LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, 26 October 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Auckland branch of the Red Cross , Society recently isstied an appeal for £4000, and on Friday last it was. announced that £4051 had been' received. , The first potatoes on the Dunedin market realised 12|d per lb. for 401b. and lOd per lb. for another lot. A London cable states that over four million boys and girls have this month suscribed £15,000 towards the "Jack Cornwell" fund to endow a ward for disabled sailors. Authority has now been given for Expeditionary rates of pay to be paid to a soldier from the date of his departure from his home to undergo training at an Expeditionary Force camp. ■ ■

According .to a message from Berne, Switzerland, the Minister of Justice in the Grand Duchy of Baden has decreed that single women betrothed to soldiers killed in the war or missing may style themselves "Frau" (Mrs.), and also, in certain cases, may adopt the family nam© of the men to whom they, were engaged.

In the harbor of Nagasaki. Japan, the coaling is done entirely by girls. Their work is accompanied by monotonous chanting. A big mail steamer, it is stated, will bunker 2300 tons of coal in six hours and a-half, an average of 353| tons per hour.

The women army driver.? in England wear khaki uniforms, with short army overcoats ; Army Service.Corps badges. Superintendents receive 52s 6d a week and travelling expenses; head drivers or squad leaders'4os"a week and overtime for those returning to the .garage after 6 p.m., mechanic * drivers 35s a w?ek. and overtime, probationer drivers 25s weekly, rising to 3.5s when actually driving/ Miss Christabel Ellis,, who has done a great deal of excellent work for the Red Cross in, Serbia-and Russia, and .has driven a motor transport waggon for some time in France and Flanders, is in charge of this section of women's war work.

"There will- be a great boom in the building trade, not only here, but all over the world, after the war ceases." Such is the opinion of Mr. G. Simpson, who was discussing a paper on some increases in the . cost of; building at a meeting of the technological branch of the Otago Institute last week. Mr. Simpson, belieyes that people who are holding back in the expectation that building will be cheaper after the war are making a great mistake. His: reason for so thinking is that the enormous amount of rebuilding required in such.places as the North of France after the war will keep prices up. Then here we have largely"stopped building' during the past two .-.•.years, and iJae: sam 3 thing hae happened in the Old Country, so that the moment the war stop? there will be a vast amount of building, work'to be gone on with.

In 1915 there were about 3500 library assistants in Great Britain and Ireland, and" of these, 1500 were women. Since then, to replace the hundreds of men who have gone on service^ more women are needed than can as yet be found. A feminine senior assistant has stepped mto the chief librarian's, place at LinI coin, while: at Winchester, the chief's wite, a former1 library assistant, is fill--iQg Ins post, while he serves with the colours. At Kensington/ Woolwich, and other libraries, on account of decreased staffs, the public -hours have been shortened. In selecting women to nil vacances, preference is given to those who have passed University local examinations, and who possess at least an elementary, knowledge of Latin,.trench and German. The.right type of girl to take, up library work is educated well read, and professionally trained and she must have the official ideaFof absence of fuss and officipusness. Candidates must have, too, good health, good temper, tact, perseverance, method, and a neat and business-like appearance. Ihe salary is small, designedly so because this raises the standard of' the assistant, and commencing at £25 per annum, rises to £160, the highest paid in Great Britain to a fully-qualified woman librarian. ' . » ■

Soma interesting particulars of the training received by candidates for commissions, in the Royal Flying Corps nave been given by a New Zealander at N one of the schools in England (says the New Zealand Herald). "We have a hard time' of it as regards work " he writes. "After studying for a month, there is an examination,on the twentyfive subjects on which lectures have been given. It means several hours a day real study. Have to Morse eight words a minute. On leaving here you I are posted to any Flying Squadron that you would like to go too,; provided there a vacancy. Remain there four or five weeks flying, and you pass a Lewis machine-gun examination, and Morse 12 words a minute. Then being a qualified flyer, you go to Hythe for training in the machine-gun for two weeks —most exciting, as the shooting is done whilst flying past a target—at the end of which time you are ready for France as a fully-qualified airman. The pay is very liberal—an allowance of £50 for outfit, and 7s 6d a day. with Is 3d allowance while training. The messing costs 4s 9d a day. As soon as one commences flying, one gets 4s 6d a day extra, and when qualified £1 a day— in France it increases to 25$ 9d a day for a sub-lieutenant, and at the end of each year the £150 bonus is added to that—iso there son are 1"

