LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Wellington City Councillor stated at Tuesday's meeting of the council that the city was overrun with rats at the present time. There are forty charges against motorists for excessive speed in passing through Tnglewood, to b<* heard at the next court sitting (22nd instant). 'A licensing case will also be heard. Fifty-five reservists, previously classified as C2, were re-examined on Tuesday by the special medical board at present in Hawera, Of the number, seven were passed as fit A, twenty-four CI (preliminary training camp), and twenty-two C2 (home while two were deferred.

The last reinforcement to depart from New Zealand left behind it a certain number of men who were absent without leave on the date of departure, Some of these men had belonged originally to earlier drafts, and had failed to reach the transports then. The Defence authorities have shown great leniency in dealing with cases of this kind, but it appears that the reins of authority will have to be tightened. The customary explanation is that the man overstayed his leave owing to an excess of entertainment. But this explanation is not good more than once, if at all. The possible penalties are very severe indeed. The Douglas School Committee held its picnic at the Ngaere Gardens on Tuesday, the children and parents journeying by train to Stratford, thence by motor cars supplied by the settlers, to the gardens. A very enjoyable day was spent amidst the beautiful surroundings and the many attractions provided. The water chute was the delight of the children, and many of the adults seemed to be equally fascinated by the sensational dive. This popular resort seems to be an ideal spot for school picnics, as there is plenty of entertainment for both young and old. A very generous offer has been made the Eltham C.E.M.S. Club by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P. The club is considering tenders for the erection of new and suitable premises, and on Tuesday Mr. Wilkinson offered the committee a section on Bridge street extension as u gift to the club. The section is one of the best that could be obtained for the purpose for which it is required, and its central position also greatly enhances its value. The club is filling a long-felt want in the town, ami Mr. Wilkinson is to be heartily congratulated on his generosity towards the institution. For years past Mr. Wilkinson has been among the foremost of Eltham's benefactors, always having the interests of the town at heart.—Argus.

At the last meeting of the Hawera Druids' Lodge it was resolved to forward a letter of congratulation to the parents of Bro. S. Foote, who reside at New Plymouth, upon his having won the D.C.M. and M.M., and also having been awarded a bar to each medal. At the time lie enlisted Bro. Foote was a member of the Hewera Lodge

I Says the Dui'.editi Star: I'eople op. uiod their eyes when they read in the St'ir Hie other day tliii't pearl barley ■had suddenly jumped \.jj the jiricf .C-l per tun, but we have been shown figures which make i(. clear that even at .£■!'> per ton it does not pay a miller to make pearl barley; indeed, we know of one plant that is standing idle rather than make at a loss which would be inevitable with barley and bags at their present prices.

For this story we are indebted io a little '■newspaper'' issued (n the Australian Sines in "France:—''The juifh was in progress, and a sniper went to see the result of his snipes. 'Look here,' lie said to a stretcher-bearer he encountered near one of the fallen Frilzes, 'I reckon this bloke was my best. sliot--raught him running like blazes across here.' 'Well, I'm damned,' drawled the SB., 'so you're the bloke that's been pinging over the blokes ] had helping me.'"

"1 understand you are to be married shorth'." said Mr Justice ( ' apinan when admitting a young man in the Supreme Court at Christclmi'ch to a term of probation "Understand that that is not the reason 1 am admitting you to probation, instead of sentencing you to a term ol imprisonment. I certainly declit'o to take the responsibility of recommending you as a husband just now. If the young lady is foolish enough to have you at present that is her all'air. At the end of your terro of probjtion there might be some sense in it."

Tlie extent to wliicli the "brown vol'' has ali'ected the fruit crops maybe gauged from tie fact 1 iiat one northern grower, wlio contemplated marketing .'i:id (iim's of fruit, \uia able to sell 20 c;i.i ' ; \. Although tin; fruit allowed no si;.-. . disease when packed, upon the ft'- n, ing opened at the market on the follouing day, the fruit was foil,id to he unfit for sale. Apples as yet, have not been sevetcly attacked, but quinces have suffered severely. The method of prevention is by spraying with Milestone in winter. Experiments in summer treatment are being made. Probably the far-reaching effects of the win are nowhere better illustrated than in the increased death rate of American babies. In roimnop with the skyward climb of prices of all food commodities, due to the war. the price of milk has increased tremendously. In New York City, for instance, the price of milk has advanced during flic last year from !( cents to 14 cents a quart. Advances elsewhere have been proportional. And the results of this advance unquestionably lias been a higher infant deatli rate.

