LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 June 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Karawa failed to cross the bir last night l and the trip-has been abandoned. Yesterday was the centenary of the Battle of Waterloo, which resulted in the freedom of Britain being assured. English and American mails, via S.ui Francisco, will arrive here on Monday night, "21st inst. A ballot took place yesterday at C'hristchurch for sections in the '(lionmark Estate, 77!) out of 1021 applicants going to the ballot. With one exception the whole of the successful appli cants were South Island residents. There wen 1 I sections varying in extent from HO7 acres to 140 acres, the half-yearly rents ranging from .CGI 14s to JCilO. A deputation from the Methodist Church of New Zealand waited on tie! Hon. James Allen yesterday, and expressed pleasure at the appointment of the Rev. Dutton as one of the chaplains on the hospital ship, and thanked the Minister for the recognition thus given to the claims of the non-Episcopalean churches. - Mr. W. Smith, curator of the Recreation Grounds, states that for some time past the water-fowl on the lakes have been molested at nights. During the past week or two no less than four ducks have been found with broken legs and broken backs, presumably the work of some vile pot-hunter. It is to lv hoped the miscreant responsible for firs contemptible form of outrage will !>c caught. A special general meeting"of the Taranaki Agricultural Society was convened for last night in order to discuss tie; advisability of abandoning the Autumn Show, but, owing to the inclemency of the weather, there was only an attendance of twenty. It was decided to adjourn the meeting until Saturday next at 2 p.m. As the latter hour should suit country people, there .should be a large attendance to discuss a matter of such' vital import to the society. The members of the local branch of the Victoria League are interesting themselves in providing warm slippers for our men while aboard the transports proceeding to the front. We understand that Mr. ITal Goodaere, of the Egmont Boot Factory Co., has offered to cut the uppers and stamp out the soles for the slippers free of charge, and that the Taranaki master tailors have promised to provide gratis all the cloth pieces available, for upper-material. The annual general meeting of the Taranaki Dairying and Farming Industrial Union of Employers was hod at Stratford on Thursday, Mr. Dingle presided over n representative gathering of members. The whole of the business was taken in committee, and was, therefore, not available to the press. The retiring members of the executive, Messrs Dingle, Morton, and Kichards were re-elected.

For the first time for fourteen years a fine display of the Aurora Australis, or Polar Light, was witnessed from all parts of Taranaki on Thursday night. On the horizon and up towards the zenith, away to the westward, there was a lovely intermittent glow of orange air! green, while immediately to the southward great streamers, changing from ex quite pink to glowing blood-red, shot up from the horizon to the zenith. The number of Bank of New Zealand men who have gone to tlie front or arc in training now totals 104. To colonial oflk-ers half-pay is being allowed, and they receive in addition their military pay. To the London 111611 the bank is allowing full pay, as tiicir military pay is on a'lower scale. Many of the London banks arc allowing full pay to those ef their staff on active service. The chairman. in his annual report, says:—"To enable us to set free still more men, it has now been decided to engage a limited number of women clerks, whose ser-, vices, it) is considered, can be satisfactorily utilised in certain departments of our work. As these clerks are gradually introduced we shall bo able to liberate more men for military service." The Defence authorities are determined to have nothing to do with men on whose record there is a conviction for theft, stated Senior Sergeant llutledge, ill the. Auckland Magistrate's Court, when a suggestion was made that a young man who had committed a petty theft while he was drunk might be permitted the chance of enlisting. Mr. F. V. Fraser, S.M., commented that though some of these men had no doubt pulled themselves together and done well, it was a wise stop not. to take men with records for theft or vagrancy, as such men might not only steal from their mates, but they would probably also give their regiment a bad name by looting when they got into the enemy's country. Mr. F. T. Bcllringer lias received a letter from Mr. E. Smith, secretary