LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The public schools of the district will resume, after the. Christinas vacation, this morning.

Mesdames Hugh Bailey and Morrison acknowledge with thanks a donation of 5s from "8.H.5." for their fund for parcels for our boys at the front. Writing to his brother in Hawera, a Xew Zealand soldier says that a divisional Rugby team is now touring England, composed of New Zealanders from various contingents. Included in the team are Whittington (Hawera), C. Brown (Xew Plymouth), S. Cameron (Kaponga), Hog. Taylor (Xew Plymouth), and John -Pini (Waimate) Preparations are. well in hand for the annual camp of the 11th (Taranaki) Regiment, which is to be held next month. Lieutenant-Colonel F. T. 'Dellringer, oflieer commanding the regiment, wi]l inspect tho, proposed site on the Waiwakaiho Show Grounds, and will decide Whether it is suitable for the purpose. A large number of new tents have come to hand from England, and the men will be accommodated in these.

The municipal baths report, which was presented at the meeting of the Works Committee o? the Borough Council last evening by the borough engineer, shows that last month villi) ladies and •2170 men used the swimming pool, as compared with ISill ladies and 1013 men for the corresponding period last year, an increase of 14.(i per cent. Last month 17!) people used the hot 'baths, as against 130 in January, 101-0. The receipts last month totalled £4O 3s Bd, as against £33 Is Sd for January, 1910. The settlers on Newall Road spent three anxjous days last week, protecting their homes from a hush lire. One four-roomed cottage, owned l>,v Ducker Bros., and occupied by one nf their employees, Mr. F. Burgess, and his family, was destroyed early on Saturday morning. The house was insured for fioo in the National Office, and the furniture for £75 in the Victoria Office. A building (nvned by Gill Bros., ami formerly used as a dairy factory, was also destroyed, by fire. It was insured in the Phoenix office for C3O. Mr. J. Dueker's ten-roomed dwelling was also in danger, but fortunately rain fell at the right- time. "On every hand T see evidences of the amazing prosperity of this country," said ifr. K J. Green, a visitor from Honolulu, in the course of an interview. "I don't- suppose there is any country in the world that has prospered so much owing ta the war. T don't suppose the people realise it, but it is a patent fact to a visitor. You have done wonderfully well in connection with the. war, tin- fine army you have despatched being something you tan well be proud of.''

In farewelling the members of the New Plymouth draft of the 2(!th Reinforcements at the railway station yesterday nioiiiing, the Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess I nude ft striking appeal to the young people of the town to engage themselves in some patriotic work. He impressed upon his hearers (lie meaning of the war, and the necessity for sacrifice on the part of every section of the community, lie said the older people had not a great time to live, but the younger people hao their lives and everything which these meant before them. Some of the young women in New Plymouth were earning saiavies, which, when he was a boy, had to keep a man, his wife, and a large family. There was one institution which the young women could interest themselves in, and that was the Soldiers' Club. The club was meant for returned soldiers, and it was not expected that returned men should pay for its maintenance. They had fought and suffered, and it was the duty of the people of the town to pay. If SO young women would contribute Is per week, the club could be maintained comfortably. The Mayor trusted that stops would ut once bs taken to organise a fund.

SUNBURN May -be classed by some as one of llio lessor ills of life, Imt to the possessor of a delicate skin :t is one of the worst modes of torture to be'imagined. After a glorious dny in the surf, or a delight*u! bush picnic, the aftermath of raiding, burning face and hands and diis.fgiiring blisters takes away the luppy rr.emory of the day's pleasure. To i minimise the after effects of sunburn, annotating with Koxona, the Itnpid Healer, is all that is necessary, and the skin, soothed and cooled by its wonderful influence, will quickly regain its normal temperature and comfortable coolness, hexona, Is fid and 39. ()bItbuUi cYerruAere

A remarkable story was told at a Nottingham mooting by Mrs Pcspard, Lord French's sister. She said that serin lnoii in a British trench, learning that hunger prevailed in a German trench r.car them, threw some loat-tv over *.o them. A little later one of (he Germans crawled io our trench and warned the n;ei that a mine, was soon to be cxploded, and the British were able to escape in time.

