THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1920. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 17 March 1920, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1920. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The secretary of the Horowbonua County Patriotic Association (Mr F. I*. Walkley) acknowledges a, cheque for £4 from the auctioneers, Daigety and Co.. Ltd., proceeds of sale of pony donated to the. funds of the Association by Mr H. W. Drewitt, of Paraparaumu. John Lewis, who, a week ago, escaped frorn the lock-up at Palmerston North, has been recaptured at Fealherston by Constables McLeod and Swan. The prisoner, who had a revolver in his possession at the time, is awaiting sentence on several charges of breaking aud entering.

The W.C.T.U. Convention at Wellington carried a resolution that in. the interests of children who would be travelling in trains, and in order to

avoid unseemly exhibitions or' the evil effects of drink, it was desirable thar hotels should be closed on the occasion of the Prince of Wales’ visit to any locality. At Monday night’s meeting of the Palmerston North High .School Board of Governors, the secretary was instructed to have rough plans prepared for the erection of a hostel in connection with the girls’ new high school. The proposed hostel js to accommodate at least forty boarders, while diningroom accommodation is to be provided for about sixty pupils.

A poll will be taken at Palmerston North on the 24th inst. upon a proposal : to borrow £IIO,OO0 —£40,000 for coin- | pletion of electric tramway system over a route of live and a half miles, £54,000 for electric lighting and power plant, £SOOO for electrical reticulation, and £SOOO for ptm:ha?e,of electrical fittings and stock. Keen interest is being taken in the poll, in view of the , difference of ojjinion between tne | tramway and motor ’bus schemes.

The Minister for Agriculture (Hon. Mr No.-worthy) announce- that Cabinet has agreed to the following minimum wheat prices for the. season 1920-21: Tuscan 7s 3d per bushel. Hunter’s 7s fid per bushel, pearl 7s 9u per bushel, with 3d increment per month' from May Ist, the increment being to cover storage. The farmers asked originally that the prices be Ss. Ss 3d and 8s fid respectively, and that they should cover the 1921-22 season j p-s well.

' The "Observer," in an inspired article. says:—Mr Asquith insists that Mr Lloyd George must resign the Premiership, as a condition of his reentry into the Liberal fold. Mr Lloyd George regards Liberalism as broken to pieces by Mr Asquithfs attitude towards the Coalition Liberals, therefore Mr Lloyd George is addressing the Coalition Liberals on Thursday, and ■will issue a manifesto appealing for the creation, of a a err party composed of the moderate elements of the Liberals, Unionists, and Labour.

The Xetv Zealand Official Year Book for 1919, jsst'to hand from the Government Printer, is, as usual, brimful of information, and keeps up its reputation of being one of the most valuable works issued from the Government Printing Office. It contains nearly lv-i*o pages of statistical and general information. An interesting addition to she 1919 book is a splendid article, entitle! "Topographical Nomenclature of she Maori," by Mr Elsdon Best, of Wellington, brother to Mr Waiter Best and Mies Best, of Gtaki.

One of the leading hotels in Palmerston North has just been exchanged for 1000 acres of Waikato land.

A tdance, which should prove most enjoyable, will be held to-night at Te Horo.

The Otaki Hockey Club’s secretary (Mr Eon Satherlcy) acknowledges the receipt of £1 Is from Mr J. P. Brandon, president.

A meeting, to elect three members as a Board of Control for the Kaumati drainage area, takes place at Paraparaumu to-morrow night.

At the Napier Supreme Court. Magdalene Paton Ritchie was awarded £IOOO damages against Claude Balfour for breach of promise of marriage. Messrs Joplin, Stallard and Carmichael, Ltd., have a new sale list of properties in this issue. Persons seeking desirable properties would do well to peruse it.

Thirty-two acres of land in the Taurnnga district, on which 500 lemon trees were growing, recently changed hands at £lB7 10s per acre,' a price which is believed to be a record for the Bay of Plenty.

Wanted. —The public to know that we are selling our footwear at the old prices, that is while our present stock

lasts. We have just purchased u large range of ladies’ and gents’ boots and shoes, which arc to arrive shortly. Irvine’s !Bhoc Store, ptuki.—Advt.

A cable from Melbourne states that the Roman Catholics of Melbourne decided to present Archbishop Mannix with a cheque of £50,000 on the eve of his departure for Home, but. Archbishop Mannix declined, stating that, he hoped to die without a penny.

Weraroa Training Farm boys con

tinue at frequent intervals to make ! good their escape, and it has been sugI gested that a strict watch be kept, on 1 their movements. The Tccent dariug burglary in Levin is said to have been committed by one of the number.

A fire brigade has been formed at; Foxton, and a chemical engine purchased. The Fox to if public have subscribed £SO towards the brigade’s funds. Captain Hugo, reporting on the matter, recommends a fire main being laid along the main street to the river, with a high turbine pump installed on the river bank. This matter is to be furl her discussed.

The price of new boots is prohibitive l'n many families, and in consequence it is advisable to have old boots repaired. Take them to F. Barratt, who makes them as new with tbo best of leather and workmanship. Don’t delay, send your boots and shoes at once—F. Barratt, Dunstan Street, Otaki Kailway.—Advt.

