LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

_ The Taranaki.Daily News will be published on Monday next, which is to ba observed as the birthday of King Georgo

The age of whales is ascertained by the size and number of laminae of the whalebone, which increases yearly. Ages of 300 and 400 years have been assigned to whales from these indications.

i The Midhirst Dairy Factory is now running every alternate day. The output at present is from 45 to 50 boxes of butter every two-day period, as compared with 185 boxes (over 4% tons) daily in the flush of the season. The Customs duties collected at New Plymouth last month amounted to £5117 14s 3d and the beer duty to £l7O 7s 7d. For May .last year the figures were: Customs £4473 14s sd, beer duty £124 18s 6d.

The town of M&rton on Tuesday evening experienced its third night of semidarkness. Something has gone wrong at the gasworks, and repairing operations are still in progress. On Sunday night the town was in almost total darkness.

fhe Director of the Base Records, Wellington, has received advice from the Commonwealth Department of Defence that A/Corporal J. Mullins, lfith. Battalion, 0.1. F., is posted ' wounded and missing" as from April 11, 1917. His next-i of-kin is recorded in Melbourne as Mr. William Mullins (brother), New Zealand, and the Base Record Office would be glad of any information as to Mr. William Mullins' place of abode. On Sunday, mQrning a roll of honor will be unveiled in Whiteley Memorial Church by the Mayor (Mr. C. 11. Burgess). The roll will contain the names of one hundred or more young men who have passed through Whiteley School and have become members of the Expeditionary Forces. Many of them have made the supreme sacrifice. There will be a military parade from the Coronation Hall at 10.30, and the service will be of a patriotic character. The annual ipeeting of the New flymouth Investment and Loan Society was held nn Wednesday. Mr. J. B. Connett presided. The directors' report, which was adopted, drew attention to the satisfactory state of the society's affairs. Advances during the year showed a slight increase, The directors had made the usual examination of the securities, and considered them all to be quite satisfactory. The retiring directors (Messrs S. Teed and F. C. J. Betlringer) and auditors (Messrs C. F. Foote and W. M. Falconer) were re-elected Wo would remind our readers of the last meeting of the Rev. E. Palgrave Datvy's children's mission. To-night at 7 o'clock Mr. Davy will give a lecture entitled ''With Kitchener in India." Travel varus and jungle stories; a chatty and informative talk by one who has [spent 20 years in India. The lecture i will be given in the Good Templars' iHall- ■ ■

Tlie Third Wellington Military Service Appeal Board.will bold sittings in New Plymouth on Friday, Saturday, and Monday, the Bth, 9th, and 11th inst. The 18-year-old star of the World l<"ilm Company, Molly King, is the surprise of "Fate's Boomerang," commencing at Everybody's matinee to-morrow. She is "'The Little Mother of the Hills," and will delight the kiddies, and more than pleaso the adults. The picture is staged in a wonderful seenie atmosphere. Private John Williamson, the sprightly recruit from Hataina, whose age hud long since passed the GO mark, has written from Franca, to a frie'ml, regretting that 'he has ; been ordered home (says the Waipukurau Press). He put in three solid months of fighting, and while on leave took to ice skating, which brought aßout his downfall. While skating, he received injuries which prevented his return to the trenches, and the doctor finally ordered him back to Slew Zealand. To show what an inferno of flames the unfortunate seamen on the To Anau hart to pass through in effecting their escape from the burning forecastle of that ship during the fire in the lamproom on Monday morning, one <4 the officers stated to a" Jv'apfer reporter that when one. man arrived on the deck all his clothes liad been burned oft' him. The other men were all in a more or less flaming condition, and were unaDle to get out of their garments quick enough to avoid severe burns.

