LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlits inquest concerning the death of Mr. F. Anstis, who died in ilie New Plymouth Hospital us the result of injuries received in a motor-ear mishap near Rugby Koad 011 January 2, will be resumed on Monday, the 28th instant, at 11 a.m. Mr. H. Stonex, of Rahotu, lias received a very appreciative letter from France from Private T. Riley, in which the writer acknowledges receipt of a gift parcel. Private Riley is a Taranaki boy, and before joining the forces was residing at Oeo. Plain-clothes Constable Fitzgibbon, of New Plymouth, and Constable La Pouple, of Waitara, arrested a native named Ngatai Perereka, at Tikorangi, yesterday, 011 a charge of the theft of seven head of cattle at Warea in December last. Accused will be brought before the magistrate this morning. Startling rumors were current in Wellington 011 Thursday (says the Times), concerning the estate of a business man recently deceased. A meeting of creditors, has been held, and as a result of the refusal of the trustees to act, ft is stated that the estate passed into the hands of the Public Trustee. Disquieting developments are expected to eventuate within the next few days. If a mortgagee sells up a. borrower in default the name of the latter is not published, but because Mr. McCombs, M.P., is down 011 his luck, and lias had his cottage sold up, the fact is blazoned forth throughout the land. A little time before the same man appeared as a judgment debtor, and the case was starred by the papers. "Kick a man when lie's down" appears to be the motto of some people. The Red Cross Mart will be re-opened on Saturday, February 2, when the nurses of New Plymouth have kindly undertaken to control the day's effort As usual the mart will l)e open to receive gifts 011 February 1, And all gifts of flowers, vegetables, eggs, butter, jams, jellies and home-made produce of all kinds will be gratefully received. Donors of preserves are asked to affix labels stating contents and date of manufacture, as this will greatly simplify the work of those who are in charge of the sales. If any organisation or society is willing to take charge of the nujrt for one Saturday in February, the committee will be grateful if they will notify the mart secretary, Mr. W. Newman. Circulars'are being posted to all those organisations which so kindly helped during the past year. The Rev. E.iPalgrave Davy concluded his beach mission at Ngamotu yesterday, with a tea party. At night a final rally for children and adults was held in the Baptist Tabernacle. Mr. Davy, in the course of his address, related something of what had been done during the mission. He also said that, as is the custom at the conclusion of eacli mission, a collecting campaign 011 behalf of the mission funds had been conducted by the children, and yesterday they had raised the sum of over £l3. Every day on the beach penny collections were taken 011 behalf of the Soldiers' Orphans Fund, and for this £3 10s 4d had been contributed. Mr. Davy was very pleased with every aspect of the local mission, and he said New Plymouth held a high position 011 the list of places visited. He said the mission was broad-based, and was under the direction of some of the most prominent men in New Zealand. Last year 130 meetings had been held, with an average attendance of 230. Ho expressed his appreciation of tile assistance of local helpers. Reference was made at yesterday's meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board to the shipping of dairy produce tiy coastal steamers for transhipment to Home boats at Wellington. The reason suggested, that lack of draft made it impossible to load further cargo into a certain liner at the breakwater, was reluted by the report of the harbormaster, which stated that the whole of the cargo loaded by the liner at New Plymouth only made a difference of six inches in the draft of the vessel coining in and going out. Captain Waller, who was present, said that there, vas, when the vessel sailed, a margin of from eight feet to ten feet of water. He said there was 110 difficulty in handling the largest vessels that had come to the port. Compared with Nelson there was a greater depth of water at New Plymouth at low tide than there was at Nelson at high tide. It was pointed out by a member of Hie board that it was ridiculous to suggest that the amount of produce that .could be loaded into the particular coastal vessel referred to would increase the draft of the liner sufficiently to make it impossible for her to get out Vvith safety, when there was a margin of several feet of water. The amount of produce loaded for transhipment could not have increased the draft more than a few inches at the most. Writing .to his mother from the Mile End Military Hospital, Sergeant Wm. W, Matthews, ot Qmata, says that although he is in hospital he has not been wounded. He calls to mind the fact that when quite a lad at 'home he accidentally scahlod his left leg and foot badly by upsetting a bucket of boiling hay tea he '.vas getting ready for the calves. After seven or eight months of heavy maching a.nd trench work this foot became weak, and he was forced to take ft vest. However, this soon recovered, pnd while assisting m bringing in the wounded lie had the misfortune to sprain the ';:ime ankle, and'was