LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 198, 19 February 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Seadown farmer sold a line of over 20 tons of potatoes in Timaru on .Saturday at .« 10s per ton, on trucks at Washdykc. The New Plymouth schools will he dosed to-morrow afternoon, to enable the children to hear the Royal Artillery Band's concert in Putekura Park. The Kaponga public school, Oddfellows' and Hibernian lodges and the Band held a picnic at Opunake on Thursday last. About 1-20 people were present. • Masterton farmers are experiencing difficulty in obtaining labor for harvesting. One farmer was unable to secure men, even when Is 0d per hour was offered. The Napier City Council has arranged with the A.M.P. Society to take up an old £115,000 loan falling due shortlv at 6 per cent. It is intended by the Government to have tracks cut and huts erected at suitable places in the Tongariro National Park, to enable visitors to make liie journey to Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu with leas trouble that they have to encounter at present. All traders are reminded ol the Employers' Association's request to close as usual to-day (Thursday) and on Friday to close at 2.30 p.m., re-opcnin~ immediately after the Royal Artillery Band's concert in Pukekura Parle, It is hoped that all business peepe will abide by'the Kmployers' Association's decision in this matter. , . This afternoon the following team from *he New Plymouth Life Saving Glub will,give an exhibition on the Waitara beach: Brown Boulton, Flanagan, Whitaker, Jenkins, Greener, Hardgreaves, Griffiths, Monteath, Stroud and Aiusworth. Land drill, demonstrating the methods of release and rescue, and resuscitation of the apparently drowned will be fully explained. During the. discussion on the erection of toll gates at the Stratford County Council yesterday, a councillor remarked that by-law* did not provide an efficient way of dealing with motor-car traffic. Motor-cars demanded the whole right of the road, and +he man who paid special rates and general rates towards the upkeep of the road had, when driving or riding, to hurriedly make way for these "kings c-f the road." Needless to say, the speaker was in favor of tells.

The Hawke's Bay Herald says that quite a crowd of people gathered on the Marino Parade at 'Napier about noon on Sunday to watch a number of sharks disporting themselves in the sea just beyond the breakers. Several pearifles, revolvers and magazine service rifles were requisitioned, and numerous bullets were discharged at the sharks. It is not likely, however, that tho marksmen caused the unwelcome visitors any serious inconvenience. Estimates concerning the sizo of the intruders differed from Bft to 1-lft* but there can be no doubt thoy were big enough to be of great danger to ovcrventuresomo bathers.

At the last meeting of the Central School Committee, the headmaster (Mr. 11. Dempsey) reported that the number was 562, as against 583 at tho corresponding time last year. Forty-three ha 4 passed Standard VI. nnd gone to the High School, the Techni'.l College, or to work. Fire others, over school ige, had gone to work, and nine had gone to the High School preparatory, whilo 30 had left tho di»fcrict since the closing of the school on December 17. Of these Hawera had absorbed nine and Auckland, Wanganui, and Tasmania three each. Altogether 87 pupils had been struck off the school rolls during the past fortnight aril s<i admitted to 'the school.

In response to enquiries among tie various hospitals in New Zealand regarding the method of dealing with patients who require massage treatment, the New Plymouth Hospital Board has ascertained that of 22 hosDitals which replied to its enquiry, 17 make no provision for massage treatment, and five have nurses on the staff who havo studied massage. One hospital intended to make provision for efficient massage, and one had already engaged a masseur and a masseuse. Several reported that there was little demand for the treatment. The chairman of tho Board will go into the question of engaging a masseur and masseuse at New Plymouth and report to the next meeting of the Board.

At the instigation of the Tongan (lovurnment the State Agriculturalist (Mr. H. Bright Eawson) has gone north on a visit of inspection with a view chiefly to ascertain whether the various cocoanut plantations are entirely free from the rhinoceros beetle. The (,'overnment ka» for some considerable time past < xercised strict preventative measures against tie possibility of the. insect being brought into the kingdom from S,iinoa, whore its depredations are rapidly tending to ruin the eocoanut palms. It is a beetle about 4in in length, fitted with a borer on its head. It flies to the crown of the tree, bores some few feet down the centre of the trunk, and there deposits its eggs. The grubs, when hatched, subsist for a time on sup, to the weakening of the tree, which gradually decays and loses its nut-bear-ing qualities. In Tonga, a country practically dependent on the copra supply for its finances, the arrival of such a devastating pest would give came for serious alarm. Tho beetle, has been eaistent in Samoa for a, considerable period, and it would be from th'u souroo tkaji ajjjr Tongnii Tisitation Tvould. come.

The New Plymouth Borough Council has givea to the Taranaki Hospital Hoard one month's notice of the termination of the engagement of the Board's inspector (Mr. A. H. Kendall) as Borough Health Inspector. "This Government or no other Government is going to tax motor-cars," remarked the chairman of the Stratford County Council during the toll-gate discussion yesterday. "It means losing votes, and they're all anxious to get those vote c ."

