LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, 29 September 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Os Friday a Wellington firm dispo.~t.c(i of the first shipment of _.:;1-acer. peas from Nelson at 75 per pack. This price constitutes a record.

While comnient"is current on the rapidity of the progress of spring, claims are alrenady being made that summer is already here, Says "the Auckland “Star.” The tangible evi--dence takes the form of a consignment of strawberries which has made its appearance for sale in one of ‘the auction rooms at the city markets.

Th.el'e was on. View in the Timaru. Sports Depot on Tuesday 21 black shag, which was shot by Ml‘ Wilfrvrl Howell in the Pa:-com Gorge. and taken to town as undeniable prnot‘ of the‘ havoc which these birds work among 1:1-out. T-he shag was “fiSh3!’lg” when. Mr Howell shot it, ml was found to contain three strong and wc-11—conditioned trout, one 10in., one ].lin., and the ofhor 12111. long.

According to Mr Riley, who accom—panied Mr Massey as his political secretary at the recent great Peace Conference, Mr Hughes, the Austl'~:llian Prime Minister, -had arr: (?Xtl':lOl'Oinal‘y fascination for the Japanese delegates at the Vconfercrice. Mr Riley says that on one occasion when the"..T:lP3-M59 problem was »to be z-iehai‘-2d. all the Col’rsponderitgin France, and there 5100 of them, gathered to’ hear frcm Mr Hughes a speech that would rncve the stars. “But,” remarkai -Mr Rilcr, .“iMr Hughes is not -a; god, and on that occasios he waited until the Japanese delegates had finishea, and "then went over and secured their autographs for his Wife.” "' ‘

A social -and dance will be held at

Winiata on Thursday 11-ext i nconnection with raising funds for the -Maori Returned Soldiers’ Memorial_ Fund.

Next Wednesday night the management of the Town Hall Pictures announces that. it will present :t'h‘é tremendous super-feature, “The Woman and the Law,” produced by William Fox. It is one‘ of ‘the finest. super features that has ever been released, and one of the .most tremendous dramatic plays that has ever been conceived. The story is based on the sensational De Saulles case that created such a tremendous 'con'-troversy in the »English and American papers some two years ago. The management states that “The Woman and the Law” can only be shown in Taihape on Wednesday, Ocfo. bel' lst. Those who wish to -be sure of obtaining seats can reserve them at the Town Hall. Usual .price~s_

The quntity of stock killed at the Auckland freezing works during the latter part of last season was very much below the average, owing to the unusual shortage of autumn feed, ‘said Mr S. J. Ambury, at the annual meeting of the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company. Many cattle would have been rejected alive at the works, only it. was known that the owners were without feed to. keep them during the winter. On the whole, sheep and lambs had kept up to -the average in weight and quality, but ox beef had steadily declined in weights for four successive years. The average weight of the beasts killed at the works during the past year was 52lbbless than those killed the previous year, and 1001 b lighter than the average {of four years ago. He considered an important factor in the decline was that much of -the best fattening land was being used for the more profitable business of dairying.

Stories concerning the late Lord] Charles Beresford, have been ‘floatinzefi around since his death was announced, two of the most. piquant-of whiehi appear in the Christchurch Press_ When Admiral’ Sir William" Wilson held J command of the Mediterranean neet " he ordered alsham fight to take place, V he to have charge of one d‘vision of the" fleet and Lord Charles, rwhowvas _ second in’ command, the other. The Cominzinder-_-in-Chief told his officers they "would receive no written in-N instruetions—orders would reach them by wireless telegraphy. Lord Charles somehow heard of this, and, as the }two fleets moved into action. set al‘ fhis own wireless instruments working lin order to intercept and confuse -his! ‘opponents’ messages and prevent them‘ from reachisg -the ships they were ad- ‘ dressed to. The result was that Ad-i ‘miral Wilson’s captains had to fight

without orders. Once, in declining‘ an ] invitation, Lord Charles telegraphed to ' a :t‘l-iend: “Sorry, can’t come. Liel follows by post.” i The. high prices paid for linoleum has no doubt been a matter for concern to many a local householder, and 3 they will not be pleased at there be-1 ing no prospect of a reductios for! some time to come. In a letter re-f ceived by a. Vvanganui business man‘ from a’ British manufacturer the latter stated that since the first week in April (-the letter was written 011 July’ sth), when linseed oil, the chief raw material, was £SB per ton, it had risen by leaps and bounds until in July it was quoted at £122 per ton. Jute prices, too, had considerably advanced. The writer did not think there was any prospect of a reduction in prices for many niosths to come, and any rcduction of the manufactured articl could only take place after a considerable fall had occurred in the cost of raw niaterinals. He did not look for any fall in labour; in fat, he entertain-ed=-"the hope that the high level of wages would be maintained, as it would contribute to safer and sounder social conditions all round. 3 Prices of fat stock is most of the isclling centres of the Dominion have ‘now reach what are faniilarly termed famine prices (states the Lyttelton 'l‘i.xncs), with the result that the retail ipriee of meat has been raised to a point practically unheard of in the country. As an indication of the high prices ruling for fat stock it may be lmentioned that two. bullocks purchased at Burnside last Wednesday by a lleading city butcher for £25 2/6 each, [Weighed respectively 6401 b and 6101 b, or an average of 6215 b each This works out at 80/5 per 1001 b, or at the rate of approximately 9 s—Bd per lb for the car-case In this’ connection it may be pointed out that these were 1))’ inc nicans the dearest cattle sold at {Burnside last ‘week, and it is confidiently asserted that several pens of bullocks were bought for local con—sumption at well over 10d per lb for the carcase. The position which has arisen is by no means unexpected, as those who have watched the tread of events for the past six months have lprophesicd that prices would soar to ;unheard of heights The scarcity of iwinter feed is the prime factor which has contributed '66 the present condiltion, asd this has been accentuated by ‘the railway sestrictions. '