LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 266, 20 April 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Oamaru "Mail" states that surveyors are now at work partitioning the Bennioxe run, which is to he submitted to ballot early next year.

it is feared that cattle in the back country of the Wairarapa .will have a bad time during the coming winter, owing to the rough feed having been eaten down in the recent drought.

On a charge of drunkenness, a first offender was convicted at the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday and ordered to pay £1 ?s Gd" costs, in default seven days' imprisonment.

New Zealand is not the only country to show a falling off in revenue since the war began. Tho South African railway revenue has declined by over £OOO,OOO during the last nine months.

What is probably a record in Oamaru for a plot of potatoes has been achieved, says the Mail, by Mr. J. R. Hill, Newborough, who has taken- 1\ bags from a piece of ground 10 yards square. Tip's is in the proportion of 30 tons to the acre.

Fanny Cresby, America's blind hymnwriter, is dead, aged 95 years. She became blind when six weeks old, and at the age of 15 years entered tlie Institute for the Blind, New York, where she eventually became a teacher in English grainmcr and rhetoric. She wrote over 0000 hymns, includiug "Safe in the Arnw of Jesus."

Tlie Taranaki men selected to join the sixth New Zealand reinforcements at Trentham left for Wellington yesterday morning. The New Plymouth men received an enthusiastic farewell from a large crowd gathered at the station, a feature of the crowd's farewell bee.g a haka. The men from other parts of Taranaki joined the train at their different stations.

Referring to Dr. Jardinc, a Napier boy, on the stand of the British at Ypres, Mr. C. E. Underwood, an interpreter to (he Headquarters Staff of the 21st. Infantry Division, says—lt was a splendid sight to see Jardine running out under a hail of bullets and bringing in one wounded man and another on his back. His maciciutosh in ten minutes was covered with blood, and he looked like a butcher.

At the Christchurch Magistrate's Court yesterday Leslie Derrett, a young man, was charged under the Police Offences Act with disturbing an audience at a picture theatre by throwing sneezing powder about. The police said that theatre proprietors had been receiving many complaints about this nuisance, but defendant was the first person caught in the act. A fine of 40s and costs was imposed.

What is a ''gent" ? asks a London writer. Perhaps the best definition was that of the late Judge Wightman, the father-in-law of Matthew Arnold. Oute, in the course of an examination, a witness described a certain person connected with the case as "an independent gent." "An independent what ?" asked Mr. Justice Wightman. "A gent, my lord," repeated the -witness: "Oh, I understand," replied the Judge, "that's something short of a gentleman, isn't it ■'."

Tiic district of Lepperton made a noblo response to the appeal for assistance for tlie Belgians when they raised nearly .-£3OO as tlie result of a gift sale and picnic sports. Residents of the district do not intend to rest on (heir oars, r.'s they have already arranged a scries of euchre parties in aid of the same fund. and also intend to hold a monster ball on May 2701.

A residont of Pungarchu has presented to the Pungarchu Patriotic Committee a valuable collection of Maori cu.-ios, which will be disposed of by public auction at the Cape Egmont Sports on Wednesday, April 28th, and the proceeds will be devoted to the Belgian Relief Fund. The donor has spent years in accumulating the collection, 'which has been gathered in the district aro;iwl Parihaka, a place that should be rich in jqlicH dear to the heart of the antiquvian.

Several members of the "Within the Law" company, who were staying at Inglewood during the week-end, paid a visit to the Mountain on Sunday. They did the journey in a brake with a pair of horses. On the return journey the pole-strap broke when the brake was negotiating a dangerous corner. Fortunately the speed at which they were tra-velling-was slow, and although one of the horses fell the vehicle maintained its equilibrium, and tlie party escaped with a fright and a shaking.

An Anglican clergyman who was pleading for free seats in the churches used this experience as an argument, accorßiiig to Christian Life :—"When 1 was a curate the holder of a large old-fashi:oi-ed pew in our church once complained of the intrusion of a stranger on the previous Sunday. He, added, 'Sir, 1 would not dare to disturb divine worship by pushing him out of my pew, but I took the slight liberty of sitting on hie hat.' The appropriation of pews had made the holder think them a kind of property."

