LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

During the past twelve months buildin;,' permits to the value of £11,603 have been issued at Kltham. A number of recruits proceeded from Hawera, to the training camp on Monday to filj lip shortages in previous drafts., The men were given a hearty send-off by the Mayor, and each one was prccsnted with a kit containing sonicthing useful for camp life. St. Andrew's Presbyterian Sunday School is holding its annual picnic today at Mr. Ogle's property, Bell Block-. Mrs. T. Blanehctt. Vogeltown, who was making a splendid recovery from a serious operation performed a fortnight ago, |had the misfortune to burst a small blood-vessel on Saturday evening last, which formed a clot of blood on the brain, resulting in partial partiysis and loss of speech. Tl. is stated that there is hope of a final recovery, providing the, hemorrhage does not recur. A successful euchre party and dance was 'hold in the Kawaroa Bungalow on Tuesday evening, seventeen tables taking part in the euchre. Mrs. Pellcw secured first prize, Mrs. Aagard second prize, a 311). box of tea and a 251b. bag of flour being fir.st and second prizes. Mr. F. Hendry took the men'* first prize, a 511). box of tea; Mr, ,1, Hnr"e.y, second, 25!b. bag of flour. After supper dancing was kept going till after midnight Mr. F. Boultou supplied the music. With reference to a paragraph which appeared in yesterday's Mews relative to the price of benzine, it appear; that the price named therein must have been that ruling some time back. This is very likely to be the ease, as the paragraph was' taken from an exchange, which probably took it from an, American paper. On inquiry we find from a large importing firm that the present price is 25 cents per gallon in California, equal to 12'/.d, so that it will be seen a considerable rise has taken place, and the market is likely to go still higher. The concert to be held in the -Pukekura. Park to-night is for the benefit of the Park Board to raise funds for payment of tlie cost of electric lighting of the grounds. It was hoped that the additional lamps from the Carnngton Road entrance to the lake would be in position by to-morrow night, but the borough electrical staff are too busy with extending the electric cable to the ironsand works. The Board has given its grounds for various fetes during the first year without charge, and it is hoped that t'hw concert in aid of its own funds will be well patronised. Among |he changes in the Post and Telegraph Department provisionally approved by tl'.e IPublic Service Commissioner is the appointment of Mr. G. Kilvington, telegraphist, Hawera, to the position of postmaster at Whakatauc. Mr. Kilvington has been connected with the Hawera post and telegraph (.'nice since he entered the department as a . messenger, and (states the Star) bis numerous friends will be pleased to hear of his appointment,' well earned by his long and efficient'service as a public 1 officer. Mr. Kilvington has been intimately associated with the work of the Methodist Church in Hawera. Shortly after 2 p.m. yesterday a fire broke out in the lupins on the. sandhills at the foot of Sackville Street, Fitzroy, and, fanned by a fresh wind from the north, rapidly spread. It was ■ feared that the fire would endanger the ■' houses adjoining the lupins on Sackville and Baach Slrectts, and the alarm was given to the New Plymouth and Fitzroy ; , Fire Brigades. Several leads of .vater ■ were brought into play from both ■ streets, ami the fire was eventually ex- . tinguislied just before reaching Beach Street without any damage being done beyond the burning of about two acres ■' of lupins.

The Pukekim Piirk Board deserve Uie (hanks of the com.'ininity for installing tlii' electric light for use at concert*) r-nd on fete occasions. The Board had decided to extend the lighting from the Cirrington road entrance to the upper lake uml instructions for the work have been given but unfortunately other urgent work has occupied the electric light .-tuff rml some days must elapse before the Board's work can be undertaken. The path from the Caovington Road tntrance will be lighted by ordinary lamps. The object of the band concert this evening is to provide funds to meet the cost of electric lighting. Apart from the merits of this work the band deserve special consideration as it hsu on several occasions during the past year freely given the ground for other objects without participating in profits. The continued spell of dry weatVr, as might be expected, has had'a marked effect upon the stock market. At all recent sales tluve has been considerably less demand and a shrinkage in prices. Reports from the Manawatu district indicate similar conditions. At Mr. Newton King's Douglas Sheep Fair on Monday a dull saie is reported and at both Hawera and Stratford stock ssyles there was restricted business. "Willi n good downpour of 24 hours there would no doubt soon be a good recovery The New Zealand T,ofin and Merean--1 tile Agency Co., Ltd,, notify that their ■ Stratford Sheep Fair, which is. adveri tiscd on sale cards, for Monday, "'th . February, will be postponed until Tiu«- ' day,,6tli February, the company's iisija] ■ atkvVlav.

