LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The buildings hitherto used as a civil prison at Wanganui have been declared a detention barracks, and will in future be used by the military authorities as such. The work of dealing with military ofienders, after sentence, will thus be divided, and the Wellington barracks will be relieved of a number of the prisonrs undergoing sentence.

After baffling the police for several months, an Army deserter named William Trenfiekl was caught, and came before the Magistrate at Gloucester. He was found by the detectivees in a cupboard in his mother's bedroom. She was in bed, and denied her son was in the room. The cupboard front was concealed by waJlpaper, but was detected wheji the police tapped the walls. The mother and another woman were each fined £lO for harbouring Trenfield, who was handed over to an escort.

The Argus states that a few nights ago in Kltham a foreigner made certain remarks that were displeasing to his hearers. It was not long before he was partially undressed, and then treated to a liberal coating of tar. On Thursday night there was another incident. A man who is not a foreigner said that the Germans would win, and he hoped they would win soon. He was quickly seized by the throat, and only the interference of a bystander prevented him from being knocked through a window. When there are so many people about who have relations at the front, and so many who have lost their clear ones, feeling is pretty tense, and disloyalists are apt to get into trouble if they allow their tongues to run loose. "I am going into court, not to plead for a favor, but to demand as my right, alimony. The amazing revelations of divorce court practices seen in "Alimony" show what the unscrupulous modern society woman thinks of her husband—she simply looks upon him as her banker. To-night at the Empire. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile draw attention to their Matau sale on Friday 31st, at 1 p.m. Full particulars will.be { found on page S of thu issue.

There is a project afoot for adopting kauri gum oil for services as a motor oil.

The names of two of the 'bast of the star lighting airmen on the British front have just been published. They are Captain J. 1!. "Mct'udden, who has brought down 31 German machines, and 'Captain 'l'hilip Fullanl, who is credited with 37. in the obituary column recently of the .Southland News was recorded the deaths of four old identities, whose combined ages totalled 340 years—an average of 85 yours. This proves that the. elimat,c of Southland is conducive to longevity, and will compare favourably with any other part of the world. Within the last few months the deaths have been recorded in Invercargill of four persons over the age of 90 years.

The Brazilian navy came into the war just in time to anticipate the going out of the Russians. History has taught them weariness for . they liad, in the 'ISO's, one of the strangest adventures since the old days of little, wooden ships and big cutting out expeditions. A couple of Brazilian ironclads were attacked at night by 1200 Paraguayans, in canoes, and armed with pistols and hand grenades. The boarders gained the decks, but the crews shut themselves in the revolving turrets, and a battle of two hours took place before s> third ironclad came tin and finished the hoarders.

One of the world. 's greatest advertisers Mr James Munyon, has died in America, the land where advertising was 'brought to a fine art Mr Munyon spent about •EaOfljOOO annually in advertising his patent medicines, and he found that the stales matched the advertisements in a regular proportion. It was an American journalists who said that "religious newspapers must take pills, or die," referring to the offer of advertisements of patent medicines which were made to such periodicals. Mr Munyon enabled some of them to live.

