LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 March 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ip. letters just received in Feilding from New Zealanders on garrison duty in Germany, it is staXed that several Feilding toys are billeted in one of the Kaiser's castlee in Cologne.

The Taranaki Producers' Association have received notices of the allottment of butter and cheese on home liners ns follows : Hororata : (Wellington), 1!>,000 boxes of 'butter, about March %(; Athenic: (Wellington), 11,700 crates of cheese, about beginning of April.

A Patea scheme for a war memorial includes the formation of a new road from the sea coast to the town, the erection of an obelisk and a memorial gateway, and the formation of a children's playground, the total estimated cost being £ISOO.

The most widespread damage ever done by a bomb in London was at Warrington Crescent, off Maida Vale. Three or four substantial houses were completely destroyed, and most of the casualties occurred here. The rescue party worked for two days, and saved nearly thirty lives, Amongst the killed was Mrs Ford, t'he writer of "Keep the Home Fires Burning." Those who remember Mr Bruntnell's previous visits to New Plymouth will be anxious to hear him again. To-day's advertisement shows tWt he will speak on Sunday at an after-chureh gathering as well as to-morrow at 8 p.m. Both meetings will be held in the Empire theatre. Mr Bnintnell knows his subject so well that he invites questions, after his address, on any aspect of the prohibition question. It would be well if questions were prepared, and written out, previous to the meeting. A rather amusing incident—to onlookers at least—occurred on the St. Kilda Beach, Dunedin. A well-dressed man was lying sound asleep, apparently well out of reach of the breakers, when an extra large wave came along and rolled clean over him, drenching him right through. He sat up and gazed around him in a dazed kind of way, and evidently took some time to realise his position. . His hat, which had been carried away by the receding waters, was recovered by an onlooker, and he stood up, shook himself like a terrior, and left the beach.

A New Plymouth boy, writing from Cologne, states Mint the German tradesmen are very anxious to please the 'New Zealaudcrs garrisoned there. A German (who had had three years' service at the war) repaired his watch but refused to accept any payment. Like other Germans in business, this tradesman expressed satisfaction with the presence of the New Zealanders. They were mortally afraid that the French or Belgians would lie sent there instead, and they knew what to expect from them, foi the French and Belgians have suffered terribly at the hands of the Huns and are in no mood to extend any consideration to the Geermans now that they are "top dogs." A particularly interesting volume that rihonld find favor with all loyers of quaint literature is now obtainable in New Plymouth. This unusual little work is entitled "The Book of Artemus," and tells in a most entertaining manner of matters "concerning men and the things that men did do, at the time when there was War." The story is told in lighter vein, but gets home some truths and thrusts that please the reader with every fresh chapter he or she peruses. The work is now in its hundred and forty-third edition, which fact proclaims its popularity It certainly is well-worth reading. We have to thank the *B.K." Book Depot, New Plymouth, for a review copy.

Information regarding claims by British subje;ts in New Zealand, to property or other interests in Russia may bo obtained from the Public Trustee. Tlic prohibition on the import and export of unused diamonds is revoked.—Press Association.

There are some fifty enemy aliens in the Otago district, Germans for the mos: part, :wd it is understood lliat, with a

view to repatriation, their desire* have been ascertained, and that not on.* wishes to return to his homeland. — Press Association.

At (lie inquest concerning the death of Tiohert Henry Clarke, who was burned to death in his whare in Kltham on Tuesday, the jury brought in the following verdict: That Kohert Henry'Clarke died, according to medical evidence, or suffocation by Are: ah-o the jury is nf opinion that deceased was junior trio influence of liquor, and that the evidence of such pointed very strongly that deceased had b»n supplied with liquor bv Kdwiu Wells.

The .Claims Board of the Auckland Palriotic Society is not at all satisfied with the administration with the Pensions Department in the matter of promptness in dealing with cases-, particularly in respect to renewals. It was =tjie« by the Mayor ti-at several cases had been placed before the Claim* Board thii week in which if the pen-s-ion? had been available as anticipate! the applications to the Claims Board would have been unnecessary

I'espHe- th" extraordinary high rates ruling for passages to Great Britain, the bookings on the Shaw, Snvill* and New Zealand Shipping Companies' vessels indicate that up to the end of "May all passenger accommodation will be filled. Th<£ hulk' of these passengers appear to be going on pleasure trips only, and although a decline in charges is inevitable, there appears to be no tendency to hold back.

