THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, MAY 31, 1920. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 31 May 1920, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, MAY 31, 1920. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Mayor (Dr. Thacker) state; tnat he ha 3 instructed his solicitor to ask the C'hristchurch "Sun" newspaper to apologise tor an article published on Saturday evening in connection with the children's ball, and to pay £SOO to the Wer Memorial Fund. In default of this, Dr. Thacker says he will sue for £SOOO damages for alleged libel.— "Lyttelton Times." Additional details of the big auction sale of Mr F. S. Eaa ton's property, Ohau, are advertised. This magnificent ■njgytr, farmed so successfully for 'r L l ■.*"** 1»t Mr John Kebb-cil. has forty yea.* v * * ' i v,j;„;,:?„, *°-t0 eleven .'arm?, and been subdivideu - it ■ these are to be offered fo? fcai * u ; Lev " JD on 15th June. The terms are" Plans will be supplied by Messrs Abraham and Williams, auctioneer-:.

At a meeting of the Foiton Retailers' Association held last week, it was decided to ob=eve a close holiday on June 3rd (King's Birthday), and also io observe the usual Wednesday half-holiday is the same week. The question of the appointment o: a. nightwatchman was further eomidered, it beiug reported that a canvass of the area had been made and the maximum amount that wa* promised was £2 pc-r week, exclusive of the 10s per week from the Borough Council. It was mentioned that it would not be poss.il !e to pet a mitable man under £-> per wee.-:, and it ra< decided to again approach the Borough Cc-anc;! with the request that their docstion of 10s ->er week he increased to SI. so that a night Ts-aich-flisn. esn '>,i employed. For CnildT«n'i Hacking Cough. Woods' G:eat Perreerrnint Cure, 1* 9d,

Tlic >Vcllhlgton Motor ami Accessory Co. advertises a high-class English rar for sale —a real snip. Thise in search of a good car should enquire curly. It will be seen by advertisement that the storekeepers of Otaki have decided to close (heir premiess all day on Thursday next (King's Birthday), but the shops will bo open all day on Wednesday. Ladies will be glad (o hear Ihn; a limited display of the ever-scarce navy serge costumes is being made to-day at Stiles ami Matheson's, the big value mail order house," Levin. Orders by mail receive the linn's most careful attention.

■Messrs Latham and Hughes, molor and general engineers, of Levin, have had If years' experience iu motor work, and repairs entrusted to them will therefore be faithfully carried out. The firm also have good .second-hand motor cycles for sale, and are also agents for the "Dort" car.

The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., will hold a clearing sale, on account of Mr D. Hunter, Waikanae, on Saturday nest, Juno sth. when they will sell without reserve the whole of his dairy herd, young stock, horses, pigs, dogs, implements, vehicles, etc. Full particulars of the sale are advertised.

The annual meeting of members of the Horowhenua Horticultural and Industrial Society will be held at the reading-room to-night (Monday), when the ejection of oflicers will be proceeded with, together with adoption of report and balance-sheet, etc . It js to be hoped that (here will be ;>. largo attendance of members to help forward the operations of this most useful organisation. A correspondent in the "Gisborno Times" writes: "By the last tup of the s.s. Waimate from Home I had a bicycle sent to my boy as a present. The bicycle cost £3 10s in Glasgow, freight and insurance to Uisbornc were £o 17s lid, and charges at this end were £° lis, making the lauded eo<i £ll IS.S (id for an article that cost £'. lOs. Is it not time the tribunals commenced looking to the shipping companies to solve the problem of the high cost of living?"

"Opossums," says the annual report of the Acclimatisation Society, "are steadily increasing in various parts of the society's district, in face of a certain amount of unlawful taking, but there is a prospect of something being done in the mutter of uniform regulations covering all requirements, as Professor Kirk has been inquiring into the opossum question throughout the Dominion, and his report is no doubt already in the bauds of the Minister of Internal Affairs. There is a valuable industry possible under proper control."

A machine has been patented for clearing scrub and gor.-e country- I" appearance it looks like a V-shaped sleigh. It has a powerful knife on one tide, which razes off the- scrub up to three inches thick, and thi-' knife is held to its work by three dis<Ss on tie' other side of the sleigh which cut into the ground and thus prevent slipping. Not only does the machine do the work of many men. but i' leave" tho slumps with a flat-end in place oi the usual spike-; resulting from handcutting. The only fault found with the work was thai the scrub had to be cleared away by hand labour before the horses drawing the machine could get at the next -trip, but of cour.-e thi:' would no; apply if some kind o) tractor was the motive power. The critical position of many .Nciv Zealand new-papers due to the : hortage of newsprint paper supplier was responsible for a big gathering ol tic.-. - paper proprietors at Wellington on Friday last. The meeting was called by the New Zealand Newspaper Proprh tors' Association, and was. attend' d by representatives of practically the whole of the daily Pre?- of the Dominion. It transpired during the meeting that some of the big newspapers had only sufficient paper to last them tot a few wee!:-:. It was decided to a-fc thee papers having reserve stock, to assist otters who were in short supply.

