Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 5001, 16 October 1918, Page 4

Local and General.

Mails which left Gisborne on Aug. 13, for United Kingdom, arrived at their destination safely. Ouin-Sal, an improved form of quinine. If taken in time will crack up a cold in a night. Price 2s. Sold by A. W. J. Mann, Chemist. The next vessel to arrive in New Zealand with sick and invalided soldiers on board includes amongst its passengers sixty-one wives v.ho are returning with their husbands. During the month of September Now Zealand an excess of arrivals over departures of IS persons. The excess for the corresponding month oi last- year was 199. The figures do not include soldiers. Germans are now using dye in their gas shells to stain the craters and thus warn Germans to keep clear of them as they advance. The gas hangs in the craters for hours after a shell has exploded. The record for hard work at Woolwich Arsenal (London) is held by a fitter in the gun-carriage section, who lias not missed a single shift of fifteen hours’ daily since the outbreak of war.

The Canadian Government has decided to make all strikes and lockouts illegal for th e duration of the war. stateh a cable message. An employer or employee breaking the regulation will he immediately liable for military service.

The extent of the influenza epidemic in Christchurch may be gauged from the fact that twenty-two members of the telephone exclivage staff were .absent from duty on Mord ly, and nine from the telegraph opmating room.

An official return placed before '.he Minister of Public Health sets our the deaths from influenza m I he four metropolitan and nine suouroan areas during the last six months. During the quarter ended -June 30 there were five deaths, in July seven deaths, and in August seven deaths, and in September five deaths. ho deaths from influenza have been recorded by the Registrar during the present month.

‘■'l thought X lived in p. prosperous country, but to hear the talk at a Farmers' Union meeting you would think the country was on the point of bankruptcy. You make more noise than enough about went, you should pay and wliat you shouicin t par.”—Remark by a farmer at a .Farmers’ Union meeting at Palmerston North, at which the amount or the annual subscription . was being discussed.

" An attractive programme has been arranged for the Savage Club's jiatriolie korero. to he held at the Opera House to-morrow evening. The proceeds will be handed over to the Red Cross Fund and the Citizens Defence Committee, and judging by the brisk demand for reserved seats at Miller’s Corner yesterday it is anticipated that there will be a record attendance.

For the Gisborne School concert to be held in the Opera House on Friday next a programme of item* has been prepared oy children in all parts of the school. The proceeds are to go to pay off the deficit in the school funds. A pound for pound subsidy is payable • by the Government on such money and the subsidy will probably be applied to further improvement of the school grounds.

A considerable amount of interest is being manfested in the plain and fancy dress ball to be held to-night at Manutuke. The floor is in excellent condition for dancing, and that s good supper will be provided goes without saying. The proceeds gotowards the big “Our Day effoit, and the committee hope ns many as can possibly 7 attend from town wiL avail themselves of the _bus, winch leave, the Post Office at < .30 v and so help this- great cause for which help was never more needed than now.

Saturday last was the third anniversary of the shocking murder of Nurse Cavell by the Germ ms. On October 11s, 1915, Nurse Cavell was shot bv order of General von Bissing, the’German Military Governor of Belgium. Nurse Cavell v; as not murdered for her technical offence. committed in the interest of humanity against the oppressors of Belgiumj Slie was murdered because she represented England. She symbolised Germany’s avowed objective—England helpless under Teuton domination. Her martyrdom, • sublime in its calm fortitude, was-. and is, a trumpet call to the British race throughout the world.

Auburn, New York, has a 72-year-old messenger boy. Although retired from active work, lie decided lie could do some war service by taking some young man’s place with the telegraph company. “I have had some amusing experiences, ’ lie remarked recently. 'T answered one call, and the man said, ‘Are you from the Western Union?’ I replied that I was. ‘Well,’ he said. ‘I wanted a boy, not the president or the company.’ There was another call to the St. Cloud, and I went. The man said: ‘Are you a boy. But before I could answer another man remarked facetiously, He nas when you called.’ ”

\n officer who was amongst the draft of soldiers which returned from Egypt recently, expressed himself as greatly 7 impressed by the fertility or the. land over which the Is ew Zealand mounted troops are now fighting. As soon as they got oft the desert, he said, they got into a rich, chocolate-colored soil the fertility ot which was manifested by the magnificent crops of maize which it produced. The British military authorities were so impressed with it that they decided to put down w,000 acres of the conquered country near Gaza in wheat. A competent staff was appointed for the project, ploughs in large numbers- were secured. and the work was well m hand when the officer referred to left tor New Zealand

