LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A London cable states that the issue of the O'allipoli star has finally been approved.

The chief postmaster advises that no Xbw . Zealand mails were aboard the ■Justitia, which was recently lost.

A Taranaki soldier, giving his impressions of Panama canal, through which his transport, recently passed,' says: "i don t think I am exaggerating when I say that hundreds of thousands of niggers are employed on the canal under white overseers. When the black population appeared—niters and piccaninics —we simply could do nothing but laugh, as they were literally blacker than coal, although they really presented a pathetic and pitiable spectacle.'' He also states that "the canal zone is guarded by 50,000 American soldiers, billeted in a kind of bungalow house that looks rather well. The American soldier received ,-CS per month and is provided with a light grey uniform which, we all agree, is superior to ours.''

In connection with the request of the Government re the holding of a public meeting on Monday, August 5, for the purpose of suitably commemorating the fourth anniversary of the declaration of war, the New Plymouth Borough Council decided to leave the matter of local arrangements in the hands of the In the same connection an invitation was received from the Rev. W. A. Sinclair for the Mayor and councillors to attend a special service of intercession in X; hiteley "Memorial Church on Sunday at 11 a.m. It was resolved to. suitably acknowledge I lie invitation, and to leave the matter of its acceptance to the discretion of individual councillors.

For years wheat lias be;-n grown by fanners at a loss (stated Sir James Wilson in the course of his annual address to the Fanners' Union Conference). Many other ways of utilising their land paid better. When the war came farmers had readied that point when they could not continue to grow wheat. When, however. Mr. Massey appealed to the farmers from a patriotic motive to put as much wheat in as possible, they made renewed efforts to do so, only to ,be disappointed in their crops and somewhat. harassed bv the Government. The wheat area fell, and loud denunciations were fulminated against the Government for not doing their duty. Men rushed into print and reviled them. Politicians, eager to gain popularity, scolded them from the platform. The farmers, like (iallio. "cared for none of these things." When, however, Hon. Mr. MacDonald again appealed to them to grow wheat last season and offered a more reasonablo price, they responded well and had a more disastrous season than ever. Although (he area in crop was quite sufficient to "row enough for our requirements, the season was s-o unfavorable that the returns have not yielded up to anticipation, and to all appearance there will not be sufficient to meet our needs and ! have the necessary carry-over. The Minister for Agriculture has, however, made a much more liberal offer to w.lieat growers, namely, a guarantee of Gs 2d, so that if prices rose higher than that the grower would gain the benefit. Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, 1/0, 2/fi For Children's Hacking Cough at night,

A report was received in Wellington 011 Monday evening that two whales, eaeli .'iO feet in length, were ashora nt Orongorongo, and three more ' whales were also stranded at, Tora, further round the coast. All Auckland Press Association telegram reports that John C. Harrison, arrested at Vancouver on a charge of false pretences 111 connection with the sale of a preparation known a a "Ancona Sheep Dip," which is alleged to bo valueless, was brought before the Police Court in Auckland yesterday, and was remanded on bail in two sureties of £350 each.

At yesterday's sitting of the Military Service Board, in the course of hearing an appeal by Thos. Borthwiek and Sons 011 behalf of one of their butehera in the Waitara works, the works' manager stated that the Australian Union would not allow their members to come over to Xcw; Zealand to take the places of men going iiuo camp. ]?or the first time in history the red flag now floats Iby permission in Berlin —over the Embassy of the Russian Revolutionary Government in. Unter der Linden. Pvior to the war itihe 'building was tbe. private property of the Czar. When if. Sverbieff, the Czar's Ambassador, drove away from it in August, [Ol4, the Berlin mob beat him and spa/t in tihji faces of the Ambassador and members of his party.

According t» the Times, the police made a raid on a Wellington hotel on Thursday night last, and what is alleged to have been a quiet little game of polcer. As a result it is understood that a memlber of Parliament and a few friends may appear in court to answer charges following on the raid. It is said tlrnt one of the gamesters is a well-known memlber of Parliament who at one time held Cabinet rank.

