LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Australian mails, ex Riverinn at Wellington, will ari'vc in New l'lymouth thisafternoon, thp "ilitli inst.

Yesterday was Dominion Day, Hie ninth annivuYsar.y. Tim only observation of it loe.illy was the dosing of Government offices and also tlie legal offices.

Among' other gifts recently received by Mr. W. W. Smith, curator of the Public Gardens, for beautifying p Ur poses are the fo'lowing: Garden seeds from the euratoi of the Publi« Gardens at Colombo (Ceylonj; plants and seeds from Messrs Webster Bros; native seeds per Mr. S. Percy Smith; and a parcel of native trees from an anonymous donor. Mr. Smith is advised that a package of trees and eeds l.a-. been dispatched from .Paraguay (South America) for the,park-, .•nd he hopes to receive these shortly.

Mr. W. W. Snvth, curator of Pukekura Park, reports that the Austialian bronzewing cuckoo made its first appearance this season on Sunday, although lie understands that a lady observed one of these harbingers of summer hi the gard<ns on Wcdnesuiy last. The chaffinch has also put in an appearance, ami large flocks of ''wax-eyes" are also in evidence.

"We are reaping a harvest of disgrace," said Mi'. F. T. Moore at Thursday's meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board when referring to the Board's system of keeping its motor vehicles in order. "Only recently," ho. added, "a patient died, stranded at Paekakaiiki, because our vehicle failed to be in running order," Mr. Moore agreed 'with a proposal which would allow the City Corporation to do the ambulance work.

The Tiraaru "Borough Council has a new by-law rcquirinpr motor-cars and cycles to bear two registration numbers, one in front and one behind. On Thursday one of the first prosecutions for neglect to comply with the by-law was dismissed, the 'Magistrate holding that the by-law was unreasonable and unfair t-j visitors from other districts where only one mark was -required. Xotice of appeal was given.

There is a pathetic little store attached to the gift of ,fl. for the'benefit of Belgian children, which was received by the Mayor of ChrHt.c'uiv'i on Wednesday. A little boy, three years and nine months old, in the Swimiia.ioa district, desired to g've the f.oiif.cnts of his money-box to the Belgian children. The boy was drowned on Sunliv, and a. friend of the family has carried out the little dead lad's desire with regard to his savings.

What were said to be the first prosecutions, in the Dominion under the Footwear Regulations Act came up for hearing in the Auckland Police Court on Thursday. Two. Auckland firms, Millers, Ltd., and Hallenstein Tiros., were charged with exposing for sale certain footwear composed partly of leather and partly of other materials without having a statement of such materials legibly stamped on the outer surface of such footwear. Fines of £5 were imposed in each case.

During a visit to the Ist Eastern Oene-. ill Hospital, at Cambridge, a few weeks .n"o, the King had a short talk with a Maori soldier, who is suffering from consumption. His Majesty has taken a keen interest in the Maoris since his visit to New Zealan. 1 . some years ago. The soldier eypieased regret that he was not wounded, as he feared that when he went back to New Zealand his tribe would ctaspise him. But His Majesty assured him that he ha 1 done his duty just as well as if he had been wounded. The Maori, it Is understood, was Private P. Porikapa, of the Wellington Infantry.

"Here, sir; here, sir," cried a strident voice as the name of Percy Henry Rush was called in the Auckland Police Court to answer a charge of leaving a cart without chaining the wheel. "How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?" asked the clerk of the court. "Guilty,-air," intoned the defendant. "Are yon quit:' sober?" asked the Magistrate. "Yes, sir; never been in Court before in my life," replied the defendant, "but I have been at many naval court-martials." "Well," said Mr. l'Vazer, "perhaps it's just your manner, but is it a naval custom to intone?" Defendant said he was a bottle-gatherer, and when asked why he neglected to chain the wheel., of his cart he said, "You know many a ship slips her anchor at sea." His Worship laughingly replied, 'Oh, well! The usual fee for slipping anchors at sea is ss, and» costs 75."

Details have reached London in conniction with the death of Mr. N. Piri Bntley, of MoawhaHigo and late of Tongajior'utu.' It appear? that there was a ; ; ap in the wire cntaglements before the New Zealnnd t"enelies, and a wiring party of fourteen men was sent out to repair it. , Unfortunately the Germans had observed the gap and had trained a machine gun on to it, with the resul that directly the repairs party started work a heavy five was opened on the mm. Batley'was shot'through the head and killed instantly, while four others were hit and three of them were killed. The party returned, bringing in tiro wounded. The Gtrmans kept up a cont'mious machine-gun Are on the spot where the bodio.- of the dead men lay. Ultimately, however, Mr. Batley's body Wiis brought in by Sergeant G. Courtney, who went out tliree times and searched .tne ground. The sergeant has been recommended for decoration. An officer writing from France to a friend says: "Jiatley was a fine lad and a good soldier. He is missed very much by the men of the company."

Workers' specials at .tlio Melbourne, Ltd.: Men's grey copper rivetted denims 3s lid; grey doublc-frouter denims 4s lid; bh;e or grey spring bottom pants ,"s fid; cord troiisers 5s lid; painters' o-.eralls 2s fid; painters' eoa'w, 3s Cd; all-wool knitted socks Is 3d; whipcord trousers fis 11(1; s-addle trousers 10s 3d. 12s !)d to l'Ss fld; working shirts 2s lid. 3s (Id, 3s lid, 4* lid, 5s fid; black Batteen shirts 3s lid and 4s lid.

