LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The bathing season has now definitely set in, and many took advantage of yesterday's beautifnl sunshine to take their first dip. The water is still decidedly fresh, but has lost its nippiness, and is quite pleasant. Light line fishers who sat all afternoon on the wharf, yesterday, disappointed with their slender eatclies, experienced a great change of luck a little after the turn of the tide at 5 o'clock, when a big Bhoal of herring swam leisurely along side the wharf. The fish bit well, and very good catches were made for an hour or so, the fish generally being of a very fair si^e. At the recent valuation of wool held at Waitara, under the Government requisition scheme, MessTs L. A. Nolan and Co. obtained the very fine-average of £3O 5s per bale for 27 bales on account of Mr H. Western, of Bell Block. Throughout the eatalgoue it was noticeable that the wool was better grown and in better condition generally than was the case last year. A rather extraordinary accident happened on the train at Runanga recently (states the Grcymouth Star). A boy, Charles Hilton, was standing near the door of the carriage during shunting operations, when the engine caused a sudden jerk, which precipitated him through the door window, with the result that he was severely lacerated in the neck just under the chin. He was immediately taken into Greymouth, and attended at the Greymouth Hospital, where it was found necessary to put several stitches in the wound,

The Mart was in the charge of the ladies of the Red Cross and Women's Patriotic Committees on, Saturday, the closing day till after the Christmas and New Year holidays. Jams, pickles and all home-made goods were cleared off at very moderate' rates, and those in charge of the flower stall reported good sales. A large number of lucky parcels, made up of odd articles left over from mart days, sold well, and practically the whole stock of all goods was disposed of, a little over £32 being realised.

The memorial brass mural tablets at Holy Trinity Church, Te Hcnui, have just been increased by the addition of a tablet to the memory of the late Darius Shuttlew6rth, who for very many years took a most active interest in this church and its upkeep, never, grudging time, labor or money in church matters. The tablet has been provided by his brother, Mr. A. Shuttleworth, the work being executed by McLeod and Slade.

Yesterday's municipal band recital was given under glorious weather conditions, and trams between town and the Fitzroy terminus carried capacity loads before and after the concert. An excellent programme was submitted, and very well received by the large attendance. Several new items, including a brilliant quickstep, "The' Battle of Magenta" (E. Marie), and a delightful suite, "La Belle France" (D. Peoorini) were excellently rendered. A special colleotion in aid of the Allen fund was taken up, realising about £B.

A large English mail, containing alsj letters from the frdht, arrived in New Plymouth on Saturday night, and, through the courtesy of the chief postmaster and staff, letters were delivered at the counter to the public the same evening. That this action was appreciated was amply evidenced by the large crowd that gathered in Devon street long before 8.30 p.m., waiting for the post office doors to open, the scene being reminiscent of early doors at the pantomime in pre-war days. The postal staff had a busy time distributing letters to eager relatives of' boys at the front.

Mr. Lloyd George paid a high tribute to his old schoolmasters recently, but there is on? story which he did not tell at Birkenhead, though he has told it before. The schoolmaster was fond of telling his class about a German dominie who always greeted his class when it assembled with a most punctilious bow. He explained that he did so because one of the boys in front of. him might be destined for greatness. "One of that old man's boys," Mr. Lloyd George's old master used to say, "was named Bismarck, who became Chancellor of Germany." Then he would add: "Perhaps one of you will be Prime Minister of Great Britain when I am an old man."

The violins used by Mies I. Hirst and Mr. B. George at Miss Dowling's concert, on Friday evening, were of local manufacture, being the work of Mr. W, E. Billing, of Gill street. The finger board of Miss Hirst's violin was made from a piece of puriri taken from the old Waiwakaiho bridge, and the backtable and sides from kauri and lancewood, The kauri used in the belly of the second instrument was obtained from an old pioneer-built house, whicli stood in Vivian street, and Mr. Billing considers it probable that the timber was cut 50 years ago. He himself, eleven years ago, felled the lancewood from which the back table was made, so that the materials were thoroughly seasoned when the instrument was constructed in 1912. Mr. Billing has already constructed about twenty violins in his spare time, and at present has several in various stages of completion. The instruments present a highly-finished appearance,'and possess a, clear, clean tone. HEAVY DRINKER FOR YEARS. "Although a heavy drinker for years, my husband is now off the drink, thanks to 'Drinko.' It is wonderful stuff." So writes a" grateful wife. Drinko can be given secretly in liquid or food. Write for free booklet, in sealed envelope, giving full details. State if Mr., Mrs., or Miss. Lady Manager, Drinko Proprietary, 212J Laaibton Chambers, Wellington.