Humor never dies amongst the soldiers in France, says Adjutant Jolm Bladin, who lias just returned, from a lengthy sojurn in the war zone- The Salvation Army ambulances have done wonderful work behind the lines, and stories of the heroism and endurance of those in charge of them are as plentiful as leaves m spring. Last Christmas one cf the ambulances was trunding along with a lead of wounded, when a young officer, seeing the Salvation Army badge?, rang out—"l suppose you are taking tliei.e fellows to heaven!" ''l don't know po much a.bout that,'' said the driver, "but we've just left the other place!" (Toot! Toot!)

Tn giving evidence before the Military Service Board yesterday a local fishmonger and curer, said there were in addition to his own shop in New Plymouth, two other fish shops owned by cilizeiis of enemy countries. Mr. A. 11. Johnstone, who appeared for appellant, said he did not wish to suggest that the aliens referred to, who were of Dalmatian descent, were anything but loyal, but it was certain that if appellant had to go away the foreigners would get the larger portion of his business. Tn reply io t/ho board, appellant stated that if he had to go away he believed the public of New Plymouth would go short O'f cured fish, as it could not be procured from anywhere else, and he considered his work was therefore essential.

A picturs o( the M!\ny South Sens, entailed "The Pearl of Paradise," is the principal attract ion on the new programme which shows at Everybody's tonight only. The scenes of tropical splendour shown in this picture will nelp the onlooker to forget tlio cold fronts we are getting in this district at present. The story is one of tropical love and passion with Margarita Fischer in the leading role. There will be another complete change to-morrow when charming Jtollia King will star in "The Mystery of the Double Cross." On Friday night 14 degregs of frost wore registered in Wellington. Another heavy frost was also recorded in Auckland. Eealcy reported a temperature of 12, which gives 20 degress of frost in the shade. Mr. D. C. Bates, the Dominion Meteorologist, believes th'.'.t Friday night was the coldest that has over been experienced in WellingtonFrosts, he explains, are not always to be measured by the amount of rime upon the grass. That is accounted for by freezing dew and passing clouds, and he has known one part of ihe night to 'be cloudy and wet, and the other part clear, with a very hard frost. A black frost is one when there is no formation of hoar frort, and is often lower than the hoar frost. It is sometimes called a "killing frost," referring to its effect on vegetal ion. There was a .severe frost, of 1."! degrees, on July Sit.h last, and a similar reading was given ten years ago, on August Ist. On Friday "night the reading was actually }7.7, which shows lt3 degrees of frost.

lii view of recent cable messages as to the spread and virulence of the new infill en 7 a epidemic in England and on the Continent, inquiry was made by a Dominion reported, as. to whether the local medical fraternity had ibeen advised of tiie nn>v epidemif though the professional journals. A recent cable message stated that 3000 deaths from influenza •had occurred in Birmingham alone, and another declared that the last German offensive had been delayed by its ravages among the rank and file of the German Army. Dr. Barclay, superintendent of the Wellington Hospital, informed a reported thsut so far he had not noticed anything bearing on the epidemic in the English medical journals. As t.o whether it would travel this wav. Dr. Barclay, taking the past as a guide for tilio future, said that we were almost sure to get in year or eighteen months, as we did t,he formidable, 'la grippe" of fihe 'nineties. Though there was small doubt that the new innuenza would'in time rearih Xcw Zealand, it would probaddy come in a weakened form, as was the case wiht "!a grippe."

The Taranaki County Council notify that all heavy traffic must cease between the months of May and September, inclusive. Heavy traffic is defined as' UOijwt. to each pair of wheels. Any person can engage in heavy traffic, by entering into a bond with the council to reinstate any special damage that may result to the road.

Crept (te thine, that beautiful silk fabric now .so popular for ladies' wear, is again in full supply at the Melbourne, Ltd.'s headquarters, stocks having just arrived from Japan. Orders now taken ,'or blouses in the above material in the following shades: White, Shell pink, pale blue and golden brown. Price 255. Mr. A. De Bavay, the eminent analytical chemist of Melbourne, testified at the Supreme Court of Victoria that BANDER'S EUCALYPTI EXTRACT compares with other eucalyptus pro* ducts like well-refined and matured brandy compares with raw spirit. By insisting on the GENUINE SAHDER EXTRACT you will get tje advantage of quality and will be safe from harm■SANDER'S EXTRACT " ~