LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3410, 14 February 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Cabstands are now extinct in Wellington, the last one disappeared this week; a -taxi now occupies the vacated stand.

We English [people are governed by a'Welshman, preached at by Scotsman, and what Irishmen say about us is unmonfionable.——Rev. Dalby, speaking‘ at Yiewslcy (England).

A farm of 60 acres in the Longburn district, five miles from Palmerstmi North, has ‘been sold at £IBO per acre. Two other sales at £135 and £lls in this vicinity ‘are also reported.

In another column the Public Trustee invites tenders for the lease of about 45 acres of land, at Opaea. Conditions of’ tender and form of lease may be seen at the Ptfblic Trust Officc, at Taihape, where tenders close on Tuesday, 24th Febmary, next‘.

According to the Soir, of Brussels, an agreement is on the point of being concluded granting a concession to *3 British syndicate for the construction of a canal from Antwerp to the Rhine entirely within Belgian territory. The syndicate offers Belgium :1 credit of £50,000,000.

. 1n his obs'el'vations in Amnerica on :1 recent trip, Mr D. Prouso, a member of ‘rho Kairangja. County Council, stated ‘Cmph?_tti(‘:a.lly at: a‘ meeting‘ of that body that -he had no faith in the old-fashion-ed tamed‘ and mac‘-adam roa‘d. In A.nlel-ica the bitifiien of pitch form of surface was found to be much more durable and was almost. wholly used.

“I think it is about time this i(liot'i_c haw was repealed. Everybody seems to be taking advantage of it, wllcther they are entitled to it or 1101.” Thus Ml‘ J. L. Sfout, S.l'\l., in I.’:l';mersron. when an order for a possession of a house was applied for, and defendant. as an excuse, pleaded that he could not get posession of another hoiise which he was purchasing, and on whicll he "had paid a deposit. .

A judgment debtor at Marton Court who is already paying instalments on an overdue account, pleadnd as ah oxcuso from further paynloll‘r.~' that he had not been worried for payzzwrlt for five years, and ‘as further al‘~glllm3llt why he should not pay up, stated the amount had been owing for nine _vea.rs. He also claimed that he was entitled to :1 glass of beer occasionally. The Magistrate was 11nsyn1pathetic and made an order.

The possibilities of the Wang-anni-Raetihi Road were mentioned at‘ a special meeting of the Wanganui County Council ye.sterlday afternoon by Cl‘. F. H. Allein. said that The traflic on this road was becoming enormous. It was estimated by Mr XV. Glenn, IVLP, that there were on an average of 20 ‘rhrough cars 2. day on the I'o'3d. This was all indiczition of ihe trafiic on the road, and what the future possibilities were like.

The Dunedin star has been shown a lettev from a West Coast; coal miner, which the Star says supports Mr Mas.~f€_V’S statements as to Why men are leaving the work ‘there. The writer, an expert, states that he ‘is clearing out from the West Coast because of the tyrannical rule of the men that nobody may earn more than 15/6 per day. He has a big family and cannot afiord to live on such a Wage, or less, when better wages are obtainable elsewhere; and he adds that all the stcafliest men are going.

The Iron and Brass Monldersf Union, the Boiler Makers’ Union, and the Amzilgamated Society of Engineers were well fined £lO for breach of award at Chx'iStChul‘(‘.ll by refusing to work overtime until the employers agreed to take the bonus awarded by the Arbitration Court into calculation when computing the ‘amount payable for overtime. ‘The Magistrate (Ml- - in his reserved judgment, said that the employers had the right to demand the workers to Work overtime during reasonable hours, and that the bonus should -be exeluded as 3, basis of comp_utation_. -The unions, in taking up the attitude, had proceeded with the intention of defeating. the provi.<tio'n of the award. ‘

It is reported on good authority that Mr John‘ W. White: of Havelock North, was robbed in ‘the fownship or the vicinity of a sum of money la.mo'unti‘ng to above £SO, -.1 considerable amount of which was in £lO notes.

Although poultry enthusiasts have abandoned the idea. of holding any show this _vear:”fh'at decision does not affect the ‘Agricultm-a.i and Pastoral Society's Winter Sfiow, wtdch will be held as usual, with a. largely extended prize list.

