LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The. New Plymouth Roumanian fund is now £l3O, The Mayoress is striving to bring it, up to £l5O. _ Three boys were charged at the Wellington Juvenile Court yesterday with putting oil on the Wadestown train rails and endangering the Jives of passengers. The case was adjourned owing to the absence of the two boys.—Press Association.

It has been arranged that the soldiers' patriotic wheat will be threshed to-mor-row (Thursday) at Bell Block, starting at 8 a.m. Those who have promised assistance are asked to be at Sole Bros.' shop at 7.30. It was stated at last night's meeting of the Patriotic Society that it was very dillicult now to purchase articles for the comfort and amusement of the soldiers. Asked what became of tho articles attev the voyage, a returned Anzae stated that the soldiers took them to tlie camps, where they were much appreciated.

"The Gentle Filipine," tho savage inhabitant of the Phillipines, gave tho U.S.A. military authorities a stern and diflicult task before they were subdued. In these Islands is laid much of the action of "The Last Man," the remarkable pnd sensational greater Vitagraph feature showing at the Empire Theatre toiiiaM irid to-morrow,

A body of home ,service men, who have unlisted for duty in various capacities 'u the military camps, will be mobilised this week.

It is stated tlmt a considerable full in tin; price of stock occurred in the. VVu.iViirapa. Inst week, owing to a report ihat on.'y a limited quantity of shipping space would be. available for frozen meat in the immediate future.

In announcing the decision to suspend publication 011 Saturday, the Christchnrcli livening News stated:— "The :nain reason for this step, which lias hecii taken after due deliberation and with a good deal of regret, is the increasing difliculty of securing supplies if printing paper, which is now more acute than ever. Not only has the. i rice more than doubled, but with the "equisitioning of the cargo steamers trailing between Canada and New Zealand, almost our only available source >f supply will be cut off." In an interview in Auckland, Mr. IT. Suzuki, a Japanese merchant who Ims twin touring Australasia, was emphatic in urging upon his own Government and that of Australia and New Zealand the extreme necessity for combination and organised effort in maintaining the. trade o¥ the Pacific. Mr .Suzuki said: "For many yenrs New Zealand and Australia have :nisunder itood Japan and her people, but now that so much depends on co operation and combined organisation, 1 think it is our duty to realise that after the war Germany is not to enter \he Pacific wjtli her merchantmen, ■ir.d the only way to prevent that is to work together for the betterment of the ■people, directly interested in the Pacilic —Americans, Australians, New Zealandirs, and Japanese. By .excluding Germnnv from the trade we are going to maintain peace in the Pacific and realise the broad possibilities of its trade and turn them to channels of mutual benefit."

The swede turnip, the Southland farmbest winter feed from tho earliest lines, is likely to become a thing of the past, says the 'Wyndham Herald'. It cannot now be grown with (lie wonderful success that characterised it for so long ft has become subject to disease. For fevwral seasons ; : ast in this locality dry c.t made it such a disappointment .that it has been discarded by the majority of farmers in favour of semi-hard varieties. Disease has been slower in spreading in the Fortrose-Waimahaka districts, but '.here, too, we arc informed, not a/lone is dry rot in evidence, but. cli.b root,' which stunts the plant and rota tho bulb, has 'oaled the doom of tho swede. In those 'districts the diamond moth ia reported as a coming msnace to turnips—a pest that !ms worked havoc about Waipahi, we belii've. It is pertinent to ask if anytiling is being done regcrding these pests. Is tho aid of the Agricultural Department being invoked to solve any of the problems?

Early yesterday morning a. fire broke out in a small building ÜBed as a washhouse and storeroom adjoining a residence in Belt Road owned and occupied by Mr. Henry JMdocks. The outbreak was first discovered by a neighbor, Mrs. Loveridge, who promptly gave the alarm, tho police and tho fire brigade being soon afterwards on the spot. Before their arrival, and while her husband was absent vigorously ringing the firebell, Mrs. Maddoclcs did good service by playing the garden hose on the shed to prevpnt the flames spreading to the residence. The shed was completely gutted and ttll tho contents destroyed, £he damage being probably about £IOO. Early the previous day Mrs. Haddocks had a. fire on under the washhouse copper, hut it was out and everything appeared safe at midday. Apparently the fire started some little distance from the copper and in a quantity of tow and hair stored in the shed for use by Mr. Maddocks in his business as an upholsterer.

