LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Boy Scout movement has been revived in Hawera, and en Tuesday night 72 boys joined. The Eltham Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., reports that ' £2705 has been paid out for butter-fat supplied during last month, at the rate of la per lb. The surplus for last year amounts to £18,300. The sub-committee appointed by the Stratford School Committee to inspect and report on eligible sites for the proposed High School reported recommending four sites, three of which, are to be submitted to the Minister. In the House yesterday, in reply to Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, the Minister of Defence said he believed baths for troops at Trentham would be ready this week. There had been some difficulty in supplying hot water, but he understood this had now been overcome. The purchasing of a vacuum cleaner for the cleansing of the school was discussed at the recent meeting of the Stratford School Committee. Mr. McMillan said that one to do the work would cost about £2OO. It was decided to ascertain the price of an electrically-driven machine. Local gardeners who are troubled with tho slug pest in their gardens will be glad to know the following easy method of getting rid of this nuisance. Take filbs of pollard, 6 cups of sugar, and three teaspoonfuls of Paris green. Mix the whole dry and sprinkle it at nightfall over tho ground where the slugs are usually found. In the morning not a slug in the vicinity will bo found alive. The mixture should, of course, only bo used in dry weather. The Eltham Junior Ladies' Guild, in conjunction with the Senior Guild, intend sending a case of Christmas gifts to tho trenches for Taranaki soldiers, and will be pleased to receive donations in kind or money. The gifts will comprise puddings, pipes, tobacco, cigarettes, etc. Donations will be received up to Monday, 21st inst., by Miss Compton, or the lOltham Borough Council. At the last meeting of the Taranaki Bowling Association in New Plymouth the most important question discussed, said Mr. J. TJ. Murray at the Eltham Club's meeting,'was the abolition of the use of liquor k bowling clubs, and the money instead to be devoted to one of the patriotic funds: However, as they decided not to abolish liquor there isn't very much to report, concluded Mr. Murray, amidst laughter. The Legislative Council met yesterday afternoon, whon the following Bills were read a first time:—Savings Bank Amendment Bill, Fruit Preserving Industry Amendment Bill, Scenery Preservation Amendment Bill, Swamp Drainage Bill, National Provident Fund Amendment Bill. The amendments made in the New Zealand Loans Amendment Bill by the House of Representatives were agreed to. The War Funds Bill was read a second time, pro forma, and referred to the Statistics Revision Committee.

Since the beginning of the war letters containing thousands of pounds, for our various war funds have been received at the Christchurch Press Office, and the money has come in every possible shape —in silver, in gold, in postal notes, in open cheques, in crossed cheques, in bank notes, in postal orders, and even in stamps. Generally the larger amounts come in the form of cheques carefully crossed. On Wednesday the Press received a contribution from a determinedly anonymous sender. He concealed his address by writing from a public writingroom, and signed himself merely "A Friend.'' He had apparently even gone to the trouble of cashing a cheque, for his letter bulked with bank notes, totalling £SO, for the Serbian Fund. Tlie Kltham Co-operative Dairy Company have imported a live-ton chassis named the "Chase," upon which a body of rather extraordinary dimensions has just been constructed at the Eltharu factory of Messrs. Tlurrell Bros., coachbuilders. The body proper measures 1-tft long by 6ft wide, and is nearly 6ft high. It is capable of carrying 80 cheeses on the shelves, equal to about three tons alone, as well as good floor space for cream cans in the middle. The body is removable if necessary, and on each side are two Venetian frames to provide for a constant current of fresli air. The door at the back is also fitted up the same way. The framework is light and strong and well braced at corners with angle-irons, and in the middle with strap-bolts. Credit is due to the builders, for the size is uncommon. A great saving of time is expected as a consequence.

The Melbourne Ltd. are showing a very smart new line of men's 65/- brown suits made of fine worsted turned out by the Oamaru Woollen Company. . This firm is noted for the excellency of its pure woollen worsteds and saddle-tweeds. The management of the Theatre Royal Pictures announce that they have secured for Tuesday next the world-famed passion play, "Mizpah." .This film is 4000 ft in length and is a most spectacular production. The staging is on a scale of unprecedented grandeur. The usual price* of admission prevail. Seats may be reserved at Hoffmann's.

Tile North Egmont Mountain House will be re-opened on October 1. A London cable states that Stonchenge has been sold, at auction, for £OOOO. A Sydney cablegram states that so far 1341 Rugby Union jdayers have enlisted and SO have fallen.

