LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11267, 22 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A West Indian negro (according to the Barbadoes ■'Standard ") told Ins overseer what lie thought of British soldiers hy means of a little story: "Jos' before- <le war," he said, "d'e Kaiser, ho send a- bap; of rice to King George, I cot as many soldiers as dere is rice in dis bag, aud King George, he send de Kaiser a. bottle of nigger i peppers, and he tell h'un, ' 1 only got i as many soldiers as there is peppers in I this bottle, but ies' you. bite one and j'eoe how you like him. "

During her periodical visit to Norfolk Island and the Solomon Group the mission steamer Southern Cross nicked up six Fiiiims on November 25, at the island of Ticopea (says tho Auckland "' Herald "). The natives were on their way from Nascri to Levnka in a banana cutter .when a. heavy gale drove them out to sea. They were carried before the wind for (500 or 700 miles to Ticopea, where- they managed to swim ashore. Their boat was considerably damaged, and they remained on the" island until the Southern Cross arrived, the inhabitants providing for their wants in the meantime.

Passengers by Thursday's Main Trunk express from Auckland had' a .somewhat eventful experience. Near Otorohanga the train ran into a mob of sixteen bullocks, which had strayed on to the line, the lieavy engine killing nine of them. The engine narrowly escaped derailment, and had a steam pipe broken, necessitating ihe engine of a waiting goods train to bo requisitioned to take the express to Taumarunui, whero another engine was coupled on. Ascending the llaurimu 6pinal, something wont wrong with, this engine also, and another long wait was experienced. Consequently the express reached Marion four hours late.

In an interesting article in the ''Journal) of Agriculture,"_ .pr Cockayne, writing on the primitive vegetation of New Zealand, shows how, while there are many plants peculiar to New Zealand, this country owes much to Malaya, and plants identical with those found in tho Falkland Isles. Kergu&len and Patagonia are found here;, also there is a plant connection between New Zealand and Australia and Tasmania. "The view put forth here," Dr Cockayne writes, f: is that New Zealand possessed a primitive flora of her own, which probably formed part of that of a wide land area, perhaps united to Antarctica; that at an early date the ancostorK of the present subantarctic element came in;.that later there was an invasion of tropical Malayan species, and also perhaps of the Australian element, these happenings occurring during a great northern land extension by way of New Caledonia and the New Hebrides."

The president of the Royal Geofraphical Society (Sir Douglas W. 'reshfield), addressing the ' members last inontiT, said at any other time the fact that the ship containing the members of Sir E. Shackleton's expedition to the Weddell Sea left Buenos Aires on October 26, would have beeu widely sympathetically noted. The difficulties and dangers of his plan had been fully put before Sir Ernest, and he had made all possible preparations for meeting them. Should he succeed lie would probably solve several outstanding problems as to the extent and unity of the lands round the South Pole". Sir Ernest carried with him their best) wishes in his hardy adventure. Thev trusted ho might come home to find' his country at leisure to do honour to his exploits, but lie would come home- to a changed world. It. was. however, an ill' wind that blew nobodv good. Sir Ernest would probably'have a free hand .to land where he liked in the Weddel Bay; free from any risk of interference) with the once contemplated Austrian expedition to the same coast.

' ; -Patriotism with Justice" writes to the Wellington "Post" complaining of the 'injustice suffered oy a number of retail* dealers in toys. After reference to the fact that the.popular craze for cheapness, regardless of the country of manufacture, gave Germany a grip of the toy trade, the writer remarks:—"A great many people now taboo the articles stamped ' Made m Germany' without considering in the least that stocks of these toys were bought and paid for with British money lons before- war broke out. Very little thought will prove that this form oi boycotting cannot harm the enemy, but it means a serious loss to the retailers, especially at the Christmas season, which is the onlv harvest time of the trade. It would display a truer patriotic spirit- to assist the shopkeepers to quit their stocks, and thus help them to set some return for the money they have invested. Then, in the future, if tho public will only make their patriotism practical by paying a little mire for better value, the importers and retailers will not be found lacking in their patriotism in assisting the British toy manufacturers to build up a vigorous and unassailable trade throughout the. whole Empire." _

After contending that the gigantic conflict now raging in Europe will not be brought to a conclusion until by process of exhaustion of the national resources of one or other of the nations engaged, the "• Farmers' Union Advocate'' says:— a It is here that the overseas dependencies of the British Empire can assist the Empire in its struggle against an unscrupulous and relentless enemy, b~nt upon tho destruction of all that we cherish—a civilisation that has taken centuries to build no. at an incalculable expenditure of "monov and (lestruction of life. The fanners of New Zealand can greatly assist, by looking ahead in preparation for next season's cropping operations. The trouble at the commencement of iho present season was that the fanners of the Dominion were called upon to go in for more extensive growing of cereals too late in the season for an effective response to the demand that was made upon them, and ... it is doubtful on present

appearances if there will be sufficient wheat harvested for our own consumption, and it is probable that we will have to iiunort supplies from other sources. Tin- seasoii'lOTVUi will therefore provide an opportunity for our farmers to go in for more extensive growing of wheat such as is rarely offered them. Farmers, like other people, cannot dislocate tho whole oi their plans for a coming season without incurring serious risk of failure, but bv looking ahead and preparing their land for a iron they will be _i» a position to cope with, tho greatly increased demand'thnt wiM be certain to arise, even if pence is declared."

