LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Minister of Defence has received advice that the 40th Reinforcements have reached a port of call,—Press Association. Several large shops in Napier are now displaying large signs containing a statement that no German goods are sold therein. This is stated to be the nucleus of a propaganda to oust the German commerce of the Donjjnion. A Paris paper interviewed Lord Northcliffe. who said: "I believe America alone could beat the Germans. I have absolute confidence iji President Wilson. Last month America sent- 250,000 soldier;; to Europe. She had promised only half that number Germany is beginning to weaken. The British-American-ircnch blockade is firmer, and is slojvly strangling the enemy." An employee of the Borough Council named Taylor, who is engaged at the borough electric lighting works at Kakaramoa, recently found on the beach near I lie power station a portion of a ship's lifeboat with the letters "mmera" on it (says The Patea Press). This is in all probability part of the lifeboat from the Wimmera that was sunk by a mine off Hie north coast of Auckland some time ngo. If so, -it has rounded North Cape and drifted down the coast until it came ashore of! Kakaramea. A high value is placed on a baseball professional in America. This season the Philadelphia Club .paid £12,000 for Grover Cleveland Alexander, the famous Chicago pitcher, and another player, fvillifcr, stipulating that the deal should !.>e "off" if either should ho called to ths Army within 30 days of the seasonThose 30 days have expired, and now Alexander has !>een called, and Philadelphia have lost their money. The rule requiring passenger steamers to pass through Cook Strait in daylight whenever possible is causing a great deal of public inconvenience, owing to the early departure of the ferry steamer for Lyttelton, but it is likely to remain In operation for some time. The floating danger that caused the naval authorities to advise the change has not been located, und the currents in the neighborhood of Cook Strait iiro too complex for exact calculations to ie.made.—Our Correspondent,

A motor accident occurred on Wednesday evening, oil Burko's Hill, Eltliain, which, according to report, is a somewiiat serious The fate of the occupants lias not been ascertained at present, but the car, which apparently skidded, completely capsized, and is considerably damaged. The car is registered in the Stratford district, the number being IS2.—Argus. Plain-clothes Constable Fitzgibbons last night arrested a young man named Norman Henry Ward, who will appeo.V before the Court this charged with indecent assault on a Child- The oilence is alleged to have been committed on the foreshore on Wednesday last. For the two days the Medical Boa,rd has been sitting in New Plymouth, llfi men have been examined. Of these, 47 have been passed fit, five have been, classed CI . 70 C'2, and one D. The'board concludes its sitting here at midday tomorrow, and proceeds to Stratford. A special meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board was held yesterday. The board was engaged in committee in considering details of the scheme for carrying out the proposed extensions to the harbor. The inquest concerning the death. of the little girl named Annie. Riordan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M- Riordan, of Omata, was concluded yesterday. After hearing the evidence of the medical superintendent of .the hospital (Dr. E. A. Walker), the coroner returned a verdict to the effect that death was due ilo. shock as the result of Uie burns received.

Following is the classification of the 42 local men drawn in the last Ballot according to occupation:—First Division: Prtly essential 3, non-essential 1. Second Division (Class A), non-essential I; Second Division (Class C), most ession: Partly essentiail 3, non-essential 1. t'.al 16, non-essential,. 3, unclassified 3 Totals: Most essential 5, essential 10, partially essential 18, non-essential 5, unclassified 3. The Taranaki Education Boara ias appointed the following commissioners for soh.ool districts that failed to elect -a committee at the 'second election:— Makaliu, Messrs A. Coyne and T. Mouneey; Upper Mangorei, Messrs J. D. Pearce and F. Hardwidge; Koluiratahi, Messrs 0. M'Cutehan and J. B. M'Oartie; Aukopae, Mr. J. P. Uden; Matiere, MrG. Phillips. Tho following appointments as school committees were confirmed:—Rowan, Messrs J3. Lines and P. C. Viggers, in place of Messrs h. Babington and P. Norgate (resigned); Toko, Mr. C. Lofroth, vice Mr. T. A. Boeock, resigned; Waingongoro, Mr. P. Morrosey, in plaeo of Mr. A. David (resigned). To complete tho numlbers, the following were added to the respective committees: —Tarata, Messrs Bowater and H. Waite; Pakura, Messrs T. W. Telford and J. M'Grath; Te Koti, Mr. C, Sharp; Wa/itaanga, Mr. T. W. Collins. Music, mirth, and minstrelsy prevailed at tho Holland Hall on Wednesday afternoon, when the children of the various convent schools, as is their custom, entertained the Ecv, Dean Mlvenna on the feast day of St. James. The items contributed by the senior pupils were all marked by a care 1n training, and facility in execution that were admirable, while the orchestral work was very fine indeed. The items m which the junior pupils appeared, and which, of course, specially appealed to the parents, who .vere present in large numbers, provided both delight and merriment. Master .Tack Trehey was detailed to make a presentation to the Dean, who responded with an address, after which the children were regaled with refreshments.

An unfortunate accident occurred at the Patea Heads oil Tuesday evening (reports the Press), resulting in the death of a young man named Harold Kettlety. The deceased, in company with several others, was crossing the river by means of the aerial tram, when Bomething apparently went wrong with the gears, causing the cage to be jammed against, one of the towers. Several of the occupants of the cage jumped out, but the deceased was caught between the cage and the tower and injured internally. He was at once removed to the hospital, where he expirld at an early hour on Wednesday morning. The deceased was only a few days ago the recipient of a presentation by his fellow employees for gallantly jumping off the western wall and saving the life of a native who had been washed into the eea.

