LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 270, 24 April 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sum of £242 per foot was paid last week for a business site in Hastings.

Mr. John Franklin, of South Oamaru, has grown a potato 27 by 13 inches in girth, which weighs 31b 4ijoz.

The output of bricks at Wanganui is said to have decreased by from 25 to 30 per cent, since the outbreak of war.

It will be seen, on reference to the local mail notice in another column, that a 'Frisco mail will be despatched next Wednesday.

The East End Fire, Brigade Station is to be transferred to Fitzroy. Plans for the work have been drawn up, and tenders are now being called.

Clients of the News are asked to address correspondence to the manager or editor, and not to individual members of the staff.

A Wellington telegram states that Burns, Philp & Co., Ltd., the important Australian shipping firm, is about to establish a branch in New Zealand.

The Waverley branch of the Farmers' Union recommends that land adjoining the Moiimahaki State Farm be purchased for the. purpose of extending the farm operations.

The public bowling green on the recreation ground at Petone is now under construction, and tennis 'and croquet lawns ate also.to be put in hand by the Pftonc '\mncil at an early date.

in 181-S5 Denmark had 2.">0 dairy societies with a turnover of £400,0(10, whereas in 1012 <there were 3,050 societies with a turnover of £28,000,000. In 1013 the factories owned by the societies slaughtered 1,807,000 hogs.

On the application of Mr. H, K. Billing (Weston and Weston), probate of the will of Mr. T. H. Taylor, late of Okau, deceased, was granted on the 15th instant by Mr. Justice Cooper to the executor named in the will.

The race for the sculling championship of New Zealand between W. Webb and P Hannan, on the Wanganui River, will take place in September. Webb has covered Hannan's deposit of £IOO, and articles prepared in Wanganui have been forwarded for signature.

A big( deal in potatoes took place here the other day, says the Hunterville JCxprcss. A Paraekaretu grower sold the whole of his crop—4oo tons—at £4 10s a ton. The payability of potato growing may be appreciated when it'is stated that the crop returned over £6O an acre.

The Oamaru Mail states that Mi\ WilKdfii Belcher, of Dunedin, once candidate for the mayoralty of Dunedin and exchairman of the Otago Harbor Board, has been called upon to resign his appointment as a J.P. by the Minister for Justice, and has accordingly tendered his resignation.

The Belgian Relief Fund will benefit to the extent of £7 15s Cd as a' result of the entertainment at the Empire Theatre last night. The ticket sales were: 132 at Is, 30 at 6d, 4s after cash, and Is fid donated by a lady who could not attend but wished to assist to swell the gross receipts.

At a meeting of the Palmerston North Borough Council it was decided to authorise the Mayor to accept the offer of the Public Trustee to advance £70,000 for the purchase of gasworks, and that the company be requested to allow its books to be inspected and also the works and to ascertain approximately the amount to be paid on taking over.

The rates of pay for warrant officers and non-commissioned officers of the New Zealand Permanent Staff have been increased as follow:—Warrant officers from £2OO to £225 per annum; n.c.o's on first appointment, from £l6O to £190; n.c.o's on completion of three years' service, from £ISO to £210; and n.c.o's on completion of five vears' service, from £2OO to £225.

A third motor bus of the char-a-banc typo was in commission on the New Ply-nioiith-Opunake Road yesterday. The machine is of a powerful type, the body of the "tier" style with accommodation for over twenty passengers. It is understood the Motor Transport Company intends to considerably improve this service and extend its operations in other directions.

In reply to a telegram sent by the New Plymouth Employers' Asjoeiation, the Auckland Association telegraphed yesterday:—"After two yea's' trial, nine-tenths of Karangahape Road shoplcetpers have proved Saturday half iiolidi.y absolute: failure and will leave no stone unturned to get mid-week holiday restored. Have formed dsf ;uc • league to alter Act by legislation."

"If the Archangel Gabriel were to appear among us, the first thing some church peopde would say is not how charming were, his wings, but that he was moulting in some direction or another," said the Archbishop of Birmingham the other day at a church extension meeting. The bishop complained of the numerous critics of the church, and added: "What we want are people who will back up the church rather than criticise it."

The interest in the Stratford mayoralty election is increasing. Mr. ,1. W. Boon, one of the aspirants, will address the ratepayers on Tuesday evening in the Town Hall on municipal matters.

Art lovers will be interested in next Tuesday's opportunity to purchase a large and reputedly old steel engraving ef the famous picture, "Punch," by Thomas Webster, R.A. The picture will be offered for sale by Messrs Nolan & Co., at Mr. J. Staples' sale of household effects.

