LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 17 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

When discussing in London the important question of organising a New Zealand expeditionary force for Empire service, the exact words used (inter alia) by the Hon. James Allen were: "We want to be in a position to say to the Mother Country that we have always at her disposal a permanent organisation by which we can send about eight thousand men to any part of our Empire where their services may be needed, provided the sea-way is open for them to go. These men will, of course, be volunteers." The Ashburton County Council has, subject to legislative authority being given, granted £100 towards the nation memorial to Captain Scott. The Auckland City Council nas In preparation a by-law to forbid women to wear hat-pins with unprotected I points (says the New Zealand Herald). The by-law is based on that in force in Sydney. It is reported that one more voice 1 has been added to the chorus of evangelists which beset Cathedral Square on! Saturday nights. The Bishop of Christchurch, mounted on a kerosene case, and surrounded by a band of the C.E.M.S., is to be seen and heard addressing the crowd. A meeting of representatives of the Hawera and Eltha'm County Councils was held in the Hawera County Council Chambers on Saturday to discuss the important question of the merged loans. The matter was thoroughly into, and a basis of settlement was arrived at, to be confirmed by the Eltham County Council's solicitor. The solicitor for the Hawera County Council was present. A farmer stated to a Southland Times reporter recently that more pressing than more land settlement was the need for more labor to work the land already settled upon. Farmers at present were unable to do this, and in consequence thousands of pounds were being lost in Southland glone. He maintained that the matter was urgent, and the Government should make an immediate move to remedy it.

The New Zealand Herald states that th© indications at present are that Auckland will pass through the months of March and April without any evidence of plague among rats. Throughout the year the city sanitary inspec- ! tor and his officers have made unceasing'war on the rodents, with the result that an averaga of no fewer than 100 rats per week have been passed over to •the Health Department for bacteriological examination. A gratifying feature is that during the past 18 months the Department has not reported the finding of a single infected rodent. "You might have" a white Australia," remarked the Rev. C. P. Cape, a visiting missionary from India, at the Methodist Foreign Mission meeting at Sydney, somewhat doubtfully, "but you will never have a white Empire. The day may come—l hope it will not—when you will want help from the Motherland. You may want that help quickly, and it will come more quickly from India than from England. We have in India some of the best fighting races the world has ever seen, andwnen we senrl them I hope you will let them in."

. At the Cambridge Show a painful accident happened to Mr W. J. Hall, a well-known breeder, when he entered a pen to prepare his bull for the show ring. Just as he went to attach the leading-rod to the ring in the animal's nose it turned on him, knocking him down, and badly gored him. Fortunately the animal was tied at the head, and, badly wounded as he was, Mr Hall managed to crawl under the rail of the pen. A doctor was summoned, and it was found that Mr Hall's injuries were not serious, although he had received several bad gashes about the thighs. An illustration of what may be done by scientific treatment of ordinary soil is to be seen in a specimen of a potato crop produced at South Riverton by Mr S. L. Beer (says the Western.Star). The sample is of the variety known as Robin Adair, a pink-skinned potato. Nothing better could be desired. He planted 241bs of seed, and the crop will easily dig five cwt. of beaivtiful smooth potatoes without a blemish. Kelp is the foundation of Mr Beer's manure, with some superphosphates when hoeing up, and the shaws treated to a liberal spraying. Hib white potato crop shows an equally good return, and lovers of the tuber will probably have an opportunity of inspecting the samples at the Riverton horticultural show.

The teeth of 1857 children, in four of the Auckland public schools, were recently examined by the Auckland Dental Association (says the Herald) These children had between them no fewer than 7639 decayed rermanent teeth. The ages of the children examined ranged between five and 15! years. Parents were furnished with reports on their children's teeth, and much .-good was done by attending to the bad teeth. The prevalence of these, it was pointed out, was a danger to the children's health. A noxious germ, for instance, once lodged in, a hollow tooth, multiplied very rapidly, and might cause infection. Such a germ taken into a healthy mouth would probably do no harm. Reversible Conts for Ladies.—We have them, ex ftuahine. On view in our showroom. Fashionable, warm and reversible. These handsome coats are priced to command a quick sale. See them at once. W. Spence, Economic. Hawera.—Advt. "NAZOL" taken on some lamps of sugar and-allowed to slowly dissolve in the mouth will promptly cure a Cold in the Throat or Chest. For Colds in the Head it is advisable in addition to use a Nazol Inhaler and inhale through the nostrils as directed. No cold can withstand this treatment—it must succumb. —Advt.

The Auroa branch of the Opunake Kailway League will meet on Wednesday, March 19, at 8 p.m. ; At the Pukekohe Show, held early this month, Mr J. S. Oughton judged the draught classes, and Mr R. H. rsolan the thoroughbreds. A cablegram which appeared in the teydney Sun last week states that the1 annual report of the London Cancer Hospital shows that the year's work has been marked by enormously increased usefulness, mainly due to the new radio-therapeutic department. The enhanced facilities for diagnosis and treatment have resulted in a larger number of cures than ever before, and the director, Dr. Knox, n'opes that the result will be a mora complete system of X-ray work. He holds that the lessors of modern surgery show that the idea of the incurabiity of the disease is a fallacy.

Squatting in Victoria is notoriously' an uncertain enterprise, but the following case is surely an extreme one. At a meeting of the Squatting Investment Co. Ltd., held in Melbourne, the chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, said that the company had suffered loss during the past year as the result of the small rainfall which had been experienced. Only 4000 lambs had been obtained from 50,000 ewes, while 16,000 ewes had died. , ■>

Mr J. S. Oughton, well known >for many years as a successful breeder of Cyldesdales at Okaiawa, has just disposed of his draught stallion, Heather Brae, to the Cambridge studmaster, Mr Jas. Malcolm. This horse, which Mr Oughton considers one of the best tie ever bred, is by Royal Crown out of Jess (by Pride of Windermere). At Hawera as a two-year-old he was first in a good class, reserve champion, and winner in walking match. At New Plymouth he was first and champion against strong competition. The colt, the sire, dam and grandsire were all bred by Mr Oughton. Stock from his farm are going to many parts of the Dominion—a proof of the reputation gained by South Taranaki horses.

Mr Henry Isaac's gospel address at Gospel Hall last night was well attended, nearly all the sitting room being occupied. The speaker preached from the text: "Thou are weighed in the balance and art found wanting" (Daniel 5—27), and impressed upon his. hearers the fact that God weighed men's actions to-day just as in Belshazzar's time, and that His verdict of the natural man was "found wanting." He also pointed out that man's need has been met in the death of Christ.' These addresses are to be continued on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7.30 p.m.

Whether or not there is anything in a name the Palmerston North Hospital Board at least seems to think so (says +.he Manawatn Times). It has resolved to call its hospital "The Royal Hospital, Palmerston North. Application will be made to the proper authority for permission to use this name. It was further pointed out that the ward which is shortly to be enlarged by adding an upper storey for the children is named the Royal Alexandra Ward. It was agreod that this children's upper ward should be called the Queen Mary Ward1.

Notice is given that arrangements have been made to hold a fortnightly dance assembly in Hawera, commencing on Weddnesdav.

A class in Dressmaking and Millinery is being arranged at Kapuni to meet on Friday mornings, 10—12 *