LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Scenery Preservation Amendment Bill was introduced in the House by the Prime Minister yesterday afternoon, i.nd read a first time.

In the House yesterday afternoon the Prime Minister gave notice to move that on and after Monday next the House will sit on Mondays at 7.30 p.m. for the (remainder of the session.

Next Saturday is the Day of Atonement in the Jewish calendar. On that day will close the ten penitential days which began with the Jewish New Year on Thursday of last week.

The train due at New Plymouth at 5.25 p.m. was about half an hour late in arriving here last evening. The delay was due to an unusual amount of shunting at stations south of Stratford. "Aotea," Messrs Sole Bros.' beautiful grounds on the Avenue Road, will be opened for the season early in November. For the opening day a sacred concert will be held, the proceeds to go to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund or the Belgian Fund.

The Minister of Defence stated yesterday that all men who were given noncommissioned rank in the Reinforcements were warned that such rank was only temporary, and might not be confirmed on arrival in Egypt, as it was impossible to say at this end what vacancies were required to be filled. The Rarawa will make her last trip from New Plymouth to-morrow night prior to leaving Onehunga on Saturday for Auckland to undergo her annual overhaul. Her place in the New Plymouth run will be taken by the Rimu, which will leave Onehunga on Monday. The Aupouri will replace the Rimu in the Raglan and Kawhia service. At the Stratford County Council meeting yesterday, a long discussion took place on the complaint of the North Riding foreman of certain people herding their cattle on the roads. It was decided to instruct the county ranger {o prosecute the offenders.

The Tn ranalci County Council has been notified that a subsidy amounting to £609 13a 4d has been paid to its credit. The amount is made up as follows: Werekino Eoad Board £4B 16s Bd, Tataraimaka Road Board £72 19s <Bd, Moa Eoad Board £250, Okato Road Board £SI 17s, outlying districts £6OO.

At the AuckUnd Supreme Court yesterday sentences were passed as followB: William Henry Elil-v attempted uttering, thrae months' imprisonment; Frederick J. Bennett, nwldng a fraudulent statement as to posting a letter, six months' imprisonment.: John Phillips, theft as a servant, twelve months; William Scholes, forgery and liitering,. twelve mouths. In like House cu' Keprcsantai'iVD:' yesitx&ny Ritsrnoira the Mu&ttcv of Defence s-iid that effeiiisr* steps ■•ttav being takwi to prevent a'tckntss at Traatham, ar.J hi lisped no attempt would b* main to rids* a paiele, biMaiw he t«at£ give the Wixam mi tke country >.v. juiaiiratee that Sxirgeoo-Cfsnttral Hendsiwit was well satisfied aftl the arrangement at the carap.

Sasaacl Whit*-, cat of the men concerned in the Ulthain robberies, who went .into a fit after the trial on Tuesday, recoTened after a lapse of an hour or so. ■He was still, howevsr, in a very pitiable ecaditioj!, and was given a narcotic to ir.duce sleep. He paused a satisfactory night, but yesterday morning was reported to be in a sick and weak condition. It is expected that he will b* able tc ancear at court te-dav.

The kind thought that the late Lieut.Colonel Malone had for old friends was a.'jaia revived at the Stratford County Council's meeting yesterday, when a postcard from him, wishing kind reinembrascca to the chairman and councillors, and dated from Quinu's Post on July 22, was handed round the table. The postcard depicted a view of one of the streets of Constantinople. In the House of Representatives yesterday Mr. Poland quoted on article in the New Zealand Herald which, on the strength of letters from soldioiv, drew attention to the inadequate boat eh» modation on one of the transports. The Prime Minister said that ships used for the purpose of transport of troops were comparatively small vessels, and when a thousand men or more were put on them it was almost impossible to provide boats for them all. He thought that in this particular ease the risk had been greatly exaggerated, but he would inquire what course tho British authorities followed in similar circumstances.

The secretary of the Auckland Farmers' Union, Mr. A. Schmitt, who returned to Auckland on Sunday, from a tour of the Raglan, Waingaro, and Raleigh districts, states that the country was showing good evidences of spring. A new cooperative dairy factory had been built at Raglan. Mr. Schmitt's visit was made in connection with the organising of local committees, whose duty would be to watch the interests of each district. A system of co-operation in milking and harvesting would be arranged by these committees, with a view to overcoming any danger of decreased production through shortage of labor. Mr. Schmitt was of the opinion that where these committees work, instead of a decrease, there will be an increase in production. There was no doubt whatever that the present crisis was already bringing out (he better qualities of the farmers. The Empire Theatre management announces that the elusive star film, "The Master Spy," arrived yesterday, and in order to enable the New Plymouth public to view this picture arrangements have been completed to screen this subject in addition to the change of programme at the Empire, Theatre to-night.

The following further reductions are announced for the last three days of sale at the Melbourne Ltd.:—Men's Irish lawn handkerchiefs further reduced to 4 for Is; men's mercerised handkerchiefs with colored borders, 3 for Is; ladies' serge costume skirts, 3s fid; men's grey deniins 2s 9dj men's Roslyn boxed suits 29s Cd; men's soft felt hats 4s lid; odd lot of tunic and neglige shirts 2s lid; travelling bags and trunks all ten per cent, off sale prices; men's New Era high Igrado suits 45*

At the meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board yesterday the chairman stated that the Government had taken no further action towards availing itself of the new hospital at New Plymouth for wounded soldierß.

