LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The exports of New Zealand product* during the week ended Tuesday, were valued n£ £s23,o73.—Press Association. Entries for the Taranaki Rifle Association meeting, to be held at New Plymouth on February 3 and 4, closed last night. Good local entries were received, but the district and complete entries will not bo available until to-day. Nominations for the vacancy on the Borough Council close at noon to-day. Mr, E. Griffiths was nominated yesterday by Messrs E. Wilson and R. C. Hughes, and if any further nominations are received an election will take place next Friday. The committee of the North F-gmont Mountain House wishes to acknowledge a donation from a recent lady visitor from Sydney of a very fine croquet set, and also from a local gentleman of a set of deck quoits, Mr. W. F. Gordon has also given a large framed sketch of the first photograph taken of the summit. The photograph was taken a grejArc.my years ago. ■Local cricketers are requested by the Rev. A. B. Chappell, president of the New Plymouth Cricket Council, to meet at Mr. Samuel's office. Brougham Street, to-day, at 5.30 p.m., to place on record their deep regret at the decease of Mr. IT. McGie, who was an enthusiast in the game. Tt i s hoped that there will be a large attendance, representative of all the local clnllw.

The following Taranaki candidates (with marks obtained) were successful in the December examinations for Junior National Scholarship places:—Heaton Clyde Burgess, 527; Alfred Bramwell Cook. 534; Victor Jack Henderson, 553; Donald McAllister, 5,30; Thomas F. Merron, 533; Ivor Wendall Saunders, 549; Wra. R. Stannerß. 530; Robert I. M. Sutherland, 555; Richard J. Thomas, 584; Douglas J. Thomson, 528; Gerald P. Webster, 529, A rare visitor to New Plymouth was found early yesterday morning by Nightwatchman Inch, it was a young penguin, evidently taking more than a cursory glance at the tramway and other works in Devon Street, for the bird was standing at the Union Bank corner declaiming its opinion (in its own special vocabulary) of all and sundry local bodies. The visitor had one leg broken, and after this had been bandaged it was taken, down to the seashore and liberated; but New Plymouth evidently possessed so many attractions that it immediately made its way up the Iluatoki creek.

In the Magistrate's Court at Manaia, on Wednesday, before Mr. W. R. Haselden, S.M., Panara Una Kina (for whom Mr. Bayley, representing Mr. O'Dea, appeared) proceeded against a native named Mitewai Eua Kina for wilfully destroying and damaging a fence, the property of the informant. After hearing formal evidence as to the nature of the damage, the Magistrate sentenced the defendant to one year's imprisonment, with the condition that he was to be released on giving proper undertaking that he would not further interfere with the fence. The parties were tenants in common of the land in question, tut their interests under the reecnt legislation have been individualised, and the defendant, who is one of the last of the Tohu-ites, objects to individualiaation of land and interference with old Maori customary rights. He has previously undergone a month's imprisonment on a similar charge. A lady in Hawera this week received a letter from a friend in Florence, which contains an interesting paragraph throwing light on 'the conditions now prevailing in Italian life. The writer says: "In Italy we are reduced to the simple life indeed. The horses are taken, petrol is too dear for one to he able to use a motor much, and there is no coal to be had. The men arc already all called up or waiting to be. So we just shut up half the bouse and camp, hoping it will not be a seVere winter! Everyone is busy rolling up newspapers, which are then cut into cylinders and boiled in fat; two little "bits of this are enough to boil a soldier's ration at the front. It is a very clever Japanese invention. The newspapers meanwhile are very ugly reading, and one i s glad they carry a little comfort at the last." The writer further says: "Several of the Australian and English officers wounded at the Dardanelles are in Florence for their convalescence, and there & to be a big convalescent camp in Sicily. There arc so many sick at Malta that they are almost falling over the coast of the island." The Japanese Government is credited with a scheme of encouraging the rearing of sheep tt» a side line for farmers in view of the ever-increasing import of wool from overseas (says the Japan Times). According to the plan alleged to have been decided upon, a new item is created in the Budget, subject to the approval of the Diet, for appropriation of expenses, which arc roughly estimated at 20,000 yen a year. When the approval of the Diet is formally obtained, breeders will he secured and reared at the Tsukishnbu yard, Hokkaido, which is under the control of the Agriculture and Commerce Department. Part of the breeders will |> ( . bought from England, and on the strength" of experiments being carried out at present in the Oita Experimental Yard, others will be imported from New Zealand. At present the line is quite undeveloped, so much so that only 4000 head are found scattered all over the country, and no appreciable amount of wool is supplied. The breeders increased under the Government control will be distributed to all prefectures and rearers.' We draw the attention of our vcaders to the advertisement of the Xew Zealand Clothing Factory, announcing their stocktaking bargain sale. It is many years since it was so necessary for thrifty men and women to fake advantage of such an opportunity to bindependable clothing at very cheap rate', for in the near future all woollen goods will again«advance very considerably in price.

