LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A boy named William M'Lean broke his arm at the High School on Friday through being thrown off a trolly iii the neighborhood. The sum of £2 10s has been forwarded by the Frankley Tioad school children to (he secretary of the National Service League. Councillor Medley has given notice to move at Monday's meeting of the Borough Council, that the footpath in Curno street, from Devon street to the good shed be tarred Members of the Equitable* Bnildinp Society of New Plymouth (Seconii Croup) ore notified that subscriptions "re due and payable to-day (Mon--1 day. duly 10). at the Secretary's oflice, j v urne Street, from !) a.m. to 12.30 p.m., j i p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.— j Ailvt. The Eltham County Council recently ■ decided to order owners of property to t cut hedges at the corners of cross roads, and at right angles, in order to make the corners safer for motor traffic. At Saturday's meeting the council further decided that once the owners had cut the hedges, the council would undertake their further trimming. A Tiniaru lady has rccived a letter from an English soldier, which mentions a remarkable family record. The writer, Rifleman S. C. Taylor, of the 21st London Kegimcnt, states that he has ten brothers, and all are serving with the King's Forces, and* are "doing well." The Daily Sketch recently published a picture of these 11 brothers who have given their services to the Empire, and the King has taken a personal interest in this remarkable family.

Entirely illiterate people, who are supposed to be rare in this country, sometimes appear in the Courts. One such, a carter, was prosecuted in the Auckland Magistrate's Court last week for failing to enter up his time daily in the book provided by his employer, as required by the drivers' award. lie stated that as be could neither read nor write he was unable to make the entries. At the Magistrate's suggestion the Inspector of Awards agreed to withdraw the information, and the man was advised to get his mates to enter up th-o book for him. A most interesting exhibit, in the shape of the bones of a monster fish, which, when alive, would have measured eleven feet in height, has been sent to the Christchnrch Museum by Mr. W. Traill, of Patterson's Inlet, Stewart Island. , Mr. Traill states that the fish was stranded at Stewart Island, and that though a deep-water fish, only coming up to the sunlight to bask 'in ihe warmth, no specimen has yet been found cast up which are not infested with tapeworms. Whether these were the cause of death naturalists cannot state definitely. The Xew Plymouth Hospital nurses have petitioned the Board for higher pay and improved conditions at the nurses' home. The fourth year nurses consider that £4B a year is an inadequate salary. In a report on the matter Dr. Walker advises that if the salaries paid to the staff nurses are less than at other institutions, they should be revised, and he expresses the' opinion that a new and spacious home for the nurses is an absolute necessity. Tnc house committee will consider the mattec at a special meeting to-day;. The condition of the main road near Waipuku is very bad and not a little dangerous. Several nasty holes have developed and should receive the council's prompt attention, otherwise there may be a serious accident. In wet weather, it is now practically impassable to motor traffic. A few hundred yards away is a toll-gate which the council put up to collect funds for the improvement of the main road. It is rather remarkable that at .10 time has the road in the neighborhood been so bad as now. The public have a clear case against the council for making misrepresentations to the Minister over the authorising of this particular toll-gate. The lliuvera Winter Show came to a close on Saturday, when there was again a large attendance. The show represented the high-water mark in patronage, fiuaiK'ia' result.;, and general success. Even the Palinerstoii show, draining as it does from the whole of the North Is laud, was in no way superior. One of the features that contributed largely to the success of the show was the able organisation and management, which was obvious to the most superficial observer. The executive were fortunate in having the services of gentlemen like Mr. If. A. Lennon (secretary) and Mr. ],. O. Hooker (who lias a genius for show organisation and supervision), and botli bad the hearty support and co-op-eration of the president (Mr. D. J. Goodwin). Tlie 11)10 winter show was a credit not only to them and the district, but to the whole of the Dominion, and there is little doubt but Gint. worked along the present lines, it must soon take premier place in the Dominion, and become more and more valuable to the primary producers of the province. At Saturday's meeting of the Ellham County Council, a resolution was received from the Patea County Council strongly condemning the present system of including in reinforcement drafts men of enemy parentage on either their maternal or paternal side. 'I he chairman said he would not support the resolution. Cr. McWilliams said there were men of German parentage who were absolutely loyal, and regarded Xew Zealand as their parent country. These people carried their German names with them, and if they did not. go absolutely straight, they would soon be counted out. He thought that the Government should exercise 'discrimination. (V. Tait considered that there was something to be said in favor of the resolution. Finally, the council resolved that it had e\ery confidence in the Defence Department in dealing with the matter. Messrs. Levin and Co., Ltd., have acquired the old established business of Messrs Gorton and Son, stock and station agents at Feilding, Bulls, and Hunterville. Mr. N. Gorton will remain with 'Messrs. Levin and Co., Ltd., as auctioneer.

