tin; dragoman to the 'dca'er, "this man is- only a private soldier; he can only buy very cheap carpets." Imagine t]ie astonishment of'thedragomnnwhen the "private soldier" decided (o take all three carpets and paid for them on the spot; "Truly!" ho muttered, "the English are marvellous people."' The soldier was an Australian barrister who ;had given up a practice worth £SOOO a ij'ear to shoulder a rifle.

A very attractive, programme.- of, swim,. J wing events has been arranged by East End Committee on the occasion of the monster picnic on Mon-. day. Mr. W. Lints well known in local swimming circles, being in, charge- of/ this important department. The best Xew Plymouth swimmers are compet-. ing, and several high-class performers Irom down the line have signified their intention of competing, including the Stratford crack, Mr. E. Kiveh, and- it is expected that Messrs. Grant and Claringbold, of Hawera, and also Olft\ Laing, the champion fireman swimmer of Tnglewood, who beat Duke Kahanaomoku at Timam, will also be- competing.. The chief events are 50yds, 100 yds, high dive, eorfn dive, and rescuo race. The latter will he demonstrated by the members of the life-saving teams, and should prove a very interesting item.

Mr A. J. Glasson, Inspector of Noxious Weeds, while giving evidence in the Magistrate's Court at Hawera on Monday in a case against a fanner for having failed to clear noxious weeds, said employees of sharemilkers gave the tnspectors, next to the natives, more trouble than other landowners. In the majority of cases it was provided that the sharemilker had to clear the weeds to the satisfaction of the inspectors, but lie might explain that h"s -nusiness was not with the sharemilker, who was not really thi! occupier of the land. The Magistrate said that instead of the shau:milkcr doing the clearing of the w.«'ds that should be done by the order of the employer, who could then debit the sharemilker with the cost of the work. This would get over the difficulty of complaints about sharemilkors not keeping the land clear. The Inspector aa'.d that the suggestion was a good one. The life-saving competition to he held at the East End picnic on Easter Monday is arousing considerable interest. Four teams—East End (2), West End and New (Plymouth High School—have entered, and the members are training assiduously, and no efforts are being spared by the teams to secure possession of the coveted Tabor Shield. For. the information of competitors and the publie, we publish the conditions as to points. The maximum points are ,100, made up of 40 for general efficiency in drill and general knowledge, 40 for general appearance and 20 for fastest time in reaching and bringing back the subject; time is only taken on the bolt man. Everyone should be conversant with the methods of life-saving, and by attending the East End picnic and witnessing the competitions the public will be enabled to gain lasting knowledge in this valuable and indispensable work.

Delegates and friends from the various societies connected with the Taranaki Christian Endeavor Union will assemble in New Plymouth on Good Friday, when meetings will be held throughout the day in the Baptist Tabernacle, Onrdet Street. As all the meetings are open to the public, the varied (and interesting items on the programme should ensure large congregations. The Christian Endeavor Society forms an important link in the ever-expanding chain of Christian effort; its sphere of work, although distinctly devotional, also extends into the ethical and practical departments of service. Endeavorers are methodical, and, allocate their work to committees, who are held responsible for carrying out their prescribed duties. For instance, the duty of the Sunshine Committee is to visit the sick and the bereaved, distributing flowers and text cards, or in any other way cheer and brighten the afflicted. Other committees, such as look-out, prayer, social, missionary, etc., are formed according to the numerical strength of the society; each committee presents a monthly report of work done.

The public are reminded of tlie Belgian Relief Benefit at the Empire Picture Palace to-morrow evening, when n programme of select moving pictures will he shown. The total receipts aiv to bo. handed over to the fund.

What ,g,earning tovbecan untHUftT sight in New Plymouth in thewdiyßpf tarred roads and taotor-car», was witnessed m Devon, Street cwly yesterday morning, j B the. dSpeof a bullock waggon drawn by four-yokcitrf.oasn.-Mid taagnificcnt *pidu*m they were, too, tlifeir massivenosg and condition calling f?rth eral Uonefrom lovers of 'cattle, The leadewami the next pair-were Hereford*, and' the others were Shorthorns and all were fit for the freezing %*£%£... were.-ownod by tl.li- well-known coastal Hereford breeder- Mr. C. Sole, and «n». driven by his son,-Mr. A: W. Sole, ,£. was trekking from Warea to AwikinT where he has just purchased Jhe-waggon was Men with mkchtaerf etc, winch must**™ weighed two tonl the journey of ninety miles would be done comfortably if, four days, andtht the bullocks, whirst somewhat out of' date on metal'roads, would be verv serviceable on the-unmetalled roads Zthe other side of-Mount Massenew especially during -ttfc winter months. According to Mr B. R. Gardener something will' have to be done in «.o ])oininio n to nlwease the amountMrf' fees recoverable from patients leaving the curative institutions: He nUM wft'T 4 ? r ool P atient » Passed throurir Wellington Hospital in ft* course of. year, The, average stay of eaeli'one-wa", £.13 000 should have been recovered fcv the-Board,' instead of which' only £4<'i& was received' from patients. Ting «,., included old ago pensions, reverting to the Board. He thought that Government action should bo taken to imp/ova,. such a state-of affairs. Mr J- W'Me Kwan asked whether the policy of th» Board in increasing the fees payable by patients had been justified by rem'*. Although it was said that the coUcctinir system was better, only £OS additionalhad been received since the new ch,™ of £2 2s instead of 30s per week had teen made. Dr W. Mackenzie said that these facts showed that the hosnital was being nsed by the class it benefited' most, the poorer class. Mr H. Baldwin at this stage, said that a mistake- hadbeen made in the figures, showing .ijHms collected from ln-patienta to bfc not £4800; but- £5500.

Paul Sabtior, the author of the '*l,ifi». of St. Francis of Assisi,**- and- pastorat Strassburg after the German occupation—lie was subsequently expelled from Alfcaco for- wielding an inftaene*. deemed! subversive of the Government—has some, splendid'inspiriting thoughts in an article in the London Times, entitle 1 "France and the War." The article it-. self is a confident expression of the. French that the Allies, are fighting ft, spiritual as well as a material wan "Our soldiora are martyrs," declareg eft, Sabatier; "they bear witness to a ueV truth. . . . The France of to-day is> fighting religiously. Catholics, Protestants, men of Free Thought, we all' fnt that our sorrows renew* continue, and* fulfil those of the Innocent Victim of Calvary. But they arc birth pangs; mo may die of them, but we have not deright to bless the present hour »nd tan take up with vejoieing the task bofora us. > . . . What France of the Cri.sades stammered, what France of tin* Revolution saw dimly, France to-day 'testes to accomplish. What matter'that she die at her task if she hais done hrt work?" Some days ago we noted tl.o difference between tile French war ap'/tt of 1870 and that of i to-day. In the above challenging and glowing phrases old Paul Sabatier supplies a most :uiOfluate explanation or the- contrast, the while he accounts ror the passionate heroism with which Franco is meeting a rothless antagonist.