LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 March 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the sitting of the Military Service Board at Rotorua yesterday, fiftefii appeals were presented. Two of the appellants were exempted, and several cases were adjourned to various dates. —Press Association.

During the last week four firemen deserted oil' a Home liner lying in the Waitara roadstead. One of them was arrested by Constable La Pouple in tluWaitara district, and was remnnded to appear at Wellington on Friday. It may perhaps not be amiss to state that anyone assisting or employing these men is liable to a penalty under the War Regulations. At last night's meeting of 1 the Patriotic Committee, Mr. J. R. Hill reported that at present there were five wounded returned soldiers in the New Plymouth hospital. The chairman stated that a record should be kept of all men leaving the hospital, as it was after they left that institution that they required most attention by the committee.

It is reported that thfe white pine firm.-: who have been supplying dairy factory companies with cheese and butter boxes that they intend advancing the price either a penny or a penny halfpenny per box in the immediate future. The war has taken a large number of men from these sawmills, and the output has been seriously curtailed. —Eltham Argus, ' The usual weekly sitting of the Magistrate's Court wa3 held yesterday, Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., presiding. From the array of legal talent assembled a lengthy sitting was expected, but, on the contrary, it was a particularly brief one, only lasting ten minutes, all the cases being settled out of court, adjourned or struck out. By the last steamer to arrive at Auckland there were several animals consigned to the Dominion breeders. The bull calf named Canadian is to go to Mr. Chas. Goodson, the well-known breeder of Hawora. The bull was shipped at the other end by Mr. J. A. Perree, of Jersey. There is also a border Leicester ram, and at the comnienccjnent of the voyage there were three ewes, but one gave birth to a young one on the way and then died. The sea-born animal is quite strong. The ram and ewes are for Timaru. Three Colfie dogs arrived bv the same steamer. They are for Mr. Lilicc, of Southland.

The matter of the Anzac Day celebrations came before the New Plymouth Patriotic Committee last when an interim report from the committee set up to make the necessary arrangements was received. It was stated that (he committee at first favored the celebrations iu Pukekma Park if fine, or in Coronation Hall if the weather conditions were unfavorable. Mr. I'aton, who made the report, stated that the committee had been approached by several who asked that the celebration should be held indoors, and as the weather was so uncertain at that time of the year, he thought that it might be advisable to hold it in the Coronation Hall. This would obviate the necessity of preparing two places. A letter was received from Major Cox, stating that the Hall would be available. The matter was finally left in the hands of the Anzac Committee, with power to act.

Pupils of the Frnnklcy Road school were very successful at the Jersey cmv judging competition held at the Taranaki Agricultural Society's recent autumn show, no less than four of the ; prizes going to the school —a very meritorious performance. On Monday afternoon Messrs W. P. Okcv, acting secretary to the society, and 11. G. Sergei (agricultural instructor at the Technical school), who was mainly responsible for the competition, visited tho school and presented the prizes as follows: R. Bendall 1, R. Hawke 2, L. Allen <!, D. Ballantyne 5. In making the presentation, Mr. 11. G. Sergei congratulated the boys and the headmaster of the school (Mr. T. B. Winfiold) on the success achieved.

Attention is called to an advertisement in another column of a sale by Mr. C. E. Gaustad at Waitara on Thursday of some, choice pedigree Jersey cows and household furniture on account of Mrs. H. Oossar, who ia leaving the district.

Tho Newcastle Evening Mail lias suspended publication for the duration of the war, owing to paper restrictions, and the cost and scarcity of labor.

It is freely stated in Greymouth (according to the Star) that one or two small parties of Reservists, drawn in recent ballots, have proceeded to isolated portions of the Grey district there to hide with a view of evadiing service with the New Zealand expeditionary Forces.

It has been learned, says the Melbourne Argus, that Captain von Muller, of the cruiser Emden. was borne in Queensland, where his father owned a selection between Brisbane and Sandgate. He was educated at the State school at Sandgate—a fact which probably accounts for his command of u-e English language, which had been freely remarked upon.

Dimedin is shortly to receive aNordenfeklt gun captured by an Otago, battalion under circumstances that make it specially fitted that it should be treasured by the city in. memory of the deeds of her brave son 3. The Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) has been informed by Major-General Sir Alfred Robin that the gun is being sent, but so far no particulars as to how it was captured have come to hand.

