LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 172, 29 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

.. Tiie Chief Postmaster advises that Australian mails, ox Makura at Auckland, will arrive to-night.

The production of "The Gondoliers" by Williamson's Comic. Opera Company at Auckland on Saturday night was received' with great enthusiasm. It was generally acknowledged to be the finest representation of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera yet (presented in the Dominion.

It is stated that strong and wellappointed motor 'buses will 1 shortly be .placed'in commission on the road be'tueen New Plymouth and O.punake, making two outward and two inward trips daily. Such a service would Drove a great convenience to the people of district, and should in course of time prove highly profitable.

Some time ago the Taranaiki Chamber of Commerce made representations to the authorities to raise the status of tbe police officer in charge of New Plymouth. This lias resulted in the appointment of a sub-inspector for the tewn, and Sub-Inspector Fouliy, of Duned'in, is to be transferred here shortly.

A correspondent, with a bent for figures, calculates that at the ten race meetings held throughout the Dominion on Saturday, £197,844 10s was passed through tho totalisator. Auckland headed th' list with £GG,I46, and Westport was bottom with £5,704. As the racing clubs, deduct 10 per cent, on each .pound that passes through the totalisator, this means that £10,784 would be withdrawn from circulating on the racecourse in one day.

. A motorist on the road to New Plymouth yesterday morning, whilst racing to pass anoUicr one on a narrow part of the road near Tariki, was nearly tiro cause of a bad accident to an approaching cyclist, who was left so narrow an cipcnin" that lie grazed both cars. Fortunately he retained his presence of mind and was able to maintain his ■balance, but the incident considerably shattered 'lis nerves for the rest of the / day. )

Reports from the North Island indicate that the grain crops there are languishing for lack of moisture. Many agriculturists, despairing of their cereal crops developing into sufficient length to be manipulated by the binder, have turned in stock to eat them off. Crops all over are very light, and the yield will be much below the average. On tile other hand, both grass and grain crops in Southland and South Otago promise well, notwithstanding the unfavorable climatic conditions which have prevailed during the past' three months.

"I really believe that a man who has had a criminal record, but who has kept straight for a number of years, is deserving of more credit than a man who has never been tempted and fallen. Once having formed criminal habits and got amongst criminal associates, it is very difficult for a man to start afresh." This observation was made, in the Auckland Police Court by Mr F. V. Frazcr, S.M., when he had before him the case of a man who had a police record against his name, but who, for the last ten years, had been leading an lionet life.

The Duncdin Star reports that instructions have been received at the Hillside Railway Workshops to make 500 iron waggons of the L type—waggons for carrying coal or anything in bulk. This is the biggest wagon order received for many a long day. Another order is for 100 sheep waggons. In addition, the! headquarters authorities have instructed the Hillside staff to turn out 10 W.G. locomotives. This is a good class of suburban engine, of the tank type, weighing 52 tons. Ten engines have just been completed, so that the new order comes in time to keep the hand.< fully occupied.- There may be some delay, owing to the war, in getting from nomea the parts of the waggons that have to be imported.

A rather bare-faced forgery is alleged to have been committed at Feikling. A stranger entered the shop of a wellknown business man, and said that he had been sent by Mr -—-, who wanted to know if he could be obliged with a blank cheque, as he had found he had left home without his cheque-book. Never anticipating any deception, the business man readily acquiesced, and the man left the shop with the blank cheque. Later it appears, he bought a pair of boots, and tendered a cheque for £BO odd in payment. Change was given, but when settling day came at the bank it was discovered that the cheque was an impudent forgery. The matter is in the hands of the police,

