LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

''No able-bodied man has got a hope of getting that job if I can help it," remarked the chairman of the Eltham County Council at Saturday's meeting, when discussing the question of giving preference to returned troopers when making appointments. There is a good deal of sickness in the Hawera district just now (says the Star). Within the last six weeks seven cases of diphtheria, eight cases of typhoid and four cases of scarlet fever have been notified to the health authorities. Two of the scarletina eases are in the hospital fever ward.

On Friday two fresh eases of infantile paralysis were reported to the health authorities at Hawera, one patient being a child two years old, resident in Hawera, and the other a male of 21 years, from Rowan. To date 21 cases have been notified to the Hawera Hospital Board, two of which have prov. Ed fatal.

Whilst Mr. C. H. Poole, M.P, was speaking at the Warea show on Friday night on the subject of recruiting, a stone was hurled on the roof by someone outside, who evidently found the subject distasteful. The speaker, however, turned the incident to good account. "We are already under bombardment, he remarked; "if the young fellow who threw that brick will go to Trcntham for a month or two he will be taught to shoot straight." The address was allowed to proceed without further interruption. The question of controlling motor traffic was discussed at the.meeting of the Eltham County Council on Saturday, when the resolution of the Levels County Council,' suggesting that speed be regulated and drivers licensed was received. The opinion was expressed that many drivers of motor vehicles were a menace to the people using the roads, and the proposal to secure some control of drivers mot with general approval. One councillor said that some people in charge of gigs were just as dangerous as motor drivers. No action was taken. Lord Haldane went to see the German Ministers. The conversations failed. Why? Because Grand Admiral von Tirpitz. then the popular figure in Germany, would not abandon or even modify his naval scheme. Within a few weeks of Lord Haldane's return a new and greatly enlarged British programme was introduced. No time was lost by the Government in taking advantage of the secret which Lord Haldane had learnt; from £42,500,000 in 1911, the Navy estimates rose to £.11,500,000 in 1914. The Imperial Chancellor did us a good turn when he gave our Cabinet an opportunity of looking into the heart of Grand Admiral von Tirpitz—the implacable foe of this country. Had it not been for this visit to Berlin we might not have completed our naval arrangements before the cloudburst. For two years we had a race against time—and we won.

Speaking at a recruiting meeting at Christchurch last week, Mr. L. M. Isitt, M.P., said he differed from the Hon. James Allen in his belief that the great bulk of the people of this country realised the position of affairs. Neither did the Government. If it did it would control the drink evil and horse racing and heavily tax amusements. Possibly it was this country's remoteness from the centre of the disturbance that was the cause of this. Addressing himself particularly to the working men, Mr. Isitt stated that if Britain went down it would mean the degradation, for generations to come, of Britishers, because single men without ties and fit to go had not gone to the front. No one could deny that our soldiers were the best paid of any soldiers in the Empire, but when they asked a young fellow to risk his life for his country's service they ought to make the wealthy man disgorge his wealth. Still, no man should shrink because another man was shirking. Whatever their opinion was upon economic matters, no one had a right to hang back for higher pay or because of i some other paltry excuse, but must dash into the fray without hesitation.

NO WAITING AT STATION. A PASSENGER'S TRIBUTE.. One advantage of the New Zealand Express Co.'s baggage checking system is that there is no waiting at Btations labellin, claiming, and getting carriers. The company takes baggage to the station, checks on, claims far end, delivers at once. They even issue ticket if necessary, A saving every way to get the WWW to look after b»fgag?

The name of Mr. A. Page was omitted from the list of donors to the picnic at the East End last Thursday. Mr. Page donated tomatoes and milk. Two Ohristchureh solicitors were eaeli fined £5 last week for having failed to have their trust accounts audited by a qualified accountant within three months of the close of the year. Two further cases of infantile paralysis in children are reported from Palliatua (says a Press Association message). One is in town and the other from the country. One is critical. During the past mouth I,'iS cows, !) bullocks, 11 calves, 172 lambs, and 119 pigs were slaughtered at the Mew Plymouth abattoirs for local consuniptios. The figures show a decrease of 11 cattle, 3 calves, 81 sheep, 29 laniks, and « pigs.

