LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sir James Allen has announced that he has received advice that the first part of the Thirty-first Reinforcements has arrived at a port of call, all well. The Maoris of the dominion are desirous of raising £20,000 for the relief of Maori soldiers and their dependents. They have already raised over £14,000, and will goon realise the balance'. Ait eclipse of the moon took place last night. Owing to the overcast sky the eclipse was not visible locally. The moon entered tlie penumbra at 6.23 and the I shadow proper at 7.35. The total eclipse was reached at 9.16, and ended at 926. The moon left the shadow at 10.57 and the penumbra at 8 minutes past midnight. The recent order that soldiers in the military camps should wear the trousere, as issued, and should eschew breeches, has not been withdrawn, but neither has it been enforced. The camp authorities, have made no attempt to prevent ths men wearing the breeches with which they have provided themselves, in substip, tution for the clumsey-looking trousers and it is assumed that the protest made against the order has had its effect. The number of bankruptcies intlifi Christehurch district this year shows a large increase, m compared with the years 19-15 and 19-lfi. Nearly a record was established last week, when seven petitions in bankruptcy were filed. The figures for the past three years relating to the number of bankruptcies in Christchurch and district are as follows! J915,' 23; 1916, 15; 1917, 33. A pathetic incident occurred in Masterton on the morning of Christmas Day. A man about 80 years of age left the Old Men's Home at Solway and trudged to town to endeavor to meet his wife and have Christmas dinner with her. He knew that liis aged helpmate resided with a stout lady, but that was all the knowledge of her whereabouts hi possessed. Ho called in at several houses »nd asked, "Is my wife here?" After a number of disappointments, Sergeant Miller was rung up, and lie ultimately succeeded in bringing husband and wife together. It was a happy meeting.

A Press Association cable message from Adelaide announces the death of the Rev. Dr. Jefferis, a prominent Congregational minister. The late Dr. Jas. Jefferis, who was a notable minister of the Congregational Church, retired several yeaijfl ago. He was born at Bristol in 1833, and took his B.A. and LL.B. degrees at London University. In 1857 he was appointed minister of North Adelaide Congregational Church, a position he held for twenty years, l'rom 1877 to 1890 he was minister of Pitt Street Church, Sydney; he then returned ,to England for three years, after which he resumed duty at his old church in Adelaide till 1901. He was one of the earliest advocates of the Australian federation. t i ;• ;

A special matinee programme has hefen* arranged for this afternoon at the/Em* pire Theatre, when the kiddies will be catered for with the finest matinee 'gEo!?' gramme seen this year. Prominent on' the list is the screaming two-reel Key"' stone comedy "Cactus Nell," wlucli has c caused much favorable comment in the!' town this week. Charlie Chaplin aW appears in a comedy film "The Face on ; the Bar-room Floor," and there is j a' 1 Christy comedy "Skirts." Other pictures include the "Rex Beach" film, the "do & operative Weekly," and the twelfth e]ji e ' aode of "The Secret of the Submarine." Parents who want their kiddies to have a real enjoyable afternoon will see that they are at the Empire this afternoon.;

In these days when fruit is expensive, and so dear as to place the libecal use of it beyond the means of the majority of people, it is pleasant to hear old Taranakians talk of the early days when peaches were more plentiful than potatoes are jjow (says the Eltham Argus). Those peach-groves must have been delightful spots, and there pigs used to fatten upon delicious peaches of a quality Mich as appears to be unobtainable, now, even though oUP is willing to pay the market price. The early missionaries in TaranaJki recognised the suitability of the climate for peach-growing, and planted them in great numbers of places, and eventually clearings in which peaches were grown became one of the common features of the Taranaki forest. In the course of tiuie-a disease became comnifu amongst peach trees, then trees and fruit trees bqqtaae worthless, and peach groves are now to be classed among the things that have been. An old settler tells us that the peach disease commenced' in Wellington, and thence came right along the coast, spreading into the Taranaki forests, and almost entii'ely eradicating the peaches. Some old settlers say' jt was the burning of the bush, thu»i-de-priving peaches of shelter, that waauthe main cause of the disappearance of-the peach, but we think the story of ease amongst the peaches;' as the more correct method of accounting for the disappearance of the peach. •*' those days there was very little suieritjifie knowledge abroad as to how to,i«ombat orchard peat* and disease would, ijsun riot without any check. »'.» DRINK HABIT CURED. W: ; READ THE EVIDENCE. f[j An Auckland woman writes frienda will hardly believe the difference in Mr. B. since taking Drinko poy.djp. Please send two more packets." A patient at Trentham says:-—"I have now no desire for liquor. Three boxes . of Drinko cured me." DRINKO is a tasteless and odourless powder which can. toe given secretly if desired. Will not luirm the most delicate constitution. Treatment is inexpensive. Write for free particulars. Sent in plain sealed envelope. Address me in confidence, stating if Mr., Mrs. or Miss. Lady Manager, Drinko

A distinct shock of earthquake was felt in New Plymouth at about 12.40 p ra. yesterday. A Press Association message states that 'Hospital Ship 1;M arrived at Auckland yesterday morning with about 700 returned invalid soldiers. Private advice received in (Jreymouth (says the Star) indicates tlwt tihere is considerable unrest among the Australian miners, and a mammoth industrial upheaval in the Commonwealth jp' by no means a remote possibility.

