LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The approxjmaie date of extended leave for the loth Infatotrv will be from January 21 to January 30. The approx.mate .late of lento for the Ulh Mounted,, »-iU be from February 11 to February 20. ,

Hie mail train was nearlv threequarters of an ], om . ~l le ;„ „ r ;. ivil , at New Plymouth last niirht. The axle box of a carriage caught fire eausins the ram to be held up at Marlon, while heavy trafhc added to the delay.' The tram was an unusually loin; one, bringing many holiday-makers home. The Otakeho Patriotic Committee dave. ,ts first send-off to departing sokhers on Thursday hut, when Ser"'''V'q. iv 0UI1 &> K'flemon F. James and I. ]),xon were farcwellcd. Sergeant loung being presented with a pair of military brushes, while Messrs Jamc* and Dixon each received a fountain pen. TO A I T U , SUai flnd W(ls n,ado on tllc \ est Md beach yesterday afternoon, the body of a small blue penguin being picked up. Lifo had apparently not been long extinct, as the body was perfectly fresh. Though penguins have been seen before in this harbor, it is uncommon to see them in us high a latitude as _Vew Plymouth. The southward-bound express which left Hawera yesterday morning was one of the longej train that has steamed out during the holidays, comprising in all about 14 carriages, and two locomotives. A large number of passengers joined the train here, and an e.vtra train had to be put on to accommodate the increased traffic. Mnnv soldiers, who had been on furlough for the Xcw Year holidays, were on the train.—Star. Amongst the men who returned by ihe Maheno was Private Allen, of Eltlmm. Private Allen was wounded on May 8 in the famous'"Daisy Patch'* engagement, and, after eight months of hospital treatment in Egypt and England, he still has to nurse his left leg in splints. It was characteristic- of the average wounded New Zealander that this young soldier should be seen hobbling oi'f the vessel with the aid of a crutch and a comrade holding up his splint frame (savs the Auckland Star). "On the day 'l was hit," said the cheery youth, "there were a lot of casualties. The shrapnel Mas very thick, and we were advancing to our new position shortly after midday, when, at a distance of about 300 yards from the Turkish trendies, a bullet went through my left knee.'" Private Allen will disembark at Wellintgon.

The East End Committee desire to thank their small but energetic ladies committee to whom they consider the success of the New Year's Day picnic was mainly due. They also wish to thank Messrs J. Elliott, N. Chriatianson, W. Ainsworthy, S. Stroud, A. W. Denkins, 0. Tipping, W. Emson, and all who helped so willingly, but, where all worked so well it is hard to single any one out in particular. ( They also desire to congratulate Mr. W. Davis on having the proud distinction of being the first person who has ever swam from tiie Breakwater to the East End. It is intended to hold tho usual picnic on Easter Monday, A sporting dog gave those present at tho rifle range at Waiwakaiho an anxious moment or two early yesterday morning. The first match fired was a short range grouping match, a squad of twelve men being down. Immediately tho first crack of the rifle was heard, the sporting instincts of the dog—a fine Gordon setter—were roused and he charged from behind the shooters right along the line of fire to the bank of earth into which the bullets were being poured, and then calmly returned to the starting point, apparently oblivious to the bullets that must have been zipping past in close proximity to him. Each second spectators expected to see the canine intercept a leaden pellet intended for the targets which were low down to the ground, but evidently he bore a charmed life for he returned unscathed.

A note of alarm is struck by Mr. D. Cuddie, Dairy Commissioner, at a possible shortage of rennet. This essential article in eheesemaking is obtained mainly from Sweden, Denmark and Holland, and tho raw material comes from all over the Continent. Last year there appeared to be ample in stock for preßentday requirements in New Zealand, but now a shortage is feared, and if it should materialise, New Zealand cheesemakerfl will be in a very awkward predicament. Mr. Cuddie, in an article contributed to tho Journal of Agriculture, shows how the difficulty may possibly be overcome, and rennet manufacture established in Mew Zealand. "The question is of sufficient importance" (he writes) "to warrant every dairy company in the Dominion carefully considering the subject, with a view to organising the collection of the raw material throughout the various dairying districts, say, from the beginning of next season. As upwards of 30,000 gallons of rennet is required for the present output of cheese, the order will be a large one; but unless somethin" is done to provide against disappointment and accompanying heavy loss, those concerned will only have themselves to blame should an actual deficiency occur."

Writing from Gallipoli an Australian soldier says:—"We are continually seeing awful" sights. It would not do to ponder over them. Soldiers must 'he as cheerful as possible, and' make light I of many occurrences that would in ordinary life fill them with horror. It is tlie heritage of war. One of the curious sights of the trenches arises from a compulsory neglect of personal appearance. There are men here with beards I neariy a yard long—some who, in Ausi traliii, thought it a calamity to go without a shave. They forget everything 1 but the fighting. I have ■clean forgotten what d»y it; '*• one oJ tnc most remarkable things that have happened in the trenches relates to a man who was shot in the forehead. The bullet came out of the ha<= k of his head and—strange to rel»te-he has recovered. If those who are at homo could witness the splendid heroism which I see tlvey would be. all enthusiasm to send men over here in thousands. Here is an instance. A few yards from whwo I was standing, a Turkish shell came through a loop-hole at which two of our fellows were standing. It cut one chap s arm off at the shoulder. He got up, put his hat on, B nd . without a murmur, started to walk to the dressing station in the rear. He died some time afterwards His mate got a fearful wound in the side of the head, but, I understand, is still «»><■'• Death sometimes comes with most appalling suddenness. I had just 'been, talking to a fine young chap, only 20 of age, when he rolled over softly- without a sound. He had received » bullet through the brain, from our trenches you can see a Turkish villas in the distance. We know the life of these 'Sons of the Prophet.' They keep cows, grow turnips and feed pigs, and daily" tW prostrate themselves and pray to Allah to keep bsck tho white Australian infidel from deseorating their

A visitor to New Plymouth yesterday said that there is ono thing he did not like about the town, and tVi wa« the absence of designation places on Mine of tlic steet corners. It was very difficult indeed for a stranger to find his way about the town. This is certainly a matter that the Borough Council might attend tr

The. patriotic concert given at tbe Ngaere Gardens by the Wangauui Garrison Band, under the auspices of the Stratford Racing Club on Sunday last resulted iv ,f ofi being raised for the Serbian Relief Fund. The free use of tha gardens was given by the proprietor. A concert given by the band at Eltham realised .CIC 8s for the same.

Wherever man is there also is the little common house fly, said Profeasor Kirk in the course of a lecture in Wellington. But man and the fly viewed the companionship differently. 'Man was eduoated in the belief that all things were created for his benefit; but tha house fly was most, firmly convinced that mankind existed sdely for his benefit—the food mankind ate was most palatable to the fly, and the deleterious matter that collected about man and his habitations was also most welcome to it. Flies enjoyed, also, the comfort of man's home. Professor Kirk sirikinplv showed that the human race need not have conscience, qualms about slaughtering wholesale tbe little fly, because in its turn the fly. was perpetually endangering the life o'fl man by spreading disease over his foods! by frequenting his habitations Btraighl from pestilential sources, garbage tinjfl and other germ-breeding places, <i9 washed and uneleaned, and dcpositlM millions of bacteria in the places jkw likely to prove harmful to life. Mr. Lyas, qualified ophthalmia optician of Auckland, intends paying professional visits to towns as advertised on page 1. This should be a great opportunity to those requiring the attention of a skilled and practical optician of iong experience.