LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 July 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There is considerable enquiry for proI cities in New Plymouth at present. One iirm has recently sold properties to Hiiwera. Midhirst, Rongotea, Woodville and Hamilton residents, who are making New Plymouth their future home. Customs duties collected at New Ply mouth during the month of June totalled £3703 12s lid, as against £4322 10s 3d for „he corresponding month last year. Beer duty amounted to £10!) 18s 7(1 (£57). For the quarter ending Jun>; 30th, customs duty totalled £11,462 17s, and beer duty £369 17s 2d, as against respectively, £11,141 18s lid. and £172 18s for the corresponding quarter last year.

A little laughter is evidently wanted urgently in Germany. Mack Sennctt, the producer of Triangle comedy films, received a much belated letter from a German exhibitor, via Amsterdam, asking when and how be could get all the Trianglo comedies. Bennett, however, is strictly pro-Ally, and has no intention of adding to the mirth of a nation—if Germany can be called a nation. Anyhow, it will take more than a Triangle to raise a smile in Berlin when tTie news of the Verdun reverses leaks out. The Maugatoki School Committee is convening a conference of the school committees of the school within that portion of the Northern Ward of the Wanganui Education Board's district which will be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Taranaki Education Board iie>-t August .at Hawera on Thursday next. Tim object of the proposed conference is to discuss the effect that the transfer may have upon the advanced educational methods and facilities at present in use and open to the children in this district under the Wanganui Education Board; and .o take steps to endeavour to conserve and if possible extendi Mich methods and facilities undei the new conditions as the conference shall advisable. In accordance with the recommennations of Brigadier-General Richardson, a new post of D.A.D.M.S. of the New Zealand Forces in Eng'and iias been crated and Lieutenant-Colonel B. K. Jlyershas vacated the command of .he New Zealand Hospital at Walton-on-Thames to take up these duties. Captain StaplesBrowne goes with him. A New Zealand Stationary Hospital from the Mediterranean area is also on its way to England, and will be established in the New Forest, not far from Southampton, v here it will receive, as large a proportion as possible of the New Zealand wounded from France. It is probable that the hospital at Walton-on-Thames will be increased to 500 beds. The sale to be held on Monday by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Opunake, on account of Mr. \V. J. Todd will commence at 11 o'clock on Monday morning, not at 1 o'clock as advertised. The ordinary stock sale will commence at 1 p.m. Genuine all-wool cashmere socks guaranteed not to fade are in full supply at the Melbourne at the following prices: Men's "Flying Fox" socks, Is lid pair; children's "Jason" socks, size 2, 8(1, to Is for size 7; "Jason" three-quarter socks with double ribbed tops size 4 Is 2d, 5 Is 3d, <i Is 4d, 7 Is 3d, 8 Is 7d. 9 Is Bd, 10 Is 9d.

The management of the Empire Picture Palace will, by special request, screen the wonderful two-reel animal comedy, "Joe Martin Turns 'em Loose,'' at the matinee to-day. for the last time. Coughs will be common the next few months. Their life is short when you use SYKES'S OURA COUGH, la M all store*.

'Hero are now eight infantile paralysis o;.sc? uv.-Vm- treatment in tin- Master ton hospital. No fresh eases have been reported for nearly a fortnight. Replying to a question in the House on Thursday, the Hon. W. D. S. McDonald said that the Department of Agriculture had come to the conclusion that Ihe cost of labor and the cost of machinery '.nado it impossible to introduce the wood pulp industry here. According to the annual Lands Department report, the total selections during the year cover an area of .114 32-1 acres by 1020 selectors. The ordinary Crown lands holdings represented 457,">, : i4 acres, lnn.l for settlements 74,114, national endowment 301,554. and 21,2112 acres educational reserves and other classes. It is estimated that a-gross area or O(>B,SS7 acres will be made available for selection during the current year under the various tenures provided hv statute. The /ollowing shows the land districts contributing to this total: Auckland. 87,000; Hawke's Bay, 101,005; Tarauaki, :«,20<1; Wellington, 08,t>4,->; Nelson. 50,000; Marlborough, 4700; West land 7400; Canterbury. 100,000; Otago, 395,328; Southland; 20.000. The total revenue of the department for the vear was £1,280,524, an increase of £123',*17. Th» principal source of revenue was cash sales and the purchase of freeholds, from which £270,787 was obtained. Under the provisions of section 13 of the ljtnd Laws Amendment Act, 1012, postponements of rent, amounting to £18,594 V were granted to 278 Tinder oi* dinary Crown lands £7ie amount postponed was £3OOI and the number of tenants 82; on land for settlement holdings, £15,216 to 180 tenants, and on national endowment lands£li77 to 10 tenants. The total amount remaining postponed at March 31st last was £23 514 During the year £IOO2 was remitted to thirty-six settlers who suffered losses through bush fires and other causes.

We are at our wits'-end to provide and on which to settle returned soldiers but nevertheless, while high prices are being paid for inferior blocks in remote districts far from settlement hundreds of thousands of acres of native land are being conveyed away at nominal prices to private speculators wko never intend to cultivate the land (says yesterdays Wellington Times). These are the middlemen who are loading legitimate settlement with the enormous' profits they are evueting from the eventual sett er. And this is being done with the knowledge and concurrence of a Government that pretends to be anxious to secure all available land for returned soldiers. Since it came into power, its policy has been to assist the land shark to prey upon the unfortunate Maori, with the result that enormous sums of money have been made by speculators during the last five year's through the process of trafficking in native lands. This has been done, it is interesting to observe, with scarcely a word of protest from the native members. The traffic has been going on steadily with the concurrence of the Government for some years past, It is quite as active to-day as it has been hitherto, notwithstanding the impotency of the Government to find suitable laud on which to settle returned soldiers.

The films of '■Britain Prepared" will be finally presented at the Theatre Royal to-day at 2.30 p.m. and 8 o'clock. The box plan is at Collier's.

The Rev. John Takle, from India, wit! (■reach in tlie Baptist C'huicli 10-marro* morning and eveiihi--. Mr Takle \,-\< been for tuenty years a Missionary in India anil his story is full of intcrostii't' and helpful items." Mr. C. Cathie (president of the Baptist Union), will preach at Wpqtown in the afternoon.