LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 10 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Tne News reports -that a sharp shock of earthquake was felt in New Plymouth at about seven minutes before midnight. A return mads up by the Treasury to December 7 shows that the Xew Zealand public's contribution to the war fund to that date amounts in cash to £137,031. For the Belgium Relief and other funds, the amount received by the Government was £13,774, making a total of £150,805. The Rev. A. A. Murray, of Auckland, says that probably'the Kaiser will be killed by a shell from an aeroplane, or end his days in a mad-house; but if people would exercise greater care in reading the Scriptures they would not, says Mr Murray, be de"ceived by attempts to prove any contention that the Kaiser is the antiChrist. Commenting on the price paid in New Zealand for American apples, a gentleman who has returned from America quite recently says that it is hard to believe that as much as 7s per case has "been paid for the fruit. While he was in the Western States apnles were exceedingly plentiful, and prices were so low that good fruit was almost being given away. South Africa is suffering severely as a result of the war. The diamond mines have shut down. There is a crisis in ostrich feathers, and wool is hung up extensively. As for ostrich featners, best lines, which brought up to £50 per lb., have gone down to £17 10s, and a sale is reported of 20 ostriches at 5s a. head, which a yearago would easily have brought ten times as much. Ostrich farming has suddenly become quite unprofitable. Mr George STieat took off his coat the other day to convince the electors of his farming district that his political qualities Mere balanced by an ability to shear sheep with any of them (says the Christchurch Sun). He took his place at the board, and "did" his three sheep in equal time with the others. His handiness with the blades was no proof of statesmanship, bat it did prove to other workers that the candidate was one of themselves when it came to lifting wool. A native kokopu, generally known as a native trout, has just been added to the •Invereargfll Mfiseum (says the Southland Times). It is abWt nine inches long, dark in color, mottled and spangled, with bright yellow blotches. This specimen was caught in the Otapiri and presented by Mr Pearce. I n the early days when Southland was covered with swamps and lagoons, the kokopu was fairly common and was often caught by eeling parties. It is still to lie found in* sluggish creeks and lagoons, for the kokopu loves a lazy life, and is the emblem of laziness among the Maoris. Apparently one of the main worries of the Samoan Expeditionary Force just now is a shortage of ready cash. The Star states that a well-known member of the Auckland contingent, writing by the last mail, says: "The trouble is that- we don't get enough money. A shilling per day is all that we get here. The remaining four shillings is retained until we return to New Zealand. The shilling is not nearly enough, for it costs us threepence per piece for washing, and most other things are equally dear." "Provided that the flag now flying over this portion of Samoa stays unchanged, after a peace has been declared (says the Apia paper), it is highly probable that some of the young men now temporarily amongst us may wish to return and settle here permanently. To provide some informar tion as to what may be done here with our Samoan lands, the following statements may be of use. We have just experienced an extraordinarily good cacao year, and most of the well-kept plantations have borne enormous crops. Records exceeding 10001b of cured cacao beans per acre are very common indeed. Some records fun- up as high as 14001b per acre of the highest class cacao," A Wellington boy, thirteen years old, started out from home with £25 without Ms parents' knowledge. He visit ed Napier, whence he went by train to Auckland, and took rooms at a board-ing-house, informing the landlady that his mother .would arrive in two or three days. He spent a good deal of money in fancy goods, and the landlady, growing suspicious, communicated with the police. He was arrested as a child not under proper control. A sum of £10 was then in his possession. In the Police Court on Monday he was remanded to enable arrangements to be made with his parents in regard, to his future control. VJ The question as to how the unsettled conditions resulting from the war will aii'ect New Zealand products is still a cause of concern to those interested in the primary industries. In the opinion of Mr A. Schmitt, advisory director of the provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, everything depends on the shipping facilities which j the Government is able to provide (says ' the Auckland Star). In other words, the freezing companies will not prepare frozen meat for export until they are assured that it can be taken away". Mr Schmitt remarked that he had interviewed the Prime Minister during the ra-st few days, and he believed that the best possible arrangements were being made. The transport steamers were being brought back from Egypt with a maximum of dispatch, and other vessels had been booked ahead as far as February. .It is understood that the Prime Minister informed a private deputation ?n Auckland that four of the insulated " steamers which conveyed the New Zealand troops to Egypt would return direct to New Zealand, arriving about the middle of January in time to reneve the anticipated congestion of export produce. These boats would consist of one vessel each from the ShawSavill Company, New Zealand Shipping Company, the Commonwealth and Do^ minion, and the Federal Shire Lines. In some cases the freezing accommoda^ tion on some of the steamers was loaded here, and it is not yet known if such vessels will go on to London or discharge their produce for the use of the troops-British and colonial-in J.gvpt, where food supplies will assuredly be required. Dr Van Slyke Specialist in Eye Ear, Nose and Throat, may be consulted at the Central Hotel, Hawera^ * Suits! Suits! Watch for special announcement by the Melbourne; Ltd., in Friday s newspapers. . Great bargains in men's suits, carpet ends, Damask tableAdvt S° and sundry lines-~ Boot, Repairs.—We want 1000 pairs SJT^t,i n\ shO6S *° £ epair ' sole ' keel and patch by our English expert. JJnng your-repairs now for Xmas. Adrt °thmg Factory, Hawera.— The Prices that talk.—Boys' Bargams: Tweed Sport Suits, from 17s 6d; Iweed Norfolk Suits, from 12s 6d; Tweed 'Varsity Suits, from 7s lid; job nne of 5 dozen All-wool Boys' Ribbed ■Black Stockings., size 3, Is 2d. sizes 6, 7, 8, 9, all at Is 6d, worth 2s 3d, 2s 9d; Men's All-wool Sox, 3 pairs for 2s 6d; Men's Sport Coats, 15s 6d; Knickers. 12s 6d. The Busy Draper. J. C. GHMt.—Advt, .