The Hawera County Council has again fixed Wednesday fls the statutory halfholiday for the ensuing year. A project is or. foot at Hawera to have an exhibition of British goods by the shopkeepers during the. Dominion Show Week. Die Chamber of Commerce si pports the proposals. News from Tonga reports the disappearance from the stores of a German linn of a case of rifles, which, it is understood, has caused further restrictions to be placed on the liberty of German residents. It is reported from Auckland that tiie Goveniine-it retail butchers' shops opened there recently are now being so tii'rgcly patronised that the customers line up in queues ,the same as tlicn*.iu r.rdiences when there is a special altrn..tien. At Mr. dames Campion's sale at Okirai, Fordell, last week 750 Romii-y ewes realises the extraordinary figure of £3 4s Gd a bead,- which for flosk cv.es must be a Dominion, if not. an Australasian, record. Mr. Campion's whole flock of sheep, numbering se' eval thousands, averaged well over £2 per head.

A correspondent writing from Home says that the la:est model of a wellknown Yankee mo tor-car has attached a musical box for the entertainment of passengers. The box is automatically I tit in operation as soon as 25 mile? an hour is exceeded. Included in the liu of tunes is "Nearer, my God to Thee"! Mr. ,T. E. Gavcy, of Rozcil, Te Pnpapa las received intimation from the Nov Zealand Jersey Cattle Breeders' Association. Palmerston North, that he had been awarded a g.dd medal for the semiofficial record for ids Jersey cow, which yielded fi!7lb of Luttcr-fa't last year. This cow is ;iow nine years old, and so iix, this year has txceeded its fine averago for HUG. She ivaa bred at Wlmngarei. "I think the general manager of the tramways, his staff, and the citizen'' of Wellington are to be congratulated on the present -satisfactory fiiiancial position of the tramways u'ndcnakingy' sain the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) at the last meeting of the City Council. Mr. L.ike brief!v commented on the returns from April' 1, 1016, to January 5, 1917. There had been an additional expenditure of £15,820 and yet tin- credit balance slowed a decrease of only £SO-10. The whole position was entirely satisfactory. Trachoma is to bo added to the list of diseases notifiable under the Public Health Act in New Zealand. The Minister of Public Health (Hon. G. W. Russell) staled, in th's connection, that voiy few cases of trachoma had yet been reported in New Zealand, but there was a pcssibility th.it the infection would be brought back to the country by New i Zealand soldiers from infected parts of the world. The disease is a seven affection of the eye. and its effects often include partial or total blindness. There is a curious industry carried on at Makakana, North Auckland, where shark oil is refined. The fine grade of oil produced from shark livers so closely resembles cod liver oil that it raises the suspicion whether ;nueli of the cod liver oil of commerce i* not really shark oil. The bodies of the sharks arc converted into manure, and the tail tips and tin* are exported to China, where they fetch a high price. Tn many upper-class Chinese homes the shark fin soup is of New Zealand origin. That shot delivered by the Opunake skip (Mr. DesForges) at the recent bowling tournament, when lie pulled his team out of defeat and won by one point is, says Hie local paper, the talk jof Opunake"sports. Tt is told thus: Our opponents had burned the jack and were laying .ip all round the debris, says I, now old man you must play a British shot and sco'.ch em. so t twisted o.ick myskyatika leg, put on a Jellicoe look and dipped my ensign well down, and pushed off, I drew the jack, btimucd tleir lead out and landed victory by one; a British cheer went up nn.l I was as pleased as if I had annihilated half a regiment of Germans. One of the most successful as well as being one of the most evtensive poviltrj, establishments in the Manawalu district is located at Oroua Downs. The "arm i? stocked with over 3000 head of pom try, and being run on most up-to-date l ; iies, is a good example of How this industry can be turned to very profitable account with the right management. \Vith a fixed selling price for eggs throughout the year, the owner's returns this season have averaged from £O3 to ,£IOO per month, the highest month')' receipts yet received being £1(50. In spite of the high cost of grain and feed ner.erally, the owner expects to have n turnover of £IOOO for the present action. The February issue of-"life," just t(« hand, is particularly rich in fine special articles. include a magnificent description of the oay's work of the Flying Men; a review of John Mascfwld's brilliant book, "Gallipoli"; a detailed account of the aliv.ost magic cure for burns which a French doctor has discovered, and is using in military hospitals; the business romance of Charles M. Schwab, the fanioes American steel aillimaire; and the physiognomy of modcm battle. The Departments, too, are full of just ihat information that the br.sy man desires to know and is tinabie to find out for himself, without an mi ormous amount of research. It irrghl be noted, too, that one of the finest varstories yet written has began to run serially in "Life."

