LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 2 January 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

There were fewer people in town on New Year's Eve than on Christmas Eve, Jjut there seemed to be a fair amount of business. The evening passed quietly and without incident. A large number of people congregated at the corner of Princes and High streets just before midnight, the old year being farewelled, and the new year welcomed in usual fitting style. New Year's Day dawned amid heavy obuds, and severe westerly squalls, and the morning was completely spoilt by heavy rain. The streets were deserted, but during the afternoon the clouds cleared and a bright sun mocked at those who had hoped to "make a day of it" at the races, at bowls or tennis, or at the beach ,

The Standard reports that Palmerston is experiencing a severe epidemic of influenza at present, and during the past few days a large number of local residents have been compelled to lay up with the malady. •

At the bowling tournament at New Plymouth yesterday;, -J l£>d.e.o i —. Grant, Henso^-jila Tai'b (itowera) 9 lost to iPrree (Fitzoy) 15 in the fii-st round, and beat Beal (West End) 17—13 in the second round. In the third round Fra3er (New Plymouth) beat Tait 12.

Wild pigs so near as Redan are still in evidence, and they make incursions from their mountain lairs amongst farmers' flocks of sheep (reports the Wyndham Herald). In the past season one farmer lost 20 lambs through the depredations of a wild pig or pigs.

The Taihape Times reports that a shearer named W. Vella. who was out after the record tally at Mr J. McCarten's. shed on Friday, finished up with the world's record tally of 339 The previous bast tally was 333, put up by Riano, but Riano's tally was made on lambs. Vella's performance was the more meritorious when it is considered that five hours were, occupied °n ,bi^ ewes. Had the shearing been all lambs, five or six would have been added to the already remarkable tally.

As the second Auckland-Wellington cypress was proceeding down an embankment just after passing' Great-ford one morning last week a soldier on leave was observed to either jump or fall off the train (says the Manawatu Standard) Twenty minutes later a train from Wanganui ',o Palmerston was passing along, and on observing the soldier lying on thq track-side the engine-driver pulled up. A party of policemen »Y.o were en route to the Awapuni races took charge of the man, who on arrival at Palmerston received medical attention. He was not much worse off on account of his unenviable experiences.

Not until the end of the year are the official records completed, but it may be noted now that Wellington, though the central port of the Dominion, has shown during the year an appreciable decrease as far as crimes of any magniture are concerned (says the Post). "Gangs" of malefactors have not been in evidence, and in most cases a series of burglaries or house-breakings has been traced to one common source. Drastiee methods, too, have gone a long way towards "cleahing-up" the least desirable portions of the city, where, as one official remarked, "a holy calm reigned on Christmas Eve in place of the pandemonium that, so frequently hailed the festive season.'' The war is, of course, to a large extent resisonsible for the improved condition of affairs. Many criminal, or potential criminals, have been swept into the ranks; in some cases short sentences have given worthy place to long sentences, which have rid .;the city of undesirables for quite an appreciable period ; anti-shout-ing regulations have laid a heavy hand on the festive "rings" of merrymakers, and six o'clock closing has (generally speaking) had its effect. .During the present holiday season the streets have been crowded with people on pleasure bent, but the behaviour generally has ho-.\ r>::eellent.

A rather series accident occurred on Sunday at Alton to a young man named Edward McDonnell, who was assisting a neighbor in gathering in his hay crop (says the Patea Press). MacDonnell was working with a hay sweep and was in the act of clearing it. when the horses started forward, "dragging him with the sweep for some distance, bruising him terribly and breaking two of his ribs, one of the latter penetrating the lung. The unfortunate man was taken to the Patea hospital where it vras found that, besides the injuries mentioned, he was suffering severely from .shock. A

To-day was observed as a close holi-' day in town by the business people. '=; The police report that there were no j arrests for insobriety during the New Year. -

This morning's express train wasi very "heavy, and it was crowded with passengers for the Stratford races before it left New Plymouth. A number of cars were taken off at Stratford, and on arrival at Hawera a couple of vans had to be put on to accommodate travellers joining the train here. A large party of Maoris boarded the tram at Norman by for Wanganui. A witness before the First Auckland Military Service Board expressed the view that motor cars were more essential in the country than in the towns. He cave, as a reason, that, owing' to the shortage of paid labor, farmers had to do more woi*k themselves, and,, consequently, to save time when transacting business away from the farm, they had to keep a motor car or a light vehicle. -

