LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 January 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Wairarapa patriotic funds have now reached over JE 135,000. Advice has lieeu received that cheese Will be shipped as normi.lly. There is something in the nature of a water famine in Pa lea just now, says the local paper. A soldier on active ser. ice has sent ilie Bishop of Christclur.vh a donation ef £3OO. An application made bv the .Education Board (o the Depar! meat to sanction the establishment of a side school at Westown has been declined. The visitors at the So'd.ers' Club on .Saturday included 30 returned soldiers from Auckland, members of the stall engaged to operate (he t.ota.'isator at Stratford. Wc have received the sum of eight shillings in two postal notes marked Kltham. Would the sender please forward name so that the amount may be credited. A boy named Williai.i Phelps, of upunake, fell off his horse while riding at, Opunake yesterday, ami cut his knee severely, fie was removed to the New Plymouth hospital. I Among the visitors at the holiday attractions in Jfew Plymouth yesterday were many senior cadet.! and territorials who are taking pari- in the group ritlc shooting competition at Rewa Rewa to-day. The entries mnnbei about 200.

Sunday was ordered !<' ho a day of thanksgiving and inlerc * : ior. in cornice* t : »jn with the war. The Taranaki churches wore crowded, and the con-

gregations included manv soldiers. The services were of a special nature, and were very impressive.

At the Government, institutions where returned soldiers are kept, special provision was made Tor Christmas. At Rotorua the local Invalid Soldiers' C'l'ib made special provision for all the men there, and at Hanmei the residents of Amuri provided special entertainment for tho men, supplemented by a grant of money from the Minister of Internal Affairs jHon. G. W. Russell). Some excitement was caused in Devon street at noon on Saturday. One of the two horses attached to an express cart became frightened by an approaching tram-car and swung on to the footpath. The horse would have smashed the plate glass windows of Mr. Garnliam. jeweller, but for tin", timely action of Mr. Pentecost, tramway inspector, who deftly caught the horse and drew it into the roadway.

While one of Messrs. Sole Bros', carts, heavily laden with meat, was proceeding along Devon street on Saturday morning, the horse attached to it stumbled and became fractious. The driver, an elderly man named Hugh Hamilton, was thrown from his seat and was dragged some distance. Hp was severely shaken and suffered considerably and was removed to tho hospital. A striking and inspiring spectacle, illustrating the enthusiastic loyalty and patriotism of the people, was witnessed at Everybody's Theatre or Saturday celling. A picture shov ing the King reviewing a regiment of Canadians was screened, and the orchestra played the National Anthem. On the striking of the first- note the large audience rose as one person and stood in respectful silenc-c until the orchestra had finished. The splendid exhibition of inarching also stirred the audience to enthusiasm, and 'xarty acclamation followed the screening of the pictures.

The old var died and the new year was ushered in quietly yesterday morning. Gay and animated scenes were witnessed in the town on Saturday, and visitors wee present from. all parts of the district. Business whs unusually brisk throughout the day, and it readied its zenith on Saturday night, when Devon Street was densely thronged with people, The churches were largely atii iidod on Sunday, and midnight watches were kept in a number of them. Splendid weather prevailed yesterday. New Year's ihy, and the nuinewms holiday attraef,;ons were well patronised. The members of the 'Taranaki quota of the 24th Reinforcements will proceed i» camp bv the mail trail- this morning. The vital statistics for New Plymouth for last month, as supplied by the register. Mr. -I. S. S. Med icy. are as follows. the figures for December 191 a. being in parentheses; —Births "1 (44), deaths 12 (10), marriages X (21). The figures for the year are as follow, those for 1(115 being in parentheses:— Births i 101, a record (364). raairiagcs (10 by the registrar as compare! with 28) 10.3 (140). There were 20 death- of persons ..\er SO years of age. om being 02, anoilicr 91! and a third <lO. Tho average ago of men who married was 28. The results of the examination held L.t New Plymouth on November IS by the Associated Hoard of the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music, London, are given below-. itudimonts of music (full mark- 00. pass Ofi): Margaret T)alv. (Convent Elthaml, '.O; Ruby Herbert' (Miss I'ike, L.A.8.). OS; Erin E. McMnhon (Convent, New Plymouth). 00: Prances M. M'Kvnzic (Convent., New Plymouth). 02: Annie M. Dent (Miss Stanford, Chetwodc), 73; Viva M. Johns (Miss Stanford, Chetwodc), 70. Practical rest Its, withheld l'or completion of theory: Advanced ..rade, Margaret Daly, piano 'Sisters of Xotre Dame des ?,fissions'). 103; intermediate grade. Frances M. "M'Kenzie, i.inno (Sisters of Notre Dame des Mis- ■ ions>, 110; Viva M. Johns piano (Miss Stanford), 104; Erin M'Mahon. piano ;Sisters of Notre Dame des Missions), 104. Farmers and dairymen and others will note that a Taranaki 'Farmers' Labor Agency has been opened In New Plymouth. All those requiring labor and other assistance will do well to communicate with this agency. On page one will be found a notice giving particulars.

The Melbourne Clothing Company announce the arrival of another tine lot of ladies' white mercerised voile blouses, with veinings and embroidered collars The styles are the very latest whilst the sizes are ample fitting, the blouses having been made especially to fit Colcnial women. Special price 7s lid.