It was a;«o decided to urge newspap< r proprietors to conserve their paper supplies as ; men a- possible, to reducc the size of the papers, and to curtail advertising space. In accordance wITn a resolution passed, no advertising eontract fo: a longer period than three months ■■Til! be entered into. We h: ve to acknowledge receipt of garden ■ dendar and catalogue from the well-km -i house of F. Cooper, Ltd., wfcolesa. seed grower.-, whose ne&d office i» • Wellington. These will ha found \ ■■ valuable to farmers and gardens all over New Zealand. It

is int< :T ng to note that this firm ha? been i:: :-ines; for over half a century, y may be regarded a-, the pioneer- f seed growing in New Zealand, a . have done most valuable work ai .ag the line? of seed testing, seed gr wing, and special seed selection. : [any of their strain.- of the princip: 1 peas, vegetable and farm .iefrdi h: ve* been selcctea from single plant*?- which have bees picked out of thou-an. s for *Mi: (specially- good constitution and healthy cropping qualities. Ih~ firm arc the largest gfOHera of vegetable and farm SC4&-: (exclosivc of grass seeds) not only in Nctv Zealand, bat in the Southern Heawpbere. Their trade slogan, "The Seed- or jSuceess," is known and amply justifies front one end of New Zealand to tne other. The firm wishes i; to be made rpUe clear that for many yesr- every line of seed •srhifib tome- :r>«> .then store *!< immediately tested for germination both by themselves and ta< y.'/.: Department of Agr:-:a:tar". n . no Sine i- allowed to be --■-■ out :'- ' does not more than fully <-cc'ty>;>" *.v:tn the highest test of growth standard. If you are going to the racts you "" ill -.-art a niee pair of boots or shoes. n« have a good range to .elect from. Prices to suit all Irvine's Shoe Store, Oteki.—Xdvt

A conference of this Hospital Boards v> ill be opened in the conference room of the New Zealand I'armcrs' Institute, Feathcrstoii street, to-morrow morning. A claim for £IOOO for alleged libel, George von Zeidlitz v. "New Zealand Times." is set down for hearing at the Supreme Court at Wellington on June ■l. Notice Is given by advertisement thai all moneys owing to the estate of the late Mr T. Mcl'all must be paid io ' "Messrs Harper and Xtmore, solicitors, by the end of July. J On Thursday Mr W. M. Clark's drapery establishment at Levin was entered and a quantity of goods stolen. ' date on which the premises have been

At the Mustertou Magistrate's Court Alfred Cole and William H. Wilson were each convicted and Jiued £5 for | selling underweight bread. Both de- 1 feudants pleaded guilty. The prosecutions were conducted under instructions from the inspector lor the ' Public Health Department, to whom the bread had been sold. The new scale of tram lures operates in Wellington as from to-day. This means a considerable increase in the charges. The minimum charge will be Ud, two sections [id, three Id, four -Id. live sd, and sex sd, The juice of concession tickets has also been inceased. Messrs McDougall Bros, and Co. have been fortunate in securing a special j consignment of very smart costumes, in brown tweed, navy serge, Oxford j grey and cheeks, just in time for the J races. These goods are right up to the J minute as regards fashion and quality, | and ladies who wish lo secure a nice 1 costume should call at McDougall's

at once, before the pick is gone. A poll wn» held at IV Puke on the pioposal to raise » loan of £!>OUO for an electric light scheme. The voting was: lor the loan P.U. again-! 1. .It is expected that electric light will lie available in the township in sin weeks' time. We would suggest that the Otaki Town l.'.oard members lake a lesson from Te puke in pushing things through expeditiously. Several members of the WeLn , ; •» LMmation Boaid, including Mr W. H. Field, MP., visited Levin on Saturday la-;, in connection with a request for the • reel ton of a new school at Poroulowh'ao. It was thought unlikely that the Board would grant the request, but in ail probability a motor service will be arranged for. to bring children from Poroutawhao, Kimberlcy road, and other outlying districts to the central school .at Levin.

The Government has completed negotiations for the purchase of 7000 acre." of the Urancepeth Lstate (the property oi .Mr If. H. Beclham), Masterton, for soldier settlement. The land is being taken no by a syndicate, of which seven members are returned soldier empiny . on the property. It will be cut. up lino lii or It sections, and will re- • rii'i; very little rouding and fencing. •- ];■■■ property is to be taken over by . -oldiers in Fci.ruary next. • H-spilu the exceedingly ivir,tr> wra- ;, . ; e-ferday, the Otakj Br:-. Banu ■ . ; -horl musical piograaime at the Oi.!l i Sanatorium grounds ye-tciday ait. :' see The items tvere much appro, ited, and a' tie- eo'iclusion of the: pj ■ line Dr. O'Callaghat!, or, behalf of tie- patients and -.tail', heartily thanked the band-men, and .aid he !:«.:.- •: the Burn! would ve-if the "San" a; regular intervals. Mr Fielding, on bchaii of ih" bandsmen, said it na- a pie; • • for the "band boys" to vj.,it the ."sanatorium, and they would be glad to give further programmes from time to time. Fred Barratt does not care where you bay your boots; take them along and he wiil repair them. He's Mill going strong, and will continue to do to &% his superior workmanship it, i-f.il known. Trv him.—Advt.