LOCAL AND GENERAL,.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL,.

The staff of the New CTyßoulh post office now includes four lady telegraph operators. '\ In the ballot now proceeding at Wellington, 170 names arc being drawn tu ii'ovkle the necessary men to make up the shortage in Taranaki's quota of the 80th Reinforcements.

The total paid to date for produce requisitioned in New Zealand for Imperial purposes is £27.052,000. Meat accounts for 10 millions, and wool for 10 millions.

A typical instance of the neighbourliness and goodwill of the (tillers of the soil towards one of their N number proceeding on active service was outlined by the secretary at a meeting of the expert advisers to the National Efficiency Board at Dunedin. He stated that, in the ease of an Awamoko farmer called up, the residents of the district, so as to facilitate his entry into camp, undertook to plough bis land and permit of sowing operations before his departure. The speaker stated that no fewer than twelve teams were engaged, oa the land.

For the four weeks ending April 6, the attendance at the Central School has kvn as follows:--March J6, 554; March 23, 555; Jlareh 30, 553; April 6. 53H.V. Average for the four weeks, 550.7. being 01.3 per cent, of the a\era«e roll, (102. Present roll, »!!!>. The highest attendance was slil. The number on tho roll at Vogeltown is 45, and the average 40.."i. The average for the quarter ending March 31 is 5J7, 21 greater than at this time last year, or, with Vogeltown, 587. Some, little time ago an Australian girl came across to New Zealand, and In a while became engaged to a young New Zealandcr. With the arrival of her 21st birthday she became entitled to the handling of an inheritance running into five figures (says the Dominion). The pair were married, and in the next ballot the man was drawn to serve at the front.

The proba'ble world shortage of foodstulVs oh account of the war has raised the question of growing rice on Govcrnment waste lands at Fiji. It is claimed that rice can be readily grown at Fiji, that the Indian residents know how to grow the grain, and if only the Govern-ent-would erect mills it might be possible to supply the requirements in the shape of rice for New Zealand, Australia, and the South Sea Islands.

At the meeting of the Central School Committee, the acting headmaster (Mr R. L. Mcllroy) roported that last week a dozen letters arrived from the Regent Street School, Plymouth, England, for children of the Central School. This interchange of letters between tho two schools, he stated, which began with the interchange of flags some years ago, must do much, to foster the> Veeling of kinship between the children of Old Plymouth and its namesake on the other side of the world.

In view of tho anticipated increase in railway fares in New Zealand, an announcement by the Imperial Board of Trade at the beginning of last month is interesting. The official statement was that it had been decided that the in crease of 50 per cent, in railway passenger fares is not to apply to tickets issued to relatives desiring to visit wounded soldiers or sailors in hospital, and pro-" during the hospital authority to do so. Such persons will bo allowed to travel on the former terms, namely, single, fare at the ,old rate for the double journey.

Says the Chris.tchurch Star; Strange as it may appear, there are some people in this district who do not like Mr. McCombs, M.P. There is the ease of the young gentleman who at Sumner recently saw a swimmer in difficulties and dashed into the briny with all his clothes on, effecting a rescue. He was interviewed afterwards of course, and with characteristic modesty of the true brave, said to the reporter: "There was nothing in it at all. I just swam out to the man:, turned him over to make sure he wasn't Jimmy McCombs, and brought him to shore. There's uothing to make a fuss over."

On Sunday afternoon the New Plymouth Citizen's Band will give another of their popular recitals in Pukekura Park, at which several new selections, as well as some of the favorite, old ones, will be given. A feature will be the reappearance of the .Junior Band, who have resumed, practice after a somewhat lengthy recess, duo to the absence of the conductor on leave. The collection to be taken up will go to defray the.cost of the installation of tho electric light in the park, Mr. F. W. G. McLeod, the conductor of the band, having at the time of Soldiers' Comforts week undertaken to raise the money to defray the cost ii: tho installation were made permanent instead of temporary. An old age pensioner named Samuel Marshall appeared beforo Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., yesterday morning on a charge ol drunkenness. Senior Sergeant Bowden prosecuted, and stated that accused, who was 81 years of age, had, during the past week, been continually under the influence of liquor and wandering about hotels, in a filthy condition. When arrested on Tuesday by Constable Blaikie. his clothes were in a filthy condition, and he did not appear to have had a wash for months. The hut in which he lived was in an indescribably filthy state, and arrangements were being made with the health inspector to have it demolished. It was shown that accused had been previously convicted in February. The senior sergeant suggested that the old man should be given a few days in gaol in order to be clwaned. A fine of 20s, in default 5 days' imprisonment was imposed.

Apparently the practice of pampering German prisoners in New Zealand continues. A correspondent writing to the Auckland Observer says.—"Walking down the main street at Devonporfc the other morning I spotted the noble figure of a man emerging from the post office. Smoking a cigarette and walking in a nonchalant manner with his hands in his pockets few would have known thai it was an alien enemy, -ind a prisoner at that. I gazed again. Could it be tne man I. thought it was? Yes, there was no mistaking tho stately figure of Dr. Fndlctsbe.rger. Then I noticed that a soldier aecompamlied him and I knew my surmise was correct, because tne soldier's arms wore full of parcels, and no prisoner of war in New Zealand is allowed to demean hnnself by carrying parcels. 'Twas the. doctor all right, and I felt sorry for the soldier because he looked so sorry for himself. I wonder if our F.nglish prisoners in Germany are allowed to wander down to the locai post office while their guards carry their mail for them! Ido not make any com'parisons, but I am merely curious."

Mr. Horatio Rottomloy writes in the Sunday Pictorial, of London, an article on "How the Dominions Helped to Save the Empire," from which we make the following extract concerning conscription:—"Then it spread to New Zealand; the Government demanded conscription Jim! the lna,W, *P *1 !-..- i.u._

union* replied: 'Let us have the opinion «! tt» people, let us have a referendum ssi".t if the people vote in favor of comjwision, we will have it, but not otherwise.' The Government would not listen; they forced a compulsory Bill through Parliament, and the day the first en 11 was made all the men in the most important .mines on the West Coast struck work, and a cry went up for a general strike in the whole of New Zealand—with Australia ready to follow within forty-eight hours. Thereupon the New Zealand Government quashed the compulsion act and withdrew the order for forced service; but much mischief had boon done; the fine spirit of patriotism in both young countries had been checked." If this is the sort of information editors and ex-members of Parliament obtained during the visit of our two leading statesmen to England, it would seem that Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward are not disseminating much knowledge about their own country.

In yesterday's issue an error crept into the Farmers' Co-operative Association special sale at Makahu advertisement. The line "solicitor for th© mortgagee" should not have ftn.iiawd.,