LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

; Owing to all the telegraph wires cosseting Taranaki with the outside world heing down, as the result of yesterday's unprecedented gale, no press wires were received yesterday or this morning. It is expected the wires will be working some time to-day.

The Egmont A. and P. Association is to consider the advisableness of altering tie name of the association from "Egmont" to "Hawera."

.A small two or three-inch bottle has bc-m received in Manaia by Mrs. Calder from her husband, Trooper George Calder, who is campaigning on the .Palestine finit, containing some samples of fine desert sand. The interesting thing about the little exhibit consists in the 'diversity of color shown by each of the thin layers of sand. There are altogether about a dozen bands of color, the shading being fine but distinct; in facta minature rainbow of color patterns.— Witness.

.'he shortage of beuzine, pending the ,(iirival of large shipments, now due, jnade it somewhat of a problem to se,'ome sufficient motor-cars to carry the |''n;mher of sick and wounded men who ■are to arrive in two transports, (says 'lin Auckland Star). In chatting with ] the organiser of the motor service, Mr. \A. A. Martin, the information was fur'nished that after a lot of trouble a concessoii has been made under which ownI ci-' -if the fifty motor-ears who have of- ! i.-r.-i i.i :i.-sist iii carrying the wounded ! -•' -i lie allowed, on orders duly issued, in purchase wfficieiit. beounofor

Mr. .1. Jlluir, of Hawcra, has achieved the honor of winning the one hundred guinea cash prize at Opotiki (liay of Plenty) A. and 'P. Show with his pedigree Roiuney Marsh ewe- The animal w»s bred by Mr. lilair and has been awarded the championship at eacli of four shows at which she has been suown tliis year. It is understood (says the Auckland Star) that negotiations which have been proceeding for the past few weeks are approaching finality, under which an amalgamation will hn elt'eeted 'between the three cement companies iu the Auckland province. The effect will be to unite the businesses and assets of the Wilsons Portland Cement Co., the Xew Zealand Portland Cement Co., and the Dominion Cement Co.

Tn tliis issue appears the programme of the Kaw'aroa Park Monster Picnic on Easier Monday. The Society are to be congratulated upon presenting such u unique programme to the public. The displays by the schools will be a special ; feature of the day. The large sloping | lawns will Le fenced oil', so that the crowds can view the items in comfort-

Several, new and novel games will be introduced. Patrons to the afternoon tea and stalls will he well catered for-

A Pangitikei settler received an urgent call from a neighbor a week or two back. He had a hay crop out and it must, he garnered. Could he get the use of a man? This was agreed to, and '.he man went on to the job. Shortly afterwards the latter saw a limousine tr.'tveilins quickly along an adjoining road. "Who's that ehap?''lhe asked of a fellow-haymaker. "Oh, that's the boss, he's oil' to the races!" was the astounding reply. "Well, if that's the way .lie's winning the war, lie "can't have me," said the newcomer, and he walked off lln- job shortly after and forgot to come hack.

A gigantic turtle was recently lauded at Yokohama by Japanese fishermen. The turtle was said to be fully- 1000 years old, and weighed &Qolbs. A fisherman offered to give £1 for the prize; but another purchaser , appeared willing to give a couple of shillings more, and was about to take away the turtle when a Chinese tailor appeared on the scene and bought it for £ll. After a ceremony, in which the turtle was given several bowls of sake, the owner, accompanied by his friends, boarded two sampans, and nftcr carrying the turtle many miles to .sea released it with a blessing. The Chinese have a belief that by setting turtles free tliey will" be blessed by Heaven- The turtle measured Gft from bead to tail, and sft across its shell. Its head was loin in circumference.

Messrs Fleming and Co. (Ltd.), whose oatmeal and cereal foods mills at Gore were seriously damaged by lire a week ago, have purchased the well-known McGill's Hills at Milton, and will commence the manufacture of their oaten foods, Creamoata, Flaked Oats and Special Grade Oatmeals, as soon a* the required machinery can be transferred from the Gore Mills. The Hilton Mills were erected by the late Mr. Peter McGill on particularly substantial lines, and they contain some of the finest machinery in Australia for the primary treatment of the raw oats used in the manufacture of Messrs Fleming and Co.'is special foods- The Company is to be congratulated on its energy and enterprise in acquiring so fine a plant in these days, when the problem of securing heavy machinery is so serious.

