LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 October 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The total number of men drawn under the Military Service Act up to and including the 21st draft, was 140,589. The number who have failed to parade is 10,460, of whom 5352 have been accounted for The number gazetted as missing is 4045, of whom 2325 have been secured without the aid of warrants. _ The number still unexecuted is 1285.—Press Association. A young man named James Coffey, a Native, appeared in the court at Opunake on Friday last on three charges of stealing bridles and a charge of stealing a saddle. He pleaded guilty to stealing the bridles, and on the advice of the Magistrate entered a plea of not gtiilty on the fourth charge, which was dismissed. On the other charges he was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within three months, and to pay the translation fees. It is understood that the defendant has, since lie was summoned, enlisted, and intends going to the front. There will be a special display of beautiful leather bags for sale at the Bed Cross Mart on Saturday. These are very suitable for Christmas presents, and may be had in tan, grey, amethyst, and other art shades. No lover of a striking comedy-drama should miss the final opportunity to see Margarita Fishcher in "Miss Jacky of tbc Army" at Everybody's to-night. One of the chief attractions for to-morrow will be the appearance of Charlie Chaplin in a new comedy success, "Police." This picture is being screened for the first time in New Plymouth, and must not he confused with the previous film, "Easy Street." There is a benefit entertainment at the Empire to-night in aid of the building fund of tlie New Plymouth Citizens' Band, and there is'a brillinnt picture programme headed by a Pathe feature, "Under False Colors," a modern story of great interest and excitement.

The official opening of the West End Bowling g»een will be held to-morrow (Thursday), October 31. In the course of his prohibition address last night, Mr. James Simpson said that in the prohibition statea in Canada liquor advertisements were not allowed in the newspapers, and papers containing liquor advertisements were not permitted to be brought into those states. With the coming into force -of national prohibition in the United States next July, and in Canada in May next, there will be, said Mr. James Simpson last night, a population of 113,000,000 people amongst whom there will not be a brewery or distillery. That would mean practically continental prohibition, and after that, the speaker said, would come worldwide prohibition. A Masterton trooper wlio haß just returned from Palestine pays a high tribute to the stamp of New Zealand horses there. "It is breeding that counts," he states, "and that is why .New Zealand horses are so good. The animal with a substantial strain of pure blood in it is able to easily do .better work and survive the terrible conditions' of the desert than the horse having, no breeding. According to statements made las£ night by Mr. James Simpson, in his address at the Good Templar Hall, United -States soldiers get no rum ration, "and yet," he said, "they are going 'over the top' just as &t as other soldiers." (Applause.) Continuing, the speaker said °it had' been made a crime in America for anyone to supply a solfer with liquor, and one man whovhad been found guilty of doing so had been sentenced to six months' imprisonment, without the option of a fine, and the judge had referred to the offender'aa»a traitor to*his country. Many of the returned- soldiers who went through by the special train to Auckland the o,ther night were accompanied by wives whom they had married in England or on the Continent. TOlo their spouses -were being entertained at the Palmerston station, these ladies remained in the train, and" they were keenly scrutinised by a large number of PalmerstO» young ladies, who, judging from their remarks, thought the boys should not hare brought the imported article into the Dominion, but should have contented themselves with the home products. In-, the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., judgment for plaintiff by default was given in the case of the New Plymouth Borough Council (Mr. J._ H. Quilliam) v. B. Trueman, £3 5s 4d (costs 10s). Orders were made in the following judgment summons cases:—George Pearce (Mr. A. H. Johnstone) v. Charlie Waru, debtor to pay £5 17s 6d on or before Nov. 1, in default six days' imprisonment; George Gibson (Mr. P. E. Wilson) v. P- Crompton, debtor to, pay the sum ..of £6 15s 6d by Nov. 1, in default seven days' imprisonment; Joseph Wilks (Mr. T. P. Anderson) v. same, debtor to pay the sum of £7 lis 6d, in default eight days' imprisonment. Speaking at the Good Templar Hall last night, Mr. James Simpson, of Canada, said the churches in Canada were united against the liquor traffic. Koman Catholic and Protestant clergy stood on the same platforms, and appealed to the public to vote the traffic away. Plans for the demobilisation of the A.I.F, sire well advanced (telegraphs the London correspondent of the Sydney Sun). Brigadier-General Dodds (in charge of Administrative Headquarters, A.1.F.) estimates that it should be possible to ship the whoje force to Australia m from six to nine months, the vast quantities of guns and materials bemg shipped later Census cards will shortly be issued in order to ascertain the men's wishes in regard to postwar employment, and whether jobs will be awaiting them. It has been arranged that Mr Burchell, M.HR., 'Major Denny (formerly Attorney-General for South Australia), and Mr. Crawford Vaughan (formerly Premier of South Australia) will lecture on repatriation to all the troops prior to the census. Mr. Parr, M.P, in a speech at Auckland, referred to the prohibition legislation that had been passed in Canada and the United Stages. He asked: "Were those nations all insane or were we lagging behind?" He said he looked at the matter from a business and economic point of view, and asked what there was to aho\f for the expenditure of 4% million pounds in liquor every year 'in New Zealand. What useful result. was left after an annual expenditure of £'4i 2s lid per head of the population? He thought these should be some moderate .compensation. He would vote for. a referendum on the,,issue whether .the. Efficiency Board's scheme was a rig-lit,and proper one. He-how-ever, was of opinion that the Labor Part's four questions, and the provision for a preferential vote, probably would secure a more satisfactory vote. A startling thunderstorm was experienced in this district a few evenings ago (says the Lake Wakatipu Mail). Throughout the afternoon there was warning of atmospheric disturbance brewing, but at 5 o'clock the heavens lowered, and the first dull peal of tluin-, ; der was heard, The storm, however, did net set in properly till about 8 o'clock, when it speedily increased in violence. Its height was reached half an hour later, when a great flash of lightning was followed by the most terrific peal of thunder ever remembered in the district. Residents were naturally filled with consternation, and some people hecame quite unnerved. Immediately afterwards it was noticed that the phenomenon had caused a fire near the summit of Bowen Peak Quite a number of vounff men have since scaled the mountain for the purpose of making investigations, and there has been evil donee of tin* occurrence in the rock displacement, though, strangely enough, no trace of burnt shrubbery could be fnund. Tt, mar be said that the concussion caused by the monster peal of thnndpr was so great that a portion of the railing of a balcony on one building in the town, which seemed to catch the whole violence of the storm, was thrown down, and the structure cenerally badly 'A, cheap property situated in the NormsnJiv district is advertised for sale bv Mr. IT- Eowe iy this issue. The property is a well situated one, being close to railway station and post office, and has half acre orchard in full hearing. Particulars will be found on page 1 of our advertising columns. See to it that you net the rielit lirnnrl when vou invpef in a OABD'EN HOSE. A=k for' NORTH BRITISH RUBBER CO.'S make. Lasts for years —does not burst, crack or bend. Sold Everywhere, 20. "NAZOL" for Influenza and Catarrh.