A Christehurch paper reports that the activities of a resident of one of the Christehurch seaside resorts in eonnec•tion with the building of a motor-yacht recently aroused suspicion in the minds of other residents. This was especially the case in view of the facts that the yacht-builder was a German, and that ship-building was not his customary vocation, and that the yacht was to be fitted with a fairly high-power engine. Whatever the objects were for which the yacht was being built, the authorities deemed it expedient to stop the work of construction and to intern the yachtbuilder on Somes Island. He was conveyed there a few days ago. During the eurrent quarter demands for assistance in financing the gathering and moving of the season's produce have been fairly heavy, sayß the New Zealand Trade Review. The lack of shipping for the removal of produce is causing a large accummulation in store here, which probably amounts to over j ,£10,000,000 worth, and although a larg» proportion of this is either paid for or advanced against by the Imperial authorities, still there is a large amount that is not, which represents a large sum of money locked up. The Prime Minister recently announced that th® value of the year's exports would be about 32 millions, while the imports will probably be about 20 millions; there will thus be a splendid credit balance.

Under an arresting headline, Horatio Bottomley's weekly journal makes demand for a full and open inquiry into the circumstances which led up to the 'tragic death of ten New Zealand soldiers on the London and South-Western line at Bere Ferres, Devonshire. The accounts of this tragedy which have appeared in the London press left the impression that it came to pass simply bepause the men in their hurry to stretch their legs" and obtain refreshinpnt after a spell in the cramped quarlepj, left their carriages without orders place the train was not scheduled ~so stop at, and did so on the wrong side ,p'f their train, with the result that they practically walked into an express for the passage of which the train in which the soldiers travelled had been temporarily held up. John Bull suggests that there was a "contributory cause"—namely, that the fatal haste of the men to iqjiit their train wais induced by real hunger, and urges investigation beyond the scope of the coroner's inquiry. Owing to the scarcity of tinplate Australian manufacturers of dry goods, such as biscuits, foods for children, powdered milk, and many other articles are offering to repurchase their tins, as thßy cannot secure material for new metal containers (says the Adelaide Advertiser). With the exception of tins which have to be cut with an opener, they are nearly all worth sav. mg, and even jam tins are expected to have a value shortly. A large manufacturing firm in Victoria has communicated with .the Adelaide wholesale houses asking them to repurchase undamaged tins which had contained their wares. Other firms have adopted similar measures, but it is feared that only a proportion of the old receptacles will be found suitable for refilling. Jammakers have been seriously handicapped because they could not get either tins or bottles, and there does not appear to be much hope of the position improving. Tobacco-makers will shortly have to use paper or cardboard packages.

A Waihi boy in London, who officially handles posted matter to New Zealand soldiers, writing to his parent 3 by the last mail, gives some interesting advice to people sending parcels to the front. He states that chocolates are very often .unfit to eat, and it is money thrown iflway sending them. About 75 per cent. !.of;.-the cakes received are musty and unfit to eat, although sealed in tins, i Soap should not be packed in the same .parcels with eatables. Honey should snot be sent in cardboard jars. Honey, Ijjam, and treacle should be properly sealed. The lids of treacle tins squeezed down is not sufficient. Chewing gum should not be sent—it spoils all eatables in parcels, and is bad itself when jit reaches here. Sugar should not be ifcent in paper or cardboard boxes, as it [often arrives wet. If people only saw I how the contents of a great many parI cela arrive they would not waste the money. You would be surprised to see the number of fine big cakes unfit for consumption. The writer forwards a packet and a tin of cigarettes as evidence of the result when sent in packets and unsealed tins. Tins containing 50 cigarettes properly sealed are all right. Sometimes the addresses cannot be read on account of mildew on the parcels. The journey and weather seems to play havoc with the contents of parcels. Writes Horoatio Bottomley in "John Bull":-*-We are walking bask from the first tines, through the communication trenches, and came upon a little group of men cooking their dinner in a dug-out. "How's the war going." I asked. "Fine.'' came the reply—"Have a fried potato," And the guns were roaring away all round us! To another group—just at the end of the trench, I said: "You are looking very happy." "Yes, sir," said a merry-faced fellow—"we all backetl your horse at Brighton au Saturday." (To the uuitiated I may explain that' I had taken the rare liberty of winning a raco that day). You can't eradicate the sporting instinct from the soldier —and thank God you can't! Here's the funniest illustration of all: "The war's won," I said on another occasion. "Good! What's second and third?" (-ante (tie ready retort—atnd. even the general who was with me had to join in the laughter. These, however, are the lighter shades of Tommy's nature. Get him in serious mood, a»d you will find that d«ep down in his soul is a full sense of the sacred task upon which he is engaged. Talk to him of Kis folks at home, and he becomes quiet and reflective. And in those moments we know what is in his heart.

