LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The hospital ship which left New Zealand recently lias been reported "all well" from a port of call.—Press Assoc. The Pacific Cable Board has notified a delay in messages' for Canada and America. Following is a list of the men entraining at New Plymouth on the 31st July, 1918, for the 01 camp:—V. Biggin, J. E. Ooomer, H. Cox, B. L. Hamlin, A. H. T. Jones. Drs. E. E. Fookes and H. B. Leatham sat as a medical board at the Coronation Hall, New Plymouth, yesterday, and examined nine returned soldiers. Bight of the men were recommended for discharge, and one was given a further period of treatment at the local hosuital. v The New Plymouth trustees of the Efficiency Board met yesterday, there being present: Messrs *T. Furlong chairman), E. Whittle, and F. J. Hill (secretary). Eight applications for financial assistance were considered and suitable action taken. One returned soldier sought the assistance of the trustees to enable him to purchase a farm. The West End School Committee last night passed a resolution expressing appreciation of the efforts of the Education Department in the direction of improving the physical health of school children, and, while recognising the efficient service performed by Dr. Gunn in connection with medical inspection suggest that additional competent officials should be appointed so as to permit of more .frequent visits being paid to schools, with a view to seeing that any recommendations are carried out by parents. At the meeting of the West End School Committee last night, Mrs. Dowling, head-mistress, reported that, in addition to winning the essay and writing shields at the Dominion Show, Hawera, the school had also won £4 12s in prizemoney. The committee expressed appreciation of the excellent results achieved by Mrs. Dowling, the staff, and pirpils of the school, and it was resolved to send them a letter of congratulation. It was also resolved to present the prizes at a social gathering to be held in the gymnasium, and a sub-committee, consisting of the chairman, secretary, Mrs. Dowling, Messrs Bary and Howarth, were appointed to make arrangements. During a discussion at the ordinary monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board yesterday, Mr. E. Maxwell ,said he thought a matter which had caused some public comment should be cleared up. Many people seemed to think that the meeting held on Thursday should have been a public one, and because it was not, they had a feeling iliat something wa s being withheld from the public. Such was not the case. The board could not disclose its proposals until they had been finally approved, and when that had been done the board's desire was to place the matter fully before the representative men of the disti*ict and the press in as complete a manner as possible, so as to guard against an inadequate or misconceived conception of the scheme getting abroad and creating wrongly-baqed discussions and controversies. Now that that had been done he thought the board should at once make its plans as to how the work was to be carried out, and submit them to the publit

I At a meeting of the Hawera Hospital Board on Thursday, it was decided to ask the Taranaki Education Board to close nil the schools in the Hawera hospital district for at least two months, in view of the prevalence of diphtheria amongst the children. Hearty laughter greeted an interruption at the Municipal Theatre, Napier, on Tuesday evening, during the kitgiving cereir.ony. Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., was at the time addressing the large audience, and though disclaiming any attempt to prophecy, he gave it as his opinion that the war would 'be over by Christmas. "Excuse me," came from the audience, "which Christmas do you mean?" It was sometime before Mr. Poynton could resume. The drawing of the required 5000 names from Class C, Second Division, for this month, was completed on Tuesday. The names of the selected men are to \>& published in a Gazette on Wednesday next, July 24. The Gazette will contain also the names of men who have become available in the First Division and Classes A and B of the Second Division.

''Owing to the substantially better price obtainable by shipping butter to England, factories decline to sell for New Zealand requirements unless they receive at least Id per pound increase, and the majority require an increase of 2d or more." This was the message sent out by a city butter-packing house to customers, intimating that a rise in price would have to be made.

Brigadier-General Jobson, of New South Wales, stated emphatically that when the big body of Australians returned from the war eligible men who shirked their duty would be isolated. The returned men would not associate with them. They were in for a warm time from the soldiers. He spoke of the magnificent fighting qualities of the machine-gunners at Messines, Passchendaele, and in other battles- Australia, he said, had done well. The pity of it waa that we had not 500,000 men there instead of five divisions.

The Acting-Minister of Finance announces that the first batch of notices under the compulsory provisions of tho Finance Act relating to subscriptions to the war loan have been sent out. The indications are that the number wiH not be large. The lists of subscriber* are being scanned, and any who have not subscribed at all and are apparently in a position to do so will be sent notices.