It is interesting to note that up to March Hist last, the public debt of the Dominion totalled £1:17,535,854. There will be authority sought this session for raising another substantial war loan in the Dominion at 4J per cent., free of Income Tax. The public accounts laid on the table of the House show that tlhe revenue derived from land tax last financial year totalled £1,385,708, from income tax £5,619,500, after refunding over a quarter of a million to income tax-payers. New Zealand's war expenditure f#om August, 1914, to August, 1918, totalled £40,050,498, of which over £3,000,000 has been paid for equipment, 18£ millions for pay and allowances, nearly 12J millions for maintenance of troops in the field (tofthe War Office) and over five millions for transport service. Only £106,150 was paid by way of 'financial assistance, although <wer 110,000 men have been enlisted in the Expeditionary: Forces and Aearly 97,000 have been.wembarked for active service. Australian horsemwt in Palestine! have .been doing great service, end cavalry forces of the British generally have been making good against the Turkish Palestine amy, which lias, been shattered. Many of the horses from Australia, and New Zealand hcvq gone through 1 the campaign from thai start, and they are jstill standing npj to their work, despite severe triala] through the desert country and the.l heat, which at times has been intense,,, the glare having caused many to»,gaj blind. Mr Simon Luke, a .pioneer builder.-btj submarines, has submitted a design fotl a submarine carrier of 7500 tons deadsweight, of cargo. It is obvious that absolute safety could be attained if a eub-r marine caTgo-carrier could travel em tirely under water. That is at present impossible, for good technical reasons. But a cargo-earrying submarine rem •ning awash, with her periscope and aii; intakes just above the waterline, may, approach within about five and threequarter miles of any waiting military; submarine without danger of being seen. Her wake would be below the horLson. Such cargo-carrying submar-r ines can be built and can cross the Atlantic Ocean in this condition, at a speed of about 10 knots. If a sharp lookout is maintained, they have as much chance of seeing a German submarine; as the German submarine has of see-, ing them. - No* one ■will contend that as thonie&i flats are to be compared with the neat cottage in its own quarter-acre (says the Wellington Post). But this ideal is impossible in the heart of any city like Wellington. Btit surely blocks of reinforced concrete, well constructed, self-contained flats, planned on the most modern principles, adapted to local conditions—no matter who buHdd them—are infinitely better than such dwellings as are now being used as tenement houses in the city Welling* ton. Never built for this purpose, and generally of wood, tliiw are not only dangerous in case of fire, but greatly in.: tensify the work of the unfortunate housewife who is doomed to bring up a family in them. And yet this practice of packing several families in houses originally intended for one is increasing to a deplorable extent, and it is inevitable they will do so all the time the Scarcity of small houses for renting exists in Wellington. Would not flats be preferable in every waj; to congested lodging houses of this kind? An American Bed Cross worker ta Jerusalem was startled beyond measure, some days before the Holy City was surrendered to the British, when a wounded Arab officer of the Turkish army came limping into the hospital with a beaming face. He was toe of three Arab officers who had com© back: together during the fight in whi(3s lie British had seized Nebi Samwit-the hill on which the Mosque of Samttel was built. The Arab knew that the fall of Jerusalem was now only a matter of days. "I can hip, hip, hurrah for England now!" he .cried in English. "Take care!" he was warned by the surprised Bed Cross worker. "There are Turkish wounded officers Jhere." "I do not care," cried the Arab in unrestrained joy; and' then he called out again, "Htuxah for England!" Mr Basil Matthews, wlra vouches for this story, finds in it a cleat hint of the central significance of General Allenby's entry into Jerusalem iri December last. "The significance of the event, indeed," he adds, "runs back for thirty centuries into history and forward through illimitable vistas of the future; but at heart it, is all summed up in the simple fact that General Allenby entered Jerusalem not as conqueror but as liberator." And what has thus been done for Jerusalem and Beirut will shortly be extended to > all the dominions of the Turk.