A petition, signed by the requisite number of shareholders,'has been lodged with the directors of the Hawera Dairy Company, requesting that a special general meeting of shareholders bo called to consider the question of proxy voting. The dale of the meeting has not yet been JixuiL

A labor problem of importance and magnitude will come up for discussion at the monthly meeting of the Wellington Harbor Board on Wednesday, when Mr. J. W. MeKwan will move: "That the Shipowners' Federation and Waterside Workers' Union be each invited to appoint five representatives to meet five representatives of the board, to consider the following proposals: (1) That the Harbor Board control all labor employed on the waterfront; (2) that all sir.h'labor shall be on a permanent basis." Thirty-five wholesale dealers, and more than one hundred retailers of foodstuffs, are under arrest in TokTo, charged with attempting to obtain unjust profits at the expense of sufferers of the typhoon and floods which occurred in Japan recently. The police order for the punishment of dealers who manipulated prices at the expense of homeless .Japanese was issued after an investigation, and the order was put into immediate effect. A man, while wandering in the village cemetery, saw a monument, and read with surprise, the inscription on it: "A Lawyer and an Honest Man." The man scratched his head and looked at the monument again. He read the inscription over and over. Then he walked all round the monument, and examined the grave closely. Another man in the cemetery approached, and asked him: "Have you found the grave of an old friend?" "No," said the first man, "but I was wondering how they came to bury those two fellows in one grave." The motor ambulance ordered by the Hawera Hospital Board arrived in Hawera on Friday evening, and will be put into commission immediately. The body was built by Messrs Rouse, Black and Son, of Wellington, and provides for two ambulance stretchers, as well as attendant's seat and first aid medical chest. The chassis—a 20-h.p. Chevrolet—has been provided with especially designed heavy springs, and this should be of great advantage in bringing cases to the hospital. Ventilation is obtained from five windows, arranged on the end of Ihe stretcher frames and the' side of the car.

The result of tlie "Our Day" appeal in the Wellington province was that the sum of £20,245 Is ()d was received by the Wellington centre, which also includes Hawke's Bay, Taranaki and Poverty Bay. This amount did not include £IO2O which was forwarded direct from the New Plymouth branch to headquarters. Other Taranaki contributions sent to Wellington were: Hawcra £SOO, Kaponga £SO, North Taranaki Patriotic League £304, Inglewood Ladies' Patriotic League £341 13s 2d, Stratford Ladies' Patriotic Committee £2OO, County of Kgmont Patriotic League, Women's Guild £IOO, Waverley Patriotic Committee £430 5s Id. Tim's Taranaki subscribed the creditable amount of £3Oll ISs 3d, which represents a, large amount of enthusiasm and hard work, as well as generous giving.

Mr. Henry Ford, the American motor] magnate who led the Peace Crusade to Europe two years ago, now makes it quite clear that whatever were his views in the past he is now convinced that the war must go on until militarism is crushed. He thinks no great harm was done by America's delay in beginning her preparations, as war material quickly passes out of date. "We are making," he said to a New York Times interviewer, "200,000 aeroplane cylinders of steel for the Government, to be delivered at the rate of 1000 per day. We have just developed a way of making a cylinder of solid steel cheaply. We would produce 5000 or 10,000 a day if called upon. A great many of ,the men who work on these cylinders are of German birth, and they are just as keen for stamping out militarism as any of us. We all want the war stopped, and the way to stop it is to let the world know that this country is in it for all it is worth. The new war rent legislation came into operation on November 1. Under its provisions authority was given to Inspectors of Awards to take cases on behalf of tenants to have the capital value of dwellings ascertained with a view to fixing the standard rent. In about ten days since the Labor Department gave notice of the provisions of the law, about GO enquiries have been received, and 14 applications have been filed asking that tho inspector should institute proceedings (says the Wellington Post). It does not follow that proceedings will be taken in all cases. In some, no doubt, it will be found that the landlord is within his rights, and in others it is probable that the matter will be settled satisfactorily without reference to a magistrate. In one or two instances it has been found that a tenant who complained has sub-let a portion of the dwelling at a considerably higher rate than he himself is paying. In one case a tenant was actually receiving more for the portions of the house which were sub-let than was being paid as rent for the whole dwelling. Under such circumstances the landlord is not, of course, allowed a free hand, but the tenant's case is not morally strong unless a proportionate reduction is made in the rent of the sub-tenants.

