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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144669, 1 May 1915, Page 2

The Customs duties collected at New Plymouth during the past month amounted to £3635 9s lld and the excise duty to £65 11s. For the corresponding period of last year the figures were £ 1599 17 s Id and £7O 0s respectivolv.

"How much liquor can you take?” asked counsel of a witness in the Wellington Magistrate’s Conn on Tuesday. "I don't know.” was the reply, ‘‘hut 1 come from the West Coast.” Counsel; ' Von moan that because yon aro a Coaster you can take a good deal without it having any effect?” Witness : "Yes, that's it.”

Tbe staff of the postal division at New Plymouth are subscribing each month to a Belgian Relief Fund organised w ithin their own department. Ibe sum ol £0 v was subscribed for the month of .March and £5 3s Cd for April. The last amountwill lie- the standard monthly subscription. The telegraph division i» also subscribing monthly. A general meeting of the girls’ branch of tho Victoria League was held in the club room on Monday, April 26, Mrs. F. S. Johns in tho chair. It was suggested that the work for the ensuing year he of a social, musical, dramatic and literary character, and girls trilling to assist in any of these spheres of work should send in their names to the hon. secretary at soon as possible. Tim following executive was elected:—President, .Mrs. Denny-Brown; bon. secretary, Miss Baker; committee, Misses Drew, W. Crookc.T. Crookc, Lcatham, D. Bedford and Dampney.

Stoats appear to be on the increase in Otago. Writing to thn Otago Council 01 tho Acclimatisation Society, Mr. Steven, curator at Clinton, reported that he was often surprised that any of the ducks or pheasants managed to survive tho invasion of stoats, which were more numerous about the place now than bo had ever known before. While writing his report he happened to glance through the window and saw a_ stoat taking an egg across the drive. If measures were not taken to check the pest it would only mean a few years before game birds in New Zealand would be a thing of the past. The council bricily discussed the matter, but tool; no action.

The. following new books have been added to the Carnegie Library:—"The Land of Content,” E. B. Delano; "The Keeper of the Door,” E. 31. Dell; ‘Thn Woman in the Car,” Richard Marsh; "The Forest Maiden,” Leo Robinet;

"Wild Honey,” Cynthia Stocklcv; ySwoatapplo Cove,” G. Van Schatck; "Overland Bed,” Anonymous; "The Palace of Darkened Windows,” M. H. Bradley; "The Wisdom of Father Brown.” G. K. Chesterton; "Hambi,” M. B. Cooke; "God’s Country and tho Woman,” J. O. Ourwood; "Dav of Judgment,” J. Hocking; "Time 0’ Day,” D_. F.gerton Jones; "Von Never Know Vonr Luck.” Gilbert Parker;

"Tho Women We Marry,” J. S. Pier; Diana of the Moors.” Louis Tracy; "Imperial Germany,” Prince von Billow. The Okato Road Board has written to tho Taranaki County Council asking that the latter contribute a definite yearly sum towards the maintenance of the Oxford, Saunders, and Carrington Roads between tho Okato towrlship and the Upper Stony River bridge. The board is prepared to spend £6O a year on the portions of road affected, and as the county collects £152 10s from ratepayers who make this their main outlet considers that at least one-third would bo a fair contribution from the council. Tho board is also making application to the Egmont County and the Parihaka Road Board for contributions, and concludes by expressing tbe hope that, the council will meet tho board, as failing an amicable agreement they intend applying for a commission to settle the question.

Among tbe recruits at Victoria Barracks. Sydney, was a young man who had been an officer of cadets for some time, and who did not anticipate any difficulty in being accepted as a private in the Expeditionary Forces. To his amazement ho was rejected owing to an alleged defect in his eyesight. In his indignation ho expressed himself, freely and loudly. "What!” ho said; "you pass me out when Fro passed such teats.before and been in the cadets for months. Why,' I know of two fellows with glass eyes who passed last week.” He was "shooed” put of the examining room, but a newspaper reporter bad hoard him, and his remarks appeared in print next morning, Tho Chief Medical Officer at once ordered a parade of all the glass-eyed soldiers at present alleged to be in Liverpool Camp.

Mr. Clark M’Conachy, New Zealand’s billiard champion, arrived in New Plymouth on Friday evening. He will give an exhibition in Beatty’s billiard pardour, next Avery’s, on Thursday evening