Mr George Ro'bey, England's greatest comedian,, lias oeen offered the equivalent of £ 1000 per week for his services. He ig guaranteed £SOO per week, 5 per cent, of the gross takings, and 10 per cent, of the profits for 40 weeks a year for five years. So far the management offering him this money have only received Mr Robey's reply that he thinks he is earning quite enough money now, and that he sees no reason why he should try to cancel his existing contracts. The sum mentioned is, of course, the largest inepme ever earned by a stage comedian. "I was fool enough to think she was different from the rest," says the young husband in "Alimony," when an evil conspiracy has made it appear that his wife had gone away from him. Now showing at the Empire. The super-lax is levied on everyone having an income of over £3OOO per annum. The total number of these fortunate individuals in the United Kingdom is 27,082. It is interesting to note that of these eighty-two had an annual income of £IOO.OOO. The wealthiest man in Great Britain is said to be Sir John lDllerman, the owner of several large shipping lines, whose annual income is over £I,OOP,OCO. Other shipping magnates who have recently 'become immensely wealthy are Lord Pirrie and Lord Indieapc. A New Zealander, writing to the "Motor," England, to tell of the best class of car suited to New Zealand conditions, says:—"As a matter of fact, so far as New Zealand is concerned, any standard British ear will meet requirements. The American car has an advantage in crossing rivers, but only isolated owners use ears for'river-crossing. For ordinary conditions cars require no alterations from standard. The whole business rests on price, and there are 50 buyers, say, up to £350 to one at £7oo.'' He mentions that the American car scores on spares, but apparently does the same here "If any British maker can produce a car to sell within £SO of a Buiek, Hupp, or Studebaker, he would have an assured market in New Zealand, and a very extensive one. If he cannot do that, he may just as well recognise right away that, except for the isolated buyer, it is a case of 'napoo.'" A letter just received in Dunedin from an English firm which exports printing paper supplies the f ololwing particulars regarding the present position of the paper market:—"We think it well for you to know that the present condition of the paper market is a very serious one, as under the new regulations, which came into force on March. Ist, we are allowed to purchase only half the quantity bought over the previous 12 months, and this, added to the prevous reductions, means that we shall obtain only one-sixth of the paper we bought in the year before the war Prices have advanced tremendously, and no grade can be bought to-day under Is per lb, except the very cheapest quality of tinted printings and news. Although the American market is available, we find that the difficulties of shipping and transport over there are even greater than here, as the United States Government has taken complete charge of all the means of carriage." The hail storm on Friday evening did considerable damage, and has given glaziers a lot of work in some parts of the town, for fortunately the area of the visitation appeared to be limited, reaching from the breakwater to about Eliot Street, and extending not far inland, residences in the higher suburbs escaping altogether. Along the South Road considerable damage was done to windows and glass houses, while some windows were broken in town, .and Hanna's old studio in Brougham Street suffered very severely. During the progress of the storm the noise made by the hail stones —or, as somo described them, little blocks of ice—was alarming. It is said that some penetrated iron roofing, and this, added to the thunder and display of vivid lightning, served to terrify the timid. After the storm some very large hailstones were gathered. In fact, they appeared to be a number, frozen together, one picked up at the Breakwater Hotel taking fully an hour to melt.

CAR ENGINES CLEANED AND 25 PER CENT MILEAGE INCREASE. Owing to the great success of Imp Carbon Chaser numerous imitations arc now being offered. Demand the best, proved by 28,000 car owners in America. Satisfaction is guaranteed. Imp Carbon Chaser is composed of highly concentrated volatile power oils which add to the efficiency of ordinary fuel oils. Simply drop into your tank one Imp tablet for every five gallons—it will give better combustion, at the same time cleaning the engine. Contains no injurious acids —will not injure any motor. Sufficient for 100 gallons, only 7s a tin post paid. If dealers are out of stock Wellington. For Influenza take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Never faila. 1/0, 2/6.

The Mayor of Rangiora has been in-' formed by Major-General A. W. Robin, Coir.mander of the New Zealand Military Forces, that the Minister of Defence had allotted to the town as war trophies throe machine-guns and a number of appliances connected therewith, which had been captured by the isttli (North Canterbury and Wcstland) Regiment, whose headquarters are at JRnngiora. The Minister requested that the trophies should be placed in such position as to ensure that they would remain a permanent memorial to those who bad captured them.

A correspondent in the Christchureh Press makes a novel suggestion in regard to Otira tunnel. The Minister was reported as stating that the work could not bo accelerated, owing to,the shortage of men. The correspondent suggest? Ihat, instead of holding so many meetings and interviews, citizen? open a subscription list in Canterbury and Westland, the tlie total sum to be divided between workers employed on the job oir the day the tunnel is pierced. He believes, if that is done, there will be no shortage of labour. A returned soldier relates a curious incident which occurred on the Western front a few months ago. Fritz was shelling spasmodically, when .an- s officer proposed'jto pass froin one' poiiit'itb"another along a known road. He had not proceeded far when a big snell, lobbed right on the road just in front of him. A fragment of the shell carried away two of nis front teeth and buried itself in his tongue. The injury was attended to as well as it could be and afterwards the tiny piece of metal was taken out, and at latest advices the officer was almost able to speak intelligibly again. The police have practically given up hope of discovering the body of Oswald Mayhew, who is wanted in connection with the murder of Mr G. Burke at Kakanui (say ß the Otago Daily Times). A number of policemen, are, however, still prosecuting the search. Right from the beginning of the search nothing which might be regarded as a tangible trace of Mayhew has been discovered. The police theory inclines to the belief that Mayhew has shot himself in preference to the theory that he might have drowned himself, as he was, it is considered, too good a swimmer to adopt the latter means of self-destruction—-that is, of course, if lie has committed suicide.

