LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The New Plymouth soldiers who returned to Wellington by the Paparoa yesterday, will arrive here by the mail train to-night. Yesterday was the fifty-first anniversary of the attack on Moturoa (near Waverley), when the Colonial forces were repulsed with severe loss by the Maoris. The Canterbury Education Board has endorsed the Wauganui Borough Couircil's protest against the reinstatement of Professor von Zedlitz at Victoria College.—Press Association. The coal scarcity in New Plymouth was relieved yesterday by the arrival of the Kowhai from Greymouth with 320 tons of coal. The Pohcrua is due here on Monday with 1000 tons, and the Ngatoro towards the end of the week with 500 toii3 of coal. The overhaul of the Karawa has been postponed. She will arrive at New Plymouth this morning from Onehunga, returning to-night, and she will leave Onehunga again' on Monday afternoon, and will sail from New Plymouth for Onehunga on Tuesday night. The telegraph department has been notified that cable messages for France must he in plain language, or in one of the codes authorised for use during the war. Each message must contain a signature, and the name of the code must be marked and signalled in the instructions. No private, code is allowed. There was a good attendance at the euchre party and dance, held on Thursday evening in the Holland Hall, to further the interests of Miss Ivy Skipper, the "Tug of War" candidate. The proceeds will increase her votes considerably. There were 23 tables engaged, the prizes being won as follows: —Ladies—lst '(SO flour), Miss Gunson, 13 games; 2nd, Mrs Laurence, 11-5 games. Mrs Rerridgo and Miss Burgess tied for third place with 11 games each, and- in the play-off Mrs Berridge won. Gents—lst (case of pipes), Mr. Hooper), 13V, games; 2nd (bag of coal)., Mr Moore; 3rd (shaving mug), Mr Long, 1U games. A dainty supper was supplied by the Ladies' Committee, and dancing" followed, there being about twenty-five couples. Mr. J. Parker supplied the music, and Mr. M. Bowler made a capable M.C. A breeze in the Magistrate's Court at Hawera enlivened the somewhat dry evidence being given by a witness under cross-examination in the Fama v. James and Gillman ease on Thursday. A reply to cross-examining counsel annoyed him, and he made a very pointed ejaculation, which drew from the Magistrate the remark: "We cannot have this sort of thing. I hope you have not been in the habit of doing so." A remark by the witness brought the Magistrate down on him with the icbukc: "You have no business to say a word except when invited." An interjection by another counsel engaged subjected him also to a snub: "You have no right to speak to witness except through the Court. These rules are the result of years and years of Court procedure. You must not interfere except through the Court." Counsel exnressed regret; and the incident terminated. The hearing of the case has not vet concluded.

At a meeting of the West Jhid School Committee lust night, at which members of the Kawaroa Park Committee and the teaching staff of the school were present, final arrangements were made in connection with the children's gala day, which is to he held in Kawaroa Park, in aid of the funds of the school. After some discussion, it was resolved to adhere to the date originally decided on, viz., December llth, even though the elections should fall on that day. A splendid programme of events was outlined, and various sub-committees were set up to attend to the numerous details. It was decided to have jumble stalls, flowers, soft drinks, produce stalls, etc. There will also be numerous side shows, whilst a varied programme of sports has been arranged, for the children. The Citizens' Band will be in attendance. The Melbourne's stock of fashionable silk-knitted sports coats has been further augmented by another shipment of even "finer value than the first lot. There is a tremendous demand for these goods, and customers are advised to make an early selection while all shades are represented. Prices: 45/- and upwards. A Hose Tea is to be held in the Parish Hall, adjoining. Holy Trinity Church, Te ETonui, next Thursday afternoon in aid of the Sunday School fund, and an entertainment takes place at 7."0 p.m. There will be a sale of produce, eggs, flowers, etc., and afternoon tea will be provided. The Loan and Mercantile draw attention to the sale they are holding in their Stratford yards on Tuesday next, at 1 p.m. Full particulars of stock to be offered are on page 8 of this issue. Returned soldiers are notified that tliey should at once have their names "'placed on the electoi'ftLioll,

