LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The ordinary meeting of the Pukekura Park Board, "which should have been held last night, was postponed. A transport is due at Auckland shortly with 43 officers and 758 other ranks of sick and wounded soldiers. Among the officers is Lieutenant-Colonel C. H. Weston. ]\frs. Weston is also on board, with the Voimtary Aid Detachment.

An accident occurred to a gig on Burke's Hill on Saturday night or Sunday morning, a3 a result of which the vehicle was very seriously damaged. The mains of the gig were lying by the roadsids yesterday, having apparently fallen over the bank on the lower side of tlio road.—Argus.

The Post Office advises that any pei> mitted wireless messages for transmission, either within or beyond New Zealand, will ha censored in Wellington. They should he lodged at the office of origin, to reach Wellington not later than 4 p.m. on the day to be despatched. In the Magistrate's Court yesterday oefore Mr A. Crooke, S.M., Duncan ana Davies, Ltd. (Mr J. 11. Quilliam), sought to recover from Laurence Marchand the sum of £5 3s 3d, the amount of a promissory note. Notice to defend the case had been filed, but' theirs was no appearance of defendant, and after hearing the evidence of C. H. Wynward, secretary to the company, as to the incorporation of the company and the givamount with costs £1 8s Cd.

Those wonderfully clever little artists, the Lee kiddies, appear again at Everybody's to-morrow in the Fox comedy drama "Two Little Imps." It is described as one of the most pleasing stories seen in motion picture form. Both [adults and deUglitcdiWith this.pictosf' ""

September was a record month as far as Customs returns for the port of Wellington are concerned. During the month £113,-100 Os 7d wan collected, as compared with £51,849 for the corresponding month of last year. Beer duty collected amounted to £H)L>9 18s Bd, as compared with £2038 last year.—Press Assoc.

Following the return of f,'u! number of births, deaths, and marriage? for the district of New Plymouth (Mr. J." S. S. Medley, registrar), for the month ending September 30, 1918, and also for the nine months ended September, 1918: For the month of September, 11)18: Births, 3G (1017, 38); deaths, IS (13); marriages, 7 (7). For the 12 months ending September 30, 1918: Births, 315 (1917, 323); deaths, 92 (114); marriages, 08 (OS).

■An Auckland message states that Professor J. Macmilan Brown, as Wyj result of investigations at Hawaii, has concluded that the Polynesians camo through Japan. The present race of Japanese are descendants of the Ainus, who came through Siberia, drove out the inhabitants, who spread through the Mariannes and Caroline Islands into Polynesia.—Press Assoc.

The net Customs duty collected at Now Plymouth for the month of September amounted to £6647 12s 4d and the beer duty to £195 9s 3d. The figures for the corresponding period of last year were £3055 12s and £2OB Is 7d respectively. The Customs for the quarter just ended amounted to £12317 16s Sd, against £10,066 14s lOd, and the beer duty was £584 10s 6d, against £529 9s lOd, the total revenue being £12,970 2s 3d compared w'.ti £10,792 16s 7d.

At Monday's meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council t'lie Library Committee reported Tecommending the acceptance, with regret, of the resignation of Airs Marvell, and that the committee desires to place on record its high appreciation of the capable and courteous manner in which she has always carried out her duties, and in consideration thereof further recommends that she be granted three months' leave on full pay. The committee recommended the Council, to invite applications to fill the vacancy. According to the Eltham Argus, the warm rain that commenced to fall on Monday morning will be heartily welcomed by dairy farmers throughout that district, for, despite the sunshine of the past fortnight feed is still very short and largo numbers of cattle are still dying of starvation. On many farms there is practically no feed at all, and in many instances farmers have lost up to 20 milch cows valued at from £l4 upwards. Such losses mean almost ruination in some cases, and a big turnover is necessary to pay the big rents that are being charged. One of the drawbacks to paper clothing (according to the letter an indignant Austrian has sent to his newspapers) is that if the wearer sits on a seat in the park in damp weather he will as likely as not leave the seat of his trousers behind him. And even trousers as hazardous as these cost £8 per pair. In Germany so great has become the scarcity of metals that window-fasteners are now to be expropriated, and the confiscation of door handles is to be actively proceeded with as soon as substitutes can be found In Bavaria even cash registers fhave been requisitioned. To show the impartiality with which these measures are enforced, it need only be mentioned that the statue of the Kaiser, otherwise the All Highest, at Heidelberg, has been taken down to turn into gunmetal.

