LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 February 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The mails which left Xew Zealand on Bth December arrived in London on 30th ulto.

Tho following are the vital statistics for Hawera for January: Births 22, deaths S, and marriages 7 Tho local Friendly Societies have nominated Lieut,-Colonel Weston and Messrs H. R Cattley, and A. L. Roberts as candidates for their representation on the Repatriation Board With a view to keeping an organisation in being and ready for any emergency, the Mayoi of Wellington is calling n meeting of malingers and members of the special group of committees who assisted in tighting the epidemic —Press Assoc

The adjourned annuai meeting of ratepayers of the iloa Road District was held at the Board's Office, lnglewood. Beyond the members of the Board the only ratepayer present was a member oi a deputation. The balance sheet was read and formally passed and the meeting concluded.

Whilst driving from his home to his siables, at the corner of Queen and King street*, l:lr M. Jones' horse stepped on to a loose stone and came down, Mr Jones being' thrown out of the gig on to the horse, l'ortunately he escaped injudy With the help of some by-slanders the horse was released. One of the shafts of the gig was broken.

'Tho averr-ja weekly homc-raW in Wellington is £Ss 2il This in exactly iz (ill a week (learn than Hamilton, which in second or the /.-.t o," New Zealand towns The cheapest towns to live :n from u house-rent point of view of the 25 representative towns listed are Waihi and Alex&r.dra, where the average weekly c,re 8s lOd and 8,0 Sd icespectively.

Members of the Star Motor Cycle Club asembled at the G.P.O. yesterday morning and at 11 a.m over 20 motor cyclists sol out on tlie Club's opening run to Xjraere Gardens. Favored by a beautiful day and lack of trouble, the party arrived at the Gardens at 12.30, where they were met and entertained by ipembers of the Hawora Motoi Cycle Club. At 4 p.re, the local enthusiasts set our on the return trip and a good nm home completed a most enjoyable day

A case of influenza vas reported to the District Health Office at noon' on Thursday as> having occurred in Wellington (says tlie Dominion). The case was a serious one, the patient being too ill t.c be removed from hi* home All the npoeppun- precautions are said to have heen taken us To the isolation of (lie p.uicnt ami contacts and there is re"'>rlcfl to he tui need for any alarm on the part of the public-

Although the formation work on the To Hoti-Opunake line if practically finished to Kapuni. there are still threw brMces to complete—one c.i Te Koti, which will he a long job, one over the near M&tapu {the pioie at this bridge are finished), and one over the Kapuni was started. l>st is a long way from being finished. These bridges, at the rate of progress before closing down, must take some .time •toiConjfliete^-Stssr;

Ey 4Saturday'g night mail tliroo dctr.vned at Uawcre.: Lieut . KoberUon (Hawera), Privates Schmidt (Xormatibv), and McuU (Manaia). Tliey were all Main Body meii, There was a large crowd present at Hawera, and the tiution platform was festooned with bunting, kindly done, a.i always, by the borough men. At the station the soldiers were briefly welcomed by the Mayor (Mr Dixon)- Hearty cheers were given for all the returned men.

In the course of his reply to the Waiknremoan?. League deputation, sava the Napier Herald, Kir James Allen said that a very exhaustive inquiry was being conducted by the Government in regard to the cost of obtaining coal. In _ this connection the question of freights as charged by the various shipping companies was not being overlooked, and shortly interesting information would be at hand r.s to who was defrauding the public, if such were the case, or whether the public were being defrauded at all.

A meeting ot Scout Masters wa.'i held at Inglewood or. Thursday, Major Santlford, Commissioner, presiding. Major Sandford intimated that, he would shortly be retiring, and suggested that in the interests of the movement the province should be divided and two commissioners appointed. The feeling at the meeting was against the division of the province, and also against Major Sandford relinquishing the position. It was recognised that there vvas considerable work, but it was suggested that the difficulty might ba overcome by the appointment of an additional deputy commissioner iov the Southern portion to act with Deputy Commissioner Humphrey, of Inglevuod. A Masterton resident has rcceivc-d a letter from his son, describing the riots which occurred a few weeks ago at the Biockton Camp It appears that the men were chafing under what they considered to be the over-severe training insisted upon by the commandant or the camp. A number of old hands began a riot, which gradually assumed serious proportions. A theatre was invaded, and the windows smashed, causing something like a panic among the a.idience. The canteen was looted in a wholesale manner and a demonstration later made at headquarters. The riot was quelled after the commandant had issued orders restricting the hours for training and granting certain leave for sport. It was reported that one or two had sustained fatal injuries in the disturbances.

