LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

English and American mails, via Vancouver, will arrive here this morning, per Rarawa. Mr. Wilfred H. Perry has given a donation of £SOO to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. The lioness at the Wellington Zoo gave birth to four cubs on Saturday. The lioness is the one borrowed from Mr. J. J. Boyd's Zoo at Onehunga some six months ago. At the present time there are no fewer than 185 men somewhere in Otago (a good many of them probably in Dunedin) who have enlisted, but have failed to appear for medical examination. In connection with the Red Cross collections at New Plymouth on Saturday next, the committee will be glad to hear from private motor-ear owners who are willing to drive lady collectors to the outlying portions of the borough. Names may be left with Mr. W. A. Collis or Mrs. Doekrill. One Masteiton trooper who left to join the Ninth Reinforcements is a married man with nine children. A New Plymouth man who left with" the last reinforcements, has left behind a wife with five small children. Tiie State should send them back to care for their families. "These two men were together, and they were very drunk in St. Aubyn street on Sunday afternoon," said Sub-inspector Fouhy at the Magistrate's Court yesterday when two men, charged with drunkenness, appeared before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M. Both men were first offenders. One, who did not appear, was fined as or 24 hours', and the other man, who was present, was convicted and discharged. Messrs Russell Bros., of Kaimata, well known in Inglcwood football and cricket circles, are proving their patriotism in no uncertain manner. By last night's train three of them journeyed to Trcntham as members of the Ninlth Reinforcements, whilst yesterday afternoon a fourth brother, who has enlisted, was successful in passing the doctor. Peach trees in a number of orchards in the Hastings district are being attacked with some sort of aphis or fungus, with the result that the buds are falling off. It is said the same trouble was experienced in Hawke's Bay some years ago. Apple and pear trees are heavily laden this season, and if no late frosts are experienced, the season should be an abundant one. The Gisborne Chamber of Commerce, in view of the frequent irregularities of steamer communication leaving Gisborne occasionally without a passenger service for a week, passed a resolution, to be sent to Huddart, Parker and Co. and the Union Company, emphasising the inconvenience and loss occasioned, and protesting against steamers passing the port without calling to land travellers and mails. "The men who eplist and baick out are ten times worse than the out-and-out shirker," declared Oeut.-Colonel StoneKam, at a recruiting meeting in Dunedin. "We have had hundreds of men who put their names on the registration cards, or the name of somebody else, and then failed to turn up for medical examination, or who turn up and are passed fit and let us see no more of them. Men of that kind are worse than shirkers, When once a man's name goes down he should see it through." A meeting of the East End Bathing Reserves Committee was held last night, Mr. P. J. Flanagan presiding over a good attendance, including ten or a dozen ladies. Final arrangements were made for the picnic on Labor Day, and various committees were set up to attend to every detail. It was decided to include on the programme- a married ladies' race and a baby show, for which there will be two olasses, viz., under nine months and under 18 months. Progress reports were received that showed that keen interest is being taken in the function, which gives every promise of outshining all previous efforts at this popular picnic resort, especially as the proceeds are to be divided between the Wounded Soldiers' Fund and the Reserve. At Inglewood on Friday, Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., was occupied for some considerable time in hearing the ease of Hill, Atkinson anc'. Dean v. Draper. Plaintiffs, who are farmers on the Windsor Road, engaged defendant, who is proprietor of a threshing plant, to thresh oats, but owing to the contract not being fulfilled plaintiffs hud incurred additional charges for threshing of £1 lis Sd, a further charge of £lO for moving machinery, and they also claimed £5 as general damages. Defendant denied having agreed to thresh the oats in a specified time, but the Magistrate gave judgment, for £ll 10s Bd, and costs £3. Mr. Paterson appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr Stanford for defendant: The shortage of fully-qualified teachers owing to the demands of recruiting has resulted in an increase of half-time sctiools in the Auckland military district. The system adopted is to group two schools together, and appoint one teacher to hold classes tnree i?ays at one school and three days at the other. Recently the Mareretu and Mareretu North schools wore combined under this'system, and the action of the board was strenuously opposed by \the parents of scholars at both schools. In some cases parents refused to send their children to school at all, and to the warnings of the truant officer replied, "Will send —- to school when full-time school is recorded." The result was the institution of Police Court proceedings, and a special sitting of the Court was held before Mr. E. Page, S.M., at Maungaturato, when several defendants were each fined 19s and costs. According to recent files from Suva, an elderly Indian woman, named l.ekenia, was charged at the Supreme Court on September 27 with murdering one Madari, ut Gelonimatu, Ban. The case as briefly outlined by the Crown Solicitor, was that the murdered man, Madari, ran amok, killed two Fijians, and the husband of the accused woman, and also attempted to kill her son by means of a knife and spear. The accused sprang upon the murderer, and held him down, the prostrate victim meanwhile slashing at her with bis knife. The son came to the mother's assistance and took the knife from Madari. At his mother's request be thou banded the knife to her, and she did the rest. The assessors found the accused not guilty of murder, justifiable homicide being their view of the case. His Honor accordingly discharged the woman. FEAR OF NASTY MEDICINE. The fear of having to take a nasty medicine causes many a child to bide irregularity of the bowels., Chamberlain's Tablets are so pleasant and easy to take and so free from harsh effect that they can be given with safety to children. Every mother should keep Chamberlain's Tablets in her medicine chest. Sold by all chemists and storekeeper*.

A meeting of the northern branch'of the Wanganui Educational Institute was held in Hawera on Saturday, and the prospect of being merged into the Taranaki Education District was discussed. It was unanimously resolved: "That this meeting of the northern teachers of the Wanganui Education institute strongly considers it inadvisable to merge any part of the Wanganui education district into the Taranaki district, as (1) all old associations with the Wanganui Education Board would be severed; (2) both education districts would suffer in being disorganised; (3) the held of promotion for Wanganui teachers would be lessened, because there are fewer large schools in the Taranaki district, and the work and methods of the incoming teachers would not be known to the officials of a strange board. This would cause injustice to a considerable number of teachers—that is, should they be transferred to another Board; (4) there is much unrest in schools and suffering owing to the war, and it would be unwise to increase that unrest by a change, especially as such a change would not necessarily ensure finality in the boundaries of Education Boards."—Star. Mr. J. B. Hine, M.1?., does not believe in politicians stumping the country for recruits. At Toko the other evening he stated (according to the Stratford Post) that, "Speeches did not get recruits, and politicians would not get the men. They could have Mr. Isitt and other men with oratorical powers, but the effect was only momentary. They could not have the same effect as a returned wounded soldier, with, say, an arm or a leg off. That was the way to get recruits, If M.P.'s want to do something they can offer themselves. I have passed the doctor, but I am too heavy and too old. As to conscription, I feel it is very probable it will have to come. I am very loath to bring it into operation. There is one thing in connection with the Registration Act that I do not agree with, and that is (hat there is no clause empowering the Government to bring it into operation if thought necessary. It would have beep a nice trump card to have. The Labor men would have opposed it, no doubt, but they are a'minor quantity. In conclusion, Mr. Hine admitted that labor had responded well, even better than the farmers, so that it appeared to him that in this case they were speaking against their own interests." iNo need to go to the beach for a dip. Try the lagoon in front of Morey and Son's temporary premises. Togs and towels free of charge.—Morey and Son.