The export of eggs from China ~as led to the creation of big factories at Shanghai for the sanitary treatment of tl-cte products. The Far Eastern Review states: "It may astonish the .housewife who jays 2a a dozen to know (hat eggs delivered at the doors of this plant are only 18s 9d a thousand, and that in summer the price sometimes goes down as low as twelve dozen eggs for 2s Id. And these are fresh eggs vhieh the grocers would label 'strictly fiosh eggs,' sin?e in China, a land ii'hcfo every thing is upside down to forcigr-. mi ions, the older an egg is the more va'liable it becomes, and eggs guaranteed to be at least 100 years old are seved as great delicacies at Chinese b:i; qnets, while the fresher .he egg the cheaper it is. All the processes f lirving and preservation are carried on under systems of sterilisation.' .SUNBURN Mav be classed by some as one of tnc lesser ills of life,' but to the possessor of a delicate skin :t is one of the worst modes of torture te be imagined. After p. glorious day in the surf, or a delightiu! bush picnic, the aftermath of scalding, burning face and hands and di.;tguring blisters takes away the happy memory of the day's pleasure. To minimise the after effects of sunlu-.ni, [innointing with Rexona, the Rtpn.' ' Healer, is all that '■■*. necessary, and the ■ skin, soothed and cooled by its wonder- ' fill influence, will quickly" regain its • ;vmal temporntim . and comfortable lb. , "". Rexoim, Is ; fld and ,3a, Ob-.

The scheme for providing Trentham Camp with a town clock is being proceeded with. The tower to take the : clock is being built on the Church of i Kngland Institute, immediately opposite ' headquarters. From this building the ■ clock will be visible from every quarter of the camp. While building the clock tower, extra accommodation for chapplains will be provided in the institute. It is reported that'plain-clothes police from another centre visited Palmorston on Saturday with the object of aseorti ining how, the anti-shouting regulations were being observed in the !oc;i! hotels. Their investigations, it is stntec' showed laxity in more than one instance, with the" result that there will be more hoard of the mutter at the local Magistrate's Court in the near future A simultaneous descent was made on Feilding. where it ••- understood that invitations to "have one" were also in evidence, and that prosecutions are expected to follow.

Mr. W. "D. Lysniir is of opinion that some of the financial cost of the wni should be handed down to posterity He thought that there was a danger of the New Zetland and Australian Governments taking too much money out cf the people to pay for the war. If part of the cost were handed down to pcslority, the .Governments, would, have, mere money to deal with the problems which would rise immediately the war was over. He considered that it was only right that posterity Bhould share snnie of the financial burden of the war. At the meeting cf the Ilawera Chamber of Commerce on Monday the following letter was received from Mr. E. IT. Kiley, General Manager, New Zealand Railways: "With reference to youi letter of the sth ult., urging that the tiain service between Hawera and N r cw Plymouth fho'ild be accelerated, I have thf honor to inform you that enquiries 'indicate that 'l.e present traffic is quite jii.nifTicient to warrant running purely passenger trains, which would be necessary by compliance with the request, in ite'iuiito'n to which extra goods trains would bo required to deal with the work of the present trains, jn any ease during the war any alteration in train sei vices must be in the direction of economy rather than cf extension." On the motion of Messrs. Dixon and Osborne lit wns decided to a:certain from the t*a- | flic manager when he would be next in Hawera, and that Ihree members of the council wait upon him in regard to the subject, and that the Taranaki ChamhVr be asked to support the Chamber in this matter. A eoir.nui.'ocation was also received from the Taranaki Chamber supporting the Chamber in its request io have the train services between Ilawcva and New Plymouth accelerated. The position of share-milkers with regard to the war 'was explained to the Military Service Board at Hawera yesterday" by Mr. J. L. Weir, counsel for an appellant and co-attorney for a Ngaere farmer who is now on active service. Mr. Weir said the reservist concerned in the appeal before the Board was a share-milker appointed by the attorneys to attend to the absent soldier's eon*. Counsel asekd for nn extension of lime to enable the milker to ictain his position for the remainder of the season. Mr. Weir stated in normal times the demand for share-milkers in Taranaki wns always greater than the supply, and farmers invariably showed eagerness to engage men. Since the war the position had been greatly accentuated. The question whether efforts had not been made to replace the sharemilker when he was- eatled up was as. reasonable ns the question whether the appellant had tried to get to the moon. There was no labor available, the property could not be sold for the price the "owner asked for it, and the only alternative was to allow the reservist now engaged time to complete the season. F.xtensinn of time was granted. A somewhat sensational incident took place in Evans'- Bay recently. It appears that a hoy of six named Raymond Roberts, son of Mr. Arthur Roberts, manager of the Victoria Laundry, accompanied by his riothcr and aunt (Mrs. Juriss) were spending the day in a littlecove midway between the Patent Slip and Oriental Hay. The boy went in for a swim among the rocks, and was coming out of the water when he was observed by his aunt to stager. Thinking he had merely slipped on the rock tho ladies did not take any notice of him until a shriek told them that something was amiss. Ariving on the <pot they were horified to see that the hoy had been seized by a large octopus. Then began a thrilling fight for the boy's life, the ladies pulling their utmost and the octopus determined not to let go of its victim. Finally the boy was got rut. mid bv that time several men had arrived on the seem;. One of them despatched the octopus with a sheithknife, and on being measured on the bench it was found to be nearly oitht feet from tip to tip. Had the octopus been able to get a firm grip on the rocks it is doubtful if the boy could have been' saved, and the incident should serve as a warning to others who are tempted to swim in the vicinity of rocks. Interesting information is often contained in the trade circulars sent by firms to clients in this Dominion. One has just come to hand (reports the Auckland Star) which refers to a mattei that may have considerable import in the future", namely, the probable prohibition of cxnorts of certain lines from Great Britain. The writer states: '•New Zealand merchants do not seem to realise the state of affairs here; our chief fear is that there will be a total prohibition of exports. We hear that lines arc overstocked in New Zealand, chiefly groceries, also that many firms arc quitting their stocks at less than f.o.b. prices. We wish to impress your people that we aro quite sure they will soon regret this panicky selling, and [ that the lines will turn out well before long The panic selling is particularly ', bad for all concerned. We quite understand some orders being cancelled by those holding large stocks, but this , should right itself when opinion settles '. down to a prolonged war with incicas- , ing difficulties of transit as time. <roes , are strongly held in advancing markets , for almost' everything. Hie difficulty f is in getting sufficient deliveries, and we , think it will not be long before these views prevail in New Zealand."

