LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Cardiff lias a family that possesses the distinction of sending away six sons to the war, writes the Daily News' correspondent.

In the Magistrate's Court yesterday, judgment for plaintiff' wag given in the undefended case J. P. Hardware Co. (Mr. T. P. Anderson) v. Alma Hy. Gilbert, a claim for £1 2s, with costs 7s. According to a cable from Melbourne the excess of births over deaths in the Commonwealth for the past quarter was 15,713, compared with 22,00!), the previous year's total. The decrease of population is due to excess emigration over immigration was B!i3. It is estimated that over '£30,000 in war loan certificates has been sold throughout the New Plymouth postal district. There is still a good Remand for certificates which will be on sale at all post offices for some time yet. Mangatoki, a very small community as far as population goes, has sent 29 men to the front. Two of these: Privates F. Swindlehurst and George Dempsky, paid the supreme penalty for King and country.

The infant child of Mr. F. S. Silcock, headmaster of the Glentunnel. School (Wanganui), met its dentil under tragic circumstances 011 Monday afternoon. Mrs. Silcock was giving the child its food in an old-fashioned feeding-bottle, but left it to feed itself for a few minutes. On returning, she found the child black in the face, it having been suffocated by the bottle slipping down its threat. Regulations under the War Regulations Act were gazetted yesterday, and come into operation on August 28. They provide against shouting in hotels, regult>to the sale of liquor to women, and aim at the suppression of prostitution. In regard to the restriction of liquor for women it is provided that 110 female shall enter or remain in a hotel tar after 0 p.m. —Press Association. A lad seventeen years of age, who was found in a baker's shop on Monday night, appeared yesterday before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., 011 a charge of being a rogue and a vagabond. Accused pleaded guilty and offered no explanation fot his conduct. The Magistrate in consideration of the. good character given to him by the witnesses and the youth of the accused, did not sentence iiiiv. to imprisonment. He entered a conviction, and ordered the boy to come up for sentence if called upon within six months. A sneeze leads to a Cough. SYKES'S CURA COUGH loads to a Cure. 1b Od, -'J. store*.

.Mails which left New Zealand on July 1.1, arrived in London on August 19; An Order-in-L'oiineil has been gazetted fixing the banks' note issue to the amount of coin, bullion and public M'ewrilies held. Mr. J. I). Rockefeller has given the Swiss authorities at Friburg 300,000 francs for the maintenance of 500 Belgian children. The Kaupokonui and Riverdale Dairy I Companies have disposed of the coming season's output to Messrs, Lonsdale and Co., on open consignment. | Taranaki's quota of the 20th ReinI foreements arrived in camp at Featherston yesterday, 20 short (15 infantry and 5 iir- 'til). The authorities are desir f filling by Monday, and ask men ible to report at once to the Dcfeiuv officers.

The attention of residents in the Kaponga district i s directed to an advertisement drawing attention to the performance by the Stratford Anzac Minstrels at the liuponga Town Hall on Thursday nc.vt. The whole of the proceeds are to be devoted to patriotic purposes. In conversation with a News' correspondent, a prominent Wanganui farmer stated that the mortality 'among lambs during the past fortnight has been the heaviest for years. In one week alone oui informant lost over three hundred lambs, and other fanners report a similar'state of things. At c. recent sitting of the commission to investigate the cost of living question. a well-known New Plymouth knight of the cleaver was asked if the present prices of meat enabled til# butchers to make a fair profit. The butcher jokingly replied that there was only one way he knew of; and that was "to givb short change and short weight!"

The Citizens' Band hold a meeting at the conclusion of practice on Monday evening. It was resolved to accept invitations to attend the Veterans Association's parade on September 10, and also to give a band recital at Mr. R. Cock's gardens, Overdale, the same afternoon, the proceeds from same to go to the Ked Cross and Wounded Soldiers' Funds. The bandsmen also unanimously confirmed Mr. McLeod'ft action in arranging for a benelt recital or promenade concert on Friday next, in aid of a book fund for the High School fund,

