LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At Toumarunui yesterday, before Mr Barton, S-M, Cliarlcs Dwycr was fined iiso and costs for keeping liquor for sale.—Press Assoc.

A Ohristchurch message states that Sir James Allen stated emphatically yesterday that the present Parliament would Hot be continued iiutil next year.

A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that sufferers from the recent influenza epidemic arc reported to be losing their hair. A hairdresser states that the hair does not come out in the ordinary way, but in handfuls. iHe is busy shaving girls' heads every day. A Wellington message states that Mrs E. Lambert has been notified that she has been placed first in the essay competition conducted by the Australasian League of Honor on "Nationalisstion" and second in the essay on "How to encourage settlement in the country and prevent centralisation in the cities-"

The Hon. G. W. Russell states that the Government will send a number of nurses to Australia to assist in fighting the influenza epidemic, and ia receiving applications from all parts of the Dominion from nurses willing to undertake the dutv.—Pre9s Assoc.

A Westport message states that the Mayor of that town is making a protest to the Minister of. Public Works over his not sending the bydro-electr»e w*. pert, Mr Parry, to the Westport district. There is great indignation over the treatment accorded in this matter

At a public meeting at JTltham on Monday, a committee was set up consisting of tlio chairman and secretary of the local school committee, to make all enquiries relative to the establishment of a Technical Day School for Kltham.

The mail train on Monday morning was held up for a considerable time at the Ball road station owing to engine trouble. This dislocated the whole service for the remainder of the day, all the trains running about an hour late. --Star.

Speaking at Eltham on Monday evening. Mr Masters (chairman of the Taranaki Education Board) said that in contradistinction to the Wangamii Board, the Taranaki Board had established two District High Schools, Stratford and New Plymouth, both of which had been eminently successful. On the other hand, the Wangamii Board had formed District High Schools at Eltham, innaia and Hawern. all of which had been or were to be disestablished.

Tha Egmont County Council yesterday, at u meeting specially called lor the purpose, pussed a special order dissolving the i'arilmku Koad Board as from March 31st and merging the Panhaka Koad District with the county- Tim mailer was brought up by petition from ratepayers. In reply to questions, the chairman stated that the petition \va* in order, 225 ratepayers, with a total voting power of 045 votes had signed the petition out of a total of 830. Councillor O'Brien doubted if all were genuine signatures He knew of one ease where a man hail said that he did not sign It, though his name appeared thereon. In reply to further questions, the chairman said that one of the County foremen had obtained signatures to the petition during wet (lays and some 'if the cost would ha paid out of the County funds. Members did not think the County should bn liable for any of the expense, holding tliar tne petition should have been received free of cost. "In the Taranaki district, an area of about 3000 acre? was proclaimed,' 5 says the annual reports of the Scenery Preservation Section of the Lands Department. 'lt extended for a distance of about ten miles jalong the left bank of the Tangarakan River, being about halfwav between the townships of Ohura and Whangamomona- It is extremc1t broken country, and the permanent reservation of the forest is desirable to prevent serio'.is erosion, as well as to preserve the scenery. Where the reserve abuts on to the Tangarakan tivct there are ve? - v high papa and sandstone cliffs, from which steep heech-elad spurs and deep gullies rise rapidly to a height of over 1,000 feet to the main ridge to the south. The Tangarahan Gorge has heen described as the finest in the North Tslnn.l, and as the railway from Stratford to the Main Trunk lino lias been laid out on this route future travellers will be able t,o_e»tjoy the very fine seenerv that wiil be preserved in this locality."

Describing the armistice rejoicings in London, a New Zealand soldier writer: "I shall never, in all my life, forget the scene at Buckingham Palace- When the King appeared in front of tho people, several of our boys were up there among the footmen. How they got there I don't know. The King thought it a huge joke! In the evening 1 was rather tired (you can imagine how I felt after pulling a street-organ about most of the day). However, I went out with several 'cobbers.' The street? were packed, and it was nearly impossible to get along. One old gentleman took the four of us to the Troeadero,' where ho shouted us a great dinner. The enthusiasm here was great. Half-way through, an Australian officer, after carrying me shoulder-high round the place, insisted on my joining their party. The crowd was absolutely frantic, and ended up by dancing on top of the tables. What it cost the proprietors afterwards (as all meals were free) I don't know—still, I don't expect they minded very much. And, just fancy, tMs kind of thing went on for a whole week. I guess old New Zealand must have been pretty tame in comparison."

In the course of some remarks at the meeting ol 1 ratepayers on Monday evening aucnt tlie iiorough loan proposals, Mr John Veale, of Auckland, said that as a visitor, and an old resident of the borough, he was much impressed with the abundant signs of progress that he saw in many parts of the district He mentioned that he remembered the tlm» when it would have been tolerably safe to fire a gun down Devon street, witsout fear of doing anyone any injury; but now, the institution of the splendid tramway system, and the general development in the business area of the town, gave quite an atmosphere of city of conditions. He mentioned also the same improvement had heen noted by Mr W. II Skinner, an old New Plymouth "boy, with whom he had *">cn in conversation, and both agreed that not only had wonderful improvement? teen effected, but that there was a very bright prospect before the district- Mr Ve&lo said hu pointed ties* things out because he knew, as an outsider, that peoplb who were resident in a place often were quite unconscious of some of the progressive movements taking place in their midst, which were olainly seen, and keenly appreciated, by visitors ITis remark-. were warmly applauded and commented on with gratification