LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 January 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is rumored that the Pctonc railway workshops arc to be removed to the present c;imp site at Featherstbn.

It is officially estimated in Washington that 10,000 American soldiers have married French girls since the war began.

A London cable states that the Stocfc Exchange forbids members employing any person of enemy birth, or any exmember who has been expelled. During th* past two years there has been a steady decrease in the arrcsYs for drunkenness in Hawera Last year there were only 35 cases, as compared with 63* 1317, and 11C in ISI6. A meeting of members of Court Waireka, A.0.F., was held in the Foresters' Hall on Tuesday evening, to consider the question of forming a sports club. After some discussion it was decided to form a club and to hold a meeting to set up a committee and go further into the matter.

A Christchurch press message states that the building campaign of the Returned Soldiers' Association decided to expend over £4OOO for a site for a Soldiers' Club and Memorial Hall. A canvass is proposed to raise £20,000 for a suitable building.

Appreciation of the Daily News was expressed in a somewhat unexpected quarter the other day when a wellknown local citizen was travelling to Wellington by the mail train. Purchasing a copy of the News on the train and exchanging compliments with a fel-low-passenger belonging to Wanganui, the local man was informed that the News, which reaches Wanganui daily 'by about 10 a.m., was eagerly looked for by quite a number of people. Smelting operations at the ironworks at Moturoa have been resumed. The furnace was lighted on Tuesday night, and as a starter some of the poorer iron produced at the last trial was used. When this was tapped yesterday morning some nice iron resulted. The prepared ore is now being charged into the furnace, and it is confidently hoped that even a better quality than that produced in September will be obtained. The supply of prepared ore and fuel is not more than sufficient to keep the furnace going for about a week. The New Plymouth correspondent, writing in tho January number of the N.Z. Locomotive Engineers' Journal, says:—"The engines throughout this section are in a deplorable condition, and remind one forcibly of the cough cure advertisement, which says: There was a sound of agony 'by night—of wheezing, sneezing, groaning, and of tears-' The latest addition from the Pride of Wanganui Lodge has so far resisted all attempts at reorganisation, and absolutely refuses to comply with the time-tables issued by the Department."

In the course of an interview at Masterton, Mr. J. C Cooper, managing director of the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company, strongly urged that the Imperial purchase of frozen meat should be extended till 1920. He pointed out that die freezing works of the Dominion would this year be full of Imperial Government meat, and it would bo impossible to get away companies' meat through the shortage of shipping, and, further, it was desirable that the Imperial Government should bear the por: tion of responsibility in the period of transition, when markets are uncertain and finance difficult.

The agitation throughout the country for some time past for a better class of school building was referred to by Mr. S. 0- Smith, M.P., at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki Education Board, when he remarked that there was erery probability that in the near future a larger sum of money would oe allocated by Parliament for the purpose of replacing old and insanitary buildings. Other boards would be making claims for their share of this money, and he moved that the hoard's overseer he instructed to prepare a list of flie schools in the district that, by reason of age or other conditions, have become insanitary and iTnould be replaced by more modern structures. Speaking to the resolution, Mr. Smith said there were a number of schools in the district that should be replaced. He cited the Central School, which had been condemned by the medical profession years ago, but was still used for school purposes. He held that such old structure should not t>o allowed to remftin. Mr- Wilkinson, in seconding, suggested that information should be supplied at the same time as fo the boafcl's liability on the schools was reported on. The board would then know its position. This was edded to th« motion, which was carried. In reply to Mr. White, the chairman stated that the policy of the board was to do the work according to its urgency. The high cost of cabling small amounts of money to soldiers in England has often been remarked upon, and the other day Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., had an instance brought under his notice where it cost a woman £2 to cable £lO. Mr. Smith at once got into communication with the acting-Postmaster-General, Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, on the matter, and received a reply that the charges were not controlled by the. New Zealand Government, the proportion of the cost of a message retained by his department being very small, generally about one shilling. It had been arranged with the cable companies for messages for soldiers in the United Kingdom to be accepted at the rate of 8d per word, but the companies had suspended this concession for the present, no doubt on account of congestion on the lines. The Defence Department was prepared to cable money to members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, limited to £lO at intervals of six months. The amounts were paid to soldiers only when proceeding on leave, to cover furlough expenses, or when they were given convalescent leave after discharge from hospital. The procedure was for the sender to pay the amount of the remittance with 10s to the public account at the Bank of New Zealand, and to forward the bank receipt to the officer in charge of the Wax Expenses Branch, Wellington, with full particulars of the soldier's name, number, and address. The adjourned meeting of membcro of the Tarata Dog Trial Club will be held at the Tarata Hall next Saturday evening. It was proved at the Supreme Court of Victoria, at Melbourne, that (1) SANDER'S EXTRACT is much more powerfully healing and antiseptic than ordinary eucalyptus preparations; (2) SANDER'S EXTRACT does not depress the heart like the so-called "extracts" and crude oils; (3) SANDER'S EXTRACT is highly commended by many authorities as a safe, reliable and effective household remedy. Get the genuine—insist if you have to—and bf> safe. "NAZOL" for Influenza and Catarrh. 1

"Hie Education Department has notified the Education Board that it has been decided to make a. compassionate allowance to the next-of-kin of teachers who died during the recent epidemic, such compassionate allowance to be the payment erf salary up to January 31, 1919.

