LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Over two and a half inches of rain fell in New 'Plymouth early on Sunday morning. A large number of soldiers are at present spending their furlough in New Plymouth and other Taranaki towns. There are already, thanks to William the Blooody, in Europe, more than 5,000,000 corpses and nearly 7,000,000 wounded. What will the victorious nations do to this man? —Le Matin. ' A social was held at Pungarehu on Friday evening, which raaulted in the sum of £l2 10s being raised towards the fund for providing Christmas gifts for soldiers. Mails despatched from New Plymouth on the 18th August arrived in 'Frisco on the 9th Sept. (one day late), and London on 24 Sept. (five days late). The Suez despatches of August 18th arrived in London on the 2l)ult. Maoris are emulating their European friendß in naming iftieir new arrivals in their families after places and people who have become conspicuous (luring the war. Several Gishonne natives have named their babies Egypt, Malta, Alexandria, etc. Fishing in the Stony River, Messrs. E. W, D. Robertson, E. S. Bayley, and L. I. Rea got seven nice fish, Mr. B. T. Booker reports there were no very big bags at Okato, tat there was any amount of fish to be had, and the largo number of anglers who visited the river all had good sport. A deposit of soft carbonate of lime is 'being worked at Waikari 6y the Waipara County Council (says the Christchurch Press). Already 33 tons have been railed to 22 different places for use in experimental plots, and another 60 tons will be sent away when free railage is available. An act of brutality was witnessed at Westown last week. A horse owner sent in his dogs -for his horse, and, upon being rounded up, proceeded to kick and otherwise maltreat the animal. Our informant states that as an exaiottfon of cruelty nothing could be worse than the way the individual treated the horse.

At the request of the East End Reserve Committee to observe a holiday on Monday, October 25, on the occasion of the monster seaside picnie in aid of the wounded soldiers' and reserve committee's funds, the executive of the New Plymouth Employers' Association has decided to ask employers to elo.se from noon on that dar (iWbor Day).

A record was established at the Red Cross Mart at New Plymouth on Saturday, when £3O was taken. This amount brings the total received by the mart to £lO5, which is a very creditable result. The mart has only been open four Saturdays, and the success already met with augurs well for the future. The country people have been very generous in supplying goods and buyers have been numerous. A number of young men who have taken care not to enlist amused themselves at His Majesty's Theatre last evening with teasing a man who was invalided home from ISgypt, The latter waited till the interval, when he gave the ringleader a thorough drubbing, greatly to the satisfaction of a large number of onlookers.—Wanganui Chronicle.

A special meeting of the Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Association of Veterans was held on Saturday afternoon. Colonel Kllis presided, and there was a good attendance. The chairman stated that the meeting was the outcome of a letter whicjj. had been received from Captain T, Humphries, of Wellington, suggesting that the Veterans -should form a National Defence Corps. In a brief discussion the idea found favor, but before taking action it was decided to obtain further particulars lvoni Captain Humphries.

Of the New Zealand University team which toured Australia in 1013, most of the team are now at the from. Air. Perry, who was manager of the team, is not sure whether eleven or thirteen have enlisted, but he is certain that eleven have. These are: 11. Chillis (son of Mr. Childs, of Palmerstoii North!, I!. 11. QuiJliam (Xer 'Plymouth), T. D. Smith (who enlisted .in England, while studying there), S. Porter (Canterbury), T. Paweett (Wellington!. W. i'.ilkcy lAm-k----land'), .1. V.. Cuthill MJfai;o. who is recovTiiig from wounds 'received at the Dardanelles!. (.'. S. fisher (Otngo). S, Darby (Auckland). I!. Dohson It'hristefiiireh), and If. L Withers lof Otago. who is a surgeon-major in the forces). Other members of the team are making arrangements to enli.-t.

Tlie octagonal tiles on the Hour of the Christchiirc.li Anglican Cathedral arc liehaving very strangely. From time to time -ome fifteen or twenty of them vise up together from tlleir cement ncd with a fairly loud noise, come apart, and lie there in a unsightly heap, leaving the cement, exposed in all its ugliness and nakedness. This takes places in different parts of Ihe . floor, by day and by night, in all sorts of weather." It. has been going on for years. Down in (lie cellars underneath the Cathedral, there are tons of tiles that have risen in this way and have been removed. The trouble lias involved an expenditure up to the present time of i'K)il. It is causing the dean and chapter a good ileal of anxiety. The most assidious inquiries and application* to all known experts have failed Ir> discover either Jne cause or the remedy. At fir-d it was thought thai movements of the earth at'eelcd the cement bed. which compressed the tiles and caused litem to rise; but the strangest part of the affair is that, the cement has not moved the smallest fraction of au inch. Dean Carrington stated that all bis inqiiii\cinto the cause had been completely baffled, but he thought that the remedy might be found in placing the floor on a soft bed, which would have some elasticity, and consequently would respond to any slight movements the tiles might make. We have had a line from cheery George Stephenson who states that he will be pleased to renew old acquaintances at the Theatre Royal next Wednesday night. George states that he is giving New Plymouth a first rate show (made for laughing purposes only), and that both ''Fun on the Bristol,' and "East Lynue Up-to-date" will prove a sure cure for the blues.