A Saturday night audience looking for an ideal evening's entertainment could not do better than visit the Empire to-night and see winsome little Viola Dana in the Metro super-feature, "Blue Joans." No-thing too good can be published about the picture, as it is a real gem. As a special treat for tho kiddie 3, "Blue Jeans" will be included on the matinee programme this afternoonWhile the rabbit pest wag under discussion at yesterday's sitting of the New Zealand Council of Agriculture, MrJ. A. Young, M.P. (Waikato), gave some interesting figures. (Referring to an area. s ay of 70,000 acres with on it five rabbits to the acre, that, he said, gave a total of 350,000 rabbits- Ten rabbits were presumed to eat and destroy as much as one sheep, wMch in the case under review would mean 35,000 sheep. The profit from sheep generally in the Waikato. 1 was from 15s to 25s per year, and the los profit on 35,000 sheep would amount to £2i7,260. The estimates hj« had given, added. Mr. Young, were conservative-

The body of a big dead whale almost white with decomposition stranded on Thursday morning on the "western ledge" at the entrance to Wellington harbor. The deceased cetacean was evidently the object resembling a capsized vessel which was sighted adrift in Cook Strait on the previous dayv fer which the Government steamer Janie Seddon searched fruitlessly. This is believed to be the same dead whale which was adrift off Falliser Bay nearly a month ago- The Janie Seddon went out on that occasion to search for what waa believed to be a capsized craft. She returned to port without discovering any signs of a derelict vessel or even a dead whale. The whale, now at the entrance, may yet become a greater annoyance by drifting up into the harbor accompanied by its smells (says the Times).

When the Hon. G. W. Russell was in Hawera, a deputation pointed out the necessity for a new poliee station. The matter was passed on to the Hon. T. MWilford, Minister of Justice ,and in a memorandum to Mr. Russell, which has been forwarded to Mr. Pearce, MJP. for the district, Mr. Wilford says: "With reference to the representations made to you by a deputation at Hawera on May 29 last, regarding the necessity of a new police station at Hawera, I beg to inform you that I have made inquiries, and I find that the estimated cost of providing new police offices at Hawera is about £■looo. It is recognised that the present building is quite inadequate, but 1 regret that there is no prospect at present of the necessary funds for the erection of a new building becoming available." The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency draw attention to the sale in their Stratford yards on Tuesday next, details of which appear on page 8 of this issue. Every ounce of German propaganda ia the United States was used to block the remarkable film "Motherland," and failed. Local residents will haivje an opportunity to view this* picture at Everybody's next Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and at a special matinee on Wednesday afternoon. 'The Volunteer" is a unique event in motion picture history, mainly because eight of the World Film Company's most famous artists appear in the cast, and also the redoubtable William A. Brady himself. Little Madge Evans is the particularly bright light about whom the other stars circle. "The Volunteer" is showing at Everybody's this afternoon and to-night. CALVES THRIVE ON "CEREMILK." There's no calf food to equal "CEREMILK" —made from N.Z.'s finest cereals. Rich in fat and in nutriment it makes strong, healthy, well-conditioned beasts that bring top prices_for market or as milkers. Unlike imported foods, "CEREMILK" lis absolutely fresh. Easily digested,<it never scours, and is very palatable. Calves take to "CEREMILK" at once, while it is so finely ground that it never goes to the bottom. Easily prepared, "CEREMILK"' saves the farmer time and trouble. Mr. W. Ross, of Hairini, Waikato, writes: —"I have found to be an excellent calf food. It is safe and useful, easy to prepare, and the calves take to it verv Tcadily. Also the cost per calf is low," Try "CEREMILK." At »11 stores and factor!*"

j The advantages to bo derived from Agricultural Education were referred to at the meeting of the Patua Dairy Company on Thursday, when the work done (by Mr. K. A. S. Browne, director of Agricultural Education to the Tarauaki Education Board, was very highly spoken of by those members who had attended the various demonstrations. Some suppliers, however, considered that in endeavoring to cover three farms at each visit, too much was attempted, so that it would be much better to have the demonstration on one farm in each district.

The majority of Taranaki dairy factories allow their suppliers 1(5 take from the factory sufficient hot water for the purpose of eleansing their cans. This practice has been abused evidently by some suppliers, for at the Patua meeting a supplier complained that he had seen no less than Ave cans of hot water tatym by some suppliers, and he considered that in these days of expensive fuel, it wag not right that* the whole of (the supplier should be penalised to supply hot water to those who had not installed hot and cold water at their sheds. It should be made compulsory for! all to mstal a hot water installation, because it was impossible to keep the water from the factory warm enough to properly cleanse the machines, and after the war it was the quality of their produce, not the quantity, that they would have to watch. Another supplier touched on the perennial question of pilfering of whey, stating that in many instances suppliers had to make hot water take the place of whey. Various suggestions were made as to how the whey question could be obercome, and it was finally decided to leave the matter in the hands of the directors.

The only outdoor worker who keeps dry this weather ig the possessor of a Le Roy oily canvas coot. These coats are absolutely waterproof, will not go sticky like an oilskin, and will stand plenty of rough usage. Brocers, carriers, and others swear by Le Roy's famous coats. On sale at the Melbourne, Ltd., at 555 ; boys' from 32s 6d to 47s 6d, 36 to 48-inch,