Sixty divorce oases are set down for I hearing at the next sitting of the Supreme Court at Auckland. Fifty are new cases, having been filed since the last sitting of the Court. 'The salaries of all members of the ■stall' of the Bank of New Zealand has recently been reviewed by the directors, with the result that the war bonus has been made a permanent addition to salaries, and other increases have been made. Each officer of the bank was considered separately, and in fixing the amount attention was given to length of service, position, and responsibility. Circulars notifying officers of the new scale are now being distributed. ' "There are some contractors in Wellington engaged on big jobs, who have been instructed to complete the work at the earliest possible moment, no matter what the cost. Soon these contractors will not hestitate to pay 5s per hour to carpenters." An incredulous whistle went round the Wellington Council the other night when Cr. Bennett made that statement. Councillor Bennett urged that the council should go into the open market for its labor in connection with its housing scheme. The wreck of the Tainui is gradually disappearing as sand silts it up, and only a little twisted iron can be seen at high water. The Court of Inquiry abandoned a visit to the wreck at Gore Bay, as it seemed improbable that anything useful would be learned owing to the battered state of the hull. The wreck is said to have been sold to a local resident for a small sum, and he has been salvaging brasswork and other fittings, but the work has been arduous, entailing much haulage ' over rough country. It is quite evident that followers of the turf in New Zealand would be list if they were put down in Southern California for any length of time, that is, of course, if they were out to enjoy racing. According to the Wellington owner and enthusiast, Mr. Eric Kiddiford.. who returned to the Dominion by the s.s. Makura last week, no racmfj goes on there. He anticipated there would be a shortage of the Bport, but not ar entire absence, and consequently was very much surprised to find that this was so. In his five months' absence from the Dominion he never saw one racehorse. While the Melbourne Mint has been experimenting lately with designs for nickel pennies with a kookaburra on them, there has been no "slowing down" in the output of bronze coins. The Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. J. R. Collins) stated that in the last four months 1,000,000 pennies and 300,001) halfpennies had been issued in Victocia, and that for some time past the Mel'bnurne Mint had had an average output of 250,000 pennies a week. The SydneyMint was turning out largo quantities of halfpennies. While the demand for bronze coins has been abnormal, the Treasury had supplied practically all applicants, and expected to have a surplus in hand soon. A recent calculation was that there were over 20 bronze coins in circulation per head of population in the Commonwealth. Mr, Collins said that no lack of bronze coins during the Christmas season, when there is an abnormal demand for "coppers" for change and otfier purposes, need be feared.

I A gross brewing profit of £5.855.000 | and .1 net profit of .€2,175,800 were made Iky the Guinness brewery business during I tlio past ye.ir—easily record figures for | this huge concern. The net profit is no I less than £895,300 higher than that for the last complete year before the war.. In . excise and license duties and other taxation the company paid the Government during the year the enormous sum of £4,{J6G,400. In spite of this, the fortunate ordinary shareholders get a 1G per cent, dividend for the fourth .year in succession, and receive it free of income tax. The company's position is enormously strong, its reserve, including the £250,000 set aside out of the profits of the past twelve months, being -.€J,565,600. And in spite of the fact that not far short c! a. million sterling was withdrawn from it this time last year to pay a substantial bonus ■'to ordinary shareholders in '5 per cent, war loan. There is money in beer! . In a private letter received by a Wellington lady from a relative in Rugby (England) the following passages occur (says the 'New Zealand Times) : ''Doubtless attracted by the glowing accounts of the possibilities New Zealand and other overseas dominions offer, large numbers (men and women) are inquiring as to the possibility of transferring to your and other distant parts of the globe. Personally, I know that many domestics will make the experiment as' soon as opportunity offers, and I also know that they will prove a decided acquisition. I know the independence of the average New Zealand girl, and I admire her for it. She will willingly assist at homt, but she won't go into service—and I don't blame her. These Home girls are quite all right, and will supply a long-felt want. They are well trained, and are domestics pure and simple. So far the Immigration Department at your High Commissioner's offices in the Strand has held out little hope, because there are thousands yet to be shipped home, and others who have a prior claim. But the shipping arrangements are gradually becoming better, and unless there is something in your ever-changing legislation to prevent it, you will have a substantial addition to your male and female labor before long.'' The official Turk of to-day, whether Jbung or old, is the same as the Turk of yesterday, and what he was in the early days before Bulgaria became a principality he continues to this hour The depths and heights of his cynical devilry surpass belief. It is said of Talaat Pasha, who, with other Turkish ex-Ministers, has had sentence of deatli passed upon him (he and they are in safe hiding somewhere), once boasted of having done more in three months towards solving the Armenian problem than Abdul ITamid (the poet Watson's "Abdul the Damned") had done in threes years. Both employed the method of slaughter, only 'Talaat used is on a vaster scale. Not content, however, with butchering his victims, ho brazenly attempted to collect their insurance money! The story is told by Mr. Henry Morgenth.au, the one-time American Ambassador at Constantinople, who relates that during hi 3 tenure of the Embassy "Talaat made what was, perhaps, the most astonishing request I ever heard. The New York Life Insurance Company and the Equitable Life of New York had for years done considerable business among the Armenians. 'I wish,' Talaat said, 'that you would get the American life insurance companies to send in a complete list of their Armenian policyholders. They are practically all dead now, and have left no heirs to collect the money. It, of course, all escheats to the State. The Government are the beneficiary now. Will you do so?'" A 50-acre dairy farm at Hawera at a low figure is advertised for sale by \W,H. and A. McGatjß

