LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Reports are current to the effect that spurious coins are in circulation. A very good imitation shilling was received by a New Plymouth bank on Saturday. The coin appeared to be made of lead-

Yesterday morning's mail train was, crowded with people returning to their homes, who have been spending their holidays in New Plymouth, Where were also on the same train a large number of soldiers who are due back in camp after holiday leave. At Hawera, one of the soldiers returning from the front tarried too long on the platform, and on attempting to board the train in motion he was prevented by the guard. He boarded a motor-car, however, and, amid a chorus of cheers from his comrades, joined the tram at Normanby.

A hot box 'held up the express at Hawera last evening. Whilst the axle pooled, the Mayor of Hawera had ample time to welcome (home some of the returning soldiers. The station was nicely decorated with flags, etc., and the soldiers had a very warm welcome.

Heartburn and sick headache is relieved by Sliarland'a Magnesia.

Some amateur photographers had their cameras confiscated for taking snaps ol the wharves at Lyttelton last week, and they will be prosecuted for breach of one of the War Regulations. Candid confession of a delegate to the New Zealand Educational Institute Conference. "1 consider,'' lie said, "and •' have considered for many a year, that we are a backboneless lot." "We are now,'' he said later, "turning out of our schools a vast number of unthinking units, and they are being led by leaders who are taking them to their downfall." As showing how some soldiers have a premonition, a letter received by a Gis-boi-ne resident from a young man who made the supreme sacrifice in the Passchendaele attack, contained the statement that "somehow or another I cannot get rid of the feeling that I am going t<\ catch it," and he asked the recipient to assist in cheering up the home circle if the worst did happen. Should the teaching of Home Science be confined to girls'/ "No," said a delegate at the conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute. He held that such teaching was almost equally necessary for both sexes, and said that he would even go as far as to say that I'no man or woman should be allowed to get married unless they could provide certificates to show that each had undergone a course.

The Bishop of London (Dr. Winnington Ingrain), in his Christmas message, said: —"Great Britain is rising like a tower out of the deep. The nation passes into the new year honored by the admiration of her friends and honored by the fear of her foes. If we fail now we had better not have hegun the war. If the league of eighteen nations now handed together do not. force justice now, will they ever be able to do so?"

The story of an authentic incident in the Atlantic is told by an officer of the British mercantile marine. On his last voyage a 'periscope' was sighted. The boats were got ready. "Begorra, we're in for it now" said the Irish gunner. Two shots were fired at the object and the "ling rose. It was the fin of a whale which had been sleeping near the surface of the water. The whale rose almost bodily out of the sea and then toppled over dead.

Between Masterton and Foxton 011 Nejy Year's Day two motor cars were passed on the road more or less damaged and out of action. One two-seater car 011 the Palmerston-Foxton road had both front wheels off. The main road between Pahiatua and Maurieeville is (says the ManawatuHerald), about the worst for motoring between Wellington and New Plymouth. It consists of innumerable pot holes. Yet in the district mentioned there are millions of tons of the best metal for roading purposes.

Rolls of honor exist practically everywhere within ' the British Empire, but South Africa is going to have a roll of dishonor at Johannesburg. The Johannesburg Recruiting Committee has resolved, it is said, to draw up such a novel roll, on which will be inscribed the names of all eligible men in the city who have not enlisted. It is alleged, however, that a considerable number of men have arrived on the Rand from .Home to escape conscription. Perhaps the roll of dishonor will afford enlightenment on the subject.

A very distressing accident occurred at Greytown last Sunday through which Miss Blasshke lost her life. She was burning some rubbish in her garden, when her clothes caught fire. No one was present or near the scene of tho accident, and, before help, attracted by her screams, arrived, she was terribly burned. She was removed to the hospital and died at about'eleven the same -night. A formal inquest was held, when a verdict of "accidental death by burning" was returned. The deceased was 03 years of age.

Three members of the Cooper family had an exciting experience recently near Eketahuna (states the Wairarapa Daily News. They were driving down a hill by Mr. Thomas Moss's homestead, when they were overtaken by a tornado. They heard a great explosion, and, becoming alarmed, got out of their vehicle and lay flat on the ground. By this means they saved their lives. The wind struck the barn and cowshed of Mr. Elsmore, removing the roofs of both buildings and carrying them high into the air. It also uprooted trees and scattered debris for a. considerable distance.