A spectator outside the Napier Municipal Theatre on a recent evening estimated the value of the motor-cars that drew up at the door at over £30,000. A "flower day" held in Masterton yesterday, to provide funds for Christmas comforts for the men at the Dardanelles, realised the sum of £3oo.—Press Association.

Three employees of the Public Works Department, Joseph Holmes, Ambrose Hulme, and Hiohard Vince, were eaeh fined £lO in. the Wellington Magistrate's Court yesterday for conveying liquor into Trentham camp. It is said that a Waimatc Plains dairy farm was recently sold at £O9 per acre, and that the .owner quickly repenting (*e salef went straight to the purchaser and offered him £2OOO to let him retain possession, which offer was refused. Rwr some of the best dairy farms in the district as much as £4 per acre rent is being j>aid. Relative of soldiers who have fallen in action have been requested by the Minister for Defence not to observe mourning, ,it being considered an honor, not a bereavement to lose a relative on the field, of battle. For the same reason a flag is flown at half-mast whsn a soldier is killed in action.

The Overseas Shipowners' Committee has arranged space for the shipment of 2,650y000 freight carcases to the end of December. The following will be the monthly shipments: Now loading, 430,000 carcases; load September and October 788,000 carcases; load November, 564,000 carcases; load December, 789,000 carcases.

At the meeting of toe Taranaki Education Board yesterday a letter was received from the Sacrotary of Education expressing the hope that the Board would do what is possible to encourage tie fitting observance of 'Dominion Day (Sept. 27th), in the eohools. No aetion was taken, as it was considered it to be too late to make arrangements now. Bush, with big trees must have been prominent in Opunake in the days when the moa and the weka grubbed for worms in King Street (says the local paper). The contractors for the septic tank works to connect with the Opunake hotel have come across many roots In the cutting indicating forort trees. These are removed with gelignite, and after a loud report a lump of tree root is seen hurtling through the air. At every public school, certificates, to be called "good attendance'certificates," shall be obtainable by pupils who, in any year, have not been absent more than Ave times when the school was open, the morning and afternoon attendances being reckoned separately. This information was contained in a letter from the Department of Education, read at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki Education Board. The Taranaki Education Board was advised yesterday that the following dates have been fixed for the examinations m November and December:—(l) Public Service Entrance and Senior National Scholarship, and (2) Intermediate (senior free place), November 24 to December 1; (3) Junior National Scholarship, and (4) Junior Free Place, December 2 and 3d. The matriculation examination of the University of New Zealand will not begin until December 9.

With the object of devising a scheme for the training of disabled soldiers te suitable occupations, the Wellington Technical Education Board is circularising education boards and technical school boards. A copy of the circular was received by the Taranakl Education Board at its last meeting, and was referred to the Technical College Advisory Committee for its remarks. The committee recommended the Taranaki Education Board yesterday to take steps to gather information regarding the scheme.

In the Auckland Police Court, yesterday, George S. Mackay, clothier, lately carrying on business in Queen Street, was charged with having incurred a debt of £SO, when he could have had no reasonable or probable expectation of being able to pay, and was sentenced to one month's imprisonment without hard labor. Mr. Frazer, S.M., said he had no doubt that defendant intended to be honest, but the law protected the commercial community from rash optimism that gambled on the meie chance of getting out of difficulties instead of putting tlie position clearly before creditors.

The positon in regard to the Vogeltown School was referred to at the meeting of the Taranaki Education Board yesterday. The Secretary for Education wrote that at the present juncture, and in comparison with other claims now before the Government, the Minister regretted his inability to regard the application for a school at Vogeltown as of sufficient urgency to justify his .authorising the Board to proceed with the erection of the. building. He would bo glad to authorise the rent of a temporary building if the Board could see its way to restrict it to the younger children. The Minister feared that to make it a full-time school would certainly induce a claim for building sooner than would otherwise be necessary. In reply to a question, the secretary stated that there 51 pupils at the school, and the accommodation was fully taxed, It was decided to refer the matter to Mr. G. A. Adlam and the Kev. A. B. Cha-ppell to report upon.

Messrs Grant mid Campbell, Real Estate Agents, Hawera, advertise on page 1 of. this issue particulars of two farms for sale or exchange. We have received from Mr. T. C. Street the sum of £1 10a, being proceeds of an Okato Tennis Club's social in aid of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. This sum we »ill have pleasure in handing to the proper authorities.

"Within Our Gates," a play of German intrigue, conveys to spectators the dangers that lurk at home. It is a spy drama that every patriotic New Plymouth resident should see. Seats may be reserved at Hoffmann's.