LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In our correspondent's report of the liazaar and social gathering at Uruti in aid of the Y.M.C.A. war funds, indistinct figures led to a mistake. Instead of the takings being £l2 Is 6d, the actual amount was £72 Is Gd. Wo have been asked to correct an error in the list of votes recorded at. the recent popular baby competition. Baby Page's number was given as HI. but the official recount showed that it should have been 596. The Hawera show finished on Saturday, July 7, and on, tho following Tuesday the prize-money, with exhibitors' statements, was paid out. Mr. IT. A. Lonnon is to be complimented on his smartness. "Aw, we're clean, we go in every day." This is the impish answer given by Robert Harron as Jim, "The Bad Boy," when his father accuses him of fouling the city reservoir by swimming in it, This cheerful wilfulness, however, leads Jim in dire disgrace and eventually really evil courses. "The Bad Boy" shows to-night at Tho Empire.

The sitting of the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday was unusually protracted, lasting from 10.20 a.m till .">.3() .p.m., with about an hour's luncheon adjournment, and even when the court rose for the day all tho cases set down for hearing had not been dealt with. A charge of theft, several Defence Department cases, a charge against a hotelkeeper for permitting "shouting" on his licensed premises, are included in the business that had to he adjourned till to-day. For driving a gig on a Taranaki county road between sunset and sunrise, without such gig being provided with two proper side-lights, Robert Suisled was convicted and ordered to pay 17s costs. No penalty was imposed, ae the defendant had one side-light on the gig, and honestly believed that one was sufficient. Frank James was. fined 5s with costs 7s for a similar offence within the borough, and Richard Harris was ordered to pay a penalty of 10s with costs los, for posting theatrical bills on places other than licensed hoardings.

Mr. R. W. Simpson, of Timaru, who volunteered his services as honorary organiser for the fund of £IO,OOO which is being raised'by the Church of England for the spiritual and material welfare of "Our Boys" at the front and preparing to leave for the. front, will arrive at"New Plymouth to-night, lie has had considerable success in the places he has already visitijd, and the fund has now reached the respectable sum of £OOOO. Mr. '.Simpson hopes that Taranaki will raise £IOO. He will be in New Plymouth on Saturday, and address the congregation at St. Mary's on Sunday morning, going on to Stratford for the evening. ; "Everv word that has been said regarding preference in employment for returned soldiers has the endorsement of every member of the Government," saiii the Minister for Internal Affairs (Hon. G. W. Russell), in reply to Mr. Buddo. "The House need not fear that the claims of the soldiers will be overlooked at any time. Every position in the public service which can he held by a returned soldier is held for him at the present time. A great deal more than that has been done. The Public Service Commissioner has already decided to make regulations removing the age limit as far as returned soldiers are concerned in connection with the clerical division of the civil service. The age will be extended wherever necessary to fifty years for the benefit of soldiers. Every care is being taken by the Government to place returned soldiers in every position they can fill The usual medical examination has been swept aside altogether in the case of returned soldiers. The Public Service Superannuation Board has considered the question of sunorannuation in connection with these men, and a Bill is now 'being drafted to establish a separate branch of the superannuation fund *ot their benefit." Rain snow, hail or blow don't trouble vou if you fill your Hot Water Bottle before retiring; but sec that it has the "Unique" Stopper. The bottle that -won't burst because of the properly ■ -iukanUed seajp*-

Tn view of the fact that Hie cost of :ill necessaries of life litis risen from 25 to 50 per cent., Mr. Colv'm, member for Duller, lias asked the Government whether they ivjll make provision this session to increase the old aire nension l>v u.t least «) per cent. Mr. Walker (Dunodin. Xortli) also asked the Prime Minister .wliether Cabinet will grant, for a period, a substantial increase in old ago and •widows' pension (rates?

There arc in one ward in the Beefton Hospital at tbfe present time seven old ladies whose ages aggregate 534 years. They are all in possession of their full faculties as weli as boinir cheerful and optimistic. Their ages are, respectively, S3, 80, SO, 70, 75, 7'.l and (il. They have been many years on the West Coast.

Tn the course of the annual meeting of the Bltluvm Fire Brigade hold the other evening, Captain Nnttall mentioned that not one fire had got out- of control during the last thirteen or fourteen years of the brigade's existence. He thought that was a fairly good record. AVe are doubtful, say the Argus, if this can he said of any other town in jSTew Zealand, and 'believe it highly proba-ble that it is a Dominion record.

A spy's clever dodge .was revealed at Paris the other day, when a court martial found Paul Walde guilty of having communicated military information to a German Secret Service man living in Switzerland. Police investigation showed that Walde was in the habit of sending his letters and documents in the handle of a shaving brush, which he forwarded as a sample by registered packet. He was sentenced to imprisonment for life.

