LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 229, 6 March 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Tikorangi school has been closed on account of an outbreak of diphtheria in the district. To-day marks the fifty-fifth anniversary of the outbreak of the Taranaki Maori war in 1860. Messrs. Thos. Buchanan, W. F, Jenkins, H. Hangman, J. H.,Smith, and A. Scholos have been returned unopposed as members of the Taumarunui Licensing Committee At an enthusiastic meeting of citizens at Wanganui last evening, it was unanimously decided to form a branch of the New Zealand National Reserve. An influential organising committee was appointed.

A party of boys from the Stratford High School, in charge of Mr. J. G. Ellis, 'Agricultural Instructor, will leave for Moumahaki on Monday, March 15. Ihc party, which will consist of from to twenty-four boys, will go into camp on the Government Experimental Farm for a week's technical and practical instruction in agriculture. The Ngaere school held its annual picnic at the East End beach yesterday, the children and parents to the number of about 200 arriving by the ordinary morning train. Though the weather was not too favorable, they spent an enjoyable time, fully appreciated the conveniences placed af their disposal by the East End Committee.

The proposal by the Whakatane County Council to the effect that the law should be amended so as to permit local bodies to allow a rebate for payment of rates within a certain time, does not find general favor with North Taranaki County Councils. Both the igmont and Taranaki County Councils recently declined to support it, and at its meeting yesterday the Clifton County Council also turned it down. A social to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of the New Plymouth Good Templar Lodge was held in the Good Templar Hall 011 Thursday night. The District Deputy, Bro. G. W. Hartnell, took the chair. Bro. Olds referred with regret to the departure of Bro Hartnell, who was leaving for Wanganui, saying that it was New Plymouth's loss and Wanganui's gain. In an interval in the musical programme a light supper was handed round.

Taranaki s proverbially slow trains can be speeded up when necessary. This was strikingly exemplified yesterday by the train that usually arrives at New Plymouth at 5.30 p.m. Owing to a mishap 'to the engine below Hawera, the train was 55 minutes late leaving Stratford. However, during the thirty miles run from Stratford to New Plymouth practically the whole of that time was made up, and the train arrived at its destination five minutes behind schedule time.

The very heavy tide running on Thursday was the cause of an accident in Cill street. It appears that the waves coming up the Huatoki river threw up a cloud of spray. This occurrin 0 just as_a cab was being driven over the bridge, caused tho horses to shy and swerve suddenly, with the result that Mr. J. Cameron, who is in charge of the borough bridge gang, was knocked oft Jus cycle and run over by the cab sustaining a broken arm. '

An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders in No. 1 Group of the Lquitable Building .Society was held last night, Mr. E. Dockrill presiding over an attendance of about thirty members. It was decided to wind up Ao. 1 Group, so no further subscriptions 'll be payable in respect of shares, iedemptiong are still payable. As this money accumulates it will be balloted out to shareholders in term ot a circular to be issued by the directors. Members expressed gratification at the successful administration of this group and with the recommendations brought clown by tho directora for t]ie w . nd gM up of the series.

During a discussion on reducing the rents of surfacemen's cottages the chairman of Clifton County Council referred to the increased cost of living, and su»Sin t 'i at whi 'o the war was on the ],t mi s'it he reduced to £l2 per anS C t V ? t if u T? re foUnd neeowary to ti.i l, 1 ?f° r ; pointed out that in Hotr ? CS - Cost of livi "? with fl v 0 CX!I ™ SIV0 ' have go'nc up 2s per day. A councillor remarked that the dress bill ]i ad not gonQ up out back, as people out there could leaf r T° Ht t0 thfi BiW, ' csl fl g" chaima°" nC declined to make the cha unan-s proposed drastic , reduction, as th ey considered it might be impossible to raise tho rent again They however, agreed unanimously to reduce the rent to £lB, which will mean a saving of £3 per annum to the surfacemen.

Mothers are notified that the Royal J. icturcs matinee will he held to-dav'as usual A complete change of programme will lie screened for this occasion only. Intending patrons of the On,make laces should note tile advertisement of the Taranalii Motor Tranaptfrt Company in this issue, referring to the running of their char-a-banc on race day.

