LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is reported' that several cats at Dromore show symptoms of suffering from influenza.

A mine has been washed up six miles north of —Press' Association.

A London cablegram announces that the freights on general cargoes to and ■from Australia and New Zealand will be reduced 25 per cent, forthwith.

The Imperial authorities have cabled the Government that no more aviation cadets are required from New Zeabind.—Press Association.

Practical sympathy with a woman whose infant daughter died on board the Mararoa on Saturday night was shown by her fellow-passengers, who subscribed £16 for her immediate needs.

Mr Pkobert Bell^ who is a member of the executive committee of the Press Congress of the Worlds has received a cable from Sydney stating that the meetings of the Congress will commence in that city on November 11, 1919.

The Dominion Meteorologist's forecast for to-day was as follows: —The indications are for southerly winds, strong to gale, prevailing at times. The weather appears ■ likely to become cloudy and unsettled. Heavy rain is to be expected. The barometer has a. falling tendency, but rising shortly.

The Soldiers' Financial Assistance Board, since it began its work, has held 439 meetings, and has dealt with 18 } 619 applications for assistance, comprising 15,969 new cases, and 2730 reconsidered cases'. Assistance has been granted in 8828 cases, the grants representing an annual expenditure of £267,374.

From the beginning of the present month to date, 44 deaths _ have occurred, in Ashburton and the immediate surrounding districts, being the highest death-rate ever recorded for the district, the whole of these, with few exceptions, being attributable to the prevailing epidemic. For a great many years the highest death roll for any one month was 20.

This forenoon a horse attached to a dray received, a fright while its driver wa* in one of the West Street stores, and bolted, turning into Havelock Street. Six or seven motor-cars were standing outside the Borough Council Chambers awaiting instructions, and the runaway dashed in among them, missing two cars by inches. A wheel of the cart struck a lamp-post, breakinc it about (half-way, but the horse was brought to a.stop immediately. "

In consequence of the reorganisation measures .affecting the Department of Agriculture, the Fields Division of the department is about to be disestablished, the greater part of its personnel being absorbed into the Live Stock Division. Mr J. Brown, who has been Director of tho Fields Division for the past three and a-half years, with headquarters at the Central Development Farm, Weraroa, has decided against assuming a new status and responsibilities in tho department when his division is disbanded, and he will accordingly retire ■ from the service shorttv.

After several "months of idleness, thG fluxmills in the Waikato and East Coast districts have again been set in motion in anticipation of brighter days ahead. The United States Government, by permitting two chartered vessels to load flax for America before the American embargo was announced, to fill up, has afforded considerable relief to the industry. Further, the improvement that will follow in th*4 shipping situation, conseauerit on the cessation of hostilities, hold out a brighter outlook so far as the shipment of flax is concerned. Taking these pleasing aspects into consideration, the fiaxmill owners feel justified in having taken tho step they • have.

In the course of a memorandum .theStaff Paymaster, New Zealand Army Pay Office, London, says: —"" As regards regimental bands, their usefulness cannot be overestimated. It is surprising the keen interest and pride which a man takes in his own band, and units naturally vie with each other in the endeavour that their band shall be the best possible. Band contests are held from time to time, and the contest recently held" was won by the 2nd Battalion, Canterbury Regiment Band, with the 2nd Battalion New Zealand Rifle Brigade second, and the 2nd Battalion Wellington Regiment third. The winning band was given a fortnight's tour to England, and played, at pur' (hospitals and convalescent depots here." ;

Military funerals were accorded the three returned soldiers, viz., Sergeant Louis V. De Villiers, Rifleman Alan. Cunningham, and Trooper Herbert C. Stock, whose bodies were interred in the Ashburton Cemetery, yesterday in the plot specially reserved for the burial of returned soldiers. That of Sergeant De Villiers and Rifleman Cunningham was a double funeral, the first recorded locally. Returned soldiers acted as pall-bearers, and in each instance after the burial services, which were conducted by the Rev. H. N. Wright.and the Rev. G. Miller, a squad of eight returned men, in charge of Sergeant-Major Willers, of the local Defence staff, fired three volleys, followed by the sounding of the Last Post by Bugler D/Moore. The Defence Department was represented by Lieutenant Blathwayt and SergeantMaiof Anderson. The Ashburton County War Relief Society was officially represented by the Mayor (Mr R. Galbraith) and Mr James Cow.

The disposal of army horses at the end of the war is one of the curious problems that are perplexing the experts at the Reconstruction Ministry, who are making schemes for utilising army stores. The distribution for civil purposes of buildings, stores, and materials is a comparatively simple matter, because there will be an enormous demand for every kind of raw material, and everything will be made use of. The explosives in unused shells, for instance, can be extracted and con' verted into fertilisers. There is a special difficulty in regard to the horse. To sell all the army horses at once would have a disastrous effect upon the market, and, on the other hand,' it would be a very costly and wasteful business to keep the horses eating their heads off in military establishments. A scheme is suggested by which a larce number of army horses would be hired out for use in ngriculture transport, and so on, while the best horses are used for .breeding purpose^ to help the. depleted future supplies*

The instruments at the Domain weather station on Sunday morning registered 3a degrees of frost.

By a secret ballot the Kaitangata Miners' Union has decided to cancel its registration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. A District Disputes Council will be set up to deal with any disputes which may arise.

The "Tuatapere Guardian" gives this description of < Tuatapere (Southland) recently:—No shops open, nobody on the streets, no sound of voices; everyone that does business generally, including post and railway officials, in bed with influenza. That is how the township appeared yesterday.

The Aitutaki (Cook Islands) correspondent of the Auckland "Herald," writing under date October 24, states that upwards of 3000 cases of oranges, are stored in the wharf sheds at Aitutaki awaiting shipment by the steamer Flora. The space on the steamer is limited to that Quantity, although thousands of cases would be available if there was a larger steamer. The surplus will now rot, as no further steamer will be . available. Thousands of cases of pineapples will probably be wasted, also for want of shipping facilities.

Miss Isabella Dick Doig, aged 47 years, a daughter of the late Peter Doig, died suddenly at her mother's residence. Chertsey, on Saturday evenine. With other members of . the family she had her supper at 9 o'clock, and a few minutes later was seized with a severe cough, collapsing almost immediately. An inquest was held at Chert&ey this morning before the District Coroner, Mr James Cow, and after some evidence had been taken the inquiry was adjourned in order to secure the evidence of Dr. Hunter, who carried out, a post mortem examination yesterday.

The price some farmers ore at present .asking for fat stock was adversely commented upon by at leasti one local butcher to a " Guardian" reporter this morning. Since the outbreak of the influenza epidemic, and the consequent postponement of the weekly stock sales, a number of farmers, the butcher stated, had taken advantage of the position to ask for considerably more than what the stock would realise at auction.. He instanced several farmers who had priced their sheep from 5r to 6s in advance of their market value: and this after the " tops" had been drafted out and railed to l Addihgton. On the other hand, however, some of the farmers were very considerate, and in view of the trying and anxious times through which many families were passing, and in order to alleviate the distress that was being experienced in tnanv instances, .were disposing of their stock at a reasonable figure.