It has often been said that the unstudied descriptions by soldiers in their letters are better than the purple patches of professional correspondents. Some or the s oldiers' letters which have lately been received at the Base Records Office in connnefltion with the History of the War show a remarkable capacity for vivid description. The Red Sea is thus (issenbea:—"lt's like a queer' dream. Every thing craps up suddenly, and sucli (L dashed lot of it, too. A. fellow does nothing but stand still all the time with his mouth open." Aden seems to lave left, a sinister impression on the mind of one soldier, who' writes; "Aden is looming up out of/the glaring, bluegreen ocean. Midday,'a glaring hot day eees us off Aden, a gigantic jagged rock, standing out of a dazzling, hot sea; such a hot-looking, bloody place, phew—l am not anxious to go ashore; none of ua arc; that's the verdict. Aden looks hotter than hell. It is only a few red squat buildings huddled oa one corner of a rock that makes the ocean loolf Email ; the mainland is just distinguiannlble in the hazy distance. At present all hands are occupied in signalling to one another, and making insulting remarks, such as 'W lio stole the butter ' and 'How many horses have you killed!' The slow-moving Arab dhows, whose picturesque sails against the pink haze of the desert have been an object of interest l;o many travellers, are thus sketched: "They are really quite a good size; ■some have one fainily ; some two or three; they don't care a d when thev get into port—next week or next year will do."

There is something' special for the kiddies at the Empire Theatre,matinee tomorrow afternoon, when Syd. Chaplin, brother of the famous Charlie, stare in a five-reel comedy, "The Submarine Pirate. This picture is one continuous series of funny happenings, and there are also some remarkably clever scenes in tdie interior of the submarine. Parents should remcirfber that there is a special selection of matinee films, {suitable "and amusing for the children, showing at this theatre every Saturday. A distinguishing attribute of "Perfection" Whisky is that it can be taken neat, it is so inild and mellow, ' This mildness and mellowness is tile result of keeping "Perfection" in the wood for a long period before it is bottled for export. At all hotels. 'Avoid izuitafew*.

Mr. C. Ranson, the manager of tlic Northern Steamship Company, states that in his 32 yearn' -connection' with tho company lie had never before known the' west toast uteamer to be hold up afr ! Onehunga for so long as it was lately. In reporting upon the ol«l cottage in Courtenay Street, New Plymouth, near the Infants' school, the Taranaki Education Board overseer stated to the Board on Wednesday that some of the Baltic pine in the home was found as sound as when it was put in seventy years ago. The iron on the building had been used for a verandah roof to the Courtenay school and walls and roof for a shelter shed at Vogeltown. "The Taranaki Education Board has been misunderstood," said Mr. Dixon in the course of>his valedictory remarks at I the meeting of the board on Wednesday, He added that he had, as a member of the Wanganui Board, watched the Taranaki Board'.s doings for some time, and when he joined the Taranaki Board he was under the impression that it adopted a go-slow policy. He would now say that Taranaki was indeed fortunate in having such men as the chajrman and members of the fcoard, Uv he had never met a keener lot of men in all 'that .pertained to educational matters, and he wondered how such busy men could find time to devote to education. The Taranaki Board were very progressive, though .a good deal of their forward policy had been hampered by Hho department's attitude. He congratulated the Board on its progressive policy, and said that it was in advance of moat boards- in manufacturing its own furniture. He would, he assured them, watch the progress of the Board with interest.

Writing in the London Daijy Telegraph in reference to the Church Amy, Mr. Philip Gibbs states:—"Tlieae eight miles deep of craterland and bogland—• eight miles deep and hundred miles long is the worst on the Flanders front, but bad everywhere—make a belt in which there is wretchedness redeemed only by great heroism, great patience and 'the spirit of British soldiers. They get their reward When the division is relieved and comes out of the line. The lucky ones make the best of a good time, cleansing themselves of the grey mud, and cleansing their minds of the things that they have seen in the fields of death. It is bright and warm, and good to play a game of dominoes in the Church Army Hut*, whfere there is always a Cheery 'Padre, and sometimes a piano and a gramophone to take men's minds away from the war, and the comforts of an older life, pictures round the walls and a warm fire burning and peace in their hearts. These are great places for men just down from the battle«fields, and the men who run them play the game well and keep things merry and bright." To assist the good work of the Church Army Huts money is required. Every donation, large or small, is thankfully received.

The Melbourne, Ltd., have received advices that further advances are impending on all lines of cashmere hose, three-quarter socks and men's half hose. Buyers mfey expect to pay very high prices m the near future and it would be extremely wise policy to provide now for spring and summer requirementswhile present prices obtain. Harold Lock wood.'s 1 , "The Avenging Trail," takes him away from society surroundings and drops him in a land Where adventures Teally happen —adventures on a big scale. The men are rough and ready, and somehow Lockwooil gets right into the picture. The thrill of the open life and the big rush of excitement arc strongly in evidence throughout the film. "The Avenging Trail" is showing again tonight at the Empire. The Hied Cross Committee wishes to notify that it will be pleased to receive gifts of flowers for the mart to-morrow.