LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 224, 21 March 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is persistently reported that a section of the Labour Party in New Zealand is endeavouring to precipitate a general strike in November next, immediately preceding the elections. lUI.S. Torch, after refitting in Sydney, arrived in Wellington "cstcrday morning. She will r elmilu j„ port until March 30, when she will sail for Fiii. She will make a general cruise of the Coo:, and other islands.

At the meeting of the Employers' Association last night, it was decided to endeavor to inaugurate an annual dinner, to which repreentatives of all tradespeople should be invited. Mr T. L. Buxton (secretary) has the matter m hand, *

At a general meeting of the New Plymouth Employers' Association last night, Mr T. Avery presiding, it was decided to recommend the tradespeople of the town to observe a whole holiday on March 31, the anniversaiv of the province.

"It's wonderful what a dinner will do," said Mr A. E. Sykes at the discussion on the question of an annual dinner for the Employers' Association last night. He himself, he said, had benefited largely on various occasions from such functions.

Although a number of the hop crops in the Nelson district are light some <if the pickers arc making excellent scores. Several are picking sixty bushels a day, and one girl has reached as far as seventy bushels. In one garden of only nine bins the pickers gathered 350 bushels for the day, which makes for each \n excellent average. \ At the Employers' Association meeting last night, the secretary, Mr T. L. Buxton, submitted a report in connection with the working of the new scheme for the employment of the town nightwatchman. It had, he 6aid, given every satisfaction, and was being well supported financially. The watchman himself was very attentive, and his appointment had been very generally commended.

A serious accident happened to a boy named Marr, at Moturoa, yesterday afternoon, The lad, who is only about seven or eight years old, seeing hfs sister in the Breakwater 'bus, ran out to board it while it was on the move, and in doing so fell under the wheel, which inflicted a severe glancing wound on his leg, lacerating it from the knee almost to the ankle, and badly damaging the muscles. He is at present in the Now Plymouth Hospital. -» The many friends of Mr. Van Hjik and lovers of his musical concerts will be pleased to hear of his recovery from liis recent illness. Mr. Van Heck immediately set to work, and as early as last Wednesday evening had his orchest.M

in preparation for a musical concert tf b* given at an early date, in aid of th i Carnegie Library funds. On Good Friday evening, Mr. Van Heck's orchestra will also render a sacred programme of music in aid of the Hospital funds. Particulars of both these concerts will be advertised shortly.

The Inglewood people must be a sleepy, unimaginative lot, if they nuietlv allow the Everett Road reserve to be mopped up and sold for settlement, says the Eltham Argus. The reserve is an ideal beauty-spot, and should be preserved as almost sacred. Because two or three soulless individuals declare that the reserve is not required, the present and future generations are to be deprived of this lovely scenic spot. We are told, though it seems almost incredible, that the member for the district, Mr Hine, M.P., favors the destruction of the reserve. But the people should settle this question, and if they had the energy of a caterpillar thev would convene a public meeting and pass resolutions saving the reserve from destruction.

At a meeting of the council of the Taranaki Boy Scouts last night, gooi reports were read of the various pat' rols and troops. Correspondence fron the Chief Commissioner and quartermas ter was read. Five commissions foi scoutmasters were aiwroved, and tin resignations of the Rev. Kempthonu (District Commissioner), the Rev. <!. T, Robson (Provincial Commissioner), an< Mr J. li. Sullivan (District and Provincial Secretary) were accepted with re gret. Several recommendations wen made. The question of filling the Chic;

Scoulmastersjiip of the central troop \valeft to the (committee, who hope thai some young man will volunteer to take Mr Sullivan's place. Mr H. E. Fooktw will be asked to take the District Com missionership and also to be Chief Scout master.

There is a curious sight to be cell just now in the Christchurch City C > .1!cil's yard near the destructor, whe v a heap of about 200 tons of coal is bailing in a way which smells reminiscent if Rotorua. The coal (says the "Sua") is part of a purchase of about 50!) 'u:-~ obtained at the time 61 the strike, and stored against any emergency. It is a bad habit which the Kaitangata co'il lias acquired in that it catches t'r.e spontaneously when left in the o,ju.' It, is a light coal, and as it is burn ng away the huge heap is gradually gcit : r,g hotter and hotter. Patches of whit' powdery ash appear on the surface. :i:ml one side of the stack is in flames. i\"i:'t the condition of affairs is in the mui 1'" of the heap can only be guessed. An 1 now the stack bum." away merrily, end the destructor furnaces arc being f'l.ed with it as fast as it can be cartel to them.

Not a great many people are a.varo how largely coeoannt oil enters into food preparations and tlio manufa" 1 ". vv of soap and candles, or how import i \t a part copra—the native and commercial name of the dried kernel of the co?unut —plays in the financial prosperity of nmat of the Islands in the Pacific, n the case of the British Solomon T»land.\ the export of copra in 1012-1:1 was Jll'il tons, valued at £73.037.. "The Snlom.n! Islands," says Mr. Woodford, the British Commissioner, bids fair to be the largest producer of copra in the w I'dv of the South Pacific before many y.u'-< are past. With the limited and to: viv inadequate supply of labour, it luis lw.i recognised as almost hopeless to de/'iie capital at present to products which require a more plentiful and regular, .v.d to some extent, skilled, labour snvi". The area under cocoanut cultiv.it l or,. systematically planted by white m.-a, i.s estimated to approach 25,000 acres, <\- clusive altogether of native plantatbrs. Upwards of twenty limited liability companies, in- addition to private individuals, are engaged in planting op>M-tion-i in the protectorate, representi.is a nominal capital of nearly £1,000,000." "My little boy was a martyr to bad colds and cougliß." says Mrs. C. Warrell, Lake's Creek, Roekhampton, Q. "At times he has been so bad that I have found him fighting 1 for breath. Since I started giving him Chamberlain's Couuli Remedy I do not worry over his coughs fof I know that a couple of doso3 will give him immediate relief." All cheiniats and storekeeper*. .