LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A London cablegram states that Mrs. Astor, who is marrying Mr. W. Dick, a millionaire, is renouncing the fortune loft by her late husband. The Hawera School Committee has decided that owing to the scarcity and dcarness of paper, to recommend to the Education Board that pupils be allowed to use slates in all standards.

The National Sweet Pea Society's trophies to the value of 90 guineas hiive boon allotted to the Wairarapa this year and will be competed for in November next.—i Press Association.

Fifty-five operations were performed at the New Plymouth Hospital during the month of May. This is a record, the previous highest number during any one month being 51, in April, 1916, and January, 1915.

The Wellington police last night received word that Johan Umverrocht, a German, had committed suicide by hanging, at Wainuiomata.—Press Association.

The meet of the North Taranaki Hunt Club to-day will take place at Mr. Harper Lepper's, Lepperton. Mr. Lcpper has asked, and been granted, permission from his neighbors to allow their farms to be hunted over, and a gogi afternoon's sport should be the result. The local branch of the Wellington .Vavy League yesterday cabled £SOOO to the Navy League Emergency Committee in London, for immediate use in relieving distress among naval men's dependents at different British ports.—Press Association.

The Chief Postmaster, New Plymouth, has been instructed that newspapers, magazines, books and other printed publications, other than trade circulars, will not be forwarded through the post to neutral countries without a special permit, which will be issued by the Chief of the General Staff to newspapers and newsagents alone. At the Nelson Supreme Court yesterday, before -Mr. Justice Hosking,. a case arising out of the Annesbrook motor and train collision, in which two of the occupants of the car were killed, was concluded. Frank Rupert Hallam, the driver of the car, was standing a retrial on a charge of manslaughter. Accused was acquitted.—(Press Association.. According to the Wellington correspondent of the Wanganui Chronicle, the Government is considering the question of appointing women to the police force, in view of the special conditions brought about by the war. It is felt that there is ample scope for the employment of women in the police force. If any policewomen are appointed they will probably be employed in connection with the carrying out of certain of the war regulations. Writes a Taarnaki man from Trentliam camp:—"We are so well looked after here that there is little wo want, but vegetables of any kind in any quantity will be greatly appreciated. Many luxuries we can purchase at the camp canteen, but the splendid meat we get is not improved by the vegetables we get, which lack quantity, quality and variety, and vegetables without'these qualities have little tu commend them. Life goes on much the same from day to day, and we remain a very happy family, and all the New Plymouth boys are fit and well."

Next Saturday will be Sailors' Day, when a collection will be taken up throughout Taranaki in aid of the dependents of the sailors who died in the Jutland naval battle. In New Plymouth lady collectors, under the direction of Mrs. Dockrill, will canvass the town, and at night there will be a procession, headed by the Citizens' Band, in which the Territorials, returned troopers, Fire Brigade, Boy Scouts, and others will take part. At Ambury's corner a concert will be given from a motor lorry, and between times the ship model, now on view at the Marble Bar, will oe auctioned by Mr. L. A. Nolan. >

In the course of his remarks at the meeting of the West End Bowling Club last night, the president (Mr. F. J. Hill) referred to the want of loyalty of some of the members to their club by talking, at street corners, to members of other clubs in a disparaging way about their own green, a practice that, unintentionally, did harm. The annual meeting was the proper place to ventilate grievances. He added: "We go to the bowling green to enjoy ourselves and forget our troubles, but if wc are continually growling there is no peace for us, and, what is more, it spoils the pleasure of others." A euchre party will take place in the Rolland Hall, New Plymouth, to-night (Thursday). In yesterday's issue it was erroneously stated that the party was for Wednesday night, ''Britain Prepared" is the title given to the official Army and Navy films recently authorised by the British War Office and the Admiralty. When screened in London a month or two ago the audience, which was addressed by Mr. Balfour, First Lord of the Admiralty, included such notabilities as Lord Derby, Lord Mersey, Lord Emmott, Sir Gilbert Parker, and many members of Parliament. Never before have such films been screened nor been spoken of so much. The New Plymouth season opens at the Theatre Royal on Thursday next, June 29.

i Tlie Commonwealtli and Dominion Line's steamer Port Hardy, which arrived at Auckland last week from New York, via the Panama Canal, made a call at Piteaim Island, famous as the place where the mutineers from the man-o'-war Bounty landed. The present islanders are descended from the mutineers and Tuhitians. The Port Hardy made a short stay at Pitcairn, and the islanders came out in boats to exchange various articles for food and clothes. The captain and officers gathered together all the food and clothing that could be spared, qnd this was given to the people. Other than for the fruits and small amount of food obtainable on this isolated settlement, the people are dependent upon the vessels which call there, so that an overseas liner proved a welcome visitor. In exchange for the food and elothing the ship's officers anil crew had various souvenirs given them. The islanders make various curio 3 of coeoamit and dried leaves. With paints and brush they produce all manner of things, which are, of course, treasured as memories of a call at one of the most unusual settlements of the South Pacific Islands. The islanders sang several songs for the visitors, and when the Port Hardy sailed away, as a last appreciation, they gave three cheers for Captain Griffiths, the commander of the steamer.

There is an unusually large percentage of residents in and about Gore who are natives of Germany, or are of German parentage).nays the Dunedin Star. Most of the families and their descendants have moved into East Gore, and there must now be quite. 100 adults either natives of Germany or of German parentage residing there, ft is interesting to note that w"- of these people were, prior to the \t. roud of tlie fact that they were subj. ,> of the Kaiser, but have subsequently denied their allegiance to that much-hated monarch, and wished it be understood that they were "Poles." It is true that there are people residing in and about Gore who were born in Poland, but these have always been recognised as Poles. The older generation of Germans are looked upon as highly respectable people, and are recognised as good' citizens; but the same, unfortunately, cannot he said of many of the younger generation, who make no secret of the fact that their sympathies lie on the side of Germany in the present life-anel-death struggle. Among this generation there is a larrikin element, whose actions, to say the least of it, are not conducive to a unanimous patriotic feeling. It must not he forgotten either that four of the young men who took part in the now notorious "celebrations" are of German parentage, and their cognomens make this very apparent. The action of these young men may have been perfectly innocent, but the fact that the "celebrations" synchronised with the somewhat dispiriting news then to hand about the North Sea engagement lent credence to the supposition that the participants were paying their tribute to German prowess, and if their actions have been wrongly interpreted they have only themselves to blame. W. iH. and A. McGarry, of Eltham, advertise for lease a dairy farm of 50 acres, Btock and plant as a going concern. Farmers are advised that a shipment of the well-known Mt. Lyell superphosphate is arriving in New 'Plymouth about the middle of July. Full details will be found in our advertising columns.