LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On Monday a mental patient was removed from Stratford to Wellington. The conference between the miners and mine-owners will be held in Wellington on Tuesday nest.—Press Assoc. The chairman of the Wellington Military .Service Board stated yesterday that ab sine die eases will be reviewed in January. The Minister of Defence has been advised that the 43rd Reinforcements, consisting of field artillery, engineers F Company, and other units, are reported from a port of call in excellent health. A reminder is given to ratepayers in the borough of New .'Plymouth 'of the poll to be taken to-day on the proposal to borrow £IO.OOO fev- street and footpath formation purposes. Polling places have been fully advertised, and the polling hours are between I) a.m. and 7 p.m. Two inmates of the Kangiatea Home, an old man and his wife, were removed from that institution on.' Monday night and taken under escort by Constable Nolan to .-Porirua yesterday morning. lion. A. M. Myers, president of the Overseas Club, lias received from the Air .Ministry at Home a formal acknowledgment of the gift of an aeroplane presented to .the Royal Air .Force throiHi the medium of the Overseas Club by Mr. E. E. Jackson, of Wanganiii.—Press Assoc. The incarceration some of the Parihaka Natives have been subjected to lately ■"as had a good effect on at least four of them. Two, who carried e.\cessive avoirdupois, lost between four and five stone during the three months they were in prison, and two others, who could neither read nor write before, can do both now.

Inglewood and district residents are reminded of the meeting to be held this evening at tins Parish"Hall to discuss Hit- New Plymouth harbor improvements proposals, The meeting will be addressed.by the chairman (Mr. Newton King) and the members' of the board. As the subject, is of the greatest importance to ratepayers, it is hoped that all will make a point of attending. The special medical board v|hich is reexamining First Division reservists who Mere classed C2, sat at the Coronation Hall, Xew Plymouth, on Saturday and Monday. The board consisted of Lieut.C'olonel liernar, Captains Mercer and Harvey. Altogether Ci!) men were examined, the classification being as loilows: Fit A, 15: CI, 15; 131, 1; 82, 2; C\ 3G. All except the C2 men will be required to go to camp. A most unusual occurrence took place in Bridge Street, Eltham, on Thursday afternoon (says the Argus). A little girl named Josephine Pope, who was iu town with Jiev parents from Matemateaonga, was walking along the street, and when passing a horse standing by the roadside tlie animal seized her right ear in its teeth and bit oil' a large portion. The little girl, who is only about five years old, was considerably frightened' and found the injury most painful. She was hastened to Dr. Cooper's, where the injured member was dressed. To-night will be the last screening at the Empire of the gripping mystery story, "Empty Pockets," adapted* from the novel by Rupert Hughes. To-mor-row the great Polish actress, Mine. Petrova, will commence a three night season in the First National Exhibitors' super-feature, "The Daughter of Destiny." The box-office results in Auckland of a "Daughter of Destiny" have been remarkable. Some wiseacres have said Petrova was "done"—this picture was a veritable triumph and proved that the great lPolish, actress was a greater success than ever before. "Daughter of Destiny" i 3 a super-fea-ture in, the truest sense-of the term. It 4»'» -fflMterpiecei of ..the screen.

In the pending slander case, Lieut. Gricrson v. Dr. Thacker, the alleged libel iSSjepdrted to have rcen uttered on. February 27th. Dr. Tnacker, according! to the statement of claim, declared that; Hie and others had their suspicions of! Lieutenant Grierson, and caused his: boxes to be searched, when, he alleged, evidence was found that he was "an [arrant German spy." Dr. Thacker is.also alleged in the same speech to have made the following references to the plaintiff, which are regarded as libellous: "Sir James Allen has told us that he was an elegant English gentleman, but he had no sooner got to the front than he went over to the enemy." The Whitelcy Club spent "An Evening with Robert Louis Stevenson" on Monday, the Kov. W. A. Sinclair presiding. Miss Douglas, who was in charge, hatt evidently taken great pains in preparation, and read her essay, illustrated by numerous extracts from the author's books, in her usual finished style and with the manner of one thoroughly conversant with her subject. The points specially dealt with.- were the parentage, the life, the character, and the works of this master of English. Miss Hodder and Miss Winnie Tiehbon also contributed readings. A large attendance and rapt attention evidenced the interest oi members. A vote of thanks to Miss Douglas Was carried with acclamation. The Natives who were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for participation in the Rahotu riot in March last have now all been released, with the exception of Noho Te Whiti. It will be remembered that four of the Natives were sentenced to four months' imprisonment, and these men were kept at the New Plymouth gaol. They were granted a week's remission on their sentences, and were released, under Governor's warrant, last Wednesday. The men sentenced to six months we're, with Te Whiti, removed to the Auckland gaol. They have now been similarly released, and arrived in New Plymouth by the northern ferry boat yesterday morning. The men were received quietly by their friends, and motored immediately to Parihaka. It is thought that Te Whiti's sentence may also be considerably reduced. The other Natives who were placed on probation for two years will still have to comply with the terms of the order.

"The Spy System," a patriotic production by William Fox, with- Dustin Farnum in the lead, was forbidden showing in Chicago by an official bearing the patriotic name of Major Funkiiouser. A big public meeting brought pressure to bear and the ban was removed. One writer says: ."The picture is strongly American—strongly anti-enemy, wmen is in this case anti-German. It is perfectly respectable, so far as that section of the ordinance goes, and certainly should not arouse any race riot or prejudice among American citizens—the only kind of 'people there is room for in the country at present.'-" New Plymouth people will echo these sentiments after viewing the picture, which shows at Everybody's next Tuesday and Wednesday. A reception will be tendered to Private E. Hambiyn, who is returning from the front, iu the Juliet School on Friday evening next. This is the sixth son of .Mr John Hambiyn, of Croydon Road, ivho has seen active service, four having made the supreme sacrifice, whilst the fifth is still on active service. To-night will be the last screening occasion of the double attraction programme at Everybody's including William Farnum in "Playing Fair," and Margarita Fischer in "Jacky of the JCavy." There is another especially attractive programme for to-morrow \\;lien the popular June Caprice stars in a Fox comedy-drama, "Patsy," which is as joyful as a spring day in winter and J. Barney Sherry appears in the great prize winning Triangle feature, "Real Folk," a delightfully human story whi'cti was recently placed first amongst fourteen thousand other competitors. As it may be many a long day before the Melbourne, Ltd., hold another sale, the .public are advised to take full advantage of the many sale offerings before the sale finally closes down on Saturday. Recent heavy advances on all cotton and woollen goods should act. as a farther incentive to lavish buying. Don't procrastinate. Delay mean? lors. An interesting quarter-pane . display advertisement dealing with the question of National Efficiency will'be found on page (I of this issue, and should be carefully considered by every reader.