The following editorial from the Taeglicho Rundschau presents one German view of America's entry into the war:— "Whatever may happen, one thing is certain: the millions of soliders and the hundred thousand aeroplanes which the Americans threaten-to let loose over the wicked Germans will resolve themselves into clouds of dreamland. Viewed from a practical standpoint, however—that Is, free from psychological niceties—it would seem that things would come in this wise. For the moment, while by dint of much brain-cudgelling and worry, a little tonnage could still be found fo* the transport of war-lusting Yankees, no army of importance is to bo obtained, but later, should any military force worthy of the name be really in readiness, there will be no more ships to convey them to face the enemy."

The New Plymouth Technical College will hold annual sports on Thursday next, and the annual concert on December 5. "Mother, did you see the four F's in the advertisement column of this morning's paper? I wonder what they mean!" "Yes, dear, I saw them, and intend to watch carefully to see if a solution is given in a future issue," Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth . (Second Group) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable on Monday, November 20, at the Secretary's Office, Currie street, from fl a.m. to 12.30 p.m., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m—Advt. It was proved at the Supreme Court of Victoria, at Melbourne, that (1) SANDER'S EXTRACT is much more powerfully healing and antiseptic than ordinary eucalyptus preparations; (2) SANDER'S EXTRACT does not depress the heart like the so-called "extracts" and crude oils; (3) SANDER'S EXTRACT is highly commended by many authorities as a safe, reliable and effective, household remedy. Get the I genuine—insist if you have to—and bs

The number of medical men at present practising in the Wairaiapa is fourteen, which represents one to every 2348 of the population.

A remarkable feat of microscopic writing has just been performed by an Auckland lad. the son of Mr. V.'v. (Jioaon, who has crowded a total of 24,930 words' on a, card 314 in by sin, the equivalent of 28,000 words on one side of an ordinary postcard. Considerably over fourteen days of eight hours were occupied in the task, and it is believed that the performance constitutes a record, The card was written for a competition in, Australia.

One appellant at thelPalmerston Appeal \Board sittings stated that he had been married two years and had six children. The members looked surprised until it was pointed out by the appellant, that he had married a widow who hatf contributed five to the tally. The ground of his appeal was undue hardship on the family. His average earnings were £3 per week. The military representative pointed out that if this man went into camp he would get £4 4s per week; therefore there would be no hardship. When the Blackball Coal Company's collier Ngakuta was alongside a steamer loading mails for Greymouth last week one sling containing 'several bags struck the railings of the steamer and collapsed. The bags fell between the two steamers into the water, but were all quickly recovered. The bags were reopened at the Post Office, and the letters were dried, an operation which took about three hours.

At the close of a divorce ease in Auckland recently, Mr. Justice Cooper said: "I will grant a decree nisi, but I wish to express my disapprobation of the conduct of inquiry agents in going into a private bedroom in an hotel and turning on the light, under the pretence of having made a mistake. It was an impro. per and outrageous thing to do, and I hope I shall hear no more of such conduct on the part of these agents. They ,appear often before me, and this is the first time I have had to censure them. I do censure them now. It was a most improper and outrageous thing to'do," A farthing a piece for nails! Who would have thought that common ordinary everyday four-inch wire-nails would ever be sold at four a penny? Yet such is the price they are now being indented at for uso in Wellington. The price of ordinary wire building na!r» was before the war, 12s per cwt, (and builders know that the prices of nails are all graded on the standard price of the four-inch article). To-day the quotation is 50a per cwt., which, on being worked out, makes the price of each nail one farthing. The Silver Grid, where the fatal fire in Manchester street, Cliristchurch, occurred last week, was the scene of a very coldblooded murder in October, 1909. A young man named Arthur John Williams shot a young woman, who was servant at the boarding-houae, the crime taking place in a passage near the spot where Mr, Hatch's body was found. Eoberts was convicted of murder on November IS, 1909, and sentenced to death, but the «ontence was commuted to imprisonment for life.

