LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 November 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Our Rahotu correspondent writes as follows:—-"My iast notes did not read as I intended. They should have read: 'The tea and concert realised between £IS and £ - 20, and the refreshments wove provided by Mesdames Looncy, Minnea, McLean and Miss Taylor, The previous ten and dance reailsed £ll 12s.'"

The opening wool sale of the season was held in Stratford yesterday Owing to the continued wet weather having delayed shearing, the offering was considerably less than for the corresponding sale last year. The wool opened up bright and in good condition, and prices, in comparison with last year, advanced 4(1 to 4%d per lb. At Mr Newton King's rooms, Southdown sold .13 high as lfid, bright crossbred 13d to 14d, heavy conditioned and log stained 12% d to 13d.

A non-commissioned officer in a Liverpool regiment tells a story of a rather grim joke played on the Germans in the trenches of Flanders. At this point the opposing lines are very close together, separated by only a few yards. The Germans hailed across one morning, shouting: "Hello, Liverpools! Got any bully beef?" The answering shout, was, "Yes, plenty!'' "Chuck over « tin!" shouted the Germans and a two pound tin of bully beef went sailing over into the German trench, whence came sounds of a gleeful scramble and grunts of satisfaction. "Want any more'?" shouted the Liverpools. The answer was a regular chorus of "Jas!" and "Yesses!" Two more tins were hurled over, right into the German trench, and then the Liverpools, with beautiful aim and strength, threw across an explosive bomb. It was, as the sergeant remarked, with an air of quiet satisfaction and joyous reminiscence, "A proper sell lor the Germans." There was a prodigious thud, followed by howls of pain and rage, and then came a chorus of vituperation. The incident resulted in some very ferocious fighting, but the Liverpools sot decidedly the tatter of that

So far over 700 members of the Post and Telegraph Department's stall' in New Zealand have enlisted for service at the front, and there are another 82 applications for leave to enlist at present receiving attention. At the annual meeting- 01 ilie Wellington Rifle Association it was decided that the annual championship meeting should not be held this season. The president stated that he estimated that fully a thousand members of rifle clubs were either at the front or in camp A Times and Sydney Sun cable says that a special New York agent arrived in Paris to order a trousseau for President Wilson's fiancee, but the dressmaker refused to serve hei because she is a German naturalised in America. As a solution of the difficulty a syndicate of firms cabled to Mrs Gait offering her the first models as a wedding prcs ent.

In connection witli the services to be held at St. Mary's Church o.i Sunday, it has been arranged that the branch Sunday Schools of St. Mary's, Vogeltown.'Moturoa, and Omata, shall take part in the children's service to be held in the afternoon. This will be the first occasion on which Bishop Averill will have an opportunity of speaking to the children here.

A most amusing attraction which has proved a great success in patriotic carnivals held in England is that provided by the spectacle of returned wounded soldierg competing in hair-dressing and hat-trimming contests. Plenty of young ladies are usually found to ae't as "patients" for the hair-dressing competitions, and the novel effects created cause screams of laughter. The spirit of hilarity is caused by the "creations" in millinery turned out by the battle-worn warriors.

The Presbyterian General Assembly, says an Auckland telegram, passed n motion which included a provision that a committee be appointed to ask Parliament to pass a special liquor restriction Act providing tha.t during the course of the war hotel bars should be closed from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily, and all day on holidays. It urged the Government to prohibit "treating" soldiers,, and also to amend the Licensing Act by providing that the majority necessary to carry No-License and National Prohibition be reduced to 55 per cent. This evening the pupils of the Warea School are giving a concert in the Warea Hall in aid of the Belgian Relief Fund. A varied programme has been arranged, consisting of recitations, dialogues, vocal and instrumental items, marches, etc., whilst there will also be scenes from "(Malice in Kulturland" and the charming "Rosebud." The children have been. practising assiduously for some time, and it is hoped that their efforts to assist a good cause will be rewarded by a bumper house. Lady Scott, widow of the late Antarctic explorer, is working from 7 a.m. till 6 p.m., and sometimes till 8.30 p.m., in the munition works at Eritli. "I am simply helping," she told a press representative, "because I want to be of service in some way. I am in the electrical department, and have to wind electric coils. I am the only woman in my department, where there are forty workers, and, of course, I take the same hours as they. We have half an hour for breakfast, from 8.30 till ft, and we knock off again from 1 till 2 for dinner. We have been free on Sundays hitherto, but I understand that we shall soon be at work on Sundays also. Even so, I would not miss my work now for the world." The Minister of Defence, referring to the National Register on Saturday, said that he has received from a number of people the names, gratuitously forwarded, of young fellows who have declared openly that they do not intend to send in returns, and these names he is submitting to the Hon. G-. W. Russell, who is in charge of the Register, and who no doubt would have search made to see if the information was correct. To flout the Act would prove a very serious business to anyone who had attempted it, said the Minister. It was to be hoped that all information of this sort would be sent on to the authorities