After witnessing the almost human efforts of sheep dogs in the trials at recent agricultural shows, it is not at all impressing to hear of new feats performed by this clever class of dogs (says the Ivangitikci Advocate). Recently our representative had an op-' portunity of watching the performance of a sheep dog owned by Mr. ,Tas. McHregor, of Marton, in tree-climbing. The dog, which is not twelve months old, climbed a pinus insignis tree to a height of about 15ft, and then jumped from the boughs to another tree close by, negotiating several trees in this manner. 7(. had evidently learnt the feat by chasing cats up trees, and the 'cute, manner in which it circled the body of the tree in ascending was a treat to witness-

Knquirics made by a Dimedin Star reporter into the causes which have influenced thi' Dunediu bakers to advance the price of bread from O.kl to lOd, as from yesterday, went to show that the steadily-increasing cost of most of the commodities required for baking was the sole reason- Salt, for instance, shows a heavy increase on pre-war prices; coal is dearer ; repair work to the carts, new harness, etc., is increasing in cost every day; anil the wages of carters and bakers havo advancedBakers are not plentiful, and, in order to secure the services of good men they have to be paid considerably above the award rates. The bakers interviewed, with one exception, said they considered that the price of bread should have been advanced some months ago.

The Auckland Star that the military prisoner George Cafi'ery, who has caused the authorities some little concern by taking every opportunity to escape from custody, evaded the surveillance of two memlx vs of the military police, a sergeant and a lancecorporal, in whoso charge he was, the other afternoon, and is still at large. The publicity that has been given Cafi'ery dates back to 2nd February, when he was arrested as an absentee fro mcamp in illobson street, by" two l plain-clother detectives. On that occasion he was discovered hiding in a chimney. iTTe was taken to one of the forts, but the following day escaped by bending the stout iron b.irs oroide the window of the cell in whiefi he had been confined, and defied the authorities for five days to recapture him. On the sixth day he was captured by one of the same constables in the Albion Hotel, and once more handed over to the militarv authorities.

The K.Z. Times says: "Trust the people'' is a. grand rid democratic principle of which a good deal has been heard of laic, hut i\ie Legislature lias enacted that the people are not to be trusted in the matter of drink on election day. Therefore the hotels in the constituency of Wellington North on Thursday were closed at noon. If all the hotels of the city had been closed the situation would not have been so curious, but Hie anomaly was presented of all the licensed, houses from Thorndon to Cuba street shutting down at noon "while the bars at the other end of the city remained open. On one side of Cuba street a drink could not be obtainel, so that it became the peculiar privilege of certain licensees to do a roaring trade in the afternoon at the expense of their brother publicans. The position was, of course, quite absurd, and was the subject of much comment. Many people who "re not in the habit of studying Vets of Parliament were taken by sur* prise in the matter, but on hearing how matters stood at noon there were regular processions of thirsty souls from the centre of the city to the outskirts.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.. Ltd., draw attrition to their Matau sale to morrow (Friday), at 1 p.m. A very large number of* farmers' lines of cattle and sheep is being yarded, and a good sale is anticipated. Mr. A. Dc Bavay, the eminent anuly tieal chemist of Melbourne, testified at the Supreme Court of Victoria that SANDER'S EUCALYPTI EXTRACT compares with other eucalyptus products like well-rolined and . matured brandy compares with raw spirit. Bv insisting on the GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT you will get t\e advantage of quality and will be safe from harmSANDER'S EXTRACT.

Mr. A. C'rooke, S.St., is to be relieved of liis duties at Kltham and also at StratI'odr, he liaving too mui:li work to cope with. Mr. Haseldcn, S.M., is shortly undertaking these duties.

Before the war British sailors were pai<l £"> Jl)s a month, while now they are paid £ll. Firemen's wages nave also doubled, while those of stewards have more than doubled. Increased risk no doubt accounts for part of those higher wages, and in the case of stewards lean pick ; ngs from travellers in the way of tips may account for the extra, percentage of increase. "Shipping" thinks the new standard will probably continue after the war.

A motor-car accident occurred on Ma-i-angai hill on Monday (reports the Chronicle), resulting in several people being injured. It appears that Mr. Pedersou, manager of the Wangaehu Dairy Co., was coining in to Wanganni by motor ear, being accompanied by Mrs. McDonald and Mr. Blyth. Coming from the other direction was a big Mitchell car, driven by Mr. J. Bull, of Hunterville. A collision occurred, as a result of which Mr. I'edersen's Ford was badly knocked about. The occupants of the Ford were thrown out. Mrs. McDonald was injured inwardly, Mr. Blyth sustained a broken leg, and Mr. Pedersen was badly cut about and bruised. None of the occupants of the Mitchell car were injured.

