LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

According to Trooper Clutha, Mackenzie, altogether thirty Now Zealandcrs have lost their sight in the present war. Of the seventy-eight reservists examined in Masterton last week by the Military Medical Board, only eighteen were accepted for active service. A demonstration of orchard pruning will be given by Mr, H. C. Johnson, agricultural instructor at Experimental Plot, Fitzroy, this afternoon. Over a quarter of a million pounds worth of cheese was shipped from the port of Patea during the week ending May 8, 1017. The actual value, according to the New Zealand Gazette, was £254,762.

The Medical Board will sit here, on Saturday to examine men drawn in the last ballot, as well as any volunteers who may present themselves. A further (sitting of the board will be held the following Saturday.

The members of the Egmont County Council yesterday made n trip round the mountain, inspecting the crushing plants of the Taranaki County Council, Moa Road Board and Stratford County Council, with the object of obtaining the best possible plant when purchasing their second crusher.

A witness before the Third Wellington Military Service Board on Monday stated that each transport leaving New Zealand with troops took between 5000 and 80001b of sausages. His company had at present in hand an order for 12,0001b for one ship. In addition there was a heavy demand from the camps.

The Invereargill Municipal Tramways showed an actual working i loss during the year 1910-17 of £OSB Is 2d, or, with depreciation added, £3002 10s 2d. For the previous twelve months the total loss was £3OBB 13s fid. For electric light and power there was a nett profit of £775 5s sd. The following men are due to entrain at Patea, Waverley and Ball Eoad on May 30, 1917, with the 30th Reinforcements quota:—Patea —C. W. H. Langdon; Waverley—A. J. Cathie, W. S. Clynch, E. S. Jago, A. Letbbridge, A. K. Moreland, F. Stone, A. N. Thomas; Ball Road—W. G. Foreman, E. J. D. Goile. Mr. W. H. Bosb, formerly manager at Oamaru for the National Mortgage and Agency Company, has been requested by the Presbyterian Church to advocate the claims .of the aged and infirm ministers fund, and has consented to do so. He will commence his advocacy of the needs of the fund at once, and traced throughout New Zealand.

The late Mr. Dan Berry was the contractor for building the original Inglewood Hotel for Messrs Langley Bros., in 1875, when Inglewood was but just beginning to be wrested from the virgin forest (says the Record). Everything then waß in its toughest stage, all timber obtainable was hand sawn, and Mr Berry used to refer to the time when his employees had to wait at the saw pit side while the boards were being cut, and carry them to the building for immediate use. Doubtless the sami» timber is still in the building though that has been moved from its original site.

The Minister of Public Works lias written to the Taranaki County Council with reference to the erosion of the Stony Hivcr, and stating tlmt on the occasion of the visit of inspection by the engineer-in-chief, he requested the resident engineer at Stratford to carry out certain survey work in order to ascertain the levels of the adjacent country. The resulting plans have now. beau rev ceived, and disclose a satisfactory state of affairs, inasmuch as the river-bed is the lowest part of the country, and that there are no places on either side of the river along the part of its course which is affected which would in any way conduce to the diversion of the river into the channel of the Kaihihi streamIn the opinion of the engineer-in-chlef, the only means by which this could be brought about would be a tremendous deposit of shingle, which would have to be brought down practically in one flood, and Mr. Holmes states that this is a contingency which cannot bo provided for by any practical means at the present time. He therefore recommends that nothing be done at present except to have the situation carefully watched.

Messrs. Gilmour and Clarke have a replace advertisement oil page one )f this issue. Mr, A. De Bavay, the eminent analytical ehemist of Melbourne, testified at the Supreme Court of Victoria that SANDER'S EUCALYPTI EXTRACT compares with other eucalyptus products like well-refined find matured brandy compares with raw spirit. By insisting on the GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT you will get tje advantage of quality and will be safe from harmSANDER'S EXTRACT-

The price of cattle has become somewhat easier in the Wairarapa, although there ir an abundance of feed in the district.

The term "recruit" is not now applicable to tli/; troops who enter camp for tlicj first time. They, are soldiers on leave, having taken % oatli in the district from wliieh they came aud been given leave until Called up for Service. "I'm satisfied the anibujanco is no section for the infantry reject," writes a Taranaki recruit. "A man must be quite as fit as, if not more fit than, the infantryman. Stretcher-bearing is a great tax on a man's strength, and the training *e undergo will find out any man's weakness."

A small sensation was created at the saleyards at Waihua, North Auckland, the other day, when a young lady equipped with all the requisites of a drover—stockwhip, dogs, etc.—drove a mob of 50 bullocks from the yards. The lady drover handled the mob;' of cuttle in as experienced and confident a fashion as the most seasoned male cattle drover.

