LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A meeting of the newly-ajppointed Western Park Board was held last week. Mr. Corney was elected chairman for the ensuing year and Mr. Davies secretary. It was decided to engage a man to grub the furze on Reserve T. Soma two months ago a New Plymouth resident received advice by letter that a parcel had been despatched to him by friends at Home, and as other letters had since come to hand, but no parcel had arrived, he came to the conclusion that it bad been lost at sea. Last week he received notification that a, parcel had arrived at tho local office for him, and it proved to be the ons that had been given up as lost, the date stamp showing that it had been posted in England exactly four months prior to the date of its receipt. 'This chairman .business is no good," was the remark of one of the new members of the Moa Road Board at Saturday's meeting, when it was proposed that the chairman should be the board's representative to tho next conference of Taranaki local bodies. "All work and no pay," was not a fair proposition, and the member speaking thought the chairman, or whoever attended as the board's delegate, should be paid expenses. The disabilities of road boards in that connection were referred to, and the chairman was elected representative, with the understanding that any other members of the board able to do so should attend the conferenceThree returned soldiers reached New Plymouth by Saturday night's mail train. The Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess) and the deputy-chairman of the Patriotic Committee were present on the station, and offered a few words of personal welcome to each of the men. The men who returned were: —Sergeant E. L. Mason, of New Plymouth, who went away with the lfltli Reinforcements; Private L. J. Morris, of Oakura, who left with the 24th Reinforcements; and 1 Private A. W. Bailey (New Plymouth), who went away in August, 1918.

A conspicuous gift which was on sale at Saturday's Red Cross Mart was an old Maori mat, which had heftn given to the Hillsiboroogh Committee by Mr. Silby, sen-, of Awatuna, in whose family it had been for many years. The mat was originally the property of the old chief Ti Tokowaru, and on it was the inscription:—"This Maori mat, a souvenir of the Maori War, was, some generations ago, owned by the famous old Maori chief Ti Tokowaru. Tenei puipui he taenga na Ti Tokowaru"

'Mowed down toy the rod of war" describes the little Belgian village Saint Micheloy after the Huns had finished with it and its inhabitants, and this scene opens the powerful World film drama, The Maid of Belgium," now screening at the Empire. Alice Brady is east in the principal role.

Americans and Britons at the front arc the very best of friends, says an English officer, but humour will out on both sides. "Hullo, my coffee's cold,' said a handsome young Yankee as he picked up his cup. "Wejl, lad, it's been waiting over three years for you" retorted a Tommy with a twinkle. The American took it like a sportsman. There is only one SANDER EXTRACT, and that is why the people reject the manv 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.

At the Magistrate's Court, Eitham, on Wednesday, a charge of failing to register was preferred against Herbert Smith, share farmer, of Awatuna.. Defendant claimed that he had enrolled some two years ago, hut the necessary certificate had not come to hand. He was a married man with no family, and was willing to go to the front. A conviction was entered, and defendant would he ordered to come up for sentence if called upon.—Star. A meeting of the Kaiyaroa Park Committee was held on Friday, Air. V. 11. Real presiding. Mr. E. Moverley was lceied treasurer in place of Mr. S. Rofab, who had resigned. The chairman stated that the cup presented by Mr. G. Salt, of Christehurch, had been won by the Waihi School and now became their property. The chairman of the Waihi Soliool Committee had'.'intimated that another vivo-guinea cup would be presented to the society for further competition. It was decided to lay down the whole of the ground immediately in front of the bungalow in concrete slabs, and also top-dress the whole of the lawns. After some discussion, it was decided not to raise the price for afternoon tea-