A large area of swamp land around Kaitai, on the banks of the Awinui, away north, is about to be reclaimed by a scheme which is being undertaken by the Government. When this work is successfully accomplished a large area of valuable land will be rendered available for settlement. Some COflO acres belong to the Government, and other areas privately owned will also be D-nv:-flted by the drainage works. Near Kaitaia the Auckland Gum Company is now about ready to start dredging on -a swamp of about a thousand acres. •'"

The usual weekly meeting of the Egmont Lodge (No.' 110) 1.0. G.T. was last night. A social evening was held, and the following programme was given: Pianoforte duet, Mrs. Denton andTSTsE. M, Thompstone; song, Miss Mona Da'nks; song, Mrs. Yates; flute solo, Bro. 0. Arnold; song, Sis. B. Watson; song, Miss Ivy Gilbert; pianoforte solo, Sis. Gladys Way; reading, Bro. Welsh; harp solo, Bro. Reekitts; song, Ero. Nelson; song, Mr. Thompson. Bro. George Haydon related his experiences as a member of the New Zealand force which went to Samoa.

"I believe that in no other country are the aged so well provided for as in this little country of ours," said the Hon. Mr. Rhodes, at the opening of an old people's home last week. - 'I know that there are a certain number of peonle who say that less pretentious buildings should be provided, but I don't think the bulk of the people think that, flowever, there are other buildings that I think should be acquired ; I think that we should provide institutions for thouless deserving— the wastrel, loafer, and absconding father. Though 1 this is no time, perhaps, to talk about such buildings, I hope some day that something can be done on the lines of the labour colonies in Switzerland and other Continental countries, where those who don't work for their wives, children, and the-n----sc-lves are kept until they wipe out their debt to the State. I very much hope some day to see such institutions established in New Zealand."

A traveller, who lias just returned from iPctrograd, where lie had just been since the beginning of the war, lias sent to the London correspondent of the Manchester Guardian an interesting lecfer on the present-day conditions of V,e Russian capital. Residents have not yet acquired the habit of calling St. Petersburg Petrograd, and the most sto-ik ing effects of the war thus far has been the entire disappearance of drunkenness from the streets. Deprived of their favourite spirit, some people have continued to drink themselves to death .vifli substitutes for vodka, but the old of things, when it was almost impossible for a.lady to walk abroad in the streets at night, has disappeared for good, fr'nr the rest, Petrograd still carries on "bumuess as usual." There is no lowering of lights as in Paris and London, and, though temporary military hospitals have sprung up everywhere, Petrograd is still the pleasure-loving city of Eastern Europe. The opera and the theatres go on as usual, and the former is periodically visited by the Czar and members of the Imperial Royal family. The restaurants close a little earlier than formerly, and most of the dancing clubs now shut tneir doors at three instead of at six o'clock in the morning. Everywhere there is complete confidence as to the result of the war, and, curiously enough, the British have become immensely more popu-/ lar than they were since announcement was made oj: our submarine activities in the Dardanelles. v

, "It seems to me that the problem is a very simple one," remarked Dr. R. M. Beattic, when speaking of the question of whether school study is detrimental to the health of girls, at a meeting of the' for the Health of Women and Chi''';,;-n at Auckland. "We have to face the fact that the whole civilised world is demanding a higher standard of education. The man of to-day is better educated than his brother of a generation ago, and he is going to be better educated in the future. 'lie is, then, not going to he satisfied with a mere doll or a pot scrubber for a wife. He will demand of a girl that she shall not only he able to take care of the kitchen, if necessary, but that she shall also be fit to become his companion and his associate in his studies and his interests. The girl of the future must reach a higher standard of education than the girl of to-day, and this, I maintain, can be done without in any way impairing her health." . '

The old romance about that distinguished and unfortunate soldier, fleneral Sir Hector Macdonald, whose visit to New Zealand is an event still remembered with some affection by tlie Scottish community and many veteran soldiets, has been revived and brought up to dat». Sir Hector Macdonald's death by his own hand in Paris was discredited by a great many people, and fantastic rumours of his existence in foreign parts under a new name began to reach the Homeland! Colonials, too, did their share to thicken the mystery, and a few years ago an Auckland merchant who had travelled in the interior of China told on his return that it was reported that the man who was reorganising and drilling the Chinese Army was no other than Macdonald. Later Sir Hector was credited with baring been entrusted with important military work in the service of Japan. The latest fairy tale gives him the position of Russian generalissimo, and a war cor respondent, writing from "somewhere in Kuropc,"declares that tlie famous soldier still lives and that he is at the bead of the mobilisation staff in Russia, hence the excellence of that country's army mobilisation work. Perhaps it is superfluous to explain that the correspondent represents an American publication.