A good lunar rainbow was visible in New Plymouth at about 6 o’clock on Friday evening. Tho final figures in the Wellington half-holiday vote were Saturday 9835, .Wednesday 9213. In-Wanganui Thursday was retained by 1540 votes to 1404. Count Zeppelin’s secretary says that the air rind on England will be made in August. That wii! suit. August is tho month in which the Englishman begins shootin’ the birds. At a meeting of local tradespeople held at the Town Hall On- Friday night it was unanimously decided to take tho necessary steps to fix the closing hour of business premises on Thursday at 12 o’clock, instead of 1 o'clock as hitherto. Local men who have to attend the casual camp will leave by the mail traip on Monday morning. These who reside at places "whore the mail train does not stop will travel by the train leaving New Plymouth at 7.48 a.m. Following is the return of the number of births, deaths and marriages for the district of New Plymouth (Mr. J. S. S. Medley registrar) for tho month of April; the figures for 1914 are. in paren-theses;—-Births 33 (28), deaths 8 (10), marriages 7 (9). The draw was made on Friday in the art union hold by tho mayoress (Mrs. J. E. Wilson) for two pictures presented by Miss Ingloy and Mr. Kirkwood, the profits of tho art union to go to the fund for soldiers’ comforts. The winners were Mr. T. Hook and Mr. MTlroy. Tho fund will benefit by £7 10s. The winners may obtain the pictures at Miss Hamerton’s shop. _ Writing to a friend in Palmerston North, a Leeds factory workey states that he and his fellow-workers are forbidden by tho authorities to join the array as they are at present more urgently required to make special machinery for the manufacture of cartridges, shells, rifles, guns, etc. Two men did enlist, without the firm's permission, but when it was found out, they were sent back to work.

It is proposed to bring the New Plymouth Bowling Club’s season to a close on Thursday, May, 13, when the usual final match between the president’s and vice-president’s teams will, weather permitting, be played. Should there be. a nice spell of fine weather after that date there will still be a portion of the green, available for play, but the returfing required on the main part will be undertaken at once.

An extraordinary meeting of tho Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth was held in the Town Hall on Friday night. Mr. E. Doe.kiill presided. There, were £6OO disposed of, £301) by ballot and £3OO by tender. Mr. W. H. Free was successful in the ballot, and the amount sold by tender realised £SO ss. Applications will shortly'be called for members of No. 3 group. Amendments to rules, as- adopted at a previous meeting, were confirmed.

Tho Wostown Patriotic Committee report that they expect the chaff cutter early next week and that the chaff is, already sold, buyers taking delivery at" the stack. Two lady members of tho committee made a canvas of Wostown on Thursday for subscriptions for tho purpose of defraying cost of cutting, etc,, and met with a ready response, only meeting with one refusal all day. There are a few more promised subscriptions to collect yet. Buyers of chalf will be notified in due course and are asked to got sacks ready. The chaff has been sold at most satisfactory prices.

When Mr. Asquith’s speech on tho Vote of Credit in March last was telegraphed in summary to the New Zealand newspapers, there was one phrase which must have arrested the attention of everyone who likes a telling image. Talk of peace at this time, he said, was ‘■like the twittering of a sparrow amid the stress and tumult of a tempest which is shaking the world." Curiously enough, die reference to the twittering of a sparrow was omitted by nearly all the London papers, and even by the Official Report. One or two of the leading English newspapers captured tho phrase—very fortunately, most people will think. The omission from the Official Report may have been due to its author’s opinion that it was just too decorative for the sombre pattern of his exalted oratory. It certainly cannot have been because it was an over-statoment, or because it was not an exact note of the worth and importance of the peace talk.—Christ* church Press.

The Turkish newspapers’ reports of the Co rial fighting, which arc now reaching Egypt writes a Cairo correspondent) are delightful reading. One paper says that the Sultan has conferred on Djemal Pasha, for his victory with the Fourth Turkish Army Corps on tlie Suez Canal the Golden Linkiat Order, and has scat his heartiest salutations to the army. Another says that the British mails to ‘Australia and India were being dispatched by the Capo and not by the Suez Canal; but the best of the lot is the following “official account” of the right:—“The Ottoman army, charged to deliver Egypt by tho grace of the Most High, approached the Canal, and the four British inon-o*-war which wero there. It sank ono, burned another, damaged tho third, and obliged the fourth to take to flight. A fifth British mau-o’-wur anchored in a fright in the Suez Canal.” Whore the fifth- British man-o’-wav would have anchored if it had not been in a fright the official report does not sav.

Tho method adopted for the disposal of tho horses which wore killed in the destruction of Craig’s stables last week has not (says the- Auckland Herald) been entirely effective owing to / unfavourable weather conditions. Altogether 20S carcases wore recovered, and thoy were taken in scows to a point about II miles beyond Tiritiri Island, and there thrown into the sea. This course was sanctioned by: tho district health o'ficor, who considered that as the carcases had been partially destroyed by fire they would not rise to the'surface of the “water. Apparently a few of them did not sink to the bottom, and under tho influence of tho strong tides and heavy winds that have prevailed during the past few days a number of them have been driven ashore along tho northern coast. Tho stranding of about 14 carcases had been reported to the district health officer on Wednesday evening. Arrangements were made immediately for the disposal of tho bodies by burial, a party of workmen being 'dispatched by launch. It is considered unlikely that the trouble will continue, but in any case any more carcases which do appear will ■ be buried, without delay.

"Workers should know that it is false economy to buy shoddy imported troucers at" from 7s 6d upwards when the Melbourne Clothing Company can supply genuine all-wool colonial saddle trousers from such leading makers as tho Roslyn, Petono, Ivaiapoi, and Oamaru woollen mills at 9s 6d, 10s 6d, 11s 6d, 12s 6d,.and 13s fid. 1 * Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (Second Group) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable on Monday, May 3, at the Secretary’s Office, Currie Street, from 9 a.in. to 12.30, from 1 p.ra. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.—Advt,