Messrs. .Stephenson and Linley's Royal Pantomime will five a matinoc performance of the popular "Old Mother Tlubbard" in the Theatre lloyal on Saturday afternoon, commencing at 2.30. Children will be admitted for half-price to all parts. The district health officer (fir. Glicsson), when on his recent visit to New Plymouth, visited the butchers' shops, and as a result has sent to several butchers' notices requiring them to remedy certain structural and other defects in their premises. A candidate for admission to the Old People's Home at New Plymouth recently, told the secretary of the Charitable Aid Board that be had won £15,000 in a Tattersall's sweepstake, hut had not yet received the money, because "the I/ord bad not appointed a day." lie was given 2s Cd.

Speaking at a meeting of the Southland Meat Freezing Co. the other day a speaker referred to the advisability of preparing feed for lambs during shearing time. If the lambs were not sold they were stsres in three weeks, and he thought they should be put on something like rape, because the ewe ■herself liaving lost her warm clothing, required nearly all the feed she could get to keep herself to the proper heat. ■ Dannevirke some months ago had a borough engineer. Now it has not, the official having resigned. In pursuing enquiries concerning road rollers the Dannevirke Council wrote, to the one where its former engineer now holds office, and this was the cutting reply received:—"Decline the honor of being the adviser to Council having so many engineers among its members, however much the advice may be appreciated. Gold alone is the only producer of advice."

While in the Terrace Gaol, Wellington, awaiting trial on a charge arising out of a strike disturbance, a little man of mature years, William Parker, caused the gaol authorities a good deal e.f anxiety. He did not exactly hungerstrike, but lie had a fad, that whenever there was anything the matter with him he should abstain from food. He practised this theory in prison to sufficient lengths to cause the gaoler a considerable amount of worry. When be appeared in Court he looked fit and •well.

A prediction that the exports from the Dominion would reach £2o,00(),l)00 for the present producing year was made by the Prime Minister at Paengarao on Saturday. As agriculturalists New Zealanders were now going to be given the opportunity of helping America out hi her food supplies. ''ln order to show the United States what we can do in this direction," said Mr. Massey, ''the Xew Zealand Government has decided to spend £15,000 in nwking an exhibit at the Panama Exhibition. Tho Union Steamship Company has offered to take the country's exhibits to San Francisco free, and, if necessary, to bring them back without a penny of cost. I hope tho producers of the Dominion will taue advantage of this generous offer." Complaints are sometimes made that persons seeking admission to the New Plymouth Hospital are told bv medical men that the institution has no room for them. Mr. Macßeynolds yesterdaytold the Hospital Board of oae instance in which the wife of a share-milker was sent by a New Plymouth medical man to a private nursing-home where, ho said, she was cliargcd £7 per week. The chairman made it clear that all persons seeking admission to the 'hospital should apply to the secretary of the Board or to a momber. All members could fob supplied on application with a book of forms granting admission to the hospital, and if these were not available a note from one of the members would he sufficient. The Board was not responsible for statemants made by medical men other than those directly connected with tho hospital. Quite a chapter of accidents recently befel a resident of Stoneburn, YVaihcmo county (55 miles from Dunedin). In the first instance he injured his hand, and it was necessary to drive to l'al■merston South for medical treatment, his wife and child accompanying him. When near Palmerston, at the railway crossing on the Dunbaek road, his horse took fright at an approaching motor cyclist, and his wife, while holding on tn the vehicle, in some way hurt her hand, and presently fainted." In the meantime, the driver's attention was taken up with the frightened animal, and he was unaware of his wife's injury. While still unconsciona, with the child on her knee, she fell from the vehicle and dislocated her arm. The child had a marvellous escape from serious injury, for the wheel passed over the cap which it still had on its head. On arrival at the doctor's residence the horse was tied up to the picket fence while tho patients were being- attended to, ami, again taking fright, pulled down several yards of the fence.

SUITS FOR THE SHOW TOR 'DAD AND THE BOYS," AT THE MELBOURNE. To those who appreciate snap and style and fine tailor-work, and DOX'T WAXT TO VAX HIGH PRICES, the brilliant display of Suits at the Melbourne will prove ot groat interest. Close figuring with manufacturers makes possible many savings on high-grade suits for men and young men, whilst mothers also will be attracted by the unusual price on hoys' suits, and the boys also will „be attracted by their big, roomy, mannish appearance. Made with open-front collars, some belted and others with yoke and patch pockets, in the new "sport" style, knickers, plain or extension. Read the prices: Men's solid-wearing Kaiapoi tweed suits for men, all sizes, 3 to 7, 2A/(i; men's fine merino tweed suits, well tailored and boxed, 35/-; popular Petonc suits, in brown and green mixtures, 35/-, 37/6 and ;iO/6; half-a-dozen different styles in indigo coatings, indigo belwarps," indigo check coating's, and vicunas, flf>/-; lovely striped worsteds, in the very latest colorings, beautifully -tailored,' 05/-; boys' Kaiapoi Norfolk suits, 14/0 to l!)/fi, sizes 7 to 14; sightly and durable I'etone Norfolk suits, in four different tweed mixtures, 15/0, for size 7 to 21/for size 14; nobby "sport" suita, 2-gar-uient, plain or buttoned knickers, 10/0 to 20/9; brown worsted Norfolk suits, with extension knickers, 19/0 to 27/0; also young men's 3-garmont knicker suits and "eports" suits, 29/fl to 39/6.