THE OTAKI MAIL. FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, 19 January 1923, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There will be no publication of the "Otaki Mail" on Monday next (Anniversary Day).

The Kiwitea County Council have collected to within £IUO of their rates for last year.

A meeting of the members of the Otaki Brass Band was to have been held last night, but was allowed to lapse. It was decided to meet on Thursday night next. Two standard packets of tea sold in Wellington have been advanced Id a pound in the course of the last week, and there are indications that further increases will be made in the near future - * --? n The Mauakau Sunday .School children held their annua! picnic at Mr Burnell's property yesterday, when games, etc, were indulged in. The presentation of prizes was also a pleasing teatare.

At a special meeting of the Kairanga County Council, it was decided to adhere to Wednesday as the recognised haif-holiday for business premises within the county.

"Rangiuru House," a popular resort, has been taxed to it* utmost of lute, while, bookings tire still heavy. A iirstclass chef has been secured, and the well-known house is being run under splendid management.

A Christchurch boy named Hill, about fourteen years of age. found himself in a predicament at Browning's Beach, Lyttelton. After climbing for about 20ft. up a steep cliff, he was unable to ascend further; nor could he get down. His cries for help attracted the attention of two fishermen in a boat, and they lost no time in pulling ashore. The;* just managed to reach the boy in the nick of time 4 as he clung on until he was quite exhausted.

Considerable annoyance and uneasiness has been caused for several nights past at Morrinsville through an individual knocking up resident" in the early hours of the morning, and giving an account of a sister who was said to be dying, says tke 'Waikato Times.' This was preliminary to a request for a little whisky or brandy. After some nights of success, a man giving his name as Claken was arrested and brought before the Police Court, when he was sentenced to a month's imprisonment on a charge of vagrancy.

Mr E. Morse, with characteristic enterprise, has made arrangements for the famous Sistine choir to visit Otaki on February Ist, while the Westminster Glee Singers and "The Diggers" will appear here in March. All the above companies should draw crowded houses. Mr Morse has also been in Wellington making arrangements to show such pictures as "Orphans of the Storm," "Over tie Hill," and "Foolish Wives," and has, for the benefit of his numerous patrons, secured an Austra-lian-made projector, a Etching that ~ti show- pictures moTe clearly, better, ana stdßdier. The machine is of tb© latest type, and no doubt Mr Morse's enterprise will be appreciated.

Coming home from a week-end at the seaside to find that one's fowlkouse had been raided by a ferret and eight nice young fowls killed wee the unpleasant experience of a Balclutha resident (according to the 'Free Press'). Retribution had followed fast on the depredator's heels, and it was found caught in a rabbit trap that had been left set for birds. The incident moved a neighbour to the expression of opinion that ferrets, like dogs, should be. registered and bear a collar and a number in order that the owner might be identified in cases like this. Another ferret, since discovered to have been the mate of the first depredator, raided yet another few] run, and killed twen-ty-eight chickens and a hen.

At the Kiwitea Coui*ty Council meeting it was suggested that there should be a conference of local bodies regarding the licensing on motor vehicles, so as to make the by-laws uniform.

Cheap labour is doing much to build up Japan. A Manchurian employer, paying his workmen sixpence a day, stated that if his 2000 workmen left him there was another 2000 quite eager to fill the vacancies.

Few dairy concerns have made greater progress in a short time than the Manakau Dairy Company, which since JO2O has increased its suppliers from 37 to 62. The company manufactures both butter and cheese, its output of late being 160 boxes of butter per week and 2S large cheese per day. The Wellington correspondent of the "Christchurch Press-" telegraphs: A project is on foot to get about 200 American tourists over to New Zealand next summer on a personally-conducted tour. Captain C. MacDonald, of the White Star Association, has the matter in hand. Mountaineers, anglers, a»d others will be specially catered for.

It is understood that the ManawatuOroua Land Drainage Board and other interested local authorities have abandoned their proposal to make a drainage cut through Himatangi to the sea, as they have discovered thai a rise of eight feet intervenes. It is now proposed to make a cut of about a mile through the Moutoa Estate, which was favourably reported on by the commission in 1906.

As the weight of one inch of rainfall is estimated at 100 tons over an area of an acre, it must necessarily follow that, as over half an inch was recorded locally on Monday, every home in Palmerstoii North standing on its quarteracre section received roughly 13 tons of rain water. Naturally the formation of the soil could not immediately absorb suck an immense amount ami surface water collected in many places.— Standard. "New Zealand occupies the unique position of being practically the only country in the civilised world where the quality of the liquor is uol tested in the public bar.- (stated Colonel Bell at Mangakahia). "The law provides for inspection, but you never see an inspector in our hotels. The small fanner os lined heavily if he is caught adulterating his milk; there is no such line imposed on the man who sells adulterated or low-grade liquor. These conditions are brought about by the powerful monopoly.'■'

la conversation with a well known Nelson sheep breeder, a Mail reporter was informed that New Zealand woollen mills at (he present time, were very short of line half-bred woo], in support of his statement he remarked that at the. last London wool sales about *ix weeks ago his clip realised 24Jd, but a few days ago n representative of a New Zealand mill offered him SG-jd f.o.b. for this season - .; clip. This price is worth about 4d a pound more than tlie. London price, when the freight Home is taken into consideration.

