LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The North Taranaki Hunt will meet to-day at Mr. A. Wood's property at Tikorangi. The New Plymouth Girls' High School re-opened on Tuesday after term holidays.

A light fall of snow was experienced in Dannevirke on Tuesday night. The weather was bitterly cold. The Fire Brigade acknowledges with thanks a donation' of £3 3s from Mr. E. P. Webster, also £5 as from the Sash and Door Company. At the Borough Council meeting last evening a committee, consisting of the Mayor and Crs. Clarke and Hayden, was appointed to represent tho council to meet the Gas Company with reference to the council taking over the gas works.

The following will represent the New Plymouth Returned Soldiers' Association against the New Plymouth Fire Brigade on Thursday evening, May 29: S. Higgs, C. Plim, L. Goodacre, H. Davis, N. Hill, E. Jury, A. E. Dinne, S. Hodges, J Atkinson, A. Piekard, W. Turnbull, P. Mason, C. Carthew, W. Crockett, R. McGiven, W. F. Herdman.

A good attendance favored the Kawaroa Park Committee at the euchre party held in the pavilion on Tuesday evening, 23 tables being engaged in play. The ladies' prizes were: First, 61b box of tea; second, 251b bag of flour. Mrs. Maekie secured first with 13J games, Mrs. Gilbert being second with 13 games. In the men's prizes, Mr. E. Loveridge secured first with 14y 2 games. After the tournament supper was served by the ladies' committee.

Among the names of "military defaulters," gazetted latt week, was that of John Thomas Stansfield, described as farm hand, of Ngutuwera, Patea, his number being 93,555. It may be only ft coincidence, but there was a Private J. T. Stansfield, No. 89,151 or 0, in A Company of the 48th Reinforcements. He belongs to King Road, Egmont Village. If the men are identified it is a pity that greater care was not taken by the authorities,' before publishing the name.

An accident, fortunately unattended by any serious consequences, happened to Mr. L. T. Adams, of Patea, on Sunday morning as he was motoring through to Pahiatua. Mr. Adams had reached the Goat Valley, ICai Twi, and was negotiating on? of the hair-pin bends when a car coming in the opposite direction crashed into the car Mr. Adams was driving, smashing the front axle and doing other damage. Mr. Adams, fortunately, escaped without a scratch. —Press.

"Once we realise that Labor without thought comes to nought we will educate the laborer and the director of labor," said the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) at the Town-planning Conference (the Post reports). "We realise that we can accomplish nothing without Labor, but Labor and its directors have to be mformed properly and organised and controlled. Behind Labor must stand the thinker; without the thinker it will be ineffective."

For some time (says the headmaster of the Stratford School in his monthly report) fashionably-dressed little girls have been coming to school in. very short dresses, the dresses of the ultra-fashion-able being absurdly shortened. His attention has been drawn to this frequently. Now that the weather is getting colder, a change to longer garments is hoped for—both fov the health and the appearance'of the ! ; ttle ones. The committee endorsed the headmaster's opinion.

Says tlie Eltham Argus, anent the electricity scheme: "A fourth district is looking favorably on the New Plymouth scheme, and unless Eltham gets an energetic move on it will find itself left. Immediate inquiries should be made with a view of at once deciding if the New Plymouth supply is worth while. Unless this is done forthwith Eltham will find that other districts will have acquired the power while we are just thinking about it. We understand that the president of the Eltham Chamber of Commerce in arranging a further meeting of delegates without delay, and that immediate action will be taken with a view to obtaining a firm offer from New Plymouth. This is a wise course to pursue."

Now that the crossing of the Atlantic for the first time by airship is being spoken of it is interesting to note that Saturday last was the centenary of the sailing of the first steamship to cross from America. This was the Savannah, an American-built full-rigged ship of 350 tons, with paddle-wheels, which could bo unshipped if necessary. She left Charleston on May 24, 1819, and arrived off the coast of Ireland on June 17. During the voyage steam was used for eight hours only. The first vessel to cross under steam only was Siriuß, which crossed from Queenstown to New York in 1838, with 94 passengers, in 17 days. The Siring was a British built vessel of 703 tons, rigged as a brigantine Her engines developed 320 horse power, with a daily average coal consumption of 24 tons.

Not all those whose names appear on the military defaulters' list feel sorry for themselves, as witness the position of "Louis James Jakes, waiter, Whangamomona." He was (says the Post) in the "Terries" in Stratford when the war broke out, and promptly volunteered. But he was only eighteen, and Lieutenant Gray knew his age, and he could not break the military line, even though he offered a second time. Nothing daunted, he went to Eltham and enlisted, not as L.J. J., but as plain "Jim Smith," and as such he sailed proudly away with the boys of New Zealand's 18th Reinforcements, In the natural order of events soldierly, he went through Sling and crossed the Channel to meet the Hun. It was at Messines that he stopped one, and was temporarily disabled. But the time had come in far away New Zealand that he was called in the bailot, and then the police got busy, but their search was fruitless until a week before the signing of the armistice, when Jim (just returned) was strolling down Bridge Street in Eltham in khaki. Here a policeman tapped him on the shoulder and asked his name. "Jakes," he said without hesitation. "I thought so," replied the official as he took a photograph of the young fellow from his pocket. "Then you've been at the front all the time?" "Yes, I enlisted as Jim Smith," he said smiling. "Just so," said the policeman. "Well, I am after shirkers—not the likes of you who have done your duty. Good-bye." Now Louis James Jakes, alias Jim Smith, is working in New Plymouth, and it should not be hard to convince the magistrate that he is no deserter, and have his civil rights restored. But he will have to do it within three months' time

The Loan and Mercantile, in conjunction with Newton King, are holding a clearing sale on account of W. D. Blennerhassett, to-morrow, at Newton King's Kaponga saleyards. Full particulars on page 8 of this issue.