LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1916, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A remarkable indictment of the Gernans, written by cue of their minibor, i published On page i of this issue, vhere cablegraphic ami other news of nterest will also be found. On page t appears an account of the late Emperor Franz Joseph's "friend," and nessages dealing with the subjects of jeace and the British air defence. A telegraphic message received tolay by the clerk of the Whangarei Magistrate's Court, from Constable McLean, :t:.ted that a child of six years had died suddenly at Opua yesterday and that an inquest was being held today before a justice of the ptfaee. At the Whangarei Magistrate's Court this morning, before Messrs J. McKinnon and Hy. Weaver, J.'sP., two first offenders appeared on charges of inebriety. One was convicted ft lid discharged nnd the other convicted and fined lOsj or 48 hours' imprisonment. James Brett was charged, on the information of the police* with committing a grossly indecent act, and was lined £1, or three days' imprisonment iii default. Mr Clement Wruggo has prepared a special weather forecast for the year 1917, especially referring to all coastal districts between East Cape and Cape Colville. His opinion is that the year will prove distinctly good, particularly in the matter of rainfall. Speaking of the rcent abnormally wet season, Mr Wragge says it was due to titanic wireless waves hurled into the solar system by tremendous upheavals and huge cyclones lately operating in the sun. Whangarei reinforcement representatives have done exceptionally well in the recent examination for commissions. Sixty candidates sat for live appointments, and two of these were respectively secured by Company Ser-geant-Major A. Jack (son of his Worship the Mayor of Whangarei), and Sergeant H. Carruth (son of Mr W. A Carruth), The gaining of these lieutenancy commissions means that the successful candidates will, if the usual procedure is followed, be posted to the 25th Reinforcement draft and will not leave New Zealand until next May. Messrs Watson and Over have made arrangements with Mr W. A. I/)w, the well-knc'wn theatrical manager, to produce the celebrated London picture "Jane Shove," consisting of 7000 feet, jii Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 13th, 14th raid loth inst. Arrange, tnents have also been made tor the screening of the Wolgast-Rivers picture for the light-weight championship of the world, which was fought m Los Angeles before 30.000 people. Rivers, of England, won this strenuous fight after 13 rounds of sensational fighting. The management of the Britannia are also negotiating with Mr Low to show some more of his exclusive pictures. Full particulars of these films will be announced later. Everywhere throughout the Whangarei and northern districts there is a remarkable pasturage sward as a consequence of the continuous rain, but it becomes apparent that the nutriment of the grass is not proportionate to the quantity. Arapohue, for instance, a well-known pastoral district of the Northern Wairoa, is again the premier ■supplier to the Mangawhare butter factory, and great quantities of cream aro laily being conveyed to the several wharves. The lush of pasture has resulted in abnormal milk yields, but dairymen have been surprised to find that their butterfat returns did not rise correspondingly with the increased hulk of milk. Some suppliers, not satisfied with the factory test, forwarded ,-amples of their cream to the dairy divison of the Agricultural Department, only to learn that they had been receiving the full value for their cream

Discussing German war finance and the boast of her economists and statesmen that Germany is self-contained, and, therefore, all the money spent on the war is spent at home, the New York "World" sarcastically observes: "This must be why they kick so over the British blockade." It likens Germany's financial plight to that of the Southern Confederacy during the Civil war, which was equally self-contained. Just as the German Government issues paper money in unlimited quantities, which goes back to the Government to buy war bonds, which are then hypothecated for more money to buy more bonds, the vicious chain having no ending, so the Confederacy kept all its money and bonds at home until everybody was rich in terms of paper, and prices and wages soared. .But the Confederacy, the New York "World" remarks, was starved rather than shot into surrender. "There is every reason to bclievo that the country's call for men appealed as strongly to the criminal as to other classes," the British Commissioners of Prisons remark"" in their annual report for the year ended March 31 last, in commenting 011 the remarkable decrease of crime. They quote what a young burglar, one of a gang of five, told the chaplain of a London prison: that all Ms four pals had enlisted, two being killed and two wounded, and that he meant to go and "do his as soon as he got out, a promise, they add, which he faithfully redeemed. An enthusiastic prison chaplain was moved to write: "Beyond a doubt, under these broad-arrowed garments there beats many a heart still responsive to the loftiest sentiments of loyalty and patriotism." The Commissioners themselves declare of "the man fresh from penal servitude, the lad from a Borstal institution, the petty thief and the habitual drunkard" that "their country's call has touched a fibre in the heart of many whose lives hitherto had been shown to be irresponsive to all other calls and motives to honest living and good conduct. ''

In the report of Thursday 's garden fete a typographical error made it appear that Mrs G. Woolley had assisted ut the jumble stall. The name should have been Miss G. Wboll^y. The fruitgrowers in the Auckland Province arc taking active steps to secure a worthy display of Auckland Fruit at the National Fruit Show which is to be held under the auspices of the New Zealand Federation of Fruitgrowers in May next in Duuedin. Aa energetic committee has been set up in Auckland and this body is arranging to have Ideal representatives in the different fruitgrowing centres, so as to help in the project. It is pointed out that it has long been known that we can grow good fruit in the Auckland province, but the time has come who , we must demonstrate this fact in competition with the finest fruit of the Dominion, put up in the most attractive manner, with the greatest skill and with all the accessories that make for effectiveness. The fruit industry is only in its infancy, and as in the Auckland province there are still very largo nreas of excellent fruit land available, anything that will help to foster the interests of the fruit business should result in the further development 0, , ' the resoup-rs of the Xyrth. Another argument used by the committee fu making ;m exhibit at Dunedin, is thn? the annual Dominion fruit show of 1J» 18 is to be hold in Auckland, and the experience gained in showing at Dunedin in May next would be of incalculable value in the year following, when all Xew Zealand would be exhibiting in Auckland.