A sensational escape from a terrible' fatality occurred on the Taramakau bridge on Boxing Day (says a Greymouth exchange. A car driven by a man, and containing some women and children, had reached the middle of the bridge, when the train suddenly rounded the opposite corner. The engine-driver promptly applied the brakes and brought the train to a standstill, while the car driver had taken similar action. The result was that a collision, was narrowly averted, the/ car being "backed off" thestructure to permit of the train proceeding on its jpurney.

The value of the Chinese 1 "cash" has been greatly inflated by the war, according to a statement by Dr. 0. E. Morrison, political adviser to the Chinese Government. Speaking in Sydney recently, he said it is now estimated that China lias 400.000 tons of "cash." Fifty-four per cent of it is pure copper, 42 per cent, is zinc, and the remainder lead and impurities. That vast mass is being purchased "by the Japanese dealers in large quantities at some £3O a ton. There is every reason to believe 65,000 tons have been bought at that priee, and the copper in it alone has been sold at the great prices copper is bringing in Europa during these war times."

At the inquest 011 the late Wm. Hal), a victim of the Runanga tragedy, for which the man Eggers is to stand his trial, Dr. Usher, medical superintendent •of the Greymouth Hospital, gave evidence that he had several conversations with the deceased, who said he had been able to recognise the identity of the masked man. The only thing that may lead to identity was that early on the Tuesday morning following the shooting. Hall suddenly opened his eyes, and said: "He is a well-spoken man." Asked by witness if there was any conversation that he was able to recognise, the deceased said, "No; he (the masked man) only said 'Hands up,' but it was the way he said it." Asked as to the size of (lie masked man, the deceased thought he was of medium height :mJ fairly strong build.

THE POISONING OF THIRTY GIRLS in a Melbourne factory by eucalyptus lollies which were evidently made from the common eucalyptus brings home forcibly the importance of using, only the GENUINE SANDER EUCALYPTI EXTRACT internally. SANDER'S EXTRACT sniffed up the nose and three •drops on sugar, is a sure and safe protection from meningitis and other infections. Applied to ulcers, poisoned wounds, sprains, chilblains, eczema, SANDER'S EXTRACT brings quick re-

Cabinet Juts approved the appointment of Mr. W. Newton, of the Labor Department, to the office of Conciliation Commissioner.—l'rcss Association.

At yesterday's meeting of tin. Taranulci County Council the question of allowing the council's permanent employees to assist farmers with hayharvesting was mentioned. The chairman stated that lie had given the men to understand tlwt provided tliev could leave their work without, detriment to the council's roads they would be expected to assist farmers wiherever required. A correspondent states that at Xikan recently a party of ladies went for a swim in the Mangahau river, below the. Xikan post office. They swam across the river, but, while returning.. Mrs Graham, o|' Xikan, got caught .in an under current, and but for the timely action of Miss Viola SouT.r, of Xikau. and her cousin, Miss Zaidie Sowry, of Vrenui. who went to her rescue, she undoubtedly would have been drowned, but after some difficulty tihey brought her to shore in an unconscious condition.

The chairman of the Taranaki County Council mentioned at yesterday's ing the question of the removal of trees at the comers of roads which interfered with the view of the roads by ssjvers, and were a serious menace to '-Motor traffic. The danger caused by high fences at the corners of roads was also mentioned, and it was stated that it was the intention of the council to enforce the clearing away in every instance of such growtlii as was considered an obstruction to a proper view of the roads.

