LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A story comes fran Egypt that a native interpreter had overrtayed his leave. He was written to offieiaily, and this was his reply in English: "My absence is impossible. Someone lias removed my wife. My God, I was annoyed."

A practice match will be fired on the Tnglowood range on Thursday next. A full attendance of members is requested, as the team to meet New Plymouth, at Inglewood, on January 17, will be selected from the nine highest shots. On December 20 Judge Chapman, at Wellington, on the application of Mr. R. C. Hughes, granted probate of the will of the late William Humphries to Edward Larwell Humphries, one of the executors named in the will.

There,was .a blaze in the lupins at Ngamotu on Monday afternoon, on the seaward side of the railway line and nearly opposite the Breakwater Hotel. The eottages below were in danger, and a call was given to the Fire Brigade. Superintendent Fred. Bellringer, Foreman ,1. Clarke, Fireman H. Moon and Custodian F. Doughty were promptly on the scene, and, with an excellent pressure of water, the outbreak was soon controlled.

''The G.O.C. of the Second Army," runs a notice in the general orders of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, ''wishes to express his appreciation of the gallant conduct of No. 25/870 Rifleman T A. Hodley, :ird N.Z. L.T.M.8., under the following circumstances: Whilst himself a patient in hospital, lie voluntarily acted as donor for blood transfusion, with the object of saving the life of a comrade."

At last night's.meeting of the Pukeknra Park Board,\thc report submitted by the curator drew attention to the continued theft of roses from the rosebed, and Mr. Smith recommended that the rosebed be removed from its present place and planted where the flax-bed is. The change would bring" the rose-bed into a position more exposed to public view, and would possibly result in cheeking the purloining of the blooms.

The following appears in general orders of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force: "The G.O.C. wishes to express his appreciation of the gallant conduct of Major G. Craig, N.Z.M.C., under the following circumstances: On Monday, September 24, ]!)17, during an air raid on London, Major Craig rendered conspicuously good service. Although himself wounded, he continued to attend and dress the wounds of civilians until he collapsed from loss of blood, and had to be conveyed to the hospital." At the meeting of the Pukekura Park Board held last night, some discussion took place on the question of the general improvement, of the 1 park grounds. Mr Bellringer urged that a definite policy should be adopted, particularly with regard to the establishment of a fernery. Mr. Bellringer said an appeal' should be made to the public for a definite amount, which he felt sure would be readily subscribed. The curator was an expert in the matter of New Zealand flora, and his valuable services should be availed of to better purpose than was the case at present. He said the possibilities of establishing a fernery second to none in New Zealand lay within easy reach. There were about sixty-four varieties of ferns indigenous to Taranaki, and there were not more than about half of them in the grounds. The discussion arose out of the reference by the chairman to the longdelayed scheme suggested by Mr. PercySmith, for the improvement of the grounds. The chairman and Mr. Percy Smith cordially supported Mr. Bcllringer's suggestions, which chiefly related to the valley leading up to the racecourse. A soldier from the Manaia district, who was some months ago very severely wounded in France, in a letter to his people here, throws a very ugly light on some of the practices of the 'battlefield (says the Witness). He states that previous to being wounded, he had saved up £!>, which he carried in a belt under his tunic. The party that picked him up, he states, cut his belt off and relieved him of every penny of his savings. His condition at, the time was very bad, as he had received some terrible wounds, and the party of bearers not .improbably thought he was about "done in," or pretty much that way, and took advantage of his helplessness to carry out their scheme of plunder. After a little while the nurses at the base hospital in France on being apprised of what had happened, very kindly proffered him money, which he declined. On his condition improving suilicienlly to permit his removal to Kngland, he was taken across the Chan-, nel, and found that before his removal the nurses had, with exceeding kindness, put 17s (id into his pockets. There are fine elements and some revolting ones in the soldier's story of his expeiiences, and one naturally wonders whether this ghoulish practice of robbing wounded and helpless soldiers is widely prevalent in the New Zealand Army in France.

The growth of the Northern Wairoa pastoral industry can bo gauged »y Uio i'uet that last season 500 hales of wool were shipped from Tangowahine Wharf, whereas (his season the shipment will total over tiOO bales.

The production of nitrogen from (lie ail- in Germany, which was only 30,000 tons in I'.U.'i, lias been so successful that 300,000 tons were so produced in 1010, and it is expected that 320,000 will be produced this year. According to the Frankfurter Zeitung the cost is only six cents a kilogram. A Rakain fenner, who spent two days ir an unsuccessful search in Cliristclnir'ch for a domestic servant to assist during the busy season, was emphatic in his opinion that the Efficiency Board should take in hand the organisation of female labor to assist, the over-worked wives of farmers, that being just as pressing a problem as the supply of labor for outside work on the farm.

