LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is reported that the Twenty-eighth Reinforcements have reached their destination. They left about the middle of July. Pilfering of flowers and shrubs is still going on at Pulcekura Park. It is a pity the thieves cannot be caught and made an example of. Our Mahoe correspondent mentions the case of a local soldier who was killed at Lens being called up in tho Tenth Ballot. This carelessness on the part of the authorities is inexcusable as it is painful to the relatives of the dead soldier.

The Taranaki Farmers' Meat Company have made arrangements whereby they will be able to handle pigs from farmers during the coming season, that is, providing the necessary arrangements can be made to erect additional storage to hold them until they can be shipped.

A resident of Waitara received word from the authorities in July that his son was amongst the plain at Messines. By the last mail he received a letter from his son, written subsequent to the battle, stating ho had emerged from the ordeal safe and sound. The father is

now asking tho Department for an explanation. \ The high prices of lemons in yen' Plymouth this winter is probably the cause of many of the local orchards being robbed of the lemon crops. In one instance a large tree with fruit to the extent of three or four hundred-weight was stripped, a cart evidently being employed to take away the ill-gotten fruit.

An incident which may raise a controversy on the question, "Is hockey good for girls!" occurred during the Jlana-watu-Wellington hockey match at Wellington on Friday. So strenuous was the contest that two of the girls fainted, but they were soon restored, and both continued the game, and saw it out without further trouble.—Dominion.

The mails from England and France just now are very erratic. One Inglewood soldier has for the past year or so written regularly to his fianco and mother. Those for the former have invariably arrived but his mother so far has received none of the letters despatched.

At an emergency meeting of the Invercargill Second Division League the executive wired strong protests to Cabinet Ministers that the taking of a ballot for Class A before passing the amended separation allowances and pensions Was a distinct breach of faith.—Press wire.

The Hon. Arthur Myers (Minister for Munitions and Supplies) informed ,» Timcvj representative that the Ministry of Munitions in tlie United Kingdom has announced that there exists necessity for conserving stocks of white lead for direct war purposes, and, therefore, there Is little likelihood, if any, of New Zealand orders for these supplies being executed within measurable distance

Sir Joseph Ward slated on Friday that the single subscription to the loan was £250,01*0. There were a fair number of large subscriptions, but a substantial proportion of the total was provided by the relatively small investors. Over three millions came through the postal money order offices. The result of the loan appeal is a very gratifying success, and. removes all apprehension regarding the ability of the people of the Dominion to complete the twenty-two millions required for this financial year's war expenditure. Quite a field day in the hearing of liquor cases is promised for Thursday next at the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court. Under tho anti-shouting clauses of the War Regulations 3-t informations will be heard against four dependants resident in outlying districts, and in addition there will 'bo 19 charges against ten persons of selling and supplying liquor to Natives- in the Parihaka districts, and two against an hotel-keeper at Rahotu for unlawfully supplying liquor to natives. Thees total 55 infor'mations against 15 defendants, a big programme for one day's sitting at the Court.

The winners of the competition at The Mart on Saturday are as follow: —Camisole, Mrs. A. Stroud; bride doll, Muriel Williams, Albert Road; pair of canaries, W. Goodwin. No. 5 was the lucky number of the golliwogs, and tho prize may he obtained from Mrs. R. S. Jenkin, Fitzroy. The Big Ben clock and plaster ornaments were handed over to the returned soldiers, and the raffle will be drawn on ''Big Push" day, the 22ml inst. Mrs. Wallach won the prize for the best decorated basket, and the committee have decided to give, prizes in addition to two children who sent along very pretty baskets, and who are asked to communicate with Mrs. Jenkin. The raffles were supervised by the Mayoress. Mrs. Jenkin is the chairwoman of the East End Ladies' Committee, and was responsible in great measure for the work of organisation. The following further donations have been received: Mrs. W. G. Emeny os, Mr. B. Parkin os, and Mr. F. Plumtree £l.

A fine double programme will comprise the change at Everybody's to-night. Naomi Childers is featured in a powerful problem drama, "The Auction of Virtue," with a photoplay of an entirely different character in "Mr. Doolan of New York," being tho interesting career of an American pugilist who "mixes in" among principalities and other small things on the Continent. This programme shows to-night and to-morrow only.

"You didn't tell jfre you were married," says Mary Piekfonl in "The Foundling" 'to the terrier she had adopted, when she finds four plump puppies havo arrived. Mary's troubles are greatly increased 'by the enlargement of her adopted family, but she contrives to mother the crowd with pathetic cheerfulness. "Tho Foundling" is one of little Mary's best pictures and will be screened again to-night and to-morrow at the Empire.

'Twas recently stated—l supposo it ia right—that farmers are not compelled to fight. But a secret I'll tell —The next to go free are those that handle ARCADIA TEA.

A lamb born lately on Messrs Morgan Bros.' property on Wharite, Woodville, had eight legs, two tails and three ears. At a wedding at St Mark's Church, Camberwell, London, a few weeks ago, the "best man" to a soldier bridegroom was a girl. "There is not a single village in New Zealand that anyone would call a thing of beauty," said Mr. S. Hurst-Seagar in the course of a lecture on town-planning at Wellington. ' ; An extraordinary theft is reported from Westport. On a recent night a small gas engine was removed from a workshop at the rear of a citizen's- residence. 1 A soldier from Rolorua states that there is a serious difference of Opinion between the medical staff and thV con-| valescent soldiers there as to the means' to be adopted by which recovery may not be seriously retarded : fcfebugh somewhat. frequent visits to the refreshment bars. "Are. you satisfied with the war bonus'.'" Sir Joseph Ward asked the men gathered at the Post and Telegraph smoke concert on a recent evening. ■ "No," was the answer in strong chorus. Illustrating the spirit of sacrifice which obtained in Great Britain, Sir Joseph Ward, speaking at the Post and Telegraph gathering, said that at one of the great hospitals at Chelsea they met a V.A.D. nurse who told them that in three weeks her father, her husband, and five of her brothers had been killed. She was the widow of man of great wealth, but she as devoting' all her time to the service of tho wounded without pay or reward other than the appreciation of the men she tended. Speaking at W.iipawa, the Rev. M. A. Rugby Pratt said that from August 4, 15)14, to April ; 1917, a period of 999 days, England had used in the making of alcohol tons of grain and 310,000 tons of sugar. That represented flour enough to last the entire United Kingdom for 48 weeks. The raw material. for making beer filled 350,0C0 railway wagons, which would make a train 3500 miles long. The manufactured article in barrels would fill 4/500,000 railway trucks.