LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 267, 21 April 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The National Reserve movement is proving a decided success in Patea. Failure to destroy rabbits rece;i< ly cost a Kaikoura runholder £ls and 16s costs. It is stated that a settler in the Ekctahuna district this season netted £SOO from his oat crop. The New Plymouth Tire Brigade wish to thank Messrs. Jackson and Paul for a donation of 10s to the funds. The New Plymouth Citizens' Band will give an open-air concert at Inglewood nf,tt Sunday afternoon, in aid of the Belgian fund. Mr. A. M. Myers, M.P., declared to a meeting at Auckland that not only "business as usual," but "sport as usual" should be kept; going during war time, to fortify the spirits of tho nation and keep the young men fit. On the motion of Mr. A. R. Standish, before his Honor Mr. Justice Cooper, probate of the will of Catherine Martin, of Jnglewood, deceased, was on the 14th inst. granted by the Supreme Court to the executors named in the will. The Japanese Trade Commissioners who are touring Australasia in the interests of Japanese trade, visited Christchurch last week-end. After spending some days in Auckland they will leave on tho 27th inst. for Sydney by the Riverina.

Commenting on the cost of feeding horses, a well-known New Plymouth stable proprietor informed a News representative that he had just purchased some Canterbury chaff at £9 5s per ton, nearly double what it cost him this time last year.

The Medaille Militaire is the highest decoration in the French army, and carries a pension of £4 a year, for life. Britain's Victoria Cross carries a pension of £lO per annum for all non-coins, and privates. Commissioned officers get no monetary reward with the Cross.

As a sequel to the Taupiri colliwy disaster, in which over forty miners lost their lives, some twenty writs have been issued against the Taupiri Coal Mines, Ltd., on behalf of relatives and dependants of the deceased miners, claiming compensation of the deceased up to £ISOO.

Those who do not succeed in business are the ones who have no faith in newspaper advertising. Such advertising must be judicious, and if backed up by the goods pays and pays well. Undisputed local evidence—remember, evidence at your very door—can be given you of the power of newspaper advertising to increase business.

What was considered to be rather a curiosity in the way of patriotism was witnessed in Dunedin during the p'ist wook. A vehicle passed along a :ua : n thoroughfare decorated with two \vav!i'.u Uritish ensigns, which apparently served the purpose of an "introductory" advcii kement for the man in charif!, .vho was disposing of sewing machines of German manufacture.

The prison population of Great Britain, which numbers 011 an average abojt .'15,(1(10, displays a great (leal of interest in the war. In most prisons the chaplain, after the morning service on Simday, gives a brief account of the work of the army and navy. The authorities state that since the war the prisoners have worked with a will at making ro.il sacks for the navy, kitbags for the army and various other articles of the kind.

Tlie Empire Picture Company "April" Belgian night takes place next Friday evening in the Empire Theatre, where a grand moving picture programme will be presented. The total receipts go to tiie Belgian Fund.

Since the opening of tho rabbit season last Thursday, sfcatas tlio- Mhtaura Ensign, a bony tiino' has.been: esperionced at the Mataura Freezing Works. On (he first day 10,000 wire received, while on Saturday and Monday large consignments camo' in, something lileo 20,000' being handled' by tho packers each day. > The rabbits are in splendid condition. Rabbitters should make good eheqi this season, as the high price of 81d. licr pair is. being paii'd' at the works.

A Sydney baker was charged with a breach of tile Bread Act. It was stated that the inspector visited defendants premises and found that 308 21b. loaves gave a total deficiency in weight of ,"00 oz., and 1 that, aevan 4db> lbaives, were deficient in weight by ICoz. The balwr pleaded guilty, and was ordered to pay lines totalling £7!) 15s, with IC3 coßts. The option was two months' gaol. Tho magistrate ordered the bread sei:w.l to be distributed; among local chariii. s. The cathedral of Mete, which, according to report, is being mined for possiUq' destruction, is a fine example of mediaeval dlureh-buiildittg. Jt was commenced in the thirteenth century, and is notable for its size and architectural lightness and grace. The spire is a conspicuous object of the city and ia over 300 ft high; and tho features of the interior which attract most notice are the large pointed windows, slender columns and many paintings. Metz is a very old city, and its general appearance is still quaint and irregular, although tlie:e are many 'well-built modern streets. | At a meeting of the' Egmont Box Company, held on Monday, some discussion took place in regard to the large amount of dairy produce now waiting shipment, and at the close of the meeting an informal meeting of representatives of the National Dairy Association was held, when it was decided to send a ieputation, consisting of Messrs. Morton, Forsyth and Murdoch, to interview the Prime Minister, to see whether the shipment of produce could be hastened in any way. Considerable interest is being aroused in the half-holiday question in New Plymouth, and the advocates of Thursday and Saturday are organising their campaigns. Yesterday the Thursday men's delegates obtained about DO signatures of business people to a requisition for the retention of Thursday and some £2O or £3O was contributed to the fighting fund. A publicity campaign is to be waged, showing the disadvantages of the Saturday half-holiday as far as New Plymouth ia concerned.

