LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 March 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sitting of the Arbitration Court will bo opened at tlve New Plymouth Courthouse at 10 a.m. to-morrow. Mr. Justice Stringer will preside. The first motor ship to trade between England and Australia has just completed her loading in the Port of London. She is the Kangaroo, of 4500 tons.

"It is a national necessity that large supplies of store stock should be reared in New Zealand," said the Prime Minister recently. "There is likely to be considerable difficulty in supplying the demand for store cattle in the near future, and it is the farmers' duty to rear as much stock as possible."

I A reason why ministers in German churches have made the astounding statements attributed to them regarding the war was mentioned by the Hon. IJ. G. W. Aitken at a recruiting rally in Wellington. "The German Government pays their salaries, finds them their money, and dictates to them wW th C y have got to preach to fi»> ixinnlr,"' said, and lie asked the an>n«mw u> think how they would like to have their churches run that way. Speaking of the discovery of petroleum oil in Taranaki, the Kelson Colonist of fifty years ago had the following particulars:—"We now have information that the oil has been reached, and 40 gallons have been secured. The six men have, a correspondent says, sunk a shaft tiOft deep, and have stopped, fearing that the oil, which they believe to be in large quantity below 'the crust of rocl; on which they now are, might come ont in too great quantity, and they, therefore, were about, to bore on the 20th, when the correspondent was writing. It appears that the agent and a Melbourne firm offered the successful prospectors £IO,OOO, and were refused." Several business men oi Auckland were astonished to receive, u, few days ago, payment in full in a bankrupt's estate, jnoney that they never expected to handle, in view of the fact that the bankruptcy in question dates back for about ten or twelve years. The explanation is somewhat romantic. It appears that the bankrupt's soil was killed in action at the landing on Gallipoli, and in Ilia will he provided for the payment of his father's creditors from his estate, and this has been done. The son's action is all the more noteworthy in view of the fact that, in addition to the bankrupt having gained his discharge, the debts had been wiped out by the Statute of Limitations.

! A correspondent of tlie Xew Zealand Herald makes the suggestion that New Zealand should build twenty large sailing ships at a cost of, say, a quarter of a million, and so relieve the congestion of shipping. "If the scheme is sound," he says, "the public generally and the farmer and merchants in particular, v>ould soon subscribe the necessary cash and the ships would do an Immense amount of good to everybody and earn a fabulous profit for several years to come for our wounded soldiers or any oilier worthy object, and when the time for disposal came the ships would still be a saleable asset. Auckland could soon build five or six very large vessels, 01 the whole twenty as far as that goes. Good honest work and material without elaborate finish is required, and we have everything but the canvas, copper, paint and bolts.

.An extraordinary accident occurred a few days ago on the farm of Mr. P. Trapski, Pukerau (says the Southland Times). Mr. Trapski was busily engaged carting grain from the stook for 'lacking purposes. The man in charge >f tlie .Iray who was building his load was smoking a cigarette, when suddenly -lie sheaves burst into bamcs. Immediately the alarm was raised and the eartor got off his load as quickly as possible. The horses bolted and made for 'lie stacks, the sheaves burning meanwhile and dropping off the dray. Mr. Trapski, with the aid of a fork, headed the team away from the stack, and the horses galloped alongside the fence. Here the shafter fell and the burning load of sheaves shot over the top of it. The two leaders were unyoked, and it was impossible to save the shafter, and the animal was burned to death. The dray, which was a borrowed one, was also destroyed. Practically the whole of the load of sheaves was burned, as well rp about four chains of fencing. "If we really love our country," declared the Hon. James Allen, Defence Minister, in concluding a stirring recruiting address at Wellington last week, "and if every member of the Empire loved his country, then it will mean only one thing to him—the end of the war, and the kind of end to the war that he wants." (Applause). It was only by sending the men that are required from every part of the Empire that we could win the war, added the Minister, "and if we in New Zealand fail to fulfil our obligations what a shame it will be to our country—what a shame to any part of the Empire! (Applause). ... I feel that God has given us time to get ready. Britain was certainly not ready when war broke out; and we must not lose the grip we have now got of the enemy, and we shall assuredly lose it if every part: of the Empire does not fulfil its obligations. That is our task—and may I suggest a final word—it is our privilege. (Applause). When the war is over and its history is written, and we can say that we found all the men required from us at the will of the people and not by driving men to it, we shall be satisfied we have done our duty in the best way wo could." (Loud applause), "I'll defy any man to support a wife and family of eight children on a salary of £l5O a year and live respectably, as he's supposed to do," said Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., while presiding at the 1 hearing of a judgment summons case in C'hristchurch on Saturday morning, in which the judgment creditor was a wellknown money-lender," reports the Evening News. "Here's a man," continued the S.M., "who lias got into the hands of money-lenders, and he'll probably never get out of them as long as he lives. And in addition to this he goes borrowing more money to pay a moneylender. It's like a Chinese puzzle, and it seems to me that the net result is that the man pays interest twice over." The counsel for defendant pointed out that he had already made an ofl'er for : t,he liquidation of the debt, but it had been refused, the judgment creditor asking the court to make an order for a larger weekly amount than was offered. The Magistrate remarked that it was a very unfortunate ease, as the man, who was a Government servant, would probably lose his position. "It doesn't matter whai your client thinks," he remarked to counsel for judgment creditor. "I've no time for money-lenders." According to law, said Mr. Bishop, he would have to make an order, which necessitated the payment of the debt forth- | with, in default one month's imprisoameat, \

