LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3406, 10 February 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Messrs McLaughlan Bros, are wanting a good steady man for their town delivery cart.

Imports credited to Germany made during the last quarter of 1919 into New Zealand were valued at £36.

A saddle, lost in Taihape, from the back of a horse, having the name, Nikora, stamped thereon, is advertised for and a reward of one pound offered for its return to this office. 6

Harvest Thanksgiving Services will be held in St. Margaret’s Church, Taihape, next Sunday. Gifts of fruit and flowers will be gratefully received, and donors of such are asked to leave them at the Vicarage during the week.

The spectators of a team of 17 horses drawing a lorry laden with a huge boiler created considerable interest 'in the Epsom district this week. The boiler, which weighs about 20 tons, is one of three from the Hauraki pump at the Thames, which has been purchased by the Auckland Hospital Board.

The Christchurch master butchers last week decided to lodge a claim with the Government in respect to the English wool profits. It has been computed that on a fair estimate some of the smaller butchers would he entitled to about £SOO. while the amount involved in larger firms is very large.

Clergymen are somewhat rare visitors in the Parengarenga region, in the extreme north, and native weddings therefore have to be fixed for a time when one makes a call. When Dr. Milson was at Te 'Hapua recently he attended a ceremony at which no fewer than six Maori couples took their marriage vows.

In the course of a heated debate at the last meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, Dr Thacker, M.P., intimated to Hon. R. Moore, M.L.C., a fellow member of the Board, tliat he “was not going to be insulted by the foolish grinning of a hee-haw donkey.” Mr Moore “expressed regret that Dr. Thacker did not behave as a gentleman.” The chairman called the legislators to order.

“If the Premier’s optimism is anything like his optimism in regard to meat and meat ships, it’s not worth much,” said Mr W. J. Poison at the meeting pf the Wanganui Harbour Board on Friday night. There was a discussion on coal supplies', and Mr Bassett had expressed the opinion that Mr Massey was optimistic in regard to the coal shortage “He will put you right sooner or later,” retorted Mr Bassett

A commercial man, who is keenly interested in the benzine supply, has informed a New Zealand Times’ reporter that there was every prospect of an immediate rise in the local price of oil. So far as quantity was concerned, he said, the position was

much, easier than it had been for some time, as there was enough in the local market to supply immediate requirements. while there were large shipments approaching.

Save the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves is an old proverb which still has a modern application. For the last quarter of 1919 the excess of deposits' in the Post Office Savings Banks of New Zealand over withdrawals was £2,322,213 16s 9d, and in no postal district of the country did the withdrawals* exceed the deposits. In the Wanganui postal district the deposits for the quarter totalled £456,686 8s Bd, and the withdrawals £346,461 3s lOd, the excess of deposits being £92,225 4s lOd.

The new Victory New Zealand stamp now in use is quite a departure from the convention—more in the form of a picture. It shows the face of a handsome tatooed head, to which however many Maoris will take exception as being representative of that almost extinct tribe of the blueeye, thin lip, oquiline nose, and peculiar white brown hair, known as “Ngaurukehn” (red heads). At the same time this tribe was considered to be a superior type and, like the beauties' of our own race endowed With golden tresses, were looked upon by those of darker hue with envious eyes.

1 Speaking at the big meeting of farmers at Peilding on Thursday night, when the meat trade was discussed, Mr W. J. Poison made reference to the finding of other markets for their meat. He believed they would have to look elsewhere than in Britain for a market. The Homegrown meat was increasing in output, and there were producing countries much nearer Britain which were not yet fully developed. He had some little time ago discussed this question with Sir Joseph Ward, on his return from the Old Country, and Sir Joseph had suggested America as a future market, and thought some of boats would be trading to San Francisco. Mr Poison thought there was a market in Asia for New Zealand iamb. During the war America had been supplying this market, and had cool stores at many ports right along the whole Asiatic coast as far as Calcutta. The Americans were supplying this market with Queensland beef, but Mr Poison thought nothing could compete against New Zealand lamb if it were introduced to that market.

Two furnished rooms, with, use of conveniences are advertised to let by Mr B. A. Fraser, Saddler.

At a meeting held last night the ■local Poultry Association decided not to hold a poultry show this year. The reasons given were the decreasing interest in the poultry world owing to the increased price of wheat. Most of the local fanciers are selling out their stock as fast as they can get rid of them.

I Intrepid horsemen are bred in the I far north. Dr. Milsom, who made a horseback journey from To Paki Sta--1 tion to Spirits Bay recently, states that j he saw two of the local horsemen put the "Man from Snowy River” to shame. On 0 challenged the other to a race, and they galloped down a long face as precipitous as the crater of Mount Eden. To his surprise neither came to grief. | A farmer of 30 years ’ practical exi perience in Hawke’s Bay, and who had ] two sons on active service, informed a Tribune reporter that it was impossible for some returned soldiers to make farming pay at the high price they were paying for land, and he thought it 'a downright cruelty ito urge them to take up land under such conditions. He instanced a case where a returned soldier had purchased a farm for £l2O an acre, and only partly improved at that, which was equivalent to a rental of £6 per acre, excluding rates and taxes.- He maintained that no matter what class of farming the farmer undertook, he could not make both ends meet, as the price he would receive for his products would not sufficiently compensate him for his outlay. The result would be that after five or six years’ hard work he would be forced to give up the farm.

Pox* some days past sensational rumours have been current in the city that in anticipation of an extensive strike and industrial troubles in New Zealand many thousands of police batons are being made in the Addington railway workshops. The authorities at the Addington workshops gave the rumour a flat denial, and now Mr P. Pearce, chairman, and Mr W. H. Jenkins, secretary of the Addington branch of the Amalgamated Society of Raihvay Servants write as follows to papers: “There is a nasty rumour to the effect that police batons are being made at the Addington railway workshops. Will you be so kind as to say, on behalf of the A.S.R.S., that the rumour is entirely without foundation.”

There appears to be plenty of demand for land in spite of the high prices, and moving about the district (says the Hawcra Star) one learns of

many instances of offers, which makes one wonder if the limit will ever be. reached. Yesterday we are told of an offering of £2OO per acre for a farm of 100 adres, with nearly a third in cash payment. The offer, we •are informed, was refused. Another instance is related of land which was reco&tly sold at £175 per acre, almost double the price for which it was sold about 18 months ago. The story is also told of a farmer who sold his farm at a very good figure, returning a good profit, but he finds he cannot secure another place at anything like the price he gave, for his previous farm, and he is making strenuous efforts to induce the purchaser to sell the farm back to him. The properties are all within ten miles of Hawera.