A number of bullocks that, were being driven from an East Coast station last week wero so exhausted for the want of water that they died oil the read (says the Eketaliunr, Express). A constable was giving evidence in th-.i Lower Hutt Court on Wednesday, a id was describing the approach of a niot.'-' - - :ir to an hotel he was watching;. 'V,V heard them coming along the road/' ! ,c said, "They were very liilerous ati-I noisy/' Mr T. M. Wilford (for defendant): "Tliev were what?" Witness: "Very bilious and noisy, you know." Counsel: "Ililious?" Witnsse: "No, hilirious." Counsel: "Oh, you mean hilarious." Witness: "Yes, that's it. I can't' pronounce it. I can spell it." Counsel: "Well, you ought to be careful about using those big words you don't understand." The court smiled broadly. The commandant of the New Zealand forces, Colonel A. W. Kobin, has approved of reserve officers being called up for training, and their services may be utilised at annual camps. These officers, together with regimental oflicers, may attend more than one camp, but this attendance at more than one camp must lv voluntary. Bail passes and rations, however, will be allowed all officers who offer their services to assist at camps other than at their annual training. Unattached list officers, too, can attend extra camps on the same conditions as regimental and reserve officers.

Ladies actuated by a desire to 4o their share towards ensuring the comfort of the soldiers of the expeditionary force have found a happy way of contributing to this desirable end by the knitting of woollen sox. The New Zealand Times says that two lady workers who had adopted this means have been unpleasantly surprised to find that lately the price, of knitted wool has been increased by Is, making the price 5s fid per pound. It is suggested that the Government might, in the circumstances, adopt such steps as to prevent unwarranted increases in the cost to the purchaser, and, if necessary, establish depots for the sale of yarn made from New Zealand wool. It is also suggested that this course might be adopted with regard to other New Zealand products. The announcement that th o War Office lias placed largo orders for jam and jelly with a Sydney manufacturing eompanv is causing Auckland manufacturers to hope that the Army authorities may go further afield and secure shipments of New Zealand preserves (says the Herald). Many hundreds of cases of Auckland jam were despatched to Samoa, and the New Zealand Government has also taken delivery of a very large quantity of jam for Trentham, so that any decrease in the local demand for preserves has been compensated for by the Government orders. The Admiralty has g'iven large orders for canned beef to at least one New Zealand firm, ■but neither the Admiralty nor the War Office, according to local jam manufacturers, has yet decided to take supplies l of New Zealand preserved fruit.

The wholesale price of standard brands of butter in Auckland was reduced on Wednesday to Is ljd per lb. The price was advanced from Is (IJd, tile rate fixed on September 21, to Is Id on Novembw 22, and again to Is 2}d on January 22, the retail price advancing to Is 4d. Tho latter will probably be reduced now by Id per lb. The reduction in the price is in sympathy with the fall in the export value of butter. The rates ruling in the London market rose steadily as the earlier shipments were delivered, until the value of New Zaland butter reached 144s per ewt. during the first week in Febru ary, one consignment realising as much as 145s 7d per cwt. During the past three weeks the market has falle n steadily until values have returned to the present level of 12Ss to 130s .per cwt.

The Wellington bowling green incident is still discussed in the papers. A letter to the Dominion is as follows:—"The regrettable incident on the Wellington green last week displays how easily our 'humanity can be dislodged by our bias. Here is a member of many years' standing, a naturalised British subject for over twenty years, a well-esteemed 'business man, accustomed to a select place in the rinks, who finds by the war that ihis occupation is for th e present gone, comes to a quiet green to spend an afternoon, ig set upon by a junior member, and compelled to give up this small relaxation. The German did not seek to play with this patriotic Englishman; he was going to play with others wlio had joined or invited' him to play with them, and for merely crossing to the green was .bullied before twenty other members, and no otfe said % word to protect him. What can be said for tlie kindliness, the comradeship of the premier bowling club of the city of Wellington?''

