LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3422, 28 February 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Says the Eketahuna Express:-»—-I‘. is reported that one wealthy rewident of the Wairal'apa has about 1000 cases of benzine stored, and that it is imposible ‘to get him -to part‘ with 3 gallon. .

Mr J. W. Collins secretary of the Board ‘of Trade, which is sitting in Christchurch, has been informed that 2000 pairs of standardised boots have been placed on the market in Wellington.

At a meeting of‘ the Wellington Waterside Workers’ Union on Wednesday a motion was passed protesting against the Government sending an armed force to Fiji “obviously for the purpose of intimidating the strikers.” ,

Fire" destroyed Peacoclfis Garage, at Huntex-ville, and caused the loss of a number of metor cars owned by private residents. The estimated damage totals £SOOO. The building and sfock are insured in the Queenslefnd Company for £IOOO.

“I like New Zealand much better than Australia, and like the people,” said Miss Muriel Starr, the Well-known American actress to a. N.Z. Times reporter on Wednesday. “New Zealand is much more progressive in many Ways, and I like the general atniosphere much better.”

The demand in Southland for timber for building purposes is quite beyond the capacity of the mills. The representative of one of the companies operating in the district informed a News re'pol‘tel- that orders have to be refused because it is impossible to execute them within a I'eas3néb]e time. I

The shipping questioniin Hawkes’ Bay, which has been threatening for a considei-able time, has become so acute that Messrs Boi-tlmfick and Sons, freezing Works at Pakipaki had to close down this week owing to the stores being blocked. ‘Consequently about 100 men »have been thrown idle. Three other freezing works operating in the Hawke’s Bay district are rapidly approaching the same position. The sifuation will become desperate unless prompt relief is: aiforded.

The Minister for RailW:3.y.~l (the Rt. Hon ‘W. F. Massey) informed a. N.Z. Times representative -on Wednesday that he had as yet received no report nor interim report from the Railway Board of Inquiry; nor had he received any intimation from the chairman (Mr Justice Stringer )as to when the report, or an interim report would be likely to be available. It is understood that the various organisations of railway employees are somewhat impatiently awaiting the production of the report.

‘ The Ashburton police recently raidled a dwelling in the borough in quest of liquor, with the result that 48 bottles of whisky were seized. One of the raiding constables stated that the store was concealed by one of the lcleverest pieces of_ architecture he had lever seen in his experience. On the removal of a tea-caddy from the mantelpiece it was found that the polished wood behind had been Worn by ‘continual handling, This "board was ‘found to move, and subsequent experiments- revealed a system of slid- ’ ing or hinged doors behind which was ‘a. snug little apartment accommodat ing four dozen bottles of whisky, the ?straw packing stripped off, but still ‘Wrapped in tissue paper. A pi-os'ecu» tion will follow. A case has been engaging the at”tention of Mr Justice Edwards in Wellington, in which a Palmerston North hotelkeeper sued the Railway Department for £7O 17/6, an amount incurred for boarding a shunter named McDonald and his wife and child. It is alleged that when McDonald was transferred. to Palmerston North he was unable to obtain a house, and he 1 was informed by a railway official‘ that he could stay at the hotel till he obtained 9. -house, ‘and the -hotelkee‘per could render his account for the Depai-tment’s &I‘v‘,_lTOV3.l. The defence ' was that no contract had been made by the Department wili the hotelkeeper. His Honour reserved his decision, but at the same time expressed the opinion that the account ‘ought to be paid.

One well-known Alnél'icall motor car manufacturer produced 22,685 machines during 1919. "I‘.hir’l:'e‘c-n. years ago their Output. was 50. “There is no shame in hard work,” said Mr. W. A. "W. Grenfell, one of the assesors in the conciliation case of thebuilders and general labourers at Wellington on Thursday. “There is under bonditions such as exist now,” said Mr. J. M. Campbell, one of the union’s -I'eprescnta-tives, -

Australia is I'eceivin,g the benefit of Marconi wireless~E€'nmunication with Europe at 3. reduction of twopence a avoid companred with ordinary cabling, and the same system is available to New Zealand. The Postmavsmer-General states that the oftfer is under consideration.

A Press Association message from Christchurch states that Dr .Thacker has received a letter from "Sir William Fraser, stating that the Union: Steam Ship Company has agreed to members of Parliament travelling betewen Wellington and Lyttelton free on production of their passes.

