LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 261, 2 April 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Stratford bakers reduced the price of bread by Id per 41b loaf from yesterday. The Argus says Kltharn will be the starting point for trains after t.lie Opunake line has been carried through. The Woodville Jockey Club contemplates an expenditure of between £2OOO and £3OOO in new buildings and appointments.

Messrs. T. Armstrong and Co., of ChrisU-hurch, were the successful tenderers for Messrs. Morev and Moore's bankrupt stock. According to the Argus, the Eltham Borough Council has agreed to purchase the plant and goodwill of Hay ward's Pictures, the price to be £340. The Masterton Motor Bus Company Ltd., with a capital of £3OOO, has been registered. It is proposed to run a service to the railway station and to the most thickly populated outskirts of the town.

The next effort of the New Plymouth Operatic Society will be the staging of the comic opera "San Toy." Rehearsals will be commenced about April 20. This opera was staged last season by the Hastings society, from whom some of the necessary paraphernalia lias teen purchased.

The vital statistics for the New Plymouth district last month are as follows:—Births 23, (March of last year •24), deaths 12 (9), marriages 10 (11). For the quarter ending March 31st, the figures are as follows:-—Births 75 (March of last year 76), deaths 34 (31), marriages 26 (34).

The New Plymouth Boys' High School continues to progress. The Board haa decided to proceed with the new gymnasium as soon aa financial arrangements are complete, to provide additional bath in™ accommodation, and to expend up to £SO in enlarging and improving the cricket ground. A petition recently circulated protesting against the lifting of the reservation from the Everett road scenic reserve -was signed by over 300 people ; n New Plymouth and the surrounding districts. Mr W. A. Collis has forwarded it to Wellington, and it ia understood that others have been sent on direct. Writing to a friend in Pahiatua, a farmer of the Taranaki district, near New Plymouth, states that a dairy farmer in that locality recently had his herd of 80 cows tested. The respective tests varied from 3.5 to 9.5 per cent., of butter-fat. The tests of three of tho herd were 9.5, 7.7, and fl.fl, respectively. —-Wairavapa Age. A company is being formed in Wanganui to exploit tho manufacturing rights of "Restar" and any other tar compound found suitable for blrect formation. "Restar" ia tha invention of Mr. Tkeham, engineer to the Eltham County Council. It is the intention of tho company to erect an up-to-date tar-distilling plant, and obtain the services of an expert tar chemist from Europe. For the. month of March the total Customs duties collected at the port of New Plymouth amounted to £4670 19s Bd, and the excise duty £B4 lis. In March of last year the total duty was

£4490 Its lOd, and excise £57 19s. During the quarter ended March 31 Customs duty amounted to £12,930 19s 4d (beer £239 lis), as compared with £12.864 15s

9d (beer £IOB 3s 3d) for the same quarter in 1913.

At a meeting at Hawera on Tuesday. Mr. Pearee, M.P., slated that the telegrams conveying the Cabinet's decision in regard to the starting of the Opunake railway not being very exact as to locality, he had written to Mr. Holmes for precise information, and Mr. Holmes replied: "Kxact position junction Opunake railway not determined; oue governing factor, namely, working traffic, now under consideration by Railway Department."

Regarding the recent aeroplane accident. a correspondent ('Christchurch Sport") writes to the Post: —"Please allow nn- to express my indignation at the behavior of some of the Wellington people towards Mr. Scotland. It was contemptible to practically force the aviator to go up simply because if he did not they lost their 'shilling,' U seems incredible that New Zealaiulera (who have a good sporting record) would ask a mail to take the risk. Perhaps this particular species of sport is indigenous to Wellington. I hope so. f hope Mr. Scotland will return to Christchurch later and give some more of his brilliant exhibitions, where Iks will get decent conditions and sympathetic spectators. He is a brave man, and a daring aviator, but is not a fool."

A country motorist contrived n rather simple but very effective method of administering a deterrent to small boys who meddle with his car when it is standing unattended by the roadside. sUit.es the Southland Times. Taking a piece of insulated electric wire about four leel in length, lie strips an inch or two of tlie wire and affixes it to one of the leads from the magneto to the plugs. The otner end of the wire is passed through the front of the hood anil wound round 0110 of the npringa when not in use. When the ear is left unattended with the engine running this wire is dropped to the ground, so that the circuit is completed, and anyone who touches any part of the metal'work receives a sharp shock. After one experience ol the kind a small hoy is generally cliarv about making another venture.

A meeting of creditors in the bankrupt estate of Thomas llaslie, farmer, of •Tohnsonville, lale of the Stratforddistrict. was held in Wellington oil Tuesday. The statement of the. debtor's position showed that IK ere was due to unsecured creditors €7311, and to secured, i'l'cditni's £S3tir>. 'l".eii- were securities valued at C 11,()!)(), thus showing a surpiiis ol £-(!!);■). The net surplus was estimated at CinC-i. The Official Assignee said the estate would have to go into the hands of the mortgagees. There was no money in the esl-it •, and the, way properties Were selling liiey could get nothing now. The bankrupt', in his written statement, said that, prior to De-i-ember. 1!)I2, he hehl l:V)S acres, Co-venum-nt lease. ;it Tauntl, awa, The mortgages totalled CoittlO. lie was farming ;! [ Tanrakawa for tMi-tivn years and spell I his money on improvements to the properly. He sold out in 1 !>1 Li in exchange for town properties in Wellington, the exchange being sub:-.-I. to mortgages totalling CSOfifi. As ihe result of a lawsuit which took p ! ace. bankrupt was much out of pocket. fi was decided that, (he baiikrni.t p—pare a full written statement for a tutrre meeting.

Buy your Kodak now from the Da vies Pharmacy, and enter for the £SOO competition for the ten happiest pictures. Stimulating and comforting—a cup of ■'('amp" Coll'cc in cold, frosty weather. 'Made by a new process, •'Camp" contains all the beneficial ipmities of the choicest berries. AIIJ i:u't its flavour ? -T-t ••«••! h'V. 1