Practically no business was done at the last monthly meeting of the committee of the Otaki -Staff school. The headmaster reported that the attendance was satisfactory. The secretary (Mr Ayrc) was deputed to wait on Mr McMillan and endeavour to make arrangements for a picture display for the children, to take the place of the annual picnic. The h.'U'vol offerings at the Tc Horo Methodist Church Harvest Festival were disposed of by auction at the Te Horo Hall on Monday night last, when there was a good attendance of the public, and everything was disposed of at most, satisfactory prices, upwards of £2O being realised. Mr Harry George

, ici(k-d the hammer, and his persuasive loquence was largely responsible for ihe excellent prices realised. Miss Edmed informs us that the accident at Waiboanga on Sunday last was due to the horse she was driving becoming frightened at two shrouded motor cars standing on the roadside, •the covering of one or the cars flapping in the wind. The "Waihoanga road is narrow and it a fenced ■vitiuy purls, and drivers of motor cars should excr-ch-e care in leaving their cars in positions likely to frighten horses. The road is a dangerous one, and if horses are startled accidents are likely to occur.

A correspondent writes: —The following is of interest i in view of the poll for electric light in Otaki: —The ‘< X.Z. Gazette" of -March 9th provides that the effect of recent legislation is, amongst other things, that the War Legislation, part IL, Local Body Loans, “authority to raise loan conferred by poll of ratepayers and not exercised, no: to lapse in any case until the expiration of two years after termination of •war." The war terminated officially in New Zealand on January 10th, 1920.

Voder existing legislation a bankrip is permitted to" retain portion of his furniture and clothing up to the vai ■ of £25. subject to no other condit: <:i than the approval of the Official A#: gnee. At a meeting of creditors her in Christchurch recently, the repre -niatire of one linn said that £25 ■•va evidently the pre-war limit. Nowad:/- it would just about cover the value of a new suit and a pair of boots, and was of no use whatever to a man. with four children. The meeting ultimately decided that the debtor should be permitted to keep furniture up to the value of £SO, which is the total amount creditors are allowed to refund without certain formalities.

There was a scene of great confusion zf a circus performance here on Thursday (says the Hamilton correspondent of the Auckland “friar-''") owing to overcrowding. The trices of admission were high, and yet the people who managed to reeure scats had their view of the- performance obscured by hundreds who crowded down the passage* and. remained standing'. There was constant uproar throughout- the pen romance, and the efforts of the manager and staff to induce those standing so -ii on she gra-.- were hopeless. The ."•meager wa« hooted every time he ap- ; ■<: .-red in the ring, and several free f:ysts occurred, during which clods of , -. T rh were hurled about between the - . r-k police did their utmost to keep order, but could do little to relieve the situation.

A start was made to ; day with work for the laying of the cables in connection with the Otaki telephone exchange. Ladies will be interested in an an-nouncement-'in. this issue describing the facilities offered for shopping by mail by Stiles and Matheson, Ltd., Levin. While taking a bull from a paddock at Norsowood, a farmer named G. Joyner was badly gored. He was rescued in any exhausted condition, and now lies in Dannevirke Hospital in a precarious condition.

It is estimated that several hundreds of Maoris-, from Levin to Porirua, will congregate at Otaki prior to their departure to take part in the welcome to the Prince of Wales at Rotorua, and a suggestion has been made that the hakas, dances, etc., to bo given at the thermal regions be the main items of a carnival which could bo held here to raise money for the local peace memorial.

Speaking of the risciu the price of bread, a retired baker says that during an intimate knowledge of the baking trade in New Zealand for the last fifty years, ho has never known bread to 1)0 the price it is to-day. Right up to ISSO bread in many parts of the Dominion was 5d per 11) loaf, then the price gradually declined till it got. us low as 3d in the “nineties,” the lowest price being reached about JLB99 and ItKli), when southern flour reached its lowest price, being quoted at £<i to £7 per ton, when bread fell as low as 2PI in some parts. About 1901 flour commenced to firm up, and it seems to have been firming ever since, reaching the record price of £l9 to-day. Mr H. Small, of Otaki, has staged at tho Flower Show at Otaki to-day an exhibit that elicits the admiration of: all who visit the show. It comprises a fine display of cereals, nicely mounted, and correctly named, exhibits of wool, collection ot knots, a variety of articles of ingenious construction, and a magnificent collection of butterflies and moths, from Britain, South Amcricp, Africa, and various parts of Europe. It is well worth tho price of admission to inspect this exhibit alone, and we heartily recommend both young and old to'make a point of attending the show and inspecting thv highly interesting and educational display, that is a distinct credit to Mr Small.

Reference was made at Saturday’s meeting of the Horowhenun Fruitgrowers’ Association to the best varie ties of apples to grow for export. The Departmental view, formed after conferences with representative growers, is that, the months of March, April. May, and the earlier part of June cover the period which offers the best opportunities for the satisfacory .disposal of New Zealand fruit in the Northern Hemisphere markets. It takes seven weeks from the date of shipment to land fruit in England. Considering these matters, it is inadvisable to plant too extensively for export any variety coming to maturity later than the middle of April. For this reason the extensive planting of the Stunner Pippin is not recommended, though its many excellent qualities cause it to I ■ retained on the export lists. The apple, recommended for export from the Wellington and Wairarapa districts are Worcester Permain. Cox’s Orange Pippin. Jonathan, Delicious. Dunn’s f-Munro’s) Favourite, and Stunner.— ‘ ‘ Chronicle. ”