LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 March 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Two prcdigrce Aberdeen-Angus bulls imported by Williams and Kettle.Ltd., of Napier, havp arrived in New Zealano Tliey were bred by Mr Cridlaw, Leicester England, and were valued at £BOO. The annual school, and settlers' picnic at Te Boti took place on Friday, when there was a good attendance and a comprehensive sports programme, for which substantial prizes were provided. A social took place, in the evening. The Hon, 0. W. Ilussell stated yesterday that he had noticed in various papers an announcement that an actingleader of flic Liberal 'Party had been appointed. This, he said, was incorrect, as no such appointment bad been made. —■Press Association. The national shortage for the 20th reinforcements, which will be mobilised in May, is 1501. A ballot for 4503 names is now proceeding. The Bay of Plenty escapes the ballot fop the third time. North Canterbury has failed to supply one voluntary recruit.—Press Association. The, first Wellington Medical Board— Lieutenant-Colonels P. A. Lindsay and E. Jennings, examining officers, anil Captain T. Casserley, attesting ollicer—examined recruits at the Drill Hall on Saturday. Seventy-six were examined, •14 being passed as fit, 28 classed for home service, and 14 were rejected as unfit. "The people of Rotorua have for many years been dependant for their living almost exclusively, on the tourist traffic,"remarks the local paper. "Now that the Thermal Springs Act has been lifted, the prospect of agricultural industry has been opened up. Very soon we shall be an important farming district." Mr. Henry Soffc, who was farewellcd amongst others of the March reinforcements at social at Waitara on Thursday evening, is the fifth and last son of Mr. and Mrs. .T. Soffe available for the firing line. Four of the brothers are trained soldiers, three of them having been wounded—one at Gallipoli and two in France. The total areas for threshing of the various grain and pulse crops in the Dominion are stated in the census returns as follows:---Wheat,320,"08 acres; oats, 213,883; barley, 30,435; maize 8104 peas and beans, 9359; other crops, 1874. For chaff hay or ensilage, the totals are; —Wheat, 0237 acres; oats, 4.31,575; barley, 2000; maize, 032. The total area in hops is 741 acres. During last week-end, members of the first Wellington Medical Board visited the Mountain House. lieutenant-Colonel P. A. Lindsay, medical officer, Captain T. Caserlev, attesting officer, Mr. and Miss Corcoran, Mrs. McLean and Miss Nolan, who were not accompanied by a guide, climbed to the summit. The trip, which was a most enjoyable one, was done in good time, and a splendid view was obtained from the top. A meeting of representatives of school committees was held in the Technical College last evening, and the candidature for the forthcoming election of a- member of the Education Board was discussed. It waa resolved not to support any particular candidate, but to allow the >-arions committees to decide for themselves. Last evening the staff of the Technical College .were busy enrolling students for the forthcoming evening session. Parents of young people between the ages of fourteen and seventeen are reminded that arrangements for classes should be made iu't later than this evening. It is understood that the compulsory attendance clause will be strictly enforced this year. The Hawera Catholic Chnrc-ji on Sunday evening unanimously passed a resolution that, while thoroughly sympathising with the desires of the Government to prosecute the war with all legitimate vigor, respectfully but emphatically protests against the law which enforces conscription upon the clergy and ecclesiastical students.—'Press Association. By inndvertence, a postscript that was intended to lie placed under the letter of ''Protest," which appeared in yesterday's issue, appeared under the letter of "Spade. *' The error arose through the postscript being sent subsequent to the letter. Three candidates liave been nominated to fill the vacancy on the Taranaki Education Board caused by the resignation of tho Rev. A. B. Chappell. The nominations, which closed yesterday, are as follows:—Thomas Reginald Ford, Waitara; John Raiulels Rowlands, Kent Rd; Percy .Tas. White, Xew 'Plymouth. March 20 is the date appointed for the return of tile ballot papers by the school committees, but the announcement of the result will not be made till some time later. Replying to representations by the Catholic Federation, advocating that children of Catholic soldiers should be entitled to benefit from the proposed State bursaries, the Minister of Education states that it is not intended to discriminate in any way between beneficiaries on the grounds of the religious convictions of parems, but the place of tenure must necessarily be a school or other institution of a public character at which, under the existing regulations, fifcc places,may be held—Press Association. Discussion took place at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki County Council concerning the state of several bridges in the county. The chairman (Mr J. S. Connett/ said the chain bridge, .]unction Road, was not strong enough for present day traffic, and the council should consider the question of renewing it as soon as finances permitted. With regard to Whiskey Bridge, Egmont Village, members described the structure as an eyesore. It was very narrow and the traffic warranted a new concrete bridge. Ail were of opinion that it would be a waste of nionc-y to repair the present structure. The council's engineers, Messrs Slad-jen and Palmer, were instructed to draw plans for a concrete bridge with a 20-ft roadway. It was also resolved to secure plans and an estimate of the cost of building a bridge -across the Mangawarawara stream at Hill Roau Mr. A. De Bavay, the eminent analytical chemist of Melbourne, testified at the Supreme Court of Victoria that SANDER'S EUCALYPTI EXTRACT compares with other eucalyptus products like well-refined and matured brandy compares with raw spirit. By insisting on the GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT you will get t;,e advantage of quality and will be safe from harm* SANDER'S EXTRACT, (

