LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 February 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

During the absence of the chairman of the County Council on business yesterday afternoon, Cr. Chrlstoffel was appointed to the chair.

The West Coast Times caustically remarks that if Mr. P. C. Webb, M.P., could do no more good in the trench than he has done in Parliament, he is better at home. ,

It was stated at the meeting of the Stratford County Council that nearly £2OOO was outstanding, in rates. ' Councillors expressed determination to collect this, one councillor remarking that if farmers could not pay now they never would.

We understand (says the Hawke's Bay Tribune) that some of the Boy Scouts are sending the following notice to their Scoutmaster: as members of tho organisation of Boy Scouts of Hastings, respectfully inform you that we do not intend to further recognise you as our Scoutmaster, or to attend while you hold youir present position. The reason we submit for this action is that we disapprove of your unwillingness to serve as a soldier [in sttcpoffc Empire."

The Tariki seliool ia holding its annual picnic at the breakwater to-day.

Mr James Hawkins has purchased the freehold of the Imperial Hotel, New Plymouth, at a substantial figure. New Zealand produce entered for export last week was valued at £710,85-, including butter £121,725, cheese £155./390, meat £97,460, and wool £280,702.

The arrivals in New Zealand last month from oversea totalled 2375, compared with 2877 a year ago. The departures were respectively 1866 and 1784.

The Bell Block school children held their annual picnic at Ngamotu yester. day. The children were conveyed to the beach by motor lorry, and spent an enjoyable time. . At the Wellington Supreme Court yesttrday, Richard Wright, a carpenter, was awarded £SOO damages against the New Zealand Shipping Company, in respect of injuries received through falling down a hold, the hatches of which were covered before he came on deck.

It is stated on what appears to be excellent authority that some of the farmers in the Kangitikei district are hording their wheat and declaring that they lie not intend to sell at the Government price, and that, in anticipation of the Government agreeing to a rise certain agents, are offering to buy cereal stocks at an advance on the statutory prices. German mines made immense profits during the year ended on June 30th last. The Gutehoffnungshutte, in Oberhausen, with a capital of £1,500,000, made a gross prolit of £1,631,000. ai compared with less than £500,000 in the previous year. The Zypen and Wissener Steel and Iron Company made a profit of £866,000 on a capital of £850,000. This was more than three times the profits of the previous year. At the meeting of tae Stratford County Council on Wednesday, the correspondence included a letter from the Wanganui Chamber, of Commerce asking the Council to appoint a delegate to attend a conference at Wanganui on Wednesday, March 7, to consider the desirability of the establishment of a hydro-eleetric scheme for this coast, and the devising of means f' • furthering this object. No action was .aken by the Council. The old motto, "Never venture, never succeed," was somewhat forcibly impressed on a number of young men at Napier, says the Herald. One young man was so confident that he was not fit for active service that he had never offered his service to the Government. A mate dialled him about this, and he decided to go up before the Military service Medical Board. He is still wondering how he passed the medical test with flying colours. Another volunteer, well known in tennis and hotkey circles, wtyv examined and "turned down" on account of heart trouble. Needless tri say, he is greatly di,appointed. A lady writing from London says: —Though we are ar. being warned that we must spend as little as possible on necessaries, and nothing at all on luxuries, shops, restaurants, theatres, and picture palaces in London are quite full. At a draper's sale in Oxford Street the police had to lino the waiting women into queues and keep order among them from soon after daybreak. Over and over again the shop had to close its doors till some of the customers inside were served and ready to go. And this particular shop deals in rather smart made-up goods only. It does not sell household necessaries, but specialises in evening and afternoon frocks, and ultra smart, though rather flimsy.

An equally good and more interesting set of figures is proved by the 'Scientific American.' "The investigations of the Intelligence Service of Great Britain ana France have shown that to date Germany alone has lost a little more than 1,500,000 dead; and, applying to this figure the low ratio of two to one for prisoners and those permanently incapacitated by wounds or sickness brings the total loss for that country to about 4,500 000. The strength of the German army is known with a fairly close accuracy to be about. 5,000,000, of which 3,750,000 are in the field and 1,250,000 m reserve. Back of this army of 5,000,000 there is absolutely nothing, for it includes two classes of young men who have been called up to the colors before their time and the last combings of these originally rejected."

