LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There will tie no issue of the Taranaki Daily' News on Wednesday (New Year's Bay). , , ; . The deaths registered in the Napier district since Novomber 1 total 135, of which. 102 are stated to be due to influenza. —Press 4-ssqo. , ,*

The Eev. J, Dawson, organising secretary of the New' Zealand Alliance, is at present jn New Plymouth, for the purpose of (meeting -those interested in the forthcoming referendum on the licensing question..- Mr. .Dawson met a number of people in Whiteley Hall after service lust night. ~ The music promises to be quite a feature on New Year's Day at the 'big Ngamotu picnip, and in this connection the New Plymouth Citizejia' Band will hold its final practice fgr this year to-night, when a full muster is expecta(l, to make the necessary arrangements. Gn New Year's Day the programme will commence at 11 o'clock and continue throughout the day, with the exception of the luncheon hour. Patrons at the picnic are asked to make known to Mr. McLeod (bandmaster) any requests they have to make as to special items, and where possible these will be given effect to, especially if intimation is received beforehand. Lady visitors to the town should 'make a point of seeing the wonderful bloussw in' silk, and crepe de chine at The Melbourne, Ltd. These blouses are -grand quality, full fitting, and are easily tbß best value .in New Zealapd. Bribes, 18/*5 to a 5/r,

■'Your mottTr-sycli will iinfl moat miles on CLINCHES . "DREADNOUGHT" TJfRES. SM in S.& i>jr sM dMtezß.

During the influenza epidemic goods traffic was practically suspended, on the railways. Since its resumption the traffic through Palmerston North lias 'been exceedingly heavy, and every effort has been made to get the sheds and lines clear, On one night lasifc week there were no less than 1500 tons of goods On trucks Waiting at the Paeka-karilri station en route to Wellington. Thin necessitated the running of three special trains in addition to the two ordinary goods trains.

The committee set up by the New Plymouth Harbor Board to investigate the complaints made by the Waterside Workers' Union regarding the inadequate lighting of the wharf, went to the breakwater on Friday evening last in order to see the actual conditions of which the men complain. The committee will formulate its report, which will be made to the board in due course. It is understood the members of committee were not favorably impressed with the conditions 011 the vessel on which the men were working at the time.

Speaking at a meeting to form a soldiers' club, held in Johannesburg lastmonth, Sergeant-Major Urquhart, an Anzac, said he had learned, in an interview with Mr Gerard, the former American Ambassador at Berlin, farther details concerning the execution of Nurse Gavel!. From the details it appear*) that ih.e Germans cut Nurse Cavell's hair b&cause she Would not put it up ■before her execution. They also cut off a linger ra order to obtain two rings, o«o fwwn her mother and the other from a toqilfct' 71ko wa-u killed in tie Mods' retreat.

A military deserter was anrested 'in Ashterkm on .Sunday oy Constable Teapc, wd landed, over to the military authorities:, 'i'lio deserter had iboen in the King Couhtry for about eight months, but on heating that the war was over he thought it. safe to return to Ashburtoi). On iriday Constable Orchard arretted another deserter at Mount Somers. TJiia miai who had been want--ed for several months, was handed over to the ChrJatcJiurcli military authentic?..,

The foilowiag war statistics are of interest; —The cost of the v/ei to New Zealand up to September aO'was £51,417,050, excluding pensions. For the past financial year pensions amounted to £1,122,052. .For tho current year the total is estimated at £1,500,000. The tctal of war loans authorised is £BO.000,000. The total raised to September 30th tliis year was £01,905,26*. 4 sara of £50,000 is on the Estimates for repatriation. A sum of £500,000 to been mentioned as the probable cost within a measurable future. The method in whasfe vie ear in driven lias a great effect oi> consumption of fuel, oil, and tyres. ; as regards tho Jitter there Is considerable field for economy. Tho owner should always start very gradually and on the low speed. He should also accelerate gradually and should throttle off a considerable di.it&ace from tee point at which he intends to stop, so aa to use his brakes cs rifctie as possible. Sudden pulling r.p i.; most damaging to the tyres. Corners and curves should be ial;en slowly, for "th-s

side pressure is eoiisiderabie, .md if the paca is fast the sides of the tyred are exposed to great strain, which in iiim tells its tale. Flintier, the drag between the tyre sad tho road is apt. gradually to wear the tread By a little consideration is dnvicg. motorists c;i:i iu~ do&a their tyre bills probably 30 per cert.