A well-known British journalist who tried to reach the French lines as tie bearer of a letter to General JoJt're wag arrested as a spy and nearly shot. The building of Everybody's Theatre is to be commented within a week or two. Tenders are called elsewhere for the removal of earth from the site of the proposed building, A native debtor leaned lazily against the side of the witness-box in the Otoroiianga, court on Monday last. "Do you owe this money?" asked Mr. E. Rawson, S.AI. 'Oil,- yes, 1 owe te money all right." "Then why don't you pay it?" "Oil,'' replied the Maori through his interpreter, "I've no money. I'm 50 years of age; I'm tired of work." "But," said his Worship, "I am 50 years of age also, and lam not tired of work." Henare's rejoinder was not audible to the Bench, hut it set the interpreter laughing. "What does the debtor say?" asked Mr. Rawson. "Oli, but you've got apoft job, your Worship." The magistrate bent his head, and proceeded to writ* vigorously. The nursing sisters who will go to the front with the next transports leaving Wellington have, been selected. Sister Fulton (wife of Colonel Fulton, of the Trentham Battalion), who for the past three months lias been matron of the Trentham military hospital, will he in charge. "Under her will be Sisters Douglass (Dun'cdin), Ouuiberworth (Christchurch), Stronach (Stratford), Keith (Wellington), Crispin (Wellington), Scott (Christchurch), Jessop (Cliristehurch), all of whom have been doing duty at Trentliam; Sisters Goldsmith (Hawke's Bay), Brown (Hokitika), Burnett (Clyde), Nixon, Moore, Lowe, and Inglis. Sister Burnett has been stationed at Tauherenikau, and the last four-mentioned sisters came back recently. " . ■ An interesting fact mentioned in the presidential address of Mr. J. B. Harcourt at the annuel meeting of the Wellington Racing Club was that the amount collected by the Government by way of totalis&tor tax (leaving out of consideration the increased tax which would operate in future) waa sufficient to pay ty per cent, on the cost of the battleship New Zealand in the North Sea, ajid provide a sinking fund to liquidate the original cost in twentyfour years.

1 never hear of the prosperity of the company," said Mr. John Allen at the annual meeting of the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, "without thinking of the time when we sat on the cornaackfi and discussed the formation of a co-operative concern to protect the interests of the farmers. We had no chairs then as we have to-day, and we were ouly laughed at for our pains." By way of indicating that ''he laughs best who laughs last,' Mr. Allen i;dded that every original member of the company had been repaid his capital over and over again.

The Secretary for State for India forwards the following notice for publica-tion:—-"A senior officer of the Indian Army, who is in a position to know, writes to say that he has befen much impressed by the camaraderie, and good feeling existing in the Dardanelles between the Australian troops and the soldiers of the Indian mountain batteries. These men fought side by side in the famous landing at liaba Tcpe, and the batteries did so well and gallantly that the Australians liave metaphorically taken them to their hearts, and all are the greatest pals imaginable. The political effect of this entente eoriliale should be, good both in India ~ i n<l in Australia."

An unfortunate occurrence took place at Shannon ou Monday last. An old lady named Miss Elsie, a well-known resident, had a narrow escape from death. She lives by herself in a small tenement and appears (o have gone to the well for water when the old wooden staging above gave wav beneath her, -and she fell, fortunately feet first, into the water, which was not very deep. Here she remained till about 1,,'H1 p.m.. when hftr cries attracted the attention of. Mrs. King, a neighbor, who was taking -Miss Elsie some food. Mrs. Kin;.' called the assistance of other neighbors, nud Messrs Butler, Kdwards and Fargher came, and having obtained a rope, extricated Miss Klsie from her perilous position. She must, have been down the well about three or four hours.

Auctioneers Who volunteer to conduct patriotic sales have a harder task than the regular knight of the hammer, owing to the repeated cry of "Put it up again" after the article is sold. This was excmplilicd at the opening of the Kwwi I Wellington) Bowling Club's season. The "auctioneer." holding up a pot-plant, sold and resold it -oiiio dozen times, until, getting tired, he appealed to the laities to hid, for "if a lady buys it she won't put it up again." he remarked. "How much am I offered ?" "Five shiHing-!': called a lady, anil the auctioneer, -toiling gratefully, and not waiting for an advance, knocked it down, with the remark. "Thank ibid, that's gone at las.!!" "I'ut it up again!" ipiickly cattle fnini Ihe lady purchaser, amid roars of laughter, and I he auctioneer had to continue selling anil re selling the plant for another live minutes before linality was reached.

, The popularity of the black soft felt waning. The Melbourne. Ltd.. arc showing some line value- in ihr-e goods at Us (ill. 7s lid up to llis lid in all the very latest shapes. Playgoers will have an opportunity of liearinsr the :;ifled vouitg. soprano, Mis. Ivy' l>avi~' with iienrL'o Stephenson'- company of comedian- who open a two nights'' .ea-:nii al I lie Theatre Uoyal next Wednesday. Thi- charming young actress and vocalist ha- delighted large audiences in town in which the company has, performed.