As a certain amount of uncertainty exists amongst Crown tenants about to enlist and Crown tenant returned soldiers in regard to their position generally about their remission of rental, etc., during their absence, Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., brought a number of cases under the notice of the Hon. Mr Massev, Minister of Lands. The following reply has been received: "Mr. I'. is the holder of a renewable lease, and enlisted for military service in 1014; he was discharged medically unfit on November, 1015. Being at Gallipoli, the Taranaki Land Board granted 12 months' exemption from residence, and also 12 months' extension of time in which to effect im-_ provements. His application for remission were granted since Mr. P. communicated with the Government. The Land Board lias granted him exemption from residence, extension of time in which to effect improvements, also the full remission of rent for the period allowed by law. He now owes for the period up to December next, and if he is unable to pay the amount due consideration will be given. Any tenant being unable to work his land from financial reasons, after giving military service, the provisions of Section 4 of the Discharged Soldiers' .Settlement Act, 1!)10, allows of advances beng made to soldiers who hold laijil prior to going to the front, and if Mr. P makes application he will doubtless receive a sum .sufficient to enable him to develop his farm."

There was some excitement in Hawera yesterday through a horse attached to a curt taking fright at a motor lorry. The horse, came down Regent Street without trouble and thence to Union Street, but when returning up this street again it took fright at a motor lorry and bolted along the thoroughfare. At a point near the Diamond Restaurant the frightened animal icrosscd over on to the footpath near the entrance to Messrs. Smith and Easton's mart, and coming with great force, collided with a couple of iron posts of the verandah of the Central Buildings. The hnpaet was severe enough to tear the posts from the sockets and to smash them into three or four pieces. The liorgc continued its course along the footpath, eventually crashing into the plate-glass window of Mr. A. C. Smith's tailoring -shop, breaking it to pieces. The career of the runaway was here momentarily checked through the collision. The horse, however, broke away from the cart, and turned oft" into High Street, and thence into one of the by-streets. The shafts of the cart were completely snapped off. The driver and another man were in the cart, hut jumped clear before the first collision with the verandah posts took place.—Star., In addition to Mrs. Nathan's recital at the Good Templar's Hall on Thursday night which in itself is sufficient to attract a large assembly, there will also be such well known and popular performers as Miss Leatham, our leading pianist; Miss Peart, whose singing is at all times of a very meritorious order; Mr. and Mrs. McDonald, both splendid vocalists; and Mr. Norman Day, who is possessed of a very fine voice. Miss Jenkins will also contribute a couple of Highland dances. The comic element will be provided by Mr. Farmer and Mr. Goldsworthy. The object is to provide Christmas Comforts for our soldiers, who arc so valiantly upholding the Empire's cause. His Worship the Mayor will preside, and the Citizens' Band will play selections near the Hall at 7.30 p.m.

At Bell Block, 011 Thursday next, Mr. Newton King is conducting a 'clearing sale, on account of Mr. Chas. Hoskin, who has let his farm and cows to sharemilkers. The principal lines to be sold are. sheep and a perusal of the sale list will show some exceptionally well-bred Engb»h Leicester. In addition to the forty stud sheep there are numerous othe!r sheep, horses, farm implements and sundries, which should make it important for all Taranaki farmers to attend. In our advertising columns, Mr. C. H. Fox, of Stratford (late of Fuller's, Christchurch), announces that he .is available with an efficient orchestra for visiting shows, concerts, dances, etc., in the Stratford district. Members of the Taranaki A. and P. Society are notified by advertisement in this issue, that a working bee to. remove cattle pens, etc., from the racecourse to the new Showgrounds, will lie held on Thursday. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., draw attention to the ■sale in their Tarata yards on Friday, 25th August. Full particulars will be found in our advertising columns, • Coughs will be common the next few months. Their life is short when you use SYKES'S OURA COUGH. 1» 6d all atnret

The characteristic feature of the Amepolitical conventions is the prolonged cheering that follows the mention of a popular candidate's name at the end of his.proposer's speech. It wa6 thought a great thing in 1802 .when the Blaine cheering lasted for as long as 25 minutes. That figure has often been surpassed since, notably in IflflS, when it took nearly 50 minutes to exhaust the enthusiasm that greeted Mr. Roosevelt's name. The time taken up. by sueli demonstrations is carefully recorded, and the friends of rival politicians do-their best to go one better. Thus at the Democratic Convention of 1004. the partisans of Judge Parker cheered him for 31 minute* by the. clock, as an answer to the 23 minutes with which Mr. Roosevelt had been honored at the Republican Convention the previous week. Nine Islanders are fatalists. There were five deaths among the, party on the voyage of the Corinth ie from England, Captain Hurt suid that one poor fellow died from pneumonia, and the morning sifter the man's brother said that he had dreamed that his dead brother had come to him and laid his hands on 'his head, which meant that he was to die. The ner.'t day the man was dead. The latter had also stated that the first man to die had "laid hands" on the heads of his own ;l#ldreu, and they would die, too. Pneumonia was the cause of the deaths on the Cofinthic. Everything was done for the islanders, but evidently they could not hold out against the sudden changes in temperature experienced during their adventure abrond.

