LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On tho filst inst- the New Zealand Dairy Association, Ltd., distributed amongst its suppliers the sum of £95,!)22 ■h 4d. This covered 1,439,5083 lb of but-ter-fat supplied during the month of January. A meeting was held at Plitca hist week to discuss the question of public baths for the town, with a view to the children of the district being taught to swim. The meeting decided that further meetings be held and that a committee he set up to obtain rough estimates of the cost of baths. A Wellington message states that the Postmaster-General, in response to a request from the Auckland branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association, has agreed to allow Braille-literature to be sent through, the post -free' of charge. This is particularly for the benefit "of blinded soldiers, but the privilege applies also to others similarly afflicted. What might have resulted in a collision between a tram ear and a heavy motor lorry was narrowly averted on the South road on Saturday afternoon by the prompt application of the brakes of the tramcar by the motorman. The car was going towards the breakwater and the motor lorry was coining into town, driving right along on the tram track, which is, of course, a contravention of the borough by-laws. For some reason the driver of the lorry did not move off the track until he was perilously near the tram car, and the passengers received a nastjigjolt when the motorman applied tho brinees. 'The practice of motor drivers in keeping to the tram track until close up to an approaching car is a dangerous one and subjects the travelling publics to unnecessary risksMr. Fred Collier, baritdnc soloist of the Melba Concert Company, made his bow to a local audience on Saturday evening. That the public expected sonicthing quite out of the ordinary was proved by tho exceptionally heavy booking and the wild rush for tickets when tho theatre was opened. So keen was the demand for seats that the building was packed in every part some twenty minutes before the advertised time for starting. Mr. Collier more than upheld his high reputation as a soloist, and had to respond to enthusiastic encores on each appearance- The solo numbers wore: "Floral Dance," encore, number "String of Pearls"; "Roses of Picardy," encore "When the Bells of Peace are Ringing" and 'Over There," the latter being the latest American war song. "Mr. Collier has accepted an engagement to appear at the Empire Theatre this evening, and musical enthusiasts and the general public are notified that this will be positively the last occasion on which this gifted artist can appear in New- Plymouth. Great enterprise was shown by the Bio. Company when it obtained from Kerensky special permission to film the events of the Russian revolution- This big feature will commence a three night season at the Empire to-night. The camera men's task was no enviable one as they traversed the storm-tossed capital of Russia, obtaining many scenes of the rising. No vital place, person, or bapponing has been missed. Chapter !) of "The Secret Kingdom" is included in the programme. "The Swamp Adder" is also- shown, and a startlingly original Keystone comedy, entitled "Oriental Love." Bellringer Bros., Ltd., announce the arrival of a large stock of Berger's paints, for which they are agents. The paint is of high quality and good wearing properties. Customers at the Melbourne's great stocktaking sale will be well advised in securing a liberal supply of stockings as shipments now landing show a big increase both in prime cost and in binding charges. The selling prices will not, however, be increased while the sale is on. There is only one SANDER EXTRACT nnd that is why the people reject the many inferior and harmful substitutes and'*,just as goods. SANDER'S EXTRACT is free from the objectionable qualities of the common eucalyptus. Sander's Extract cures all infectious diseases, all winter ailments, ulcers, burns, sprains, eczema, etc. Insist on the GENUINE SANDER'S EXTRACT. Money spent may serve a more deserving person; food and man piwcr wasted is K' wly lost tp the worlfi. ' J

Frank Rhodes, licensee of the Caledonian Hotel, Kapicr. has liled a pctilion in bankruptcy. His liabilities are over .C1."),(H)0.

Foster's Hotel, just, burned down, was H»ite a landmark in Waugaimi. It voi, erected as the York Hotel, in IS. - )?, and til) years ago- then tile Steam Packet Hotel—it was acquired l>v Mr. and .Mrs. \Y. Jl. IJ. Foster. Air. .). li. Fooler took possession eleven years ago. and at a comparatively reeent date acquired the lull interest from the Foster Instate.

Early this year it was announced in Britain (hat the Home Secretary had decided (o advise the release, upon liense. O] Alice Whecldon, who was convicted in February lusf. of conspiracy to miirder the Prime Minister, and sentenced to ten years' penal servitude. This decision was taken a.t Mr. Lloyd (leorge's express request. It, is understood Hint, while in Aylesbury Prison Airs. Whecldon went, on ii lumber strike, and was removed to Jlollowav in a weak state ol health. " \

Motorists travelling round the mountain can always tell when they are within the limits of the borough of Xe.w Plymouth by the stale of" the roads which, on Hie.outskirts of the town,are rough and in striking contrast to the county roads. Along the South road the contrast has been further accentuated by the County Council having tar sealed a mile of road just, outside the borough boundary. Focal motorists who use the road frec)re»;ly will welcome the day when the 1>... 1.e.1i can pee its. way to tar seal the shon/onnecting link from Johnson's corner.

