LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 275, 30 April 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

, A member of the Lower Hutt Council says that the price placed on property throughout New Zealand is 300 per cent over its real value.

A correspondent, writing from Egypt says: "Talk qf £BO per acre for Waimate Plains (Taranaki), when land here grows three crops a year and sells at t250 per acre."

Probate of the will of the late Mr. Hillyard Edward Kuilot, of New Plymouth, carpenter has, on the application of Mr. Hughes, been granted to his widow, Mrs. Eva Louisa Bullot.

Wo nre asked to state that the paddock of Mr. ISurgoss, of Warea, referred to in the agricultural inspector's report which was laid before 'the Education Hoard at its recent meeting, contained a crop of lucerne. There will shortly reach New Zealand one of the pontoons carried over the desert by the Turkish soldiers, and launched in the Suez Canal during the enemy's unsuccessful eil'ort to cross. The Minister for Defence says the ■Xelscn Company of the Expeditionary Forces captured the pontoon, and, therefore, it will be presented to that town in commemoration of their good work.

A special meeting of the New Plymouth Defence Rifle Club was hold in the Coronation Hall last night. Mr. F. J. Hill presided. Rifleman G. White moved that the members of the executive be increased to include the captain of the. club, sergeant-major, and four platoon sergeants. The, motion was carried. Rifleman White also moved that ordinary members of the club should pay a subscription of os, but the motion was lost.

The spread of noxious weeds in Taranaki was referred to in a case heard in the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday. The Inspector of Noxious AVceds (Mr. G. E. F. Cbolmeley) said that the continual change of properties was one of the principal reasons why noxious weeds were not cleared off properties throughout New Zealand, but particularly in the Taranaki district.

Until recently, the nation*),! vegetable of Belgium, chicory or witloof, has bei'i) little known in Great Britain. Since the arrival of Belgian refugees, however, large suppies of chicory, grown by Belgian cultivators, have been reaching Covent harden, anil are being retailed in the principal stores and fruit shops. Belgium may thus be the means of bringing another very useful vegetable to our notice.

Until the great crisis in Europe is passed, and the fate of the Empire is decided beyond a Bhadow of a doubt, we cannot allow pettifogging domestic affairs to occupy the attention of our Legislature. The only subject that can, in decency, be discussed is that of defence and matters that are co-rclajtcd with defence, such as finance and taxation. Every other matter must stand over until the clouds that obscure the natioiul horizon have passed away.—Wairarapa Age. At the annual meeting of the Tnranald District Law Society held on Wednesday evening, the following offieeis were elected for the coining year.-—Pre-sident, Mr. David llutchcn; vice-presi-dent, Mr. David Syme (Eltham); treasurer, Mr. A. R. Standish (re-ele'.'.cd.; auditor, Mr. B. H. Quilliam (rs-sleet-ed) ; council, Messrs. Roy, Johnswi'.it, E. E. Wilson and If. R. Billing. Representative on the Xeiv Xcalan '. Law Society, Mr. T. Shailer Weston, of Wellington. At the Crown Lands Ollice on Wednesday, an auction sale was held, when several areas in the Oniona, and Waitara survey districts were submitted by the Commissioner (Mr. G. H. Billiard). The following are particulars of the sales effected:—Sections 13 and 18, Block XI.. Omona S.D., 28 acres, Win. H. Sproitll, of Omoana,' £(U; Sections 14, 15 nn.d 10, Block XL, 77 acres, Scott Bros, £179; Section 14, Block XL, Waitara S.D., 22 acres, Ernest H. Gibson, of Urunui, £SO. There was a fair attendance of the public.

