LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlie inquest concerning the death of Frank McKeown, who died suddenly in the hospital on Sunday night, will be held at ten o'clock this morning.

A first offender of drunkenness was convicted and discharged at the Police Court yesterday on consenting to be prohibited.

The demand for workers at present throughout Southland is exceptionally keen, and in the country districts serious shortages are reported. A young lady sheep farmer in the Clifden district topped the market recently for lambs, when she turned off her complete draft at 22s per head (says the Otautau Standard). The previous record for the season at Clifden was 21s.

A boating party from Petone, whilst cruising about the Wellington Heads on Sunday, reported having seen, near to the place where the Devon was wrecked, a large cow-whale with seven y«ung ones heading for the Straits. New city markets are to be erected in Auckland at a cost of £55,000, The markets will be ready for uso i by the end of the year. The work was" authorised by the ratepayers last November and all financial arrangements are completed.

A Territorial who was charged in Masterton last week with failing to attend drill, complained that while he was prosecuted, other Territorials were permitted to absent themselves from drill in order to go out at night "with their brides."

Mr. H. G. Hill, late general manager of the Bristol and Dominions' Producers' Association, is engaged in forming a company with a capital of £20,000 amongst the fruit-growers of the Nelson district. At present the growers are considerably handicapped in the marketing of their produce. A Wisconsin "marrying magistrate," it is said, has announced ,that he means to ask every bride who comes before him if she can bake a batch of good bread. If the lady cannot answer in the affirmative, he refuses to perform the ceremony. It is not stated whether he ascertains that the bridegroom is a good provider of flour.

The high price of land in New Zealand has impressed the Hon. W. Webster, Commonwealth Postmaster-General. He said, before leaving New Zealand, that he had seen from the train agricultural land worth from £4B to £6O per acree. The holders seemed to make it pay very well, and some day later he would come here again and see h«w it wa3 done.

Proof of the European inspiration of the Bedouin movement against' Egypt was found when the enemy consulates in Salonika were raided. Among the documents found at the Austrian Consulate were fifteen hundred copies of a proclamation in Arabic to the Senussist chiefs, inciting them to a holy war. They were in a sealed parcel, addressed to the Austrian military attache at Athens. Should it ever be said that New Zealand had lagged behind in the hour of the Empire's need? Never! Enlistment was no child's game. It meant that a man was prepared to face privations, endure suffering, risk his life. But the man who did his part in the war w«uld have something to be proud of all his days; the man who could go and would not go would have a failure t» regret to the end of his life —Hon. A. L. Herdman.

The following visitors arc at present slaying at the North Egmont Hostelry: r— Mrs. Nicholson and Nurse Rountree, Mr. and Mrs. Mason, Miss Deacon, Mrs. and Master Noel Brookman, Mr. Fox, New Plymouth; Dr. and Mrs. Miramt, Lower Ilntt; Mr. Foorde and Mr. Wilson, Wellington; Mr. Amiier, Napier; Mr. and Mrs. Goodby and Miss Carr, Fcilding; Mr. and Mrs. Blackburne, Tariki; Nurse. Finn and Mr. R. McK. Morison, Stratford; Mr. Morison, Mrs. N. C, Reshworth, Miss W. Bennett, Masterton; Miss M. Hayward, Mrs. Barraud, Lower Hutt; Mrs. Wamn, Miss Hardy, Napier; Mr. Davis and Mr. Nairn, Auckland. The house Is still full, the tents being occupied, with shake-downs in the sitting-rooms.

''Theatre regulations are more stringent in some American towns than others, but I have seen nothing so bad as those in Sydney," said Mr, Ben. J, Fuller recently. He had made enquiries in the towns he visited, and, although there were always bylaws relating to the building and management of theatres, they were elastic, and if they could not be fulfilled the authorities were content to accept alternative provisions which weuld adapt a theatre to the part of the city in which it was situated. "I saw no theatre better than His Majesty's for sight and acoustic propertics," said Mr. Fuller, "but when you consider ihafc they spend as much as £200,000 in New York on one theatre, it is only natural that here we are a long way behind in ornamentation and architectural features."

One of the most remarkable features of the present campaign, said the Hon. Dr. McNab in the course of a recruiting address at Ellerslie last week, was the fact that the two generals who had conquered the largest amount of territory for Great Britain in the present war were men who had fought against us ir. the South African campaign. He proceeded to tell a little story about one of thees leaders. His authority was General Davies, who attended a conference of Imperial representatives in London during 1009, as military advisor to the Prime Minister of Now Zealand. He himself was in England at the time. A suggestion was being discussed to adopt a uniform pattern of rifle for the whole Empire. One of the delegates from South Africa readily supported the proposal, and proceeded to illustrate the advantages, which he could foresee. "During the South African war," said this officer, "a lot of your English ammunition fell into our hands, hut owing to the different pattern of our rifles we could not use it, Now, if we were using the same rifles and ammunition all the world over you sec how handy it would be." That officer, explained Dr. McNab, was General Smuts.

The last week of the Melbourne's great reduction sale is announced. Last days for print and white aprons, Is lid; 30in longcloth, 4s Cd dozen; "Flying Fox" cashmere hose, two pairs for iJs Cd; Vinolia shaving sticks, Cd; tweed sports suits, 10s M; tweed knickers, 2s lid; and dozens of other startling. bargains.

Almost every noted film production by the leading producers of recent yeara has been subjected to burlesque or travesty -of some, description by more, or less nondescript producers who cannot rely on the excellence- of their productions to secure a market. First-class film exchanges and exhibitors of any standing leave such pictures severely alone.

