LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Kiiimata has a good record, having sent every medically lit man to the front.

Mr. 0. 11. Buckeridiic has received cable advice that the cheese market is advancing. Cheese is now quoted at 04s, as against SSs to 92s a few days ago. "Kaimaia land is the cheapest land in Taranaki ;;t present, and some of the best, too," was a remark made by a speaker at the annual meeting of the Kaimata Dairv Co.

The Tied Crovs market was open again on Saturday a.'id the sum of £l4 resulted. The committee wish to thank the children in the second and third standards at the Central School for a donation of 30.?. A communication received by the local Defence Office from Hawera states that a few more men are wanted to fill both the mounted and infantry quotas for the 20th Reinforcemei.ts, .who go into camp on Monday week, August 21.

The postal authorities advise that arrangements have been made whereby the Turkish censors will pass to prisoners letters not exceeding two pages of notepaper. Short communications are more likely to reach the addressees promptly. The Grand Jury at Wellington, in •their' presentment to the Chief Justice, .expressed the opinion' that, in addition to imprisonment, in extreme cases of sexual offences the penalty should be of such a surgical nature as would prevent the repetition of such an offence.— Pi ess message.

Mr. F. G. Brown, Government Poultry Expert, informed a* reporter in Christ(•lunch that a few years ago the various Government experimental and poultry farms dealt with no less than 15 breeds. The number was cut down to seven, and now it is intended to cut out two more and confine the work' to Black Orpingtons, White Plymouth Rocks, Brown and White Leghorns, and Minorcas. Those few lie considered were quite sufficient for all utility purposes. In ducks the only two breeds to be kept are Pekih and Indian Runners.

At yesterday's meeting of the Egmont County Council a circular letter was received from Mr. D. J. Hughes, asking the members to support the proposal to form a Taranaki head centre of the Royal Life-Saving Society by becoming members thereof. Councillors expressed their sympathy in a practical manner by each contributing the necessary membership fee of '2s Od, which, with a similar subscription from the clerk, totalled 2os, which was handed over lo the representative of the Daily Xews, who will pass it on to the secretary of the centre.

Mr. R. J. McNeill, Auroa, has received ■a letter from his son Sam, who' left with the Ttli Reinforcement*, under date May :H from "Somewhere in France," in which he says: "We are in the trenches at present and are having a pretty good time. We are living in dug-outs in the trenches, and I can tell you some of them are very comfortable. We are getting used to the roar of the guns now, but they were not too nice for a start. . . . I received my promotion to the rank of corporal yesterday." Two deaths from eercbro-spinal meningitis occurred at Trentham during the week-end. Private Cecil Houston Challis, P Company, ISth Reinforcements, died on 'Saturday. He was a single man, whose next;of-kin is Mrs. M. Challis, of Athol, near Lake Wakatipu. The body v.as sent south for interment at Athol. Private James Jensen Hemic, D Company, 18th Reinforcements, died on Sunday. His next-of-kin is Mr. 0. J. Hcnde, of Hokitika, and the deceased was a single man, 30 years of age. A military funeral will be held at Wellington toitay. Mr. J. S. Connett, president of the. Taranaki Agricultural Society, attended the annual meeting of shareholders of the Kaimata Dairy Company on Monday night, and .gave a comprehensive address on the affairs of the Society. In conclusion, he asked the suppliers to extend their support by becoming members. The chairman (Mr. Geo. Capper), in supporting the. request, paid a tribute to the energy displayed by Mr. Connett in the interests of the Society. A number of suppliers gave in their names as members, and authorised the secretary to deduct the subscription from, the December cheque. Farmers are reminded of the postponed sale of Jersey pedigree and grade liattle, on account of Mr. J. T. Belcher, which takes place in Newton, King'sStratford yards next Friday, 11th inst. There are 40 pedigree cows, heifers and bulls, and 52 grade Jersey cows, to sell without reserve. Mr. Belcher's sons have gone to the front, and owing to illhealth Mr. Belcher finds it impossible to r;arry on the dairying. The returns from the cows this season averaged £2O lis per cow, this is off grass alone, the turnip crop being a failure; otherwise Mr. Belcher estimates they would have done £2 better. Anyone wanting cows to fill up or improve their herds should not miss this sale. Being a lot to get through, the sale will start at 11 o'clock sharp.

Motorists generally have good reason to complain of the bad state of the approaches to the majority of bridges in the Egmnot County, nearly every bridge having holes at the approach that are liable to cause damage to the spring! of any cars, unless driven very carefully The matter was touched on at the last meeting of the Egmont County Council, when Cr. Dudley asked why the bridge near the Opua Road had been allowed to remain in such a state. He suggested that the foreman should be instructed to effect repairs. It was pointed out that the bridge in question was about to be renewed in concrete. It is probable that as the result of tyte discussion some improvement will be effected at the approaches to other bridges'.