An accident of a curious nature occured to a Wellington theatrical pressman! on Monday night. - He was just retiring to rest, and on giving a comforting anticipatory yawn he managed to dislocate liis jaw. lie was not seriously concerned (it the moment, but failing to return the jaw to its place, he had to re-dress and repair to a doctor for treatment. A long and painstaking attention was. equally futile, and ultimately a second doctor was summoned and 'the patient plated' under chloroform. Then, with difiieultv the two practitioners managed to relock the displaced jaw. Mr. Ceorge Hunter, M.P., is at present in Wellington, where he will be engaged throughout this week in drawing up the report of the Racing Commission, which has to be presented at the end of this week. Mr. Hunter, speaking to a Dannevirke News reporter, said that although the work of the Commission had kc;it him busily engaged ho had found it of great use to him as a member of Parliament. He had now traversed Now Zealand from end to end and had a personal insight into the needs of the Country. The Commission had covered 10,000 mile's, the average travelling distance being 11(1 miles a day. Speaking of lucerne to some visiting farmers recently the manager of the Moumohaki State Farm, Mr. T. W. Lonsdale, urged his hearers not to be discouraged if their lucerne crops do not appear good the first season. Probably the following year they would have an excellent crop when the plants were established. The crop the farmers were inspecting ,:t the Farm was not a particlarly good one to look at, as although no weeds had been allowed to go to seed near it practically every weed possible had come up. These had been grazed down with slusep and the ground thoroughly harrowed, and next year there would probably be an excellent lucerne crop. The crop, it might be mentioned, was planted in soil that had been assisted with 2cwt. of inoculated soil to the acre.

The editor of the Gentlewoman lias let a London correspondent have a copy of what is believed to be Queen Elizabeth of Belgium's first autograph letter to the Press. It will be noticed that :i is written f.'om the headquarters of the Belgian army, and is a message of thanks to the woman of England: - "Grand Quartier General de L'Armee, Beige, February 15, 1015. My message to the women of England is one of admiration for their calm fortitude, and ef gratitude for all they have done towards ameliorating the suffering which Belgium has been called upon to bear. Through our own trials our hearts are knit to those who also have given nobly of their dearest and best to help keep bright the lamp of civilisation. 1 ask God's blessing on the women of England for all they have borne and done, and pray that peace will 'soon dawn—ELIZABETH."

A telegram from Suva in the Sydney 'Daily Telegraph' last week says': Five hundred New Zealanders passed through Suva/recently under the charge »f Colonel Fulton. On departing from Apia they received an address from Colonel Logan, who is Acting Administrator of the island. It was not altogether complimentary, and the men resented it bitterly. It appears that one evening some men broke into one of»the hotels at Apia, and disappeared with some bottles. Whether Colonel Logan had. this in his mind is not made clear. Some of the men, he is alleged to have said, were malingerers, and had not dojic their part. If they were given a public reception, he declared, these men should not look up like soldiers. They should march with, their heads down.

A commercial man representing a big English house states that owing to their inability to cope with the conditions imposed by the war, several English firms deveted to the manufacture of soft goods were withdrawing trom the New Zealand trade, temporarily ut all events. All manufacturers of the heavier cloths, tweeds, blankets, etc., were having large demands made on their output in the Old Country, and owing to the extraordinary high price of wool, the difficulties of transport, high freights, etc., they were finding the oversea trade difficult to supply on a reasonably payable basis, and so were for the time being dropping out. The range of samples of tweeds for next summer was limited, and owing to the inability of manufacturers to secure aniline dyes, for which England depended on Germany, the fashion for bright colours now prevailing was not likely to be maintained during the coming season. The many family bereavements, too, in the Old Country were likely to have an effect on the fashions, an'd the neat, serviceable black and white checks and mixtures, and greys are likely to come into favour. On account of the dilliculty in securing fibre, the price of linen has already advanced 50 per cent., and before the end of the year .is likely to be even dearer.

The oppressive heat in which operations are being conducted in German South-West Africa (writes "Anglo-South African") may be gauged when it is stated that on March 10 137 degrees wcro registered at Lunderitzbucht. By correspondents at the front, Garub is named "Hell from Hell." One warrior who was baked in Egypt and stewed in Borneo give,-: it as his, opinion that March 4> and 10 were like "hell with the lid off." Router's correspondent describes the hot winds as scorching the eyelashes until they curl and pierce the lids tliat hold them. The blasts are as the blasts from the infernal regions.

A Masterton resident is in receipt of a letter from a relative in Australia, who tells a story of German brutality toward British prisoners. A son of the writer of the letter was on active service, and . had not been heard' of for some time. At length he wrote from Germany, stating that he was a prisoner of war, and that he was being treated handsomely. In conclusion he said: "As you hwve not heard from me for some time, you should take the stamp from this 'letter and place* it in* your album." The. stamp was removed, and beneath it was writ- / ten, so as to escape the German censor, these words: "The German brutes have cut off both my legs.!'