Mr. S. 6. Smith, M.P., has received a communication from the Hon. W. D. S. MaeDonald, Minister of Mines and Agriculture, who states that he regrets he is unable to visit the district at present, owing to other engagements in the north. He hopes to visit Taranaki at a later date, of which he will give due notice.

The Medical Board on returned soldiers sat at the Defence Office, New Plymouth, yesterday. Captain W. R. Wade, N.Z.M.C., and Dr. H. B. Lcatham were the medical officers. Eighteen soldiers were dealt with. Fifteen were discharged ami three were ordered to receive further medical treatment.

A Taranaki officer, writing from France to a friend, sayst— "It may surprise you to know that only 25 per cent of the officers who left New Zealand with me, nearly three years ago, are now in France. In some units the men change more quickly still. I know of one instance (the late lieutenant Spenco'a platoon) in which there remais not one man who was in the piatoon before the Passchendaele fight last October"

The secretary of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation notified that competition essays on the fruit industry of New Zealand, based on information euppued in the School Journal, had been received from five schools in the Taranak-i education district, nainek, Korito, Uremri, Matau, Inglewood," and Tatu. The essays showed intelligent appreciation of the subjects and the prizes had been awarded as follows: Violet Ludwig, Tatu, 20s; Minnie Ansford, Kofito, 10s; Bose Evans, Matau, ss. While it was disappointing to find such a small number of schools took sufficient interest in the subject to forward essays, it was gratifying; to find that the subject had received painstaking consideration by those that had responded.

After many years of patient waiting and putting up with many difficulties, owing to bad roads and consequent high prices on freight, the Ohura settlers have a gleam of hope ahead owing to the near completion of the Okahukura timneL This has been an unlucky work for private contractors, Wo having failed in completing it, and a number of deaths and accidents to men employed on the work have taken place, ine war was responsible for a number of the men going away to France, and some of them are buried in that country. The Public Works Department took over the contract about 18 months ago, owing to (in indignation meeting of settlers, over which Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., presided. The work is now well advanced, and there is every reason to hope the iron horse will be running to Matiere before tho comingiwinter. This will be a great benefit, as metal for the roads can be secured, and good roads mean everything to the way-back settler.

A deputation consisting of Messrs W. B. Grant (representing the A. and P. Socity), J. Milne (Smart Road Freezing Works and New Plymouth Golf oub), and C. Fairbrother (Mr. Newton King) waited on tho Taianaki County Council yesterday to ask if the council could undertake the formation of a footpath across tho Waiwakaiho flat, from the bridge to the show grounds, as the traffic along that portion of the road was now very considerable. Mr. Grant said his society felt that some such provision should be made in view of the heavy traffic at show time. He thought the society would be prepared to assist the work. Mr. Milne said the daily traffic of workers to and from the meat works and the tram terminus was growing, and while he could not pledge lus company, he could put any proposals the council might make before the directorate, who were always prepared to consider the interests of their employees in every way. Mr. Fairbrother said he could not speak definitely for Mr. Newton King until the cost of the work was known, but he believed assistance would be forthcoming. The chairman (Cr. Morton) said the road foreman had prepared an estimate for the formation of a path, which, including some filling along a portion of the section, would cost .about £l2O. Personally, he did not think the filling altogether necessary, especially as it was estimated to cost £75. He thought the council would be prepared to meet the request of the deputation. The members of the deputation thanked the council and then withdrew. The council decided to leave the matter in the hands of the riding members and Or. Morton, with power to act

The Postal Department, so far as outlying settlements ore concerned, is coming in for general condemnation owing to a number of grievances in connection with payment for services rendered. The whole of the Ohura county is incensed owing to the daily mail service, which has been in existence for ten years, being reduced to three times per week. The settlers look upon this as a retrogressive step, and.public meetings have been held and resolutions passed and transmitted to the member, Mr. W. T. Jennings, who communicated with the acting-Postmaster-General ami the secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department. A reply was received that every effort waß made by the Department to continue the dairy mail service by increasing the mail carrier's contract up to £BOO per year, but ho wanted £9OO (the previous year's contract was £450). The department asked settlera to induce the contractor to accept £BOO, which was far in excess of revenue, or that the settlers should contribute the difference of £IOO, when the daily service would be maintained. The member has now placed the whole position before the acting-Prime Minister. The contractor's reason for the increased subsidy is that ha now pays £ls for chaff, which he formerly got for £4; oats, wages, and shoeing were also proportionately up in price. In view of the high prices of cotton goods the following quotations for men's tennis and neglige shirts are interesting. Horrockses' white matte shirts, 5a 6dj white mercerised telf-stripe shirts, 6s-6d; fine cambric shirts, 6b 8d; Horrockses' famous mercerised shirts, self-stripe, 6s lid. These shirts are fully 25 per cent, lower than current prices.

FURNITURE IS DEAR NOW.

TAKE CARE WHEN MOVING.

The wur has greatly raised the price of furniture. It behoves people to take special care when removing, as broken furniture can only be replaced at great cost. By employing us you can rely on extreme care being exercised, and everything done that skill, judgment and experience suggest.—The New Zealand Exproas Co, Ltd.

"KAZOL" foe Influenza- &n& Gubuxli.