LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A slight shock of earthquake was felt in New Plymouth about half-past ten on Saturday' morning. A cable message from New York states that Harry Thaw, who ,vas wanted by the police for flogging j. youth, and was recently reported to have out his throat with a razor in an apartment house in Philadelphia, is recovering.

"Progress" has just issued its ar.aual motor supplement, which this year is of special interest to Taranaki, inasmuch as it contains an attractively written account of a motor trip through Taranaki, profusely illustrated by views, and a map supplied by jtho New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League. The writer has a good word to say of Taranaki'a roads, excepting those around Opnnako, and speaks of New Plymouth as an ideal centre for motor trippe.'s. Ho considers Mount Eginont the chic? tourist attraction, and dilate;, upon the beauty on route to and at the Mokau;

The figures concerning the export of produce, from New Plymouth as supplied by the local Custom;, office, disclose that in 101(5 there was a decrease in the quantity of butter exported as compared with the quantity for 1015, although there was an increase in value. The figures are:—1010, butter 72,718cwt., value £533,742; 1015, butter, 7G,S6ocwt.. value ;C4G4,203. There was, however, a considerable increase in the amount and value of cheese exported the figures being:— 1016, 178,070cwt., value £009,505: 1915, 143,131ewt„ value £412,461-.

An accident of a minor nature occu---rod during the descent of Mount Egmont by of the New Plymouth Citizens' Band yesterday. A bandsman named Norman Lovell lost his footing jn the loose scoria, and rolled ,i considerable distance. He struck Us head and face against the stones, and was rendered insensible for a few moment*, .-[is companions were greatly relieved to find tnat his injuries were no worse than a blackened eye and a number of facial bruises.

The beekeepers will be busy just no.i' obtaining the main honey for the season. The honey section at the New Plymouth Winter Show will give every beekeeper a chance to show what he can do from his or her apiary, and show what Taranaki can do in fostering the honey industry. The schedule contains classes for liqTiW, granulated, and comb honey and commercial beeswax. Herrick's silver cup as a points prize, valued at five guineas, should bring good competition from beekeepers throughout Taranaki. Honey schedules from the secretary, A. L. Humphries, New Plymouth. The quarterly meeting of the Taranaki Provincial Committee of the j/.ew Zealand Society of Civil engineers will be held in the Soldiers' Club Rooms 'tomorrow (Tuesday). Engineers are attending from all parts of Taranaki. Papers on engineering matters will be discussed, and ai»isit will be made to the headwords, generating and distributing stations of the New Plymouth electrical and water supplies. ,-• " A juestion of importance to farmers living on by-roads was 'brought up at the Eltham County Council meeting on Saturday. A request was made that permission should be given to settlers to graze stock on roads to keep down growth, ft was admitted that there was a great dangei of those traversing tlu roads throwing down a or a spark starting a conflagration. Farms and stock might then be in dangei. ft was pointed out that the Council could not allow the request, as the Council would be liable in case oS accident.

in tiif. tre.iehes letter-writing is often a difficult task, and soldiers always appreciate a gift of a fountain pen. F. J Bouse and Co. invite friends and relative:- of soldiers co inspect their fine selection of Waterman, Ideal and Swan Fountain Pen..—idea! for active service letter-writing.

You drink tea because you want a delicious and refreshing beverage. Therefore, select a brand that possesses best flavor and rich refreshment—Destrt (.'old, the Queen of Teas. Buy theh !/• grade.*

Owing to his inability to procure harvesters, a Alasterton farmer ha turned sheep into a Ofl-acre paddock of oats.

'7 thins that we as a democratic rcopL sliould see that poverty is no crime," stated a Hospital Board member ai tlie Hospitals Conference. The speak.' considered that it was a very wrong tiling that a child who was born poor should have the stigma tput upon it of receiving charity until it was fourteen years of age.

'•Bad language is very common in all the cities of the Dominion. Men seem to think- that they can use filthy langui'£c in the streets, no matter how many people are present," said Mr". S. E. Meumhy, S.M.. at the Magistrate's Court in Wellington, when sentencing a returned soldier to a month's imprisonment for obscenity. "Our advices from London indicate tiiat these is going to he a boot famine." was one of the remarks made by a prominent Christchurch boot retailer when interviewed. Imported hoots, he added, were likely to bt unprocurable at any piiee, and the prophecj uttered shortly after tin war began by one connected v ith the ooot trade, that all and mindry would have to wear rubber shoes and sandals, seemed to be coming nearer and nearer realisation."

Letters received by ihn Vancouver mail from the New Zeali"-.;eTs in the trenches in France show that early in December the lads were facing the northern winter—attended i;s it is by rigours entirely novel to them—in the most eluoiful spirit. One yonr.g Aucklander writes to his relatives about ice 1-Jins thick m the trenches, and also mentions a light fall of snow on the day when he was writing, with tin prospect of more to follow. On the other hand, he states that th comfort of the troops was admirably catered for by the commissariat department, that coffee and cocoa were periodically served out to the men on duty, and that, all things considered, the fighting men were being mad as comforiable as could be expected.