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 genuine—insist if you have to—and be The too free indulgence Is sweets, cakes etc., soon upsets the stomach. The easiest and simplest corrective it Shar <£>4's Magnet*,

Finland is reported to be so short of food because of tlie short crop and the difficulty of importing grains that many of her-people are eating bread made of equal parts of rye flour and pine bark. Shearers are scarce in the North Otago district. On one station the owner has started shearing with one expert and three novices, and ou another—a largo property—with two experts and several beginners. The German crews captured in France from the wrecked, £eupelins declared that they had hod lio'Jcnowledgc of American troops in 12urop£. Many German prisoners captured in trench fighting profess the same ignorance of the action of the United States.

King George follows the progress of the war so closely that he had an elaborate series of mapij and models erected in his palace by which,thib disposition of troops and the fleet can be seen at a gtaiw. A large saloon is set apart for 1 rpose, and to this none have access , King George, -his chief private secretary, and the civil and active heads of the Navy and Army. The doors of this apartment are kept locked, and, with the corridor approach,, g,re guarded night and day. The of all war craft, with names of vessels and gun complement and other details are shown in one plan. Another shoijrj, the seat of war, with trenches, forts, towns, and disposition of troops. The case in which Mr. T. J. Ryan (Premier of Queensland) .was charged under the War Precautions -Aqt (Military Service Referendum Regulations), with having verbally made a fake statement of fact of a kind likely to affect the judgment of the electors in relation to their votes at the referendum, namely, a statement to the effect that 109,000 men were left for the purposes of reinforcements, was concluded in the Brisbane City Summons Court. The magistrate said: "I have come to the conclusion that the complaint must be dismissed. I decline to find any facts." Costs were fixed at twenty guineas against the Federal Government. Much interest was evinced at Port Ahuriri on a recent afternoon when three pilot whales (blackfish) came through the entrance to the inner harbor. One, probably about 23 to 35 feet long, got right up into the Iron Pot, while the other two went under the Westshore bridge, and were secured by fishermen and tied to the shore in that locality. That in the Iron Pot attracted the most attention, being a huge specimen, and during the afternoon it was speared and lanced and tied up. But towards dark it was found necessary to release it, as, not boinj; dead, there was a possibility of its doing damage, and it gradually wended its way out on the ebb tide, and was lost to view about 8 p.m. Olga Petrova will appear for the last time at tin? Empire to-night in the Metro Iwonderplay "The Secret of Eve," which is proving one of the most popular pictures in w Inch this favorite artiste has I yet been featured. "The Secret of Eve" will not be shown at the matinee performance this afternoon.

In the Napoleonic wars, when a prisoner escaped from an internment camp, the whole countryside was notified by the firing of a gun, which was an intimation to everybody that they could assist in the search (says the Post). Something of the sort has been arranged in connection with the German prisoners detained at Sorneß Island. The standing orders at, Somes Wand provide that, in the event of any prisoners of war escaping from the island, the authorities should be immediately notified by the fir,ing of rockets on the island. It is desired that the general public should be aware of these arrangements, in order that they may co-operate in effecting the recapture of the escapee and notify the nearest police officer of the movements of any persons who may be suspected as having escaped from the island. It is a little early to pronounce what are the actual results of the six o'clock closing, so far as the hotelkeepers are concerned (say s the Xew Zealand Times). That they are being hard hit financially in many cases is beyond question. When approached to state the .extent of their losses through the new regime several licensees have shown some reticence. Others have declared that they will not know how they stand until they make up their accounts, at the ond of the month. They seem to tiling that there will be little diminution in the consumption of alcoholip drinks in the long run, but so far their bottle trade has not increased. At present a general dislocation and inconvenience are being experienced. Many people, through lack of foresight, are going without what they want, but ultimately, in the opinion of the trade, a much greater business will be done by wholesale vendors who give deliveries. This will be at the expense of the hotelkeepers, who have to supply board and lodging to the general •public as well as liquid refreshment. A good resolution for the New Year would be to make up one's mind to buy up all the drapery and apparel needful for the family's requirements for the next two years. It would pay handsomely, in view of the terrific prices impending. The Melbourne, Ltd., can help you as the ftrm fortunately holds big stocks bought many months ago, when prices and freights were much lower than they are to-day.