then sent to England Sergeant Matthews says: "I i v as not sorry to get out, for we were 111 a hot corner ill a half circle with the Germans .shelling 11s from three fronts—nnd you can imagine wo wore getting pretty badly cut up. I am hoping to iie at Hornelmreli by Christmas, and" had if not been that I will soon he wanted 111 France, I should have liked to stay nt the base all the winter, as I have had a hard two years since I enlisted. I snw Roy Mace and Algie Loveridge about a month ago. They were together, and are in the Ot.ago Infantry, T understand I don't suppose t shall he here long and I have been told that we lose a stripe if we are off the field for more than three months, so I hope to he fit again before that happens, if it. is right. However, it can't he helped. Kind "re: Sards to all Omata and Ilurford road friends, especially the girls, as I expect all the boys are in camp by now." DRINK HABIT CURED READ THE EVIDENCE. An Auckland woman writes:—"My friends will hardly believe the difference in Mr. B. since taking Drinko powders. Please send two more packets." A patient, at Trentham says:—"l have now no desire for liquor. ' Three boxes of Drinko cured me." DRINKO is a tasteless and odourless powder which can Ibe given secretly if desired. Will not. harm the most delicate constitution. , Treat- ! ■ment is inexpensive. Write for free particulars. Sent 111 plain sealed envelope. Address me in confidence, stating if Mr., }Mr,s. or Miss. Lady Manager,' Drinko 1 Proprietary, 212. A.C., Lambton Quay, 1 j Wellington ;

At yesterday's meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Hoard the secretary presented a return showing the total' trade of the port from the opening of the wharf to the end of last year. The number ol vessels that had entered was 11,8-Ki, aggregate net tonnage 4,576,7'J1i, aggregate imports 1,:17I,!)G4 tons, butter and eheei.e exports 207,505 tons, meat exports 22(16 tons, other exports 144.07S tons, total exports 353,849 tons, total exports and imports 1,728,813 tons. Adjutant and Mrs. Hultguist, who for the last eighteen months havejiad charge of the Salvation Army corps and work at New Plymouth, are under farewell order;., and will conduct their final meet-' ings to-morrow (Sunday). The adjutants have been appointed to the charge of the Salvation Army corps and work at Hamilton and they will leave New Plymouth finally next Tuesday evening by boat for Auckland "flit-ir successors. Adjutant and Mrs. Rowland*, are due to arrive in New Plymouth. aeect Wednesday or Thursday A farewell social will be tendered to Adjutant Hultquist and family on Monday night at the Army hall, when everybody will be welcome. Mr. Culpan, a well-known resident "of Auckland, was on a visit to Hawera on Thursday. In the course of conversation with a Star representative, he stated that he was (lie oldest bowler in the Southern Hemisphere, having been onei of the founders of the Auckland Bowling Club, and had retained membership ever since. Mr. Culpan referred to the "father" of bowling in Taranaki (the late Mr. James Paul), and remarked that somewhere in the seventies Mr. Paul visited the Auckland green, and, after taking part in a most enjoyable game, made a neat little speech. He said the game had put new life into him, and when he got back to New Plymouth he would not rest content until a bowling club was established. How he accomplished this object is well known. Mr. Culpan further stated that he had played a game of bowls ill Hawera about sixteen years ago, and mentioned that he recollected Mr. It. Tait, chemist, being in his rink. Mr. Culpan's opinion of the late Mr. Paul as a bowler was very pronounced: "He was a grand player." The Maelstrom is the terrific whirlpool on the Norwegian coast which was responsible for the wrecking and sucking down of many of the ancient- trading vessels. "The Maelstrom" is a particularly good title for the mystery play screening at Everybody's to-day and tonight, which features Earle Williams and Dorothy Kelly. It has long been said that the Germans were in the habit of throwing poisoned sweetmeats from their aeroplanes for French children to pick up. So diabolical seemed such a proceeding that even the most bitter Boche-hater could not be induced to believe that a people even as depraved as the Teutons could be guilty of so hellish s, Crick. Whatever doubts these good folk entertained have now been finally removed by an analytical examination of cakes, chocolates, and other tempting ;lainties found in various quarters of Calais efter a raid. In every instance poisonous substances were found intermixed with pastries, some«of these actually containing epidemical germs. If this is the way Germany is trying to force France, into a premature peace, she has a very distorted idea of the present public feeling, A returned soldier, speaking of the deadly work sometimes carried out in the night raids of the German aeroplanes, told how one night an aeroplane dropped two bombs—one at each endon the horse lines," and that, when they had finishing shooting, of the horses badly or mortally wounded there were 84 horses dead out of a total of 85! Andrew Thaw, who went to the front from Balclutha, was spoken of as a man with iron nerves —or, rather, with no nerve at all—who paid no heed to shrapnel or anything