Mr. Ladbrook had a unique experience on Sunday evening when returning from Ivaimata (says the Record). On Hearing the residence of Mr. G. Lamb, he saw an opossum in the road, and managed to escape it with his front wheels, but the animal, possibly not used to motor cars or bothered by the b'ght, turned the wrong way, and got in front of the hind wheel, and was apparently struck 011 the head, as a slight effusion of blood from the mouth is the only sign of any possible argument with the car, besides its corpse. Mr. Ladbrook felt the bump of the hind wheel,; and pulled up to investigate. Ho found a sleek, full-grown, buck, grey opossum, in grand condition, an.l ■with capital fur. The animal was evidently a resident for some years, if teeth and claws are any indication of years. Major-General Sir A. W. Robin, Commandant of Military Forces in New ZcaInad, in a letter to Lieutenant-Colonel Cossgrove, Dominion Chief Scout, conveying the season's greetings, requested Lieutenant-Colonel Cossgrove "to extend to the Boy Scouts throughout the Dominion the grateful thanks and appreciation of himself and staff for the patriotic way in which they have worked in assisting the military authorities during /the past year. Many duties have been performed by these lads, and their services have been given with cheerfulness and zeal. Their notions have been an example to all, and the spirit of self-sacri-fice which is fostered by the Scout teaching is without doubt the greatest factor in the winning of the war." Writes a Maaaia soldier from' France: I have read somewhere or have been told of the hard tasks that the women of the Taranaki cow district perform. But their lives are a luxury of rest and ease compared to the hard lives of those French girls and women. New Zealand women should come out here to learn what hard work means. To me it is repugnant and the tendency must be to coarsen and produce a hard fibre. Though in actual fact it does not appear to, if one may judge from the conversation arid manners of these women. You will see them loading and carting manure, grooming and stabling horses, cutting and loading wood, working chaff cutters and wood pulpers, the latter especiallyvery laborious work, carrying heavy loads of mangolds on a yoke across the i shoulders, just as Chinese vegetable sellers do, and similar heavy work. And their hours are from dawn till dark. Nor is this because it is war time. T am told it is their normal work. And as there is no Sunday in the sense that we regard it, theirs is a seven days working week.

The Cork correspondent of the London Daily Chronicle wrote on October 22: "One result of the U-boat campaign has been the springing up of a new industry, which is earning small fortunes for those who have had the foresight to invest in it. This is the traffic the cargoes, of vessels which have been torpedoed, but which have managed to reach port. Frequently these cargoes are only slightly damaged, but almost invariably they arc sold off quickly at next to nothing, such is the haste to get the vessel in dock and repaired for further service at the earliest possible moment. In these times of high freights every day that a ship is out of action means a substantial loss to her owners. I know of one instance where "a cargo of grain, damaged by sea water as a result of a vessel being torpedoed, was sold off from the vessel's k holds at lOs a ton. But almost immediately the fortunate purchaser disposed of the grain for foodstuffs at £0 10s, a ton, and as there were no heavy har.jbor dues or carting charges to ■pay, the difference between his buying and selling prices was almost entirely clear profit. Nor was this the end of the golden harvest reaped from this one cargo. As the demand increased the price bounded up until it changed hands again first at £9 and finally at £l2 10s a ton. A year before a similar cargo at the same port fetched but £1 per ton. In still another case a buyer bought a crate of stuff at a salvage auction for £lO, and within a quarter of an hour was enabled to resell at no less than £7O. Later lie tried to rebuy it, but was asked £IBO. It is oven rumored in one port in the south of Ireland that a purchaser bought for 4s a bar of gold, both seller and buyer being under the impression •'that it was brass. But just in the nick of time a Government official, with greater knowledge of the goods, stepped in 'to prevent the purchaser carrying off his golden gain, which must have been worth anything up to £SOO. The Melbourne, Ltd., announce the arrival of fresh consignments of Fuji silk and 10 momme white silk direct from Japan. The price of these superb silks is now 4s 6d per yard and as the demand i 9 greater than ever customers are advised to make their purchases early.

WHISKY DRINKING STOPPED. An Oamaru woman gladly tells her experience of DRINKO:—"My husband has not touched drink since taking the powders. He is a good man and kind ■but that failing has been a great trouble. You can understand how pleased 1 am at such marked improvement." In scores of other cases DRINKO has proved what is claimed for it. It is an inexpensive treatment and can be given secretly if desired. Rill particulars and copies of testimonials posted free in plain sealed envelope. Adress me in confidence today, stating if Mr., Mrs. or Miss, Lady Manager, Driftko Proprietary, 212 A.G'., faimlrton Quay, Wellington. 2

"QZO TOOTH POWDEK sterilizes the mouth, sweetens the breath and masses the teeth peariy white, and. invigorates the gums. 6d this everywhere.