LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 February 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There are no paupers aud scarcely any multi-millionaires in France, which is a country «' small hoi-V.isa in lan-.1,

It is estimated the national wealth of Holland Ims increased by a billion guldens ( £80,000,000) since the war began—a gain of £l2*per capita for the .population. France's tricolor is said to have been invented by Marv Qu?en of S.'ots for tile Swiss fiuard in France. Til*! white was for France, the blue for .Scotland and the red for Switzerland. Instructions have been issued that men who <wil| have reached - 20 years of age by the time they would leave New Zealand may be enrolled, provided the written consent of their parents is obtained. Further, men will be accepted who are slightly over the age—say, a year or two.

Writing to a friend from Trentham Camp, a Ohristcbiirch lad savs; ''Perhaps you'd like to know how t things are with me, and how I like khaki. All I have to say is that I'm beastly aorrv I did not join earlier. Personally I've never felt so fit in all my life, and I can honestly say the training they give you is most interesting. I would not like to give it up for civilian life now."

After a run of bad luck at the Wairoa races, a soldier on his final leave invested his last £1 note on an old favorite. wrote on the back of the note, "flood-bye; I suppose I'll starve now." His luck changed, and .the horse of his choice won. Two of the notes forming part of the dividend had writing on them. On one it was written, "The last of a gfcod time, 1015," and on the other, "Good-bye, old friend."

The rather remarkable story circulated in the American press and certain New Zealand journals (says the Sydney Shipping List) regarding the Intention of a well-known firm to establish a service to and from the Pacific Coast via New Zealand lias proved to be without foundation. The gentleman who was supposed to have completed the arrangements, gave his assurance during last week that during his sojourn in America not one newspaper man had interviewed him on the subject.

In the ITawera. Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, before Mr. W. 1?. Haselden, S.M., a case of general interest to the racing community was heard, when Jacob Fryer, horse-trainer, Hawera, proceeded against John Gray, dentist, Hawera, and Jonathan Hears Currin, stock dealer, Hawera, for the refund of £129 17s 3d. moneys paid to the defendants "under protest," being 15 per cent, of place moneys paid the plaintiff respecting the racehorse Weleome Nugget at different race meetings. Judgment was reserved.

A Mastcrtou man who recently purchased a fruit farm m quite satisfied. He states that he has come to the conclusion that fruit is intended for small birds, and not for human consumption. Uarly in the season the whole of his cherries were taken. Then his red currants flisappeared. Afterwards strawberries and raspberies went, and now his plums and apples arc being destroyed in a wholesale manner. '■' The birds arc worse than rabbits," he says. "I expect them soon to make an attack upon my potatoes, Ciller something is done to destroy the small birds, I am satisfied that tho fruit industry in New Zealand can never be a success."

War economy has begun in the Houses of Parliament. Quill pons usually provided in the writing rooms have disappeared, anil ordinary wooden penholders, witli steel nibs, have taken their place. Tliei'o is also a reduction m the quantity of notepaper and envelopes. Instead of the unlimited supply available in the writing' rooms, the quantity is limited, the object being to discourage waste and prevent depreciation by exposure. It is also stated that paper inferior in quality will be provided shortly. Another direction in which the Government is economising is in the smoking-rooms. Instead of the free and ample provision of boxes of matches member* must now fall back on the wooden spills tlmt the now thrifty office of works has provided. This latest economy in "timber" has not escaped the jocular comments of those who fought recently against the same depart-1 mast for saving on a larger scale)

A Sydney cablegram states that at the wool sales scoured wool ft>uelicd 32d., the highest price recorded for many years.

A short sititng of the Magistrate's Court was hold yesterday, Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., presiding. Ilaliui Murray was charged with carrying a passenger on a motor bicycle otherwise than in a side-csr, and he was lined 10s and costs 12s. For procuring liquor whilst prohibited, Leonard H. Cattley was fined £2 10s and 7s costq, and for a second breach he was fined £i 10s and Ss costs.

, Last week, the State Labor Bureau In Wellington received 4.S applications for work. Forty-six of the applicants were placed, 38 privately and 8 in State employment. There is work awaiting the other two. The provincial towns report a highly satisfactory state of affairs, and New Plymouth, Oamarn, Timaru, Nelson, Palmerston North, and Tnvercargill received no applications during the week. Auckland had a record week, only 10 men being left out of work. Twenty-five applied, and 15 were placed.

