LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, 24 September 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A Japanese steamer has been. .engaged to bring a. load of coal over from Newcastle ‘to We-llingto-n shortly.

The restoration of train services to the time.-table in force prior to the “cut” is to_ take place oh Monday next“. The Department hopes to do more than this in the "near 'fu-ture, by restoring suburban and other trains which were I'Llllllirlg before the war reduction was made.

The following vessels will be within wireless range t.o~nigh-t: —— Mar:-2,1-oa, Athen-ic, Moéraki, Westralia. In range of Chathams. Adolf _Woel-manu. In range Awanui:—~Ra.kanoa, Kal'tangata_ in range of Aucklan('l:—Pox't Albany, Corinthic. In range of Awarua: Navua.

Messrs Pratt and Co._. Booksellers and Stationers,'are starting business in the premises known as the Red Cross Shop, Taihapo, with a new and complete stock of goods, and they hope to get open for Saturday next. E. Pratt, the principal of the firm comes to Taihape with "very good credentials, he having been borough councillor, school chairman and member of Chamber of Commerce, I-lorticultural Society ,ctc. etc. Mr Pratt should have plenty of scope for his activitiei in Taihape.

During a. discussion on Soldiers’ set. tlement at a. meeting of the Kaikohe branch of the Farmers’ Union, several speakers scathingly criticised the Government policy of buying improved estates at inflated prices when there were thousands of acres of surveyed Crown land lying unpl'oductiVe. A resolution was carried that the Government be asked to load bush sections that are being opened up for soldier settlement with the value of the mil‘ling timber thereon, instead of as at present selling‘ the timber rights to others, thereby re.tarcling' settlement.

Some curious and interesting facts are to be gleaned (states an exchange) from the 96 pages, closely 311111111103 with figures, of that part of the report on the census taken’ on October 15th, 1916, just issued, which deals with the fel'fili‘r.y of the poppiafion. Fol'Ainétaxlee, on the date mentioned, there were in the Dominion 36 married In-311 and 1060 mal'l'ied women under tweufy Yoill‘S of age. 'l‘hel'e were 103 hns~ bands’ and .1281 wives. 20 years Of 3'30. and 2-1.4 husbzmdg and 1918 wives ‘_’l years of age. In the large propol‘fson of cases the wives of these youfllfli4l _hellediel's were older than their husbmlds. The records Show two youths imder 20' with wives of 28, two of 90 with wives of 20, one with a wife of 38. and a-nmhmv \\'i'h one. of 'l-5. and -"two young men of 2], whose wives were 4-7 years old. The discrepancy in age is even more marked at the other end of man’s life. for a number of men between 40 and 50, mid. one of 62, had wives who had not yet reached their twentietli year, a man of 64 with airyrife of 28, and one in the "66 mu-1' uflwards” class married to a wom2.n 40 years -his junior_ .

The great scarcity of bacon which has been experienced in the Dominion during the last few months -has reached a most acute stage, and dealers are now at their wits’ end to secure supplies (states the Napier Daily Telegraph). Many shops and stores are absolutely without any stocks \vhatevel'_ Prices have been on the up-grade for some time. The country has -been -living on its capital as far as pork is concerned, and.there is very -little prospect of prices of locally-grown bacon and hams being reduced for a ‘year or two. The decision of the Government that all imports of bacon and hams from AustraTia (Whether produced there or not) should -be admittetl free to the Dominion up till N-ovember Ist, came into operation on Mbnday. -

There is a superstitious saying among those who go down {O the sea in ships. “Never hang the picture of a 511:1). wreck near the picture of a sailor.” In connection with the death of the late Chaliles \Vi;llianl‘s,, {Chri‘stellurch, one of the victims of the T-ainui disaster, 3. Christchurch reporter was told of :1 re-nlal-liable coincidence. In the drawingroom of the home of the deceased’s par. ents is an enlarged framed pliotograph of the deceased, and immediately beneath is a photo of la. ship on .’-ire 01:‘ a hilly shore. The most remarkable thing about the co-incidence, which was not noted until Friday, is that the vessel in the’ picture exactly tallies in appearance with the Tainui, and the coastline, which is only two or three miles away, is an excellent representation of the country elf which the Tainui met her end.