LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 October 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A London cablegram reports the death of Mr. Leonard Harper, ton of the exBishop of Christehurch.

At an early hour yesterday morning the plate glass window of Dunningham's jewellery shop at Hastings was found smashed and jewellery to the value ot £3OO missing. Finger-prints and blood on the broken glass provide the only elue.

At the Rotorua Magistrate's Court on Tuesday Henry Ajspenden and William Neil, billiariiroom keepers at (Mamaku, pleaded guilty to sly-grog selling. Mr. Dyer, S.M., sentenced Aspenden to a month's imprisonment and lined 'N'eil .-C25, the la'tter's ease being less flagrant. '.Several men who were caught drinking on the defendants' place were lined £5 each.

At Wednesday's meeting of the Eltliam Borough Council tbt 'Mayor (Mr, B. Dive) stated that he felt his position as Mayor untenable, because in his efforts to bring about a more satisfactory condition so far as the finances of the borough were concerned, he had not the support of councillors. It was his intention to resign from the position of Mayor after the gasworks loan was fixed up. At a sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Mr. A. Croolce, S.M., pi"esiding, Leo W. Walsh was fined 5s and costs 12s for failing to attend drill, and Thomas Ward (Mr A. H. Johnstone) was fined 10s and costs 7s for failing to attend camp. Sidney Simons was fined 5s and costs 7s for leaving a vehicle in the street unattended and wheel unlocked. For allowing a horse to wander Mts. B. Wisnewski was fined £1 and costs ;£! 2s.

Frank Slavin, the old-time prizefighter, lias enlisted with a Canadian contingent. He if 54 years of age. Slavin fought in battle* in the bure-kmirk )e day.-i. lift I; native of Maitland, Kc>v South Wales. In his day he fought all the principal lighters, including Laing (N/w Zealand cham])ion), whom he <• <■ - i'eatcd; Jem Smith, ihe representative of the roughs of .Hngland; jack Kilrain and I'. Jackson, the last being sensational rounds, and ending in Slavin being knocked out.

Glasgow is proud of her women warworkers. One sees them everywhere; on trams, motors, vans and ambulance-cars; delivering letters from door to door, hurrying nhout the Central Stu/tion with brush and pail, collecting tickets at the different gangways, in the booking ollices, bearing the torch to light the darkening city. What strikes one most in watching the worker is the business-like sensible manner in which she goes about her work, the plain, practical neatness of her attire, and her courtesy towards the public.

A trooper who was wounded at the Dardanelles and is now in hospital at Alexandria, in a recent letter to his relatives in Palmerston, makes a plea to recruits to recognise their responsibilities and offer their services to their country. He says: "A young man witli any spirit of patriotism in him at all should he ashamed to be in plain clothes just now if he has a chance of going to the front and does not take it on. Tell any of the young fellows you chance to meet to 'think of the latls who have fallen fighting for them. These homebirds will probably get off to town and make men of themselves by enlisting."

There are two picture slum's in liltfiam; one run by the municipality, the other 'by the Princess Company, (in Wednesday, the Borough Council received an offer from the rival concern of £3 His per week, which drew from Cr. Hill the remark that the Council was given credit for possessing no business ability, and from Cr. Lightbourn the statement that it was an insult to the Borough's ability and enterprise. The Mayor (Mr. Dive), said the offer was not worth entertaining. They had not heard him ever boast mucll, but he was going to take a hand in this picture business, and lie would make a boast that there would lie only one picture show in Ellham. and that very shortly, lie for one absolutely refused to consider the offer on any grounds whatever, remarks the Argus.

A charge of riding a bicycle on the footpaths in Pukekura Park was heard against James H'stford at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Mr. A. Crooke, S.M. presiding. Rest lord admitted the offence, hut pleaded that he ilid not know it was against tile bylaws to ride in the park, and he was sorry for what hi' hud done. Mr. J, [l. Quilliam l who appeared for ti: Pukekura 'Park Board), said that these proceedings had been taken to put a stop to the practice of riding bicycles in the. park. Only a few days before (hi? offence was committed a child was knocked down in the park by a cyclist. Counsel did; not. press for a heavy penalty but employed this case in order to give publicity to the Hoard's intention to stop the practice. A fine of 5s and costs 7s was inflicted.

A portable l-ille shield, which appears to give every promise of being a most effective prot,"ci ion for soldiers engaged in active niililarv operations, has been invented by Mr. O. M. Ib'dberg. of Wellington, ami Mr. V,'. V. G. Scott, of Auckland, and has n doty patented. The shie'd is of convenii'ii! .-.lnroc. it is clipped on to tin' rille by spring-; ovtantl.v adapted or relea-cd. It is oi ixlreme value, eilher ill 'trench or open lighting, or for snipers, apil al-o in bi.nonc:. work, and iu each case it affords full protection for all fiie vital parts from the head downward-. It is constructed of a specially hardened steel, and will weigh about ■l'ibs. Being- made collapsible, it (its inio a very small compass when not in u»c. Tlx l pa'\.it rights of the invention have been offered to the Belgian Government free of charge, and it has been accepted by them. The inventors are now bavin", a steel model made, and is being iested by the defence authorities in Wei-

i'eeion. One loilitary man who inspect- ■ 1 I lie shield s'ated that il would lessen the casualties by at least 25 per cent.

The Nmv Zealand Loan and MeivanIil<! Agooey Ltd., draw t!w attention of 11i(.. publi'. to their Supplementary Bull l'oir. which they lire holding in their Stratford .yards' on Moudav next. yovciiiliei' I. Full particulars will be found in our adi'erl,isins' columns 011 £ of this issue.

The, first meeting of the provisional directors of the South Turumtki Amusements Co.. Ltd." was held at [Jmvera lai-t night. The company has gone to al!"t----nient. the .minimum number of shares being considerably exceeded. The. New Zealand Loan ami Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., have received the following cablegram from their London house under date 28th inst:—"Active competition good wool; faulty neglected. Compared with first October market firm. Good Merino, Greasy Crossbreds 5 per cent., slipe 2%' to 5 higher. America competing."