At Saturday's meeting of the Moa Road Board the question of having the district constituted a, county was re-' ferred to by Mr. J. B. Simpson, who thought it was time the board got the movement going again. He was of opinion that if the proposal was carried into effect more economical administration would result. He thought also that the small districts that had broken off from the larger district would gladly come back again if a county were constituted. If the members agreed to the idea they should at once begin to act as canvasssers for the movement. Other members expressed tV, opinion that there was no need to fear that the district was too small to form a county. The chairman said he agreed with the idea of the formation of a county, hut it was of no use .trying to effect the change during the present abnormal conditions. He agreed that it would be advisable to get the ratepayers interested favorably in the proposal. The annual meeting of the Taranaki Workers' Coun""! was held on Friday evening, when a report of the workings of the council for the past 12 months was submitted by the secretary, Mr. F. J. Lyons. The statement of receipts and expenditure showed a credit balance of £3 4s Cd, which was- considered very satisfactory for a new body. Officers were elected for the ensuing year. The council discussed the matter contained in the borough engineer's report in relation to tramway waiting sheds, and xpressed the hope that something woulde be done in that direction as soon as possible. A motion of protest against the sentences imposed on the three men recently convicted of sedition in Christchurch was passsed. It as intended to organise a public meeting to discuss the question of rating on unimproved values at an early date. The council appointed a committee for that purpose. Mr J. C. V. Behan, the first Rhodes scholar from Victoria, who has just returned to Australia, to take up the position of Warden of Trinity College in the University of Melbourne, said in an interview: 'The military situation, both in political and 'academic circles, was regarded as being far from satisfactory, and for several months before I left there was a widespread feeling of depression. In passing through Canada, and in the course of conversations with passengers on the ship from Canada to Australia, I was rather astonished to discover how very different the mental attitude apparently is in the colonies. Mr Behan considered that there was need for the Australian people to put into the struggle every ounce of energy and all their resources. It was "up to" the most democratic people in the world to avoid any appearance of slackness or indifference towards a struggle in which the whole future of democracy was at stake.

The Great Fingall gold mine at Day Dawn, West Australia, is "being closed down, and another tragedy in the mining history of that State is now practically an accomplished fact, says the Sydney "Sun." The mine has been operating since 1892, and has treated 200,000,000 tons of ore for the return of £4,919,460 sterling. Over £1,250,000 has been paid in dividends. The balance of the revenue lias gone in plant, wages, and general upkeep. Through its long career the mine has almost wholly supported the town of Day Dawn, and contributed largely to the support of the town of Cue, three miles away. What this meant may be guessed from the fact that Day Dawn had seven licensed hotels, a workers' club with full liquor •license, four churches, a public library, •a town hall and council, and the streets and houses were lighted with electricity. Cue had ten clubs, three churches, a public library, town hall, and town council. Now Great Fingall has come to the end of its resources, and finds itself 505 miles from Perth, with a great sand dump dominating the landscape for many miles around, and plant worth nominally hundreds of thousands of pounds, but with nothing else to do but to sell up and close down. Already the light is out, for the mine supplied the electricity, and that has been cut oft*. The miners have left, or are leaving, and in a few months Day Dawn will revert to the roadside inn stage like Lawlers and Sandstone and other once famous mining towns that are now deserted.

From the North Cape to the Bluff Melbourne, limited, stockings are famous for value. Pure wools and pure dyes, combined with excellent wearing qualities and low prices, have -secured for these stockings a place in public estimation unique in the annals of retail merchandising. Prices, 2s lid to 5s 6d. Have you tried them yet? The Smart Road Freezing Works' Employees intend holding an annual social and dance. Tim first of these functions will be held on Wednesday of this week. Appointments are well forward, and a pleasant evening is assured for all. If your throat is sore and irritable take NAZOL, it will give you relief. Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (Second Group) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable to-day, Monday, May 13, at the Secretary's Office, Currie street, from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 pjn. —Advt. All the fat people want to be lean, All the lean people want to be fat, It's hard to know what to be It's hard to know what we all mean Or where we all wish to be at. But despite the dissension that holds One decision of all will endure; That the very best treatment for colds, Is Woods' Great Peppermint Cure.

Mr C. A. Wilkinson, M.P.. in a. communication addressed to Mr T. A. Bridge, of Manaia, mentioned that the Hon. W. D. S. McDonald would, in all probability, be in that district shortly, mid would then take the opportunity of meeting farmers interested in the proposed model farm at Manaia. A leading lea merchant of Duncdin who was interviewed with regard to rumours concerning an impending advance in the price of tea is said to have stated that the merchants would not be in a hurry to rush the price of ,tea up, but if the shortage became more pronounced they might be compelled to do so. The future supply of tea would he largely governed by the extent of the Imperial Food Controller's demands on the Ceylon supplies. Jt would also depend to some extent on the amount of shipping available. A poignant interest attaches to h duty which an officer of the Canterbury military district headquarters .had io perfor'gi this morning (says Wednesday's Christchurch Sun). When decorations won by soldiers who have fallen in battle are received for distribution to next-of-kin, the latter may, if they desire have the decorations handed to them privately. And so the Military Medal won by the late Sapper C, H. Raxworth'y, New Zealand was handed privately to that soldier's father, Mr Thomas Raxworthy, of 89. Waimairi road. The circumstances were particularly trying, because of live sons of Mr Raxworthy who have gone to the front, three have fallen, and a fourth is returning, badly wounded.

