LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 157, 28 July 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mails for the United Kingdom and Continent despatched on 18th June arrived at London on 24th July. A branch of the Farmers' Union lias been formed at Toko, with 'Mr. E. Jlarfell as president and Mr. D. H. Maxwell r.s secretary.

Tlic weight-guessing competition at tile Poultry Show was won by Mr. W. fierridge, whose guess of (it'/.lb was within half a ])Ound of the correct weight of the lamb, 071b. Mr. 11. Giddy (Bell Block), (M'/jlb, iuid Mr. A. W. Wood, li.r/.ll), were next. ' ■ "Sot served." This was the official

abbreviation yesterday morning of the declaration of the bailiff that the defendant iit un action brought by the Commissioner of Taxes had not' been served because, as the bailiff tersely stated, "defendant i& deceased."

I The rate which was struck' by the Harbor Board last August is, perhaps, one of tlie most difficult that the Board lias ever Jiad to collect. The secretary is issuing summons after summons. A batch of them was served "down the coast" the other day, and the majority of the ratepayers paid the amounts without going to court. The Employes' Association on Monday night discussed the "right to work'' fluestion, particularly in reference to the right of men ito work at less than the standard wage in times of depression, when work was hard to obtain, .ft was pointed out that there was no iiirnrd here for general laborers, so that there was nothing to prevent local men from working for less than a shilling an hour if they felt so inclined.

In the Magistrate's Court .yesterday | morning. before Mr. 11. S. Fitzherbert, | S.M., judgment by default was given in I ilie following cases:—New Plymouth Harbor Board v. R, Warner (Opunake), claim £1 15s and costs ss; Public Trustee (Mr. Wesiton) v. E. Warner, claim CIS 3s 2iT and costs f 1 10s fid; W. M. Perry (Mr. Weston) v. Philip Tyre, claim £4 Hs and costs £1; Wircmn Krcpe (Mr. Johnston) v. Tohuroa Hira I'arata, claim £4 and costs £1 ss.

"The unfortunate position in regard to labor to-dav is that the men are on the down grade. I sav that advisedly. There is an entire lack of competition amongst the workmen now, but I hope tiro dav will come wlien the word "Exrclsior" will be reinstated in the dictionary (is far as labor is concerned. This state of affairs las been brought nhout bv fixing the minima™ wage too high."—So said Mr. Good Here at the Employers' Association meeting on Monday night. f . a

TJie Director of. Technical Instruction acknowledges with thanks the receipt of two guineas from Mr. I'hos. Avery and one guinea each from Messrs W. G. Malone and Okey, Son and Arnold towards the funds of the Technical School..

In the course of liis duties, the Ta-r.v tiaki schools' truant inspector has found •t necessary, to prosecute Maoris for the non-attendance of their children at school. This necessitated the expenditure of five shillings upon the translation of the summons. The Education Board last night decided to shoulder | this cost.

tly Goodacre's remarks anent the shipping services suffered in the condensation of our report, which credited him with saying that "goods could not be received from the South now in less than a fortnight." What lie meant to express was that frequently of late poods ordered from the 'South had not received in New Plymouth two or even three weeks later. Commercial travellers, he explained to a representative of the "News," were often round i again before the customers here receiv-

Ed from the South Island ports the goods ordered upon the preceding'visit. A well-known/Tikorangi settler is at present deeply concerned over the loss of some of his farm implements, and his concern is accentuated by the knowledge that he may, in a measure, have been guilty of compounding the felony. 1 Recently the gentleman in question was surprised to iind tlmt during the night his plough chains had disappeared, and all efforts to trace them were unsuccessful. H adopted the novel method of ndvirtising his loss, through the columns of a newspaper, by inviting the j person who took the chains to call for th« plough. And he was taken at his word! A few days after the. advertisement appeared the plough, a new one, was found to be missing from the paddock where it was in use. With it went the swingle-trees, which were taken from the stable. So far the incident, whether it be a practical joke or an impudent theft, lias not been explained, although the police have the matter in hand.