"rh<> Stat-; requires all ycung men--quite proper) v', T think—to render military serriee. In the seme way, I think, the State might require young women to learn, say, how to make a little barley water!" This opinion was expressed bv 'Mr \V. H. L. Poster, chairman of ttw. Wellington East Epidemic Committee, in giving evidence before the Epidemic Commission. He was urg'iig the need for the training of women in home nursing, saying that the epidemic had'made apparent a lamentable ignorance among women of the elements of nurcing and the preparation of the simplest invalid foods. ! A meeting of those interested in the proposal to ask for a poll of the ratepayers on the question of rating on the unimproved land value in the Borough oi New Plymouth was held at the Soldiers' Club last night. There was a very good attendance. Mr W. Nash was voted to the chair, and after explaining that a petition had been signed by the requisite number of ratepayers, demanding such a poll, stated briefly thai- the system would mean generally an increase in the rates in the shop area of Devon street, but that the rates on small residential properties would be reduced. The matter was discussed at some length and eventually the following committee was set up to devise plans for promulgating the proposal: Messrs Girling, Baunton. Clarke, Griffiths, Broome. White. Julian, Parkes, MiTsaacs, Nash and A. G. Mason (secretary). At the conclusion of the meetins a vote of thanks was accorded tq I Mr Nash for presiding and for having! convened the meeting. "f don't think you good people know what we will do for faranaki when we return to America," remarked a member of the Chautauqua to the News before leaving New Plymouth, "You have got scenery, resources and climate unequalled in any part of the world, and it will be our business to tell of, our visit here, what we have seen, and the wav we have been treated. Why, you* mountain' scenery is quite beyond any. thing -we possess, and your bush generally has a grandeur that appeals very much to all of us Americans. Chautauqua is the people's university, an? before long all America w\ll know of this hitherto unknown beautv spot In the most beautiful <ind hospitable country we have visited."

The announcement Ims already been made that the influenza epidemic caused approximately six thousand deaths in New Zealand. The returns now gazetted show that, the total number of deaths during 1918 was lfi,riG4. The highest number previously recorded was 10,590, in 191G, so that "the figure for the last year was over 50 per cent, higher than the previous highest. The death rate in 191G was f).4fi per 1000 of mean population, whereas in 1918 the rate reached 14.84, an increase of 53.94 per cent. Last year's rate was the highest in the history of New Zealand since 1875, when the rate was 15.9 per thousand of the population. Twice in the 'sixties the death rate exceeded 17 per thousand.rbnt those were the days before the organisation for the protection of the public health had attained any high degree of efficiency. As a matter of fact, since 1894 the death rate has risen above 10 per thousand only on five occasions—in 1899, in 1902, and 1903, in 1907, and again, last year. The year 1907, it may be remarked, brought severe epidemics of measles and whooping cough, and influenza was particularly active. Indeed, in all the years indicated as having a death rate exceeding 10 per thousand, measles, whooping cough, influenza, and diarrhoeal diseases were very prevalent. In 1903, also, there was a marked epidemic of scarlet fever. The Rev. W. A. Sinclair will conduct farewell services in WMteley Memorial Church oit Sunday next, both morning and evening. Mr Sinclair will leave New Plymouth next Friday for Sydney in order to attend the council meeting of th<s Eoard of .Missions. Upon his return to the Dominion he will take up j his residence in Auckland. THE PROHIBITION POLL. From every quarter comes the refreshing assurance that the Merchant Service is daily naving returned to it the ships commandeered by the Imperial Government for war service. Xew Zealanders will not Soon forget the wartime scarcity pf shipping, nor will they soon forget that while meat and butter were in cold storage at this end, and while building material, farming implements, essential drugs, etc. were held up at the other end, the "One Big Monopoly" apparently knew how to pull the shipping strings During the first four months of 1918.a total of 472,495 gallons of spirits' was carried to N.Z.—vessel after vessel carried liquor as its chief cargo. This country cannot at any time afford to have overseas shipping space monopolised by liquor to the sion of commerce. The very existence of a wave-washed Dominion such as ours depends on untrammelled shipping Industry must be released from the tentacles of the liquor octopus. On Thursday, April 10, strike out the top line'— ,Advt.

