LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXXI, 19 February 1916, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Mr T. B. Strong, senior inspector, was a visitor to Haw era yesterday, when he conferred with the headmaster (Mr Strack). Miss McLeod and Mr Johnston) (teachers), with reference to the work iv the secondary department of the District High School. According to a New York business man, two clever German schemes to smuggle contraband of war through Dutch territory have been discovered and put an end to. German agents gathered large quantities of copper in Holland and had it moulded into anchors. German barges and other light craft coming down the Rhine to Dutch ports would leave their iron anchors and replace them with the cooper implements, painted black, which would be taken back on the return trip. This ruse was discovered by British agents in Holland, and reported to the Dutch authorities. In its report of the croquet match between Hawera and Now Plymouth, the Herald says:—The whole day was thoroughly enjoyed by the New Plymouth players, who were entertained right royally by the Hawera ladies. The matches were played on two croquet courts that were considerably larger than the local lawns, and three of the tennis courts were also converted into croquet lawns for the day. The absence of the yard-line on these courts proved rather confusing to the players, but tlie New Plymouth ladies were fairly and squarely beaten, and are looking forward eagerly to the return game, when they hope to turn the tables on their opponents. The monthly meeting of the Hawera District High School Committee, held last evening. w ras attended by Messrs R. Tait (chairman), R. S. Sage (secretary). W. Henson, F. 0. Wallace, and G. S. Burton. The headmaster (Mr C. A. Strack) reported that the school reopened after the midsummer vacation with a good attendance, except in the secondary classes. There had been a few cases of sickness, and after consultation with the chairman, he had had the rooms and cupboards thoroughly fumigated. Owing to the hot weather he suggested that extra ventilation should be provided in the class rooms. Mr Wallace, a member of the Visiting ; Committee, supported the headmaster, | and it was decided that the matter be I left in the hands of Messrs Wallace and ' Burton, with power to act. i Gunner Sage, of the Australian Field ' Artillery, was born at Odessa, and is therefore a Russian. But his parents I were by race Italian, so is he, and he is a naturalised Briton. He is brave ,and is being tended in one of the London hospitals.. "The most brilliant feat of the war," he declares, "was the evacuation of Anzac. I know the place well; the enemy were so close—three-quarters of a mile away—that withdrawing our troops as we did was a really astounding achievement." Bombardier Baxter (also ' wounded, and recuperating in England) speaks to the same effect, but he adds significantly: "Everything •they .say about the French artillery in France and Belgium was true of it at Gallipoli. It's the most marvellous artillery in the world. Their gunners hit their mark every time." The losses to British shipping caused by the war have been considerably below what was expected (says Fairplay, the weekly shipping journal). It was calculated that the initial loss at the outbreak of war would be 5 per cent., a loss of £4,325,000. For the first six months a further loss of 5 per cent., or £6,133,750. was calculated. From the outbreak of the war till the end of November, 1915, 272 vessels have been 'lost out of a total of 4421 entered for ; insurance under the State scheme, a percentage of 6.14. The losses in money j total £9,269 072 out of £153,469,068 in values entered, a percentage of 6.04. In ' the first six months the losses totalled I £2,732,000, 1.78 per cent, of the values entered. The calculations as to losses . did not include a possibility of passenger | ships being sunk at sight. From the I lists issued each month by the Liverpool i Underwriters' Association it is^ calculated that the losses of steamships and sailing vessels British and foreign, together with their cargoes, during the first fifteen months of the war amount to £23.756,251. The following letter, signed "A Worker," appears in yesterday's Dominion: "The incident I here relate needs no introduction. It happened in j a country district "not 20 miles away from Wellington— a district, unique, I j venture to think, in that it can boast, no i single enlistment since war was de-' clared in August, 1914. What a boast! j Among the inhabitants there lives a I sturdy young New Zealander, the proud . owner of broad acres, sheep, prime bullocks, and the inevitable car, who has j now. in all his manly strength,, decided i to take unto himself a wife who can share the luxury of his cki* and listen 'to j the tales he weaves of his sheep, ins i bullocks, the. taxes he has not yet begun to pay. Concerning his marriage, his latest remark is said to be: "Oh well, it's come to either that, or going to the war these days." This from a New Zealander, whose countrymen, for a broken treaty and the "honor of our race have given their lives on far Gallipoli, that ho. forgetful of his manhood, may flourish and prosper in complacent security, the owner still of his broad acres, his bullocks, and his calves."

