LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The first girl telegraph messenger made her appearance in Gisborne on Monday. With a bag over her shoulder and mounted on a bicycle, she expeditiously delivered messages to the various business premises.

One of the County foremen, in refusing to fill in his diary sheets, wrote to' the Taranaki County Council stating that lie understood he was paid for working on the roads, and not to make up books, cie., after tea. If he had been as clobc with the men and teams on a contract as the County was with him, lie did not think the job would have been done yet. At yesterday's meeting of the County Council a County foreman reported that a settler on the Egmont road had taken five yards of screenings from the road side without permission. Members considered it was time some steps were taken to prevent this notion, which had lately occurred in various parts of the County and some time ago it was publicly notified that such an offence would lead to prosecution. It was accordingly decided (n institute a prosecution against the settler.

At low water on Monday morning an idea of the magnitude of tho Harbour Board's contract in the, fight against Nature, was oleariy given (savs the Poverty Bay Herald). ' In the vicinity of the slip, extending rieht up to the end of the wharf, the mud was high and dry. Between that and -the entrance the dredger Maui was lying helpless on the mud.

It is understood, states the Christchurch Press, that, as a result of the recent ballot of Second Division (Clas* A) men, some hundreds of men in Canterbury are appealing, probably about half of the total number drawn. The ratio of Class A men being passed as fit for 'active service is believed to be a little under 1 in 3, so it is very probable that the greater number of those classed fit are appealing. The action of the settlers on the Kaipi and King roads in assisting the foremen in carrying out improvements to those roads was favorably commented on by members of the County Council, who unanimously awarded them a vote of thanks. The chairman remarked that it was pleasing to see ratepayers who wore willing to epmc out and help themselves, their actioyv 'being in striking contrast to the many ratepayers in various localities who continued to complain hut would not help themselves. An instance of how farmers can sometimes be misled in regard to prices was shown at Tinwald yards the other day during the sale of this season's fn\. lambs. At tho previous week's sale a line of lambs was sold at 32s 3d, and the buyer on taking them to Ashburton could not obtain more' than 30r for them. Soma farmers were naturally tempted by the good price last week' to offer a few small lots. Ono vendor received 29s 3d for an exceptionally well-grown lamb, while another refused to sell a line of 20 at 2os, although no buyer could hope to get near that value out of them by killing them. Wellington is to have a tenement house, The plans provide for a reinforced concrete building containing twenty residences. The "work is being undertaken by a, Btrong syndicate, and the scheme is pronounced by experts to be an excellent one (says the Post). Each residence will be self-contained, and when the tenant is once within his own door he will be quite isolated from his fellow-mortals. On the other hand, the lady of the house, In the absence of her husband, will have no feeling of loneliness as she has only to step out of her front door and summon the janitor, who will be always on the spot to take messages, receive parcels, and in other ways act as "domestic agent"; or, should the desire it, she can take the lift, touch the proper button, and be conveyed to the roof garden whore there will bo a most beautiful view of the harbour and «!ty. Work saving isi&nc of the chief »iniß of the scheme, and this is achieved by the compactness of the plan and in other ways. Practically every living room will have an excellent view, and will have access to a balcony which, by an ingenious piece of planning, serves as an escape separate from any that are inside of the building. The construction of the building will be in reinforced concrete, and there will be no timber used, except in the doors and sashes and their frames. It will therefore be fire-proof, and, as far as it is possible to say, earthquake-proof. There will be an automatic lift, and it is intended that each flat will be furnished by '.the owners.

We remind our readers of the Red Cross concert to be held in the Opunake Hall to-morrow (Wednesday) evening. The programme is varied, and will be well worth hearing. The tableau "Rendezvous" should be very popular, and the ladies concerned are sparing no effort to make this item a success. Taranaki's popular tenor, the Rev, N. H. Papakakura, will render new. items. The concert is under the direction of the Opunake Musical Society, which will render several glees, including the nautical fantasia "When AVinds Breathe Soft." —Advt Another big series of attractions will be screened at Everybody's Theatre this Thursday and Friday when George Walsh will be starred in a William Fox feature "The. Mediator," from the famous book by Roy Norton, and Bessie Barriscale will feature in a Triangle drama, "Bawds o' Blue Ridge." This will be George Walsh's second appearance here and ho will be remembered Tiv picture goers for his wonderful characterisation in "The Beast," a Fox feature shown sonic three months ago at the Empire Theatre.

Mothers, if you wnnt shirts for the boys go to the Melbourne. Here are some stunning values: White tennis shirts, all sizes. 2s Od: white matte ditto (Horrockses' cloth'), •?= 11.1: mercerised cotton tussore shirts 3s Ufl; Hormcksos' mercerised white renp t'lirts. S* 1M; Harvard cotton iMrK 1< H<l to ••>< lidraw Advpvo.<. drill shirt* Ss lid- d-ir'-nennino cloth shirts. 2s Od to 3s lid.

The Minister of Customs states that the customs revenue collected in November .amounted to and excise beer duty to .€21,707, The figures- for 1!)1C were £327,094 and £14,384 .respectively.—Press Association.

At a meeting of the congregation of the Holy Trinity, Tc Uenui, held after service on Sunday evening, Messrs W. G. P. O'Callaghan, It Grayling and 11. Day were elected to represent the district on the general committee of the Taranaki bishopric fund. Drs. Patterson and Irwin, the two lady doctors under the Education Department, who arc at present engaged in a. tour of the Taranaki schools, commenced their work in New Plymouth on Friday at the Central school. Yesterday they were again engaged in examining the pupils there, 'ind arc expected to complete the work there to-day. The second of the services of sacred music will take place in St. Mary's Church to-night. The service will be Lloyd in V, flat. The anthems will be Stainer's "What are These!" and Purcell's little known anthem "Rejoice in the Lord Ahvay," commonly called "The Bell Anthem." The organ solo will be the majestic Fantasia and Fugue in A minor (Bach), and the Allegretto from the sth Symphony by Widor. The offertory will be devoted towards the extinction of the church debt.

At last night's meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council the sanitary inspector submitted a detailed report regarding the proposals for the extension of the cleaning-up scheme which was initiated in Molcsworth street last week, and continued in Courtenay street yesterday. On the basis of the cost in Molesworth street, he estimated that the cost of cleaning up areas 1 and 2 of the borough would be £35. A memo from the town clerk, attached to the report, suggested that the cost would be more in the region of £7O or £BO. Councillors generally agreed that it was work that should lie done, and it was decided to carry out the inspector's programme. Cr. Deare entered a protest against the proposal to tip rubbish on a vacant section in Devon street west, especially as it would bo very unsightly, being on the tram route. The inspector said he did not propose' to tip the rubbish on the section mentioned, as it was private property. He proposed dumping the rubbish on the borough's own sections in Hobson street and on Veale'a estate.