For Influenza Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Never fails. I/6, a/6

He did not want reprisals. But lie could not forget that not a single nian-o'-war's man was interned in Germanv, though the Germans could have picked up several of our sailors from the warships that had been sunk by them. That fact afforded an illustration of the remorseless hatred which the' Germans had for us. Why, then, was the captain of tlie Blucher buried with full military honors—one of those men who had murdered hundreds of our women and children';— Lord Charles Bcresford.

Mr. G. H. Saunders writes thanking the Daily News for free advertising in connection with the Belgian benefit at the Empire Theatre, also for the same concession on each previous occasion the company has assisted the fund. H states that'all other expenses arc borne by the management, the News advertisement being the only gratuitous assistance received, with the exception of a very fine programme of music contributed on the balcony by the New Plymouth Citizens' Band.

Another fire has been caused in New Plymouth through a child playing with matches. A few days ago Mr. Thomas V. Simons, a sawmiller at A r ogeltown, lost by fire a stack of oats, 56 sacks of chaff, and a waggon, of a total value of £221, and inquiries made, by the police showed that a boy seven years of ago had 'been playing with matches, in the vicinity of. the stack of produce, and some, of the matches, accidentally thrown by the child, had set the stack alight.

A patriotic flag, presented by Mr. A. 0. Considine, waa offered at auction at Martinborough by Mr 0. C. Cooper, auctioneer for Messrs Abraham & Williams, on Thursday evening, and realised the magnificent sum of £2421), which is )x lievod to be a record. There were ten bids of £IOO each, and the flag w.is finally secured by Mr. W. J. Martin, -.vlio paid £2OO for the privilege. The flag was presented by the purchaser to the local school. The sum realised will be a welcome addition to the Belgian Relief Fund. ,

"The Double Life" (based upon Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde") will be the Rev. A. B. Chappell's sermon theme at Whitelcy Memorial Church tomorrow evening. Once a month Mr. Chappell will deal with "The ilospcl according to the Novelists," taking some remarkable \vork3 if fiction in illustration of Scriptural truth. To-morrow evening's sermon will begin the series. Balzac's "The Wild Ass's Skin" is already announced as the second of the series. The anthem to-morrow evening 'will be Arthur Pearson's "'How Calmly the Evening."

It is stated that few alterations of moment have taken place on White Island since the "blow-out" there in September last ; when eleven men lost their lives, nor has anything transpired which throws further light upon the disaster. Little trace, remains, however, of the former activities of the White island Sulphur Company. The island has quietened down considerably since last visited, and the crater can be approached without danger. A small stream is again running down the old channel, the water being cold but heavily impregnated with minerals, and a few hot springs have appeared which were not noticed before.'

Exactly how mu?h New Ply.ncol.li has provided to the Polgians by patronising the PlimmeT-Hall theatrical company will never he known, for it lias been arranged that the takings vl every (own will he placed together and when the. expenses of the tour hav-; iKvn deducted the balance will be ii.nd-'.J over to the Belgian Fund, The pv.-.fvis, if any, of the, New 'Plymouth pe .'romance, with the amount realised by the aufction, will be put in the general tour fund, hut the 23s lonatcd by fio front-of-the-house staff of the Thcat'e Royal has been placed in the New TMjM.uth fund.

■ A Wellington resident has received a letter from an officer on duty in the North Sea, relating an incident which meant the disappearance from the seas of two German submarines:—"Our navy men mention that they fell'in with a 'ncuhal' trawler full of oil, the crew of which confessed they were oil-feeding the German submarines. They were replaced by a British crew with guns, and off they went to the rendezvous. There two German submarines turned up, one after the oilier, and both were sunk. A day or two later the German papers expressed some anxiety uvcr the non-return of two of their submarines''

A meeting of those in favor of Saturday closing was held at the Town Hall last night. Referring to the manifesto of the Thursday half-holiday committee, it was pointed out that forty of those who signed were persons who would be exempt from Saturday closing if Saturday were carried. Reports were received from sub-committees and others, indicating that a big vote would be recorded for Saturday, and that New Plymouth would be with Waitara in deciding for that day; The secretary reported that subscriptions to the fund were coming in freely, and upon his going round to those in the room a large additional sum was subscribed. Steps to ensure a good vote were taken.