In the course of his address at the iOgmont Box Company's annual meeting yesterday, the chairman (Mr. J. B. Murdoch) referred at length to matters in connection with the Company's Taurewa property, but his remarks were made strictly' "in committee." At his suggestion, before the balance-sheet was discussed, those present resolved that the Taurewa question should not be discussed in the presence of press representatives, and a special confidential meeting was therefore decided on, and was held yesterday afternoon, lasting until an advanced hour. The Eltharn Borough Council invites applications for the position of junior clerk, *<

The secretary (Mr: Hugh Bail}') of the Taranaki Farmers' Meat Company, Ltd., asks 'shareholders to produce or send to him all call notices or receipts held by them. The documents will be returned immediately after noting. For Chronic Chest Complaints, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure.

■'•lie's a dashed good little man, but lie e.ets a bit excited at times." Such was tlie chairman's eulogy of a codirector at the annual meeting of suppliers to the Kaimata Dairy Company. By some means a spool of films taught (ire from the electric apparatus in the Timaru Theatre Royal on Friday night. The spool was completely destroyed and another damaged. The fire caused some ■oxeitemen*. amongst the audience. The suppliers to the Kaimata Dairy Company on Monday evening agreed to pay a subsidy of (id per ton on the cheese output towards the salary of an |(i!»ricultural lecturer.' Mr. A. Cray, technical organiser, outlined the proposal.

"What is the status under Hie Pensions Act of New Zealanders <m H.M.S. Pyramids ?" asked Mr. C. H. Poole in the House on Saturday of the Minister of Defence. The lion'. 3. Allen stated that such sailors are in the cmploj , of the British Admiralty, and therefore, come under the British, not the New Zealand, Pensions Act.

A telegram from Thames last evening stated that Mr. Harle Giles, conciliation commissioner, presided at the inquiry inti the. miners' dispute. Mr. Lucas, rcpresentng the miners, explained the reasons for a new agrecmw.t, principally owing to the extra cost it living. They had asked for a war bonus which was not granted. Mr. Grosvenor, advocate for the employers, suggested they should adjourn till the Ohinemuri dispute was settled, and this was agreed to. The mostly friendly' relations existed between employers and the men.

A conference between the Thames county and borough councillors was held yesterday, respecting a :ewerage "heme foi the Thames. A scheme, (.resented by Mr. Hamer, engineer, was discussed, showing provision for 10,000 people, at a cost of over £OO,OOO. It was decided to obtain modified proposals from the county anl borough engineers. —Press Association.

Mr. W. R. Coleman, junr., forwards a tragic story from somewhere in France, where lie is at present doing stnlf work at Divisional Headquarters. One night, miles behind the front line of trenches, a party of soldiers, billeted in a farmhouse, were enjoying a gramophone concert. In the middle of it a 0-incb (ierman shell arrived, blew the farmhouse to bits, killed a few of the happy little party. and wounded the rest. After the hideous uproar of the explosion and wreck had died atvay, the gramaphone was heard still playing—the only unbroken thing in the'whole of that scene of horror! "I'll never forget that tune," writes Coleman; ''it was the waltz song from one of the latest musical comedies."

Every community has its petty thiefs. They rob meat safes, clothes' lines, the flower garden—in fact, nothing is too small, for theii attention. The widow and the rich man suffer alike—the sneak thief is no respector of persons. In Waita~a his depredations extend over a fairly wide area, and he generally does his job thoroughly. On Monday night last he visited the public school grounds, where the children had some very fine brocolli just coming to a head. The vegetables were to be sold to aid the patriotic funds, but the sneaker cut the taps off every one, and we suppose he has been feasting on brocolli since. He ii:is no conscience; naturally, and these lines will not trouble him, but if he would make his identity known we have authority for saying that one or two boy; of the school are prepared to make him wish for a soft chair to sit on for the next two or three weeks Mail.

Mr. Newton KingVlraws attention to the clearing sale on account of Mr. Hector Gray, to be held at Midhirst tomorrow, the 10th inst, The cows are nil young, second to fourth ealvcrs, and will all be in by the, end of this month. Air. Gray has spared no expense in putiting this herd together, and he lias a really fine lot and in tip-top condition. The farm is. leased, and everything is absolutely without reserve, as Mr. Gray iintends leaving shortly for Australia. The Melbourne Clothing Company announce that large stocks of men's and boys' tennis shirts are in hand at the following prices: Men's Horrockses' white matte tennis shirts 3s lid; boys' and youths', 2s lid; men's mercerised cotton tussore shirts, 4s lid; boys' and youths', 3s tid; men's Horrockses' mercerised repp, shirts, 4s lid; boys' and youths', 3s Cd; men's white mercerised tennis shirts, 4 S lid; boys' and youths', 3s (id. We draw special attention to the advertisement of the New Zealand Clothing Factory in this issue. The items dealt with 'arc suits, trousers, and overcoats, and the prices quoted are the lowest in Mew Zealand for such good quality lines.