LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 27 May 1915, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

The Auckland Hospital Ifaard lately wiped off its. books as unrecoverable fees amounting tu* £$,&&. «&,*.* It is stated that^with" 'iijro exceptions every,'^ig.bje ypung man Within five n^iles of Kintbolton-has volunteered for^ActivV^ service. / .'■*- ~ . The settlers' in tne Pongaroa district are repprtexj to be having a bad time just now (says the Pahiatua Herald). The drought and grass fires of the summer did immense damage, and so little rain has fallen that the pastures have not been restoied. In some \jases the settlers are feeding their stock on chaff, which costs them about £12 per ton landed in thef district. A peculiar contretemps marked the commencement ''of the Supreme Court sitting at Wanganui (says the Chronicle). After' the Grand jWI-y had been sworn in, one of .their number was found to be a mere youth, who offered the explanation that he,had attended the Court on behalf of his father. ' 'Another time I hope you will know better," remarked Mr. Justice Edwards, as the youth took his departure. As the result ojf the incident the foreman, and jurymen had to be re-sworn. ; • ."I have, just been through, the north part of New Zealand, and am, now on my way south," said Mr J. Macleod Boulton, of Sydney, at a social gather:ng of the Commercial Travellers' Club in Christcburch (says the Press), "and while I won't say that New Jgealand is booming, I will say that fi&ither at Auckland/ Wellington, nor Gftristchurch is there any indication of it going back. This is a" result that is highly oreditable to the country, and I hope the prosperity of this Dominion will continue-" A coiapany has been floated and registered to produce coal from measures at the" Broken River, Canterbury, under the title of thel Mount Torlesse Collieries (Broken Kiver, New Zealand), Limited, with a capital of ; £100,000 to open and develop "the, property (says ; 4he Westoort News), JThe< .main jsettlemeht is expected to be at "Avoca, on the railway, and^ao^ll* *w«" miles from the collieries. The company expects to produce coal in six months' time. ( Eight members of the' Hawera railway staff are leaving with the reinforcements from this .district to-morrow morning for the Trentham camp. They are to be entertained by their fellowworkers at a railway complimentary social in the Railway Hall this evening. . The estates certified for stamp duty , during the four months ended April 30th numbered 885, of a total net value of £3,481,755. Seventeen of these were of values between £10,000 and £15,000 eight between £15,000 and £20,000, and twenty-four were of £20,000 and over The (vpropiiet" Rua, who created a stir on the East Coast some time ago by his -crusade,- partly religious, hays just fallen into serious trouble. He was charged at Whakatane with sly grog-selling by selling liquor to natives, and some variants of this offence, and as he had previously been convicted of a similar and ordered to come up for 'sentence when called on, he was now ordered to gaol -for three months. He had the effrontery to tell his followers that the imprisonment he had to undergo is nothing but a trial of your faith in me, and to institute some blasphemous parallels. * '

tit » sported tfiat the Christchurch Meat Company is seriously considering a proposal to erect further storage at Islington, in order to deal with the position caused by the unsatisfactory treatment of Canterbury's claims for space and by the possibility of the present shortage of space being continued indefinitely (says the Lyttelton Times). The Islington works at present are equipped far bpyond the usual trade requirements, but'it is felt that if storage is provided for 100,000 more carcases the restrictions on the normal course of business, which have brought about a dislocation during the present season, will not recur next season or while the war contiues. It is ..understood that action in this direction will not affect the company's decision to make a large addition to the storage at its works at Smithfield, South Canterbury, for which a contract has been let.

