LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 19 March 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A new picture theatre 'is to be built in Foxton. The Nativo Land Court and Ikaroa District Land Board will sit at Otaki on Friday, and Saturday next. The Napier guafantors of the Chautauqua had to contribute £2 a-pieee to make up the deficiency in the sale of tickets. General Plumcr has'been appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Maita, ill succession to Lord Melhuen. who lias resigned. A Chamber of Commerce has been formed i" Foxton, and already lias a membership of 70 persons. The Chamber intends to at once deal with the water and drainage question. The harvest offerings at the Manakau Methodist Church harvest festival were disposed of un Monday night. The proceeds, with the Sunday offertory, totalled over 65.

Although the milk supply has fallen very considerably during the past few wecks, some 29 cheeses are still being made daily at the To Horo Co-op. fac- : turv. Suppliers have had a very good ; season on the whole. . Mr I*. Fraser, M.P., who speaks at Otaki to-night', delivered an address on labour matters at an open-air meet: ing at Palmcrston North .on Saturday evening. There was a large attendance, ! and Mr Fraser received a good hearing . from his sympathisers present. ! A New Zealaiidcr-who told his bride ' in England that he possosscd some lovely" sections at Wellington, in • Oriental Bay, with deep-water frontages all round them, has been hard put to it for explanations now that j "v.-ii'ey" has arrived in Wellington.

| According to a statement made by Brigadier-General Seely (British Air 1 Minister) in the House of Commons, j the British forces brought down 8000 German aeroplanes during the war. The Germans brought down 2800 British ! machines.

Mr A. E. Mintou, in response to j numerous enquiries, has to stock motor tyres and tubes (ordinary sizes) at prices that should create quick sale?. He is also prepared to I vulcanise tubes, while other repairs will •be promptly and thoroughly attended

j According to the latest figures of the I Government Statistician (Mr Malcolm Fraser) it took £1 lis Td during the [final quarter of last year to purchase j what could have been bought for £1 in | 101:5-14—-a rise of over 30 per cent in {the cost Of food, clothes and material . generally.

! Practically the whole of the milk supply to the Rahui Co-op. factory is now being sent to Wellington to meet the demand for fresh milk for the ' municipal milk supply. The yield is now rapidly diminishing, the recent dry spell causing a big drop in the supply available.

The Ekctahuna County Council has decided to take a poll to raise n loan of £4OOO for the purchase of road machinery. It was also decided to endeavour to arrange a conference of all local bodies in the Wairarapa and Bush Districts to devise a scheme for the maintenance of main .arterial roads.

J Preparations are already in hand by local Natives to royally entertain their dusky brethren when the members of the Pioneer Buttalion return from the front. A dinner will be given at Otaki. ft when all local Maoris who have been lon active service, numbering about sixteen, will be the guests of honour.

Notice is formally given by adver-:.--'emcnt that a special licensing poll ,v:JI be taken throughout the Dominion •i! April 10th on the liquor question. ' Nominations of persons to appoint scrutineers must be lodged, in tcsr.cct lo the Otaki electorate, with Mr H. H. Cork, registrar of electors, Levin, nol later than 5 p.m. on oth April. No fewer than nine big steamers, carrying over SOOO New Zealand soldiers, are now ploughing their way along the great ocean highways making for New Zealand ports. Of these eight have sailed from the L'nited Kingdom «id one from Egypt. With two exceptions the whole- of these steamers arc due to arrive between 12th and 24th

At a large meeting at Thames a motion was passed emphatically protesting against the Government's proposal to withhold the licensing returns. and demanding that returning officers he instructed to publish them iouneax-at-lv after the count. The resolution has'been telegraphed to the ActingPremier The Minister has since stated that the result of the poll will be made public immediately after the count.

Undoubtedly the man who, or the _ t T .,, if . h ean submit a workable «cheme for'the easing of lbs gr«t and jrwtne burden of taxation and inSeascd cost of Uving wm abßolutdy sweep the polls nest election. The Efficient Board, after the most exhaustive' investigation, public enquiry, and many months' deliberation, decided that Prohibition, immediate and complete, is essential to national efficiency. The Board specifically stated that this conclusion was arrived at "from the view point of the enk-iancy of the State and of the individual both during the war and after." The Board declared, on sworn evidence, that to cut out the whole business, pay compensation, and [close it right np once and for ever, would be a sound investment, and that the cost would be early recouped m the I output. There's the straight tip to a •'■-•!-.' polineal part" Strike out the iop , • Booisiatiag.—F. Barrett w:shes w | aetifv the public of Otaki aad district j rt a t h» has resumed business ss boot | and shoemaker; old snu new e&tomers j ttiect,' Otaki.—Advi. -

Mr E. Irvine intends, selling several lines cf boots and shoes at reduced rates prior to stock-taking. This is an opportunity that should not be missed.