A Wellington draper, who had just perused his English mail, talked interestingly on Wednesday on the effect of war on materials that he deals in. lie understood that thick tweeds were in great demand at Home. The Army had experienced difficulty in securing all the blankets that were needed, and had bought up vast quantities of thick tweed to be cut up into lengths for use as blankets by the. troops. The falling-off of certain lines that usually came from France, Belgium, and Germany was, ;t" course, very marked, and there was *n imminent possibility of a shortage of velvets, velveteens, and plush, the lastnamed material particularly, which was largely a French product.* There was certain to be a shortage in some classes nf lace, formerly the product of Belgium and France, and prices w'ere likely to increase for such materials. Nottingham produced a large, quantity of lacs, 1 but compared with what some, of the Continental cities turned out, it was '« /lea-bite. With the large stocks that have been held at Home, the pinch was hardly felt for the first few months of war, but at present laces were a diminishing quantity.

An envious gentleman writes to the Wellington Times as follows:—It is undoubtedly true that the war has enriched the farmers of this country, and is proving a veritable goldmine to them. To wage-earners and others of stationary incomes the war means sacrifice, owing to the increasing cost of living, consequent 011 providing the goldmine for the farmers. The majority of us are, therefore, paying a big'tax'by virtue of the war prices of meat, wool, butter, cheese, wheat, etc., If that tax went to swell the exchequer of the Dominion 11,1 one would complain, but it is difficult to remain calmly satisfied when we are taxed to further enrich an already prosperous class. This enriched class have not contributed to the war funds, Belgian funds, or any similar funds in tho way they should. To be on the same level as people of slated salaries, they should first give np to the patriotic funds the whole of the increased portions of their income that they have obtained by reason of the war. Then they should make contributions out of their normal average incomes. Until this takes place I cannot see. my way clear to make any further contributions to any of the various patriotic funds, in fact. I cannot afford it, as the increased war price of meat, bread, butter, cheese, boots, and clothing means to me, with my large family, fully an extra £1 p?r week. Who is getting this? The farmers. No wonder they are a Joyous Throng.

Sunday should again see a large attendance of visitors at the, camp at Waiwakaiho. The 'Motor Transport Company have made arrangements to run a frequent service to the camp with their char-a-banc. Further particulars will be found in our advertising columns.

The actual construction of the now laihvay tunnel at Pamell was complete! in tlie early hours of yesterday morning, and trallic, it is expected, will be running through it within the next iortniglit or three wecks.—l'ress Assonation.

j lie Defence Rifle Club will parade on Sunday morning at. 10 o'clock at the Corona lion Hall, for the purpose of marching to the Bewa Itewa camp' for olnireh parade. It is hoped that every member will make an effort to attend, fn the event of the weather being wet the parade will not take place.

Seventeen hundred and seventy-three bags of European, American, and Island mails will arrive at Auckland on Sunday afternoon by tlie Niagara from Vancouver. These include mails that should have been»sent on by the llavamii, which met with an accident at San Francisco recently-and was unable to keep to timetable. Hails for the south number over 1200 bags, aii(j these, together with the southern portion of oSo European and Australian mails arriving by til;? Maheno from Sydney on Sunday morning, go south bv tlie Main Trunk express on Sunday evening.—Press Association.

At last night's meeting of the Taraliaki Chamber of Commerce. Mr. R. C. Hughes stated that petitions had been prepared in New Plymouth and Waitara for submission to the resnective Borough Councils, asking that a poll should be taken, as provided by the Shops and Offices Act, decide the half-holiday question. He also stated that a petition was in course of circulation in Inglewood. with the same object, but that the Chamber of Commerce there was looking to the Taranaki Chamber for a lead in respect to the Saturday movement. After a desultory discussion on tlie question as to the suitability of various days, members were unanimously .of opinion that a uniform half-holiday was desirable, and a resolution to that effect was carried.

"Bayer" writes again that sever,il further replies to his advertisement enquiring for a farm have been received, without furnishing price. One would-be seller dicl not even enclose big name! One feature worthy of emphasis is the number of answers which- one little "News" advertisement will bring. Milton Scott asks Stratford customers to call jjt Elder's to-day for goods ordered this week.