At the monthly meeting of the Taranaki Jockey Club last night a series oi photographs of the course and surroundings, and of views secured from the club's proporeyt, was shown. The series included, some splendid panoramic views, and the members decided to have them published iu some of the principal illustrated papers. These views should be quite a useful addition, to the publicity campaign now being devoted to the popularising of New Plymouth's scenic assets.

The sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday was presided over by Mr. A. Crookc, S.M. Judgment for plaintiff in default was given in the following cases: —Goldwater Bros. (Mr. D. Hutchen) v. Walter Little, £lO2 18s Id ( £5 lis); Taranaki County Council (Mr. R. H. Quilliam) v. Elizabeth Henrickson, costs 14s; Wliitaker and Son (Mr. R. C. Hughes) v. Percy Donald Henderson, £3 10s 8d (lis); Little and Co. (Mr. Geo. Grey) v. John Nicholas Xielson, £24 oh 5d (£3); Vcitch and Allen (Mr. Geo. Grey) v. Fred. Simons Cory, £5 12s Cd (£1 5s 6d).

Mr. Stibbs, of King and Stibbs, has shown specimens of blackberry that have been treated with the blight cure to the Eltham Argus. One stem of the blackberry shows signs where the blight lias just commenced to attack it, the other stem is a specimen of the finished article, and is withered and dry as a thip. All that is necessary is to plant an infected blackberry plant in a blackberry area and the disease immediately begins to spread. Good work in thus tsradicating the blaokborry is being done in Inglewood and Mldhlist districts.

Mr. John Heslop landed at Port Said on February 20 at 11 a.m. He went out to the Now Zealand camp at Zcitoun next day, and saw the New Zealanders. They were all looking re-; markably well, and as hard and as fit for anything. All the men were keen to go to the front. Mr. Heslop saw many Eltham boys among the number, and lie declares: "They gave me a right royal welcome." On the following Sunday, accompanied by Dr. and Mrs. Home, Mr. Heslop visited the Pyramids. There are wonderful caves in the Pyramids, Mr. Heslop remarked, and they are all filled with marvels of Egyptian art

A shipment of 5100 boxes of butter for Vancouver was loaded by the R.M.S. Makura, which sailed from Auckland yesterday. This brings the total export for the season from Auckland up to 412,403 boxes, as against 387,301 boxes last season. The season thus shows an increase of 6% per cent. The shipments to Canada show a decrease from 131,596 boxes to 71,302 boxes, but this is more than counter-balanced by the increase in the shipments to London. These total 331,146 boxes, as against 245,937 boxes in 1913-14. The value of the Makura's consignment is about £1(1,660, making the season's total £1,283,441. About 1000 boxes of butter will be "shipped shortly to Sydney by the Maheno, to the order of Melbourne merchants. There is at present a deficiency in Victoria and New South Wales, and further shipments to Australia are anticipated.

(.'logo renders of the American press are not surprised at Germany's increasing dislike for the United States. Current Opinion gives the following summary of comments on Germany's declaration of a blockade of Britain: —"The Rochester Post-Express speaks of -HutAir Blockades.' The Chicago Tribune sees an attempt at 'practical blockade by intimidation.' The proposed use of fear gives currency to the term 'psychological blockade.' The Philadelphia Ledger and many other journals call it a 'paper blockade,' which international Uw does not recognise. The New York Tribune describes it as a 'Threat of Lynch Law Against Neutral Shipping.' IV New York livening Sun characterises it as 'A New Zone of Horror.' The New York Evening Post refuses to get exited over the order on the ground that it in three-quarters bluff, and it says ; 'That a few roving submarines can destroy the sea power of a country that itself has twice as many submarines as the Gorman navy possesses it is preposterous to imagine.' None the less so many 'inconceivable' tilings have been happening every week of the war that the Charleston News and Courier sees only one safeguard against our embroilment in the contest, namely, that neither side is seeking new enemies. The New York World declares that 'the Berlin proclamation makes neutrality almost as hazardous as belligerency, and that is a doctrine that neither this country nor uny other neutral nation can accept.' "