"My client wants a divorce as quickly as she can possibly get it," stated counsel at a Chamber sitting of the Supreme Court in Wellington, "She wants to marry a soldier, and she is afraid he will be sent away before the proceedings are completed." A smile went round the Court, and in view of the fact that the case cannot be heard before the May sessions, the client's chance of success was not regarded very favourably.

If expenditure of money is any test, America eau certainly claim the credit of being- the musical country. According to an estimate compiled some time ago by an expert, the United, States spends no less than £120,000,000 on music every year. This is three times as much as the same country spends on its army and navy, while "musical Germany," it is pointed out, spends ten times as much on its army and navy as on its music.

Thirty-one applications have been received by the Taranaki Education Board for the position as headmaster of the Central school, renderail vacant by the resignation of Mr. H. Dcmpsey, who as shortly retiring on superannuation. In addition to several Taranaki teachers, applications have been received from all parts of the North Island and from the South Island. The appointment will be one of the questions before the board at its meeting to-day.

Writing to a member of the Southland Times literary start from France on January. oth, Major T. M. Wilkes says:—"Bishop Cleary is with us, and he is great—always' round the lines amongst the men, no matter what <s 'coining over.' He is a real sport, ami liked by all, A soldier was killed alongside him the other day, and the Bishop himself was knocked over by the force of the debris thrown up by the 5.9 shed, but otherwise uninjured. He tended the dying man, who was fortunately unconscious. Many would have been finished Willi the lines after that; but not so the Bishop. He continues to go round, and no • amount of 'Bothe persuasion' puts him off his rounds; in fact he goes where there is most of that commodity because lie seems to think he is most needed there."

At the court house, New Plymor.t'i Mr., A. Crooke, S.M., registrar cf tiK Supreme Court, heard a petition by C. Ludwig Kasphr, formerly of Eltliam. hotel proprietor (Mr. Stewart, Eltham), to have Henry David Cameron Simscn and Thomas Cyril Cameron Simson.- trading in a partnership as Simson Bros, fanners, of Whi'iuiakura, adjudged bankmpt, on ,v judgment obtained in the Magistrate's Court, Pates, for £SC l(!d, to which ft return of nulla bona was made in distress. Mr. Fleming, Pateappeared for defendants. Evidence w;; given by petitioner and Mr Stewart (McYeagh, Morrison and SteAvart) in support, and by one of the debtors (th'j ntlier brother being at present- in camp) and Mr. Fleming. The matter was ultimately. adjourned sine die, to be brought up again by the petitioning creditor, on ■riving seven days' notice to defendants, who undertake not to draw, in the meantime, any supplementary payments from Mie Whenuakura Dairy Company.

On Friday last a meeting of great importance was held at the Arawhata factory and a very large attendance of settlers were present (says the Opunake Times}. For a number of years the country between the Oaonui river and the To Namu river has suffered severely from drought each summer, and this meeting was. called to ?ee if. something could be done to mitigate this. A echeine was put forward which, briefly, was that the Oaonui river should be dammed up some six or seven miles from its mouth, and thus the water would be forced to overflow and run through the natural courses and drains to the sea, and the properties of the Opua and Arawhata roads would then be assured of a constant supply of water all the year round. A number of those interested visited the site of the proposed works and are of opinion that (lie scheme can. be easily carried out. A committee of practical men was set up to take the matter in hand, and get a surveyor to inspect, report and give estimates for the proposed wol'ks. This is not a new idea by any means. Some twenty years ago ive understand a similar scheme was on foot, but came to 110111111''. Now, however, the work is not only a convenience, but an absolute necessity. The settlors interested hope to have the scheme, in full working order by next slimmer if all goes well and 110 legal pitfalls are met with. The proposal, wo believe, is the first of its kind to bo made in 'fl»ranaki under the Drainage Act.

