LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 February 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Magisrtate's Court yesterday morning Mr. A. Crooke, S.M.,'granted a land agent's license to Mr L. A. Nolan. Another sign of the scarcity of male labor on Taranaki dairy farms, owing to the depletion of male labor by the war. A young lady led one of the prize-win-ning cows in the grand parade at the Egmont show yesterday. The Ng'aero Dairy Co., Ltd., have just paid a final bonus of %d per lb butterfat for the season 1918-17, making 2s 0y 2 d per lb for the year, figures that will take some beating. The Eltham Dairy Co., Ltd., paid out yesterday Is 3d per lb for the month of January, and a 3d bonus from July Ist to December 31st the total payment well exceeding £20,■OOO. One of the new 10a notes was presented to a Gisborne tradesman in payment for a small purchase. The storekeeper, mistaking it for a £lO note, demurred at being asked for so much change so early in the day. "Call it a quid if you like," said the customer nonchalantly, and the sapient storekeeper readily agreed and handed over change as for a £1 note (states a Gisborne paper). His comments when he discovered his mistake are not recorded. The Citizens' Band gavq a municipal concert at Pukekura Park last evening. There was a good attendance of the publie and also a full band. The programme was received with evident appreciation. The items included several which had not previously been played, and amongst the selections given were a quickstep "Gippsland." (Lithgow), "A .Perfect Day,'' cornet solo by Bandsman 11. Boight (played by special request), selection, "Norjnanlmrst" (Greenwood), and a topical march "British Flag'' (arranged by Rimmer). In connection with the appeal of the Scottish Women's Hospital which is being made in New Plymouth on Saturday, a preliminary to the ■general effort lias been arranged in the shape of a Scotch concert, which will take place in the Good Templar Hall to-night. An excellent programme has been arranged, including songs, pianoforte solos and Scotch dances. The programme will conclude with a national tableaux'. Melbourne's leading baritone soloist, Mr. Fred. Collier, is at, present on a short visit to this town in the interests of the Chappol music publishers. Mr. Collier has just completed a tour of the Australian State* with Madame Mellia, and is shortly due to again apnear in villi the famous Diva, "at her farewell performance. Several local musical enthusiasts, desirous that the New Plymouth public should have an opportunity,to hear this gifted vocalist, waited on Mr. Collier with u request Jh.it. he should appear at a concert whilst in town The deputation received a cheery greeting, and the upshot was that Mr. Collier agreed to give n sacred concert on Sunday night at Evcrvbodc's in aid of the New Plymouth Hospital f,„„K The manager nf Everybody's Theatre was also on (lie (rack of '(he famous vocalist, with the result thai Mr. Collier lias accepted an engagement, to sing at Everybody's on Saturday night in conjunction with the picture programme. Medical authorities agree that, al- ! hough there are main- contributing o:; ••-■•■•=:. excops Urio_ Acid ;„ <h c j)i 00(i .- " ■ r--' cense of Rheumatism, Gout, •" : ' , 'V n and kindred diseases t . ,' , :-.'moves 1!: is excess Uric •'■' •"■'. i..'.;.; seldom fails to cure 2/0 and i/t"

The conuiiillce of the Stratford (lift Auction advise ns that all arrangements r«.r tin- sale to 1>« held (in Saturday next, rillrd iust-, arc well in hand. Intending pir. chasers can rely on a good selection of all classes of stock. As 11 special attraction tor llic kiddh.-.i i the Empire management will include the Charlie Chaplin comedy ''The Shopwalker'' on the matinee programme lor tomorrow. The eight reel Metro play, "Under Handicap" will also be screened at the matinee, and as this picture is lull of thrilling deeds and views of cowhoyfi ut piay, il is certain to be a popular number for the kiddhis. Obviously the "old blood is bold blood" up Singleton way, states the Sydney Daily Telegraph Recently a recruiting meeting was held, and an appeal made in more or less eloquent terms for men to fill the gaps abroad. "The only rc-ponsc." says the officer who conducted the meeting, "was from an old man, who gave his age as 102. The statement as to his nye has shire been proved ed to be correct" Tn the form supplied him by the recruiting seigeant, the old warrior gave his ago as over 45. Evidently Waverley girls are not gcin" to 'be left behind, and are nexcrmJneii to protect the properly of their brothers who have gone to the war. In some cases they have put on their brother's clothes and gone out into the airin them "just to keep the moths out." Perhaps •this would lie rousidered quite right whilst assisting on the farm, but when it comes to walking out in the streets in full dress, even to hats, it is little, wonder the Territorials at a recent parade broke into a run at the prospect of securing a couple of hefty recruits. "But don't