Two novel classes were included in the schedule for the Waikato Central A. and P. Association's show. One class was for the lady with the largest number of sons who have enlisted, and in this Mrs. S. H. Liddington and Mrs. P. Ottole were equal first, with four sons each. The other class was for the lady with the largest family in the Cambridge district, Mrs. S. H. Liddington, with 13 children, being the winner. Whiteley Memorial. Chii'di celebrated its anniversary yesterday when the Rev. Percy Knight," 8.A., of Durham St., Christchurch, preached morning and evening. In the afternoon at 3 o'clock a "Pleasant Sunday Afternoon" servico was held in the Good Templar Hall. A choice programme of vocal and instrumental music was rendered and Mr. Knight gave a brief address on "The Value of a Man." His Worship the Mayor presided. A correspondent points out that although the permit issued for the trams allows the service to extend from Fitzroy {o Weymouth Street they have not yet gone as far as that street, but stop near the Terminus Hotel. He says that it the cars during the present hot weather ran up to the South RoadWeymouth Street corner very many more fares would bo collected from people who wish to go to the baths or to the beach, from the corner In question being the shortest route. The anniversary meetings in connection with Whiteley Church will conclude this evening, when the Rov. P. Knight will deliver, at 8 o'clock, in the flood Templar Hall, his popular lecture on "The Life and Works of Dante the Immortal." Mr. Knight lias made a life study of this subject, and in Victoria is nicknamed "the Dante Man." Humor, pathos, and stores of information about Italy, now fighting as one of our allies, and especially about Florence, the Treasure City of the world's art, make this lecture quite unique. It will be illustrated by 100 magnificent pictures, many of them of rare beauty and interest, shown by electric light. Patrons may count on hearing and seeing something quite new to New Plymouth audiences. v

"International laws may make it difficult to frame a tariff which, will block German and Austrian goods altogether," said Mr. F. W. Heath, chairman of the New South Wales Executive of the Australian Association of British Manufacturers, at the annual meeting recently. "What attitude Great Britain will take on the terms of peace," he continued, "we do not know. If she repeats past history, and acts with her usual magnanimity, Germany will doubtless ask and get free trade with England, or equal terms with other nations, although if we read the times aright, the policy of free trade has passed for a few decades." Speaking of the attitude of the Association on the marking of goods to show plainly the country of origin, Mr. Heath said:—"Let the people know the origin of enemy goods. Throw the onus directly on to the public of supporting the Huns, and I feel sure that for a long period enemy trade would be restricted to goods which cannot be bought elsewhere. We know now what to expect from the Germans. They stop at nothing in war, foul means or fair, mostly foul, and they will employ the same methods in business if we allow them. If we give each individual the opportunity of seeing for himself the origin of his intended purchase, he will to a great extent shun enemy goods. In any case, it will place the responsibility of providing funds for other nations to fight us with on the shoulders of the individual." The Xi>w Zeals nd Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., have received the following cable from their London office: Wool sales ar weaker, more irregular and lower than Feb. 5, Superior scoured medium by 5 per cent to 7 J per cent., inferior 10 per cent., greasy medium inferior 10 per cent, to 16 per cent., crossbred fine 5 per cent to 7J per cent., medium, coarse and slipe 7J per cent, to 10 per cent.

The film of the 11th episode of the "Million Dollar Mystery" will be repeated to-night at the Empire Picture Palace by special request. The Taranaki Transport Co. will run a motor lorry from Eltham to the Opunake races on Friday. Particulars are advertised.

Bargain; at the Melbourne's great annual reduction sale. Children's flannelette pyjamn combinations 2s Gd. ladies' natural line ribbed vests Is !)d, bouquet toilet soap 9d box. ladies' hemstitched handkerchiefs four for fid, men's Champion President braces Is fid, "My Old Dutch," the feature film to be shown to-night at the Empire Picture Palace, broke all box-office records at Wanganui last week. Even on the last night of the season, practically the whole house was booked up at Is fld each scat. The supply of "pit" tickets (on this occasion Is each) was soon exhausted, and the management were eventually compelled to turn many patrons away. "My Old Dutch" will be shown here for three nights.