The transport which brought the invalided and discharged men back io New Zealand and is now preparing for a- third voyage with troops, has established what is probably a world's record by keeping losses among the animals down to about 1 per cent, on each occasion. Three horses were lost on the last journey round the world. Two died of strangles, which they had contracted before they came aboard, a member of the chip's company stated, and the third horse died of old age. "Yes, I am quite serious; it just faded away. Senile decay was the verdict. The 'vet.' said it was thirty years old if it was a day. Perhaps it was a gift horse. I don't know." The loss of only three horses out of nearly 300 on a voyage of some 9000 miles, partly through the tropics, is extraordinarily low, and those concerned are entitled to be proud of the achievement. It is stated that very much heavier losses were incurred on some Imperial troopships on comparatively short voyages. A circular has been received at the offices of the Hawera Hosoital Board from the Inspector-General"relative to the accommodation of sick and wounded to be brought back from the war. lhe Inspector-General says it is proposed on arrival' of a "transport to accommodate those who are not fit to travel in the hospital nearest the wort Oi disembarkation, and to send those who are fit to travel, but who require medical and nursing attendance, to the hospitals of the district in which their homes are situated. Subsequently if will be possible to draft many ot these cases to houses in the neighborhood which have been offered as convalescent homes, and the Board is urged "to invite persons who have suitable houses in your neighborhood < to offer them as convalescent homes." Members of the Hawera Bowling Club met at the pavilion yesterday for the purpose of farewelling Mr H. S. Maslin, who has volunteered for military service, and leaves for Trentham to-morrow. Iri making the presentation of a wristlet watch, the President remarked that m-obably but few bowlers would be a~ble to go, though many of them had sons serving in the expeditionary forces, and the Hawera Club was proud that one of its members was going and that another (Captain Kimbell) was keen to go whenever his "services were required. It was hoped thaj;' Mr Maslin would come back safe and sound to again represent the club in tournaments (he having been one of the team to bring the Taranaki Shield back to Hawera last season); and in the meantime, wherever he might oe, the watch would remind him that old clubmates were thinking of him and wishing him success and safety. Mr Maslin thanked the club for the present, and said he would value it highly for. its usefulness, and for the kindness of the givers. Cheers concluded the little function. Eighteen only latest styles of Ladies' Navy Serge Costumes, just opened up. from the Kaiapoi Woollen Co. Six only of the smartest styles of the Cambridge brand also just to hand. Secure yours early; all quick sellers. J. C. Gillett, Busy Draper.— Advt.

the luna-^or&Nafr 2fealsiid:>*blfffew injured in that war. ' * I "What's in a name?*' " The answer is not tar to" seek when nomenclature is ot German origin. Up m Auckland tnere is a movement in tne direction ot nnding a new and suitable name for the Auckland Lieaertaiel. The WaL^anui JLieciertatei the <Jhronicie) lias decided on a similar step. The new name has not yet been decided upon. * "lhe Patriotic Fund should be worked up to £i.OO,(XX> by a united etlort on tue part or tne people ot Canteibury," remarked Mr"M. J. DougaU, -at a meeting or tug executive ot tne Uitizens' JUerence Corps tsajs tne Uuritotchurcn Press). 4'tve have-done a wt tor tne Belgians, but we should now. concentrate tne whole of. our energies on benalr of the Patriotic H'una." y ' - The Eltham Sewing Guild have arranged a plan or campaign tor making garments tor tiie wt/unded soldiers. x>acUes willing to sew are asked to. iiieet at Mis Wilson's, Colnngwood street, on Jj'ridaySj or .-at.-Airs ±l; Jenkins', King; jbki ward street, or Mrs brimstone's, iiank of New Zealand, on Mondays. Arrangements are also being maue for tak-ng. away cut-out garments or wool to n.uke uo at home, -any further particulars may be received iromMrsM. fete, wart, the hon secretary. ' . ; Commenting on Empire Day celebrations in Australia, tne Wellington Post says: fcio far as tne «cabied reports enabie us to judge, these- speeches struck just the irght note. They were not of .a, spread-eagle or higb.-falu% character. Instead of complacently' dwelling on the glories 'of an Empire upon which the sun never setsVtM speakers preferred to appeal to their hearers' ; sense of duty to rouse them to suchraction as may tend, to pieserve those glories undiminished.. Sedf-sacrifice was the note of Professor David's address to the High School pupils, to whom he recommended a "follow the King" movement. M* Griffith, • the Minister for, Public Workspspbke in^a similar, strain. One of hi^ remarks is particu-i ■ larly well fitted to arrest attention, be-: cause of its sharp contrast to the kind of oratory that usually prevails on these occasions, and it is particularly worthy of attention in New Zealand at the present time. "It is not a certainty yet," says Mr Griffith, "that the Allies can win." The concurrence of thia rpmark with the first acknowledgement by our own Ministers that the rate of recruiting in this country is not satisfactory is a matter which should be pondered carefully by our young men. The g'ories of this great Empire are wonderful, but whether or not they are to shine more brightly tt^n ever or to suffer eclipse rests with the young men of the Empire to-day. The glory won by our young New Zealandera at the Dardanelles entitles us to class them with the heroes of Quebec and Albuera, but whether or not *heir valor is ultimately to prove as fruitless as it is glorious depends upon whether or not it fires a sufficient number of young men from Now Zealand and other parts of the Empire to follow their example.