It is reported from Berlin, on good authority, that the German Crown Prince

is literally furious over the disastrous setback suffered by his troops before Verdun, and that he has demanded of Ihe general staff the immediate return of the division'', which were taken from him in order to participate in the offensive egainst Roumania and for the defence of Monastir. It is stated that the Crown Prince actually wept when he heard the news of the serious reverse at Verdun —he himself was in Berlin at the tirae—and that he vowed a vow not only to reconquer al! the lost ground, hut also to take Verdun itself, or die in the atteirpt. How he feels over the latest developments at Verdun may be readily :, .iiagiiir-d. Pity ho could not be placed in a front trench.

Importers ot Japanese goods complain en occasions that promises made to them are not fulfilled and that the articles when received are not always of the specified qualities. This matte) of commercial morality was mentioned recently by the Japanese Minister for Commerce, who said that he had heard complaints from Australasia and elsewhere. Pome merchants, with an eye to immediate profits, had "deliberately exported inferior articles,'' while is was alleged against Japanese merchants that they had '■' shipped articles much inferior in quality to the samples submitted" The Minister urged the commercial men of his country to remember that if they acquired the reputation of being untrustworthy, they would have no chance at all of retaining the trade they had won during the war. The Japanese floveniment, he added, vns prepared to take steps to prevent this export of inferior and dishonestlymanufactured articles.

A letter Ims just been received by Mr. .T. Gilmoiir, from E. Roberts, of Mannifi, tlie well-known All Black-footballer, who was with the late Arthur Gilmour on Gallipoli. He says: —Onerous to a fruit, he is sorely missed by us all, and in your great bereavement you will surely find some slight eonsolat ion in the knowledge that your son died a hero and a man. During a "raid'' made by Otago Regiment in July, llllfi, upon the Gcrrians in front of Armentieres, your son' greatly distinguished himself, in that, whilst under heavy fire in No Man's Land Ik carried wounded men, man after man into safety, and when told to rttsist and take cover himself, was beard to make the remark, "Can't leave those \iounded men out there." He certainly deserved a V.C., and everybody in the regiment was very much surprised he did not receive some recognition for the absolute sheer and reckless bravery he showed that night." A discovery of moa bones has been rr.cde by Mr.E. E. Vaile, of Broadlands, Waiotapu. The bones were found in a bank of pumice soil some 7ft below the surface, and were evidently of a single specimen of the smaller species of. moa, probably the diornis didinus, and would stand between 4ft and sft in height. Although remains of moas have been discovered practically all over the North pi:d South Islands, some interest attaches to- this discovery (says the Auckland Star), because of the fact that it is believed that no previous discovery of the kind has been made within a iii-mber of miles of this particular district. The bones show Borne signs of age, and evidently a great number of years have passed since the bird wandered over the Kningaroa Plains. It is a well-known fact that tin moa became extinct in the North Island sooner than it did in the South Island-, but there is still abundant evidence that the bird was exterminated by either the Maoris or an allied race that inhabited the land before the advent of the true Maori. Proof of this is conclusive, and consists of the finding in both islands of numerous remains of moas in Maori encampments and Maori cooking-places.

Mercerised khaki handkerchiefs for boys at the front are again in full supply at' the Melbourne, Ltd., at old prices, viz., (id each. Other lines suitable for forwarding are Colonial-knitted j oeks, Is 3d and Is fid. also Vinolia shaving sticks. 9d and Is and British tooth paste, "Yardley's" at Od and Is 3d per tube.

BRITISH TYRES FOR BRITISH ROADS—WOOD-MILNE. New Zealand's roads are British roads, and yet many a, /hotorist uses imported tyres on them,' and for this there is no reason. Wood-Milne Tyres, besides being British, positively outmile nil others. Where is there another make which gives the same guarantee of 3500 miles? Selected resilient rubber and tough cotton fabric, plus special Wood-Milne vulcanising—those factors are responsible for the exceptional goodness of Wood-Milne Tyrc3. The using of foreign tyres is probably thoughtlessness—the usjng of -WoodMilnes is downright THOUGHTFULNESS. Think it over! Write for details to your garage, or N.Z. Depot, 107 Vivian Street, Wellington. ' J7

The Government valuation of wool commences at Wnitara to-day. There arc at present 1200 bales stored ready for the valuers.

The New Plymouth Borough abattoir returns for last December show that the following animal;, were slaughtered for lieal consumption:—lls cows, .nine bullocks, .14 calves, 443 sheep, 283 lambs, 110 pigs, and 10 suckers. Compared with December 1015, the figures showed a decrease of 12 cattle, six calves, 72 sheep! 83 lambs, three pigs. The revenue collected last month was £IOO lis fid. a decrease of €25 4s 9d as against the revenue for December, 1915.

The manner .n which the traffic bylaws are violated in New Plymouth demands tho unceasing vigilance Of the Thorough inspector. Some defaulters are raore persistent than others, and tho prosecutions that are set down for hearing next week will illustrate th; nature and extent of the breaches. A lorry driver was caught on January 5 committing a breach of the traffic by-laws. He was warned, but four days later was seen doing the same thing. On Saturday he committed the third breach of (he by-law within a week.

During last week Mr. A. Gray, director of the New Plymouth Technical College, met the school committees at various towns round the mountain and placed before them the Taranaki Education Bi.ard's scheme for teennical instruction. Mr. Gray visited Rahotu, Opunakc, Oaonui, and Manaia The school committees favored the scheme in every instance and undertook to do all they could to promot! the aims of the Board.