The Lepperton half last night was & veritable hive of industry. In the main building a meeting of fnrmeri was held to discuss the proposed establishment of freezing works, and proved very favorable to the sehor.ie. In the supper room a meeting of young people was making arrangements for a series of 'patriotic social evenings, whilst in an ante-room adjoining the directors of the Dairy Factory were holding their usual monthly deliberation, and possibly debating as to' the hum:-, the payment of which will provid- t,!i" capital necessary for -tha Kii«"e»''!i| issue of the other two meeN nigs.

An Ani-!:laii(l telegram states that a further jidvanco in the wholesale price of standard brands of butter will ba made in Auckland to-day. Tlie rat* having been raised by the Dairy Prodiw Association from U 3>/ 4 d, last Wednescay's price, to Is 4d, the retail price will be increased from Is od to la 64 per lb. The rising tendency of local values is due to the demand for supplies by Victorian merchants. Their first purchases a weeli ago set a standard of Is 3d per lb as the value of local stocks and the consignments by the Mahono to-day amounted to about 1700 boxes, representing purchases on the basis of Is 3>/,d f.o.b.

Last Tuesday evening Mr. ,T, fi. Ellis, agricultural instructor to the Education Board, delivered a very interesting lecture to the members of the Ingieu-i od Wesley Club. The subject of the lecUiw was the educative and refining influence of horticulture. The Rev. J. Featlierston presided, and, in introducing the speaker, said that he was well known as a skilful horticulturist, and had had considerable experience as a lecturer on this and allied subjects. The speaker handled his subject as an expert, and talked entertainingly and instructively for nearly an hour. Up opened the eyes of the audience to see many beauties in the scienct and many delightful ways of studying the wonders of the garden, and at the con- • elusion of the lecture received a warm record of appreciation from his hearers. No further aetive disturbance front the new outbreak at the Waimangu geyser has been reported. .Between 1 and 2 o'clock on Friday; morning, however, tliree Maoris, who have 'been, engaged in forming a new track in tha vicinity, and who wore camped a few yards from Frying ; pan Flat, received a severe fright. They were awakened by n muffled explosion, and, ithinking that there had been another '<blow," rusfted out of their tent into the" open. Tha geyser, was not playing, however. Two further explosions, evidently from underground, increased the alarm of tht natives, but no visible phenomenon took place, and they returned to the tent, though not to sleep. The subterranean detonations ako aroused 'Guide McCormack and his wife in Waimangu House, but nothing unusual was to be see* from tbat vantage point. WlHen day* light came the geyser area appeared to be quite normal.'

To a Lyttelton Times representative on Thursday two young men tgld a tale of an octopus of extraordinaiv size, unparalleled, ferocity, and of unheard audacity. A few dajp ago, they said, while bathing at Taylor's Mistake; they ..noticed just ahead 6f them a huge creature, whose intentions, if its unattractive countenance and numerous tentacles were any guide, did not indicate' peace and goodwill, However, their' valor was considerably greater than their knowledge of octopi, and, being seekers after truth, they decided to keep a watchful eye upon it, and, if possible, lure it ashore. This laudable object met with uncompromising hostility from the octopus, which, with outspread tentacles and blood-red eyes, made savagely in the direction of the intrepid Rwimmers< It suddenly dawned upon the young men that the octopus was really making for them, and tlicv scrambled out of the water in haste. They returned with a number of friends, well armed witt sticks and fishing lines, but br that tint* their prev had sought safer quarters.

A meeting of all in. favor of t!ie Sat* urday half-holiday will be hold in the Town Hall, this evening, at 6 o'clock.