The Prime Minister (Mr. W. F. Massey) presided at a service held at the Aldwych Theatre, London, on Sunday, August 4, under the auspices of the Young Men's .Christian Associations of America, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In the course of a stirring speech, he said the tide of war had turned in our favor, and he not only hoped but believed that it would lead us to victory. It was Britain's mission, in association with her Allies, to make a permanent peace possible, and that could only be done 'by making it impossible for Germany to again plunge the world intp war. It was Britain's mission and that of her Allies to rid the world of those who had been guilty of inflicting such unspeakable horrors upon mankind as this war had. witnessed, 'but it was not going to be an easy task, because Germany was still strong not only in the field but in her own people. It was the fact that our enthusiasm of the early days of the war had died down, but it was also the fact that it had been succeeded by a quiet, steady, and inflexible determination to see the war through to the end, be it far off or be it near.

Next Saturday the Mart will be under the management of the junior members of the Red Cross Committee, who hope to make a special display of home-made cake 9. Now that eggs are plentiful, there should lie no difficulty about securing a good supply, and the junior members will be very grateful for all contributions.

The Feilding Bapon Co., Ltd., advertise their .October dates in this issue. The opening price will be 7d per lb. Electors 1 of the Hillsborough district are notified that the polling-place for this election lias been removed from'the Egmont Road School to the Hillsborough Public Hall.

His wife would not live with him, yet 'would not consent to free him. In this plight lie met the one girl which fate had designed for him. The story is finely set forth in the World drama, "Stolen Hours," showing for the last time at the Empire to-night. This programme also includes that wonderful admiralty picture of the mine-sweepers entitled "The Story of t'ho Drifters."

The Melbourne Clothing Company advise that despite the recent wholesale advances on Hon'ockses' calicoes the firm is still offering 32-inch calico at Is Gd per yard, and 38-inch at Is 8d per yard. Other standard lines offered at iess than wholesale are "S.S.S." Btriped drill Is lid yard, "Advance" drill Is 9d yard, "Pennine" shirting is Cd yard. Buy now while the buying is good

Were adulteration the only evil connected with liquor, then State Control might make the Trade a safe thing. But while adulterated liquors are doubtless worse than the so-called "genuine stuff," yet the purest Liquors contain the Alcohol which is so clearly a menace to efficiency, moral control, character and reliability. But under State Control even adulteration is not necessarily absent. Government service has not always surpassed private enterprise in safeguard, ing human welfare. The only safe thing to do with Alcoholic beverages is to pro. hibit them.—Advt.

When you feel a cold coining on, don't jwait until it has gripped .-you, but take 'UAZQL atones. / " • '

Prom Mrs. E. Taylor, of Inglewood, we have Teceived a bunch of beautiful, well-grown polyanthus. They .are a credit to the grower, and incidentally show that Inglewood can grow fine flowers.

The Patea Harbor Board is now issuing notices to the Hawera borough area for the collection of a special rate of l-6d in the £ for interest on the £86,000 loan.

"Labor think thev could run this country," said Mr. M. J. Mack at a meeting in Wellington on Monday, "but there are not twenty men in the Labor movement who are fit to run a peanut stall." Mr. Maclc is the Independent Labor candidate for Wellington Central. The total of saleable fish taken from Lakes Rotoiti and Tarawera in last year s trout.marketing operations of the Department of Internal Affairs was 20,270 (weighing 22 tons 15cwt.), and valued at £B5l. The yield of Lake Taupo was 17,947 trout, the Height be. ing 24 tons 2cwt., and the value £B7O.

A chance observation in the Wellington Magistrate's Court on Monday led' to an instruction to the police to investigate what was regarded as a, possible bigamy case. A woman, frail and gray, was escorted into court respecting a case in which her son was being prosecuted for having disobeyed an order of the court to pay certain money towards her maintenance. Mr. Fraser, S.M, explained to the toother that the son Wished to have his evidence heard in Napier, and remarked that he had in his hand a letter on the subject from the son's wife, as wife!" exclaimed the old lad?' •What wife V "I don't kcjw which wife, replied the magistrate; "how many has he?" The old lady produced a photograph which she said was of his wife and child, who were ia England. You had better look into this, sergeant" said his Worship to the police; "it may be a case of bigamy." The case was adjourned for three weeks.

The Kaiser, before embarking on his Wll( \ expedition of world conquest, recognised the crying need of reformation, not only in things appertaining to the state, but also in the literature of modern Germany. The present epoch is jTeat, for lie lias made it so. The literature likewise should Toe great. Herein is much work, more work than the War Lords can accomplish in a century The wish has been expressed constantly that the music of "Hell Dir im Seigeskranz" ("Hail to Thee in the Victor's Crown") should be altered, as it is the same as the tune to which "God Save the King" is sung. In recent , days when the Kaiser had something less annoying than the present offensive to occupy his mind, a committee of prominent Germans was formed, and invited contributions from poets and musicians. Although over 3200 efforts arrived they were all declined with thanks. Hundreds of poems and pieces of music have been submitted to the Kaiser himself, but none have reached the desired standard. It is surprising that in face of those failures the Kaißer does not set himself the task, for however had the result might be, no one would dare to say His Majesty's effort did not reach the required level.