LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The mails wfoieh left New Zealand on tlio 2nd ultimo, for United Kingdom, arrived safely. Tenders are invited for lease of die Mokau ferry service. Details will be found in advertisement.

A London cablegram states that the censorship of foreign cable messages wil continue until peace is declared.

The Mayor of Auckland stated on Thursday that about COO deaths had been caused in the city and suburbs by tlio epidemic. It is rather 'singular that the Auckland papers for days on end recorded between 00 and 90 deaths daily. "Running a church in ChrislAureh," the Rev. Percy Knight remarked at the social gathering to welcome the Rev. R. M. Ryburn, "is hard work. It is easier to run i a racecourse or a trotting course in Christehurdi than a church," he added, to the accompaniment of laughter from hia audience.

Fourteen deaths of soldiers were reported on Wednesday. Only 40 men are now away from the Wellington tramways, but tihere is only a slight improvement in the telegraph and postal services.

Last year the Old Age Pensions amounted to £740,849; widows' pension, £73,802; military pensions (Maori War), £23,205; miners' pensions, £13,572. The war pensions absorbed £904,383,, and it is estimated this sum will be increased to £1,500,000 for the current financial year.

The Post Office advises that teler grams may now be accepted at ordinary rates for all offices in the North Island, but telegrams for offices in the Soutli Island are, to be accepted at urgent rut* only. Cables excepted, all offices are to continue to close at 5 p.m., as at present.

Sir Alfred Butt is following Mr Mcintosh's example, and is making all V.C.'s and their families free of all his theatres for life, says a London paper. Gold passes are being made for them, which they might well wear among their other medals.

Tlae closing of the hairdressing saloons in Masterton for the past week has had a strange, almost weird effect upon many residents who are unable to wield the .razor. Some are adorned with a vari-colored growth that even their best friends scarcely know them. •—Age. There is a shortage of coal in town. Merchants are delivering coal by the 6ingle bag in many cases, so as to make the supply last out, and in some cases cut wood is being supplied' instead. A telegram from Taupiri received yesterday states that only about half the miners liave so fnv returned. The slip on the Main Trunk line does not tend to, ease the position. A local boot repairer was a recent victim of the prevailing disease. His Bon (aged 16) has intimated his intention of carrying on his late father's business. It is to bo hoped the public will rally round the plucky boy. One or two prominent townsmen have intimated to the widow that they will gladly lend assistance to the lad in the conduct of the business.

In the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning Mr A. Crooke, S.M., commented on the ridiculous nature of the borough by-law which required motorists to cross jnterqacting •streets at a speed not exceeding eight miles per hour, and stated that his was afraid he was guilty of breaches of that by-law every time ho vrent out, though he had never been prosecuted. So far the epidemic does not appear to have hit the Chinese residents of Wellington very hard. Between 15 and 20 cases' have occurred, but none of them was of a sufficiently severe type to warrant the taking of the patient to a hospital. There have been no deaths of Chinese in the city, but one, supposed to be from influenza, is reported from tiie country. In announcing from the Bench the news of Austria's surrender, Judge Backhouse, at the quarter sessions at Sydney, said that during the Crimeau War Lord Chief Justice Campbell was engaged in the hearing of a case when the news arrived of the fall of Sebastopol. The Lord Chief Justice then called for three cheers in court. "I would do that myself," said Judge Backhouse, "if the war were over."

Mr F. A. Jacobsen, chief apiarist of the Agricultural Department, arrived in New Plymouth oh Tuesday to give a lecture and demonstration in connection with the local association's series of field days. Owing to the influenza epidemic, the function had to be postponed. Mr Jacobsen took the opportunity of inspecting several apiaries in the district; the local secretary, piloting him round. The inspection showed some very satisfactory work in the district.

Taranaki' has had a very narrow escape from a bread famine during the

epidemic, owing to the dislocation of shipping preventing the delivery of flour. Fortunately, however, Messrs May and Arrowsmith had a big stock on hand in their commodious premises, and so were able to save titre situation, supplying not only the local bakers' requirements, but also the bakers at Inglewood, Okaiawa, Opunake, and elsewhere. It is understood that they still have on hand a fortnight's supply, by which time supplies should come to (hand from the south. The Kittawa, which arrived from Wellington last night, ha<s on board about seven tons of flour, but the Corinna is expected to arrive early next week with a considerable quantity. When so Buch work of a leally eelfsacrificing character is being performed by the Public Health Committee and the army of assistants who are striving to stay the epidemic of influenza, acts of meanness stand out in severe contrast. An incident occurred at the latter part of last week, which, for despieafoility, would be ; hard to beat. A certain worker who owns a motor-car, was asked to lend assistance, and, after some persuasion, consented. He took one of the organising worlcers on a trip or two, and then suirgeated that he should.be given some of the petrol that was being supplied to those who were using their cars in the cause This was done, and when the new recruit turned up the next morning he said he wished to attend the funeral of a fellow-tradesman who had succumbed to the influenza. No obstacle, of course, was put in the way of his paying his last respects to a deceased friend, but the chagrin of the three men who rode in his car to the funeral, they also being tradesmen of the same calling, when asked to pay half-a-erown each for the privilege, may be better imagined than described, the car-driver was profuse in his explanations that the cost in petrol was infinitely more while driving slowly than was the case in an ordinary run, ■.■..!