An incident of the German submarine campaign and the reply of the British Navy is related by an officer of the 10th New Zealand Reinforcements. "The New Zealand transports were nearing Old England," writes the officer, "and had entered the danger zone, In the morning nothing was in sight, but at 7.30 a.m. a destroyer joined us. She had passed us during the night and picked up our other shipß, and so had to turn round and catch us up. We still went full speed, but on a zig-zag cijurse, and everything went well until about 10 a.m., when we came abreast of a largo cargo steamer that had stopped for some reason or other. Wa watched her with curioßity, and could not make out what the low-lying craft just astern of her was. We were about two miles away from this ship, and even aa we watched we were astonished to see a great spout of water rise from her forehold. Then the mysterious craft was explained—it was a German .submarine. Our destroyer immediately swerved off and made for the scene. When about three-quarters of a mile from us she opened fire on the submarine astern of the ship and on a second that appeared at the bow. She only

fired about six shots and then sped on, When she arrived at the stricken vessel she circled round, and then went off in the direction of a small sailing boat which proved to contain the crew of the ship. After taking the men on teard, she rejoined us, and her commander signalled: "I believe I have sunk both of the German submarines," and when the Navy 'believes' it has sunk a vessel it is a poor look-out for the crew of that vessel."

Messrs Cook and Lister have purchased the old established saddlery business carried on by Mr. W. M. and W. N. Perry, Brougham street, New Plymouth, arul request a continuance of patronage from old custpmers and the public generally.

Some of the famous places pictured in the big travel film at The Empire next Monday include the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island (where the immigrants land) Trinity Church, Wall-street Sub-Treas-ury (where millions in gold are stored), Stock Exchange, the Tombs (the famous city prison), Madison-square Garden (the largest hall in the city), Chas. M. Schwab's 7,000,000 dollar mansion, the Bowery (where the toughs congregate), Chinatown (a picturesque foreign scene), Coney Island and Luna Park (the famous play-ground of all America), Fiftnavenue (the fashionable shopping and, further out, residential street), St. Patrick's Cathedral (largest and most beautiful church in America), and dozens of other world fn <noiis olaeea unri institutions.

The day clases of the New Plymouth and. Hawera technical schools have opened this year under auspicious circumstances, amd the prospects of both institutions have never been brighter. Thi attendance at the New Plymouth school ia 174 and at the Hawera school 63. Tho evening elasses at both school will commence on March 6. In connection v 'Mi tihe New Plymouth school, efforts being made to arrange an adult dressmaking class, to be held between 4.1 a p.m. and 6 p.m. daily. Those desirous of joining are requested to communicate with the director, Mr. A. Gray. Tho efforts of a number of Waitara residents to raise sufficient money to establish a small technical school at Waitara are meeting with success, and it is anticipated that tho amount required will be available shortly. . Arrangements aTe well in hand for the concentration camp of the 11th (Tilyauafti) Regiment, which commences at Uciwa Rewa on Monday. Territorials who have, not attended the drills throughout' the year are expected to put in their annual training at this camp, and it is anticipated that from 150 to 200 men will bo under canvas. Lieutenant C. W. Crutch will be in command. (The camp will be removed to the Waiwakaiho showgrounds on March 8, when the remainder of the Regiment, making a total strength of COO, under (wwColonel F. J. Bellringer, will move in for their annual nine days' course of training.

A remit from Taranaki regarding military service gaye rise to considerable discussion at the annual meeting of >thfe Society of Civili Engineers in Wellington on Tuesday. The remit sugpsted, in brief, that the Government be urged to give civil engineers enlisting an opportunity of becoming commissioned or non-commissioned officers in some branch of the servico for which their professional qualifications specially suittd them. Extremely divergent views ivere expressed by members with respect to the position of civil engineers going into camp, but the remit was finally adopted in a modified form, which reads as follows:—"That in view of the early balloting of men of, the Second Division, the Defence authorities bo urged to make the best possible use of the civil engineers who shall be either balloted shall have volunteered, by giving them the opportunity of serving either as commissioned or non-commisisoned officers, or otherwise in the engineers, artillery Dr other technical branches suitable fol qualified engineers." The chairman (suggested that if a deputation waited upon the Minister and placed the matter before him, it might receive some attention.