Hawera's Wounded Soldiers Fund is now £3211. English and Australian mails, via A i ckland, will arrive in Taranaki by tonight's express. . The proceeds from the gala day recently held at the East End reserve, amounted to about £9l. The Fete of Nations, recently held at New Plymouth, is expected to produce about £l6O for the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. Applications from girls who have passed the Civil Service examinations are invited for cadetships in the Public Service. . ' Tiic Administrator at Samoa reports that the garrison health is good. Two men are urdef treatment as follows: Privates W. Finch (bronchial asthma), and J. White (phleb'tis),—Press Association. A farewell social is to be tendered by the Urenui people on Friday evening to Sergeant Bertram!, Mr. J. Bertrand and others on their final leave. An example of family patriotism. Two sons of Mr. Armstrong, traffic manager nf the railways at Wanganui, have been killed at the front. On Monday, a third son went into camp. Tin; passengers on tiie temporary tram service in New Plymouth on Monday numbered 2142, and the revenue was £l2 12s Id. Two first offenders of drunkenness appeared before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., at the Police Court yesterday. One was fined 10s and the other was convicted and discharged. The East End Bathing Reserve Committee acknowledge'with thanks a donation of £2O from his Worship the Mayor, . Mr. C. H. Burgess, towards the funds for improving the reserve. A ellington telegram suvs a statement was published Inst week that the price of corrugated iron had been raised £lO per ton at Home, but Lysaghts', Ltd., deny that any advance has taken place. i On the motion of Mr. Quilliam (Govett and Quilliam), the Supreme Court has .granted probate of the will of Ernest Robert Bishop, late of Tarurutangi, to Mr. William S. Cartwright, the executor named therein. At the Magistrate's Court vesterday, before Mr. A. Croofce, S.Vf., 'judgment was given for plaintiff in default of defendant- in the following cfises: — Edward Walsh (Mr. A. C. Lawrey) v. Harry E. .Tones, £lO (costs 23 s 6d); Taranaki Oil Lands Acquisition and Development Co., Ltd. (Mr. A. C. Lawrey) v. James Benning, £O4 lis Ad (£3 2s). The other day the chairman of the New Plymouth Patriotic Committee was accosted by a young fellow who stated he had just returned from the front and wanted financial help. He mentioned lie was a brother to a Mangorei Road settler. Mr. Wilson made enquiries of the latter and also of the Defence Department, but found they did not know him. The young man was in mufti, and it looks very much as if he was an im-postc-r, • The Union S.S. Company's Kowhai left' New Plymouth yesterday with 9740 crates of cheese for Wellington. Nine thousand crates will be transhipped to tile Home liner, Rimutaka, and the remaining 740 to the Somerset. The Kowhai's shipment of close on 10,000 crates is believed to be one of the largest cargoes of cheese that has yet left New Plymouth in one bottom. ' The cheese will make about 800 tons ship's measurement, and is valued at over £60,000. The matter of providing a club room for returned soldiers in New Plymouth was discussed at the meeting of the Patriotic- Committee. Mr. J. Clarke suggested that a room comfortably furnished, with games and reading matter, should be provided, and he consideredthe cost would not be great. Temporary arrangements have been made for soldiers at the New Plymouth Club and it was felt' that this arrangement should bo given a trial before anything else was done.

»Tha question of assisting the Stratford Soldiers' Day to be held on' Easter Monday was discussed at the meeting of the New Plymouth Patriotic Committee last night. The Stratford Committee asked that New Plymouth should not arrange any attractions on that day, and that some assistance should he rendered in the direction of sending a concert party or other entertainment to Stratford. It was pointed out that two beach picnics had been arranged to take place at New Ply mouth on Easter Monday. The matter was left in the hands of Mr. J. Clarke.

A resident of the district who travels over most parts of South Taranaki, informed a Hawera Star representative that while out in a country district he saw ragwort and burdock plants, covered with small caterpillars similar to those which had been reported from other parts of the district where ragwort was growing. Where the caterpillars had been on the plant they had eaten the bud right away, and had left the leaves stripped. It appears, however, that they do not start operations early enough, and consequently most of the damage from seeding is done previous to their appearance. A meeting of creditors in the estate of David Munro, baker, of New Plymouth, was held yesterday afternoon. The bankrupt's position showed that his .liabilities amounted to £422 19s lid, and his assets as £307 ss, In his statement, the bankrupt said he started business in November, 1911, free of debt. At first trade was not good, but it improved, and he did fairly well for the first two years. Then his health broke down and his wife had a serious illness, and he bad to employ assistance. Through this he incurred heavy expenses. The business started to go back at the time of bankrupt's illness, and it had never recovered. He attributed his present position to ill-health and having to employ assistance and pay out wages, which, on the trade lie waa doing, the business could not stand.

Marguerite Chirk has still further endeared herself to local picture patrons by her delightfully natural acting in "The Crucible," -which will be shown for the last time to-night at the Theatre Royal.

The Melbourne, Ltd., announce that they are still able to supply the following lines: —36in Longcloth 4%d yard; white voile handkerchief blouses, 3s lid; ladies' cashmere hose, Is fid and is 9d; I'louble-fronter denims, 4s Gd, and boys' tweed sport suits 10s 9d. The groat "hustle-bustle" sale at Hart's Cut-rate Stores is nearing completion, and will end on Saturday evening next, April 1. There are still heaps of bargains for thrifty shoppers, and as most lines are bound to rise sharply in price owing to the war, the present sale should be taken full advantage of. Forms of application will bo received from Mr. I). MeAUiuu, P.O. Box 82, New Plymouth, for a limited number of shares in the proposed Iron' Sand Company in Taranaki.— Advt.

KARBOL, sold In fld, H and Is fld bottles.—Sykes, Chemist.