The Ardath Tohaeco Co., Ltd., of London, wish to draw the public's attrition to the fact that ■ in each packet of State Kxpresa 333 Cigarettes there is a war picture, and on receipt of the complete series of 50 of these the company will send a handsome volume, "Pillars of Empire." Address: The Ardath Tobacco Co., Ltd., P. 0., Box 333, Duncdin. EVERYBODY'S DRTXKIXG IT! What? GREEN. GIXfIER. A pure, wholesome and refreshing drink for sensible people. A TRIAL WILL COXVIXCK A tablespoon fill to a. large tumbler of water. .60 drinks to the bottle. 1/0 per bottle; all grocers. Or.ler to-day froiaAypur grocer 1, Yqh

A line of prime woolly lambs in the Woodville district went lately to flm freezing works at rbo satisfactory flgursi of 2Ss. The buyer estimated that- theyrj would kill somewhere between 381b t,n<l| 401b nvcrnge. An excellent record, of war service Is, held by Mr. J. Iliekus, a Maori living' at Temuka, who has five sons and four grandsons serving in'the New Forces. Of the sons, Private W. T.i Kick-its loft with the First Maori Con'tingent, Private S. P. Rickus with tua .Second Maori Force, Private S. Rickui with the Fourteenth Reinforcements,, and Private T. P. Rickus with the FiN teenth Reinforcements, and Bugler J. M, Rickus is now on final leave and leave* with the next Maori Reinforcement*. Mr. I'lickus's four grandsons left from flic North Island. Norway's merchant shipping service, with which Germany is playing havo\ is the largest if any Continental nation so far as the number of nations is concerned. IJoyd's Register prior to tlie. outbreak of war showed Norway to pin-, bpbs no fewer than 2174 merchant vos« sels, as against Germany's 210(5, Franc* being next with IS31). Britain leads tha way in all the world with 1)285, to nothing of 2063 belonging to our uc !■* cnies. It is interesting, too, to read irti the latest Panama Canal figures tha# the British w ; 3re the most frequent users) of the canal, the States second, an 4) Norway third only. A case of faint heart and fair lady took place on the beach a couplj 06 weeks ago (states the'Hawke's Bay Hsr-i aid). A lady swimmer who was soma distance out in tho surf was seized with! cramp in the legß, but had the presence cf mind to "tread water," while thrta men stood by helpless as they were un-i sble to swim. A lifebelt with a ropei attached had just been brought to thai scene of the occurrence by a sm,all boy, 1 when a passing driver pulled his horse to a standstill and rushed down tho' beach. Without waiting to divest self of his boots or clothing, the man put on the lifebelt, and started off ta the rescue. On entering the waves, lTow* over, the water entered His boot, where* upon he ran back to the beaeh, and p'ained that he had forgotten he wai » victim to heart trouble, and had A »!f» and children to support.