LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 33, 1 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Reference to school libraries is made in the annual report of the Wellington Board of Education. Subsidy, it is stated, was paid on a number of donations to school libraries. The board’s desire is that a larger number claim it.

“Apropos the war loan campaign,” writes a London correspondent, the following from a provincial paper is a tribute to the Prime Minister’s eloquence: ‘Mr Massey, the New Zealand Premier, who is known as "Farmer Bill” at home, so impressed a meeting at Swindon that two farmers there said they would put in £SOOO each.' ”

President Wilson, 21st February, received an appeal from thousands of women in the world’s richest city who are unable to get food, says an American exchange. They are pleading for soma action that will bring food to their starving children. They have pointed out that their husbands’ wages have entirely failed to beep pace with the rapid advance in food prices. The opinion has been often expressed that there are too many restrictions on Sunday amusements. To test the feeling of tho people of Greymouth on the maiter, the Borough Council decided to submit a referendum on the question of allowing picture shows to open on Sundays. By a good majority uhe proposal to allow Sunday picture shows was carried-

A Westport soldier in Franco, writing to hie friends, says: “If the Labour people here or in England were to strike, they would stop the war all right, but it would be a complete German victory. Almost as much depends on the labourers in England as on the soldiers here, and, so far, I think, they have done splendidly. Here everybody is a soldier—women as well as men, unfit as well as fit. The Government practically runs everything.

A farmer from the Wanganui district informed a “Times” reporter last week that every effort is being made to carry out the Government’s wishes by putting a greater area of land under the plough, but the work is being made more difficult owing to the scarcity of labour. He stated that on two occasions practically all his farm ' hands, including ploughmen, had been called up in the ballot, and now the only European ploughman he has been able to secure has been ordered to join the forces. Under the conditions that exist, he says that as far as his district is concerned something will need to be done to retain ploughmen in New Zealand, otherwise there will be a falling-off instead of an increased output of foodstuffs. The problem of deer and crops was discussed at a meeting of farmers in Glasgow in January. One speaker declared that the only effective method of exterminating deer would be by utilising a regiment of soldiers, systematically beating up lands infested by deer, and have expert rifle shots stationed on the different passes. Deer not only ate crops, but in winter and spring large quantities of food-stuffs were transported on the Highland railways to feed the animals. Another point was that deer were developing their liking for cultivated crops to such an extent that ere long cultivation would cease in the Highlands. The maximum point in gun and shell production has been reached in Great Britain, says the “Scientific American,” and there will be a gradual return of plants and labour to domestic production and export. The Ministry of Munitions states that there are now 4623 plants controlled by the Government factories, and that in these factories are engaged no less than 2,225,000 employees. That a great proportion of labour is so employed is shown by tße fact that about one-half of the entire membership, 5,000,000, of the trade unions is engaged in munition making. On Saturday morning last 4 man named James Cass, alias Walker, alias Joe Kennedy, was arrested in Havelock by Constable Douglas on the charge of drunkenness and using obscene language. Accused, who has a fairly long list of previous convictions against him, appeared yesterday before Messrs B. H, Smith and W. H. Orsman, J.’s P., and received the surprisingly light sentence of one month’s imprisonment. No fewer than twelve million letters (including 100,000 registered packets) are received. and forwarded to the troops overseas every week, and a million parcels besides. Of course this is ill normal times; at Christmas everybody who had a husband,brother, son, or close friend at the front sent some little gift to cheer him and remind him of the folks at home, which meant that five million Christmas parcels were received in a period of nineteen days alone. Economical mothers buy “NAZOL”— the beet family cough and cold remedy. Beady for instant use. Sixty full doses cost eighteenpence. “NAZOL” is cheapest in the end. For Children’s Hacking Cough at night, .Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. 1/6 2/6.