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., plaintiffs obtained judgments in the following undefended eases:—A. R. Standisli (Mr. T. |P. Anderson), £5 12s Bd, costs £1 3s , 6d; William Roberts (Mr. A. A. Bennett), v. Alfred C. Whitham, £9 10s,' | costs 18s 6d; Ridd Co., Ltd. (Mr. J. IT. Quilliam), v. L. H. Grant, £lB lis lOd, costs £2 0s fld; Russell and. Son (Mr. |P. E. Wilson), v. W. E. Clark, £lO lis 6d, costs £1 lis 6d; Wilson and Grey i (Mr. J. E. Wilson) v. T. W. Welsh, £2O ; 17s, costs £1 13s; A. Hat/nek and Co. I (Mr. J. H. Quilliahi) v. John Kelly, £3? Is 4d, costs £2 14s. In a judgment summons case, Boon Bros. (Mr, J. IT. Quilliam) v. George Frederick Skinner, the judgment debtor Btated, oil oath, that ho was a widower with two children to support. Ho was a wharf laborer, employed at Wellington, aijd men employed in that work generally earned good money, but lie had suffered from rheumatic fever and was under doctor's orders not to work too hard, indeed not to work oil the wharf again. He had not contracted the debt at all, and his brother had dono so without lub authority. He had been permanently engaged by the Union Company but after liis illness had only been casually employed. He could pay l'fts per week. His Worship said an order would be made for payment forthwith, in default three weeks imprisonment), order to be suspended on payment of 10s per week.

Two extraordinary'fine lines of men's overcoats are being offered at the Melbourne, Ltd.. just now. One is a food heavy blanket dark tweed double breasted coat, Italian lined and with belted hack and strapped cufl's suitable for motoring, at 49b fld. The other is a new make of the famous Hydrotite raincoat, deep brown shade, all pure wool and shower proof, a very smart and serviceable coat, at 555. Charlie Chaplin, the highest paid motion picturo artist in the world to-day, is paying a visit to New Plymouth next Saturday, and will be pleased to meet old friends at Everybody's Theatre, where lie will appear in his latest characterisation, "The Pawnbroker." As an exponent of tho "three balls," Charlie is unapproachable.

The Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, wish to draw clients' attention to their Kohuratahi sale, which they ore holding in their Kohuratahi yards 011 Thursday, May 24, H)l7. Full particulars will be found on page* 8 of this issue.

Sir .lamps Allen lias been advised that the first portion of the "23rd Reinforcements liafe reached its destination safely. Thoro was an excellent attendance at the first Meeting of the Whiteley Club oil Monday night when the following officers wore elected for the session: President', Rev. W. A. Sinclair; vicepresidents, Mian Douglas, Mrs. o. T. (Iriflin, Mr. C. 0. Bottrifl, MjA., and Mr. C, E. 'Uellringer: secretary, Miss Jemi--11011; treasurer, Hiss Dalziel; editress of journal, Miss Romola Taylor; pianist, .Mrs. Sutherland; convenors of committees, Nurss Berry, Misses Bransgrove, Ilohson, White, and Mr. Xilson. A draft copy of the syllabus was presented, and the remainder of the evening was spent with a question-box, which proved most interesting. A special feature in connection with tlie Mart next Saturday will he the shiiling hag distribution. The tradespeople have been very generous in their response to the appeal for goods to place in the bags, with the result that excellent value will be given to the purchasers Nearly every bag will contain an article to the value of over a shilling, while some will be of far greater value. Purchasers will take their chance of obtaining a bag containing something worth perhaps ten shillings (or even more), or an article for which they would give at least a shilling in a shop, or they may find the bag contains on order on a barber for two shaves, or on a butcher for an ox-tail. There will bo many surprises, some particularly agreeable ones. Mrs. Burgess has received the following letter from the officers' mess, Trenthami—"Your telegram of the lflth inst., received, and I beg to acknowledge receipt of £5 donated 'by the New Plymouth Red Cross Society, to be spent on medical comforts. On behalf of the officers and men of "H" Company, I have to thank you for same, also for case of articles which we will receive the day we embark. In regard to medical comforts, I shall consult the medical officers of this <>amp and ascertain from them the most useful comforts the men will want on the journey home. Again thanking you for the ready response our appeal has received, and' personally thanking you and your lady helpers for their kindness, believe me, yours sincerely, Hector Atkins, Lieutenant."

Ac last night's meeting of. the New Plymouth Patriotic .Society, it was mentioned that a lad was canvassing the iown endeavoring to sell-a set of framed patriotic verses.-, Mr. W. A. Collis said no one should he allowed to canvass in this way, unless with the authority of the Patriotic' Society. The Mayor said no permit was needed where value was given. If people cared to buy the articles tllnt could not be helped, but he might say it wps the practice of neither the Women's Patriotic Society nor the Rod Cross Society to allow children to canvass the town in connection with their activities. > Mr. R. Brown, agricultural and horticultural specialist,- •will bo pleased to meen all interested in orchard and garden work at places and date's advertised in our advertising columns.