LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3483, 11 May 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The slaughtermen’s strike at Islington, which began a. week "ago, has ended, the men returning to work yesterday. _

A cable message states that the New Zealand Loan and Mel'C3«lltil9 Company has declared an interim dividend of 2; per cent.

Owing to the heavy decline in the price of pigs, the breeders in one of the districts: near Levin are reported to be taking steps to protect their interests by co-operative marketing.

General Booth, when asked in Melbourne about his attitude tqwards prohibition, said he would like to 596 Australia dry, ‘but was not sure Whether the will of one section should be forced on others.

The third serious accident for the current football season at Wamfz“-nlli occurred .on Saturday afternoon, when Mr Stuart, captain of the Pirate team, had his leg broken. The inj_ured man captained the Wanganui representative team last season, and is a. very old; player_ 4

The State miners have been ‘doing splendid work recently (says the Greymouth Star). One day recently the output was 850 tons,‘ as compared with the previous good average before the go-slow policy of 65o"to’:'1.s. The ‘coal output from the West "Coast mines; for the we}: ended May 1 was 19,142"t0n5, against~9.l3~l* tons m the corresponding ‘week of last year. _'

The Borough Council at its special meeting on Friday night last. 'decided to instal two heaters in the Town Hall for the comfort of patrons. ‘ According to the Levin Chronicle,'a. private letter states that a. leading drapery firm in Wellington imported 100 lajdies’ dresses for the women who wanted to go to the ball in honour of the Prince of Wales. Every one was sold at £2O apiece.

In view of the fact that there is in existence at the present tirfie in the southern part of the island one or two cases closely resembling a. modified form of smallpox, the Public Health Department, says the Dunedin Star, has decided to vaccinate all Maoris in the Canterbury district. Dr Chesson states that no cases. of the kind have :50 far been reported locally.

Very bitter feeling was manifested on the night of the election at Stratford, and a rather disgraceful scene occurred at Inglewood. Mr I-line met with :3. very hostile reception‘, and, in the excitement, one resident, who is alleged to have made an uncomplimentary remark concerning Mr Masters, received, a nasty blow on the mouth, two teeth ‘being knocked out.

An eloquent sign of the social change England is undergoing is provided by the decision of the SouthEastern and Chatham Railway, begin; ning on March Ist, to make all car-' riages available to smokers, except those marked “Non-Smoking!’ This, of course, is a reversal of the present sysfem under which a few carriages are marked “Smoking,” and all others are availa.l3‘le to non-smokers only.

A remarkable walking feat has been accomplished by Mr W, J. Herlihy, an interpreter, of Parawera, near Te Axvaifiutu, who was stranded in Rotorun during the short period of the strike (states a northern exchange). Affairs necessitating his return home, he decided to walk, and accomplished the distance~-100 miles——-in less than three days His. first night was" spent at Putaruru, and his next‘ at Hamilton He received a lift part of the way from Hamilton to Te Awamutu.

An electrically-welded ship recently launched from a shipyard at Birkenhead, England. makes the second of this novel class of vessel. No rivets have been employed even in the hull, all the plates being butt-welded by the electric arc pI'OCeSS. The first 1000-ton ship constructed on; this principle has been at sea. for. , over two years. and has thoroughly justified the confidence expressed by the British engineers who advocated this r:1d~ ical change in Tnetho"ds of ship construction in order to save labour and materia.ls.

The railwa.ymen' are the latest body of workers to give support to the jockeys in their dispute. ‘Two sections the Newmarket and Auckland branchesof the 'A«.S.R.S. unanimously passed resolutions at regular meetings of the branches held on Satur--_ day night, the former recommending members of all trades unions to refrain from -attending or betting at race meetings until the dispute is ‘settled in the interests of the Jockeys’ Association, and the latter urging members of the branch to refrain from attending race meetings. pending a settlement of the dispute in accordénce with the requirements of the Jockeys Association.