KARBOL, the cheapest and best germ killer, destroys bacteria.l life.—Sykes, Chemist-

Up to yesterday there bad been 85 eases of infantile paralysis i n the Waikato district. ■ '

In January last New Zealand exported 08,701) carcases of rabbits and harts, valued at £1063, as compared with 170,448 carcases, valued at £4495 for January, 1915. At the Napier Supreme Court yesterday, John Graham was found guilty of incest on a second trial, after the 'jury had disagreed at the iirst. He was sentenced to ten years' hard labor, the maximum penalty.

The high freights prevailing are hitting newspapers hard. The Sydney Daily Telegraph recently landed a shipment of paper which cost it £35 a ton, us aglinat £l2 in ordinary times. The Telegraph uses over 1000 tons a week. A Hastings telegram reports that a four-niontlis-old infant found suffering from infantile paralysis was removed from Hastings to the Napier Hospital on Saturday and dit-d on Sunday. The health inspector says it was the worst case he has had in Hawke'a Bay.

An elderly man named John Palmer, who pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault on a six-year-old child at Carterton, wan sentenced -by Judge Chapman in 'the Masterton Supreme Court yesterday to live years' hard labor.—Press Association.

Sheepskins, with wool—many of them, possibly, for use as sheepskin coats for "Tommy Atkins" "aamewhere in France"-—were exported to the number of 107,257, valued at £44,751, in January, 1018, as against .13,549, valued at £18,510; for January, 1915. A maeting of prominent townsmen was held at New Plymouth yesterday to consider ways and means of increasing the Sick and Wounded Soldiers' Found. It was decided to call a meeting of representatives from the town and district next Saturday to go further into the matter.

An Auckland telegram says that the Arbitration Court has declined to accede to the demand of the Bakers' Union for the aboliition of night work. The court, however, reserves the right ta amend the award and make special provision in regard to automatic bakeries if it should think lit after hearing further evidence on the point in other parts of tie Dominion. The question of advertising »n the tramcarg was before the Tramways Committee last night. One of the local picture companies was granted the rental of one side of the ends of the, cars for posters, whereupon a councillor asked if there would be room for the other company to advertise. "Yes, on the other side," said the Mayor. "And church services could bo placed between the tw» of them," observed «. councillor. A Press Association telegram from Christchurch states that a deputation interested in the development of the iron ores ,of Parapara and the ironsand sf Taranaki, interviewed the Hon. W. D. S. Macdonald, Minister of Mines, on Saturday, and asked for. amendments to the present law in order to give greater facilities to those engaged in establishing tlie smelting industry. The Minister said the subject was a policy matter, and he w«uld submit it to Cabinet. While trawling at Menzies Bay, Lyttelton, last Thursday morning, a fisherman named Mitchell found that a tremendeus shark had entangled itself in his nets. He contrived to land the monster on the beach. The measured length of the shark wrs 25ft, and the widest part of the girth was Iflft. The jaws showed ]t\vo imposing sets of teeth, each tooth being about li inches in length. The tail measured 3ft Gin from tip to tip. The Lyttelton Harbor Board has approved new port charges as follows: — Pilotage: Sailing vessels over 100 tons, 32d per ton inwards, 3Jd outward; steamships over 100 tons, inwards, 2Jd outwards. Port charges on all vessels within the limits of port and coasting vesels of 100 tons upwards, 3d per ten; intercolonial vessels, 3d; foreign vessels, 3d. Mr. J. J. Graham, a member, protested that the increased charges would be passed on to the working man.

The harvest festival services were continued at the Salvation Army Hall last night, when there was a large attendance. A musical programme was given in which Staff-Captain Thurkettle took a prominent part, his playing of several musical instruments being loudly applauded, and the vocalists did goed service. At the close a, sale of fruit, etc., took place and good business was done. To-night the festival will be continued, when a number nf the leading vocalists will take part in a "sympathisers' concert." The chair will be taken by Mr. E. Dockrill. A prohibited man in Carterton a few days ago secured possession of a bottle of whisky. As ho was mounting his cart to drive off home, he noticed a "man in blue" eyeing him suspiciously. How to save the whisky was the uppermost thought, and the man left his cart and dashed into a butcher's shop. The auspicious policeman followed him, but could at first find nothing. Then as the policeman turned to leave the place his eye fell on the brine tub in which the butchers pickle • their meat. Serenely bobbing about in the heavy salt water was the bottle of whisky which was promptly confiscated. The sequel was heard in the court.

Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs, publishers of the Countess of Liverpool's Gift Book, have handed her Excellency £SOO, representing the sale of about half the present edition Her Excellency Ims handed the sum to Hon. G. VV. Russell, suggesting that it be utilised for the bmefit of the sick and wounded soldiers, in additional comforts and amusements. The Minister, in conveying hi 9 heartiest thanks on behalf of the soldiers, said her wish would be given effect to, and he. would shortly submit proposals to her Excellency.— Press Association.

The pupils of the Xew Plywolith Girls' High School took up their new quarters in the racecourse buildings yesterday. The rooms in the grandstand, stewards' stand and totalisator-house are beirig used as class-rooms, and the lofty and airy interiors of these buildings make them very siutable for their new purpose, while the pleasant surroundings afford a splendid playground for the children. The Board is fortunate in securing these buildings as a temporary school, and they will meet requirements until the end of July, when the new school is expected to be completed.

Elsewhere in this issue Mr. A. B. Gibson, land ageut, Xew Plymouth, advertises 300 acres of standing bush at £S 'per acre. ■NO WAITING AT STATION. A PASSENGER'S TRIBUTE. One idvantage of the Xew Zealand Express Co.'s baggage checking system is that there is no waiving at stations labelling, claiming, and getting carriers. The company takes baggage to the station, chocks on, claims far end, delivers at once. They even issue ticket if necessary. A saving every way to get the aompftnjr to look aftjr b»«gajie,