A lad named Warold Goodwin, aged 15, niMilied to Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., at the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday for exemption from drill as a senior cadet, stating in evidence that he lived on his father's dairy farm, Lower Mangorei, five miles distant from the nearest place of drill, New Plymouth. Limit. Crutch said the application was not opposed by the Defence Department, and it was accordingly granted. Mr. G. R. Sykes (Masterton) lias given notice to ask the Minister for Defence "Whether he will consider the advisability of issuing medallions 'Without chxrie to the mothers and "wives of the soldiers serving abroad, similar to the medallion proposed to be issued by the Commonwealth Government?'' The number for Masterton stated that lie felt confident that <tli!o mothers and wives of {lie soldier lads would deeply appreciate a memento of the nature suggested. Such a medallion would go down to posterity as a priceless heirloom, a memento of the great war, in which the mothers and wives of soldiers took such a glorious part. lr l would like to explain the precise steps which are taken by the Defence Department with respect to the' c?.se of each reservist who has been called up for service by ballot, and who ha-s not been located by bis group commander," said the Defence Minis-tor in reply to a question. "As soon as a man is called up for service by ballot the Group Commander posts to him at his last known address, which is that published in the Ci-.izettc, ordering him to parade for medical examination. If ho fails to respond, inquiries are made through the post office and the police to ascertain if juiv later information is known us to. his whereabouts. H these inquiries are without result, the case is referred by flic group commander to Defence headquarters for action under section 13. Headquarters then refers the case to base records to ascertain if the iwirvist is on their records as a member of the Expeditionary Force; to Internal Affairs to ascertain if there is any v eeord of a permit or passport having been issued to the man: to the Government Statistician to ascertain if any advice has been received since the ballot of any change of abode; and to the Registrar-General to ascertain if there is any record of the man's death. If the inan cannot be traced by these inquiries, his name is then gazetted under section 13. With respect to the two cases mentioned by the honorable gentleman, I would point ou„ that the name of Arthur Miller Potts has not been gazetted as a deserter under section 13. In the case of M. Blueman, of New Plymouth, if an error has occurred it is due to the fact that the enrolment card as supplied to the Government -Statistician was in the name of "M. Blueman," whereas the notification of death received was in the name of "M. fßlewman."

Dinua forgot on 'Saturday morning tlmt at The Mart you can buy all sorts of Scotch delicacies. ?neh as haggis. Scotch bun. white puddings, brdwn meat pics, ham. shortbread, oatcake, piteaithlv bannocks, Scotch cakes. Besides these there will be over (if) lb of rich plum cake and other cakes of great variety. A good supply of vegetables is also promised. There will lie a sweets tree hung with 'bags filled with nuts and sweets for ihe little ones. A beautiful lot of fancy articles will also bo for sale, and these will be displayed on the table on Ihe street for all to see. Wuld our Scotch cminiry .friends remember us and help to make a big success of our day. The Mart opens at 9.30 a.m. Messrs fi. Hannah and Co., Ltd., have secured the. services of Mr. Abraham, who has bad 15 years' experience in the Boot Repairing Trade, including !) years with (he celebrated makers, H. Pannell (now Pannell and Co.), of Christebureh. Hannah's wish to announce that tiicv are now ready to attend to sill boot repairs. Customers are asburcd of satisfaction. The Melbourne, Ltd., for working men's apparel at lowest rates. Read these prices. Double fronted denims 4/11; cord trousers 0/11. Striped cotton tweed trousers 7/0; strong tweed, trousers U/(i; odd tweed coats 13/(1 and 17/0; blue bib overalls 5/11; engineers combination suits 0/11; strong drill working shirts 3/0. The competitions promoted by the Fitzroy school committee, which arc to be held on 20th and 27th .July, promise to exceed the most sanguine expectations. The children have entered most heartily into the contest and the number of entries :'n all classes ensures the success of the undertaking. . Christmas is fast approaching, and with it the thoughts of Christmas parcels and goods for our men at the front. The mayoress (Mrs. Burgess) would be glad if iill friends who are sending contributions in the way of cakes, sweets, etc., would leave them at the patriotic depot, St. Aubyn street, as early as possible in August. The parcels sent last year .all arrived where they were most needed, adn in excellent condition, which is plainly shown by the many hundreds of postcards from the men in the trenches. Wood's GTeat Peppermint Cure, 1/6, 2/0. For Chronic Cheat Comnlaints.

By a notice in last night's Gazette tlirt introduction into New Zealand of pear, apple, quince or stone fruit trees, or of cuttings, buds, or any other portion of sucli trees (except the fruit) from Australia is prohibited, because of the danger of introducing the disease of hairy root, crown gall, or root knot. It is notified in last night's Gazette that the Minister of Customs has granted a general permission for the exportation of hemp (phormium tenax), to the United States. No application or permit will in future be required, but a declaration of ultimate destination must be produced to the collector of customs before shipment.—Press Association. Some surprise was occasioned the habitues of the Magistrate's Court at Wellington on Monday. As the men who are to bo seen each day leaning over the rail in the body of the court left the building two policemen barred their egress and demanded to be shown their enrolment certificates as 'required by the Military .Service Act. In some | instances these could not be produced, and consequently the offenders Will appear in due course (before" a magifltfatc. What class of horse is required for artillery and remount purposes? This question was asked at the conference of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture. It was suggested that, as the war had been in progress so long, a definite standard must have ibeen arrived at. Col. C. J. Heakes, who has been in charge of the Remount 'Department, asserted that for remount purposes weight-carrying capacity was essential. The ideal horse was a weight-carrying hack, capable of being burdened with 15 stone and from 15 to 15.2 hands high. As to artillery horses, in France they were using anything from a' half-draught to a fulldraught, according to the work to be undertaken. Col. Rcakes added that New Zealand horses had done excellently, and had been almost Universally praised, in Egypt and elsewhere. It is estimated that there are several hundred tons of potatoes in Dunedin stores at the present time and that there are still fair stocks in the country, states the Otago Daily Times. Unfortunately, a. very heavy proportion of Hie iiytatocs is affected iwith frost and blight, and the holders of fho»stock9 are therefore faced with heavy losses. Prime lines meet with' a good demand, but buyers are chary about touching any sorts which are not sound. -As regard* the blight, a rather unusual slate of affairs had to be recorded, as whereas a tuber may look perfectly sound, when it is out open portion of the inside bears a brown appearance. In past years the disease has nlway made it inroads from the outside. The species of blight which Ikis broken out this year has not so far been identified. One expert gives it as his opinion that the disease is i.vlint. is termed the Irish blight.