The children attending the Otaki Convent School are to-day indulging in a picnic in ideal weather. The attendance is large, and all appear to be enjoying thmselves immensely.

A number of members of a Wellington Masonic Lodge are in Otaki to-day, and opportunity is being taken to play for the Simeox Cup, which is at present held bv an Otaki rink of bowlers.

We remind readers of the meeting to he held on Friday night ' to consider matters connected with the Mount Hector track - . It is hoped the attendance will be large, and that a live commit-, tee will be set up.

-Prize money won at the recent flower show at Otaki will be paid by the secretary (Mr S. Norgrove) at his residence on Saturday next, from 2 to 6.30 p.m., and on Monday next, from - to o p.m.

. The old central building, comprising the main school, of Te Auto Native College was totally destroyed by fire early on Monday morning. The insurance totalled , £I2OO in the National office. Now's the time for new stockings, ladies. There is cashmere and woollen hosiery now showing at Stiles and Matheson's—a splendid assortment for you to choose from. Read about them in the f.iuvs advertisement in this paper.

A clerk, formerly in the employ of the Bank of Australasia at Mastcrton, was arrested here this morning by Constable Sathcrley on a charge of alleged emblezzlemcnt of £IOO in that town.

A "welcome home" to returned soldiers, to be held at Manakau to-mor-row night, should prove a pleasant function, and the Manakau public should roll up in force to do honour to no less than five returned soldiers who hive seen active service.

A special meeting of the Otaki State School Committee was held on Monday night, when final arrangements were made for the annual picnic to be held on Wednesday next in the Mission grounds. A fair sum of money has been collected, and races for children will be held.

Our readers are reminded of the anniversary social in connection with the Otaki Methodist Sunday School, which takes place at Mr Stevens' hall, Otaki Railway, to-night. Prize-giving will provo a pleasing item, while a musical programme, supper, etc., should add materially to the harmony of the evcu-

An important property sale', on behalf of the trustees in the estate of the late Bright, Bros., will be held on April 9th at the Otaki suleyards, when Messrs Abraham and Williams, Ltd., will offer a fine property at Pukchou, comprising 288 odd acrou, also a nice Oiaki town property, comprising nearly four acres. Particulars are advertised. A meeting of Prohibition sympathisers was held at Otaki last night, when the Rev. Lochore, who is doing organising work in the area, gave an address. Then; was only a very small attendance of workers, but organisation work was arranged for. The Rev. Lochore will. hi all probability, spend only a fewdays in this district, he being engaged in work in the Tarauaki, Wanganui, Wellington and Hnwkc's Bay districts Mr P. Frascr, M.P. for Wellington Centra!, .who i.-> organising the Manawatu district On behalf of the N.Z. Labour Party, will deliver an address this evening at Brights' Theatre at S o'clock. This will enable the people of Otaki and district to hear the platform and objective of the Labour Party expounded by one of the most convincing speakers in the movement. At the couelusion of the meeting an endeavour will be made to form a braneh of the Labour Party in Otaki. Mr Byron Brown will preside. Some few days ago Mr W. 11. Field, M.P., cabled to the Right Hon. W. F.

Some few days ago Mr W. 11. Field, M.P., cabled to the Right Hon. W. F. Massey in England, expressing the decided opinion that Germany should be made to pay the full cost of the war. Mr Field has received the following reply from Mr Massey, who was in Paris at the- time of sending:—"My opinion is, that as Germany was responsible for the war, Germany must be compelled to pay every sovereign possible for us to collect. A commission of financial experts is now dealing with the question, and their report will give us a reliable indication of Germany's ability to pay."

A party of four —two ladies and two men—while motoring from "Wellington to Feilding last evening, met with, a mishap when near Gillies' woolshed, near Te Horo. The front spring of their car snapped, and the car completely turned turtle, the occupants and their luggage being thrown oat. The passengers had a miraculous escape, without even a scratch, but the front wheels of the car collapsed, the ehasis was badly knocked about, and other damage resulted. The party were motored on to Feilding by Mr GeorgeAyre, who returned to Otaki at an early hoar this morning.