LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 249, 11 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

ft is reported that the building trade is practically at a standstill at present in .Napier. , .... The number of legal practitioners in the Dominion at the end of l'.lli- wart 063, ail increase of 4.) over the previous year's returns. At the Borough Council meeting' last night the Taianaki Branch of,the Jncw Zealand Society of Accountants . jycre granted permission to place their library in the reference room of the Carnegie Institute, the Society to provide 'suitable bookcases and the 'permit to/extend during the pleasure of the Council." A curious effect of the plentiful supply of tomatoes in the \Vangamii dis.triet, according to a gentleman who 1 wa;i recently there, has been the loss'of trade felt by the .butcher*. It is said, that where twenty carcases are soljl in the, I winter only live are sold now.' The weather is warm and people prefer a vegetarian diet, which, is in cheap .and abundant supply. It is reported that -in the Marunyatu district the straw has proved n]Wproductive, and quite a big tonnage- lias already been pressed and railed away, the market [n ice being £2 a ,tqn. * To tho-e living near the railway*"station, the marketing gives 'a cleat. prpfit of £1 a ton, Us being allowed for pressing and baling and i!s for cartage. The new valuation of the Borough' as assessed by Mr. C. T. Mills, Borough Vainer, is £107,100, as'against'the previous valuation of £84.501. A rate of Is Id now produces £4570. On the new figures a rate of lO'/jd will produce the same amount. There, will probably be • a number of objections lodged'-figainst the valuation.

'Die usual fortnightly, meeting of the Loyal Kgmont Lodge, 1.0.0.F.X1.U. was held last evening, Bro. J. R. Ames, r NX;.", presiding. One candidate was'initiated and two proposed for membership. The annual ha la nee-sheet showed tjie Lodge funds to lie f(i»o3 17s (id. P.P.G.M.'s H. T. Ainsworth and G. TI. McGfahey, P.G.'s, W. IT. Butler and I. Mofrison Were elected deputies to attend the district meeting at Stratford on March 20th. With the introduction of new pachmery, the Borough Engineer (Mr. C. Skitrop) has effected considerable economies in metalling streets. The greater part of the metal that has- Jjecrt laid down in Devon street has been crushed, with the new motor a t 434 a per cubic yard and carted with the, "traction engine at IOM-d per cubic, yayd. The motor is giving every satisfaction, the cost of power being slightly over Id per cubic yard. The Tarahna Golf Club came very near to suffering the loss of their pavilion 011 Saturday afternoon. A kerosene heater had been left burning in the building, arid- some time later smoke was discerned coming through the windows and from under the roof. A passing tradesman rushed in and found the heater all ablaze, and also one of the studs and a rafter ablaze. The fire was soon extinguished, but- had the building been lined ..nothing could have saved; it. The damage, however, only amounted to the charring of a bench and some of the framework.

The latest military story concerns a lieutenant from the Napier "cli'i'iict, who was recently transferred to Auckland. Though hardlv out of his teens, the young man was, "on account of the shortage of capable officers to ta% control, offered the charge of a company of Territorials. The appointment meant considerable proomtion, but the men in the company were chiefly composed of youths concerned iiifhorse-racing. The lieutenant intimated that "he did not care to mix with that class," and as a result lie had his commission taken from him and was placed back in the ranks. That there will be an alteration in the electoral system at no very distant date is highly probable, and the Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Massey) told if New. Zealand Times reporter that, although the matter had not yet engaged tin' attention of the Cabinet, an amending Bill would in all probability be submitted to the House next session. Opinion in political circles inclines to the view that some form of preferential voting will bo proposed. Cnder this system the voter indicates his preference by placing numbers alongside the names of candidates on the ballot paper, and the preference secured by each individual candidate. Meanwhile, however, an important enquiry into the proportional system of representation,"as it has worked in Tasmania, has l.een conducted by Mr. F. W. Mansfield, Registrar of Electors, and his report should be available at an early date.

They have some pushful folk in Blenheim, though the place is commonly thought to be slow. We have just received from the secretary of the Wairau Hospital bazaar a book of art union tickets. "I shall," he says, ''be extremely obliged if you will endeavor to> dispose of these and remit the proceeds. The prizes are valuable. ... I shall be pleased to send you other books when you require. them."' Newspapers are .supposed to aet as general handy men, and at times are asked to perform some queer duties. But we simply haven't the time to carry out the Wairau secretary's little commission, which we would be glad to hand over to any of our readers who may feel disposed to help a cause that needs assistance. A correspondent, •'•Festina Lente," writes urging that the telephone offices in coastal towns should be available at night time. An accident occurred at Puuilio recently, and Okato, he says, was rung up for a conveyance to take the injured man to the Hospital, but 110 satisfaction could be got at the latter office. On another occasion Warea endeavored to get the Raliotu office after hours, but the officials there bad left, and a demented man. on whose behalf an enquiry was being made of the police, bad to be conveyed to liahotu. '"Naturally." concludes the correspondent, "officials require stated hours, but at Warea, Puniho and Pihania such dangerous delays could not have occurred, even after five o'clock or on .Sundays." The usual weekly- session of the Egmont Lodge, No.'' 112, was presided over by the P.C.T.. Bro. L. Fepperell. last evening. Despite the inclemency of the weather a verv successful session resulted. The several sub-committees set up to deal with Oand Lodge preliminary business are all hard at work, for less than a fortnight now will see the opening of the session. There is to be a visit during the session week of an old temperance platform speaker in the person of the Rev. .lohn Dawson, organising secretary for the New Zealand Alliance, who. it is expected, will address the ('fraud Lodge on Easter Tuesday. The social part of the evening was left in the bands of the Sisters, the programme consisting of the following items: —Pianoforte solo. Sister A. I.egg; recitations, Sisters L. Lamerton and B. Connett; song, Sister R. Rusileu and some competitions. RHEUMATISM IN BACK AND TJ'TIS. "For years I have suffered with rheumatism in the back and legs." writes Mr. R. C. Philps, Storekeeper, Dutton, S.A. "and have found Chamberlain's Pain Balm the only thing that will relieve me. I have found it a most effective cure for all aches and pains. My family ahravs use it for neuralgia and sprains." - Sold by all Chemists and, Storekeepers.

" In reply to a request from the representative of a motor lorry of new, design. that, on the occasion of a practical demonstration of the vehicle's capabilities, it be allowed to travel free through the tollgate, . between Hawera and Manaia, the lfawera County Council resolved to inform the applicant .that toll would have to be paid if demanded. _ Mutilation of papers, particularly English and Australian, is very rife at the Carnegie Library just now. and the committee of that Institute lias asked the Borough Council what are its powers in regard to prosecuting offenders. The Mayor stated at last night's meeting that sonic time ago when the same practice was in vogue, subscribers formed them- ■ selves into a vigilant committee and this .checked it. Councillors were of opinion that the committee should report to the Council, who would instruct the Inspector to proceed against anyone caught at such a mischievous practice. In reference to the revaluation of the ITawera County now being made. Cr. W. Goodland mentioned at Saturday's meeting of the Hawera County Council, that he had been informed by the responsible officer that, speaking, generally. the rise over the whole count}' would be roughly 30 per cent, since the "last valuation was made about six years ago. Most of the increase would l>e in the Hawera riding, where in some cases ,the value had gone up by 100 per cent., iiut what would keep the valuation of , : the county as a whole down was the back country, which. 'for a great part, ..did not show much rise in value.—Ha';wi ra Star.