LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Probate has been granted by Mr. Justice Edwards in the estates of H. K. K. Bennett and E. G. TunnicliliV. The work of constructing buildings 011 the wharf at the Breakwater, comprising rope-shed, harbormaster's office, and a waiting-room for the Harbor Board's staff, has been completed. The anniversary of St. Mary's Church will be observed on Sunday. November 20. Dr. A. W. Averill, Bishop of Auckland, will occupy the pulpit at the morning and evening services, and in the afternoon he will conduct a Confirmation service. The Dairy Farmers' Advisoroy Committee has decided not to take further action with regard to testing the validity of the Ordcr-in-Council with regard to the export of butter. —Press Association. The value of herd-testing was fully shown yesterday, when a line of grade yearling heifers was offered by Mr. Xewton King at the Waiwakaiho saleyards. This herd, we understand, last season averaged just on 4'OOlbs. butterfat, and when the heifers were offered there was considerable inquiry. Mr. Puidie obtained £lO for the choicest of his grade yearlings, whilst the balance realised £7/19/-. This price must be considered a record. The Citizens' Band will play at the East End Pavilion to-morrow (Sunday) afternoon, at 2.45. The following itenu will be included in the programmerQuickstep, "Canberra" (Lithgow); cornet solo, "The Golden 'Pathway" (Hamilton Gray); grand national selection, "England" (Rimmcr); intermezzo, "Rendezvous" (Aletter); anthem, "Te Deum" (Jackson); march, "Queensland" (a new piece); National Anthem. A suggestion, was recently made by the Inspector-General of Fire Brigades that in towns where flrebells are in use sirens should be installed in place of the bells. With a view to improving the town fire alarm the New Plymouth Volunteer Fire Brigade has recently been testing an electrically-driven siren The superintendent (Mr. F. C. J. Bellringer) states that as the result of the tests he regarded the siren as unsatisfactory, and that the Brigade was considering plana of improving the alarm system at present in use. Patea has been considerably agitated lately regarding the system 'of rating, and a poll on a proposal to introduce rating on unimproved values was taken on Wednesday, it being defeated l?y l*t to 122. Whereby Patea showed its good sense. Unimproved value rating in a country town, with wide stretches of unoccupied country, and possessing meat and other works, is inadvisable. To come within two votes of carrying it shows the town is without instruction on the rating question, or that the present valuations must be woefully astray.

The first fortnightly euchre party and dance to be held under the auspices of the newly-elected East End Committee took place in the East Knd pavilion on Thursday evening, and proved a great success. Seventeen tables were occupied, the prizes being won by the following:—Ladies, Hiss Bullot 1, Mrs. Prentiee 2. Men, F. Henry 1, J. Cross 2. After supper a large number of dancers occupied the floor, which was in excellent order, until 1 o'clock. The music was supplied by Mrs. George's orchestra, and was much appreciated. At Pa tea on 'Wednesday night a dwelling, owned and owupied by Mrs. Turner, was destroyed by fire. The fire originated through some sheets which were being aired on a clothes-horse near the fire falling forward and catching fire. Mrs. Turner sustained injuries in endeavouring to put out the flames as soon as the sheets caught fire. Mrs. Turner had a considerable sum of money in the house at the time of the fire, but so rapidly did the flames spread that there was no possibility of entering the house to save it, everything in the building being reduced to ashes in a very short space of time.

Some years ago a memorial was erected in the old Drill Hall as a tribute to those volunteers who took part in the Maori war, and now that the military authorities have decided to dispose of the hall, it was proposed to remove the memorial to St. Mary's Church. The vestry, yesterday, in company with Dr. A. W. Averill, Bishop of Auckland, inspected the memorial, which, it was decided, was too large to be placed in the church, and it was considered the best place for it would be outside the west wall, under the belfry. The sanction of the military authorities has yet to be obtained before the memorial can be removed.