"T think the easiest way to' sell a ;■ ;:erty is to lot a man do his own Vi'dness," was the statement of a wit-

■■■■<<:. :i land agent's salesman, (luring 1U hearing of an action at the Su|iri'm> Court, in Auckland, concerning a property exchange deal. The judge, Mr. Justice Hosking, was questioning witness as to what services he and hi; employer had rendered to justify the pavment by both parties of commission, aggregating several hundred pounds. His Hornr stated, that the evidence showed the agent had merely introduced the two parties, and his salesman had gone ovt with them when they viewed the properties. It was admitted by the spent that it was his practice not to .advise clients in an exchange transaction as to the values of the respective proparties a matter, it seemed to .him, in wl'icli they most required the benefit of the land agent's skill and experience. He failed to sec how, under such circumstances, land agents earned their commission. ' i

France's ex-Prime Minister, M. Cail- j la'i.x, who lias been accused of complicity wT'b the enemy—a charge which carries the possibility of a sentence of death—,ll:ls lived in a whirlwhind of excitement an'! danger. Three and a half years ago M Calmette was shot dead by Mine. Cii'Uaux because, as editor of the Figaro he had been daily attacking her husband's financial policy. After seven day;.' trial Mine. Cajllaux was acquitted. On the outbreak of war Caillaux was alio - /h! to resign his position as a pay'master in the French Army, and go to South America with his wife. Last July he was returned to the French Chamber, but in the meantime he had paid a mysterious visit to Italy in the interests 0; what was described, at the time, aa "neaco propaganda of a startling kind." Not long ago M. Briand openly refused to :<?iake hands with him. while'M. Clem-eiicr-au has all along been his avowed and inxeteraU' 1 nemy. M. Caillaux is in his 1 fiftv-foiirth year. He was Prime Minister at the early uge of forty-eight. Speaking to a 'Hawera Star representative, Dr. Poniare said he had had a very successful tour of the Maori districts of the north in the interests of recruiting. Ho said that the difficulty with Tavanaki, as in :ome other districts, was that there was a misunderstanding in regard to registration, and the natives evidently thought that registration would be followed at once by ballot. At Taiporohenui, where there wore a large number present, he told the -natives that the Premier himself assured him that conscription Would not bo enforced so long as enlisting wns satisfactory. He said he hoped they would comply with the law, which is not conscription, but is required to enable a correct record to bo made and the transfer registered of natives moving from one district to another. • In conclusion he asked the natives if they would at their homes snould the enemy conic to their gates, and would not they rather take the litiaha and fight them? In conclusion be said that it was necessary to have everyone in case of need to defend the country. T)r. Pomavc said be was quite satisfied with the result of his visit to the native districts. The following ladies' names, who acted as hostesses for the Kahotu patriot/d Icj.s. were inadvertently omitted frorr ,;.. p r ,n ii»'<> list published:—Meadaieos' Ilugteon <"-.u.-. v Icrkiamd W.ft.:!'-

The mnil train arrived at Xcw Plymoutli last night about twenty minutes behind schedule time.

Motorists' experiences on the Eltham road to the Opunake races on Momtay were somewhat Irving'. One motorist told an Argus reporter that he counted no less than 24 cars pulled up en the roadside for repairs. A Boer family of six sons, after readily General Smut's recent speech upon Imperial ideas in London, resolved to ca'ist. They travelled 300 miles to lu-ieunvn. and four out of the si.v were immediately accepted for overseas service !.

Those on the look-out for reliable motor cycles at bargain prices should note tho new advertisement on-page 1 from the Eltham Motor Cycle Repair Depot, Bridge .Street. Mr. Bodle, proprietor, is a returned soldier and experienced in motor-cycle werk. '.[/ here should lie room' fqr thi* industry ift'the ! Eltham district, and already the support secured has been very satisfactory. The balance-sheet of the carnival held no December 27 in aid of the Citizens' Band building fund lias now been audited! It show:, the receipts to, have.been: Gates £14!) His .Id, %i\ lm. till, doil voting £45 i)s 7(1, advertising on programmes £l3 ss, stalls £s;! ]4 S Bd, sundries £2 lis 3d; total £297 2s Cd. The expenditure, was as follows: Prizes .£0 "s 7d, advertising and printing £24 10s, carting £4 10s, stalls £34 18s 4d. amusement tax £8 (Is, sundrh -- .£(1 12s lid; total. £8.5 l.'is lorf. This leaves a balance of £2ll 8s Sd for the band-room building fund., Xew.s has been received that still another Wanganui boy has. won distinction on the field— Sergeant Garland Jones, one of the five sons cf'Mr. John Jones who have answered the call- Sergeant Garland Jones, who was in the Old Country when the war broke out, was one of the first to enlist in Kitchener's Army, as a/ member of the- Royal Field Artillery. The honor that has come to him —the award of the ©.CM.—is in recognition of heroic services rendered at the battle of Cambrai. In addition to their five sou's, Air. and Mrs. John Jones have a son-in-law on active service, a record of whicli they are justly entitled to be proud.