On Friday the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey) received tiie following cablegram from the officer commanding the New Zealand Wireless i roop in Mesopotamia, dated from Bagdad: "New Zealand Wireless Troop in Mesopotamia heartily thanks you for your kind messages and greetings and reciprocates. Wie are. determined-'to

maintain our • good name, " and keep going until the common menac© is smashed. —Major Mair." A Times representative brought under the notice of the Prime Minister the following published statement: "It! is understood that the Government i& likely to- virtually suspend the New Zealand hemp industry, in order to divert labor from flaxmilling to har- i nesting; further,'that; in order to ac-i complish this, control-may, be taken of the flax industry by the Government in its own behalf, or. acting for the Imperial Government." Mr Maswey said that he knew nothing of any such proposal, and that no such suggestion had been made to Cabinet by the National Efficiency Board. Mr W. H. Field, M.P. for the district, has received a letter from the Minister for Defence, intimating that! the motor" ambulance donated by the I children of the Otaki district, organ-! lsed for the purpose by Sister Lewis, I was duly purchased in London, and I was for some time doing its good work at the front (says the Chronicle). It is a "star" ambulance, with four (stretchers complete, lettered in red, "New Zealand Expeditionary Force"' and n m script, "A gift from the Maori children of Otaki, New Zealand." The Minister further intimates that two consecrated flags, purchased by subscription raised by Sister Lewis at the same time, and which, on their return, are to be sent to Otaki and Levin respectively, have been forwarded to the New Zealand Pioneer Bat-1 tahon in France. One will be placed ! in the Maori Church at Otaki, and the other m the State school in Levin. j A good deal of public feeling has been aroused in Pahiatua" (says the Herald) over what appears to be unaue leniency extended to a local reservist by the military , authorities. trom. the information available, it appears that the reservist in question' was drawn in a ballot some time ago. After being passed as fit by bna medical board he appealed for. a re-examina-tion, and was again declared to be up to the standard physio%J'y. He i,hen appealed against woirfcf Inn or three times. Once his oaso mas /^opened-, tut it seems that ho resorted to letterwriting instead of personally appearing before the Appeal Board. By this means he got several months' respite. • Finally, however, he was ordered into camp, failed to report, and was gazetted as a deserter. Because of his mode of living, his previous history ana other Incidentals, some trouble wa s evidently, expected, and on the day he was required to report for military duty the local police descended on his pjace of residence, and found he had vanished. A diligent search was made, md after several weeks the reservist i-js-aa. run to earth by the Palmerstoni police at the Tow. of^ the Tararua ranges, after a number of tarfhoj.s' ,l?jv! ders had been raided in the noi^ihor-! hood. The man appeared before tW -.lagistrate at Palmerston on charges! of theft, and was,sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment, to be afterwards handed pver to the military authorities for punishment as a deserter. -In most instances desertion means a spell in gaol, i but this reservist is now again at large I and it is stated that he has been granted! i extended leave. Local residents are inquiring why,.

• mthe latest casualty list the following laranaki names appear: Killed in action: E-. D. Alexander (D. Alexander, Tikorangi, father), W. F. Ter-i-iU ,(C H. TerrilL Waitara, wife). Aiiissing: F. W. Deakin (F. W. Deakin, Kaupokonui, wife). Wounded: G. E Arney (H. C. Arney, Inglewood, brother), A. H. Chard (E. Chard, Inglewood, mother), C. H. Neolson (L G. Neuron Manaia, father), E. F Friston (F. Friston, Hawera, father). The following names- appear in the latest hospital report: Severe cases, Seconrllaeut. A. Smith, A. Bowie (Taranaki) Aot severe cases: W. D. Cunningham, E-i. F' £ ris£ n <Hawera>> p- c- a-ettte! well, U. W. Matthews (Omata), M. Petroz C. Reeves (Elthara), B. Weller (New Plymouth). S. M.-Hopson (Ingle-™°°-?2'/iV> Jl ,^ ayn ° (Hawera), L. H. smith-(laranaki), W. G. Warren (New Plymouth).

Tlie best season we have since the war began," was the unanimous reply or tne various retailers interviewed by a Lnristchurch Press representative and they included drapers, toy dealers, booksellers, art dealers, jewellers, and chiiiaware merchants, all those, in fact who deal not so much in the necessities ior the testive period as in the luxuries. A gentleman who makes a speciality of high-class china, besides selling the cheaper ware, stated that he had been so rushed with .orders that ho could not give delivery in time for Christmas. It was confidently anticipated that jewellers would in particular be badly hit by the continuation £t the war, but this Christmas they have done a roaring trade, in some eases better than the seasons they experienced in th c years before the war. lne booksellers had the same tale to tell, and so had the other tradespeople interviewed The rush to spend was not confined to the country people who are alleged by disgruntled city ™* to be coming money, but thousands or townspeople who complain bitterly SL 7 ever-increasing cost of living appeared to be viemg with one another ? P^b/ 1?11^ articles which by no stretch of imagination could be termed necessities.