It is not generally known that any man who is granted exempt ion from sciviee under section 33 of the Military iSei vice Act is still liable to be called up under the ballot system. Ky.-mplion fion: (lie provision of clause ;!5 is not exemption for all time. ]f a man is exempt from what is commonly knmvn as the ''family shirkers" clause, and he is drawn by lot in a succeeding ballot, he must lodge a further appeal if he does not wish to go 011 active service.

"The drive through the bush to the Mountain Douse is one of the most beautiful in the world," is the opinion of Mr. F. J. Green, of Honolulu, who is visiting Xew Plymouth, ''The bush is iike a veritable fairyland." Mr. Green, who is visiting New Plymouth for the first time, expressed himself as charmed with the town and its surroundings, In the town were evidences of municipal enterprise and progress, while iPukekura I'ark was one of the prettiest spots ho knew of. The Manaxvatu district boasts at least one contented farmer. "I am not one of those farmers who are growling about (he cheese price and butter tax," said a Tokomaru farmer to a Standard repr< tentative. ''We arc having some dilliculty as far as the scarcity of labour is concerned, and most farmers are working early and late to make up for this but wo an- geting good prices, and !, for one, see 110 need lie added (hat the men who really had h.u'dt-hips were young fanners who had been called up for active service and had to make arrangements for the future safeguarding of their interests.

An unusual plea for exemption was put forward l>v a juryman in the Supreme! Court yesterday. The applicant was Jlr. E. Whittle, who said lie had a. publican's license for the booth at the Taranaki Jockey Club's meeting 011 Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Clause .5 of. the license, lie said required • 11at the licensee should be present to conduct the booth. His absence would mean n serious loss to him. '''Do yen think that the public service will suffer i; the racing people get no drink?'' asked His Honor, Mr. .Justice Edwards. The applicant reiterated the position, and His Honor granted exemption for the two days.

The flotsam and jetsam from the wreck of the Tongariro, near Portland Miind, lias come ashore in large quantities on' the East Coast as far round as. OpotSki, states a (Jisborne exchange During his recent visit to the coast :m. \V. E. G'oll'e collected a large number of interesting relics and articles that had been strewn along the, beaches. If-" object in doing so was to exhibit the articles at some function, indicating wlicre tlicy were found, so as to show tiie trend of the ocean currents. Another thing to be noted on the coast at mosent, Mr. (lofl'e reports, is n phenomenal death rate amongst penguins, and this is considered to bo attributed to some, poisonous matter which has escaped from the Tongariro wreck, and which is scattered about the beach in large quantities. Dead penguins were to be seen on the beaches between Tulogoa Bay and Hicks Bay, and further oi: as reported by the natives.

Two waterside workers at Onc'iunga I'nil a trying experience about -1 o'clock on Wednesday, says the Auckland Star. They had been sent across from the wharf to Geildis' basin to fetch the surf boat belonging to the s.s. Arapawa to hj? put on bdard' the steamer for use at the open roadstead at Opunake. When the iron reached the lower end of the wharf and turned to go up stream towards the Mniigcre bridge they were met with a strong north-easterly gale and an ebb tide which quickly took charge of the craft and drove it down stream. On seeing their plight Mr. Watson, chief officer of the Arapafra, launched a sii ; p's boat and went to the rescue When the rescuers attempted to cross (lie channel the elements took charge of (heir boat also and sent it in the direction of tiie other one. Mr. Hammond, viiarf manager for the Northern Co., then sent a motor launch after (he two boats, which by this time had been driven across the harbour to the shore at Marigere. Both boats were eventually towed back to the wharf, where on arrival the men were received with cheers by iiieir comrades, who had become quite anxious for their safety.

