LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Daily Now* will not lie published next Saturday (Christmas Day) or on the following Saturday (New Year's Day).

A London cable says that freights to Australia and Xew Zealand will be advanced 10s all round from January 1. Over twenty dogs have been poisoned in or about the main street of Otaki. One of the victims was a bulldog valued at £SO.

A letter received in Pahiatua district from a non-com, at Ciallipoli stated that General Oodley had informed the men on parade that there was no chance for the war ending for at least two years.

The Minister of Defence stated that the second half ton of butter donated by the farmers of Auckland province had been most gratefully received by the crew of H.M.S. Philomel.—Press Association.

The Post says that the mail train was crowded with holiday-makers on Saturday morning, that day being the first of the period for the issue of excursion tickets. The mail was about ten minutes late in leaving Stratford.

Good business was done at the Red Cross Mart in Devon Street on Saturday, when £2O was taken. Tho mart will not be open for the next two Saturdays, which are holidays, but will reopen on Saturday, January Bth. ft is understood (states the sporting writer of the Otago Daily Times) that the dividend declared on Leading Lady in {he Anzac Welter at Queenstown was the smallest ever issued under Mr. James' totalisator management, which extends over a period of 20 years. The Home liner Star of India passed New Plymouth yesterday morning, en route from Wftitara to Gisborne, and on the calm sea of a glorious summer's day the large steamer presented a striking picture as she steamed slowly along, not far from land. At Waitara, the Star of India loaded 1200 bales of wool and a large cargo of frozen produce. A christening of more than usual interest was performed at St. Mary's Church, Wyndham, last Sunday morning, when the triplets of Mr and Mrs. Ernest Genge were the subjects (says the HeralS). It was the first christening that the Rev, H. J, L. Goldthorpe had been called on to perform, and he will, no doubt, have special reason to remember it.

The Omata Dairy Company on Saturday, paid out £IOOO to suppliers for November milk, at the rate of Is 2d per lb. They aJeo received advice from Mr. Newton King, agent for Messrs Davidson, Glasgow, tbat their shipment of butter per the Riuiutaka had realised 3GBs, which is a very fine price for salted butter. This shipment comprised the whole of the September make. A special train arrived in New Plymouth shortly after six o'clock last night with members of the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, who have been granted leave until January 3. Altogether four special trains left Eangiotu yesterday, running to Wellington, Napier, New Plymouth, and Auckland. The train for New Plymouth brought about 160 men, for Taranaki, who left the train in groups at the different sttions, about 35 men coming on to New Plymouth. Captain Hornsell was the only officer who returned to New Plymouth.

An offer to sell to tlie New. Zealand Government the perpetual lease of a number of phosphate-bearing islands in the Pacific engaged the attention and consideration of the Board of Agriculture at its last meeting. Careful enquiries were made in reference to the matter (says the Wellington Post) and it was finally decided after reports had been obtained from officers of the Department that the present was not an opportune' time to enter into any such negotiations, and the Board could not, therefore, recommend the Government to go any further in the matter.

An interesting entry at the Gore Show the other day was the "largest family," for which a prize of £5 was given by an unknown donor (says the Mataura Ensign).) There was some misunderstanding in regard to when the "class" was to be judged, with the result that one or two entries at least | were not forwarded. It is also stated i that the wet morning prevented some families living in the country districts getting into the show in time. There were three entries, and Mrs. Walton (Mataura) with 11 fine, healthy children, secured the verdict of the Minister of Agriculture, who acted as judge. At a meeting of the executive of the Taranaki Friendly Societies' Hospital Association, held in Stratford on Friday, it was shown that the following [amounts had been paid during the quarter ending September to the following hospitals: New Plymouth £152 10s, Hawera £74 3s 6d, Stratford £32 j 12s Cd, Patea £l9 2s. During October the New Plymouth hospital received £2Ol lis fid, Hawera £53 12s Bd, Stratford £52 Is, Patea £l3O, Eotorua Sanatorium £22 7s, Pahnerston hospital £5 3s fid, and sundry refunds had been made .to members who had paid their own accounts amounting to about £SO. A curious situation arose at a meeting recently called 'by the Bluff Horticultural Society. By some means one portion of the committc held a meeting in one building, while the other half went ahead with the business in another building—each oblivious of the other. Finally, after each meeting had concluded its business, the mistake was discovered. The question then arose as to which meeting was to be regarded as valid. In the end it was decided to declare both null and void and to comment* a fresh meeting. In a letter to a friend in Wellington, Lieutenant D. MoCurdy, who is assist-ant-director o? army postal services In Alexandria, describes the field post offices as holes dug in the hillside. "In Alexandria," he says, "I have a large building for a post office. There are four rooms, and I have a staff of 33 non-com-missioned officers and men, and tlioy have to work very hard to keep the work up-to-date. The post office works well, but there are lots of complaints at times. They lire usually caused through the men not sending word that they have been transferred from one hospital to another.

The following new books have been added to the Carnegie Library:— "Where there are Women," M. and A. 'Barclay: "A '.Risky liatne." H. Bindloss; "The German Enigma," G, Bourdon; "The Rod Glutton," I. 8, Cobb; "The Caretaker." Fergus Hume: 'The Nations at War," L. Cecil Jane; "Sinister Street. Vol. 2," C. Mackenzie; "Love in 'Fetters," R. Marsh; "Ordeal hv Battle," F. S. Oliver; "The Gate-, of Silence," h. Russell; "Room' Nineteen," F. Warden; "Gerald Northrop,'' C. C. Washburn; "The Research Msirrtiflcent," H. G. Wells; "South America," W. H. Koobel; "K," Mary R Rhineliart; "Nicky Haw, Eeaeryiat," Q.