LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Owing to the large number of returning soldiers travelling south by the Marnroa last night the Union, Company found it necessary to stop "booking passengers. The vessel is carrying about 70 civilians.—Press. Assoc.

Just now, with such a volume of cable and other telegraphic , news, our news space is somewhat restricted, and we would ask correspondents to shorten their letters to ensure insertion. Besides, short letters will often be read where long-winded ones will be passed over. In speaking at Inglcwood last .night, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson. M.P., said that four years ago the Labor Party in Parliament declined to accept a seat in the National Cabinet, and so accept a share in the responsibility for carrying on the country during a time of great crisis. To-day they wanted to assume the whole control of the Government.

A striking evidence of the shortage of labQr was to be seen recently not far from Kakaia. A lady, wife of a well-to-do farmer, undertook to drive dray, with a spring cart tied behind, from one farm to another some distance away. The task was accomplished successfully, though on the way a traction engine was seen coming. It was then a race to see whether the lady or the engine would reach the gate first. The lady won."

Speaking in the South Island of the war situation, Sir James Allen, Acting Prime Minister, expressed the opinion that everything appeared most decidedly satisfactory. The events of the past few days, he was convinced, marked the beginning of the end, and it was quite possible that the end might come sooner than most people, expected. We had now the supremacy in man-power, in the air, in munitions, in fact in practically everything, while the relief of the situation in the Balkans was, of course, a tremendous thing. One would certainly feel safer now in predicting an earlier conclusion than one could a week or two ago. Some years ago a deserter from the navy was engaged on work on a Taranaki dairy farm. A busybody "put him away," and he was arrested. A New Plymouth gentleman of casual acquaintance interested himself in the case, and the sailor was let down lightly. When the war broke out he volunteered for service in the colonial forces, and went through the campaigns in Gallipoli and France. How heroically he behaved may be judged from the fact that he was awarded the D.C.M., and now 1 has won the highest honor in the power of a soldier to gain, namely, the V.C. The New Plymouth friend thinks his intercession on behalf of such a man when he was down was well worth while.

The ladies in charge of the Mayoress' Patriotic Shop, Currie Street, will be pleased to receive gifts of any kind for sale. The shop will be open daily, and tlie proceeds during the week are to be devoted to a Y.M.C.A. "Home Hour Tea" near the firing line. Quite recently 150 men were guests of the "Sew Plymouth Women's Patriotic Committee only 1000 yards from the German trenches. Soldier's gift parcels are on view at the shop. A donation of 2s 6d will give the privilege of donor's name and address being sent to the front in one of these parcels. The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands, visited Inglewood ytesterday afternoon, in company with Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P.. who introduced several deputations to the Minister who brought various matters of vital interest to the district under his notice. The borough authorities sought his assistance in the matter of loan monies for the purpose of developing their electric light and power installation, and the road district brought before Mm the proposal for the constitution, of the Moa County. The Minister gave sympathetic'replies to the deputations, and promised to place their representations before his colleagues. In his address at the meeting in the town hall last night Mr. Wilkinson mentioned the matter', of the county proposal, and said he thought a good case had been presented to the Ministor, which would have a very good chance of success.

The management committee of the ■Solfliers' Club wish to thank the following Mies for kindly providing afternoon. tea during September to 287 guests: Misses Capel.E. and J. Bennett, Hartnell. Purdue, Sole, D, Bradbury, Black, M. Rowlands, Mesdames Bradbury, S. Rundle, Watts, Brown, Stocker, James Loveridge, W. Jenkinson, J. White, Skelton, Hughes, Hodder, H. H. Street Douglas .(W.C.T.U.), Dingle (St. Andrew's Guild), MeWhirter (St. Andrew's Guild), Hale (St. Andrew's Guild), E. Jury, P. Jury, Monk, Hammond, and Waugh. A welcome gift of butter was received from Mr. Stronex, Okato; cake from Mrs. Walker, and milk from "A Friend," also monetary donations from Rod Post £1 8s Od, donation box patriotic annual meeting 10s 64, and regular weekly subscribers. Gifts of sugar, tea, and butter are always appreciated. Up-to-date magazines and 'papers for the reading room table are in great demand. At a recent meeting of the Wellington executive of the British Red Cross Society, the matter of building and equipping a hospital for functional treatment at Rotorua, an ' expenditure of £SOOO, was approved. The building is estimated to cost £400.0. The executive also agreed to the work at Rotorua being commenced at once.

Mr. D. McLaren, a member of the Wellington executive of the British Red Cross Society, will give an address on "Our Day" from the haleony of the White Hart Hotel to-morrow evening at a quarter past seven. s

Tho Ifew Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., Stratford, wish to draw clients' attention to the clearing sale which they are holding on account of Mr. Edgar Iline, at his homestead, Makuri Road, Toko, on Thursday, October 24, at 12 o'clock sharp. Mr. Hine 'has disposed of his property to the Government; Preliminary notice of sale will be found on I page 8. Full particulars will appear in a later issue.