A reservist who had been given two months' extension of time in which to report at camp, on account of particularly trying family circumstances, called at the office of the Timaru Herald one day last week to show a telegram which he had just received from the chairman of the Canterbury Military Appeal Board, reducing the leave granted him by a week. This the reservist considers a breach of faith, and he desires such action to be made public so that if other reservists have been similarly treated 'concerted action could be taken. A grim story is told of the air raid on Paris. While the work of rescue was going on by candlelight in one of the houses which had suffered most the crowd were suddenly horrified by the defiant notes of the "Racoczy March," blared out apparently by a strong brass band. Everyone was aghast at so brutal an insult, till the tenant of a flat on an iipper floor said that he had an orchestrion which played that particular tune. The explosion must have set it in motion. At the risk of their lives some firemen managed to reach the machine, but in the dark, and not knowing anything about its mechanism, they could not stop it. It went on till the floor on which it stood collapsed.

At a recruiting meeting in Brisbane recently, one of the speakers, Mr Weir, pointed ont a singular fact, probably unmentioned in the recruiting arena before. "This war," he said, ""has been called a capitalists' war for capitalists' interests. In 1899, when war was declared against the Boers, four men stood out conspicuously against it, on the ground that it was a war in the interest of capitalism. Those men were Mr Lloyd George, Mr Arthur Henderson, Dr. Clifford, and Mr. Benjamin Tillett. Every one of these ardent advocates for the people against the capitalist, who condemned the war against those gallant Republics, is to-day an uncompromising advocate for war to the finish against Germany, the 'Prince of Tyrants and the King of Bullies.' It is not to be believed that men such as these are to be deluded or seduced into championing a cause which they do not sincerely believe to be a just and necessary one for the safety of the democracies ef the world against a deliberate aggressor." The cabled story that a soldier had told the King that he had often heard of him, and asked him to "put it right there," recalls another incident in a war hospital. An Australian officer who jhad been gassed got into conversation with a bearded man in khaki. "Australian, I see," remarked the stranger. In the course of conversation; the Australian said he had been a mixed farmer. "Did you keep any sheep?" he was asked. "Only one," he replied, tfhe smiled. "That's rather an extraordinary number, is'nt it?" •'Well, you see,' explained the Australian, with a grin, "a drover left that one as he was passing. I say"—noting that a button on the bearded man's tunic was unfastened—"you's not properly dressed you know. You shouldn't go about like that." The stranger laughed, and the lady who accompanied him seemed to 'Bee a great joke in the remark. When they had gone, the Australian turned to a friend and asked: "Who was that chap?" "Only King George!" was the startling reply.—-Sydney "Sun." Speaking at the Early Settlers' gathering at Wellington last week, Dr Newman referred to the complaints which were often' made to the effect that the young men of to-day were too fond of sport, and this outlook on life was often contrasted with the lives led by the heroic pioneers. However, the fact was that the young men of to-day had- recently displayed great heroism in fighting the battles of the Empire. Soine- ! times there was a good deal of groua. ing here, but any inconvenience experienced here was nothing compared with . the hardships the boys at the front were enduring. We here should not complain, I and we must give and give, and keep on giving, for it would be monstrous if any of the soldiers were to go short. Our forefathers had had their troubles with the Maoris and they bad faced them and overcome them. Our sons were Heroically facing the troubles of to-day, and it was our duty to back up our sons and do our utmost in the cause. When we had made our sacrifices, and had done all that we could, and victory had come, then we should have achieved that righteousness .which alone exalteth a nation. Mr J. E. Jenkinson also said a few words about grousing. Wo had our backs to the door, he remarked, and we were going to keep them there and see the war through. He hoped that that would be taken to heart. Errors were made, but we must cease grousing; then we would see the Germans go down. A mouse witlh a tiny piece of paper in its mouth twinkles across the floor of the dainty boudoir where the heroine is getting ready for bed, and the 'little scrap of paper" is the clue which leads to a plot of such terrifio dimensions that all America stands aghast. Anita Stewart in "The Billions Plot" for the last time at Everybody's to-night. LEST YE FORGET. Though blankets are dear, hot water Is cheap. Get a North British Rubber Co.'s serviceable rubber bottle made with a "Unique" stopper—the brand that •ipells satisfaction. Recommended by all eheimV '"