K The reporters have Ibeen “.‘le‘tting [themselves go” in describing the ‘}journeys of the Prince. One enthusi;ast_. describing the journey from Auckland by train, writes about “the landscape beaming as a face that had been Washed by tears of szidness at parting,” and he also gets to work on the piston‘ rods of the engines “singing a song of triumph.” Next please! No one has yet. written about the coal shining like the eyes of fair women; or the sweat-rags oi‘ the loco, men exhaling lovely incense, or the -sleepers singing a psalm of joy. It is no reason why the sleepets should not have a chorus. Come on, ye knights of the pen. “Let heingoi Gallaghei-."’—~Foxton Herald. {

A breezy discussion on profiteering ‘gave increased enthusiasm ‘to the meet of Post and Telegraph employees at Auckland on Thursday (records the Star). The matter arose as the result of a query submitted by_Miss L. Carr to the vice-president, Mr W, H. G. Brown, as to whether the executive when interviewing Mr Massey re a‘ demand for increased salaries, pointed out that such would be rendered useless unless practical steps steps were taken to stop profiteering. Mr Brown replied that a request was made for additional increases in thea cost of living to be 1-eflected in a! corresponding rise in" salaries. The‘ discussion then took on a more gen-4 el-al tone, in which the Board of Trade was deprecated, the conclusion being the passing of a resolution embodying the opinion that members of the Board of Trade should consist of men whose salaries-did not exceed £3OO. .

For B.ro.m;hial.CoVughs,-. take. \‘ .. . "Wooqds' Great Peppermint ~ Cure ' IZ9,‘ O I ~ V__ ‘H x _=‘:;"';“

A movement is on ‘foot to form a

company to manufacture gass at Spen~ cerville, about four miles from Belfast. Exhaustive inquiries are being made respecting the undertaking, and it is undersfood that the Government Will be asked for :1 subsidy.

Atthc meeting of the Taihape and District, Patriotic Society last night the chairman regriftfully remarked ‘that there was not the same interest taken in the operations 03? the society as in former years. A suggestion made that the Society should meet quarterly found much support, but nothing definite was decided up on‘.

The Auckland Star states that the members of the local branch of the A.S.R.S. do not -constitute ~a. happy family, and despite the Prime Minister’s assurance that he wikljl consider the demands of the " society resignations continue to take place. The station staffs at Auckland and Frankton Junction were still undemnanned with men who were not satisfied With the working conditions.

The Auckland teachers on Friday passed a motion that the previous system of classification‘ in vogue in the Auckland district was more satisfactory than the Dominion grading system. The system referredto was s=inliial~ to that previously in force in the Wanganui district, which was adopted by the Education Department and “improved” mainly by the introduction of the unfair “quota” marks.

At a sitting of the Auckland AntiProfiteering Trilihnal com'filaints regarding the prices of boots and shoes, darning wool, ladies’ scarves, tinned 'toheroas, chafi’, flour, coal, foWl—wheat, h:lrne.~:°, horse-shoés. milk, and fencing wire were dealt with. In several instances refunds weré"~ordered, and ‘the balance of the cases are still‘ under investigation. A number of complainfs‘Wel'e also received from coun/try districts’ in respect to coastal steamer faresfland railway nfreights, but the-tribunal had not the power to make investigations concerning them. I

It is with extreme regret we have to chronicle the death of Mr J. Murray, Xvhic‘-_h;took~place in ~Welliu-gton this morning, ~. atjtlie 'conlp:u'a.tively early age-of 42 years. The late Mr Murray was one of our best known and popular residents, and was esteemed: and respected by_ all with whom he came into contact_ He had been ailing for some time, and latterly very little hope waslheld out of his complete recovery. He leaves a widow and two young children, and a widowed mothergto whom in their sad bereavement will go the heartfelt sympathy of a large circle of friends in this district. ‘

An instance of the big increase in the production of furniture was given by one of the employers’ assessors at last Week's sitting of the C-*O-nciliation Council ,at Christchurch. This gentle‘man stated that in 1914 Chinese seagrass for wickerwork furniture could be landed in Christchurch for £l6 per ton, whereas it now cost. £96. A seagrass chair, which formerly cost £2 5/, had now to bring upwards of £4 in order to meet the increased cost of production. The production of the raw material was a Chinesemonopoly, and the speaker stated that the price was not iikely to drop. owing to the manufacture of sea-g;ass= mats, large numbers of which have recently come into the markets.