LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Makara County Council has endorsed the Raglan Council's resolution not to employ single men who are eligible for military service during the currency of the war. —Press Association.

The Mokau ladies held their fortniglitly sewing meeting on Thursday for the Wounded Soldiers.' Fund. Afternoon tea was provided, and a further collection of £- 5s was obtained for the fund. The Hon. G. W. Russell announces in the Gazette that before passports caji be issued inquiry is necessary in all cases, even in those of well-known colonists, and a fortnight's notice is necessary.—Press Association, The fire brigade received a call to a fire amongst rubbish at a place in Vivian Street yesterday afternoon. People are warned to be careful in guarding rubbish fires now that the dry weather is prevailing. In the Palmerston Supreme Court yesterday, James Fitt, aged 65, wa3 convicted of the theft of 314 sovereigns from Hum Kee, most of which had been recovered. He was admitted to 18 months' probation, and counsol promised that the shortage should, be repaid.

Dr. W. J. Anderson, Director of Education, has forwarded a circular letter to the New Plymouth Borough Council stating that in view of the present circumstances and the necessity for curtailing expenditure it had been decided that the usual subsidy to public libraries will not be paid this year. The firebells rang out an alarm at about 4.30 a.m. yesterday, a tank of soltar having caught fire in the borough section in Gill Street. The brigade turned out promptly and the outbreak was soon extinguished with earth. The fire was caused by the soltar, which was being treated, boiling over. One of the banks in New Plymouth has decided to employ a lady clerk, and it is probable other banks will follow a similar course. The staff of the banks in New Zealand have been considerably depleted by enlistments, and it is reported that one leading bank is considering the question of closing some of its small branches. A record for Australasia was established recently, when the New Zealand Dairy Association, Auckland, shipped 16,437 boxes of butter to Messrs Lovell and Christmas by the Rangatira! This is the largest shipment ever made by any dairy company in the Southern Hemisphere by one steamer, and is valued at over £90,000.

A Wellington telegram says that at the Waterside Workers' Conference yesterday, the proposed wages and conditions and scale of wages were adopted for submission to employers at the suggested conference. The rules of the Waterside Workers' Federation, as revised, were adopted, and a deputation was appointed to wait upon the Minister of Marine and bring under his notice several matters, including inspection-of ships and gear. Major Toomer, of the Salvation Army, is due to arrive by the express to-night from Palmerston North, and will conduct the anniversary in connection with the Salvation Army Sunday School tomorrow. The Good Templar Hall has been secured for the afternoon and ensuing services, and the children will render special anniversary songs. On Monday night, in the same hall, a special children's programme will be given, and the distribution of about forty prizes will also take place. The search for Mr. Z. Wells, of Mangorei, who has been missing, since Monday, has been fruitless up to the present. To-day, Major Sandford is organising a search party composed of Boy Scouts and Technical College boys, and all those willing to assist are asked to be at Mr. R. Cock's corner, Vogeltown, at noon. Bovs should bring strong staffs. We understand that a party of citzens contemplates joining in the search on Sunday.

The hand of the shipwright is rapidly regaining for the Union Company's Takapuna much of the pristine smartness that characterised her in the old days, and made the name Takapuna almost a household word in New Zealand. The vessel is at present lying at the Wool Jetty (Wellington), undergoing an extensive overhaul prior to entering the Napier-Gisborne service for the Christmas season.

A Press Association message says that the following bequests were included in the will of the Into Mr. J. C. M»ckv, head of the firm of Mackv, Logan, Caldwell and Co., one of tlie .victims of thj Lusitania outrage: Employees of the firm £20,000, Unitarian Church £IOOO, Door of Hope Rescue Home £IOO, Blind Institute £IOOO, Plunket Nurse Society ."WOO, St. .Tames Presbyterian Church £SOO, Kindergarten Association £.500, Leslie Presbyterian Orphanage £SOO. The quarterly meeting of the Taranaki Licensing Committee was held yesterday. Present: Messrs. A. Crooke, S.M. (chairman), P. P. Corkill, D. H. McDonald, W. L. Newman, W. Ambury and .T. B. Connett. It was reported the alterations to outbuildings at the Terminus Hotel had not been done as requested by the committee, but no action was taken on the understanding that the improvements would be made before Christmas, A statement that there are about fifty Maori girls in Taranaki who were married before they were fourteen years of ago was made by Mr. ,T H. Walker in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. He thought all Maori marriages were carried out by the Maori custom, and cases of the marriage of children were common wherever there were Maoris. As soon as girls show a friendship for young men theii parents arranged to get them married. "It appears these children have no say in the matter at all," remarked Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., "and it is just about time the custom was stopped." Under the Shops and Offices Act, shopkeepers are permitted to employ their assistants up to 11 p.m. on Ohriatmas Kve and New Year's Eve. Hitherto the general practice has been to regard this late work as part of the ordinary hours of tile assistant, for which overtime payment bail not to be made. This year a request has been made to the Labor Department that overtime should be paid. The Department lias replied to' the effect that if the employers observe the Friday evenings preceding Christmas and New Year as long nights, they may employ their assistants until 11 p.m. without payment of overtime provided that not more than eleven hours are worked by any assistant on each day. Bowlers, cricketers, and tennis players can be sure of the quality of the white serge and gaberdine trousers sold at the Melbourne Clothing Company at 14/tj, 16/6, 18/6. These trousers will give every satisfaction* both in wear and in laundering. Also fine range of tennis shirts in stock at 3* Qd, 4s 6d, and 4l 114