SMOKE NEW ZEALAND. TOBACCO. "What!" you say, "Can New Zealand produce tobacco?" Yes, and moreover, it produces in Gold Pouch a brand that is superior to the imported article. Tlis soil arid climate of* Hawke's Bay are ideal, for tobacco growing, and you need to 'tryrjust one pouch of the finished product to admit that no imported brand can compare with it in flavor, sweetness, coolness, and value. Try Gold Pouch, your:own interests compel you to do so i Think of it, 2^ oz. for ;1/_ at all tobacconists and stores—4s per cent, better value than the1 foreign brands. —Advt. v 6

A farewell social is to be tendered' to Private J. Kissick iv the Kapuni) Halt to-morrow (Friday) night, at 8 o'clock. Entries have finaly closed for the Palmerston Show, and come well up to expectations; Preparations are almost complete, and exhibits are already arriving. Should the weather be favorable next week, another highly successful event may be anticipated. " "I may be a crank on this subject," said Mr. Guy Williams at a mesting of the Masterton A. and P. Association, "but I still hold that during ths wai we should offer certificates in lieu of prize money." Mr. Williams expressed this opinion on refusing to allow his name to be placed on a canvassing committee

A resident of Midhirst claimed damages from' the Taranaki Education Board in respect of three heifers which, he said, lost their lives through licking paint from the grass at.Radnor School. The writer said that the mint had been spilt by the Board's carpenters. Tha heifers were valued at £15. The overseer (Mr. C. H, Moore) said it was debateable whether the cattle -should have been near the spot. Tha matter was referred to the Chairman for his report.

We are pleased to acknowledge receipt of a cony of Stone's Directory (Wellington, Hawks's Bay and Taranaki) for 1916-17. It is,, as usual with Stone's publications, excellently got up, and packed with useful information from cover to cover. This is the twenty-sixth years of publication. It has been added to from time to time, and is in every way a creditable and useful publication, including -the comprehensive directories, a map of Wellington and of New Zealand, and a vast amount of commercial, statistical and general information relating to the Dominion as a whole. The Customs tariff "has been carefully revised. The private box lobby at the local post office was the subject of a discussion at last evening's Chamber of Commerce meeting. At one time the locking of the door was entrusted to the nightwatchman, and he turned the key at .midnight. Recently this arrangement has been done away with, and the postal , officials now lock the door at 11 o'clock, which business people say is often an inconvenience. As the telephone people are on duty till midnight, representations will be made to the postmaster to allow one of them to lock the door at midnight, and for one of the mail room officials to unlock it at 7.30 in the morning. At the present time it is locked 'at 11 o'clock at night and not reopened till 8 in the morning. In reluctantly accepting nomination for the position1 of president of the local Chamber of Commerce last evening, Mr M. J. Lynskey pointed out that it would be far better if some business man with a larger experience and closer knowledge of the requirements of the place were elected to the position. He had been here only a month or so, and whilst he fully 'appreciated the honor they desired to do him he did not. feel nearly well enough acquainted with the place to do justice to the position. However, if it was the wish of members, that, he should accept the presidency, he would do so, and he would give the affairs of the Chamber all the attention he could. There were no other nominations for the position, and Mr Lynskey was unanimously elected president for the ensuing year. A curious revelation of the care with which ths British national accounts are audited has been causing interest and amusement in England. Last year the Comptroller and Auditor-General'noted, in respect of the accounts of tlje Pay-mastsr-General and the "National Deot Commissioners, that there was a discrepancy of a. penny. His report for the current year! again notes the discrepancy, which has not been adjusted or explained. A Daily Mail correspondent asked the Exchequer and Audit Office for a statement, but could get no satisfaction. ' One of. the officials explained that it would costl hundreds of pounds to trace tha mistake, and "we feel,"' le added, "that it is not- right to spend that sum in wartime. For that reason the ibenny was allowed to stand over in the" balance of £2,234,760 13s 3d last year, and again in the balance of £2,080,502 this year;" The Mail's correspondent produced a penny and offered to pay ft and settle the I matter, but he was told that such a •thing,would be most improper. The search fbr the missing lymny is ; suspended for the time, but when the war is over, no doubt the Audit Office will insist upon the mystery being solved. Just now the Horticultural Division of the Agricultural Department is the object of many terms of endearment throughout New Zealand. In the fulfilment of its duty it has 'been calling upon .all persons with fruit trees of certain kinds (one or more) on their premises to register by, a certain date the said tree or'trees,;, and has at .the same time, been civilly enbtigh telling all concerned that they could obtain the necessary registration forms at money-order post offices. Unhappily, while threatening persons failing to register with, certain unsociable statutory penalties, the Department has omitted to forward the registration forms in sufficient numbers. Hence m some cases tears, in -others imprecations, and in still others cynical billet doux (of which we here give a. typical specimen) addressed to the Director of the. Horticultural Division : "Dear. Sir,—Like a large number of other persons in Hawera, I have failed to get a forni for the registration of a few fruit trees on a property occupied by me, and to save going to gaol I herewith notify you that on said property there are 4 apple trees, 2 quinces, 1 pear, 1 plum, and the rem-i nant of a vine. Not being the owner, I cannot deal with the trees as I would like; but if I were, nearly all the trees would be converted into firewood."

