LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 April 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A returned soliier has been appointed to take charge of the Riverlea toll-gate. A further case of infantile paralysis was notified at New Plymouth yesterday, an 18-year-old youth residing in Lemon Street.

The condition of Hugh Gunn, who was severely injured while employed on the New Plymouth Borough Council's crusher on Thursday morning, showed an improvement yesterday.

The Auckland Provincial Patriotic Fund has granted '£3ooo to the Y.M.C.A. A proposal to make the grant £SOOO was only lost on the casting vote of the chairman.

A Christchurch telegram states that a woman of thirty years died yesterday morning of infantile paralysis. She is the third adult to succumb to the disease lately. Of the other two, one was thirty and the other forty-nine years of age. In reply to a communication from the Clifton County Council, the Hon. K. McNab, Min'ster of Marine, states that the blocking of the Mokau River was ilready under consideration of the Government, and as soon as any decision was come to Van Council would be communicated with.

The New Plymouth abbatoir report for March gives the following details of stock slaughtered for local consumption: Cows 169, bullocks 4, calves 16, sheep 569, lambs 166, pigs 129, tripes cleaned 160. Compared with the corresponding month of last year, they show an increase of 1 calf, and a decrease of 12 cattle, 134 sheep, 10 lambs, 18 pigs and 6 tripes. Two cows, 1 sheep and 3 pigs were condemned. Slaughtered for export 48 cows, 1 bullock, 18 bulls, and 2 calves, a decrease of 38 cattle and 9 sheep. Calves are equal. Five cows and 2 bulls were condemned. Fees for the month £132 18s 9d, rents £3 5s 6d, showing a decrease of £25 10s. At yesterday's meeting the Clifton County Council made its final payment of £835 on account of its levy of £2485 towards the erection of the new hospital in New Plymouth. The County Council adopted the policy of meeting this charge out of revenue, and the clerk remarked that the policy had been justified, as in the two years over which the payments had.been spread, the Council had been able to meet all its engagements and was still a little in credit, though the accounts passed that day would turn the balance into a debit one.

In his report to be presented to the Borough Council on Monday night the engineer (Mr. K O. Clayton), states: Good progress has been made on the tram route and the whole of the new metal will be tarred before the trams are ready to run. The company are making every effort to supply restar in sufficient quantities to enable this to be accomplished. The foreman in charge assures me that unless very wet weather is experienced there will be no doubt that the route, will be in a state to permit the running, of the ears to the Breakwater before the Easter holidays."

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of an employee of the Christchurch City Council, William Francis Bert Dunn, who is charged with having, during the last. few days, received the sum of £O4O and failed to account for it to the Council. Dunn has been missing since Tuesday afternono. He got off to arrange his affairs in order to leave with the Fifteenth Reinforcements on Wednesday and did not parade. He does not appear to have enlisted. The citydoes not stand to lose, being protected by a fidelity guarantee. Friday was the last day of the council's financial year and heavy sums were received for rates and the amount was short banked. —Press Association.

In the new borough by-laws of New Plymouth, heavy charges are imposed on motor 'buses and motor freighters, namely, £fi for the former and £5 for the latter. Previously the annual license fees were £l. The 'bus owners who make the town their headquarters or terminus are up in arms against what they consider is a very unjust and unreasonable charge. They point out.that they are bringing in people from the country who do their shopping in the town, and that therefore, the Council should help the 'bus services and not hamper them. Also that no other borough in the Dominion treats motors so harshly. The 'bus proprietors pay tolls outside, and , are under ' heavy enough expenses in establishing the services already without this additional impost. The 'bus proprietors propose waiting i:pon the Council in connection with the matter.

