LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

English and Australian mails, e* Ma nuka at Wellington, arrived la-.t night.

The Chief Postmaster advise;.:—Hails despatched via Trisco on November 11 arrived at, 'Frisco on Ist ins,!, (due date.) and at London on 17th in-st. (five days late). Those via Suck, despatched on October 21 and 29, arrived in London on the oth inst.

The officer in charge of a Defence Oflice in Taranaki lias just received the following letter from a Terirtnrial:— "In replie to your letter why I have not atend praiil, I never recived any nottiec to atend, if you well let me knowe when prad day is | bam quit wiling to atend.' 1 Education in New Zealand is free, secular and compulsory!

A meeting was held in the Wcstowii hall on .Monday to arrange a farewell to seven residents of W'estowii and Franklev road, who are shortly leaving for the 'front. It was decided to hold a concert and dance in the Westown hall on Monday, December 27th, at which a presentation to each member leaving for the front will be made. Particulars of the concert will he advertised later.

New Plymouth gets a lot of holiday support from Klthain (says the Argus). Half the people of this town appear to be making arrangements for spending their holidays at the seaside town. We are not. surprised, for with the seaside and the recreation grounds all facilities are offered in New Plymouth for spending a very pleasant holiday. A circus showed in Eltham on Saturday night to a ''beggarly array of empty benches." The showman who thinks that he can fill his house by merely exhibiting a few posters and thus dispense with newspaper advertising does not know the A.B.C. or his business. The life blood of the show business is advertising, and experienced showmen know it.—Argtis. Writes a correspondent just returned from Wellington:—'The hotels are making a fortune in Wellington out of the soldier boys. Hundreds of them are in the city every day. With all due respect to the Hon. Mr. Allan and his championing of concentration camps, I am quite sure from what I saw in Wellington, that they are a mistake. The temptations of a city are not good for the young fellow in khaki." Whilst in Wellington lately, Mr, D. J, Hughes brought under the notice, of Sir Joseph Ward the difficulty farmers arc experiencing in filling up their income papers. Mr. Hughes suggested the Department should insert a notification in the papers that a competent man would meet farmers in different towns and help them to fill in their returns. Sir Joseph thought it was a good suggestion and promised to see what he could do in the matter.

An amusing instance of tho. slipshod legislation and the ineptitude of the Education Department is shown in connection with the now boundaries of the Taranaki and Wanganui Education districts (says the Feilding Star). The former with nearly half again as big a district as formerly will have the number of members of the Education Board reduced from nine to six, while ■Wanganui, with a reduction of about a seventh in the aizo of its district, will have the number of members increased from nine to ten!

From a neighboring town the Eltham Argus hears of some soldiers on furlough who have openly expressed their inte.ntin of extending their leave until after the New Year, and stated that they will not go back to camp until after then. We jjope that they are only joking, because for a soldier to deliberately exceed his leave is a serious offence, and we should not like to see any of our gallant young fellows get into trouble with the camp authorities. In connection with the blocking of the Mokau River, which is causing grave concern to all parts of the district, the Waitara Chamber of Commerce has written to the Mokau Harbor Board asking that body to bring under the notice of the, Government the impeded navigation of the national highway, and suggesting that every local body should be asked for their support in a request for Government assistance in remedying the evil.

At the breaking-up of the Hawera District High School, the headmaster (Mr. Strack) Btated that certificates would be given for attendance, and application had been made for upwards of fifty. Special mention was made ef the regularity of Fergus Doig, who had attended school for six years, and had never been absent for one half-day. Fergus finished up his course in the primary department by gaining a proficiency certificate in Standard VI. and the dux position of the school.—Star.

The Ngamotu Seaside Committee are to the fore this year with their arrangements for the annual picnic, which takes place on that lovely beach Ngamotu Foreshore on New Year's Day. The programme embraces every form of amusement to meet the desires of the little folk. The Marathon Squad Race fsr the Red Post Silver Challenge Cup, promises to be keenly competed for. Thirty-six boys have already decided to face the barrier, with a probability of two more teams, making forty-eight in all.