Mrs Elizabeth Spratt, an old lady at Erdington near Birmingham, who is 83, has no fewer than 27 grandsons and grandsons-m-law who are wearing khaki the majority being at the front. She has a number of grand-nephews, who are also m the Army.

The various movements for practical relief in England have brought to light much ignorance on the part of the women wno are taught to work in the relief rooms opened on their benalt. home of these women cannot sew, and have to be taught how to hold a needle. Still rarer is the expert knitter. Considering that in the National Schools the girls are supposed to be taught needlework, this want of skill is causing much comment.

The Public Health authorities have not yet arrived at a conclusion in regard to the true nature of the complaint which has caused a great deal of suffering to many residents of Onehunga. It cannot, therefore, be said that the complaint has been definitely diagnosed as English cholera. The department has heard of between 200 and 300 cases of ■ the trouble, mostly from Onehunga. It is thought that the warm weather, and possibly th& eating of semi-decomposed fruit, may- have been; responsible.

Judging by the way xha German prisoners from New Guinea are being treated (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph) if the captain of the "Emden were to come here, no residence but Sir Gerald .Strickland's or the Primate's would be considered worthy of him. The Minister of Defenca has explained that it is not true that these prisoners are being accommodated ir> expensive flats at Potts Point, and the •<st rooms in Sydney's leading hotels. But from what he admxts r they are being provided for on a scale entirely disproportionate to their condition and deserts. Why should it have been agreed, under the terms of capitulation, that "the higher (German) officials should receive three months' salary?" Could they not be persuaded to surrender without that? .And why "the higher officials?" Was it because the lower and plebian sort had probably less to do with the importation, of those ■ jagged bayonets that smash the bones and break the rules if civilised warfare? Higher and 'ower, these men are simply prisoners, entitled to be treated humanely, and given reasonable, though simple, accommodation, and no more. They are not honored guests of high degree.