It should be gratifying to those in camp at Trentham and Featherston to know that the New Zealand troops who spent a fortnight in the Liverpool (New South Wales) Camp say that there is no camparison either in the lay-out or arrangement of the camp, or the manner in which they are run, with the two big New Zealand camps. One of the fundamentals of camp life is the food supply, and in that respect, one Jfcw Zealander. writing to his mother in Wellington, said that the boys want to have a week at Liverpool to realise how well off thov are at Trentham. The New Zealand troops have, however, been well received, and their appearances in Sydney have been greeted with enthusiasm. At a public luncheon not long ago I (writes "The Post's" London correspondent), Mr Massey sat next to Lord Ehondda, .President of the Local Gov- : eminent Board, but better known as a South Wales coal magnate and a great industrial organiser, in the course of conversation, they discovered that they were born on the same day, March 26, 1850, the one in Wales and the other in County Londonderry. To celebrate (heir j'lirit birthdays, Lord Rhondda gave a small dinner on Monday evening. I; was only quite, recently, when on a visit to his native place, that Mr. Massey discovered, by fei'ereiice to the family Bible, that he was three days older than he believed. He had always regarded March 20 as his birthday. Mr Massey is 01 "this year. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr A. Crooke, S.M., Mrs. .Adeline Allen was charged, on the information of the Inspector of Machinery, with having sold a digester without giving the required notice to the Department. Mr. A. H. Johnstone appeared for the defendant, and on her behalf entered a plea of guilty, explaining that she had been entirely innocent of any intent to offend; she had sold the digester through an agent, by whom the transaction had been carried through; and she had not been aware that it was necessary to give the Department notice. Mr. H. K. Billing, who appeared for the Inspector, said he did not desire to press for a heavy penalty under tho circumstances, and his Worship imposed a fine of 10s, with costs £1 Bs. A case of alleged assault at Puniho Koad, George J. Elwin v. Lawrence Carey, was adjourned till Thursday next.

A lively interchange took place between Mr. Cooper, SM., chairman ,of the Military Service Board, and a religious objector at Palmerston North the other (lav, and Scripture, chapter and verse, were quoted on both sides. The objector (a very earnest young man) quoted the Bible as his authority for refusing to take up arms, Mr. Cooper, quoting it to the contrary. Mr. Cooper: I think you will find, if you know your Bible, that it is not against Divine teaching to bear arms. Appellant: Can you show me where? Mr. Cooper: Turn to Numbers, Ist chapter, Ist verse. You can Ii)ok it up if you like.. Appellant stated this the Levites and priesthood. Mr. Cooper: You are not a priest. Appellant: Yes, I am. Air. Cooper: When were you ordained? Appellant: Twelve years ago. Mr. Cooper: By whom? Appellant: By the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Mr. Cooper: That will do. Your appeal is not sustained.

In the course of a characteristic speech at Christchurch Mr 'L. M.' Isitt, M.P., concluded with a peroration which is worthy of special prominence: "We have only one life, and if it is lived upon an animal plane, what a paltry and wretched span it is! Fleet as a shadow, short as any dream, brief as a lightning flash. And yet if the spirit of sacrifice really enters into our heart and life it becomes God-like. I want us to touch the heights. I want us to have a vision that we may ceo clearly how tremendous are the issues. On the one hand, intolerable humiliation, unbearable suffering, and the iron entering into our souls the few years we have to live. On the other hand, if we individually play our part in this struggle and see it through, it means a more glorious Empire than the sun has ever shone upon. If we realise this then, though we may not be able to do our part on the battlefield, we shall have the consciousness that humbly, sincerely, and earnestly we here, in the hour of the Empire's need, strove to do our duty." At the tattle of the Somme, said Chaplain-Captain Burgin, speaking at Auckland on Friday, everything was done to tho minute. The battle started by one gun firing, and in ten seconds every gun was playing a hail of fire 011 the German trenches. Then the barrage lifted, and the men went over the parapets. Inside the hour the first wounded began to arrive at the speaker's dressing station, where ho gave them tea and bovril. During twenty-eight day 3 lie was imdressed only twice, and during that time he did not think Colonel Murray imdressed at all. The Eev. Burgin paid a hightribute to the work done by Colonel Mprray, and also touched on the attitude of the German wounded and prisoners. After attending to the needs of our wounded ho approached a German officer who was standing by looking terribly depressed, and offered him a drink, but the haughty hate with which tho chaplain's offer waa spurned had to he seen to he believed. There was only one thing the German officer detested—that waß to be placed in the mi a enclosure with his men, whereas the English officer lived: with his men. ,