Purity and quality arc embodied in everv b'oftlo of Thomson's Limojuice, Raspberry Vinegar, Ginger _ Wnie, Lemon 'Svrop. Famous British analysts—Sir Chas. A. Cameron and E. Godwin Clayton—guarantee them. All <-'vnrvr:-. Ford ami Hiram*, agents. X

January instalments of old _ age, widows' and military pensions will ho available from to.-morrow and until the end of January. The following is th& report on the Canterbury trout streams this morning:— Wairuakariri, both_ _ branches, Rangitaia, dipcoJonred; Opihi, fisliable; Wcitaki and Rakaia, dirty. The most rec&nb definition of a bachelor oa.me to light in the Magistrate's Court at Stratford on Friday. A man had pleaded guilt}' to being unlawfully on licensed premises, and, inquiring into tbo circumstances, his Worship asked him whether ho was married or a bachelor. "Well," said the defendant, "I'm practically a bachelor, but I. sometimes have my meals at the pub!" The blending of German and Turkish " Kultur" is not apparently any longer remarkable for mutinies and protests. Probably the more hardened variety found a patent way of dealing with the other. The blend appears now tho most natural thing in. tho world. As thus : K U L) T U R T U Jl j K E Y The two go together any way you take them. It is a. marriage of true minds. The TJnspeakables have wedded— " New Zealand Times,"

"It's an ill wind ? " etc. This year) has been tho windiest early summer j we remember, says the Dunedhi| "Star." ,Day after day a brisk breeze, sometimes half a gale, from the south- 1 west, with occasional variations from the north-east. Gardens havo suffered most severely. By way of somo to these grievances, the growth "of weeds on tho sides of the suburban highways has been checked. Does this appear to be a small matter? Perhaps so, but not in reality. An old resident of the Flat, who takes an unofficial interest in public matters, reckons that tho scorching winds have do.no from £BOO to £4.00 worth of street-cleaning in that district this season.

Wo do ot know (says the Wairarapa "Age") whether provision is contained in the Electoral Act for the establishment of polling booths, at public hospitals. It there is no such provision it certainly should be embraced in an amendment to the Act, A deputy-re-turning officer could quite conveniently take the votes of those who, through misfortune, are temporarily laid aside. Indeed, we see no neason why a special deputy should not be appointed to take the votes of people who are sick, and confined to their homes, and, who express a desire to vote. The deputy could be accompanied by a couple of scrutineers, so that all would be fair and above board. Under existing circumstances, hundreds of voters 'are disfranchised purely and simply through misfortune." The Government could provide for cases of sickness or acei-, dent with very little additional expense.

A sense of public duty, a real desire not to let the poorest section of the community suffer more than can bo helped in the present calamity, has, (says an English correspondent of the Auckland " Star") induced English employers, in the majority, of cases, to forgo large' profits, any profits sometimes, in order to keep their share of the industrial machinery of their country going. But what is to be done with these hundreds of thousands of workless workers who are our unhappy btu welcome guests now? It is baa in every Way .for them to be idle when their minds have been'subjected to the agonies that have been so brutally meted out to them. It is impossible, for English industries at this time to make room for them as wage ; earners in any considerable numbers, for the sake of their own countrymen desperately hard pressed in their turn.

A good story is going the rounds of the police and the legal fraternity concerning a well known Auckland member of the Bar. Last week some seven or eight prisoners were being taken by train to Hamilton under police escort, to stand their trial at the Supreme Court there. The legal gentleman had obtained permission to travel in the carnage with them ; so as to be able to confer with one of the prisoners for whom he had been retained.. At one of the towns at which the ti'ain stopped, the local police brought two residents to the railway station, to see if they could identify a couple of criminals from whose attentions. they had suffered, and who might perchance bo among the select company in the reserved carriage. One resident pointed out his man without hesitation.; but the other, a lady, looked timidly round the carriage, turning from one occupant to another. Finally her gaze rested on the legal luminary, and after a, moment's thought she told a constable, "I'm not quite sure that that man there is the one, but he's very like him I" ' Tho Lawrence correspondent of the Duuedin "Star" states that two parties of surveyors are now on the ground preparatory to cutting up in sutiable-sized areas for closer settlement tho land recently acquired by the Government from Messrs J. Mundell (of Bellamy Station), J. Brooks (Big Hill) and Blathwayt (Beaumont). The acquirement from Mr Mundell comprises 1533 acres; of freehold land on the noi'th side of the main road from livans Flat to within a mile and a, half of Beaumont, as well as tho goodwill and improvements on seven adjoining runs, embracing an aggregate area of~ 28,345 acres. . The freehold will afford a valuable frontage to the runs, which are, noted for their high-class grazing capabilities, and are certain to be- in strong demand when available for closer settlement. Mr Brooks's laud is 2000 acres in extent, and will be cut up .into agricultural and grazing farms." and a limited area set aside for joint fa mis.. A portion of Mr Blthwayt's property is also to be set aside for fruit culture, and the balance, as in the case of Mr Brooks's land, for agricultural and grazing purposes. Mr Blthwayt's property is handy to the Beaumont., and is served by the railway line, now in running order. Tho cutting lin of all these properties, witr the subdivision of the runs, should give n most desired impetus to sttlement in the Tuaneka. and Beaumont districts.