LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A London message aays tkat Lloyds' report that the Panama Canal will be re-opened on April 15. The legend of the Angles of Mo'ns las now a pendant. A Paris correspondent of the Associated Press of America, records the strange story of a French lieutenant, a man of thirty-eight, with hair prematurely white. In the press of the fighting, when most of his comrades lay dead around him, he was seized with a holy fervour, which drove him to cry with a loud voice, "Up with you, ye dead men." Thereupon they responded, "We are following," and with the help of their spirits, assisted by a few wounded, the lieutenant put the foe to fight. The name of this officer is given, and, according to the Paris correspondent, no incident of the war has taken so strong a hold on the French imagination. It is reported that the Germans are laying mines from submarines. This is perfectly feasible, and is not improbable (says a Home paper). The mines are carried one above another in a vertical airtight chamber wit,hln the submarine. When they are to be laid water i s admitted to the chamber, and the door in the outer shell of the hull closing the bottom of the chamber is opened. The mines are then released, one by one, through proper appliances. The mine anchor sinks to the bottom, and, by suitable mechanism, the anchorage cable is unwound to permit the mine to float at the desired depth below the surface. The method of mine-laying is absolutely secret, and therefore is proportionately dangerous to the enemy.

A year or so before the war broke out a young German went to New York to improve his fortunes, leaving at home the girl to whom he was engaged. Ho did well, and was looking forward to his marriage when war was declared. He wrote to his fiancee that he felt it to be his duty to enter the army. She wrote telling him to wait. Several Utters passed between them, the man constantly saying that he ought to serve his country, and each letter from the girl becoming more despondent. She told him of tho distress existing in Germany, of members of her own and of her lover's family being killed, and of her fear that soon there would be no men left to either family. Finally she wrote begging him to let her come to America in order that they might marry, and again she told him if relatives and frionds killed, and implored him to let her know his decision at once. Thus far the man read unsuspecting; then he noticed a postscript in another hand which, in effect, ran as follows:—"The writer of the above letter, the woman -, has this day been shot for treason for persuading her lover not to enlist. The recipient is to accept this as official notice of her death."

One of the most interesting of the subsidiary establishments of the French army is that of the French sheep-dogs, which are being employed in ambulance and patrol work. The dogs are of five breeds—Malinois, Gronondael, Bar Rouge, Blare, and Berfcr Allemand, of which the last is said to be the least intelligent. The original idea was that they should be employed only on amtyilance work, but it was soon found possible to use them for taking back messages from advanced parties to the rear. The first thing, of course, is implicit obedience. Then it is a question of training them not to fear gunfire. Once trained, they show themselves absolutely fearless, and so far from recoiling from a shell-burst, they usually rush forward and bark furiously at it. They sent out to scour the ground, and when they have found a wounded man they bring back some article of liis apparel. A doctor and two orderlies arc then detailed to follow the dog, who brings them to the place where the wounded man is lying. The following story is told of Fanfare, one of the Bar Rouge breed. The dog was carrying a message from the front line to the roar when he was badly hit in the foreleg by shrapnel. As soon as he had pulled himself together he limped on to his destination on three legs, and then insisted on returning to the front partol who had originally sent him out. In the course of the evening he was sent to Paris, where his wounds were dressed, and he is now back again at the front. In this issue a notice of great interest to the public appears, calling attention to the opening of large shipments of autumn and winter goods at Ambury Bros.'. Despite the great difficulties caused through the war, the firm's London buyers have succeeded in securing a large range of seasonable goods in all departments, which will be on view in their large showrooms this week, and which the public are invited to inspect.*

The news conveyed in an advertisement by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, universal provider, of Eltha-m, which appears in another column, will be read with a great deal of relief by many worrying parents, who now naturally live in constant terror of the dreaded infantile paralysis. There is a measure of protection from tlife raging malady within roach, in the shape of a simple spray pump, and will be readily availed of by many hundreds of householders. There seems to be no doubt of the advantages derived from spraying with strong disinfectant, open drains, cow bails, henhouses, backyards, etc., and we recommend all those who have not yet possessed themselves of a reliable article to invest in e Rochester eprjy pump at OtXft*,*

A London cablegram states that the Standard has ceased publication. The. annual meeting of the W Wfty moutli Coif Club will be 'held m imTown Hall to-morrow night at 8 o'clock. We 'have much pleasure in acknowledgingl receipt from Mr. J. Ross, on behalf of the Warea Ladies' Sewing Guild, of £IOO, being proceeds of the fete recently held there. The takings at the Red Cro3s Mart at New Plymouth on Saturday amounted to £9. This brings the 'total proceeds from the Mart to £564.

'Advice has been received in Wellington by the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company that the officers and crew of the ill-fated liner Matatua, which was blown up at St. John last week, are all safe.

The output »f butter from the Xpw Zealand Farmers' Dairy Union for the month of February was :S7 tons, and the amount paid out to suppliers was £3784, being at the average price of Is 2d per lb for butter-fat.