try it again girls." —Press. The loss of Allied and neutral shipping from German submarines since February ■23, 1017, the beginning of unrestricted warfare, lias amounted to 1204 ships, with a tonnage of 0,371,000 tons. Sir Eric (ieddes, First Lord of tile British Admiralty, announced in July that Great Britain had 15.000,000 tons'afloat, that she would build 2,800,000 tons during the. vcar, and that the United States would have (1,000,000 tons living the American flag in 1018 The oflicial statement of the destruction of U-boats for the eleven mouths has averaged thirtyeight a month; German construction is estimated at twenty-three a month. At a public meeting in Wanganui. a. returned soldier, Private Marshell, said: "I am here to-night as the result of the splendid work of' the YMC A. Hut for the VAI.C.A. I should not be alive. I was wounded after going over the parapet, and it was a gas area and 1 had on my helmet. 1 was directed to the nearest dressing station and was making my way there, when 1 swooned and tell from exhaustion and loss of blood, and the effects of gas. The next thing I remember I became conscious In n Red Triangle dug-out. They told me afterwards they heard me moaning ami went dul in search of me and dragged me into tin dug-out and applied restoratives. The result was I was brought back to life. I want to say I don't know what thousands of our boys would do in the front ranks but for the succour and assistance the Y..M.C.A. renders them. T can only add it is a magnificent institution and nothing else could fill its place. A vegetable curiosity may at present he scon in the gardens of two wellknown Wanganui citizens, and the rivalry between them has produced claims which make one think of the proverbial fish story, though they are accompanied by assurances that they are perfectly genuine (states the Herald). The curiosity in question is a tropical vegetable, which each man is growing. It is known in this hemisphere as the New Guinea bean, though it bears other names, according t 0 location It is described as an edible bean, succulent and nutritive, easily raised if due attention be given it, and producing a large supply of food, as may be judged from its size. One of the local growers has a pod 31) inches long and 13 inches in circumference. He expects if to reach a Wgth of 43 inches, and, in order to still all gibes on the subject, he intends to exhibit it in a shop window shortly. In giving particulars of the bean, this gentleman said he would have had even better results had there been a more favorable season. Its original habitat was the islands washed by the Caribbean, where it was discovered by a shebeen keeper named lligg, in bottom lands composed of rich silt, its plant association including many ornamental trees, as palms and sumac grow there also- It may be added that this bean is grown widely in 2)arts of Queensland. When charging the Grand Jury at Palmerston Supreme Court on Tuesday, Ins Honor, Air. Justice Edwards said he had stated before that there were some people-who considered grand juries unnecessary, but his Honor was or opinion that these people a great mistake. The work of grand juries had ■been a credit to the administration of justice in this country, and the grand juries should be retained, as" the course j of justice may not always continue as it had done. Such things had happened in other countries, and may, happen here. No one wished that a person should be sent to trial by a petty jury on the certificate of a paid officer' of the Crown. That was not desired. Corruption bad occurred in certain countries in this way. but in this country it was the wish to keep the administration as free as possible. Therefore, he did not think the grand juries were wasting time in carrying out their present duties, as some people seemed to think. The juries were undertaking certain honorable functions, which should be regarded as a privilege and not a hardship. Great interest lias centred in the first Metro super-lilm, "Under Handicap," which was screened for the first tiu\c at the Empire last night. "Under Hand!'cap" is a story of New York—and the desert, principally the desert. Tt shows the workings of gigantic reclamation projects, the problem of wresting great gifts from nature. Tts greatest lesson is perhaps that to win from nature requires grit and strength, both moral and physical, it. is partly because Lockwood plays are so clean that the public has learned to trust them and Lockwood — and to want more of them. Certainly Harold Toekwood has never appeared to belter advantage than in the present picture. Whether you be short, tall, stout or slim, you are sure of securing a T). and A. corset that will fit you with the same soft comfort as the glove on you* hand. Morey's are making a special feature of the T>. and A. models —sec their advertisement in this copy of the News. A BOY'S ESSAY. Tea prevents women, including grandmothers and sisters from dyiqg. You get it either from Ceylon, off a tree, or | from next door, out of' a-packet-iabejled