LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, 14 October 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The secretaries of the Various Edu~ cation Boards in the Dominion have been asked by the Education Dcpart—ment to assemble in Wellington on Thursday next to consider the proposals to ’be ma_de in regard to increase of the salaries of teachers,

A local farmer just returned from 2. visit to Central Otago (says the Balclutha. “Free Press”) states that sehoolboys there are profiting by the rabbit—skin boom to the extent of 15/ and 20/ a day. He met boys who had averaged the latter figure in their spare time. They had‘ to work overtime, too, though, and visit traps at night and reset them,‘ and again inspect traps at dawn. Members of the local branch of the Farmers’ Union, speaking informally on Saturday, considered that if the highprices of skins con.tinue,_the result will be the extinction of Bi-er Rabbit before very longand a good job too. "

An advertiser desires to sell six good young cows; also horses, plough and harrow. There Was an unseemly interruption during the progress of a wedding ceremony at Rangiora last ‘Wednesday. A woman who had some grudge ‘against the parents of the bride took advantage of the Occasion to air her grievance. Efforts to quieten the. woman having failed she was ejected and the ceremony was completed.

In spite of the threat of punishment contained in the new Piolice OffenceS Amendment Bill now before Parliament. sneak thieves are still “borrowing” motor carg. ‘The other night at Wellington barrister, when he went to get his car to drive to his suburban home, found that -his car had disapDeared. He hired a taxi to drive home, and on the Hutt Road he saw‘ a derelict car by the roadside. The head lights of the taxi showed the number of the dei-elict—-and, it was the number of his own car.

Said to ‘be a fact: ‘A house-hunter in Wellington got the tip from'an outgoing tenant that the house he Was in would soon be vacant, and advised him to go and ‘clinch it with the agents. The llouse—hunter ran all the way to the agent’s office, and was told he could have the house on payment of a week's rent and———£s bonus to the outgoing tenant. Said house-hunter Went back to the outgoing tenant about it, and was informed that the bonus request was only a try-on by the agent.

The Christchurch Press has the following: Sensing, perhaps, in some subtle, canine way that such a. gathering formed a link with his dead master, an Irish terrier found his way into a meeting o'f‘the~ North Beach Tennis Club on Wednesday afternoon. A member rose to put the intruder out, but, on ‘glancing at the dog’s collar, found that it was the pet of the late champion tennis player, Anthony Wilding. Menibers gathered ’ round; and a suggestion that the dog be elect 4 ed an honorary member of 'the‘elub' was agreed to by aeelamation._ The dog was alone, and came into the'office in which the meeting was held quite of its own aceord. _

Speaking at .a. dinner at Waiotapu to celebrate te inauguration of a soldier settlement in the d'istl‘ic‘t, Mr L. M. Skeet, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Auckland, said that now the bulk of the best lands of the Dominion had been settled itwag essential that the State should turn its attention to the utilisation of the secondclass lands, of which the pumice aieas formed so important a part. There was a million acres of this class of land held by the Crown in the district, and it was important that it should be settlel_ One of the .grcat difiicultiés in the way was finance, but he could state that in a few weeks a policy would be announced which woulggl overcome this difficulty and -that a. new and satisfa.ctor'_v scheme for settling men on pumice land would be put for.Ward.

For \vays.tliat are dark and tricks that are vain certain types of land speculators appear to be quite on 2. par with the so—called heathen Chinee_ Recently a gentleman, whose patriotism was of the highest, and Whose intentions were of the best, offered his farm for soldier settlement, and at the same time proffered the information that he was anxious to do all he could for the boys who had been at the front. It was true that the price put on the land by this gentleman was just about double its’ value, that he was standing to make a. very handsome profit indeed out of the deal, and, incidentally, that he offered a certain oflicial a nice little “divvy” if he would use his influence to put the deal through. The official, however, was not in the habit of accepting “bakshees.h,” and politely informed the patriotic one of the fact. Needless to state the deal did not take place.

“Many tailors find it difficult to secure the range of fiatterns and suitings enjoyed in pro-War days, and in most instances have simply to entrust themselves to the tender mercies of the warebouscmcn,” said a merchant tailor to a “Times” representative. “The warehousemen control the situation—4they are the indentors and purchasers. . The manufacturing companies, generally speelting is distinctly limited, and in many cases we simply have to take what we can get. There are instances where some specially attractive pattern or special quality cloth is secured for ‘box’ pattern clothes, but here again individual onterprise comes in, and there is no use in blaming the system_ There has been a slight improvement, but nothing to boast about, and despite the high ‘prices charged the profits are not by any means what some people imagine. With the price of material and wages rising, the price of the article to the public must rise too.” Camisoles Daintily trimmed with embroidery and lace in new designs; good quality—-»4/6, 6/11, 7/11, 9/6 to 35/6.. ‘