The Egmpnt County was constituted in the year 1001. Its present valuation is £1,876,000 and its area 107 square miles. A Southern paper, advertising sartorial attractions for grand national week, has amongst its star items: "Sample fur coat in rabbit-skin, 23 guineas." How has the humble become exalted from pest to profiteer! A Masterton resident is the possessor of a wonderful piece of wood carving executed by a German internee on Somes Island, and a man who is reported to be a brother of the German responsible for scuttling the German fleet. The carving was done from a solid block of kauri timber, three feet by three feet, and faithfully depicts a stag standing in a defiant attitude over his beaten enemy. Bunny rabbit catching is apparently very remunerative. A Palmerston North resident has received word from his brother in Central Otago that the rabbit industry is fairly on the boom in that locality. He says: "Rabbits price this year—something like £lO per 100, and the boys have made very big cheques. People are falling over one another to get blocks for next season, as they are expecting prices to continue. The biggest return I have heard oi yet is two chaps cleared £ISOO each for the season, and one man made £9O for one week."

John Snell, believed to be the oldest human being in the world, lias just celebrated his 131st birthday. He is staying at an hotel in Lexington (Kentucky), whither he had gone from his home in the country to see a circus, says the New York Sun. He is described as about Sft Oin high, and weighing 10 stone. His only impaired faculty Is his hearing. He sees well and his mind is alort. He receives hundreds of people daily. The Sun says that his skin is stretched over his face like that of a mummy. His hands are long ajid knottod, the veins standing, out all over them. The old man is reported to have said that he wants to live until November, so that he can vote Eepublican at the elections, as he has done since the party was formed. His daughte. is 97. Some comment has been made in the press regarding the methods adopted by Dr. Gunn in "knocking out" the teetii of children during her recent inspection. At last night's meeting of the West End School Committee the headmaster (Mr. D. P. Evans) reported, inter alia, as far as the staff of this school is concerned, we wish to repudiate the statements, as published in the press in reference to the "knocking out of teeth." This expression is suggestive of a pugilistic exhibition or of a hammer and chisel display. In justice to Dr. Gunn we think it our duty to explain the position as it appealed to us. When examining mouths the doctor found many loose or decaying teeth, which she removed by a slight pressure of a spatula made of soft wood. In most instances the operation was so painless that the patient walked away smiling. In fact, any crying was due to anticipation of untold torture rather than to realisation. The staff, one and all, are agreed that Dr. Gunn was courtesy personified, and are looking forward with pleasure to her next visit. Incidentally I might 'mention that she gives iw valuable instructions and suggestions respecting hygienic conditions of pupils and schools. * A most enthusiastic and cordial gathering took place at Manaia Town Hall on Thursday evening, when a grand dinner and social, arranged by the Patriotic Committee, was held as a compliment to all returned soldiers who belonged to the Waimate West County. There was a very large attendance of townspeople, settlers' and friends from all over the district, and consequently the capacity of the hall and of the garage adjoining, which was for the nonce converted into a dining hall, was taxed .to its utmost. Between four and five hundred sat down to a sumptuous dinner arranged bv the committee and the ladies, Mr. T. McPhillips, County chairman, presiding, and Mr. J. J. Meldon, Town Board chairman, being in the vicechair. The garasre. under the deft finn-ers of many willing ladies and other helners, had been quite transformed and looked very smart and artistic, the scheme of the decorations being designed by Mr Hooker, of Hawera. A gold medal was presented to each returned soldier, whereon his name and number are to be inscribe!. About 280 men will thus be honored.—Star.