Two Norwegian sailors,. Kristian I'horison and O'.e Johnston, members of the crew of the barque Narwhal, appeared before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, and were charged under the War Regulations with desertion. Pleas of guilty were entered. It was explained by Senior Sergeant Bowden that the accused had been granted permits to land by the Collector of Customs when the ship arrived. The permits were granted subject to the captain giving them permission to land. The accused went -away and failed to return and they were arrested by Constable Blaikie on Sunday eight. The. Magistrate asked the accused if they were willing to stay on board, and stated that unless they consented I hey would have to go to prison and be placed on board when the vessel sailed. Senior Sergeant Bowden added that as the accused were aliens they would probably be interned. The accused said they would rather stay ashore. The Collector of Customs (Mr. Kyre) said he talked to the men and had advised them in a fatherly way to stay on board. The only thing to do, he suggested, was to detain them. The accused -were convicted and were each sentenced to one week's imprisonment, and were ordered to bo placed on board the Narwhal when she sailed to-morrow.

A statement issued by the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department shows that up to January 30 the cases of 5070 discharged soldiers had been disposed of, 071 were under action, and SIS were not ready for action. The eases disposed of were summarised as follows: —Men who have work to return to, and men who have re-enlisted or returned to military duty, etc., 2402; men placed in employmen, 132!); men who have signed "Assistance not required," 1264; left New Zealand or cannot ascertain address, lo2; men who have not responded to repeated communications, and men who have accepted work the Department found for them but failed to start work,

Rheumatism and other forms of nrie acid poisoning are curable. But not by exterior rubbing, baths and dieting, but by removing the excess uric sic; 1 from the blood.- RHEUMO has restored thousands of sufferers to permanent health. Try it. 2s M *nd is M per buttle.

The total amount of money bundled by the totnlisiuor during the Egiuont Voicing Club's recent meeting was (says (lie Slur) £ |:|,!)!!7, \vhieh- bents the Tirranaki reco;.'. of £43, IKS 10s, put through at Use Stratford J'acing Club's liieotincr at New Vexr by .COOS Uls. Post Oflice Savings Bank deposits during the quarter ended December .11 totalled £3,747,'430, and withdrawals £3,Q55,&25, being an excess of deposits of .£1161,803. In the corresponding period of IDIS the figures were:—Deposits £3,455,!i.)3, withdrawal* £3.201.040, excess of deposits. £237.!)13.

On T!iur.=c':ay, .states the Star, a contract .was let by the Hiverdale Co-opera-tive Dairy Company, for a new factory, to tlie South Taranaki Tluildins Co.. at the price of £-H'.IO. The factoiy, when completed, will be tlie largest factory under one roof in New Zealand. Mr. J. A Duffill, A.K.Z.1.A., is the architect,

Apart from soldiers, the total number of persons who arrived in the Dominion during lDlfl was 21,701), and the departures during the year numbered 21,1(13, the c:.'. , ess of arrivals over departures for the year being CUB. According to returns furnished by the immigration officers," 3394 persons arrived from the, United Kingdom, and :>iioß persons departed therefor during the year. From the Commonwealth of Australia the arrivals are returned as numbering 1."),521 persons, and the departures thereto as 1(1,.'),10 persons. Arrivals and departures from and toother countries were 3054 and 2152 persons respectively. Of the 21,7W) persons who came to Xetf Zealand last year, 2730, or 12.55 per cent, of the total were children under twelve years of age; and of the 21,103 departures the children numbered 2173, or 10.27 per cent.

Statements made by men who have appeared before the Military Service Hoard in Welington to ask for time to fix up their business concerns, thow that it is becoming increasingly difficult to dispose of businesses so that the owners may go into camp. In the majority of sucii cases the Board has granted exemption for a month or two so that appellants might make further endeavors to wind up their affairs. One appellant who appeared, before the Hoard last, week was very indignant on this point.