At the garden party to Tie held in Mrs, Roy's grounds on Friday afternoon in nid of St. Stan's.Sunday School building fund, sweet psa and other flower seeds may be bought. The sweet peas include iuit only mixtures of thii most popular -hades, but small packets of named varieties from one of the best-known secdsrowws in the JJominon. Autumn-sown sweet peas give the most satisfactory results, and all lovers of this beautiful (lower should secure some. If Friday afternoon should pro.ve wet. arrangements are being' made to hold the fete 'n the G.F.S. club room, Robe street*.

It was proved at the Supreme Court of Victoria, at' Melbourne, that (1) SANDER'S EXTRACT is much more powerfully healing and antiseptic than ordinary eucalyptus preparations; (2) SANDER'S EXTRACT does not depress the heart like the so-called "extracts" and crude oils; (3) SANDER'S bXTRACT is highly commended by many authorities as a safe, reliable and effective household remedy. Get the genuine—insist if you have to—and be safe,

The stiff damages of £7. r >o awarded last week to a motor agent, named Tliob, JonSs, of Mastcrton, against David Foreman, farmer, arose out of recent litigation. Foreman had alleged that Jones was the father of the illegitimate child of Alice Cradduck, Foreman's housekeeper. A magistrate found that Foremail was the father of the child, and Jones then moved against Foreman, and was awarded £750 damages. In the latter ease certain law points were reserved for argument before the full court.

That dairyiing is a very profitable business in fully demonstrated by the returns from dairy companies. Mr A Burgess is a well known dairy farmer at Eongotea, says-the Post, and on a small holding of eighty-two acres —a first-class bit of farm land— he runs forty-five Holstein oows, -which have yielded splendid results this season, as the following figures will dhow:—September's cheque from factory, £IOO IDs; October, £l4l Os lid; November, £l4O Gs lid; December, £llO 14s. Mr Burgess will receive about £!)00 from milk alone, and there are also the returns to come from the calves and pigs.

"There is quite an ebb in the production of the farming districts at the present time," said a member of one of the local Trustee Boards at a conference at Auckland. In lira own district, ho explained, the proper amount of stock was not on the farms. This was due partly to the high prices of stock ruling, and partly to the fact that as the owners were likely to be called up, the stock dealing firms were not disposed to make advances for the purchase of stock. As a director of a dairy factory, he could see in every direction that the production was falling. Another effect of the present situation was that so much work was left to the women and children that w some districts the children were being over-worked, and were not arriving at school in a fit state for carrying on their studies.

There are some qool thieves in the Tailmpe district. Oil Saturday a wellknown farmer killed a sheep and hung it up in the ordinary way. Ort'-return-ing to the slaughterhouse some three hours later, he found that the muttou had been off the hook and had disappeared. Another ease reads even worse. A workman taking a short cut to work one morning was surprised to find a carcase of mutton strung up to a branch of a small tree in the Domain bush Apparently the sheep had been killed the night before, and had been left to set. The workman strolled back that way later in the day, but the sheep had been removed and all traces of the slaughter had disappeared. The farmer who leases the Domain for grazing purposes has lost a number of sheep each year on these pastures, but he always put the losses down to worrying by dogs.

General Sir William Robertson, Chief- | of-StafT, paid a surprise visit to a New Year party of 400 wounded soldiers at Caxton Hall, Westminster, S.W. He arrived in the middle of a programme of music and conjuring, varied by hattrimming and dressing-up competitions, in which Lord llilner acted n* judge. "I am very glad to come and wish you a Happy New Year, and thank you for what you have done," said General Robertson to the men. "I am not going to make a speech, I hope you will all have good luck, and I hope this is a year in which we are going to win." Lord Milner remarked that we had too much speaking in the past and too little doing, and said: "That the men We look to in these days are men like Sir William Robertson; and the best thing we can do is to give them all the help we possibly can. 1

The Loan and Mercantile draw attention to the salew hich they are holding in their Kohuratahi yards to-morrow (Thursday), at 1. p.m. Full particulars on page 8 of this issue. We notice Ambury's have 6et out their large windows and new showrooms with a charming display of seasonable, serviceable, and at the same time economical wearing apparel of every shade and stylo that should please tho most fastidious, and sizes to fit every type of figure, their big show starting to-day.

The Loan and Mercantile draw attention to tlie alteration in the date of the Tarata sale. The next sale will be held on Thursday, April 5, instead of Friday, April 6, as 'advertised on cards.