For Children's Hacking Cough at night; food's Great Peppermint Cure. ty6. %/G.

Kipling, tlie author of magical liiK, coined none that has been more quoted than ''For the sin yo do by two by two, yo uliall pay for by one." This is tho text of the Triangia.plav showing at the Empire next Monday and Tuesday.

The police arrested Owen James Francis McKee ill Christchurcli on Monday, 011 a charge of failing to attend at the Medical Board for examination under Hie Military Service Act, when ordered to do so. McKee was handed over to the military authorities. He is a newßpaper runner on the "Maoriland Worker "

A peculiar case was mentioned at the Palmerston Society's meeting. The Mayor said information had been received by a family in the district alleging that one of their members, who had gone on active service, had deserted, nnd letters addressed had been returned In writers marked "Deserter." At tho same time letters were coming to hand from the soldier, showing that lie was actually in the fighting line. The Mayor said there appeared to be some mistake which, in full justice to the soldier and his family, should be rectified, and on the Mayor's suggestion, the matter was left in his hands for inquiry. Criticism is current in Wellington frozen meat trade circles regarding recent shipments to Britain. It is pointed out that while complaints are made of the shortage of refrigerated space and the urgent need of space for meat on the Admiralty account, a very large portion of the meat shipped has been ewe mutton and lamb. Only wether mutton is used for the army and navy, nnd it is stated that other kinds are disposed of through the ordinary trade channels at high profits for civil consumption. Those interested in the trade consider ;he matter requires instant investigation.

In the course of a letter received in Manaia from an officer recently returned from the Western front the writer says: "As to the probable end of the war bne can only speak from impressions, and the impression, amounting to an absolute belief, which soaks into one's mind, is that the war will not be brought to a conclusion this year by anything that may happen in the field. One can bring no actual facts, or even perhaps arguments, to Bupport this statement, beyond saying that this is the general feeling among men in the field who are susceptible to intelligent impressions, Beyond this one cannot go, even if he cared to do go. You will understand that my remarks are confined entirely to France, and no one doubts that it is there the great decision will be taken. I look upon it as pretty certain that we must wait until 1!)18 before we can speculate, with any degree of certainty as to the end and the manner in which it will be brought about. This is the feeling among all those with whom I have come in contact and discussed the matter on the field of operations." Residents whose rubbish is removed on Mondays should note that owing to the holiday the work will be undertaken early in the morning. On Saturday, at their Mart, Webster Bros, will sell, at 1 o'clock, 150 sacks prime table potatoes. The Melbourno, Ltd., for men's cotton tweed trousers, 7/6 pair; men's Police braces, 1/9 pair; men's Irish lawn white handkerchiefs, 3 for 1/-; men's merino singlets 2/6 and 3/6; men's oily canvas coats 35/-; men's IB rib largo umbrellas 9/6; men's large heavy flannels 4/6; "doctor" flannels 6/11; Rplendid cashmere socks, all-wool, 2s pair.

The sale of the late Mr. J. F. Eustace's farm by Mr. Newton King at his mart, to-morrow, should attract the attention of anyone in want of a firstclass dairy or grazing farm. The property is most conveniently situated close to the Okato township, post office, dairy factory and sale yards, and is weil equipped with buildings, milking machines and all other plant necessary for the profitable working of the dairying industry. Full particulars and conditions of sale may be had on application to Mr. Newton King.