In order to exto.id the seopc o.' the work done by the scfcoM medical servi:?, I the Minis' ar of Education (Hon. J. A. Hanap) lias decided to increase early Best ■year the number of doctors and school nurses, and also to add to the staff four dentists. He has also determined to appoint. a medial! officer as head o: the school medical and physical training branches 1 . Applications for the new'positions will 'he Called "l':r<*tiy by the Public Service Commiss.or.jr. The cewraaxy financial provision was made by Parlia'ment last session. , The Minister mentioned that as soon as the r.ecMW..,;/ equipment '"as obtained he hoped to make a atari with the elinic in ore of the back-block country districts. He was trying to arrange to secure some of the dental equipment used by the Dofence Department in the training camps.

The sca.:c-T of matohea in England i.i 1 b'jiacrously J 'Vested in this "iree advertisement'' 1.0:21 I>ondoa Punch- - ,% A corrospondeit 'fould iiks to tea? froai nr-y rain wl-c contemplates striklr.g a ma-i/i in G-uth Kes.sir.jton, with a viw to shaiiag rime." More seriously, I'cfeasor Henry Spooner, in "Health fjem W&sto," says that in the intcrosta of economy matches should be so made r.s to strike ah both end?.. Waste, .-} marfei goes <m fo nea'v.y erory dive»tioa. Apari froai J»ig items, look u* some of the small or.ee. There is r;v.fc o' candles,, mustard (vrhicb should be

made up in paste form) : pins (which r.?o made and loot by the million), strfc? (the ragpickers of Paris cu.ni ,£GCO « vea? out of bi'-s of. string in the rubbl-'S hoses); and tram and 'bus tickets (which if- dropped fcto a. A.i the end of the London whieiea alcao na£ht be' ;:o?d for £6 a day). Mr Drcssftn Mackb'xon, Sasß. Ir.Sia mercWs', of London, Loup, -nd Briir.akii: (Argyllshire), formerly chr.innan of the British Icdiaa Stsa'T Company, who died k u&urali m efrtate' of £11753,000. Thy duvy pa.;il ; «i tte estate «;woiiuttis "to' .£1,508,667 Jfc -.lilixkhfMt), who in hia 741.:! vttn a ncpho;?. of the late Sir Wiliian Macl-feaon, in wione firm of East India merchant"' ho gaiced his curly pu3ine-S3 ssperienco at Glasgow. As a young man £$ proceeded to Calcutta, and wan ultimately placed in ehaxgp of. Messrs.. Mackinnon, Mackenzie and. Co., agents of the British India Steam Navigation Company. On hi 3 return to London he was appointed director, of the company, of which.lie after-, wards became chairman. He retired a few yeara ago, and was cacesefled by Lord Inehcapo. Two oons, , Captain Vyilliam Mackinnon, of tho , London Scottish; and Lieutc-nant Dusicart Maekinnon, of the Scoti Guards, wsro .kiiied in action in Prance last year. Ivir Maekinnon loft a vidow Mid two daughters.

Many tetaSl fenii ehopo in Meibo-ims and suburbs have initiated as c tado practico tbe seliiag of all iargc fruita, such a-s apples, »prfcoia, peal's, peaches, large plums, and quinceo, by nrzaHxt instead of by weight. The MelbouTna and Suburbs Fruitgrowers' Aosocialioi (states the Age) hajj instructed lumbers to follow the at»» metfeod, Fruit retailers who ifere spokra to their preference to the sales by xntmac?, and were of opinion that, as a rak, iiseir customers approved of if - . In «, isw cases, however, customers £>ai (.tilled i that they favoTedj the old cystous. The retaikys based i - heiv o;\ppo?t of a&iea toy the dceen or half-dqw-a oa tfle fac> tliat wife largo fruit ii, was almost iarpos* siblp tp give exact a-eighto. Sometimes , the customer objected to payfcg' u ex- > (ra penny or twopence, and ii. was not I practicable, sg a Wide ioutiue. to cut an 1 ; i