An amazing act of skill and bravery was revealed in awarding the Albert Aledal to Captain C. R. IToskvn, K.AM.C. The ollicial report>''states:—"ln France on iSovcni' cr i>4. l!Hf>. as a result of a serious railway .accident, a man was pinned down by the legs under some heavy girders. The wreckage was on fire, and the Humes had already reached the man's sulkies. Captain" Uopkyn crawled into a cavity in the /laming wreckage, and, after releasing one of the nian's legs, amputnted the other, whereupon the man was di,avn out alive, Captain Jloskyn retaining hold of the' main artery until a tourniquet could be put on.

Father Doyle, of Rcmucra, who has returned from the front after being absent for two years, pays a warm tribute to the religion of (lie Kronch people;, whom lie held to lie pre-eminent in hrir'. cry tun! ail the warlike virtues. After !hi> French, there were none belter than the Xew Zealander*, lb; hud travelled much wilii them through France and Fiundcrs, and lie could wish for no better companions for,the journey through life. There were good and bad amongst them, as was natural, but as a whole they were loyal and hind, and his impression of I hem was that in their breasts they wished to do only what was right, just, and good, and to help everyone who needed help. -Mr. W. .Sformonlh, of. Drnmmond (Southland), reports a disastrous visitation of caterpillars to his Italia* ryegrass crop, which covered an ftrea 'of about •£) or ;l3 acres, .says the Western Star. When the grass was ripe and ready for harvesting a niftns of caterpillars appeared, climbed the stalks! ami completely ate oil' the ears o.f the grass seed The visitation represents a loss of about £2OO. Neighboring farmers had harvested a little earlier, and their returns were handsome. Mr. Stormonth'.s crop was a perfect picture prior to the appearance of the caterpillar ravage, and gave promise of an unusually heavy yield. The caterpillar is about 1 l-4in long in its normal state, with brown stripes on the hack, a pinkish tint through flic body, four pairs of feet on the F orepart, two blank rib;;, and ihree pairs of feet at his rear end. Old settlers say they have known and experiencd tins pest before, though not for many years. < After months of friction between citizens, members of the County' Council of Defence, and pro-Ccrmans of Audubon, lowa, a sensational attack was made upon Rev. YV. A. Strack and Fred Tenokheig, both of whom had ropes placed around their necks, and were all hut lynched by the parents of boys who had gone to war. The parents and others had become infuriated by the unpatriotic actions of certain citizens. This followed a public meeting at which both men refused to be subject to the Council of Defence. Tenekheig, :10 -and single, said to be worth -lo.OOti dollars, had done little for the war. arid. Rev. 'Strack has been before the Council of Defence repeatedly for alleged treasonable acts. Both men at diflWAit periods of tho afternoon had. ropes placed about their necks, and Tenekheig was dragged Hourly a block to the public square/where be was released more dead than alive, and where he signed a cheque for WOO dollars for the Red Cross- Straek's escape from lynching was due to his wife, who ran screaming to the spot where they had led him, and as she fell fainting to the* ground the men turned their attention t n her, and later set fHrack free on condition that he and bis family left, the community at once. He left within an hour.

It is estimated by pearl experts that the Star of the West pearl, now on'view in Melbourne, is worth at least .C-MVIGO. Tlie »»in was found three months ago oft' Broome, (VV.A.) in fairly dt\ep water by one of Mr. James (.'lark's luggers. Mr. Clark is a, well-known pearl-fisher, wiio had been fortunate off the Northern Territory for some time. Tilings got rather slack, and he sent a portion' of his fleet to the north-west coast of Australia. The Star of the West was found in a comparatively small oyster. Some years ago Messrs'Newman'and Co., of "Melbourne, in whose windows the pearl is displayed, were themselves interested in pearl-fishing;, and maintaind a large fleet oil' the coast near fu-oome. They have found several pearls quite as large as Mr. Clark's, hut none so beautifully marked. The Star of the West is exactly 11:0 grains in weight, and in shape it resembles an egg-drop flattened just sufficiently on (lie point to enable it to stand upright and balance. Us symmetry is one of its features, while from the outlook of the connoisseur its «reat value lies in its wonderful skin and coloring. It is described as real Oriental, and has a slightly warmish pink glow. The finder.? stale that they are not anxious to sell, but Mr. Newman thinks that eventually they will take the pearl to America,'where people will be more ready to purchase it. Mary Miles Minter will finally appear at .Everybody's to-night in the fine p'botoplay "Periwinkle." To-morrow ami Wednesday fieorge Walsh will star in '•The Island of Desire," another of those adventure packed stories of thrilling action thai has made Walsh's name a household word wherever motion pictures are known. When you feel a cold coming on, don't wait until it has gripped you, hut take XAZOL at once.