At the inquest on Patrick Kerr, electric linesman, of the Public Works Department, who was electrocuted at Tai j Tapu, Christchurch, last week, evidence showed that he was working with a dead-line some five feet under the live cables carrying 11,000 volts. He stood, up. bringing his head "into connection with the live wire. A verdict of accidental death was returned. The Coroner added a rider "That the Public Works Department should consider the possibility of making some contrivance which would minimise the danger for men who were working near lives wires." Mr. L. Birks, Government Electrical Engineer, expressed the Department's appreciation of the plucky act of Robert Jeal, a fellow-linesman, in pulling Kerr away from the live wire. Jeal ran a considerable risk, and if the shock had not been such a severe one he would probably have saved Kerr's life. •Some advice to girls about to marry, and to their mothers, was imparted by his Honor Mr. Justice Cooper during some Divorce Court proceedings in Auckland last we.ek. "Session after session," said the Judge, "I am confronted with cases in which the husband has been a drunkard. I cannot U?lp thinking that far too much carelessness exists. on the part of parents of girls in enquiring into the previous conduct and life of the men who desire to marry them. After all," added his Honor, "marriage is supposed to be a life-long contract between man and wife, and in many instances less care is taken to as. : certain the character of a man or of a woman than if a man were buying a horse or a woman were buying a dress-. The result is that cases of desertion are continually coming before the Magistrate's Court. To my mind, the lives of far too many wives are spoiled by the drunken habits of their husbands, which must have been in existence before they were married."

Interviewed by the Gisborae Times on iiis return from Australia, Mr. T. Quirk, ivell known in timber circles, stated that N'ew Zealand white pine and rimu are finding a ready market in Australia; at present. The rimu most .saleable is that suitable for dressing. There is little demand for rough rimu. On account of the climatic conditions, rough lining and papering of dwellings is not nearly so general as in New Zealand. This is accounted for by the fact that matchlining, for which the dressed timber is required, does not afford the same harbor for insect pests that are prevalent in the warmer climate. He went on to say that one could not help being impressed with the largeness of the Australian timber trade at Sydney, where he visited one yard that covered twentyfive acres. Located on the waterfront, the vessels came right alongside and the timber was unloaded and stacked by cranes. One largo box-making company alone requires no less than 10,000,000 feet of white pine annually to fulfil its orders. The New Zealand rimu, he found, was being used mostly for.flooring and lining, the Queensland maple, several other Australian timbers, together with Japanese oak and other imported lines, being mainly used in the furniture trade.

Lieutenant A. S. Judd, brother of Mr, H. Judd, of Eltham, writing to relatives, gives an interesting description ,of Armentieres,. which lies some two miles and a-half from the firing lino, with which it is connected by a sap. The town, which originally contained about 10,000 inhabitants,. has now not a building which has not been shattered by shrapnel. It contained large cloth mills and jute, canvas and scrim factories. The two latter are now being run, entirely by female labor; the remainder and all other industries are closed. A lurge cheese factory has been transformed into a huge bath-house, and the weekly compulsory hath 'of those who are relieved in the trenches each eight cayo is obtained .here, where also clean clothes are distributed. Lieutenant Judd speaks very highly of the eomfqrts provided, and states that the soldiers here have spring mattresses and other luxuries. To pet to the firing-line it is necessary to have % guide. At the entrance to the sap a .vign pointing in opposite directions has the following notices: "To England"; "To Hell." Lieutenant Judd says that so many good thiftgs have been sent him that he* is thinking of starting ft grocer's shop. His two brothers who left each with different reinforcements! are stationed in the vicinity, and the three meet quite frequently. In this issue we advertise particulars of Mr. C. Hoskiii's clearing sale. Mr. Hoskin is selling the whole of his household furniture which is practically new and in first class order. Since the war the New Zealand market on men's underwear lias been so over-run with American and Japanese goods that it is a pleasure to announce the arrival of comprehensive stocks of English underwear at the Melbourne, Ltd. A tig shipment just landed, ex Eotorua, comprises all grades of Shetland and natural merino pants and shirts from Is lid and natural pants and shirts from 4s lid.