A remarkable outbreak of ptomaine poisoning occurred at Adelaide Children's Hospital on 10th May, as the result of which 32 members'of the staff were prostrated. The symptoms in many of tiie cases were most acute, and the condition of the patients caused considerable anxiety. The matron, secretary, two resident medical officers, and many members of the nursing staff were affected, but fortunately none of the children in the hospital were poisoned, ft is surmised that the outbreak was due to the eating of mutton, which was served hot at the midday meal and again, cold, at the evening meal. Those who partook twice of the meat were attacked more seriously than those who had eaten it but once The cook, who also dined off the mutton, was one of the victims.

The labour market is a queer mixture of uncertainties. It varies from day to-1 day like the weather and is just as fickle. The Labour Department Officials have given lip trying to understand the moods of their pet aversion, and still the puzzle goes on. Farmers—struggling and otherwise—ask for assistance, and when it is proffered they say, "Raw material is of no use to us we must have experienced men.'' Nothing seems to induce some farmers to train their own workers, and the Labour Department can do nothing. Stalwart young men apply for work, and are asked to go into the country. They shake their heads and sadly declare that the country is no good to them. It is this sort of thing that makes the labour officials cogitate on the fickleness of human nature and the ingratitude of the average man. A curious answer to some questions relating to the war was made by Mr H. Holland, the Labour candidate for the firey seat, at a.meeting in Reefton. The question included the following: "Will the candidate frankly state his attitude towards, and opinion of, the present war?" "Does'the candidate desire a victory for the Allies and the breaking of the military power of Germany?" "If lie does not desire the victory of the Allies, will he discuss the alternative thereto and indicate what course he would recommend to be pursued?" "Does the candidate believe that the Allies could abandon conscription at. this time and beat a conscripted Germany?" "Does the candidate desire to see at this ,time in our history a social upheaval substantially similar to that in Russia?" "Will the candidate affirm it a s .his opinion that the recent upheaval in Russia, ha? been substantially successful in bringing the people of that country nearer to an era of brotherhood?" The candidate replied that he could not answer all these questions, since they would bring him under the War Regulations.

An incident that would hare been amusing, had it not ended seriously for four men is recorded by a soldier.writing 'roni one of the camps at Home ot his parents in Auckland. He relates how something went wrong ,vitb the engine of an aeroplane, and the pilot \rtis compelled to come down. "A big crowd of Tommies gathered round the machine," he states, "and after the pilot had repaired the trouble, he got half' a dozen of them to hold the aeroplane while he started the propeller. As soo n as the Tommies heard the mw, of the blades they let go, and before the pilot could get in tho machine was going rornd and round the paddock at about 40 miles an hour. Several attempts were made bv the pilot to get on board, but he was un, able to do so. Unfortunately, when the machine began to move it bumped into the crowd of Tommies and knocked them down like skittle-pins. Our company was putting on their coats after physical drill, and when we saw the aeroplane coming straight for us we ran for our lives. Finally one of the wings caught the ground arid the plane turned over on its back. About a dozen men were lying on the ground, and of these four were so seriously injured that there was not much hope for them." A negro signing the photographs for a popular movie idol is one of the exposures of the free and easy practices of the picture studies shown in "A Girl's Folly," finally at Everybody's to-night. The fame - will increase and endure, Of Wdods' Great Peppermint Cure; All people who try it continue to buy it, because its effect is so sure. For sore throats and coughs and catarrh Its praises are spreading afar; Tis certain and sure the fame will en- I dure Of Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. '