The seasons appear to have turned topsy-turvy lately. After a phenomenally mild winter and early spring, Wellington has experienced a long run of ibadly broken weather during November (says Monday's Dominion), with a greater rainfall and more wind than in any one of the winter months. Gallipoli Day, which was to have been celebrated in style on Saturday, had practically to be abandoned on account of the heavy rain, and at noon or thereabouts the wind swung round to the south, and the dun pall which had missed dissolution on its voyage south was blown back to pour out its wrath on to an already well-soaked country. The wind steadily increased in velocity during the day and evening, and in the early hours of yesterday morning it blew with the force of a fully matured gale, with an edge as keen as a razor. This state of things continued throughout yesterday, though the rain held off, completely marring the week-end. As tlif result of these boisterous conditions all outdoor sports on Saturday had to be abandoned. Incoming steamers yesterday report a southerly gale with heavy seas in the Strai<j. An Australian soldier, Private F. C. Bartlett, who lost his leg as the result of wounds received in the landing at Gaba Tcpe, in Gallipoli, returned to Melbourne the other day to find that his sweetheart, Miss Mary MufTard, was still willing to marry him, and he led her to the altar at St. Luke's Church, South Melbourne, on November 8. The occasion was seized upon as a festival by about one hundred wounded soldiers. During the afternoon the attention of passers-by in Collins Street was arrested bv a procession of 45 motor-enrs. Each cur was filled with passengers, the majority of whom were returned soldiers. The leading car was decorated with streamers of white ribbon and bouquets of white flowers, while those which followed were decked with wedding favors and knots of red, white, and blue ribbon. In South Melbourne, a tremendous crowd gathered in order to catch a glimpse of the returned hero and his <bride. The approach to the church was completely blocked, and the roofs of the opposite buildings were also crowded with spectators. The interior of the church was packed, every pew being, filled, and before the wedding party could leave the church the assistance of the police was necessary. After a triumphant parade through the streets the party met at a restaurant, where another dense crowd had collected, and through which the bride and bridegroom and guests had to fight their way. On Saturday, at Messrs Webster Bros.' mart, at 1 o'clock, a big sale of unredeemed pledges will be held, entirely without reserve. Included among this list are some very good and valuable articles of jewellery, and the sale presents a golden opportunity to pick up some rare bargains. Full particulars appear la our auction coluiaoi, •

At the .Magistrate's Court, llawera, yesterday, Edward Scott was remanded on bail on a charge of indecently assaulting a girl under I<J years of age. The .llawera Chamber of Commerce decided on Monday night to urge upon the Postmaster-General the need for making the llawera post office adequate for the business transacted there. The first consignment of cheese was sent yesterday to the Government by the Lowgarth Factory, having been com mandeered at 7Vid. The amount consigned was 120 cases, valued at £6o* 3s 4d. The secretary of the llawera Chamber ot Commerce has been advised that, a British commercial and industrial patriotic exhibition is to be held in Wellington in February next The exhibition is to be solely (or the display of British (and Allies') goods. A Masterton clergyman (says the Age) recently received a surprise in the shape of a bulky letter containing a sum of £3012 in bank notes. The letter, which came from Wellington, was not registered, and the name of the sender was not enclosed. A Gazette Extraordinary, published last night, contains anOrder-in-Council allowing the export oi flour oatmeal wheat, oats, and forage to British destination, also prohibiting the export or importation of unset diamonds, Mr. W. 11. Robinson, of Tariki, writes at length to the editor disclaiming the authorship of thgf letters signed by ''One Who Knows," r™erring to the alleged lack of patriotism on the part of Tariki residents.

On the motion of the solicitor to tlie Public Trust Office, probate of the wills, of the following deceased, persona has been granted to the Public Trustee, the executor named in the wills- .Martha Breach, late of Hawera; Gottfried Hermann Knauf, of New Plymouth.

A British officer in command of an Australian brigade in Egypt heard a Queensland sergeant addressing his men in very lurid language, and began to remonstrate with him. "That sort of thing won't do, you know, my man," lie said, but the sergeant took no notice, and continued as fluently as" ever. "Here you," shouted the officer, indignantly, "you with the kangaroo feathers in your hat." The Soldiers' Club in Auckland is lortunate in having benefactors both great and small. In the latter category may be included two tiny mites from Hobson ville, who never fail to take in thei. weekly basket of flowers. They toddle up the stairway with smiles of satisfaction to announce the present for ''Our dear soldier boys, from Marjoric and Mick," The men in khaki know about them, and appreciate their thoughtfulness.' ' '

There was an interesting incident in connection with the despatch of the Auckland section of the Tenth Reinforcements (reports the Herald). The men, over 240 in number, were drawn up hehind the Drill Hall to be photographed, when one recruit' . accidentally dropped four pennies. He picked them up and tossed them into an open space near the camera. 'Tor the Soldiers' Queen," he said. Immediately there came a perfect hall of pennies. Two sergeantmajors in the line of fire simply bowed their heads and covered their faces; while the photographed danced excitedly round his valued camera and tried to protect his lens with his hat. The shower of coins only ceased when the supply of copper was exhausted, and the ground was then strewn with pennies. The! sergeant-majors afterwards picked up 324—equal to 275. The girls of the New Plymouth High School will give an item at the Centra.! School Patriotic Carnival on Thursday, December 2.

There's lively selling at the Melbourne, Ltd.'fl, great sale now on. Plenty of these bargains still selling. Horrockses pillow eases, Is pair; soldiers' writing companions, 6d each; grand flannelette and caiico, only 5s l'ld dozen; men's 4s Md.