Is State Operation of the Liquor Trade a success? At Carlisle where Britain has established State Public Houses, Drunkenness has decreased over CO per cent. But Drunkenness decreased by the same ratio all over Britain, where Licence still prevails. Why! The answer is simple. The hours of sale have everywhere been reduced to 5& per day. This explains reduced drinking in Carlisle. In short, partial prohibition in the form of fewer hours has wiped out nearly twothirds of the Drinking. Total Prohibition would complete tho good work. Don't be misled. Investigations into the conditions at Annan revealed that the State Pub was making girls drunk as well as men,, and State Alcphol equalled Pirvate Alcohol in its demoralising effects. Prph}bitipn succeeds. State Control fails.-yAdvt.

NAZOL relieves cold in tlit head and Naaftl Catarrh

111 referring to war expenditure at Inglewood last night, the Hon. D, H. Guthrie said New Zealand had author teed loans amounting to £70,000,000. Of that amount £60,000,000 had been raised, £37,000,000 being subscribed in New Zealand.

f The Dominion says:'"lt is a remarkable and impressive fact that the leadership of the Allied nations during this war lias been in the hands of religi-ous-minded men. In proof of this statement it is only necessary to mention the names of Marshall Foch, Sir Douglas Haig, General Pershing, Admiral Beattie, Admiral .Jellicoe, Mr Lloyd George, Mr Balfour, President Wilson, and Mr Lansing." The Hon. Mr. Samuel (who while there is no M.P. for Taranaki is endeavoring to facilitate communication with the Government) has received the following telegram from the acting-Prime Minister, in reply to a telegram from him: "Arrangements now made for issue of railway warrants for those men in various camps who. are on the Taranaki roll to enable them to travel to electorate to vote on Thursday.—J. Allen." The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, stated at Inglewood last night that during the war period New Zealand 'had received from the Imperial Government on account of the commandeered produce from the Dominion a total of £71,057,125; that there was at present in the stores of the country produce valued at £21,883,505, on which an advance of £3,000,000 had already been received. A concert and dance was held last night' at the Hillsborough Hall in connection with the New Plymouth Pierrots' patriotic effort. There was a large attendance, and a good programme was submitted and an enjoyable evening spent. Late in the evening the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., and Mr. J. S. Connett briefly addressed those present. Sir Joseph Ward, at a luncheon to Mr Handley Page, the aeroplane designer, foreshadowed what was likely to be done in New Zealand in the way of carrying mails by aeroplane. He had seen machines already 'which could take four tons of mails from Auckland to Wellington in four hours, from Wellington to Christchurch ,in less than two hours, and so on, and he doubted very much whether the cost in the long run would be greater than was being paid for similar services now At all events, the department was going into the matter The carrying of ocean mails to New Zealand he also regards as hopeful. In the Magistrate's Court at New Plymouth yesterday, before Mr A. Crooke, S.M., judgment for plaintiff by default was given in the following undefended cases:—j& Griffiths and Co. (Mr A. A. Bennett) v. N. G. Wihklemann, £2O 7s sd.(cost3 £2 14s); R. S. Wooldridge (Mr Bennett) v. T. Lister, jun., for'costs'los;'.H, J. Taylor (Mr Bennett) v A. V. Schwieters, £2 13a (costs 13s); Bruce and Feakins v. John F Dravitzski, £6 0s 6d (costs 12s). In the judgment summons F. J. Greenway (Mr A. A. Bennett) v, Te Ano Komene an order was made for payment of £l2 lis 4d, ui default 14 days' imprisonment, payment to be made on or before October 22.

At tlie political meeting at Inglewood last night someone asked why, as the meeting was. in the interests of the Government pandidate in the by-election, it should be necessary for a Minister of the Crown to come and try to tell the electors how to vote. They were quite capable of deciding that themselves without outside interference. The Hon, Mr. Guthrie replied that he had not mentioned the present political campaign in his address, and he had come because he wanted to speak to the people of the Inglewood district and he was sure they were equally desirous of hearing him—(laughter)—and he thanked them for ihe very excellent hearing they had given him. The questioner said he accepted the Minister's explanation without reservation. Owing to Mr Syd Smith's political address there will be no pictures showing to-night at the Empire. To-morrow the attraction will be the screening of Booth Tarkington's famous novel ot American life, "The Turmoil." The Melbourne Clothing Company is still able to supply a small quantity of cream and white Fuji silks 29 inches wide.' Orders taken at the following prices: Cream Fuji 4s lid yard, heavy white Fuji Cs lid yard. Rex Beach's remarkable picture, "The Auction Block," screens again to-night for the last time at Everybody's, and in view of the certain rush for accommodation again to-night intending patrons would bo wise to reserve their seats at Collier's.