The Buller Factory, last week, sftyt the W'estport News, exported 2$ tons o) cheese, the initial export of this clasi of produce. The Minister of Public Health has replied to a- number of local bodies stating that their representations with regard to Maori pah and viliage sanitation will receive his careful considers tion

On the success or failure of the Russian revolution Lenin frankly grounds his hopes of success. If he is' successful, he will then make an effort to sweep i lie Scandinavian countries on the north and the Latin countries to the tooth and west (states the Christian Science. Monitor). "Then will come the turn of, the British Kmpire and of America. H», is, in short, a sort of political Timur the Tartar, whose hope of success liee in. rapid movements undertaken without any effort to secure his ground as he advaiices. Up argues by a whirlwind' campaign, which will reduce civilisation to ashes before the human mind bar power to halt and consider what it it doing. It is this that has been thr mainspring of his local campaign ot terrorism."

Timaru experienced .a hurricane last S.iturday, which did considerable dam ago. especially ir. the country when grain and buy stocks had their topi blown off, gates and fences were smash ed,- and a lot of damage was done to building. In town, trees were uprooted, orchards were stripped of .their fruit, and flower gardens were withered \jt» as though a fire had been through tliem. The Timaru Gardens wtre hit e«pncially hard, the prt-tty flower bed< t'lero being reduced to an almost Unrecognisable mass. In North Street two big treas were blown* on "to the roadway, having been blown down from the Main School projinds, where 1 they hn<\ stood tin! storms of many years. In falling down they struck electric light wires of which they made a sorry jness, and on« of them stn'.ck and smashed an electric light pole One of the largest exhibits at the recent exhibition of war trophies at Australia House in London was a German aeroplane of the Albatross scout type, the first to be brought down intact by an Australian squadron in Franoe. A curious history attaches to the fight in which it figured. On December 17, 1917, an Australian machine, which was cooperating with a heavy battery, waa attached by six enemy aeroplanes of this type. The pilot drove down this particular machine with a damaged engine, and with the aid of another Australian aeroplane drove the enemy off after a hot action. This second Australian machine returned to its aerodrome for more ammunition. The first did not return, and the following night it wa» found in a field fifty air-bne,miles from the scene of combat with botK pilot and observer dead in their seats. 'Both men had been killed instantaneously by a bullet, and the machine had flown itself in wide circles, drifting with the wind for some hours until the petrol ran out, when it came down- in »' Steep glide and landed without, completely wrecking itself. '

There is at least one returned soldier who believes that much better military results might have been secured on be- \ half of New Zealand at much less «• pense if a very different system had been adopted (says an exchange)...' He carried his full share of battle «{wi on his face and in addition will be afflicted with a stiff hand for the rest- of his life. On this subject he remarked t a reporter: "I wonder if it will ever become known how many 'drones' there were amongst the soldiers sent from New Zealand. The people of tils'Do4 minion would be surprised to learn the number who contrived to get 'cnihy' .jobs-many without seeing the .trenches and many more after but a small taste of fighting." Asked what better'system might have been tried, lie saidt' "It would have paid New Zealand hand' somely to have sent only a third of the number overseas without any training at all. All that should have been in-; sisted upon should have been a very; strict medical examination.. The men should have been shipped direct td France and placed under the control oft the French authorities. So other nation had a better idea of economy in fighters, civilians, and material than the French. I don't say that the Freaph were the best fighters—l'm an Irishman myself but I give that honor to the Scottish troops—but the French made the best use of everybody and of everything. Nobody ever saw a young Frenchman in a job that could be' filled by an old man, a woman or a girl." ' The Farmers' Co-op., Hawera, will offer for sale az their sale next Thursday the fine llock fronting Union and Nelson streets, occupied by Mr Hutchinson. Particulars are advertised on pagj' eight.

You can shoe the whole family at a big saving if you purchase during our big sale of quality footwear. Bargain prices are the order of the day, so call at our store and see the snips we are offering.—Regal Shoe Store, next Everybody's Pictures. _ The Melbourne, Ltd., offer a epeolat line of women's fine ribbed woof McL cotton undervests at 3s 6d eaeh, longo? short sleeves. These goodg are portion of a belated contract placed nearly two years ago with a leading English manufacturer and are therefore worth nearly double the price on present day values.