Late on Thursday night, Sergeant Dale the police officer in charge at Stratford, received word that Edmund F. Richardson, a man of over 30 years of age, who resided with his father on the Opunake Road, Stratford, was missing from his home. Richardson left home between 7 and 8 o'clock yesterday morning to go into one of the paddocks to do stumping. As ho did not return at dark, his two brothers made a search for him, but were unsuccessful. However, the searchers found Richardson's coat and lunch (untouched), where he had left them in the morning. The latter was reported to Sergeant Dale, who made arrangments for a police search party. Mr. Richardson, sen., went out at daylight yesterday morning, and found his son lying face downward near where his coat had been found. Life was extinct. Deceased was subject to epileptic fits, and was attended to by Dr. Paget for the seizures some time ago. An inquest was subsequently held before the Coroner, Mr. W. R. Hjtselden, when after the evidence of the father had been heard, a verdict of death from nautral causs (epileptic fit) was returned. —Post. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., have received the following cablegram from their London house under date sth inst.: With respect to the postponement of the third series of sales from 4th to 11th inst., the prompt date has been extended to 21 days and buyers are to be allowed 24 days to take delivery.

Notice.—A *bua will leave Westown to-night at 7 o'clock, returning after the pictures. M, Jone3, proprietor^"-""

The Wanganui Borough Council's profit on the tramway service for the year ended March 31 runs into four figures. The figures are not yet, however, available for publication (says the local Herald). At a large meeting in the Auckland Town Hall on Wednesday night resolutions were carried condemning 'Shouting" and urging the Government to introduce legislation to make shouting illegal and to provide for the early closing «f hotels. Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., who has just finished a recruiting tour through the Taumarunui electorate, states that he had brought to his notice a number of distressing cases of infantile paralysis in the King Country. In some instances the patients had to be carried on stretchers for many miles to the nearest railway station. _ The Rev. W. E. Cox, rector of Darlington, Devon, has seven sons in khaki. 1 Two are captains (one of whom has the' Military Cross), three are second lieutenants, another is a private in the Malay Volunteers, and the youngest is in- the BradflMd College O.T.C. The father is justly proud of his fighting boya. The voracity of the shag, is well known, and each year the toll of trout taken from our rivers by these birds would be difficult to estimate, but it must be exceedingly large. One evening recently a couple of anglers on a quiet corner of the Waiwakaiho riveT saw no fewer than eleven full-grown shags come in to roost in a- "shaggery." Several of these have since been shot, and wellground yearling trout, found inside them. Sir Joseph Ward, questioned at Christ-. church regarding a report that the Budget would disclose a surplus of over a million, said he could not say what the surplus would be, but it certainly would be large. New Zealand should be in a strong financial position at the end of the year. However, no matter how large the surplus might be, every shilling of it would be needed to meet requirements.

Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., for Taumarunui, who has just finished a recruiting tour through his electorate, declared that so great has been the response in the electorate that many of the smaller places are practically denuded of young men, who have all gone to the war. In the course of an address at Taumarunui he made the assertion that the Taumarunui electorate had sent more men to the front than any other electorate in New Zealand.

Forms of application will be received from Mr. D. VoAHum, P.O. Box 82, New Plymouth, for limited number of shares in the proposed Iron Sand Company in Taranaki.—Advt.

At the Baptist Church to-morrow night the ordinance of Believers' Baptism will be observed. There are five candidates to be immersed. The Rev. Frank Hales will conduct the service and preach an appropriate sermon; ' At Whiteley Church to-morrow morning, the Rev. A. B. Chappell will con. tinue his special addresses based on Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," the particular eubject being "Wicket Gate." The evening service will be conducted by the Rev. G. 11. Olds. Mr. J. R. Nelson, who is on a visit to New Plymouth, will preach at St. Aubyn in the morning, and at Omata in the evening.

' The Melbourne, Ltd., is well prepared to' fill wet-weather requirements in men's' and boys' apparel. Boys' oilskins,'walking, 8s lid; riding, 10s Od; "Fish" oilskins, boys' 12s Od, men's 14s 6d and 19s fid; canvas coat, 373 6d; raincoats, in Gaberdines and Hydrotites, 35s and 49s 6d.

We are asked to state that the house furniture of Mrs. Grants, which is to be sold at her residence on Wednesday next, will be open for inspection on Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Full particulars in our auction columns.