In a letter from a hospital at Cairo, a Taranaki boy says:—''Some highly colored accounts appear in the New Zealand papers about happenings'over here, and the authors fall in for a good deal of chaff when the papers arrive here. Especially »a in cases where a chap's males find that he has been stretching things. One sergeant, who has been engaged on transport work in Egypt and has never seen the Peninsula, wrote a great account to his wife of what he did at the landing at Gaba Tepe, never dreaming that she would send it to the local paper." An official statement has been made to the effect that an important gathering of M&orio is to be Lfld at Mercer on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for the purpose of discussing the attitude of the natives towards the matter of recruiting. It is expected that there will be an attendance of nearly 2000 natives, which will includo Sir James Carroll, Dr. Pomare and Mr. Ngata. Hitherto there has not been complete unanimity amsng the Maori tritas on this question, but it is suggested thac the conference is likely to smooth out all difficulties and lead the way to conformity of action among the Maoris.

Mr. B. O. Moberley, of the A.M.P. Society, has an attractive advertisement, in this issue. All persons, whether possessed of small or large means, should certainly peruse it. The Melbourne, Ltd.. announce the arrival of another shipment of their famous all-wool cashmere hose at Is 3d per pair for plain and Is Od a pair for oneone and fancy ribs. This will be the last shipment at these prices, subsequent shipments requiring to be sold at 3d ycr pair advance on above prices.

The name of the young woman who was rescued from drowning on Menday Evening was Dorothy Marr, not Man, as was prim«l is yesterday's paper.

Cabinet decided yesterday that no aan of military age who is physically fit shall be allowed to take part in any land. ballot during the war period. Tlic sale of a (lag at a patriotic bazaar at Carterton laat Saturday night realised ,C;I7BS. This brings the total amount raised in ('artcrUn for all patriotic purposes to over £10,00(1. The following arc the reßults of the school garden competition in connection with the Kgniont A. and P. Society: Toknora I, Mangatoki 2, Okaiawa .'!, .Matnpu 4. Mr. C. Goodson acted as judge. The local Salvation Army Band will lender Carols on Christmas Kve in Devon Street, between the hours of 8 and 10 o'clock, and will also visit the residential portion of the town on Christmas morning. At a meeting of the Auckland City Council on Thursday last, Councillor Entrieai) stated, "without fear of contradiction, that the water charges in the city of Auckland are, with the exception of Xcw Plymouth, the lowest charges in the Dominion."

The special effort made at Hawera on Saturday in connection with the St. John Ambulance and Red Cross was a pronounced success, the total receipts amounting te £BO lis 2d. Many generous donations were given, including cheques.

"T see you have had free board and lodging since Saturday night, and I daresay it was against your will that you accepted it," remarked the Magistrate at Hawera yesterday, when dealing with a first offender for drunkenness. "You are convicted and discharged with a caution; be more careful in the future."

The Hundalee correspondent of the Kaikoura Star states that well! on the lower lands that have held water for 20 Iyears are now dry, and springs on the hills that hav6 run since the eldest inhabitant can remember have failed during the past few days. Vegetation is stagnant, ani potatoes are turning yellow in the haulm.

In connection with Dip Marathon ■swim to be undertaken by Mr. (Jtristensen, the well-known swimmer, on Now Year's Day, from lloturoa to the East | End, a young lady will accompany him for the' greater part of the distance. This, no doubt, will be a great addition to the many attractions that are provided by the promoters of tho East End picnic on the holiday in question. It is hoped by the Telegraph Office that the public will realise the necessity for presenting their Christmas "greeting" telegrams on the 23rd and 24th inst as early as possible to ensure delivery on Christmas Day. Last year, owing to the immense rush on the 24th, the staff was kept continuously employed from 8 a.m. on the 24th till 8.43 a.m. on Christmas Day. A Wellington telegram states that the dispute between the employers and workers in the wool stores has been lettied. It was mutually agreed that the men resume work yesterday morning at the rate of Is 4d an hour ordinary time, and Is (Id hour overtime, with la tea money. It is understood that only a iew men refused to resume work on these terms.

At the fortnightly meeting of the East End Bathing Reserve Committee last night, Mr. P. J. Flanagan presiding, there was a large attendance. It was reported that Mr. C. A. Chriatensen intended to do the Marathon swim fr«m Moturoa to the East End. The following committee were appointed to make the necessary arrangements: Mossrs W. Hardwick, Roebuck snr., S. Stroud, A. W. Jenkins, Robinson, and T. Hardgraves. A boat will follow the swimmer in case of accident. It was decided to hold a social and daßce in the pavilion on the night of December 27th. A lot of routine was transacted.v and an enthusiastic meeting, which promises well for the success of the gathering, terminated.