of the Pioyal Humane Society of New Zealand stating: "I do not think it will be necessary for me to remind you of the irood work our society is doing in the way of recognising acts of courage and bravery in all parts of (he Empire under our jurisdiction. But I would like you (a remind our sympathisers that the whole work is being carried out by voluntary contributions, and as the calls upon the society have been numerous during the past year in (he way of awarding nie.lals, eerlitieat.es, etc., pray use your best endeavors to help us in this direction. No doubt many of your influential an •' prominent cii.ir.ens would lie pleased, to help (his good cause, and possibly a little kindly persuasion on your part would materially assist- us in carrvi-ig out a work (lint we litul is so sympathetically appreciated throughout (he Dominion." The Defence authorities slate (hat Unbalance of the 100 nurses reipiii'.-d for serviie iii (lie military hospitals in ICgypt and Alalia will leave New Zealand in (lie hospital ship towards 'i;e end of this month. There arc altogether HO nurses yet fo be sent. Many hundreds have ii). plied to go, and from (hem the selection will be made. About eight or fen will be required for sen ice on the hospital shin. When all (he present requiremi lit - a'e lilli i|. \evv Zealand will ha\ e !7 0 mii (■■■ on duty at the fionl. Thai eels migrate to (lie sea is a wellknown fact, and the curator of I'ukckura Pnrk has noticed -several large eels going over the outlet of the lower lake for Some (sine past. Tt has not yet li ; 'eu scieutHirally ju'nved how eels reproduce (heir kind. The generally accept .-il theory is that the mature eels go to sea. for that purpose. Whether this is se or otherwise, it is well known that during the months of September, ami Uriel"-!- very large numbers of iinv eels may be --cell at. the mouths of our rivers making up siream. These tiny creatures are about an inch long when first seen, but rapidly develop tu two -inches. Any student of natural history may see this phenomena by keeping a sharp look out along the. sandy beaches of the mouths of our rivers during tlje

The thirteenth annual meeting of the Taranaki Master Tailors' Association wns held at Stratford Tliursday, the 17th inst. There wan a, splemljd attendance, all the town in tha following ollicent wore appointed for thj ensuing year : President, Mr. H. Coeker; vice-presidents, Messrs Bcsby, Roberts, Ktubbs, Kobb, Hoffman, Southam and Currie; committee, Messrs Begby, Forbes and Pearce. We are in receipt of the following from the Under-Secretary of the Department of Internal Ati'airs:—"l have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 2nd inst., enclosing a ehei[ue for ,t51)7 li)s lid, being amount collected through the medium of your paper, in aid of the New Zealand Hospital Ship Fund, and am directed to convey appreciation of this generous response to 11 is ICxeellency's appeal. If; is gratifying to know that Taranaki has in all raised something over £3009 for this fund. The people of the district are indeed to be congratulated." At the meeting of the Municipal Association at Wellington no action w»a taken with regard to r request from New Plymouth to exclude borough councils from 5 o'clock closing under the Shops and Offices Act. Two and elevenpence will buy a child's well-made pyjama combination sleeping suit at the Melbourne, Ltd. Other bargains at the same store are buys and youths' two piece pyjamas made of liorrockses flannelette 3s oil, men's pyjams 4s lid, 7s (id and 8s 61. Children's cashmere socks all sixes black or tan lid pair, and three-quart-jr socks fld to Is .'ld, sizes 4 to 0. Owing to the exceptionally boisterous weather at Kiore on Thursday, it was impossible to go on with Mr Law's clearing sale, which was conducted by Mr ]\ewton King, the sundries and sheep were sold, but the rain coming down in such a deluge made it impos< silile to proceed, and the cows on account of Mr. Law and Mr. T. Pearce will be Bold at Stratford yards next Tuesday, as per advertisement. To-day at 10 p.m. the entries for the Dominion Winter Show will close with the secretary, Mr. Ll'iinon, Central Buildings, Ilawera. All concerned are advised to keep the date in mind, and remember to do as voters are asked ,n election—enter early, but unlike voter'a, enter as often as they like and can. In observance of the centenary o£ Waterloo, the Kev. A. B. Chappell will preach on "Europe's Outlaws: 1816-1015" at Whitoley Memorial Church to-morrow evening. The special music will include "Arm, Arm, ye Brave'' (Handel's "Judos Maceabaeus"), to be sung by Mr. X. Gray.