EXTRAORDINARY COMFORT IN THE HUPMOBILE.

Comfort is an essential in an automobile, and you get it in the Hupmobile. Seats are ten inches deep, specially tufted with real hair and built on best spiral springs. Seat backs are high : restful, and tilted at an angle for comfort. . Body is low and long, and this low suspension acts like ballast in a ship. It steadies the car and eliminates vibration. Rear springs are underslung and flexible, and they aftsorb the hardest road shocks. Demountable' rims,j one-man top. rainvision wind-shield are among other big features—the Hupmobile is a perfect comfort car. The price is only £430 at main ports—a, luxurious 5-passenger car, fuly equipped. For free catalogueand further particulars apnly : Farmers' Co-opsrative Society Organisation. A Hatrick and Co., Ltd. Wanganui distributors for North Island.—Advt. 36

An everyday necessity in the home, office, shop or factoiy is BEE OINTMENT. This honest, old-fashioned remedy soothes and heals Cuts, Wounds; Bruises. Burns, Sores, Sprains and Swellings. ' It is composed qnly of staudard ingredients recognised by official medical text books. Is 6d buys sufficient to last many wwks —Advt.

Knitting Wool for Soldiers' Socks.— The famous English Woodbine 3^l'y Wheeling wool stocked by J. C. Gfillett is unequalled for comfort, warmtfr and durability. This is the best Wheeling wool on the market, and the price" is 7]3 a head.—Advt.

A London cablegram states: In the Gillies versus Gane milking machine, a iNew Zealand appeal case, judgment was reserved.

A Timaru man who is serving with the New Zealand Forco; in D'rance mentions in a letter that an Australian battery "has a German field niece firing back Fritz's wn aniniunitioii at him. They found a German battery blown

up, and out of the pieces they* put together one gun. -Tney had plenty of vierman. ammunition, and were highly delighted at their fortune and opportunity for the nrank."

The State Treasury received a big "windfall " yesterday (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph of" the 19th inst.) in the shape of "a cheque for £123,-394, being tne amount of stamp duty paid by the executors of the late* Mrs Waiter Hall, in respect of the New South Wales portion of the deceased lady's estate, which has been assessed by the Stamp Commissioner at £822,516." Ths Queensland portion of her estate1' was assessed at £245,996, but the assessment of the Victorian portion has not yet been completed.

It is iStated by an exchange that some days ago a returned soldier telegraphed to the Defence Department asking that his August pay snould be handed over, the telegram a "collect." in* reply, he was informed that the master was not a sufficiently urgent one to necessitate a telegram, since a letter would have been equally effective, and stating that "the sender owed the department Is 3jd for the telegram. The money for which application was made was five weeks over-due.

Once a year in Auckland (reports the Star), any person near the Strai-u Arcade, about 10.30 p.m., on the 21st of_October, will see a number of hardy 013 men snaking hands, and : e%c.h carries a churchwarden pipe as an evidence that he had been to the annual reunion of old salts on Trafalgar Day. Thirty-two members of the Royal I>av.al and Marine Veterans' Association attended the dinner tendered on Saturday nigflt in Prior's Strand Arcade, by-the president, Mr W. B. Leyland. Their united ages totalled 1827 years, the father of the lot being Mr J/Pridmore, who is within two months of, his 90th year, and still goes to work' regularly. He joined the Navy as far back as 1846. These 32 veterans had served in the following war vessels: 4-Caledonia, Niger,, Wolverine, Blanch, Trafalgar, Victory, Zealous, Repulse, Shannon, Duncan, Rodney, Ocean, Goliath, London, Euryalus, Racoon, Achilfes, Revenge, , Vanguard, Devastation, Aurora^ Inflexible,, Terrible, . Powerful, Pegasus, Australia, Phaeton, Nile, Blenheim, Brilliant, Collingwopdj Victoria^ and Colossus.