For (lie week just closing, writes a Londo;-. ••orrcspondent on March 5, there has bee;: i very brisk enquiry for New Zealand letter at prices ranging from 132s to Kills for best salted. ' Unsalted, which was scarce, was selling at a premium of from 2s to 4s per cwt., and old was quoted at from (34s up to, ]3S.j. Messrs Weddel reported that practically all the butter brought by the Mamari and Kia Ora was out of first hands, and buyers were awaiting the Waiwcra and Somerset, the Wliakatane and the Remuera. These vessels had on board a total of !)!),()()() boxes. The cheese market was very firm, and prices wort; about 4s per cwt. dearer. The strength of this market was due chiefly to the Government buying, and there was little or no accumulation of stocks, either in London, Liverpool, or Bristol. New Zealand cheese was in strong demand.

AVriting to a relative in New Plymouth, an officer in charge of one of the Indian regiments says he went into the fight at Ypres with nearly 1100 men. When the roll was called after the great German attack that was to open the road to Calais was beaten, only 37 answered the roll call! The, rest were killed or wounded —mostly killed. The officer, who was slightly injured, is now in India engaged in filling up big gaps in his regiment. This gives an idea of the terrific nature of the iigthing. The German losses, he adds, were appalling, hundreds and thousands of the slain covering the ground for from 300 to 500 yards in front of the British Ircnehes. He adds that never in the annals of Britain had her soldiers to fight against such odds, and fight successfully. But for their heroic stand against ten times their number the channel towns of France, would have, been in the occupation of the kultured nuns.

Come and see the glorious display of Chrysanthemums and other flowers arranged by the Horticultural Society ;n the Good Templer's Hall on Thursady, April 29. Entries are invited for the decorated tables, to be judged by public vote.

Clicoao-makmg » evidently a luerative business at the present says the Cambridge correspondent of the Auckland Star). If the whole of the profit made by the Brimtwood Cheese Company, which only started operations last season, had been devoted tn paying for the plant, it would have defrayed.'the coif;, with something substantial still in t'.e company a hands.

"Your King and Country Want You," by Paul Reubens, i. undoubtedly the best of the scores of patriotic soanwuS' have recently been publ")„d TmmS enthusiasm has been around bv M«I Alyce Austin (the youn« Mnirer whol* accompanying Mr. Joseph BlaseherO/ «» his farewell four of tho'lJomlnS wh* her rendering of this stirrine militanr son g. It is called a "ladies' recruiting song."' and throughout London and the Knglish provinces Madame Clara Butt and many other famous Knglish singers. have been the means of enrolling many young men in "Kitchener's Army." The proceeds of the sale of "Your King and Country Want You" are entirely devoted to the Queen Mary's Fund.

A successful business firm, in referring to the subject of newspaper advertising, writes aa follows:—"When'we started advertising we put just 4s into an advertisement, and got 8s back, A week later we put Ss into a larg-r advertisement and got 14s. We kept on doubling our money, and in a few weeks, without putting in any additional capital, wr had a good profitable business. We were both earning good salaries at tintime, and the only reason we did not use more money in starting the business was because wo did not need it. If we had put our original capital into th« bank it would now aniDunt to about ss. By putting it into newspaper advertising and doubling it just a few times, we have converted it into thousands of pounds." Advertising in the columns of the daily newspaper is to-day undoubtedly the foundation of a, successful business, and the daily paper that reaches the people of Taranaki is the Daily News.

A very interesting letter from Scotland has been received by a well-known Rangitikti resident, concerning the prices being paid for ...tock, and, as the writer says, farmers in New Zealand will he able to compare the prices received in Ayrshire and the Dominion, Farm products are certainly on the up-grade-in the. land of the heather, and the writer said that lie would not be at all surprised to see mutton advance to ltf per lb., and beef about 58s in May. At the time of writing (January) beef, livevc.ight, was selling at 40s to* 51s per cwt. and it was, he said, remarkable that young prime bulls .-.ere touching.4ss. Kven old sheep, black-faced wethers,, were realising from 20s-to i.in, and betler ones were going over lifls ; best greyfaced were bringing from 40s to 455, and poorer sorts from 30s to 40s.- Whitefaced were selling well, uml were rea'is*"S Mg prices, varying from 'oris to filfc>. Fodder had gone up from C.' to £3 per ton since the war broke j<it. mid turnips were scarce. Good farm horses were bringing about' £BO.

A reminder is given of the auction sale of the late Thomas Braih's property to be held at Mr. Newtjn King's mart on Saturday. .This .property !s well known and should attract considerable attention from investors, .Thesituation and surroundings, with good care, would he unsurpassed in the district. At the same time there will also be offered a sice residential property situated on the Carrihgton Road between Courtney and Powderlmm Streets. This situation is admitted to> he ideal, and the house is built well up on the hill, and affords a splendid' view.