LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Customs duties collected in New Plymouth last month amounted to £4932 (April, 1917, £4300), and the beer duty to £lsl ( £121). The following members of the Bth CI draft, proceeding to camp on May 8, will entrain at New Plymouth: L. Cave, K. C'. Jury, A. G. W. Mason, J. Morrow, L. A. Mcllardie, G. L. Scott, W. F. Trim. The Ministry of Forestry, to which it is announced Sir Francis Bell lias been appointed, is a new portfolio, the creation of which was foreshadowed by the Premier recently in response to the representations of the Forestry League, who urged that this should be the first step towards the proper utilisation of the timber resources of the Dominion.

Mr. McLaren remarked yesterday at the sitting of the Military Service Board that there had been so much carelessness in regard to reservists overstaying their leave that the cam]) authorities had issued a very strict order requiring that a man must be back in camp the day oil which his leave expires. The non-appearance of an appellant before the Military Appeal Board yesterday caused the chairman of the board to comment on the manner in which some appellants lodged appeals, and failed to either appear in support or notify the board of their withdrawal, but were annoyed when their appeals were dismissed for non-appearance. A sitting of the Compensation Court, consisting of Sir Robert Stout and two assessors, is to be held in New Plymouth on Tuesday, May 21, to hear three claims for compensation by Messrs. Cleaver and Gebbie, in respect of the value of land taken by the Government for the Eltham —Opunakc railway. The members of the No. 1 Wellington Military Service Board had a particularly busy day yesterday, when no fewer than 40 cases were disposed of—a list that inust constitute a record for one day's work. The Uiembers of the board (Messrs. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., W. Perry and D. McLaren), accompanied by the secretary (Mr. Walsh) and the officer commanding the group (Major Cox), leave by tha mail train this morning for Hawera, where the board will hear appeals to-day and to-morrow,

A parly of military police arrived in Stratford on Monday, and it was reported yesterday that they had made some arrests. —Post. A Wangaimi resident, writing to a friend ill the Kitham district, says: "A wharf lumper lien' earm'd last week for five days' day and night work £l4 10s !)d. He was employed in loading a vessel outside the Heads.—Argus. The balance-sheet of the Hawera Acclimatisation .Society .shows a credit ha-, lance on the year's working of £55. Shooting licenses totalled £7S Is (id, fishing licenses £77 4s; sales of fisli and fry totalled £124 2s Id, and of pheasants £2 15s'. Liabilities are nil. A witness before the Military Service Board was being questioned yesterday as to whether or not he was'addicted to drinking, when he remarked that, though lie might have been happy at times, he had never been drunk. Pressed as to his idea of drunkenness, he remarked that he had never been so that he could not walk. '•! see," remarked the chairman;' "as long n's your horse can carry you you think that you are all right."

That some women, both in the town and country, are doing their share towards winning the war has been shown on many occasions, but at yesterday's sitting of the Military Service Board another" instance was provided, a woman stating that, besides helping with the milking, her daughter assisted with the other work 011 a rough bush faria, and, when necessary, went scrub cutting. A Maori in a judgment summons case heard at New Plymouth yesterday asked for the services of an interpreter. Counsel for the creditor said the debtor was quite able to go 011 without an interpreter, and in the first sentence of his evidence the native said he was the owner of a "(iti-aere farm, which was under mortgage," and the court smiled its satisfaction to dispense with the services of an interpreter. The ways of soma financial agents are past finding—at least it would seem so, according to the evidence given by the debtor in a judgment summons case heard at the New Plymouth court yesterday. The witness stated he had borrowed £ls in November last. The lender had deducted 15s for costs. £lO had been repaid to the financial agent, who held that the borrower still owed him £ls. Solicitor for the creditors in the case said it was evidently one of the kind of loans on which interest only was paid, and the principal Bum was still owing. The Magistrate remarked that the interest was high for a period of six months.

To-night will be the final appearance of charming Olive Thomas in the attractive and joyful picture, "Indiscreet Corinne." The second series of flie "History of the War" is also screening for the last time to-night. No picture patron can afford to miss this entertaining selection. Ethel Barrymore will star tomorrow in a Metro play, 'Life's Whirlpool," which displays the exceptional talents of this popular star to wonderful advantage. All picture patrons will welcome the reappearance of Clara Kimball Young, who stars at (lie Empire next Monday in a film de lux, entitled ''My Official Wife." The Melbourne, Ltd., lias opened out a special line of blue grey single-bed blankets at the extremely low price of 13a Cd. per pair. The firm's stock of kapok quilts, double-bed size, offering at 18s Gd and 19s 6d, is being rapidly sold out. The eyes of all Coastal residents have been turned towards Oknto this week, in anticipation of the grand patriotic sports gathering which takes place there tomorrow, and for which a first-class programme, including many novel items, has been promoted.