LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Wellington wire states that the High Commissioner's terra of office has been extended, by four months. A Maori, who was arrested in Devon Street on Saturday by Constable O'Brien, Was charged with drunkenness before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., this morning. He Was convicted and discharged.

As the result of an entertainment given by the Okato Choral Society, in the Oakura Hall, the sum of £l7 was contributed to the Copper Trail by settlers of the Tataraimaka and Oakura districts in conjunction.

At the monthly meeting of the Women's Patriotic Committee, held at the depot on Monday afternoon, it was decided that on Saturday, 19th instant, the Mayoress's patriotic shop, Currie Street, should be stocked and run by the committee, the proceeds to be donated to the Red Cross "Our Day" appeal. At yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki County Council, Mr. Wooldridge (mail contractor between New Plymouth and Opuiiake) waited on the council to ask for some consideration in the matter of toll-gate charges. He pointed out that' the charges at present amounted to 10s per day, and if lie had a breakdown, and had to get another car to complete the journey the charges sometimes reached £1 for the day. The matter was left in the hands of the chairman. The Stratford town clerk wrote to the Taranaki County Council at its meeting yesterday, stating that a movement was on foot for the establishment of a Taranaki liydro-eleetrie league, the object being to urge upon the Government the necessity of early and vigorous action in connection with the proposed scheme for the North Island, and particularly to urge the claims of Taranaki to be linked up with the scheme at the earliest possible opportunity. A conference of local body representatives is to be held at Stratford on Thursday, October 17, and the council was invited to send a delegate. It was decided to Bupport the proposal, and Cr. Morton was appointed the council's representative. At the direction of the New Zealand Executive the London Committee is placing on board all transports carrying wounded back to New Zealand a carefully compiled list of extra comforts to the value of £1 per man, these comforts being under the control of the medical officer in charge and distributed as required. The expenditure involved in this direction is considered to be justifiable as before the Red Cross undertook the supply complaints were numerous.

Colonel Rhodes, who was commissioner for the Xeiy Zealand Red Cross in London, recently hag estimated the ordinary requirements there for the next six) months in cost to be £40,000. It -will nevertheless be recognised that any big offensive in -which our New, Zealand troops become engaged would of necessity mean an increased expenditure. | On election night, with the consent of the Parliamentary candidates, Mr. D, McLaren, cx-Mayor of Wellington, and a member of the committee of the Wellington Executive of the British Red Cross, has consented to address the public of New Plymouth from the balcony of the White Hart Hotel, on the aims and benefits of the British Red Cross Society.

Clara Kimball Young again proves herself to be one of the very front rank screen artists in "Shirley Kaye," a stirring drama which has for its theme a financial fight between the effete east and the vigorous west. "Shirley liay©" is showing for the last time at the Empire to-night. This programme also includes the scenic gem "Cathedrals of England." An interesting list of properties for exchange is advertised by K. A. Large, estate agent, on page 7 of -this issue. Is there any out-door occupation more pleasant or profitable than fruitgrowing. A first-class orchard in full bearing and situated in Nelson is advertised on page 7 of fhia issue by R. A. LaTge. The Melbourne Clothing Company have made arrangements for an adequate supply of men's silk shirts in 10 momme white silk and cream Fuji, at the following prices: White silk 18s 6d, Fuji silk 19s Od. Tennis or neglige. Thoso goods are pronounced bargains.

The New Zealand Loan aaid Mercantile draws attention to the bull fair which it is holding on Monday, October 14, at 1 p.m. Full particulars will be found on page S of this issue. Does Organised Labor favor State Control as a solution for the Liquor Traffic? The Jvev/ Zealand Labor Party, although declaring, for democratic reasons, that Sttae Control should be on the ballotpaper, decidedly refused to commit themselves to it as a policy. The Labour men of Great Britain want Prohibition. Recent votes in industrial centres in England, Scotland and Wales give a majority in every case for War-time Prohibition, '—nan, where the Government publichouses are, voted over 3 to 1 for Prohibition. Paisley, in Scotland, registered 11,182 for and 1178 against, or over 9 to 1. Hull gave an 11,512 majority, while Lesmahagow, in Scotland, topped the lot with a3O to 1 verdict. The total for 27 centres was—For Prohibition, 166,693; against Prohibition 78,066; a majority for Prohibition 88,027. New Zealand Labor will follow t*iis splendid lead.— Advt.

According to New Zealand tobacco merchants, stocks of imported weed are running very low throughout the Dominion and a further rise in the price can only bo a question of time. Fortunately tins country is no longer entirely dependent on imported tobaccos. The N.Z. grown article is becoming increasingly popular and one of the reasons is doubtlessly its small percentage of nicotine—only 1 per cent as against 4 per cent in imported brands. Quite recently the manufacturers are adopting a new process in the production of their well known brands, "Gold Pouch" and "Three Diamonds." This tobacco is now toasted and just exactly as cooking and roasting makes your food more palatable and digestible, so the flavor of tobacco is improved by toasting, it is made healthier too. Smokers shoald not fail to try this new toasted tobacco. Two full ounces for a shilling. NAZOL relieves cold in the head and: JfasalCatarA

Coincidences. Mr Holland, member for Grey, was at one time editor of the Maoriland Worker, so was Mr Fraser, member for Wellington Central. Mr Holland was sent to gaol for sedition, so was Mr Fraser.; It has long been recognised that a speedy way of getting into Parliament is to become a martyr and be sent to gaol. The housing problem in Hawera is very acute just now. In a case for possession in the Magistrate's Court Mr. O'Dea remarked that everybody knew how difficult it was to obtain rented houses in the town. The Magistrate observed that Hawera was not alone in this respect.—Star.

It is no secret, states the Sydney Morning Herald editorially, that the Berlin communiques have nightly, beeir' recorded at Australian and New Zealand stations, and our cablegrams announced in March last that the French navy, which claimed to possess the best wireless system in the world, had sent messages that had been received in Australia.

The recruiting authorities have decided that reservists twenty years of age, enlisting voluntarily, must produci, birth certificates. Some trouble had been caused in the past by the enlistmen of nineteen-year-old lads, who represented themselves to be twenty years old in order to avoid having to produce the wfitten consent of'their parents. In a letter to Mr C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., the Minister of Public Works denies that the material stored for the Waingongoro bridge on the Opunake railway is deteriorating. He says that when work was suspended action was taken to conserve the material on the work, and it will not suffer material damage. Replying to a suggestion that it will take three years to build the bridge, Sir Wm. Fra3er says it is without justification. It is generally admitted that "the onlooker sees the most of the game." The onlookers can see a good deal of the election campaign at . New Plymouth (says the Eltham Argus). For instance they can see that certain people who are supporting Labor were at one time rampantly roaring for "hammer handles that they might take to Wellington in order to figuratively and literally crack the skull of Labor. That was in the strike days. Now they are prepared to crack the skulls of the Ministers in the National Cabinet because of the high price of manure—or some other equally cogent reason. What a rummy old world tlii3 is.

Mr George Fenwick, of the Otago Daily Times, who is chairman of the delegation of journalists from New Zealand, was (states the Post's London correspondent) met at Euston by his son, Major D. E. Fenwick, who is now in charge of the medical division at No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst. On the following day, at Walton Hospital, he met his other son, Major George Fenwick, who is on the staff of this hospital. Major D. E. Fenwick, after qualifying in England, was for some time in India, and saw his first service in the war with a field ambulance of the H.A.M.C. late in 1916. Major George Fenwick was serving in the East before coming to England.