LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 15 January 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

By a fire 011 Friday at Mr J. A. Mac. Lean's Bunvood Station, forty miles from Lumsden,, a wocflshed containing 110 bales of wool, 1000 sheep and a shearing plant was destroyed. The:loss is approximately £4.000, It is reported that the insurance is £500. The count of the census shows «the North Island population to be 642,553, an increase of V 7,824, excluding military camps, and 87,502, including military camps. The population of the South Island is 448,064. an increas on 1911 of 3320. At the Magistrate's Court at "Wellington, Maurice Hope was fined £5 for making a disloyal statement regarding the war to some returned soldiers in a hotel bar. The remarks led to a.quarrel, in which Hone struck the soldier, whose comrades chased him. The Magistrate remarked that the case was not one for imprisonment. Defendant was prob. aßly under the influence of liquor when the remarks were made. An old couple, each of whom for the second time approached the altar at Charleston, on the West Coast, the other day, have more than done their duty to the State. By their previous marriages they brought into the world a total of twenty-one children, one having a family of ten and the other of eleven. The bridegroom has two sons at the front and the bride one, another about to depart, and two brothers in camp. Although there is a shortage of farm labor, tho JvaupoKonui suppliers are continuing to test as many cows as in previous years. During the past six months eighty to ninety milkmg machines have been installed, ana oy using the bucket plant, sampling and weighing can be carried out^just as quickly as by hand milking, ihis is proved by farmers who tested before installing machines, and who still continue to test. Speaking at the Hospitals Conference in Wellington the Minister of Public Health (Hon\ G. W. Russell) gave some interesting figures relating to the New Zealand death rate. "The death rate in New Zealand/ he said, "is the lowest in the world." During 1916, the deaths registered gave a percentage of. 9.06 per thousand of the mean population. In Australia, where the conditions were similar to New Zealand con. ditions, the Commonwealth average was 10.66. West Australia was 9.28, and the rate in Australia as a whole went up as high as 11.09. Cabinet was in session for the whole day on Friday (says th.c Dominion), dealing for a considerable part of tHe time with very important questions. One of them was that of giving more assistance to soldiers called up for military service, and another had to do with the preservation of national efficiency, the organisation of labor for essential industries, and other related subjects. The Acting-Prime Minister said that some progress had been made towards decisions on these matters, but they would come beforo a meeting of Cabinet again on Saturday, and then before an Executive meeting to-day (Monday). The Dominion's special correspondent at Feilding says that a subject of great importance to freezing companies has been brought into .view by a notification from the Imperial authorities declining to provide shipping space for frozen meat sundries, such a s tongues, tails, kidneys, liver, etc. It appears that the freezing companies have been receiving a good deal of revenue from the disposal of these frozen sundries at Home, though last season they were held up till the end of the season, having to give place to the more important products—wool, dairy produce, and meat. Ihey were all got away, however, when the clearance of the other products had been effected, and beyond a litble deterioration there was very little loss. Many curious articles are found at times in the penny-in-the-slot telephones (says the New Zealand Herald) Ixeces of lead, buttons, medals, and a host of other articles find their way into the slot," and it is on record that one foolish but conscientious caller even placed ; a penny stamp in the slot One day an irate lady called on the telegraph engineer, Mr R. M Baird and demanded her money back because she could get no answer to her call. She was asked if she had placed a pe?i ny«in $ c slot- Indignantly she said "No,", but she had placed two halfpennies m the machine. She seemed surprised when told that a tele- j phone is only a machine, and is not able to figure out that two halfpennies make one penny. Mr J. W. Stewart, of Messrs Stewart and Johnston, solicitors, of Auckland, returned recently from Vancouver, after a health trip extending over seven months. He told an Auckland Star reporter that at one of the large cities in w.hich he stayed for some time he had lived in an apartment with a Hebrew gentleman of German extraction. Being on friendly torms with him* he was rather diffident as to what--his attitude was in regard to the war. His mind was much relieved at an early stage of their acquaintance by his remarking, "Well Mr Stewart, as to the war, I'm like the old woman, I'm neutral; but I don t care who kills the Kaiser." At a re-union of Anzacs in Auckland Father Doie whose bravery in Gallipoh won him the Military Cross, was the guest of the evening.. It will be remembered that whilst rescuing wounded soldiers he was badly wounded at Chunuk Bair. Major I-taloh "W. Wyman, D.5.0., presided at -he function, ! and described Father Dore. as 'one of the finest and whitest. m«n who had left New Zealand for the front. '> Tt ther Dore was not only a rhaolain and a priest- he was a padre to si'] —friend guide, and counsellor of men, not only of the Catholic -communion, but rf ail denominations. He recounted many instances in which Father Dore had assisted wounded soldiers at the greatest personal risk. On behalf of the re turned members of the Main Body of the Auckland Mounted rifles. He'presented Father Dore with a <a.n& case of pipes in a silver box, bearing a suitable inscription. The recipient fuflingly replied.