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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11478, 5 March 1918, Page 4

The Defence Minister has received a message stating that the 34th Reinforcements have arrived at a port of call, all w,pH. The Prime Minister states that, the Government has decided to remit £IO,OOO for the relief of the sufferers by the Halifax disaster. - i.«*Lvam The directors of the New Zealand Drug Company recommended' a dividend of p=r cent., making 8 per cent, for the year. The Defence authorities have fixed March 25th as the lest day upon which employers and others may lodge applications for leave for members of the 37th |Reiuforcoments. If you intend preserving fruit lor the coming winter do so a without delay, for all lines mentioned here are going up. Some will be unobtainable very shortly. Pears, Williams, Bon Chretien, Irom 131bs upwards, 3d lb; pesfches, choice dessert, or bottling, 6s 3d case 2411); tomatoes choice table, Gd lb, 9s case; French beans, very young for pickling, 121bs 2s Gel.—J. B. Barrington, Miirton.*

In accordance with fthe expressed wish of the Feilding Borough Council, convoyed to the Licensing Committee .by the Mayor, that as there is, at present no contentious question under debate that would warrant the cost of an election, the expense ought to be avoided, Messrs Goodbehere, Cobbe, Short, Booth and ‘Williamson have been re-elected unopposed. The project to erect an Opera House in Rimbolton Road, Feilding, next to the Manchester Hotel, which was formed over a year ago and appeared'to have failed, has been again revived, and is now likely to be realised. The proposal is to use the building for kinematograph shows as well as to let it to concert parties. Possibly as a result, alterations are being made at the Lyceum with the intention of improving the seating accommodation and reducing the pnoe of admittance to the ground floor front ser.ts from Is to(sd and to the gallery from Is (id to Is. A well-attended and orderly meeting was hold ’in Foxton on Friday night, addressed by the Hon. W. ’Earusha\v and the Rev. G. Knowles Smith, with the object of forming a branch of the Protestant Political Association. The Press Association reports that the Mayor presided, and a motion w'as carried unanimously to form s branch. Mr Earuslmv trenchantly criticised ths disloyalty of tho Labour Party and the tsetios pursued in preventing free speech during the Wellington North election.

A special meeting of the Martou Borough Council was held last evening, there ‘ being present: The Mavor (Mr F. C. Wilson), snd Ors. J. Wilson, J. Hunter, J. G. Harris, J. A. Bush and H. Sutcliffe. It was resolved (Grs. Sutcliffe—Harris), That the resolution passed at a special meeting of the Council hold on Monday, 4th February, IBIS, adopting various amendments to the Merton Borough general by-laws, 1913, at this special meeting be confirmed. The first day of April, 1918, was fixed for the coming into force of the amended by-laws. Mr Pett Ridge, speaking in London, said; “In a military hospital, a man asked me whether I could get him ‘Twenty thousand Leagues Under the Sea.’ He said, ‘I began it twenty years ago. I borrowed it from ’ another man. Somebody pinched it from me, when I was half-way through it, and I’ve never had i,« chance of getting to the end of it. ’ I found tho book, and took it to him. He said,‘l’m very glad to h:.vo it. I began it twenty years ago ’ I said, ‘Yes, but vou’ve read a large number of books since then, haven’t you?’ The man replied, ‘Uh, no, never tried another!”

In the Wanganui Supreme Court yesterday Barbara Reid, wife of Alexander Reid, of Hunterville, petitioned for a divorce from her husband on the ground of adultery; Petitioner said her husband left her at Hunterville in November because lie bad got into trouble with Mrs Kabone, and there were divorce proceedings. There were seven children of the marriage. Frederick William Hart, Deputy-Registrar of the Supremo Court at Wanganui, gave official evidence of the Baboue v. Rabone divorce case. Mr W. Armstrong appeared for petitioner, and his Honour granted a decree nisi, to be made absolute in three months, petitioner to have the custody of the children. Costs on the highest scale were allowed.

The cause of a kea attacking its first sheep was the subject of an interesting theory propounded to a Christchurch pressman by a backstation owner. The station owner stated that a common weed found on the high country was known as the vegetable sheep plant. It grew in clusters, and was a mass of tiny star shaped dowers closely and strongly matted. Its appearance was a white and woolly one, and dotted over the hillside in small clumps, the resemblance to a flock of sheep resting was a startling one. The main item of the diet of the kea was the roots of this plant, and to read; them the bird had to tear the matted dower aside. Tims it was reasonable to suppose that the bird might easily alight by mistake on a sheep lying down. It would certainly have no more difficulty in tearing aside the wool than in the getting at the roots of the plant. Recent happenings seenrto point to the conclusion that Napier is under the spell of a fire raiser, says the jjawke’s Bay Herald. Within the past two or three months some half-dozen mysterious outbreaks have occurred, and no explanation of their origin has been revealed. Following on the outbreak at the Congregational Church a week ago another incipient fire was discovered in an outhouse at another place of worship. This was luckily noticed by the caretaker, who was able to suppress it without the necessity of raising an alarm. Alongside where this outbreak occurred, it is stated that the caretaker found a quantity of paper and inflammable refuse in a small cupboard, having apparently been deliberately placed therein to assist the spread df the fire. Had the discovery not been made so opportunely a disastrous outbreak would probably have resulted. The frequency of these occurrences is causing a decided feeling of unrest and anxiety in the community. Messrs Lloyd’s, Ltd., dressmaking department is now under the management of Miss Gillespie, who is a first-class modiste. Ladies can rely on getting the usual courteous attention and every satisfaction regarding smart styles and perfect fitting garments. On page 1 will be found the firm’s replace avertisement, calling special attention to their new dress fabrics.*