GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1921, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

A. large poodle has just found its way back to his master in Paris in extraordinary circumstances, remarks a Paris newspaper. In 1914 the owner took his family and the dog to Armentieres, where they lived until the town was evacuated. ' Leaving the animal with a neighbor there, they returned to the Paris home in the Malakoff quarter outside the city gates. There the other day, after five years’ absence, they found the dog sifting at the door of their sec-ond-storey flat, tired, but overjoyed at', finding them again. How he got there no one can say. Had he followed some English soldier to the city? His owner cannot guess.

It is estimated that there are at present over twenty empty houses in Masterton. At the same time, .scores of families are living in furnished rooms and apartments. Owners will not let their houses to tenants, because the existing law makes it so difficult to gain possession in the event of a sale. The whole situation is most unsatisfactory. The law in I regard to eviction is acting as a boomerang. It is slowly but surely doing away with tenancies. This may. in the long run, be a good thing for the community. In the meantime, it is creating hardship and inconvenience. —Age. Mrs. Mantell, of Foxton, recently received a letter from her sister of Inveraray, in the Highlands of Scotland, under date November 4th, in which she

gives details of the cost of living there. The writer says: “I saw a letter in one of our newspapers telling people not to think .of going to New Zealand just now, as living was so high, and work scarce Well, if you knew tlie prices in our country they would stagger you. A £ is just worth about ss; eggs', when obtainable, 5s 6d pel- dozen, 9d for' a small loaf, butter ss, and the rationed butter 3s 4d per lb., ham 3s 3d and 4s 6d per lb., and not veify good at that, sugar is more plentiful now, and is down to Is per lb.”

Los Angeles, California, as far as houses are concerned, will soon be the most wonderful city in the world. Every town and village in Christendom is pouring money into the funnel that has its mouthpiece in this fortunate town. The result is a city of palatial residences. Only the other day William Farnum, W. 8. Hart, Frank Lloyd, and Mau-'ce Tourneur, the French producer purchased large stretches of land, on which they are erecting mansions. And now Pauline Frederick has bought a threeacre lot, and a beautiful residence of .1 dozen rooms, which she is remodelling and enlarging, and which, when complete, will be estimated to be worth SO,000 dollars. It has been said that the high-class residences bought by screen stars are worth 3,750,000 dollars.

Tn a report to the Postmaster-Gen-eral (the Hon. J. G. Coate*), Mr. Markman. acting-secretary to the Post Office, briefly revieb-s the postal and telegraphic -business done b t v his department from December 21st to 2-ltli, 19-20, inclusive. In a few cases, he states, the postal figures show a falling-off; but, on the. whole, there was an increase of about. 17 per cent, on the stamp sales. The number of mail receptacles forward, ed and received shows, however, an increase of only .45 per' cent. The tele- ■ raph business shows a falling-oil in nearly every ease. Taken in the aggregate the' falling-off in the number of Forwarded telegrams is 12.2 per eent.; the falling-off in the number receive” is 19.6 per cent.; and thegfallifig-off in the number ot transmitted telegrams 8.92 per cent.

Uncertainty still exists regarding the possibility of the relatives of Australians and’ New Zealanders visiting Gallipoli before the autumn, owing to the complete absence of hostels. The question of their erection lias been vigorously taken up by Mrs. Doughty AVylUe, widow of the Victorian Cross winner, who is buried on Gallipoli. She is negotiating witii tlie Y.M.C'.A- io secure the erection of hostels forthwith. Site hopes they will be ready by Anznc Day, l»t this 'is doubtful. Members of tlie Astralian graves staff who have refrom Gallipoli state, that tlie road from Chanak toward Anzac has been completed. There is also a proposition for a permanent concrete landing stage enabling direct debarkation at Anzac Cove, but only bridle paths can be constructed towards most of the cemeteries, including Imne Pine, Shrapnel Valley. Plugge’s Plateau and Brown's Dip. The brigandage which was prevalent last spring has entirely ceased, and th® gravesmen no longer require machine guns and others arms.

The scheme formulated by the New South Wales Repatriation Commission for the higher education of children of deceased and totally incapacitated soldiers is estimated to cost. £1,266,386. It provides for the. education of the children from the age of 13 years. The Repatriation Department will carry them through the highest forms of education for which they are best suited. During the present year it is anticipated that there will be no fewer than 1341 children eligible to benefit by the scheme—that .is, children of 13 years and over. The number will increase from year to year until in 1933 the last of the children will have reached the age of 13 years. At that time it is estimated that there will still be 1268 children between the ages of 18 and 22, 368 between 16 and 18, and 64 between the ages of 13 and 16. Thereafter provision will have to be made for those of older age until in 1939 there will probably be 64 of those children between the ages of 18 and 22 still completing their education. The basis of the fund out of which living allowances are to be provided is .£BOO,OOO, made available by Parliament, together with the contributions of,various funds raised for the purpose. The middle of the Auckland stone fruit season has now been reached, and, as a very short crop is expected, both plums and peaches will be finished very soon. The continued dry weather has forced the growth of the fruit, and some early peaches have already been on the market- Many growers who formerly marketed 30 to 100 cases a day, can supply only about 10 cases now from the same trees. The ripe rot attacked the blossoms, this season, and so spoiled •the quality of the fruit. Middle-season ' apples are’ coining forward well, ns are | pears. Strawberries are practically finished, tomatoes are ripening rapidly, i although it is stated that the blight ' which is in evidence on the fruit will I limit the crop. The humid conditions prevailing this season have induced the development of ‘‘black spot” in pip fruit. I Another contributing factor is said to be I partial relaxation of the regulations re'garding the sale of spotted fruit. Stone fruits are not troubled with tlie “brown rot” ?s thev were a few years ago. The codiin moth is being kept down fairly J he