At a meeting of motor garage proprietors at Palnierslon North last week, Mr. J. D. Perry, president of the Motor Garage Proprietors' Association, said that when the Association was first initiated an impression prevailed that they were out to form a ring, whereas their objects were exactly the reverse. Tn order to get the confidence of the public each member must conduct his business on lines that would convince his clients that he was out to give that service, and that no matter what inducements were offered, he should not engage in practices that were not on safe and square lines. They all knew that before the formation of the Association each garage proprietor was out to beat the other, but its advent had put a stop to that sort of thmg. He explained what had been done in the way of practical co-operation in the Feilding district. They recognised that something could be done to relieve the respective garages of some work which was of vital importance to the car owner and which they felt was not being executed to the best advantage. The first thing tackled was vulcanising, and in order to secure the service of an expert vulcaniser they decided to form a separate, company amongst the five garages in Feilding. The company had now been registered, and it was intended to add an up-to-date battery and electric repairing plant and they had engaged a first-class electrician. The advantages of co-operation were farreaching, not only as it affected their various businesses, but on account of the better service given to the public. He thought it was a good object lesson as to what could be done by co-opera-tion, and it had eliminated the objectionable feeling which had previously existed between members in the trade The Loan and Mercantile, Stratford, draw attention to their supplementary bull fair in their Stratford yards today at 12.30 p.m. Full particulars will be found on page 8 of this issue. The annual Sale of Work by the St. Mary's Ladies' Needlework Guild, wili be held in the Sunday School on the afternoon and evening "of Wednesday next, 12th November, when there will; be all kinds of useful, as well as fancy, articles for sale. There will also be a produce stall, a baby stall, and a Christinas tree besides flowers, sweets and miscellaneous articles. It i 3 hoped that this year's sale will eclipse all its predecessors, as the proceeds are to be given to the Peace Memorial fund for rebuilding the Sunday School. The organisers of the sale appeal for a good supply of produce of all kinds, which may be brought to the Sunday School, and will be thankfully received, on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning,

An example of the huge wages notf demanded by Labor is afforded by 4 request from men employed* as crane drivers by the South-Eastern Railway Company at Richborough, in Kent. Ai* though their weekly wageß now averaM £8 12s, they recently forwarded to headquarters in London a request toe weekly wages of £9 15s, accompanying it with the throat of a strike if theis demands were not met. It is not generally known, that Maw shal Foch during his stay in England made a special journey out of London to visit the Countess Roberts, daughtes of his old friend and fellow soldier, o£ honoured memory. The Marshal asked of his hostess permission to walk round the garden with the officer of his staff who accompanied him. He explained that he had a particular purpose fot his request. "I want," he said, "to walk; where, before the war, I walked- with, Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, and I want to tell to this officer of mine just what Lord Roberts told me in those days of what he believed Germany intended and what has since taken place" "A woman may properly go to a dancd with a man other than her husband'* was the decision of Judge Dunham, flit* ting in the U.S. at Grand Rapids thtf other day, when he tried a divorce suit at the instance of Mrs. Gladys Bracfosn. He also approved of the use of twin beds. "If a woman wants to sleep atoned a man has no right to drag her out of bed," he said. "Women are not slaves, in America. They have the same rights as men, and if a woman goes to a datace with some respectable man she knows, so far as this Court fs concerned, itwould be nothing against her. This idea that a woman can't go out without her husband ought to have been exploded in this country years ago. She does not have to get on her knees and proy fol permission to go. The sooner ine men know that the sooner there will be ftwej divorces in this country." A casual aimless stroll through Pirie street reserve, a simulated stumble, a quick snatch at a hand bag, and a smart get-away were the tactics relied on by a middle-aged man named Thomas Ridout recently, to obtain the wherewithal to combat the present high cost of living, but these plans iailed most signally (gays the Wellington Post). Mrs Emily Stevenson and a lady friend were sitting in the reserve in the afternoon, when the bag-snatcher wandered up the hill and suddenly slipped as he passed by. He grabbed the handbag, which containee J two £lO notes, a £a note, and two singles, a single shilling, and a bank book, and bolted for the scrub. Mrs Stevenson followed him, but could not keep him in sight, while the friend, Mrs. Brownrig, ran to the street to give the alam. Ridout was arrested later in the day by Constable Watters, of the Mount Cook Police, and as he was being taken to the station a passer-by, Mrs. Ada Moire, noticed a note dropped to the ground. She picked it up and endeavored to return it to Ridout, but he had apparently lost all desire for money, for he bolted from the constable, throwing away more notes as he ran. She gathered these notes up and handed them in at the Mount Cook Police Station shortly after the accused had been brought in. The handbag and bank book were subsequently found on the reserve. Ridout was brought before Mr. W. G. Rlddell, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court and pleaded guilty to the charge of theft. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.