The blaze of electric lights on Broadway, the multitude of rushing vehicles, the gaudily brilliant enfo entrances, the glare and glitter of Now York's great pleasure places, are all wonderfully <le-, picted in "God's Man," and the night •scenes are startingly realistic. This big feature attraction is showing at the Empire to-night and the following two nights. The Methodist Synod for the Tara-naki-Wanganui district will open at Eltham to-morrow, when the Ministerial , Committee will be held. On Wednesday the full sessions, at which minist » <; and two laymen from each circuit will be present, will commence, and it : * anticipated they will continue till Thur«Uy evening or Friday morning. The preslI dent of the conference. Rev. W. V Sinclair, of New Plymouth, will pres'dn. On the plan of services and function, arrangements for three trial sermon? by probationers appear, of which one wu"» preached at Hawera on Tuesday sven'ng last, one is to be delivered nt TClthiim next Sunday morning. Rev. L. Minifie being the preacher, and the final one at Hawera on Sunday evening, when Rev. IR. E. Fordyce will conduct the servici.

iPrivate P, O'Connor, who stands 7ft 6in high, and weighs.. 20st 101b is said to be the tallest man in the British Army (remarks the Sydney Daily Tele, graph). He returned to Sydney from active service for the second time a few days aoo. A special hammock had to be constructed for him, and hid walkingstick would serve as a tent-pole. Hi* hand can stretch to two oetnvcs on the piano. He has a twin brother the same height as -himself who is a blacksmith in Canada. Though he wns placed as a guardsman at the High Commissioner's office in London for eighteen weeks to advertise Australia, he is in reality an Irishman from Limerick. With pride he shows the marks of wounds received in Afghanistan, but is reticent of the part he has played in this war, though lie has twice seen service.

The Arbitration Court at Wellington delivered its reserved judgment in the case in which Ah Ming, a Chinaman, claimed compensation from George Bevan, of Otaki, farmer, for an .injury to his right eye. The plaintiff alleged that he received the injury while lie wns engaged in trimming a hedge for the defendant. At the hearing several defences were raised, but the Court overruled all but the plea of insufficient notice of the accident. In, its judgment the Court held that the notice was sufficient, and that the plaintiff was entitled to 28 weeks' compensaion at the rate of £1 4s per week, plus 50 per cent, of full compensation for the remainder of the period of liability with costs.

Some very pretty white voile embroldcred blouses are being offered by tlio Melbourne, Ltd., at prices ranging from Si lid to 10b Bd. Also many new stylca in white silk, Fuji silk, nnd crepe de chine, from 10s fld to 22s Cd. These blouses aro made of excellent quality silk and are guaranteed full size, We are in receipt of a cheque from the Melbourne Clothing Co., Ltd., for £3 3a, being a donation towards the Allen Fund. Messrs W. and R. Fletcher (New Zealand), Ltd., announce in this issue that their price for bacon pigs has been increased to 7Jd per lb. Tho harmful microbes which gather round the teeth may be destroyed and a clean sweet fragrance imparted to the mouth by using "OZO" TOOTH POWDER. 6d tins everywhere. Remember the recollection of quality remains long after the price is forgotten. That is why it pavs to buv a QUALITY tyre—THE NORTH BRITISH CLIN'CITER TYRES for service and satisfaction. If you want the charm of sound white teeth, and a clean sweet breath, you should use "OZO" TOOTH POWDER. [O-1 tins everywhere.

A London cable message states tluif the New Zealand Loan and MeroantiM Agency Company, Limited/lias deelarea a. dividend for the year of 6 per cent and a bonus of 1 per ecrit. , In this issue train arrangements tot Thursday, "People's Day" of the Strat* ford Show, ure published. They appeal! to bo quite satisfactory.

A Taihape milling company has jusi completed the sale of half a million feet of rimu and white pino to a Victorian merchant, at an advance of 20 per cent, above the New Zealand price, and another shipment of white pine is ehortly to be made at more than 30 per cant. above the price charged to local merchants.

Owing to the necessity to exercise extreme economy in expenditure," runs a notice in district orders, "it has been decided that all special and other grant! allotted to districte for the purpose oi holding district and group rifle meetings will be cancelled and remain suspended during the continuance of the war. All grants not yet expended, made for the provision of prizes, marking fee*, and for railway passes, in this connection are, therefore, withdrawn from" thii date Rifle meetings will, however, be allowed to continue, providing that no expense to the Defence Department is caused by their being held." "... . . The Glasgow, and Wa>ti«tf Scotland Guardian Society, Ltd.,l is circulating in New Zealand and eteewhw coptt? of the first istae of the "Scottish Trade Courier," which is printed $n the .Enshah, French, Spanish and Russian languages. The purpose of the new publication is to assist in obtaining solidarity between the Mother Country and[the Dominions, and the Allies, and neutral countries, and to make known ti prospective buyers overseas the «Wef source of supplies in Great Britain. It shiuld be a reference book of great value to* the mercantile community, as its, make-flp is attractive and the varioos IsectiwjMt the book are well devised. v ;