Many supplies to the Opouriao factory, which has contracted to -supply 314 tons of c_h.ee-Se to Auckland, representing more than half the city’s total consumption, are reverting to hand-milking owing to the benzine famine stopping their machines. Agriculture is also seriously affected, and the situation among dairymen is serious, as cows are ‘still in full milk with the flush of feed. V

A farmer who attends the stock sales in thiS'"’(listrict ,Says the Manawairu Daily Times) states that the inarkot for live stock, like that for land, is what he calls “anticipatory,” in proof of which he shows: that the selling value of eighfeeu months old cattle is ahirost the same as for “two and a half year stuff of equal quality. Similarly with sheep, lambs are bringing relatively higher prices than hog--gelts. M _

The price of the «boot continues to rise. An Auckland lady recently purchased a pair of shoes for £2 55. While in town a few days ago she saw exactly the same kind of shoes displayed in the window of another shop. Out of curiosity she went in and inquired the price, and to her astonishment was inforiiied that it was £3 19s 6d. She is now anxious to know Whether the one“ firm was selling at a loss, or whether ‘the other was making a very handsome profit.

At the annual meeting of the WelInyington Law Society, the following motion was passed: “That this meeting endorses the views expressed by the president of the Auckland Law Soéiety as to the iiiadoquacy of the salaries paid to judges of the Supreme Court, and it is also of opinion that the salaries paid to -magistrates should be increased,‘ and that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice, and the Attorney-General.

It is said that the following Conversation took place between a member of 19:11-llamenr and :1 waterside worker before the Mokoia sailed for Samoa: M.P.: Is it a fact that you intend to stop the Mokoia. from sailing? W.W.: Certainly not. M.P.: Can I rely on "what you are saying? If the r":amer is stuck up I should like to take the night’S train home. W.W.: You are safe in remaining. We would like to see the whole of the members going, including Mr. Massey. All we object to is_their returning.

A light motor car is to be marketed in England shortly at. £IOO. It is to be known as the “Garden,” and will be a two-seater. The design of the engine and the transmision is’ said to be so simple ‘that it is diflicult to imagine how it has not been thought of or produced, before. The power unit is a 7-8 twin cylinder air cooled engine. The whole machine weighs 31- cwt—— fhe weight of many motor—cycle side car /rwtfits. Surprisingly few parts are incorporated in Ehe car——-the principal reason Why it will be sold at the figure. The whel-{rack is 3 *‘t. 1 in. 'wlloel-base 6ft. 3in., ground glearance Sin. The little car is built. on sporty lines, and will have -two speeds fol~ wara and ma reverse.

, The recent general rains have benefited the fiairying districts to the ex~ tent of hundreds of ffiousands of pounds, Fears of 2. dry autumn and 0()]150q11(‘.I1fi{l1 .\'llol‘t3g€ Of f9ed have ‘now diSapp(aal‘.(ld’ and milk production has rcccivetl :1 fresh impetus. Buffer makers appear to be (lime firm in their adherence to a policy of free {markets and decontrol of their pro‘duce, At the same time this View might be moderated if "the Imperial 4 Government offered a price more or less in keeping with producers’ ideas of values. TllO English %re.‘“'il price being now 38- P9l‘ POllll6 gives them something ‘to go upon. Private advices received fl'om"she United States show that high prices for "butter have been ocasioned principally by the li-b_i eral buying from the United States of America On the part ‘of the French and] Belgian Governments. ’Pa.rtie.ular]y is this so in butter not o‘-' the very finest.——Post.

The face of a wristlet watch awaits ,an «owner at this ofii__¢e! . The rates for radio lelegrams to Tahiti is increased from the 24th just to 1/10 per word. As the normal route is inerupted, -the rate for cables __to ‘Port Villa, via Pacific or Eastern and New%aledonia ordinary is 2/1 per word. A black and tan dog, lost from the Ma-taroa stables, answering to ‘the name of Bill, and‘ having a, 1920 Hawkefs Bay collar on, is advertised " for, and a rewz‘l‘r‘d of £2 offered ‘to the finder. A man named Joseph W. Beggs, 3, returned soldier, address unknown, attempted to board an outward-bound train from Auckland afi Wiri, near Manurewa, and fell beneath the train. His legs were terribly injured, and Fe died shortly after aczlniissioli to the hospital.

What is a kilowatt is a question that often p"uzzles those not well versed in electrical terms. At a recent meeting at Hamilton a kilowat was defined by an engineer as being equal to one-horse power and a third. The opinion was also expressed at this meeting that benzine would ifise to be £4 per tin, an additional reason for the use of electrical power by farmers and others.