LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Sydney cable reecived last night states that nionsoonal storms and rain wore delaying telegraphic communication. Th enty-seven members of the Hawke's Bay Education Board staff have now enlisted, and four have made the supreme sacrifice. A London fable states that the clearances wine hwere effected at the bankers' clearing house last year totalled .eir>,'27.'>,o4o;ooo, an increase of £1.3G7,321,000 as compared. ,vith 11)15. The Dean of Newcastle, in a sermon, declared that the decay of pure family life is' a distinct menace to the community. Statistics showed that 43 per cent, of the marriages in the Commonwealth were forced marriages.—Cable message. Keen public interest is manifested in the local tramway returns. About £2OO per week is required to place the system on a payable basis. For the seven days up"to and including New Year's Day the takings were £347. Monday's takings amounted to CS2 1 Is Bd—the largest since the inauguration of the service. The Dominion Meteorologist reports that a small disturbance passed in the South on New Year's Day, but an extra tropical depression of considerable intensitj simultaneously developed in the North'. Both were responsible for the warm and sultry weather. The glut of cheese and butter '.. the various grading stores is (states the Star's Ararata correspondent) causing tlie- Ararata Cheese Company much concern (as it is all cheese factories), and to cope with the unprecedented situation the Ararata Cheese Company have leased the Public Hall, and are converting it into a store-room. The floor is being strengthened and the windows shaded, in order to make the best of a serious situation, and it is hoped that wlipu the pressure on the grading stores is relieved, the usual order of things will be resumed. Reference was made by the don. W. H. Herries, at the opening of the Matamata cheese factory last week (says an exchange), to the wai tax levied by the Government on butterfat. The bitterness at first shown, be said, was now passing away. The Government was faced with n very big problem, but it would endeavor to find a way out. It was pledged to endeavor to reduce the cost of living for the benefit of the whole Dominion, and when a scheme favorable .o this end was presented at a, time when butter threatened to rise to prohibitive prices, members of the Cabinet considered it would be utterly unworthy of them if they did not adopt it. Farmers might declare that it wa:-, ;: class tax. but in this he. disagreed with them, because the people who paid it received it hack again. In view of the fact that the Government got nothing out of it, it could not really be called a tax at all. Whether the Government had acted rightly or wrongly, he continued, they were determined to carry out their pledge to the people, or an export tax on all produce shipped away might be suggested. It was not, however, within the province of the Government to impose this, though =nch a course could he authorised by Parliament. The whole matter, therefore, wa? in the hands of the people's representatives. If Parliament desired that an export tax should be levied, he personally had no objection to make. While bathing on the Opunake beacn on Kew Year's Day, a Boy Scout named Robert .McMillan, of Kaponga, got into ■difficulties, and had ; narrow' escape from drowning. There was ?. combined ■bathing parade at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. As the boys entered the water .Major Sandford warned them tc keep to the centre of the bay, and close in, as with the prevailing wind there was a strong set towards the rocks. McMillan was a strong swimmer, but ventured beyond the point of safety. As j. result lie soon got into difficulties. 'The boy's plight was witnessed by the Rev. G. W. Dent and anothei gentleman:, and they .immediately went to his assistance. The would-be rescuers found themselves in trouble. Mr. Dent being buffeted against the roc , and Messrs,V. Warner and ,T, Trotte: proceeded to rescue -thorn. Mr. Warner brought- Mr. Dent and his companion -.whore, and Mr. Trotter rescued the be- .Mr. E. Marshall also rendered assist '.>. The helpers ran considerable risk, iiwing to the rough state of the sur :tnd the strong undertow. This was Mr. Trotter's sixth rescue on Opunake !i, whilst Mr. Warner had also been -stiumental in saving life there on a .irevious oecasiou. ' Delicious flavor and wonderful refresh big power are the distinctive qualities of I Desert Gold Tea. Its purity and strength , make it Tjeonomical. Superb quality at 12*. QthMi/xxhMs \ t 104 1» 84, Is Bd. 3 i

A:i.-.i..i.m.. .i>.i.ir-, t.. .... arrived litre last night. Judging from the experiences of the conductors on the local trams on Xew Year's Day, a large number of people are not aware that a tramway ticket can only lie used fot the journey on which it is issued. Many people proceeding to the Breakwater retained their tickets and handed them to tlio conductors on the return journey. They were surprised when informed that the tickets were of no use for that journey, and that it was necessary for them to buy new tickets. "A happy New Vear," was the greeting extended to lint numerous visitors ■to the Soldiers' Club on Saturday when they sat down to afternoon tea The gieeting was embossed in icing o-i the cakes that had been specially made fay members of the Women".? Patriotic League fo. the occasion The table* were gaily decorated, anil e.u-li soldier wa.s made the recipient of a khaki handkerchief, the gift of a lady friend of the elub. Chaplain-Lieut.-Colonel Kvans was present, and lie evinced a keen interest in'the welfare of Hie men. The conversation was of a cheerful na ture, and • verv pleasant time was ■spent. Did it happen at the Stratford races? "Say, doe, d'yt think wo could get that eewavd for recovering the harness tiiat bloke lost at the Taranaki races on Boxing Day?'' "Not much, old chap; the fellows left no traces." ''Tlow d'ye know there was more than one in it?" "Why. can't you -ee they took every bit. They musf have had it set, and now they're a pair of winkers to think how they snaffled the lot." "Ain't the police after thpm at all?'' "Well, they may be. 'There'- one I know who hanies tc collar them, and he'll bridle up like a horse kicking, straighten his chin-strap, and tighten his belly-band if you eh aH" him and tell him to buckle to and saddle the theft on someone. I know, for he bucks like fun and tugs at his moustache. This morning, when I says to him, 'They must he enemy aliens by the way they go for the krupper, and if it was a ';reeching of the law then there, had been :o reins to washing out their tracks." Tln.i Joe was convicted under the Small Beer Act. The Sow Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd.. Stratford report some of the prices received on behalt of clients for commandeered wools, and which appear very satisfactory to farmers and growers:-—P.M., Kohuvatahi, Wool, H'Mper lb: 0, d'olliokura. 11 >/,d; R.S., Douglas, 14% d: DP-R. Whanganiomona, 14'/.d to M%d; O-T. Toko Road. 15v4d to lti'/.d; HS-C'C, PoiK.kura. W/ S i\.