Owing to cases of infantile paralysis in Hawera the schools will be closed and other drastic action taken. One fresh case was reported on Saturday. To date there have been 15 cases in Hawera County, five in the borough, and twelve iu adjoining districts. At a meeting of the Hawera District High School Committee last Friday, the master reported that owing to the epidemio of sickness in the district every precaution was being taken against its spread, and the room s were thoroughly fumigated every day. Xo children suffering from any infectious sickness were allowed to attend.

"If I had my way," said the Hon. Dr. E. McXab, in the course of a recruiting speech at Ellerslie last week, "I would not allow one married man to go into the ranks until I was satisfied that he had made full and ample provision for his wife in case he fell, and until every c/gible single man in the counfry had offered his services."

A fire at Kewmarket on Friday morning gutted a shop, factory, and dwelling owned by the Osborne Estate aid occupied by Taylor and Co., furnituremakers. The damage to the stock is estimated at about £">00. A workman using a hammer on a vehicle Btruck a loose match and set fire to bales of flax. The flames rapidly spread, the workman having barely time to escape unlajured.

Private "Ted" Clare writes to a Waitara friend from Aotea Convalescent Home, Heliopolis, on January 18, 1916: "Too true what you say about some of the Waitara 'slackers'; it's a pity they don't give up being 'anxious to enlist' and go and do it. It makes a fellow feel right mad when he sees the number of married men coming away and all those 'single blighters' staying at home; but the day will come when they will be sorry for not responding to the call."

A collision occurred on Friday afternoon at Kirwee between, the 3,55 train from Ohristchureh and the afternoon Springfield train due in Christchurch at 6.30. The Springfield train came on against the signals and bumped into the engine of the train standing at the station. One carriage was smashed, but nobody was hurt. The engines, however, became interlocked, and a difficulty was experienced in releasing them. "What becomes of stale bread!" asked Mr. Justice Stringer of a master baker in the Arbitration Court at Auckland. The witness explained that his firm did not find much bread left on its hands. Bakers who did, however, usually disposed of it to pork butchers at halfprice. Several witnesses agreed that the public could not be persuaded nowadays to take the stale article. • Large congregations gathered at the Salvation Army for the three services yesterday in connection with the harvest festival. The hall was decorated in a most pleasing way, and there was an abundance of fruit and vegetables arranged in front of the platform. StaffCaptain Thurkettle was in charge and was assisted by Adjutant and Mrs. Home. During the day special Bible addresses were given and the hymns chosen were in keeping with the occasion. To-night the festival will be continued, and after the musical programme there will be a sale of fruit, etc.

A sacred concert in aid of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund was held in the Theatre Royal last night, when a large audience was entertained to a splendid programme. A collection was taken at the doors and produced about £ll. Musical selections were given by the Citizens' Hand and Empire Orchestra, while Miss Leatham gave an enjoyable pianoforte solo, and she had to respond to an encore. Captain Allen gave some splendid recitations, while vocal items were contributed by Mrs. Wilks and Messrs Heath, McDonald, and Day, all of whom were warmly applauded and gave encore numbors, It is proposed to arrango similar concert* for future dates.

With regard to "Three Weeks," Mrs. Klinor Glynn sought to restrain the Weston Feature Film Company from circulating a burlesque film of her novel, under the title of "Pi.m,ple's Three Weeks." For the defence it was urged that it was no infringement of copyright to caricature a serious work. Judge Younger, before whom the suit was heard, remarked: "The burlesque only exists because of its inane vulgarity. I do not think Mrs. Glynn would admit that any person who read her hook would derive much pleasure from the burlesque." The original film production of Elinor Glyn's "Three Weeks" will be shown to-night at the Theatre Royal. Seats may be reserved at Collier's.

A very enjoyable evening was passed on Saturday in the bandroom, the occasion being a presentation by members oi the Band to Mr. Cummins, who is retiring from the conduetorship. Mr. E. Whittle presided. A short toast list was gone through, and the chairman then presented Mr. Cummins with a case of-pipes, and for Mrs. Cummins a very nice jam dish. In so doing he referred to the many excellent qualities of Mr. Cummins and the esteem in which lie was held. Mr. Cummins suitably replied and thanked the Band for their presents and the chairman for his kindly sentiments. Songs were given by Messrs J. Walker, D. Hughes, Bell, P. Coleman, and instrumental items by bandsmen Mcintosh, Brooks and Coultha-rd. The singing of "Auld I.ang Syne" brought a pleasant evening to a close. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Co., Ud., have received the following telegram from their head office:— Wool sales closed firmly. Compared with February 5 sale the following were lower: Superior merino par to fi per cent., greasy, medium and inferior 7% to 10 per cent., scoured 5 to 7% per cent.; crossbred, greasy fine par to 5 per cent., medium and coarse 10 per cent.

There are no other stockings in Xew Zealand for the money to equal the two lines of pure all-wool cashmere sold at the Melbourne, Ltd., for Is 6d and Is 9d per .pair. TNso hose are guaranteed to keep, their color.*