A press wire from Wellington states that the Imperial authorities have Informed the Government that permits may be issued to women travelling to American and Pacific ports and South Africa, but that they .will not be allowed to proceed to the Atlantic danger zone. One night recently a tramcar which had been drawn up in front of the United Service Hotel, Christehurch, was seen to have the iron work of part of the fore-cariage red hot, owing, it is thought to some short circut in tllo motor. The flooring caught fire, and as the efforts of the men with buckets of water were not enough to put .the fire out, the brigade was rung up, and the chemical engine, which was brought into play, soon extinguished the blaze. At a meeting of dairy companies at Woodville recently, one speaker assured the meeting that there was only one way that cheese companies could get a square deal from the Government, and that was by taking political action. Pressed to explain further, he said his idea was to get at least two cheese factory directors on the Ministry. If this were done he was sure these gentlemen would be able to tell their colleagues in the Cabinet, "something about dairy farming." Hie Public Health Department is issuing a circular to the hospitals, sanatoria and convalescent homes, both civil and military, throughout the Dominion, calling attention to the very good results obtained by a method of treatment adopted by Dr Herbert (the medical officer in charge of the Rotorua Sanatorium for Sick and Wounded Soldiers) to assist soldiers who have been paralysed to regain the use of their limbs. The treatment follows somewhat on the lines of that adopted in cases of infantile paralysis. Strong rubber bands art so adjusted as to prevent .stretching of the muscles while at the same time allowing the free use of the paralysed limbs. The treatment has already proved most beneficial, and Dr Herbert has furnished a valuable report of the subject, illustrated by a fine series of photographs, showing tiie various methods of adjusting the rubber band to different- limbs. . In the case hoard in the Eltham Magistrates Court in which Emma May (Mr. Weir) claimed irom Thomas Casey (Mr. O'Dea) the sum of £3 i-is Od, the value of a totalisator ticket on the racehorse Munjition, which won at Waverley on October 23, 1010, the Magistrate delivered judgment as follows:—"The evidence adduced by the defendent exonerates him from blame in the matter. I think it probable that the plantiff in a momentary excitement gave the ticket to a man she believed to be the defendant, but she was mistaken. Ido not think the plantiff wilfully made a false charge against the defendant. int. case is "a striking illustration of the danger that is sometimes concealed in human testimony." Judgment for defendant with costs was therefore given. How easily medical quacks may practice on the minds and pockets of some aged people is illustrated by an old Wellington resident's recent experience with one. Old people frequently fail to realise that the failure of some of their senses is due to causes that go with old age, and, having the means, they are easily led to believe the most nonsensical rubbish. One old gentleman vsitcd a quack, was positively assured that he could be cured, and after paying a sum approximating £4O in cash, tho fakir actually signed an agreement promising a complete cure in eight een months. When the relatives heard of this they sought the assistance of a lawyer, who at once called on the quack and insisted on the repayment of the money. The lawyer was politely received, and without protesting in any way, the quack at once returned the money, whereupon the legal action which should have followed was dropped. "Look at Sweden, at Norway, look at Denmark, look at Holland, look at Belgium—five small kngdoms, every one of them outraged by German power, whose fate, if Germany should succeed in this war, would not be difficult to foresee," said Lord Rosebery in a recent speech at Edinburgh. "We are fighting for Norway, cruelly outraged at this moment with the massacre of her merchant seamen, unrelentlessly pursued on the high seas. We are fighting for Sweden, who at any moment may find herself in the same position. We are fighting for every neutral nation and we are fighting for one which is not weak, the United States for if we are vanquished in the war, which Heaven forbid, the United States .Mould be the next to suffer from the aggressive and unscrupulous power of Prussia." While the first express was running south from Dunedin to Invercargill the other day (says the Ensign), it pulled lip near Clinton somewhat to the astoninshuient of the passengers, but their bewilderment gave way to amusement when they saw the fireman running back to pull an inebriated man out of a pool of water. This individual had apparently mistaken day for night and gone to sleep alongside the permanent way, and the thundering by of the engine caused him to roll do'ww the em haikini-nt into a deep pool. The engine driver considerately stopped the train and the fireman ran back on his errand of mercy, and the rescue of the "bather" was accomplished with much gurgling and pulling. Then tlie train resumed its interrupted run, and the passengers sank back into their seats happy in the knowledge that probable tragedy had turned into comedy. The public are again reminded that the Melbourne, Ltd.'s, great stocktaking sale ends on Saturday, 10th Inst. For the final week of sale many lines of goods have been still further 'reduced in order to effect a final clearance before inventorying.