Although the New South Wales Railway Department benefits to the extent of £20,000 yearly from leasing the refreshment rooms, it has for the last two yearfe been recognised by the Chief Railway Commissioner that the leasing system is nob the best in the public interest. The view held by the commissioners is that when they sell a man a ticket to convey him comfortably to any given point a long distance away, they impliedly contract that during the interval he should bo properly and decently fed. Under the leasing system they say that the public has not been properly catered for, and they have come to the conclusion that it would be better if the refreshment rooms were under direct departmental control and the staffs engaged by the commissioners. Accordingly, a scheme providing for State control will be brought into operation as soon as the Government approves of the expenditure of about £50,000 needed to bring the service up to the required standard.

With reference to the epidemio of infantile paralysis, Dr Florence Keller tells the Auckland Hospital Board that during her recent visit to the United States she had studied the disease. A similar epidemic had occurred in the States about three years ago, when three main precautions were taken by the authorities, which resulted in practically subduing the epidemic. Screens were fitted on the windows and doors of schools, making the rooms quite free from flies and mosquitoes. The next precaution was the provision of paper drinking cups for each child. Finally, bubbling drinking fountains were installed, which sent up jets of water about four inches high, thus preventing the child's mouth from coming in contact with the metal parts. The Chairman said he hoped precautions on these lines would be introduced.

A lady who knows a great deal of German life is 'Miss Little, a vocalist, who has recently arrived in Christchurch. She has been in two Zeppelin raids in England, and the other day i she received a letter from a friend who told her she had just talked with a man who had just buried eight Germans fallen from a Zeppelin. j Mr Justice Chapman commented on a prisoner being brought up for sentence at the Supreme Court, Welling- j ion, in uniform. "Why was this man ' brought here in the King's uniform?" His Honor asked ;. adding, "He should not have been brought here in the King's uniform." Mr P. S. K. Macassey (the Crown Prosecutor) said that he had nothing to do with it, as the prisoner was out on bail. His Honor: "If j I had known, I would have directed | that he should be brought up in other clothes." Mr Wilford explained (says the N.Z. Times') that the prisoner was on leave from the camp when he came up to Wellington, and that, no doubt, accounted for his being in uniform. It is reported (says the Wairarapa Age) that during the last two weeks enemy subjects have been arriving in New Zealand, and have not been inI terned. An Australian girl of pre--1 possessing appearance, and a keen conversationalist, arrived at Wellington by a recent 'Frisco steamer. She was, according to our informant, who travelled by the same steamer, detained by the police on her arrival, but when she stated she was going to be married to a man on the West Coast, she was liberated. The enemy spy system is so far-reaching that the Government should take no risks whatever. ,It sould not permit enemy subjects to ' land under any pretext. -■ They have adopted a novel means of dealing with motor cyclists who exceed the speed limit in Los Angeles (California). Instead, of fining or imprisoning the rider, the authorities impound the machine, giving it sixty days, or such a term as the magistrate thinks fit. When one comes to reason the thing out it seems a better means of curtailing scorching than fining the rider and letting him have his machine to repeat the offence. If the same practice were adopted here in the case of motor cyclists who make themselves a nuisance in the streets with their noisy, unsilenced machines, it would not he long before a wonderful improvement would be effected in this direction. There may sometimes he some excuse for exceeding j the limit, but there is none for riding a motor cycle that is a twin brother to a machine gun (says the New Zealand Times). jAt the Juvenile Court at Stratford on i Friday (reports the Post) three young boys were charged with, on Sunday, January 30, placing the wheels of a railway jigger on the line. The mother of the boys said her sons left home at 11 a.m. and went ior