There was a large gathering of the general public at the Jfew Plymouth railway station last night to receive the returning soldiers who were expected to arrive by the mail train. A list of men, numbering 20, who were .supposed to be coming by the train had been received, but when the train arrived there were only 'some half-dozen men on board. The Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess) and the deputy-cliaiririaii of the Patriotic Committee (Mr. J. W. Chancy), and several members of the committee, were on the station to greet the inert, who wore eagerly seized upon by their friends and taken to their homes. The names of the men who arrived last night are: Privates Clarke, T. Docker. S. C. Lobb (Wesjtown), L. Autridge, \Y. H. Chong. and 111. C. Osborne.

People who recently have been through Tarauaki state that there are many evidences that the seaso:i has been a very successful one (says the Wellington Dominion). Among the factors contributory to the success is the mildness of the season. There has been an absence of |drought conditions: light rains have been frequent.' Whereas the capacity of the country to maintain a green appearance has often been severely' tested at about this time of the year, there is now no sign of brqwning in the. fields. One of the difficulties' that has had to he contended with is a shortage of menHome farmers have, managed very wet! with but little assistance, but others have been so situated that inability k> get tnen has been a 'serious matter foi them. It is not a big percentage of sheds that lacks milking machines, but even with machines there is, ample work about the farms for men to do.

More muddling! Says Saturday's Auckland Star: —The transports arrived in Auckland waters in the morning, yet it was half-past six before, the first ba'ch of soldiers laiided at the wharf. Men were landed in batches up to nearly midnight .und the arrangements were such that it'was impossible to give them the welcome they deserved or satisfy, the mitural desire of the waiting crowd of next-of-kin. Little or no consideration

to have been shown for the representatives of the city or for the ncxt-of-k')'. and many of the latter waited for hours. The arrangements for landing some of the ihen seem to have been crurV. Seriously wounded soldiers had to get from the transport to the tender ant', from the tender to the wharf up a narrow ga'ngway, and one man, who had been a eot case on hoard ship, expressed his opinion oH this treatment emphatic'."''y. This reception of men who had fa td death and 1 suffered wounds and

sickness for the safe of the rest of us, wis not creditable to New Zealand feelin;.' or efficiency. It is true that "they al.->r> serve who only stand and wait," hi t there is service ' and service, and tl'.ese returned soldiers deserve the best.

Mr. Edgar F. Toby, eyesight specialist, is now in New Plymouth (his fourth visit during the latt ten years) and may be consulted at the Red House Hotel. Mr. Toby, having recently visited the Old Country, has, brought with him all the very latest appliances for tenting sight, and has a large number of iirstclass testimonials from appreciative pati.ms who acknowledge the great benefits they have derived through his fikill Mr. Toby has with. bun. the wellknown Kryptok invisible bifocal glasses, also the famous Kontorie lenses. Mr. Toby, on request, will drive out to see patrons in the country, and wishes it understood that no fancy prices are charged. To-morrow a patriotic fete will be held at Waihi, for which a varied and attractive programme of sports and other items has been arranged. There will bo a tug-of-war for boys under sixteen, and also several bicycle races, a gold medal being offered for the most point", in tlie bike races. Luncheon and afternoon tea will bo procurable on the grounds. ' "LOOKS A NEW MAN."

"NOT DRINKING SINCE." That is what a grateful lady write* from Blenheim about her husband. Wo 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 secretly in anyliquid food. Quite harmless and will not injure the most. delicate constitution. Treatment is inexpensive. You are under no obligation by securing |>:ir-' ticulars of this splendid remedy. ' Why not write now. Address in condiluice, stating if Mr., Mrs., or Miss. Lady (M onager, Drinko IV;. . urv, Ul'iA. C. V?(M«a Oag, Wal' \