School children in Germany get reward stamps for collecting old papers, scraps of metal, rags, and even hair, all of which are used in Germany’s extremity. A very dainty display of new season’s millinery is now being shown at Messrs. C. Itosie and Co.’s, Aj] ■ladies who are interested in smart millinery modes for present wear ; aro invited to call and have a look around.* “Who is the leading dentist?’’ was a question which was asked at the meeting held to make arrangements for'the “Our Day” canvass when the matter of securing sub! scriptions from tb.e various professions was considered. “They all arc—according to their advertisements,” promptly replied Mr E. r p. Doddrell amid laughter. When representatives of the various trades were being appointed at a meeting yesterday morning, the question arose as to who should canvass the butchers for subscriptions to the “Our Day” movement. The Mayor: 1 am not very popular with the butchers so who would you appoint? ‘ A member of the Committee suggested, amid laughter, that Mill. E. Hill, the deputy Mayor should be appointed. Those who intend coming to Gisborne for the .Show and the races, and have not already booke-J accommodation, are reminded of the fact that accommodation will be practically unobtainable in the town within the next few days. Enquiries made by a Gisborne Times reporter yesterday, elicited the information that the majority of the hotels ar<3 either full up or’ very nearly so, whilst private residences where rooms were vacant are rapidly filling up. A pathetic scene occurred recently on the arrival of a transport with ' i wounded soldiers at a New Zealand port. The mother of a Wairarapa ! soldier had been informed that her son was wounded. The son wrote home stating that he was returning soon, and that he was making good progress. When the mother met : him, she was horrified to find that he had come back with one arm and ' one leg amputated. She fairly broke down when*the truth was revealed to her. A number of interesting matters were dealt with at a meeting of the i School Committee’s Association on. Monday night. Mr W. J. McCliskie (chairman) presided. A letter was read from the Wellington _ School Committee’s Association, stating that a conference of School Committee Associations would be held in M elling- | ton in November, and the Association to send a delegate. The.re was a considerable amount or discussion as to whether the Association should be represented _at the conference in view of the ract that a larger conference was to be held as which Mr L. T. Burnard was to be the delegate from Gisborne. It was eventually decided to appoint a_ member of the W elhngton Association lo act for the Gisborne Association. What is the matter with drink, anyway? Is it the name of the Lic- : ensee, the location of the Bar, tie hours of .sale or the amount of Revenue received? No! The trouble is that Alcohol is poison. It paralyses nerve, war rs moral judgment, - dims sight, dulls hejlrint, jblunts affections and j c esjroys AdEf-control.-Whether brewed Jni a nrivate _or public vat. Aldo f}\ is V NjAiysical menace. The danker is ex--1 actly in the afme way whether'-the Bar tender i-an Hid by the local publican or by/the Minister of Public 1 Houses. Hi's self-control is weakened just as readiljj by Alcohol whether ‘ drunk at the c-lrner public house or in a place a denied by the King’s Coat of Arms, prohibition, net State ; Control, is thef remedy for the ills i of Drink!*

Corrugated iron is one of the scarcest commodities in hardware in New Zealand at the present time. A member of one of the largest plumbing firms in Wellington informed a Dominion reporter that they were at their wits’ end for a supply. ; We cannot get a. sheet of iron at present —not- even enough new ‘corrugated’ to repair a tank with. There are shipments to arrive shortly from America. but I don’t- suppose there has ever been suoii a shortage before iu the history of New Zealand.’’ alien asked as to prices our informant said that the price, when there was any iron at all. was on a £95 r asls—it ranged up to between £l2O and £IOO per ton for heavy .gauge non. It will appeal more-to householders when it is stated that the ordinary backyard rubbish tins, which oefore the war cost Ss 6d. are now i etailed at. 21s 6d in Wellington.

Show week with all its activities will soon be here, and ladies are making their preparations for a correct appearance upon an occasion ot special interest. No lady snould visit Gisborne during the next week or two at ,Jeast without calling at one of Miss M. Neill’s shops, where the best choice of ladies’ wear is to be had. Miss Neill is carrying particularly heavy stocks just now. and is making a very fine display cr spring millinery. Her goods are noted for quality and reliability, and those, who like to be well and tastefully dressed on a reasonable outlay cannot fail to get satisfaction at her shops. She has some very nice costumes and blouses, and there are plenty to select from. _ For ladies’ underclothing the leading shops iu the town are Miss Neill’s-—ay the old corner and at Everybody’s HuildmgS.*

The weekly meeting of the Poverty Bay Hockey Association was held on Monday evening. Mr P. Sim presided. It was decided to close the Thursday competition and that KiaToa and Allies be bracketed as winners for the season, each club to hold. » the shield for six months. A deputation from the Cricket Association waited on the Hockey Association with reference to the securing of a wicket on the hockey ground for the cricket season. The secretary was instructed to write to the Cricket Association informing them that the Association had decided to go on with tlic improvement of the grounds at once. Various accounts were passed for payment. A committee^ will meet on the grounds at 5 p.m. Wednesday, to take down all nets and store them away. A special meeting of the Hockey Association will he held on Friday evening at 7.30, and all delegates are asked to be in attendance ns important business is to be discussed.