a walk along the j railway track. They placed the wheels ion the line, and the engine which had I taken the troop train to Hawera on re- | turning north struck the wheels, the impact throwing them clear of the track. Sergeant Quinn, who conducted . the case on behalf of the police, said the employee of the Railway Departj ment was somewhat to blame for having ' left the jigger with the wheels unj locked. The presiding Justices stated j that they understood the railway em- ; ployee was also to blame, as he should j have locked the wheels. Leaving the wheels unlocked was contrary to regulations. In dismissing the case, the Justices admonished the boys and told them that if they were brought up at any future occasion, the present case i would go against them. j A man said to have been victimised 'by means of drugged whisky, appeared i before Mr George Brownlee, J.P., at ' the Oamaru Court, charged with having I been found drunk on a train on February 6 (says the Mail). The police said ■ that the man's condition was serious [ when he was arrested. Medical aid was summoned, and at\er an hour's work he returned to consciousness. He was I brought before the Court on Monday ; week and remanded for treatment, since ! when he has been in the hospital. The 1 prisoner pleaded guilty. He said that he had brought no liquor on the train with him, but on coming out of the dining car a man, whom he did not know, proffered him a bottle of whisky, of which he drank a mouthful. The next thing he knew was that he was in the hands of the police. The sum of £7 was in his pockers when he left the dining car, but had vanished since. He was sober when he got on the train. He was on his way south after some months in Trentham camp, where he had been discharged for heart trouble. The Bench imposed a fine of 5s the prisoner to pay the medical expenses. £1 Is; in 'default forty-eight hours' imprisonment. Mr W. T. Good, manager of the Hawera branch of the N.Z. Clothing Factory, who lias been on holiday leave at Motueka, returned on Thursday after a very enjoyable time spent in the land of the apple and the hops. He says that there is a great forward movement in progress in and around Motueka. The increase in fruit farming and the development of marble quarries and other industries, have made things quite busy, and the popular opinion is that Motueka is destined to rival Nelson. The newharbor works and new wharf were opened while Mr Good was there. In fact he came out on the first steamer after the opening ceremony. On one day there were three steamers in port, from Nelson, from Wellington, and from Auckland. The last took away 375 hogsheads of raspberry pulp, besides 1000 cases of fruit. The country all round is very dry, but the fruit yield, especially of apples, has been exceptionally good. The weather there of late has been excessively hot, and the thermometer registered, one day, 135 deg. in the sun. The price of fruit land has advanced very much, and good results appear to be secured. In many cases hops are being put out in favor of fruit. Altogether the district is very flourishing and bids fair to progress considerably in the near future. Visiting the Skinner road creamery on Friday, in the course of his duties, Mr F. J. McDonald, manager of the Stratford dairy factory, discovered tho following "memo" displayed on the factory wall. As a recruiting effort, it is worthy of a place among the original poster lines for which tho English dofence authorities have become famous. The matter and the display thereof was somewhat as follows : MEMO. Mr John B. Hi no is going to tho Front". He wants a company of Stratford mon to go with lii in. There is not a man of tho Conveivntive clan But should follow bis Cliiot' U tho Field! Neither Cows, Kids, nor Pott leoitU will be any excuse ! YOU MUST GO! "Few words suflico."- •■ SlmUespoiu-o. Although volumes could bo writ ton on the bonolits oujoyod through taking Maxtor's l^iug I r<; • server, it is .sufficient to say that tin.-; remedy has boon tried tor fifty y o:\i\s and continues to grow in solid favor. It has the advantage of bo:n<>; a most effective tonic, besides being the surest remedy for coughs, colds, sore throats, and all brone.lv>,! troubles in a.dulU ami children. Is lOd will buy a big bot'lo from your chemist or grocer.—Advt. Hawera Technical School rc-onons on Monday, March 6. Classes in English, Arithmetic, Book-keening, Shorthand, Typing, Dressmaking. Cookery, Drawing, Painting, Agriculture, etc. —Ad.ft.