The advance in the rates of interest paid by the banks in Australia on fixed deposits, does not apply to New Zealand, nor is there at the present any proposal to incitase the rates here. The interest now paid in the Dominion is 3% per cent, on deposits l'c- 12 mouths, and 4 per cent, for two years, as against 4 and 4 S ner cent, respective!.;- in the Commonwealth. A leading ~r.d financier expressed the opinion that the raising o£ rates at present wonkl be undesirable—that the policy of the banks ought to be not to encourage the tying up of money on freed deposit, but j rather to leave as much of it as possible in circulation, in order to be at the disposal of the Government for national purposes.

Among the shipping fraternity there is a unanimity of opinion that the salving of the collier liomata, near Pencarrow Heads, Wellington, was an admirable piece of work . When the vessel had remained practically stationary on the rocks for a full day, and the powerful tugs had labored in vain, many an experienced mariner must have shrugged his shoulders at the prospect of this fine collier finding a pormanent restingplace near the Temains of the Devon. Captain Stott, however, was cheerfully optimistic, and when the news arrived that the Komata had freed herself, those who realised the position said, "Well done!"

Mr. P. Virtue, manager of the Northern Roller 'Milling Co., furnishes the Auckland Star with the following' statistics:—The Commonwealth's surplus of wheat over its own requirements is 2,078,571 tons. To ship to London it would require 335 steamers, each carrying 8000 tons. It is apparent that there will be some difficulty in securing such a large number of steamers, apart from the dangers of enemy cruisers, which will not tend to ease the position. The question suggests itself, What will the Commonwealth do with its immense surplus, if blocked for tonnage? Its growing crop will probably lie quite as heavy as that just harvested. The world's yield shows an increase of 25 per cent.

The Cnvc-niment has been endeavouring to bring to a bead the long-pending negotiations for the purchase from its native owners of the freehold of Taumarnnui township (reports a correspondent). The natives at first asked half a nillion sterling for the land, but have modified this demand considerably, and at a recent meeting of assembled owners called undeur the provisions of the Nat'ne Land Aot, the sale resolution was only defeated by four votes. The Crown has power to renew proceedings, and exclude from the sale the dissentient owners. Possibly some further steps will be taken. The freehold once in the hands of the Crown, it will be sold in turn to the lessees of the township sites.

Captain Pcnnveook, writing from Gallipoli, tells tho story of a somewhat novel tug-of-war which he witnessed in the advanced trenches of the famous Hill 02 the Clutha Leader). The British troops holding a post there had been trying to drag in some Turkish wire entanglements, with the aid of a grapnel and rope which they were tin-owing out Several tries fell short, but at last something caught—and pulled; it was the Turks in the opposite trench, only ten or fifteen yards away, having a game of tug-of-war. Several of our hefty fellows got on to our end of the line, and there was a strong pull and a long pull, till someone suggested that a live bomb might settle the argument. It did. But the Turks cut the rope and turned on a machine-gun, so the honors might be declared even.

"To make an order for the payment of £l7 against a laboring man simply means sending him to goal, which is no gain to anybody," was the reason why an order was not mad 6 on Monday at the Auckland Magistrate's Court by Mr. E. O. Cutton, S.M., in a judgment summons case (says the. Star). In another instance 110 order was made against a widower who had six children to maintain. Another case was ordered to stand over, it being shown defendant wos only earning £2 Is lid, £2 2s fid, and £1 ">'• l(ld pel week, out of which he had a wife and family to maintain. The man stated he was on relief works. Several other judgment summons enses were adjourned, and two oi;ders were made by consent.

A curious incident in connection with the Auckland murder tragedy has been related by Mrs. Ramsden, who informed her eons sonic weeks ago that she had had a premonition that something terrible was overshadowing them. It concerned her son Horatio, who, she felt, would be overtaken by some tcrriblo calamity, and was going to be taken away from them. He promised to take no risks in his work as a wharf laborer, and no more was said of the incident. The dead man's brother stated 'nat on the Thursday night the deceased wcut to his mother's bedroom to kiss her good-night. To his mother's remark that he appeared upset, he replied that a man whom he had gone out 'to meet that evening had failed to keep his appointment, but that he would keep it on Saturday evening.