The, weight* for the second (lav's racing at Wellington were forwarded last night, but were badly mutilated in transmission. The. loeal telegraph office advised us after midnight that Wellington would repeat the telegram (the fault Jying at that end), but it camo to hand late for publication this morning - . The Putea Press takes exception to the statement in the Hawera Patriotic League's circular letter, that "a stigma has been cast on South Taranaki. on account 'Of the small provision made for its siek aud wounded soUUfls." This statement (says t' >r>ss) should not have beerf made m tut. 'sweeping and general manner' it has. Patea, for example, which must he included in Southern Taranaki, has, it affirms, been and is doing exceptionally well 011 behalf of its siek and wounded soldiers. A Canterbury firm has, ami has had since last winter, 30,000 sheep grazing in Southland, having spent the whole of last winter there. Their owner was expecting to send them north in the spring, but they have been shorn there, and from all appearances will he killed there. Last week a Waimate grazier, sent 100 head of cattle, described as genuine store, by road from Waimate to Southland.' These desperate methods tell better than any number of wordf the dearth of feed in Canterbury and North Otago. Mr. S. Taylor, of Waverley, hail the misfortune io have a line car partly burnt the other evening. Coming slowly down the long hill into Waitotara from Wanganui, the brakes got very hot, and when the ear was brought to a standstill it was .seen to be on (Ire. Every effort was made to extinguish the fire, with rugs, etc., but the flames spread vapidly, and one and all thought tiie car was doomed until fire extinguishers were requisitioned. With these at work the fire was quickly put out, and the engine and main.part of the e(ir saved. The business before the members of the WeU? <an Central Chamber of Commerce' .*• '"inday afternoon included tion, auopjea by the committee of the Australasian' Merchants' Association (London): —"That as the action of the German Government with regard to submarine activity has inflicted considerable losses upon the British people here and in the dominions beyond the seas, this committee of the Australasian Merchants' Association respectfully suggests to the British and Colonial Governments that steps should be taken immediately after the war to levy upon German and Austrian vessels each time they enter a port within the British Empire a differential and special charge for port dues over and above the customary port rates, the proceeds so obtained to be used as the Governments concerned may determine. This Association is of opinion that the suggestion made will, if acted upon, in course of time reimburse the people for some of the losses inflicted upon the community." The chairman (Mr. C. M. Luke) said that a conference was to be held in the Old Country to deal with the question of trading with the enemy after the war, and the aspect of the matter referred to in the resolution would, of course, he discussed. A united conference of representatives of the Chambers of Commerce of the Empire was being convened to deal with cognate matters. The suggestion embodied in the resolution would, it might bo assumed, receive consideration when the terms of peace were being discussed. It was agreed, on the motion of Mr. A Leigh Hunt, seconded by Mr. ,T. Eeid, to refer the matter to the Associated Chambers of Commerce.

W. H. and A. MeGarry, of F.lliam, advertise a 100-acre dairy farm, £3OO cash being required. The Melbourne's great sale of Japanese and "job" goods commences to-day, A perusal of the sale items will reveal" many extraordinary bargains, and the public would be well advised to make considerable investments during the 14 days of the sale. The' screening of Harold McGratli's .well-known and popular novel in pictures, "The Man on the Box," will commence at the Theatre Royal on Monday next. Produced on a lavish and gorgeous scale this great work provides a full hour's entertainment, and the film is classed as the finest yet from the celebrated- studios of the Famousi Players Co.