A big compliment to New Zealand's talent and skill is given in Engineering (London) of November 22, 191S, with u three-page feature article on the powerful Ab locomotive designed here ■' few years ago. In addition to din.-nvuos embodied in the article, iherc ii special art-paper inset with drawings which bring out the points of the Dominion's champion engine, which wor. fain:, by beating easily the beat achievements of the big Baldwins The article i? concerned %iainly with locomotive designing for 3ft. Cin. gauge, This country required a special engine, and evolved one which proved far superior to the bent of the imported engines The Ab is New Zealand all the w'.v in workmanship—a New Zealand ider.; drafted here and worked out in the Addin/jlon Kail','.ays Workshops

Captain Carpenter, V.0., presenting prizes at the Boys' Surrey County Secondary Sehooi, Purlcy, said he wm there merely as a representative o£ the o(U----cers' mess of the Vindictive. No one man could do anything great alone; he must be assisted by hie fellow men. He preferred to look upon himself cs only the representative of a large body of men who, he believed, public opinion said did so well sis months ago We got our chance, and the thing was to be fit and ready to take it.> Six 1 months ago men wore specially trained for a hazardous enterprise. At last their chance came, and they took it. (Cheers.) The officers and men on the submarine filled with explosives had the slenderest possible chance anybody could lmvc. Thc-y knew that perfectly well, and that they got away was a miracle. The block fillips had actually to get inside the German lines, and on them vre canteen men and stewards, who pleaded to be taken and who did well,

Dealing with Mr Armstrong's reference to the shortage of stimulants on the transport Tahiti when the epidemic broke out, and Ins statement that the prohibitionif.tb litul objected to brandy and whisky being put aboard-a hospital ship, Mr R. H. Oray, raid at a meeting at Wellington tfhat he understood that every transport carried sufficient stimulants lor the conditions of a normal voyage. It was only because the conditions were so absornal that the shortage occurred. (Applause). They had objected to thfc large quantity of spirit!-., vt:v that was going to be taken on :he hospital ship' Mafama, in January. 'Olii, because they saw a tender that had also been called for—arrowroot, .'D'Uk jelly 7501b, cocoa and similar food find compots for invalids in like utmmitic, but brandy, 780 bottles (laughter), stum, 7-JOO half-pint:; (laughter), port wine H2S bottles (laughter), claret !!'ti bottles, gin S2-J bottles (laughter), whisky 408 bottles (laughter), lemons 10 eavv* —for the whisky (laughter); and, "to keep the men'up to dick, no doubt," champagne, 3 000 pints. (Loud laiightcr.) Seeing "thut tender, they thought thnc the nut.boriiies tvere going on St. Pani ■ injunction to Timothy to "take a iiUl for your stomach's sake," and that they me.int th*. win;. for outward application that the; uieac.t the men to swim in it. (I.olid l.uiffilter.) They thought it, was not good enough. It was too baiofaced. (Applause.) Clearly ><ll thai was not for the consumption of the patients. (Applause and laughter)- Sim the Alliance objected to Stioh 1;'. l" quantities being taken on tho Bui. they had never objected to a riili'ir-i.-tit. quantity being taken for medical purposes. (Applause.)

Mr W. B. Bayley, 8.A., vice-chairman of the Winnipeg Labor I'arty will speak thin evening m (lie Kmplre Theatre, in reply to the "Moderates"-Ortessri» lunula v and Armstrong. Ho appeal* to nil clasws—wsliokslie, business, labor mui iSllouto be not nial<e his ia,;anii'iit clei'i ii his iuiilrebs, or should anyone in tho umlieire want morti infovir:;ivir»i._ i.lieve will be ample opportunity for all pertinent questions to be asked' and answered Many, 110 doubt, hivvn buen thinking seriously about tlie lienor problem sinct luft Tuesdays meeting and they set diltfcultios. all tlmy have to do is to put their dilHciuics into question form and present them to Mr Bayley to-night. Mr Baylev's meetings last week at Marton, Kliii.nn and Stratford were admirably succemful in every way. The ladies f>iTk knitted and wereenocd sport coats just arrived nt the Melbourne, Ltd., have caused a little flutter in feminine circles. Such value in seasonable and fashionsble .sood'< bus never before been offered. Prices 27s Gd to 008' "li&ZOL" for Influenza and Catarrh.

The fact that »io?t noveh are si* shit linga and ms'.iy o; iho:n ssven rihiUir.gs and a bilioclc doey :iot seoiQ to affect their aa.!oj> in tha least. In fjiet, all booksellers admit -hut business io excelleol. I'.tit will th;:j increase in price remain after the wai ? The general opinio;> >s that a will. ar,d thai it will lie it, very long time before liiioka are sold again at jjre-wa* prices.—-i/oiidon Dispatch.

A Kcottial; breeder of pvia> uiitte led out of the uuciio'i ring at Glasgow a yearling calf for ,yhica lie had recaivod a pries almost equal to tbe salary o£ & Cabinet Miniate:- (says the Daily News of October £l.) He gleefully thouled, "l.ong mny the war last !'* Turning to his clork, the- auctioneer quickly said, "Cancai that Rale, .nnd boycott for ever that creature';, herd.'' The farmers present 'oudly cheered the auctioneer's decision

At* some of the Auckland factories where girl labor is employed, an arrangement has been come to whereby the girls work a quarter of an hour extra each week day and knock oft on Friday evening, resuming agf.in on Monday So lar as the number of hour* worked per week is concerned, the girls benefit considerably, and alto have tht whole of Saturday oil', enabling them to enjoy ilia week-end at the bays or whcre-cvcr tlioy chooso. However, the employers appear to be well satisfied with the arrangement; although fewer hours ara worked, the output is riot affecteu, us the girls recognise the advantages they receive and speed up while they are employed. In the circumstances, it is not surprising that the innovation is becoming popular, and is likely to be adopted by other factories.