else, i|nd was as strong physically as three ordinary men. ..'On one occasion relays of men were detailed to secretly carry slabs of concrete at night up a steep hill to make an emplacement. The work went on for several nights., fine slab at a time was plenty for c\%ry one of the soldiers, with the exception of Andrew—he carried one under each arm, and would reach the emplacement and be half-way back again before the others got there. Andrew's father was a Hudson's Bay trapper, The bravery of the stretcher-bearers was referred to in enthusiastic terms, and the heavy proportion of their casualties deplored. "I am no drinking man, as you know." said the soldier, "but I will ,yiv that the issues of rum have saved more lircs than anything else. We would be standing all night in the trenches, mud up to the tops of our thigh boots, perished with cold, hardly able to left our guns. Thpi we would each get a small tot of rum—it was but a small tot, but it \yaj good rum. It would make the feel hungry, and then, when the dixies blood flow, put life into us, and make us of hot stew came along, we would fall to with the keenest appetites." There is sojourning in the Feildiug district just now a visitor who was recently residing in Holland. Asked by a Star reporter what side the lhitch were on in the war, he replied: "The side that pays tlnem best—and so far that lias been Germany." Explaining this, he said Holland had in the most barefaced way been pouring foodstuffs and raw material as fast as trains could carry it over the border, reaping a golden harvest in return. A worn-out cow brought as high as £SO, and this had tempted the greedy Dutch to such an extent that they had seriously depleted their herds. So'much sn that, their very gold-greed will land tliem in difficulties after the war, as tli'ey, will not be able easily and cheaply to replenish their herds. Since America had shut down on'.sending loads of food, Holland was also feeling the pinch of food-shortage, having left herself no reserves in her eagerness to make good wiiile the war ra<*ed. The Germans laugh at their gold-maddened neutral neighbors jeering: "Oh, we'll soon get that gold back." The visitor from Holland wn< asked were the stories of the brutalities of the Germans In Belgium exaggerated. He replied emphatically-: "No the true records of the Huns in Belgium are unprintable." DR. SHELDON'S DIGESTIVE [ TABULES. Is the remedy that everyone should takt> when there is anything wrong, with thu stomach. Poor Appetite, Loss of Strength Nervousness, Headache, Bad Breath, Heartburn, Indigestion and Dyspepsia are quickly banished by the use of Dr. Sheldon's Digestive Tabules. These Tabules represent the natural juices of digestion, combined with the greatest known tonic and reconstructive agents. They simply do the work of the stomach, relieving that weakened organ, and permitting it to rest and recuperate. When you take Dr. Sheldon's Digestive Tabules, everything you eat tastes good, and every bit of the nutriment that the food contains is assimilated and appropriated by the blond and tissues. They are the only safe, reliable, certain remedy for all stomach troubles. Dr. Slieldon'3 Digestive Tabules. 1/8 and 2/15. Obtainable evanwhere.

Tlit Prime Minister speaks in )>ig'n I terms of the COOU acres of Uladbrook I Estate, at Middlemarch, Otago, which ban been purchased from "Mr John Boberts, C.M.0., as it 'soldier settlement (says the CliriHtcliujcli Press) "The estate was looking splendid when I saw it,' said Mr. Massey, "and it in the best purchase the Government ever made. It should cut up into 75 farms suitable for dairying. 1 walked many miles over the property, and I failed to ace a rabbit or a bit of Oaiifornian thistle." A lady and her daughter had a narrow escape from death or serious accident the other day on a level crossing on the main road, a short distance north of the Waverley racecourse, where the train comes through a cutting and crosses the road very shortly Although they knew the train was due, md were on the look-out for it, they never heard any whistle, and just at the horse out 011 to the line the train came into night through the cutting, only a few yards away. Fortunately the younger woman, who was driviitg, did not lose her presence of mind", but struck the horse a sharp blow with the reins, cansmg the f.nimal to make a plunge forward and just get the gig clear of the Hne as the train dashed past. Referring to the recent announcement that the New Zealand Division had been attached to the British Army Corps organisation, Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., addressed a letter to the Minister of Defence, in the course of which he says: "May I respectfully ask the im(port of this change? I)oes it mean that the relationship between the New Zealand and the Australian. Forces is to toe permanently severed? And if so may I ask if the official teason of this step is available? Is there to be any alteration dn the Army Command as a. consequence of this change? If so, can you tell me who Is to be the commander of the new army corps to which the New Zealand Force is assigned! Naturally, parents and relative.} of our soldiers are keenly interested as 1o the army commander. nnJ if you can give us any information on this .point I am sure it w#uld be welcomed."