At a largely-attended congregational meeting in St. James' Ohurch last evening, the Rev. James Pattison (Sratford), presiding, it was unanimously resolved that Kcv. T. Rosevearc be granted leave of absence until the end of the year.

At the meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board yesterday it was reported that four soldiers who had returned by the Tahiti and were suffering from phthisis were to go into the New Plymouth Hospital. Two of the patients entered the hospital yesterday. In the Magistrate's Court at Hawera on Tuesday, the case of Carl Beatey (who claimed £llO 12s Od for alleged breach of covenants in a lease), v. James Larman, was part heard, and then adjourned to give the counsel an opportunity of seeing whether the Magistrate's suggestion to arbitrate could be carried out,

Mr. Allan little, youngest son of Mr. J. Little, of Sentry Hill, met with an accident while on his way home on Tuesday evening. Whilst motor • cycling along the flat near the Bell Block store a motor-car coming towards town turned off the road to call at the store and collided with the cyclist, who had a leg fractured as the result. He was conveyed to New Plymouth Hospital in the car. At the hearing of the attempted burglary case at Klt'ham, after Constable Wroblenaki had detailed the conversation which he heard in the cells at an early hour in the morning after the arrest of the two young men Keith and White, Mr. Weir commenced his cross-examina-tion with: "Now, with reference to this conversation wWch you heard, I suppose you were lying down for it," The constable replied: "No, I was standing up against it."

At Elfcham Court on Tuesday, during the cross-examination of the witness MeGlashan by Mr. Weir, solicitor, In the attempted bank robbery, some controversy arose as to the attitude of this witness (says the Post.) Mr. B. Dive, JJP., upheld the witness, and also said that he would take this opportunity of drawing Mr. Weir's attention to the fact that "we may be here only as Justices of the Peace, but we are not here to be gat on."

Oases of short-weight in bread have been reported in New Plymouth, and at yesterday's meeting of the Hospital Board the inspector stated that he had reported two cases to the Department. While the subject was before the Board Mr. J. Brown drew attention to the fact that there had been a deorease in the price of flour recently, and yet bakers had not lowered the price of bixejl. The chairman said he was arranging with the contractor for bread in the matter.

The necessity for a stricter inspection of the backyards of premises in the c-ntre of Sew Plymouth was emphasised by an example show,i to a Daily News reporter, yesterday. In the backyard of tt shop in Devon street there is a collection of rubbish which is filthy to the most complete degree, and the yard is very insanitary. There is ample indication that tho rubbish now there is the result of many weeks' collection, and the highly unpleasant odor adds to the unsightly appearance of the yard, which offers a complete answer to the Mayor and others who have stated that they are satisfied there are no insanitary places in the town. This is only one of several instances which can be found a few yards off Devon street. That there is argent need for more care in the disposal of diseased stock Wt« strongly evidenced yesterday, when a cow was driven along the Main South road with a huge cancerous growth on its hip. It *a« in n. very advanced state of disease and capable of spreading infection ail along the road. Numerous cattle dealers and drovers at the Okato sale expressed themselves in strong terma over the matter, stating that it was the worst case they had ever seen, and that it was ft thing that the animal had not been shot and burnt in the paddock instead of being driven along the public highway, and that the owner should be called to aeeuil.'-.t fi,-r 'permitting the disease to reach such a stage before dealing with the animal. "Thousands of people would aiibscribe for Hansard if they knew that they could obtain it for the small sum of 5s a senior'," said the Hon. G. W. Russell in the House of Reprecntatives on Tuesday night. "Before next session 1 will undertake a campaign with the object of increasing the circulation of Hansard." The member for Mata.ira (Mr. (!. J. .Anderson) protested at onrc. He sai'.l that the publication of Hansard represented .an enormous and useless expenditure. The Uitrabcr proceeded to say that a very large sum of money could be saved by Use reduction of the size of the departmental reports placed before Parliament and printed for general circulation. This suggestion drew protests from several cuartois.

At tho recent meeting of the Fatoa Chamber of Commerce, it was decided: "That this meeting strongly urges the Hon. the Minister ;<;' Munitions to establish a small arms r.nd maohinc-gun factory and to organise the industries capable of mimufacLiiring military supplies such as boots', clothing, gun carriages, transport waggons, etc., with a view to enormously increasing the present output of wm materia'. a>i:l founding munitions works which tt'ould be available for all time." It was also decided: ''That in view of the pressing need for more men at the front as shown by Lord Kitchener's recent appeal, this Chamber strongly urges upon the Hon. the Minister of Defence to arrange for an increase in the number of men at present being sent forward on acthe service.''

Naturally intent a 9 all New Zealandeis are in the great doings of their kith and kin at the Dardanelles, it is not surpriiing if the less-striking part the, relief force is playing at Samoa 'has, except to near relatives of the soldiers there, dwindled well into the background. But there the "Old Brigade'' is still stolidly carrying out its garrison duty, although its ranks have been somewhat depicted by occasional drafts invalided back to New Zealand. The climate, according to a letter received in Wellington, has played up with a lot of the men. ''We do little here," said one soldier in a letter referring to the tedium of garrison work, 'but eat and sleep. Most of the men are sick of the monotonous routine of the place, and do nothing but grumble all the time. It would make you laugh to hear them. All the same, things are not too good here—the food is poor, but I can stand a rough life better than most of them. . . . Vft call our force the 'OomW Opera Company'—we are a great turn-out. Tljere is no chance of ever having a fight here. If a fellow was at the front he could do some good—or get shot—but here we are only eating up money in food that would better go towards the maintenance of the men at the front.''