The party, including several scientist- —forty-four in all —who visited

Waikanuo and Paruparaumu on Sunday, returned to Wellington, with the exception of one carload, safely. This car, which contained several ladies, was blocked by a large motor-lorry, which had evidently-run short of benzine, on the Paekakariki Hill. As there was no

room to pass the party did not reach Wellington till 0.30, but the delay ttid not seem to trouble the motor-lorry driver. Unfortunately they also encountered heavy rain and this did not add to the pleasure of the outing, especially as they were wot, cold, and hungry.

Alter the one o'clock Woodviiie Wellington express left the former station on a recent afternoon a shriek was heard by the passengers and a child was seen to fall from one of the carriages. The train was Smartly pulled up, and a surfaceman in the vicinity noting the incident rushed to the locality. He picked up the child, and placing a jigger on the rails set off after the train and promptly returned the child to its relatives. It was discovered that the Child, though suffering from shock and flight bruises, was none the worse for its very narrow escape from death. It had evidently fallen clear of the train and the heavy ballast on the line.

The roadman's cottage recently eon- ! structed by the Kairanga County Coun- . eil at Kairanga has been completed and is a very up-to-date five-roomed residence. It was reported at the meeting of the council yesterday that the actual cost of the house itself, including blinds for windows and nmlthoid for covering the floors had been £926 5s 3d. "When it is considered ( that the building is situated five miles from Palmerston .North and that the cartage on materia!, including sand and gravel amounted to about £9O, this price may be considered very reasonable, said the engineer. The council now possesses ten roadmen's cottages sis being constructed of brick and concrete, and four of timber. The Commissioner of Taxes draws attention of taxpayers to the notification appearing in to-day's issue that the due date of payment of the Income-tax is on Wednesday, the 7th day of February. 1923. Additional tax will accrue if the tax is not paid on or before 28th February, 1923. The demands •■■•■ ill be posted from the office of the Commissioner of Taxes on or about 31st January. 1923. Demands must be presented with ail payments, and if a demand has not been received the Commissioner should be communicated -with. It should be noted, however, that individuals (not comp-anies) whose surnamecommence with the letters C, D. H, I, J, K, Mc, ST, O, P, T, W will not receive their datr e .ras until later. Is. these cases a new due date—viz., Ist March, 1923 r—will be fixef! under section 12". Additional tax will accrue twenty-ona days thereafter.

The Levin Dairy Company is payingIs -id per lb butterfat for the December supply, and the Manakau Dniry C'ompany Is 2d per lb.

Notice appears in the Gazette of the loth inst. that the Governor-General has proclaimed the Otaki River Dis-J trict an area of 3522 acres, the bound- , aries of which have been advertised. : The first election for seven members takes place on January 31st. The gold brooches donated by Messrs Bills & Moore to the Otaki Croquet Club were designed and made by Mr E. Looser, our local jeweller, on whom they reflect every credit. It will be seen that there is now no need to patronise Wellington jewellers for medals of any description, Mr Looser being prepared to supply them in any form.

At midnight on a recent date while a resident of Wunganui East and his wife were attending a dance a wouldbe burglar entered their house. The intruder had evidently had a look through a couple of rooms, and was beginning a search of the dining room when a lady visitor, who had been awakened by her little child's restlessness, got out of bed and went to the i dining-room to secure a drink for the ! youngster. The man. hearing her approach, darted down the passage, rush- ! ing past; the startled lady, who scream- j ed out. Assistance was soon at hand, hut no trace could be found of the intruder. Fortunately, nothing was secured by the would-be burglar, but the wife of the owner of the house had left her jewellery and purse under a hat on the table in the dining room,

and no doul.it this would have, been discovered by the intruder had he not been disturbed in his search.

A. good bull is advertised for sal

A Diabolo separator is advertised for sale. Messrs Harper and Atmore have two -urns available for investment. Nominations for the Otaki River Board (ins,: on Thursday next. Xyal 'a face cream, a neutral, nourishing skin tonic, is stocked by Mr L, St. George. Messrs J. Bainbridge and Sou will run a motor-bus to the Foxton race.- tomorrow and Monday. Return fare 7s Mrs Muir, of Te Horo, has now a I pleasing array of ladies' goods, etc., which she is selling at lowest prices. For a good hair-cut, shave, shampoo, or tobacco, cigarettes, etc., residents i should call at Mr F. H. Bax 's ,-aloon. I f Captain Bax is .-till to the fore with a lino assortment of men's and boys' clothing, etc. His goods are of the best and the prices right.

Ratepayers should remember that the Otaki Borough Council will impose the i'.' per cat. penalty on all overdue rates not paid before the 31st inst. Miss Baxter, whose replace appears in this issue, is making a specialty of fruit salads, which are most desirable at present. Strawberries ami cream, iced drink-, etc., should be sampled. A lung-night dance will be held at Te Horo on Friday next to raise money for asphalting the tennis court. An enjoyable time is promised ail who attend "'