LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A hospital ship with a draft of 175 arrived in Wellington yesterday morning. The southern men left for their homes in the afternoon.—Press Assoc-

The Defence Office, Hawera, advises that the invalided soldiers who were due to return by the mail train last night missed the train, and will not arrive till to-night.

]<;iags wore flown over the Government buildings and a number of other build--injfs in town yesterday to mark the occasion of the anniversary 'of the date on which New Zealand became' a "dominion" as distinguished from a "colony." It is stated that several residents of Queen Charlotte Sound heard a violent explosion on August 22. Tl'<j sounds came from the direction of the head of the Sound. The matter was reported to Picton, and the police there, after gathering further information, communicated with the Dominion Naval Adviser.

A settler complains of the wandering stock nuisance on the Inglewood'Purangi road. - He states there are goats, pigs, horses, and working bullocks regularly grazing on the side of the road, and on one occasion he saw about half a mile from Tarata no fewer than 18 horses and seven cows straying, A driver of a motor car has a very difficult task threading his way through, and ho wonders how it is serious accidents are not reported.

"I have a letter from a young officer who has been through the campaign in Palestine," says a writer in the Daily Express. ■'! am extremely glad," he writes, "that I have been so long m the East. Life in the Western sense is so small and paltry. Here life is simply wonderful, vast, infinite, full. But we have been through anxious and sometimes critical times. How is it that so little seems to be known in England about the romance and exploits, of cur fighting m Palestine? Surely the color and historical charm and appeal ought to interest everybody." "We complain a lot about our climate, hut. it is the best dairying climate in New Zealand," said Mr. J. Blair, president of the ITawera branch of the Farmers' Union # at the quarterly sitting of Urn branch on Saturday afternoon. He added that the only drawback was that of lack of shelter in some parts of the country. If there were more shelterbelts, it would reduce the loss in stock considerably, and also- increase the returns of the land. Mr. J. Gane remarked that the early pioneers of the district had recognised the value of plantations for shelter purposes, and he gave one or two instances of this. —Star.

A South Island farmer, writing to a friend in Hawora, m reference to delay in answering correspondence, says:—'T am a widower, with four of a family. Three are at the front. The. youngest, a girl, is the only one I have with me. Tnree of my men were called up, and I am left here with a farm of 2300 p.eres, 2000 sheep, 80 head of cattle, and !5" Worses. All work, for the time, is stopped. I used to have three and four teams going, but all are now idle. I have to be going from daylight to dark, looking after stock, there being 450 stud Romney ewes that need special cai;o." Evidently the war has hit this settler very hard indeed. An interesting note was sounded by Mr. A. H. Johnstone in his remarks at' the irrigation assemblage in the Opunake Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon (reports the local paper) There were, he said,, some SO named streams that flow from Mount Egmont, and on nearly every one of these streams there is a dam or some construction works for conserving water, for purposes, and in no case did he know of the works being lessened in value by floods, sand, or other debris that came down the streams. Mr. Johnstone, who is solicitor for the Oaonui irrigation scheme, speaks with knowledge from collected •facta.

Suit cases at moderate prices are advertised by the Melbourne, Ltd. Matting suit cases with double locks, 22-inch 13s (id, 24-inch 14s lid, 26-inch 15s fld; brown canvas suit cases, Colonial made, extra strong and with dpuble locks, 22inch 22s 6d, 24-inch 24s Cd. There's magic in the same of Mabel iSTormand. All the world remembers her as the bewitching Keystone comedienne, and in the Goldwyn picture "The Floor Below," she returns., to .the screen as charming as ever and as tricky but with undreamed-of powers as a great actreßs. This fine feature picture is now showing at the Empire.

Did'you ever smoke toasted tobacco? If so you will know how the toasting process improves the flavor. It is delicious! Coffee-berries and tea-leaves are roasted, otherwise no one would care to drink tea or coffee. Well, the same treatment is found to answer equally well with tobacco. Test this for yourself. The famous N.Z. Grown tobaccos, Gold Pouch and Three Diamonds, are now prepared that way. The result is astonishing! With their small percentage of nicotine —1J per cent only, as against 4 per cent in foreign leaf —these tobaccos may bo smoked with perfect immunity and are recommended by experts and doctors. Two full ounces for a shilling. The wonderful Chiles picture, "The Circus of Death," announced to commence a two-night season at Everybody's- to-night, is arousing a good deal of interest about town. It. will bo remembered that a copy of this film was burnt last year just a few days ahead of the time it was advertised to show in New Plymouth. Dwing to the war there has been a long delay in securing another copy but the desire to see the picture is just as pronounced as ever. The screening occasions for "The Circus oi Death" will be to-night, at a special matinee at 3.30 to-morrow and finally to-morrow night. In view of the great interest being taken in the showing of this picture patrons would be wise to reserve their seats at Collier's.

Ladies interested in dainty blouse and dress materials should turn to Morey's advertisement in this issue. Some very I charming items are listed at tempting piisw.