At the railway station yesterday morning when the local men for the .*Jl)tli Keinforcements were, being farewellcd, The Mayor deemed it necessary to apto the citizens to wait at the conelusion of the ceremony while the National Anthem was played by the band. The men who were going awav, he said, were soldiers of the King ,and if was a proper .thing that the King should be honored. The Mayor's ap" peal was not without cause, for it not infrequently happens that as soon as the train has got clear of the station the public makes a hasty departure, leaving the few who recognise the propriety of things to pay the respect due to His Majesty. The appeal effected a decided improvement in that direction yesterday morning.

The organist of one of the local Anglic.iii churches scored very well off the ignorance of a critic a week or two ago (says the Auckland Star). He had received an anonymous letter complaining that at an important service the "To Deum" was debased by being sung to a "puerile, whirligig chant." By wa y 0 " reply, the organist wrote to the parish magazine, explaining first that he used | the chant in deference to the expressed wish of tho vicar, and had been glad to do so, becauso he considered that it was one of-the simplest and most devotional that could be found in the whole realm of music as a setting to the "Te 'Denm," or any jubilant psalm. Further the chant had been used in the service of the church since the time of Pope Gregory the Great (horn in 5-10), under whose supervision it one of Hie chants that was considered most fitting for ecclesiastical purposes. It. was also probable that it had- been sung to the jubilant psalms in the time of King David; certainly it had been commended bv authorities on church music through the Middle Ages up to modern +«-•, . Personally he was prepared i 7TIt"S| congregation judge foi Vjtj {Ax •„ as to the relative vames--VKU Vi/dicc of history and that of hi* anonymous corres. pendent.

The Argentine Republic is occasionally mentioned in cablegrams these war days, and the following facts supplied by Senor C. C. Vigo], editor of "El Mund'o Argentine,"' therefore possess some interest. He stated recently that the Argentine Republic holds I'.ftfO.OOft square Ulomotres of land, for the most part very fertile—enough to support .100,000,000 people or more. Yet among its eight million inhabitants there is terrible poverty. At the Immigrant's Hostel in Buenos Ayres free meals are being given to 2,400 agricultural Workers tlaily. An enormous number of workers receive wages of one or two dollars, "with which they hardly manage to save their families from death, let alone the grave consequent; of unhealthy living and food." Pale, and half-naked children are ''thrown into the Btreets" of the town in the attempt to ward off hunger; and in the interior desperate Vnen are driven by starvation into brigandage. Meanwhile the whole nation groans beneath a system of taxation under which everything that is produced in the country or imported from abroad, everything that supports the existence or ministers to the comfort of the people, is heavily taxed. Faced by these terrible ills—idle land, idle men, a monstrous system of direct and indirect taxation—Argentine thinkers and statesmen,.inspired by the teachings of Henry George and my memories of their own great President Rivadavia of 0O years ago, are turning, for a remedy to single tax on land values.

At the Empire theatre to-night the famous circus picture "Peg O' The Ring" will commence its fifteen weeks' season as an extra each week to the popular "Metro" programme. There are fifteen episodes, each' two reels, and the vivacity and life of the arena vibrate in every reel. Every episode lias its own peculiar interest and almost every foot a sensational thrill Willi its unique and kaleidoscopic ensemble of the joys and sorrows, the. laughter and the tears of those people oi the road, it. startles, fascinates, but above all, compels attention. i'ho name part is played by. Lucille Love who will be sure to win a host of local admirers before the picture concludes.

Wherever motion pictures are .shown Viola Dana is idolized. Her first screen work was done for the Kdison Company, among her early pictures being "The Stoning," "Gladiola," and "Tim Tnnoconce of Ruth." The winsome little lady has also starred more recently in a number of Metro successes, and will be seen at the Empire to-night in the latest from that studio, "The Girl Without a Soul." "LOOKS A NEW MAN." "NOT DRINKING SINCE." That is what a grateful lady write* from Blenheim about her husband. We have scores of similar letters on file from all parts of New Zealand. Copies gladly sent together with free booklet for your perusal. Drinko is a tasteless and odourless powder and can be given secret!v in any liquid food. Quite luinnless and will not injure the most delicate constitution. Treatment is inexpensive. You are under no obligation by securing par. ticulars of this splendid remedy. Why not write now. Address in confidence, stating if Mr., Mrs., or Mias. Lady Manager, Drinko Proprietary, 212 A. C. iLainbton Quay, Wellington. 1