LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXXI, 8 June 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Prime Minister has received a cheque for £1000 from Mr P. A. McHardy, of Palmerstqn North, for the sailors who perished in the naval fight.

The Italian military laws prohibit the enlistment for service in tne New Zealand Expeditionary Force of unnaturalised Italians resident in the Dominon. Such Italians are liable to be recalled for service in the Italian Army.

The Defence Office, Hawera, advises that the following telegram has been received: "Owing to the death of Viscount Kitchener, his Majesty directs all officers of the New Zealand forces, when in uniform, to wear military mourning for a neriod of seven days, from June S to 15."

A Press Association message states that the Merchant Service Guild officers >vho desire exemption badges have as suggested by the Minister of Marine, enlisted in the ordinary way, and have now been (notified that they are exempted from military service.'

In the field root division at the New Plymouth Winter Show, Messrs Ogle Bros. (Ararata) took second prize ior Jersey Queen mangel wurzel. For fancy needlework, Mrs A. Lind (Hawera) 1, Mrs C. Brock (Eltham) 2. Point lace (fine), Mrs Lind 1; coarse, Mrs Brock 1.

The New Zealand Alliance election of officers resulted: President, Rev. P. S. Smallfield (Auckland); executive committee. Messrs A. Hoby, A. R. Atkinson, W. Spragg, C. E. Bellringer, G. Dash, G. McCaul, F. J. Ferryman, Robert Milligan, A. S. Adams J. J. Wesney, L. M. Isitt, R. J. Denton, Maurice Harding, and Revs. J. Cocker, A. Doull, R. S. Gray, W. J. Comrie, and A. E. Hunt. A resolution was carried condemning the granting of wine licenses to confectioners.

The open manner in which bribery is carried on in America was illustrated by Mr E. Clifton, who was New Zealand Commissioner at the Panama Pacific International Exposition, in the course of an address delivered at a meeting of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Mr Clifton said he attended a meeting of American farmers who were concerned about a land tenure enactment that was under consideration at Washington at tho time. . One of the leaders of the meeting said the residents of that community had no hope of the Bill becoming law as they desired it unless they had sufficient money to forward to Washington for the purpose of persuading the legislators to their way of thinking. At his instance a subscription list was opened, and a large amount, marie up in sums of not less than 500 dollars, was contributed.

Some of the members of the Christ.churcb. Women's National Reserve are willing to take men's places as gardeners, and are seeking instruction from Mr Young, curator at the Botanic Gardens. The Domain Board offers no objection, and Mr Young is starting a gardening class, giving instruction, two hours a week. The secretary of the National Reserve says: "Our members quite understand that they will not at the end of the classes be taken on. as workers in the gardens. Many are from Stunner, and their men have gone to the war, leaving them to manage their gardens, which were partly a source of maintenance. But they are ready to serve the country if wanted at any. time, in the gardens or otherwise."

The work of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children—the Plunket Nurse Society— is appreciated in America, as was made clear by Mr L. J. Bagnall at the annual meeting of the Society at Auckland last Tuesday (says the New Zealand Herald). He related how some years ago a young New Zealander and his wife went to the United States, where an heir was born to them. On noticing the registration of the infant, the Health Department of America sent the parents a bulletin; This proved to be a copy of the book issued by the: local society, and containing Dr Truby King's instructions for the treatment and feeding of infants. The bulletin stated that New Zealand was in the forefront in this matter. Mr Bagnall also quoted a case of a distracted Sydney parent who obtained the local society's book when his infant was ill, and by following its instructions restored the child to health. . ~ A*

A German named Richard Bunger, alias Witte, alias Lestell, alias Lendox, avias^Vendin, alias Lenne, has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment in Sydney for swindling business men in all parts of Australia. His practice was to travel all over the world, in the course of which he made ten trips to Australia. 'The police were waiting for him in Sydney, and they effected his arrest on Aprii 30. Bunger had a university education and was able to converse in numerous languages; He was in ftew Zealand for a time, his crooked practices landing him in gaol in Wellington in 1902. Although he started out in Australia some years ago in legitimate business dealings, he somehow could not go straight, andj-became a .notorious takedown, not only by means of confidence tricks, but' also through the agency of cards or loaded dice. He has tricked many a passenger at sea, and many business men on land, and has lived a life of luxury for years oji the thousands of pounds he has made through his nefarious practices. After Bunger had been locked up on April 3Q his personal effects were removed frqm a leading hotel, where he had swanked his way into popularity. Faked letters, marked playing cards, loaded dice, business directories of Continental, British and American firms. an 3 a splenetic! assortment of wearing apparel, were found among his belongings. The notorious swindler always dressed well, and was very particular about his appearance. His polished manners and confidential air when conversing, and his pleasing personality, enabled him to create a good impression with those whom he approached.

. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the cold storage enterprise of the Sydney City Council seems to have been a successful one. The Lord Mayor, in a statement he has issued reviewing the results, says that the works have been of great service to the public. He quotes extracts from letters showing that, produce shipped to England from the works has given satisfaction to buyers m London and Liverpool markets. Rabbits had opened up in splendid condition, and the same applied to mutton and lamb. The Lord Mayor continues: "More than once during the past year this vast concern has been full, and produce has, unfortunately, been turned away. Various fruits that have been stored in these works have gained -many prizes at the fruit shows, and customers spepk highly of the way the fruit, keeps in the Council's store. Large quantities of vegetables; especially peas and beans, have been received at the stores, and this branch of the business is a growing ono. Among the goods treated last year were : Fruit and vegetables, 73,665: milk. 19,141: rabbits, 73,602; mutton and lamb 174,422."

"I spent a part of my life in the East End of London, and from the facts which came under my observation there it seemed impossible that some infants could live at all," said the Bishop of Auckland, Dr. A. W. Averill" at the annual meeting of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of Women and Children in Auckland. He went on to say that he had seen mothers feeding babies on just what they themselves ate. The marvel was that the infants did not die.

Ingenious Parisians are cutting up the gloves of Avar celebrities —cnieny of aviators—and making them into bags, which are sold for Ked Cross funds. Almost all the bags are signed, which naturally adds to their interest and value. Then Sarah Bernhardt and Yvette Guilbert have fashioned bags from their gloves, with their own fingers, embricdered and signed them. Many popular actresses and singers have followed suit.

The Greymouth grocers, with a view to encouraging cash trading, have decided to charge a booking fee of 5s on accounts under £10, and 10s on accounts over £10 per month. The booking fee, however, will be remitted if the debt is paid in full before the end of the month after that in which the goods were purchased. The usual 2£ per cent discount will be allowed in cases where the booking fee is remitted.

B>« arrangement with the British naval authorities, the Federal Government has made arrangements to despatch to England ten skilled men to learn the constructoon of submarines. Applications were invited and the men chosen, and they left for England last Saturday. The men are under engagement to the Commonwealth Government to serve two years' training in England at a salary of £250 a year each, with £1 a week house rent, and afterwards to serve five years in the r:»val dockyards of the Commonwealth.

Short but cauetic comment was made by the Chief Justice at the Napier Supreme Court upon the verdict of the jary in respect to the case of a youth named Stephen Percy Barrett, charged with breaking and entering the residence of Mr Sam Wood, Colenso Hill. After hearing the evidence His Honor summed up strongly against the prisf oner. "Were the jury to return a veri diet of not guilty," said His Honor, j "they would be acquitting a man who ; had practically declared himself guilty."' The -:ury retired and within half an . hour returned with a verdict of not guilty. His Honor remarked: This is the second occasion on which a Napier I jury has brought in a verdict of not 1 guiity when an admission of guilt has I been made by accused and the police ! evidence was conclusive.

j While speaking recently, in Sydney at a Million Club luncheon, Mr J. B. Luther. New South Wales Trade Commissioner in the East, said that having lived so many years in Asia, he had gradually drifted towards Asiatic ideas and customs. He had visited every ' portion of the East, and was confident that ke would have achieved no success were it not for the fact that he had set ito work and ttudied Japanese. For seven years he had worked hard, and had at last mastered the language. "At the meeting of the Chambers of Com- ! merce in Brisbane last week," h e continued, "a resolution was passed urging • the Government to establish a chair of oriental languages in the Sydney TJni- '. versity. Chinese was suggested as the ' basis. I say definitely that that decision is absolutely wrong. The language you want to teach is Japanese, and, for writing, Chinese characters. If you are j going to teach Chinese you will find that the language of one province is unintelligible in another. J*ar>aa is to Asia what Great Britain is to Europe, and you must teach her language. I have no politics, but I give absolute loyalty to whatever Government is in power. We have to look to the solving of the great Asiatic question, not so much from a commercial as from a political-, point of view. We must be kept conversant with everything that goes on in the East, for there politics and commerce go hand in" hand."

j North and South Poles Lave been discovered, but never vet the cough or cold that could defy* "NAZOL." No quicker or cheaper specific for influenza and bronchitis. Sold everywhere ,in Is 6d bottles.—Advt.