THERE IS ONLY OXE SAXDEII EXTRACT, and that is why tlitc people insist on getting it, and why they reject the many inferior substitutes and the cheap and frequently harmful "fliust as pood." The GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT is free from the objectionable qualities of the common Eucalyptus oils and so-called "extracts." SANDER'S EXTRACT is the most powerful antiseptic and healing remedy that can be used with safety; it prevents and cures all infectious diseases, influenza, colds, fevers, smallpox, diphtheria, flatulence, dyspepsia, diarrhcca, dysentery and kidney troubled. SANDER'S EXTRACT', applied to ulcers, burns, sprains, cuts, inflamed skin, etc., gives immediate relief and cure? permanently. Reliability, Effectiveness and Safety are the great attributes of SANDER'S EXTRACT. ' ' 1

Among die Kaiapoi draft of Die 13th Reinforcements, was an English baronet, with an income of £'so a week. He is a grandson of a famous poet.

The Mayoress (Mrs C. ?r. Burgess) wishes to thank Misses Kirkbv and Whitcombe for collecting £;! 7s Bid in Devon t yesterday morning" for "the men on active service fund."

The death is announced of the oldest Maori in South Canterbury, and the last surviving male of !ii s tribe, Hoani (Johnny) Kaliu. Kahu, who was aged 84, was held in high respect by Maoris throughout the South Island. Some time ago, Mr. J. 11. W. Martin, of Pukoaruhe, promised to donate £25 to the 1 atriotie funds if the proceeds of the IJrenui fete could be brought up to £750. This amount having been reached, Mr. A. 11. Halcombo has received a cheque of £25 from Mr. Martin. Tempted by the. lugh price at present ruling for empty bottles, particularly beer bottles, a gang of small bovs explored the "rich unfathomed depths" of the Elver Avon at Christchurch. Their diving met with astonishing success, one of the lads telling a reporter that they had obtained in a couple of days no fewer than twenty-four dozen, with several promising reaches of the river yet untouched. The annual conference of the Locomotive Engine Drivers of New Zealand opened at Christchurch on Wednesday morning, Mr J. Henderson presiding. The Mayor extended a welcome to the delegates. The president said the executive did not agree on the whole with ithe Federation of Labor's manifesto, but 'thought they should strive to bring the 'war to a conclusion as soon as possible, and uphold the integrity of the British Empire. Writing under date Cairo, December 15, a young New Zealand officer makes reference to the proposed attack on the Suez Canal: —',Cairo is rather dull after Alexandria, hut the weather is beautiful and cool, as we are in the middle of ithe Egyptian winter. The place is teeming with troops, and all preparations are being made to meet the TurcoGerman invasion of the canal, which is expected to be launched at any day now."

One of the reasons for the delay in tlie construction of the Parliamentary Buildings has been the unsuitability of the marble procurable at the old quarry at Sandy Bay. Some months ago the company controlling the quarry ran a tramline, with Government assistance, to another place in the hills, and experiments have shown that there is an abundant supply of marble there in blocks of sufficient size. It is understood that the trannvay is now virtually completed, and that in a very little while the marble will begin to arrive in Wellington.

Small boys in parts of the town and also along the country roads have adopted the reprehensible practice of throwing stones at passing motor cars. This is an exceedingly dangerous practice and one that j arents should endeavor to put down with a strong hand. The other evening, whilst one of the motors plying for hire in the town was proceeding down Standish Hill, a st'>ne thrown by a small boy struck the frame of the wind screen. An inch lower and a shattered wind screen would have resulted. There is also considerable risk to the occupants of the cars. The Wanganui Garrison Band, engaged by the Taranaki Jockey Club, played a fine programme of iv.usic in Devon Street yesterday morning. The various items rendered were greatly enjoyed by the large crowd of spectators in the streets. The band, totalling 20 members, have made themselves deservedly popular during their stay in New Plymouth, and probably the public will have further opportunities of hearing this talented combination of musicians. The programme submitted in Devon Street included: March, "I'll Make You Want Me"; intermezzo, "Moonlight"; march, "Canberra"; march, "Dawn of Freedom." ,

To-day, at their mart, commencing at 3 o'clock, Messrs. Webster Bro9. will hold a very large sale of the Dominion's best fruits. The lot advertised for to-day will consist of over 1000 boxes of all varieties of fruits in season and as there are indications of the season not lasting very late this year this should be a good opportunity for anyone requiring jam or preserving fruits at reasonable rates. The auctioneers state that every line offered will be cleared.