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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16448, 2 June 1919, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald ivill be published as usual to-morrow. King's Birthday. A notice in Thursday’s Gazette regarding a proposal to use a. piece of land at Trenthara for prison purposes nas given rise to the erroneous impression that the Terrace Gaol is to be moved to thb camp site. The Prisons Department explains that the proposal is part of the modern system by which approved short-sentenced prisoners will be employed on tho hind instead of being kept in towns. A reclassification of tho prisoners at present confined in the Wellington gaols will be made, and suitable oases bo sent to work on tho prison farm at Trentham.—Press Assn.

The vital statistics for the past month for the Now Plymouth district (Mr. J. S. S. Medley, registrar) were as follow: Births 35, deaths 10, marriages-14. The figures for the corresponding month of last year were 40, 13, and 10 respectively.

The strength of the N.Z. Expeditionary Force abroad is as follows: In France, 30: in the United Kingdom, 2830; number of men with wives and families in the United Kingdom, 1289; nurses and Red Cross workers to be evacuated, 162; total number evacuated from the United Kingdom since the armisitce was signed, 28,039. It will be remembered that a month ago a suggestion was made by Mr. W. T\ Jennings, M.P., that bodies of returned soldiers, belonging to the tunnelling corps and engineering corps, on their return to New Zealand should be encouraged to take up contracts for erecting bridges, tunnelling work, and construction of roads. The matter was brought before the Acting-Prime Minister who replies to Mr. Jennings that his colleague, the Hon. Sir Wm. Fraser, has no objection to the proposal, but the Public Works Department would have the responsibility of passing all the work done. A disaster to the Main Trunk express was averted by the narrowest of margins at the Raurimu spiral on Saturday night. The second express from Wellington to Auckland contained 300 passengers, and when it reached the top of the spiral a boulder about half a ton in weight lav in its track. The enginedriver, Alexander Whistler, promptly applied the Westinghouse brakes and stopped the train in the nick of time, the cowcatcher of the engine actually striking the boulder and being damaged. It took about an hour and a. half to remove the obstruction, and a new engine was secured at Taumarunui. Sir James Allen states : “My attention has been called to a newspaper report that Messrs. S. J. Parr and Vernon Reed have been to Napier choosing a candidate for the next election. No authority for any such action has been given by Mr. Massey, or by me as act-ing-leader of the Reform Party in Mr. Massey’s absence. Tho compact entered into wlien the National Government was formed is still in existence, and will be maintained in its entirety so far as the Reform Party is concerned until an announcement is made by thoir leader, after the return of Mr. Mass'ey and Sir Joseph Ward.” A story is told of the latest voyage of the Manuka from Sydney to Wellington . The captain, it is stated, got wind, as -she left the wharf, of a stopwork meeting being held by the crew to decide whether they should sail or not, and ho at once got tho engineers to put the engines full steam ahead, with the result that when tho meeting was over and the men came on deck to announce their decision, -they were informed that they were beyond the three-mile limit, and that to strike there would be tantamount to mutiny on tile high seas. That ended the matter.

“During the last two or three years there have been some noticeable changes so far as thermal activity is concerned,” remarked Mr. B. M. Alppe, a member of the Ruapehu Ski-mg Club to a Wanganui Chronicle reporter. ‘The great geyser at Ketetahi, on Ton.ga.riro, now sends out its column of steam and boiling water some 15ft. or 20ft. from where it originally was. The large crater and vent-hole at Ngauruhoe were much filled during the last eruption, and the crater is now shallower by about 200 ft. The large crater lake_ on Ruapehu appears to have been fairly active also, for the snow slopes leading down to the lake seem to be much more heavily coated .with sulphur. I am not sufficiently acquainted with volcanic phenomena,” concluded Mr. Algie, “to say that another eruption of Ngauniliqe is imminent, but during my stay _ this time, a column of black smoke did issue from the crater, and I believe this has not happened for some time. This possibility of volcanic disturbance adds only one more wonder to the vast attractions of this most interesting district.”

The: sand dunes about Kawhia North have become a serious matter to the settlers about the district. An appeal was made to the Parliamentary party that visited Kawhia recently. The rapid creeping of the sand the past few years has destroyed miles, of land that one time were covered with grass. To Wettrer a Kawhia chief, spoke on behalf of the Maoris, aftcr~sUx. Langley, chairman of the Town Board, had pointed out the menace of the sand. • Te Wetero said that the lake had now become land, and that their plantations were practically ruined by the ever-moving .sand. Mr. Jennings, M.P., suggested planting marram grass, which had been found useful at Waitara and New Plymouth, also at Paten. The Han. Mr. MacDonald was impressed by the seriousness of the position, and stated that he would send Dr. Cockayne up to report on the matter. _ If we might offer a suggestion it is_ that a trial should lie made with lupins. If a ton or two of rakings from among the lupins on the sandhills round Moturoa- were sent to Kawhia and scattered about there, the probability is that a good crop of lupins would spring up. His Worship the Mayor will preside to-morrow evening at an illustrated lecture by Mr. D. N. Mao Diarmid, 8.A., who has recently returned from war work with the Y.M.C.A. in Egypt and the Sudan. Mr. Mac Diarmid will tell sonic of his experiences in the Libyan desert during the campaign against the Senussi, and will also deal with the present situation in the-Sudan.

The anxiety and care which the householder undergoes to-day through the inability to obtain supplies of coal makes it imperative that all thoughtful people should study the question at once. Tho Labour Party are advocatingvthat all coal mines should be nationalised with a view introducing better conditions for the miner—more economical distribution and a larger output. On Wednesday two of the Labour leaders, both connected,with the Coal Industry, will speak in the Empire Theatre—and whether one agrees‘with their principles as at present understood or not it is certain that the hearing of tho miners’ ease will produce a bettor-informed public opinion.

Messrs Nolan and Co. advertise a sale of furniturefi bedding, etc., at the mart on Wednesday next at 2 o’clock. The Melbourne, Ltd., is showing a fine range of English Marcella quilts at the following prices: Ten-quarter (i.e., three-quarter bed size), 24s 6d; elevenquarter size, in finer make, 31s 6d; twelve-quarter sizes, 35s and 38s 6d. These quilts are all extra wide, and in handsome registered designs.* Returned soldiers! Now is your opnortunitv to buy tan footwear at reasonable prices. The Regal Shoe Store have landed a new shipment of gents.’ fin boots in several different styles, at prices from 35s to 50s. By dealing at our store you save 2s in the £, so don’t hesitate.*

Never let a day pass without telling someone about the wonderful laboursaving and perfect cleansing qualities of “No Rubbing” Laundry Help. One cViillinv packet sufficient for seven weekly washings. —J. M'Neill, Devon Street.