"People know I have been drawn in the ballot," lie said, "and arc taking a mean advantage of Hie and olTcr ridiculous prices for mj' business. Onu Auckland man offered me IDs in the Sl.'' Appellant added that the position was made increasingly .lillicult because peopl:would not buy a business for fear tlsat the Second Division might shortly he drawn on. ''l'eopie," remarked Captain Maldwln, "are beginning to see that the first Division is not unlimited.''

New Zealand looks like becoming the place where it feels best to be a war bride (saya the Sydney Evening News). The Government of the Dominion is authorising extra pay to volunteers and balloted men alike to a maxintum of cC2 per week. This is to help pay rent, instalments on a house, insurance premiums and other little items by means of which' the departing warrior has hoped to build a sec-lire home for the girl he loves. A moratorum is a thing with a pretty name, but. £2 a week in hand is beft-'r than a dozen moratoriums in the bus!'. Moreover, to the girl who thinks of marrying a soldier, what he is given as he goes away seems vastly more important than the uncounted benefits he will receive when he comes back. The ships sailing for New Zealand iiad better be closely watched, or intending brides will be found smuggled on hoard as stewards (not stewardesses only), lireincn, engineers and sailors helore the mast. Tliey will he manned by girls, so to speak. \Y. S. Gilbert once invented a ship like that, but all the i;irl crew on the "ffot Cross I'un ' had Sone to sea for love of the captain. They '.'ere detected by their language■"the strongest oath cf the 'Hot Cross Bun' was a'mihl 'Dear me!'" 80, if you J enr sailors in the Tasman Sea saying '■' dust, fancy!" you will know that they are the war brides on their way to the island Dominion.

Tn November Mr. Walter Long, 'l'resident of the British Local Government Board, received sympathetically a deputation to urge a large measure of housing reform after the war. It was pointed out tlmt at '.cast 400,<i0n new cottages were needed. The Government were asked to set aside £20,000,000 for advances to local authorities and other agencies to carry out housing schemes, Tliis sum is estimated to provide about 100.000 houses. Mr. Long agreed that this housing question lay at the root of all social reform; and that the Government assistance should be on libera' lines. It was a matter of common justice and decency to provide houses for the men who came baek from the Avar, and it was vital to the future of the race that everything should he done to keep as many people as possible occupied on the land. Of all the social schemes competing for funds after the war that for better housing came first. To let the men who were enduring so much at the front come back from waterlogged and horible trenches to something little better than a pig-sty would be criminal. lie was not sure that 1:20,0(10,000 -would he enough. Many schemes for -water supply, drainage, etc., essential to good housing and public health, had been/reluctantly held up till peace came and money was available. Local authorities had been asked to supply particulars of works essential in this way, and these would be tabulated and carefully considered by the department, so that they might be ready when tliQ war was over.

The Xcw Zealand Loan anil Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., draw attention to their '['arata sale on Friday, February ft, at 1 p.m. Particulars will be found on page 8 of this issue.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., draw attention to tho date of their next Matau sale, which takes place on Tuesday, February 13, instead of Friday, February 10, as advertised on sale cards. The change is made necessary by the Matau Settlers' Picnic to Xew Plymouth on the latter date. The company's 'Puniwhakau Sheep Fair has now been fixed for Friday, February 23, in Mr. H. B. Worlhington's yards, by his kind permission.

The increase in cost of all things, by reason of existing world-war conditions, applies especially to sheep dips. The cost of every ingredient used in their manufacture has continuously increased since the beginning of the war. Freight and insurance rates have progressively doubled, trebled, and quadrupled, involving such serious loss to dip manufacturers that tiley have been compelled, in self-defence, to further raise the selling prices of sheep dips, a necessity v''t)i has already been carried into effect.

Barraclouglts Xcreino stops Tooth ache. IVogudra cures corns quickly