A thrilling story was told to a Dannevirke reporter by Sir V. Castles, ' of Te Uri, in connection with the grass and log fires. lie said he was just going over to the house of Sir L. Breakwell to offer him assistance when he noticed the fire creeping up behind the house. The family were apparently totally unaware of the grave danger they were in, and when Mr Castles reached them the flumes had caught hold of, and were sweeping through, the motor-shed. By the time Mrs Breakwell and the family were safely placed in the motorcar tlie whole buildings were alight, and the .place .w.as ail inferno. All the occupants of the car were more or less singed by the lire before they liad cleared from contact with the rKgii.ig llames. i In connection with tfie increase of the j price of bread in Wellington tu Utl 21b. loaf, the president " f 4> ' ' tell Mitbtov xvelliiig_.„«.ers' Association considthat the importation of. Canadian wheat will not cause the price of bread to be lowered, as by the time it is milled, ilie (lour will cost £lt> per ton. Some flour is also comiugfrom San Francisco, but it cannot be supplied to bakers cheaply enough to permit of a reduction in the price of bread, which, lie - says, may go up to Oil per 21b. loaf before many weeks pass. According to the tariff adopted by the United Slastev Bakers' Association of New Zealand, the price, of the loaf should be Oil when flour is at £l3 per ton.

Speculation in Crown Lands is a business which the authorities persistently although un.suece.sfully, strivo to prevent. The members of the Auckland Land Board appeared to he taken aback by a statement made by an applicant : for a transfer. A young man, ■who said he was a "farmer and a land salesman," asked for permission to take over two blocks in Te Arolia survey district froini two separate owners. The Commissioner (Mr H. M. Skeet), said: "You are asking for two blocks. Is not one enough V" The applicant replied that he would not take one without the other, and when asked what he wanted the land for, his answer was: "I intend to improve it and sell it." After the members had recovered from their astonishment, the Commissioner remarked: "It is certainly most refreshing to meet one with such candour. We appreciate having a truthful man before us, but it is our duty to prevent speculation witli regard to Crown Lands. We want men on the land to live on their own sections and make their living by fanning.''

One of the Australian troopers now'in Egypt, writing to a friend, states that a new army order has been issued forbidding the "shaving of the upper lip," and in consequence there is a fine growth of moustaches amongst the Australians.

There were nearly 200 motor cars at the Racei ouvs.3 yesterday, besides a number of motor 'buses, 'file, totalisator receipts and profits of the meeting wero a record. If times are hard, there is no evidence of it in Taranaki, at any rate.

Just as the final chorus in tlu l "Messiah" performance was being commenced ill Auckland, the conductor, .Mr Jlaughan Burnett, noticed Home, members of the audience making for tile exits. Instantly stopping his choral and orchestral forces, Mr. Barnitt took the opportunity of administering a rebuke to the offenders on the want of courtesy shown to performers at this and similar Auckland concerts.

Thirty-two years is a long life for a Hawerit publication. That is the agj of the Star Almanack just issued by the publishers, \V. A. Parkinson and Co., Ltd., of the Ilawera Star Office. Special care has, ,-13 usual, been taken to revise and bring up to date each sectio.il of the Almanack, whicji is a publication that should be in tile hands of every fanner, every business man, ninl every Jiousjh older.

Since tin) outbreak of the war, the re. j tail price of sugar Ims advanced in | Auckland by practically a halfpenny a pound. Before the war the price chargI ed by tile Colonial Sugar Refuting coni- ' puny was £lO 5s a ton for tin; 1A standard grade.,On September 11, it advanced by half-a-crown, and since then lias made three successive rises of a pound per ton, followed by last week's increase of ISs, bringing tile total to £2O 2s (id. It is stated that a halfpenny a pound rise in the retail price is equivalent to £4 I,'Ss 4d rise in the wholesale price, so that it is not anticipated that this further rise, which brings the total advance up to C.'i 17s (id, will make any difference to the price per 11)., although it may mean some increase on the cost per bag to the general public. Inquiries by an Auckland representative showed that no special reason luid been assigned by the management of the company in Sydney for the rise, but it is pointed out that for a considerable time past sugar has been selling at an abnormally low price, that increases in freightage and insurance charges have been heavy during the period following the. outbreak of the war, and that the price of sugar in New Zealand is considerably less than that obtaining at Home.