Temperance matters were discussed at the Inst meeting of the Women Christian Temperance Union in Xciv Plymouth. It was mentioned that national prohibition had been brought before the United States Congress. One hundred and ninety-seven votes were cast for the amendment, and one hundred and eighty-nine against, giving a majority of eight, which is not suflicient to carry the measure. The .population of the United States is ill,.072,000; of thin population over forty-eight millions live in prohibited territory. Eighty per:cent of the area of the United States is under prohibition.

Inquiries from Australia for New Zealand butter have not been so active during the past week, and it is considered in tin- t'lido that the shortage in the Commonwealth, may have been made good. By the Maheno from (Auckland last week, 1000 boxes were shipped, and 2200 boxes were taken on Monday by' the Riverina for Victoria and South and West Australia. This left a total of 13,800 boxes in cool storage at the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company's works. The bulk of the recent export* to Australia are stated to have been sold itt from l s 2d to Is 2y s d per lb, but the local wholesale rate is still ls 4d»per lb.

"This is the sort of thing we are up against in this frozen meat export business," said tlie Prime Minister to a reporter yesterday. "Information haa reached mo to-day that the Indrabarah arrived; in London on February 6, and completed her discharge of March 30. Tlie vessel took over six weeks to discharge! Uiider. ordinary circumstances, with the appliances available at an •English port the work would have been dona in six days. The consequence is that the Indrabarah goes back a month in ' her sailing time from here, and the ' same things seems to be happening all round."

The o; enilig shoot of the Manaia. Gun; Club came off very successfully on Wednesday. As a preliminary a'os sweepstake was shot off between the competitors, and was divided between Messrs. Whittle and Harrison, with a possible of seven birds each. Mr. Whittle, of Stratford, took first prize with a possible of fifteen birds, the last thirteen of which were obtained with the first barrel. Messrs. I.inoham (Midhirst) U heeler (Kltham), and Marsh (To Roti)' tied for the second prize of £lO and agreed to divide, taking £3 eaeli. 'They then shot off for the remaining £l, which was won by Mr.» Lineham.

The newly elected Mayor of Stratford, Mr. J. W. Boon, has lost no time iu tackling tlie lighting question. He proposes that the Borough Council take over the Diesel engine and all plant and f appliances that are'suitable for a standardised plant, as recommended by .the council's adviser, and also all materials which are not suitable, but which are useful to the council at their commercial value, after allowing for dismantling, the priii' to he paid to be decided by arbitration. If the arbitrators cannot agree, then the council should take the necessary steps to have a new plant ready for generating its own current and lighting the town at the expiry of the concession. .'That means the present council will be asked to bring down a scheme for the sanction of a loan hy the ratepayers..

Any little diversion was welcomed by the crowd assembled at the Borough. Council Chambers at Hawera during the long and dreary wait for the result of the council election. A local wag. held the lloor for a while in an 'endeavor to sell a twoshilling piece on behalf of the Belgian Fund. The re-. suit was not very successful, however, although he ultimately succeeded in! collecting about IDs. Just at this stage, however, Mr. Osborne came on the scene, and, for the lack of something better, proceeded to dispose of a .me pound Commonwealth bank note. Hiddiug was brisk, and before the note was dually disposed of to Mr. Bone for thirty shillings the Belgian Fund must have benefited by upwards of £2o.—i vStar.

A branch of the railway section of the National Reserve of New Zealand lias been formed in New Plymouth. .Such reserve is the outcome of an idea of forming'a reserve of railway men so as to control properly the railway system, and, if necessity should arise, to assist in the protection of New Zealand. The reserve is purely voluntary, and it affords railway servants who are not Territorials an opportunity to assist in the defence of their country. The meeting was addressed by liVs<ra. E. !A. Dawson (officers' Institute), W. Wiles. (Engine-drivers' Union), and U. T. O'Laughlin (Amalgamated .Societv of Railway Servants), after which the'.'ormation of a branch was decided lyc.n. Mr. S. G. Smith was appointed chairman, ami Mr. E. ,T. Gardiner secroiavy of the local branch.