"The kind of world in which we shall be living after the war is beginning to take shape," said the Rev. A. B. Chappell, in the course of a lecture at Onehunga recently. "It will have a new sadness and a new atmosphere for our thinking; it will have new problems, but it will also have a new security and new opportunities for man's betterment. Human nature will survive the greatest shock in its history, and in its recovery will excel all previous achievements. • In the early days of colonisation in Kaipara, the first Maori race meeting was held at Otamatea, where the natives sought to emulate the custom which found great favor in Auckland with the military officers (says the North Atiefc. land Times.) The late Rev. JW. dittos waß then the dominating influence :n Kaipara, and recognising the gambling evils attendant on racing, he combated the proposal with all his strength. The iiatives were plunged into woe, for keen rivalry existed amongst the few owners as to the capabilities and speed of their Bteeds. So, to put the matter on a sound footing, Mr. Gittos had a club formed, of which he was president, with the proviso that betting was barred. The meeting took place on a firm, sandy beach, the reverend gentleman directing the prjceodings, and the first Kaipara race fixture eventuated amidst enthusiastic wonderment and hilarity. The impudence of German spies Is well illustrated by the incidents connected with Mr. Gerard's arrival in France. It was reported at the time that a number of persons professing to belong to the Ambassador's suite were arrested by the French authorities at the frontier. The fact is now confirmed. During the rapid Customs formalities at Pontarlinr. one of tho French police officers stepped up to a well-dressed man who seemed to be one of the diplomatic party, and exclaimed, "You are a German." There was "a great sensation. The individual challenged stoutly denied the charge, but meantime the Ambassador approached, and, learning the reason of the • altercation, declared "I have never seen the man before." Mr. Gerard then, looking round, pointed out two other men who were total strangers to him, although pretending to belong to his suite. The three wero arrested. All had forged papers, seemingly in order. An American mining engineer lias arrived in England with an invention for using nitrogen as an energy-producer in place of coal, at a fraction of the cost. He is offering it in tho first place to the British Government. In an interview with a representative of the "Observer," he pointed out that tliere are in the atmosphere nearly 4000 billion .tons of nitrogen available for use in place of hydrocarbon fuels which are destroyed, his method of using nitro-power converting the fuel back into its elementary state. "It can be used," he said, "ior every purpose for which coal and crude oil are now used, even for smelting, With the apparatus I have invented one ton of nitro energy is equivalent to 1300 tons of coal, and it' is safer than petrol, ; From it electricity can be made for a 50th. of the present cost, and five or six generating stations with trunk lines radiating to all parts of the country will turn every wheel in the Kingdom, light and heat the homes, and do the cooking. A battleship could be kept at sea for a year without a new supply of fuel." In his report to the Borough Council the engineer states: "I wish to bring to the notice of the council and public that it may lie impossible to supply wholly clear and filtered water throughout tlig hext few months, Owing to tho large' withdrawal of water for power purposes, and 10ft. loss of head in tho forbay, it is not now possible to work more than two out of three filters, but more often only an© out of three for a few hours per day, and On Thursday and Saturday evenings no filters can be worked. Thiß will te rectified when we recover the head lost in the forbay. Everything will he done to maintain as good a supply as iB possible under the circumstances, but people using storage cisterns and tanks should take their opportunity to have the'mud cocks opened periodically. It is trusted that the public will do all possible to avoid undue 4 waste of water, which causes ionsiderable trouble and annoyance to t|iose living at high elevations above the centra of the town." <

These at the Melbourne, Ltd.: Bovs' two-piece pyjamas,. 3s lid; boys' stripej serge college caps, Is (Id; boys' while tennis shirts, 3s fld all sizes; Ijoys' warm singlets, Is 3d to 2s 3d; hoys' tweed sport suits, sizes 4 to 12, 16s Gd; boy.".' ajlmqol saddle knickers, sizes 2 to 16, 5s Od to 7s lid. •' ; '' , An> excellent., line of men's English made winter weight natural singlets fttfd paiits is on saje at the Melbourne, Ltd., at 5s Od >nd 5s lid respectively. These goods are immeasurable superior to the American and Japanese lines on the market both >in regard to quality, fit and finish. DRINK RUINS THOUSANDS.

You need not let your friend suffer. One woman writes: "Drinko Powders have made a new man of my son. He is now od the drink." This wonderful remedy is inexpensive, and can be given secretly at home. Free booklet sent in plain sealed envelope. State if Mr., Mrs., or Miss. Lady Manager, Drinko Proprietary, 212 J., Lambton Chambers, Wellington. COUGH MEDICINE FOR CHILDREN Never give a child a cough medicine that contains opium in any form. When opium is given, other and moro serious diseases may follow. Long experience bns demonstrated that there is no better or safer medicine for conghs, colds and croup in childten than Chamberlain's Cough Remedy. It is equally valuable for adults. Jry it. It contains no opium or other harmful drug. Sold