A Sydney cable s*ys that il U oflicially notified that «, simplified passport system for bouattde travellers to New Zealand is being arranged. At Eitham yesterday, Herbert Hodgson on charges of forging and uttering a cheque for £,"i, and for breaking and entering was committed for trial, accused reserving his defence. In aid of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund a very successful garden party was held in the grounds ol' Mr. and Mrs T. B; Crump's residence at Eitham yesterday, over £SO, the Argus states, being notted.

'I lie estimated population of the four cities of the Dominion at the end of November was us follows:—Greater Auckland, 117,"'93; (Jreater Wellington, 74,811; Greater Ohristchurch, 87,750; Greater Dunedin, 69,138.

Colonel Rhodes, from Cairo, cables to the Minister of Defence: As it follows that the majority of goods consigned for distribution to the troops at the front arrive packed in cases which are too large, please issue instructions for such as are consigned to be packed in eases of a suitable size for packing on pack mules, through narrow saps, ana must not exceed 801b gross weight.—Press Association.

On Thursday afternou some members of the New Plymouth executive of the School Committees' Association—the Rev. A. B. Chappell, and Messrs S. G. Smith, G. H. Dolby, and W. F. Shortproceeded to Opunake to bring before committees there the desirableness of forming a local branch of the association. After some discussion us to the work possible to the association it was decided, on the motian of Mr. Chambers, seconded by Mr. Coombridge, that steps should be taken, to form a local branch. The question of a Dominion set of school books was considered, and also the possibility of establishing a district high school at Opunake, where parents found it impossible to give their children any form of secondary education except by sending them aw ay to boarding schools.

In the course of his remarks at ihe recent conference of agricultural and other instructors under the Wanganm Education Board, the chairman (Mr, F. Pirani), expressed regret that a" silly majority on the Council of Education had so cut up the district ns to injure the progress of the work they had been engaged in, and was exceedingly sorry that so many teachers and instructors would have to sever their connection with the Board they had served so well. It was a consolation to hira, however, to Know that although lie had been held up by the New Zealand Teachers' Institute as a bogey to teachers, and only the other day in a Taranaki paper had been accused of nepotism and all sorts of favoritism, shoals of letters had already been received by the Board and by himself from teachers, asking that they should be transferred from the Taranaki end before the alterations of the district took place. W. H. and A. McGarry, of Eltham, advertise a dairy farm of 110 acres as a going concern.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., and Messrs Webster, Dobson and Co. draw the attention of clients to their Stratford sale which they are holding in their Stratford yards on Tuesday next, 14th inst. Full particulars will be found in our advertising columns on page 8 of this issue. Owing to the A.B.C. Boot Company having to vavate the premises at present occupied by them, to make room for the Taranaki Amusements Company's picture theatre, the manager has received instructions to sell out the entire stock at once. He has adopted quite a new method of attracting buyers which should be a big draw. The company will return the cash to the buyer of the twenty-fifth pair, and repeat same during the clearance of the A.B.C. boot stock. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company Ltd., have received the following cablegram from their London house under date Bth inst.: Tallow: We quote present Bpot values for the following descriptions, fine mutton £2 lis 9d per cvvt, good beef £2 10s 6d per cwt, mixed £2 8s fid per cwt. The market Is dull with an upward tendency. We have been shown & copy of a "Roll of Honor," containing the nataes of the members of the staff of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., who have volunteered for the front. Up to date no fewer than 75 members have enlisted, of whom four have been killed, one wounded and ten returned as missing. Each branch of. the company's service which has furnished its quota of men will, we understand, be supplied with spare copies of the Roll for distribution to relatives, who will undoubtedly greatly prize such an intertstiing document. The "Roll of Honor" has been printed by Messrs Wliitvombe and Tombs, of Wellington, and its general set up reflects every credit on the designer and printer. The company aie .paying all their officers who have poined the expeditionary forces, half-pay, and are keeping their positions open for them.