A record catalogue of 13,000 bales oi wool will be ottered at the Auckland wool sales on Thursday, as compared with 5639 last year. The Hawera Methodist services will be conducted to-morrow by Mi- A. D. Perkin in the morning, and the R«v. c! O. Bla mires at night. At Normanbv the Rev. E. 0. Blamires and Mr E*. l'i\on will preach morning and evening respectively. On Monday next, the 21st inst, the Kaupokonui Co-operative Dairy Factory Co., Ltd., will pay out to suppliers the sum of £30,182 11s 9d, being payment for January milk, together with a further payment of 3d per lb of fat over the period ending December 31, 1915. It is estima'X'd that the private dam age caused by the- rebellion in the Free State by Dr. Wet and his crazy followers will am;>uni to one million sterling, of which one quarter will have to be paid by the rebels. This practical form of punishment is the soundest method imaginable of discouraging a recurrence of the trouble. Special meetings will be held at the Salvation Army Hall to-morro v r. oraing, afternoon and night, and will be conducted by Major Toomer, who is in charge of the Taranaki division The Major is spending the Sunday here for the first time. The meetli g& are open to the public and all aie invited The first bowline match in Okato was played on Thursday, when two rinks from Pihama journeyed to the coastal township. The visitors were victorious in a game of 21 heads, but in a second match of 11 heads the local team gained the verdict by a iiarrow margin. The l'lhame teams were: Thomalley, Neilson, R. Lambie, "W. Lamhie (s); Campbell, Gorki 11, Moore, F. Julian (s). The Okaiawa W.C.T.U. held its first meeting of the 1916 session on Wednesday afternoon, when there was a good attendance. One new member was proposed, and will be received at the next meeting. It was decided that the union be represented at the coming W.C.T.U. Convention to be held at Wanganui. The meeting passed a strong resolution for the immediate prohibition of the practice of "shouting" for soldiers, a copy of which was telegraphed to the Minister of Defence. It was decided that the next meeting should be a special cradle roll day. At a meeting of the Levuka Chamber of Commerce, held a fortnight ago, Captain Robbie (Mayor of Levuka) made the following remarks, which speak for themselves: "I think Levuka stands forward as an exception throughout the British Empire as offering ( facilities to enemy traders. . . It is! not only the trading that affects the community, but undoubtedly there is. ' a German influence going through this' | colony of which I can furnish proof; | ' and from among the Fijians in certain! parts of Fiji very displeasing rumors1 are current, and most disloyal utter- \ 1 ances are being made with referencel 'to the termination of hostilities and the probable victor. Levuka is looked ; down upon by the whole colony as a; harbor for enemy traders, and I think i it is high time that this chamber —in ■ conjunction with the Suva Chamber of j ' Commerce —took steps to approach the; 1 Government of this colony, and insist upon the clearance of our atmosphere." j What is claimed to be a successful process for the conversion of Taranaki ironsand into pigiron has been brought , to a complete stage after many months' j j experimental work: Messrs J. A. Hes- [ kett and W. P. Hesket, of Melbourne,! and Mr S. E. Fraser, consulting en-j gineer, of Auckland, are the discoverers of. the process. Last evening (reports the Auckland Herald of Wednesday), a quantity of the pigiron in its raw state was submitted to a test at the works of Messrs George Fraser and' Sons, engineers, in Stanley street, and it is reported to have been most satis-' factory. The fluidity of the pigiron was most favorably commented" upon, and the inventors were congratulated upon the success which attended the experiments. Fret-work plaques direct; from the moulds were shown as ex-! , amples of the quality of the metal.' A syndicate has been formed, and it is expected that the works, which it is proposed to erect at a cost of £35,000, will be able to turn out 200 j tons of pigiron weekly, and that the) metal can be sold at a price which would compare favorably with the best quality of imported pigiron. ! Evidence in a case at the Supreme Court in Christchnrch. this week, in which a man was charged with presenting a spurious totalisator ticket at the Canterbury Jockey Club Cup Meeting. I showed that there must- have been an ! organised and cleverly-arranged scheme to defraud the club Mr Wanklyn, sec- ' retary of the Jofkev Club, said six other "faked" tickets mu-yorting to be issued at windows 17, 20 and 22 were received at the same meeting, which indicated that, somebody inside the totalisator . whs manipulative: the stamp.;. The collection of "faked" ticket* received at the meeting showed : that somebody was holding a stock of tickets Nos. 3, o, and 13. which were stamped in.properly and wore presented for payment should those numbers happen to be winners. Chief-Detective Herbert said he was convinced, after the way he had to worm inforn.ntion out of the accused., that he was shield- . ins; sc;»nebi>dy inside the totalisator. ' The case for the prosecution broke down, and accused was acquitted by I direction of the Judge.