At a meeting of the New Plymouth iPatriotic Committee, held yesterday, it was unanimously decided to extend to the Hon. W. F. Carncross, M.L.C., who was one of the New Zealand Parliamentarians who recently visited the war zone, an invitation to deliver a lecture on fiis travels in New Plymouth. The date of the lecture and other arrangements were left in the hands of the Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess), Mr. W. J. Chaney, and Mr. J. !Paton. It was stated that the lecture would be of absorbing interest to hundreds of people, Mr. Carncross being a fine speaker, and one of the few New Zealand civilians who had been to the firing line. The lecture will probably take place next Tuesday evening.

rife annual sale in connection with St. Alary'? Needlework Guild will be held in St. Mary's schoolroom on Thursday, the 23rd inst., from 2 p.m. till 10 p.m. This year's sale promises to eclipse all previous sales of this Guild's work, successful though they have been. The members, realising that church work must be maintained n time of war ho less than in time of peace, have loyally striven throughout the year not to neglect this branch of church service, but to go steadily on working up the annual sale concurrently with patriotic work, and the display of useful and artistic articles provided for the 23rd should meet with a ready sale. Children will be delighted with the novelties included in the bran pie and fell pond, contributions having been sent from Marton, Wellington, Dunedin and other places. Among the novel attractions >vill be a C.E.AI.S. stall, at which a varied supplj of requisites, including useful and ornamental 'household articles, seedling plants, etc., will be procurable. The C.E.M.S. members have also promised to put up the various stalls previous to the sale. In this- issue we advertise a land sale which will be held at Mr. Mewton King's mart on Saturday next. The properties to bo offered are mostly situated in the town belt .A, and should be worth ins^»»*

Sir Joseph Beeolmm.of pill fame, who died recently, left ;C3,0(M),000. His sue-' cess was mainly due to advertising in tiie newspapers. The temperance party in Wellington is organising with a view of pressing Parliament to make the si.* o'clock closing of hotels compulsory next year. A small cottage at Tikoraugi, owned and occupied by Mr. L. A. Cunningham, was totally destroyed by fire 011 Monday afternoon. The owner was absent from the. house at the time of the outbreak, and all the contents were burnt. It is understood there was no insurance, and the origin of tlio fire is unknown. There is at least one finnv denizon of the Tasman Sea which should be suffering from indigestion at the present time. On Friday last, during the passage to Wellington from Sydney of the Manuka, one of the officers of the ship was testing the "log" which was trailing astern of the vessel,- when he felt a jerk at the end of the line. On drawing in the "log" it was found that a portion of the brass float, weighing about 21b, wai missing,, having apparently been bitten off by a shark. A tooth of the fish was embedded in the line. The Opunake-Te Roti railway line is melting good progress. The steam navvy has been taken under the. Hastings road, bridge, having finished the excavation through Mr. O'Suilivan's paddock. The next cutting will be at the Inaha creek, where there will be a few months' solid going, but with fine weather they will soon make a big showing once they get started, as it does not take the navvy long to send out a few hundred trucks. The weather has been much against big averages lately.—Hawera Star. Living in America is costly, according to the jbservations of Mr. Harold Beauchamp, chairman of directors of the Bank of New Zealand, who has just made a prolonged tour of Canada and the United States. Mr. Beauchamp estimates that in those countries a dollar (4s 2d) is just about equal in purchasing power to Is in New Zealand and Australia, Moreover, the tips are expected of the travellers 011 the American continent come to as much as one would have paid in New Zealand until quite recent years for comfortable board and lodging. Those who find the enormously-in-creased prices of motor tyres and motor fuel a bar to their pleasure and an almost unbearable strain upon their resources, will find relief in the extraordinary prices as advertised in this issue bv Messrs Wilkinson, 'Ltd., Elthani. It is not often that opportunities such, as these crop up, and all owners of cars who require an extra tyre, etc., should recognise that they must make prompt application in order to secure them at these special prices. The following lines of men's trousers "at the Melbourne, Ltd., are well worth the attention of those desirous of making economies on their working apparel. Grey striped denims, 3s lid; wire cord trousers, in browns and greys, 63 lid; saddle-tweed .trousers, very strong make, lis* lid; Roslyn all-wool saddletweed trousers, 13s fid; splendid hardwearing worsted trousers, 13s Bd.