The general annual collecting for the Salvation Array self-denial funds'is now in progress. When children call for donations donors are kindly requested to see that the collector presents the ■proper printed Salvation Army collecting card signed by the officers. Without this they have no authority to collect for the said funds.

Ask distinctly for ■ SANDER'S EUCALYPTI EXTRACT, or else you may receive one of the manv substitutes. The GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT cures colds, fevers, indigestion; prevents infectious diseases and heals ulcers, poisoned wounds, skin diseases, burns, sprains, etc. It is much more powerfully antiseptic than the common eucalyptus and doe? not depress or irritate like the latter.

Applications for shares in IheNgamotu Seaside Resort Company, Ltd., are still eoming in with a refreshing briskness, and allotment is practically assured this week

' Produce exports from the port of Wuit:ira for the week ended September 19th were: Frown mutton and otlioi meats, £23.148; hides and skins, £2117; tallow, £1320.

The secretary of the Fire Brigade desires to acknowledge receipt of a cheque foi £1(1 from the High Schools Board, in lecognition of their excellent work at (he recent lire at the Boys' High School. Major F. AY. Sandford, on behalf of llu Boy Scouts, acknowledges a donation of £1 f.-oin Mr. H. .Smart towards the purchase of n motor launch, tvhich is intended to be used as a training boat for a "sea squad" of the Scouts. "I'vf been hero live years, and I know what it, is to get a meeting," snii the Rev. A. H. Colvile at the S.P.C.A. meetin'; last night. "Any excuse seems good uiough. The mention of a meeting 'take? the shilling out of them,' and they are too tired to come."

Representatives of the Central Fire Brigade and the Hast End Club indulged in a "15-two" and euchre tournament at the Central station on . 'Friday night, the men of the hose and ladder proving ti'e better by 23 games tc I!). A very pleasant social evening was spent. In seconding the motion conveying a vote of thanks to the pr'sa, at last night's meeting of the S.P.C.A., the Rev. A. H. Colvile said: "I hope that our papers )vill condemn, and use their influence to stop, Bueh 'sports' as the running down of hares in an enclosure, and tho shooting of pigeons loosed from a trap."

Members and well-wishers of the A. and P. Society are reminded that a working bee will be held at the new Show grounds to-day, and those will be continued every ,flnc day until further notice. 'j An Australian non-eommisionod officer, Sergeant T. McGill, again reported wounded, has had a unique military experience. Shortly after war was de:lared he enlisted, going into camp at Liverpool (New South Wales). Thorp he contracted measles, and when he recovered lost the power of speech. He was accordingly sent back home to Morangareli. One day, while trying to stop sheop from rushing away, ho called out, astonished to find that his speech had returned. He immediately went into camp, .;:«i-id his own fare to Egypt, and found his battalion, with which he went through the tialiipoli campaign, receiving only one slight wound. 'He has twice been wounded in, France.

In a new book, "The Imperial Impulse," by an American writer, Samuel P. Orth, there is a remarkable testimony to • the proverbial thriftinoss of the French people. A few. years ago, s.ivs Mr. Orth, .-18,000.000 worth of bond', wore offered by the City of Paris for eiilurging the gns plant and service. Following the French custom, the bonds were offered in fraction lots, f.o that a workman or a peasant could buy half or oven a fourth of a bond. The amount Was ovcr-sub'eribi'd eighty times. This means that £0 JH.COO.OM had been in the stocking. As a deposit of 10 per cent, was required for each bond subscribed for, you have the surprising result of £23,000,001) actually deposited for the privilege of subscribing £8,000,000. 1 was told that this is not considered remarkable. Where iclse could it occur? Certainly r.ot in our' country. This year, in six months, workmen deposited '.£240,000 in the postal savings. An American rol-.ites that after the war was declared a French friend of his who owned a ehateu, yacht and automobiles could not raise a loan from any'of his acquaintances. But he got .€IOO in gold from his milkman through the intervention of his eoo\»

"I know of one-.district which sent away fifteen hundred hares for the wounded soldiers in England, and there are still hundreds of the pests running about," says "Agricola" in the Farmers' Union"'Advocate. "They are more destructive than rabbits, and more difficult i:i som? «.ays to get rid of. Orchards have been spoiled by them. They have a distinct preference for the bark of appletrees, and will pass good feed to partake of it.... <inrdens and plantations havo to be nctt,ed-in just as much as a protection against hares as against i\io-" bi(,s. In connection with the latter, there has been some systematic destruction employed everywhere, and they have bct.;i thinnod out during the winter. Those that escaped are again breeding, and young, half-grown ones may be seen i about the river-beds and plantations. 'Dry seasons favor the spread of this pest. The river-beds act as nurseries for them, the ground being loamy and easily burrowed, while the gorse and broom gives adequate shelter. A big flood would reduce them by the thousand. In some parts the Government is being askfd to do more in the direction of dogging and shoqting on Crown lands and reserves. iPoisoning effects are a world of good, but it must be followed up by other methods, as more than one or at most two poisonings a yea'r are useless. The rabbits get too cunning if fed on poisoned pollard too often."