The Ashburton Guardian sny«:—A small farmer some distance beyond the summer of life, who lives in tile Hilton district, South Canterbury, ttise one morning last week, milked his share of the cows, went forth and ploughed one acre and a half, returned home in and, after a swim in the adjacent river, mounted his bicycle and rode 42 miles to Ashburton to visit his ailing father.

Some forty members of the Main Body, who have returned to New Zealand on duty during the past few days, have been granted three weeks' leave of absence without pay. This action by the Defence Department is causing considerable adverse comment from the men themselves, and their friends, who cannot be blamed for thinking that 3J years' service in the interests of the Umpire entitled the men to being granted leave on full pay.

This world is still a small place, as the Paton Brothers, of JJannovirke, recently discovered, says the Dannevirke News, and adds: They were returning from the front, one from France, the other from Mesopotamia*. Neither had any knowledge of the other's whereabouts. One was walking' along the street at a port of call with some soldier friends when he espied another soldier in the distance, and remarked that he was very much like his brother. Such turned out to be the case. And though travelling by different steamers they arrived at Auckland within three hours of each other.

That Otamntea County, in North Auckland, says the local paper, appears destined to become one of the chief fruit producing portions of the Dominion is shown by the fact that on the Komiti Kstate alone, 40,000 fruit trees, mostly apples and lemons, have been planted during the past few years, whilst miles of shelter belts have been planted on the Northern Wairoa side of the estate. As a vine-growing and wineproducing territory, Otamatea has long stood in the foremost ranks, and thereis every probability that in the neat future its fruit assets will rival its already valuable pastoral wealth items. Speaking to a Post reporter, a member of the staff of the Wellington Public Hospital said that there had been a remarkable drop in the number of street accident cases and fimaller inishai.. city since the early closing hotel hours camu into force, the average weekly admissions of such cases being only about half of those tinder old conditions. Inebriated persons with all manner of real and imaginary ills used to wander in the Hospital at all hours of the night and demand immediate treatment, but with six o'clock closing that annoyance has practically ceased. Not one serious accident occurred in the city or district during the holiday week. There is one hotel in Christchurch whose proprietor has consistently re fused to join the Canterbury Licensed Victuallers' Association, or to increase the retail price of spirits. This is Mr. ft. C. M'Cullnugh, owner of His Lordship's Hotel, Mr. M'Cullough has caused writs to be issued against the Canterbtin Licensed Victuallers' Association, members of the Defence Committee oh the licensed Victuallers and brewers, and Mr. E. Nordon, secretary to the association, claimed £IOOO as damages for alleged stoppage of supplies of local beer, ales, and stout. Mr. A. J. Malley is solicitor for the. plaintiff, and Sir John Findlay, K.C., has been retained to conduct plaintiff's case in the Supremo Court. The case is to be heard at the February sessions of the Court. In connection with the arrival of Private Abbott, who reached N-w Plymouth on Monday night, and was taken to the hospital in the motor ambulance, an impression seems to have gained currency that there was some delay in the admission of the wounded man to the hospital. No delay of any sort took place at the hospital. It is true that the matron had not been advised of the man's arrival, hut he was taken into the hospital immediately on reaching the institution. The Now Plymouth Hospital is equipped and prepared for the reception of cases of emergency at all hours of the day*end night, and the only sense, in which those in control were unready for Private Abbott's arrival was in not having been notified of the train by which he was coming.

_ For a very long time past the question of the remuneration given to school teachers has been exercising the minds of members of the profession, and at every conference? the matter has been the subject of discussion. The present .gathering of the New Zealand Education Institute i« no exception to this, states the Wellington correspondent of the Lyt-tellon Times. The importance of education as a leading factor in raising the level of national efficiency and character was pointed out, and the con sequent necessity of securing in the first instance the best men and women for the teaching service. In view of this, Mr. J. A, Henry (Southland) urged the need for the establishment of a greatly improved scale of salaries. Some opposition to the proposal was manifest/, chiefly on account of the fact that the present wsls held not to be an opportune time for such a move. On .the voices the chairman declared the proposal to he lost, but on a division being called for it was carried by 38 votes to 27.

"When days are bright wear white" is the advice of a leading writer of fashion notes. Most women look best in white, for white grosses are always dainty, cool, and fashionable. Before buying your nexf white dress, see or send for patterns of the "whites'- Hie Big Store is offering on page four to-day. You can save money by buying now,

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile draw attention to their Matau sale, on Friday, 11th instant. Full particulars will be found on page S of this issue. <-

The Melbourne, Ltd., announce that they have still some old stocks of white and colored towels at prices at least 20 per cent, lower than wholesale cost. The following prices are quoted: White towels, Is 3d,.25. 2s Cd, and 3s (id per pair; brown towols, 2s and 2s (id per pair; best English make.