The blacksmiths of Taihape, Utdku, Mata.roa_. Moawhango and the whole of the Taihape district. notify that owing to the constantly increasing cost in the product.ioTl of horse s-hoes they find it necessary to increase their charges by one shilling per set for shoeing, bringing them into line with the charges at Palmersmn North and other places.

’l'hc-re is a. large area of land in the hinterlantl of VV!ang'avuui which was held until recently by the Wanganui River Trust, and which has now been made available for settlelnent by returned soldiérs by legislation passed last session. l\~ll- VV. A. V.eifcll, M.P. informed a Herald repl'csent'3,tive recently that he understood. that every efi’ol't was being ma'de by The Lands Department to put through the neces~ sa.r__V p.l'eliminar_v I’"ol'mali‘ries for the purpose of making the land avhailable for settlement as soon as possible.

“I suppose, like the high cost of living, there is also such a thing as the high cost of ,_.dying,” smiling remarked His Honour Mr Justice Stringer, in the Arbitration’ Court, when counsel protested against the amount claimed for funeral expenses’ in 3. compensraticfn case. The claimant sought the recovery from the Union Steam Ship Company of expenses arising out of the funeral of her husband, who died after an accident on the wharf, amounting to £l9 8/6.

A peculiar and most unusual death occurred at Vailele, Samoa. It appears that -several Samoans belonging to Vailele went .out fishing near the reef, in company with the pulenu’u Tav.u’l. It is an old habit of Samoans that when a fish is caught its head is bitten off to kill it, and both head and body are deposited-in a kit for the purpose. It Was during the course of this habit that TaVu’i met his death. He had bitten a fis.h’s head, and it appears that the head became firmly fixed in the dee‘é's.sed’s throat, with the result that death ensued from choking.

At the Otago University Jubilee celebrations, Professor Thompson told a good story of the late James Macaudl'e\\'"_. who was held in great esteem throughout Otago. In the old days a postman was required to travel round the North Taieri district, delivering letters, and he signalled his presence at lllg various houses by blowing Ia horn. A subsidence had taken. place in the locality, and 9. man who had been drinking not too wisely but too well ‘had fallen into the hole and gone to sleep. As the postman n;‘a*'ed the hole he blew his horn. The speaker awoke with a start. “It’s the last trump,” -he said. I’ll gang with James Macafi'drew!” The awakened sleeper -evidently had no doubt that Mr Maeandrew would have a hearty welcome when he approached the portals guarded by St. Peter.

The New South Wales State Orchestra last week completed its New Zealand tour as far as the guaranteed concerts were concer,ned. In all 31 performances Were given._ The ‘total takings for the tour amounted to £11,875 5/. Six concerts were given in Auckland, the receipts being £2646 1/6; in Wellington six concerts were given, the takings zlm'\unting to £2430 6/6; the Cllristcl~_,.lrch, four concerts, £2058 15/; Dunedin, three_concerts, £IO7B 7/6. The receipts for the last concert? in Dunedin. amounted to £453 15/. The large‘: single ni»ghf’s takings was when the Messiah was given in Auckland (the Choral Society and the Royal Male Choir assisting), when the amount fas £7BO. The largest orchestral night was in Christchurch when £690 worth of tickets were sold. The average per concert for the Dominion was £363. Mr il. Gladstone Hill, one of the rmlzmagers, is more than satisfiefd with the financial results of the tour. There will be no need to call on the guarantors to make up any deficiency. Fxtra. concerts are being given.

Messrs T. E, Thomas & Ce., of Wanganui have purchased the Taihape drapery business so successfully carried on for the past five years by Mr A. Spence. Messrs Thomas & Co have taken over the business. and it will be re-opened shortly under their auspices. Mr. Aulrl will manage for the purchasers. As Messrs. Thomas are -already large iflfporters of drapery and relative goods. the stock kept in the Taihape house is sure to be <:ompr.ehensive. up~to-dale and moderate in price. N 0 dollbt the public will extend similar hearty support to Messrs Thomas that they have extended to Mr Spence. The date. of re-opening will be duly advertised. '