Quc.-iionod as to I In' desirability of (he establishment of a State bakery,' a leading ChrUclmrch baker said recently lliat many master bakers would welcome such mi event. Nevertheless, it was very doubtful if a State bakery could se'll bread at the prices recommended by the oard of Trade, unless the delivery system was abolished, and everybody was compelled to call for the bread, as the) call now for their postage stamps. Many master bakers would be glad to transfei theii businesses to the State, if a fair price were paid for the effects, and to work for the State at, say, £3 l(i« weekly. They would be better oh" jhan under the present conditions. > He personally frequently worked from 14 to K> hours a day. The application of ethics to law ha? proved at times somewhat risky, even although it is alleged that the best lawyers have been distinguished by hij.li principles. When speaking of' what lie regarded as an attempt to evade the legacy duty in a case before the Appeal i Court in Wellington, the Solicitor(General observed: ''There is no reason why a person should not devise a scheme for the purpose of evading taxation, It forms one of the highest pleasures of every legal mind." and the Court, highly amused, cxpressi ,| amazement nl such a declaration coining from the SolicitorCencrul, who, seeing the double edge of i his remark, joined in the laugh, adding, "My own position, of course, excepted." For the last few days wrathful guests at a city hotel have ljecn wanting ,o know why they are charged sundry six- . pi-necs for cups of tea previously included in the ordinary tariff (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph). Why, too, they shnuM pay one shilling for a diuiinntive jug (usually called a doll's jug) of cream, formerly served as a matter of course; also, why a tray sent to a bedroom, instead of costing the usual shilling, is now charged for at the rate of two shillings. To all these iin.vious inquiries the manager is said to have replied that complaincrs have to blame the six o'clock closing of hotels; the hotels must make up for the curtailed, hours - somehow, and the only way they can do that is by passing it on to the guests. Needless io say, the guests are furious, and threaten to pack up and leave rather than put up with such charges. There was an exciting whale chase in Cook Strait a few days ago (reports the Marlborough Express). Two fast launches (one lias a speed of 24 knots) were engaged. Baklick's Sussex and Perano's Crescent dashed up from opposite directions to fire, but both gunsmen missed the whale. The Crescent's engine was put out of gear, but the Sussex came on and the launches collided, Baklick's begiimin gto fill rapidly. Messrs. Baldiek and Derbyshire sprang on board the Crescent, which, luckily, was but slightly damaged, and was thus able to buoy up the fast-tilling launch and prevent her from sinking. The Cachalot and one of the towing-boats quickly came to the rescue and towed the launches into Te Awaite.

"I think legislation will come on the question of exterminating flies, as it did in the matter of consumption," said Professor J. C. Johnson in the course of a lecture at the Levs Institute in Auckland nu "Flies in Relation to Public Health." He added that when flies were most abundant the death-rate was highest, and us the Hies fell oil* so did (he number of deaths. The co-operation of every housekeeper and others was essential for the destruction of the pest. Professor Johnson also pointed to the reduced deaths from disease on the battlefield as the result of improved sanitary conditions,, while with the absence of flies infantile paralysis in Xew Zealand had been practically stamped out As a remedy for the mosquito, of which only the female was the biter, he suggested drying up swamps or flooding the surface with kerosene. . A rather serious shortage In electrical supplies is being ovperieneed in Xew Zealand. Inquiries made by a Slav reporter show (hat the available electrical materials decreased very considerably, while there has ,beon a corresponding rise in the prices. lack of shipping and raw materials are mainly responsible for the shortage. Copper, which in normal times is valued at £4O a ton, is now GIOO, and in some cases £135 per ton. The materials essential to electrical engineering—electric wires and. cables—have almost doubled in price. It is interesting to notice that the Public Works Department is advertising for tenders for 172 miles of copper wires and cables, while at a meeting of the Mount Albeit Borough Council held the other night the Oily Council wrote stating that it could not supply electric light to (he borough owing to the price of electric cable and the difficulty in obtaining the necessary plant. . The wandering cattle nuisance is • a perennial subject of discussion at various local body meetings. It cropped up again at. the meeting of the Clifton Council yesterday*; when a letter was re. ceived from a Mangahia Road settler, who asked whether Hie resolution passed fit last Council meeting re taking pro-.-'(C(li"vs against o" ners of wandering cattle was only talk, or whether the Council w.i* :ifr;i(i to push ibices any further In the Mangahia Road, which was a blind nuid, nothing liai! reer done to show it was anything but cackle. Four horses and two cows were continually ploughing up and down, and the work the grader did had been undone. Not one of the animals belonged to a ratepayer on the road. The writer expressed the hope that the matter would be attended to at once, as the road was just like a stockyard, During the discussion, councillors mentioned that they had seen a eood number of entile feeding on different roads. The chairman slated that if surfacemen notified the Council of the slraying cattle, ihe owners would find that there was more than cackle in it. L:<tor in the meeting a report was read from the Okau surfaceman re wandering cattle, and it was resolved to institute proceedings against two offenders. Dairymen will be interested in the advertisement elsewhere from Cook and Lister dealing with cow covers. The Xew Zealand Loan and -Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd.. notify that Mr. W. Mi'skeliy's sale advertised for Wednesday, July 1-2, has been cancelled and will therefore not take place. The picture in which Miss Tittell "Briine is now appearing at the Kmpire •Picture 'Palace is a dim version of Mr. A. licrtrain's famous play, '-The Wolf Wife.*' The photo-play is given the title of "Esther Redeemed,*' and as Esther, Miss Bruno has many opportunities to display the remarkable versatility for which she was noted during her stage career throughout Australasia. All pure wool saddle trousers are becoming a rarity these days. The Melbourne announce that they have a h'\\ Roslyn make in stock at 12s I'd. Intending buyers are advised to get in early us these goods are almost unprocurable at anything like a reasonable price. \ The first of the famous "Triangle" films will be presented to-night at the Theatre Royal. This picture, which Is in six reels, occupies nearly the entire programme, It will commence at 8.30 "ism. . ]