LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 April 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The banana trees at Pukekura Park have been viewed by hundreds of people during the past week. Three of the palms are now in bloom and the huge blossoms are certainly a very unusual sight in Taranaki.

TV hen a letter was read at yesterday's meeting of the Kgmont County Council from the New Plymouth Repatriation Committee, relative to preference of employment to-returned soldiers, the chairman stated that it was the practice of the County Council to give preference to returned soldiers in every caes when an appointment had to be filled.

"Toll gates are an anonying way of collecting revenue. In fact, they are a relic of ancient barbarism and should be abolished," remarked Cr. McPhillips, chairman of the Waimate West County Council at Stratford on Monday night. Waimate has splendid roads and no toll gates. The only way to do away with them, he thought, would be for every local body to apply to erect one and they would prove such a nuisance that the people would rise and abolish them.

In advocating the claims of the Opunake railway, Mr. W. E, Wright stated at Stratford on Monday night that he had seem as many as eight motor wagons on the road with from four to five tons travelling 15 or 20 miles per hour. In fact, he had to report one with eight tons travelling 20 miles per hour. No rate could possibly keep a road in repair. Sir William Fraser said that lie had no sympathy with any local body that permitted this and then complained of its roads. In fact, he considered it served them right, and it also served the settlers right to allow such a local body to conduct its affairs.

At Stratford on Saturday a largely attended meeting of teachers representing all grades of schools was held for the purpose of forming a Taranaki branch of a Dominion Headmasters' Association. Mr. Thomas, of Eltham, was m the chair, and read apologies from many teachers unable to be present, who were in entire sympathy with the objects of the meeting. After the aims of the Association had been discussed it was decided to form a Taranaki branch to be affiliated to r Dominion Headmasters' Association. A conference i« to be hold in Wellington during Easter week. Several subjects were mentioned as remits, and Mr. Strack, of Hawera District High School, was appointed as delegate.

The Efficiency League delegates, lee turwg ,n South Taranaki, getting wine of likely lively proceedings at Kapuni put their car in private property at thi back of the store on Saturday evenin° and a friend offered to sit in the ea° during the meeting and protect it. Sev eral persons came up to the ear and ask ed who was the picket, and threw son* vile-smelling chemical all over the kind l.y watcher and over the car. However the picket, with his electric torch by t flash identified his assailants, and hat >t not been for this kind friend mem hers of the League might have had t< walk home. In fairness to the Kapun settlers it is only right to say that, witl one exception, all the noisy ones wen from outside places.—Star.' During the visit of the Minister o: Lands to Stratford, Mr. S. G. Smith M.P., introduced a deputation, consist ing of the Mayor of New Plymouth Cr. Short and Mr. P. T. Bellringer, towi clerk, in connection with the exchangi of land for a school site at Cutfield road Mr. Smith stated as a member of thi Education Board that the Board hac instructed its solicitor to draft a clausi for submission to the Lands Depart ment to whicjh the Borough Counci agreed. Mr. Guthrie said the proposa was in accord with what he intendee to convey to the deputation that wait ed on him in New Plymouth. He under stood they were asking that the perman ent control of the Rotokare and Rata pihipihi reserves should be vested in thi Borough Council. He would have to re fer the, matter to. the Under Secretary of Lands, who would obtain the opin ion of the Crown law office on thi clause drawn up, and, without goin; fully into the matter, he would say tha' he was prepared to support it. Durinj the interim, Mr. S. Q. Smith apologisec for the absence of Mr. R. Masters, chair man of the Board, and also stated Cia' there had been some misapprehensioi regarding the Minister's attitude ove this matter. When the question wai under discussion previously, through i misunderstanding, the Borough Council': first request for a Land Transfer Tith had been'clearly placed before the Min ister, who had given his support not ti a land transfer title but to vesting per manent control in the Council.

it The extraordinary demand for good ie quality clothing (suits and costumes) ls continues. The foresight of some of the firms who obtained good stocks of . the old high quality cloth is now being !• amply justified. The Modern Tailors, )t Ltd., have probably the largest stock of •e high class worsteds, tweeds or series of (j. any tailoring house in New .Zealand. ~ Grey worsted, West of England,' and Harris tweeds, with indigo serge suiting H are all in stock, and the man or woman IS who could not satisfy their taste from L f such an excellent assortment would be very hard to please, >. Mrs Rankin, the last of the speakers, n who will address the electors on the pro- , luluiion question, will deliver the first address io-nia-ist in the Empire Theatre, i The topic of the hour is the liquor poll r tomorrow. An interesting announcement | in connection therewith appears on page ' 6 of this issue. ,i Ask distinctly for SANDER'S u EUCALYPTI EXTRACT, or else you may receive one of the manv substi- '■■ tiites. The GENUINE SANDER - EXTRACT cures colds, fevers, indigesr tion; prevents infectious diseases and . heals ulcers, poisoned wounds, skin dia- | eases, burns, sprains, etc. It is much '• I more powerfully antiseptic than the !, common eucalyptus and does not depress t or irritate like the latter.

A distressing accident, resulting in the death of Beryl Gwendolyne Simmonds, aged one year and eight months, a daughter of Mr. Sydney C. Simmonds, of Gonville, occurred on Saturday afternoon (reports the Chronicle). The child was playing in the backyard, and slipped head-first into a hole full of water, and was drowned.' The hole was comparatively shallow, and was used to hold the overflow from the bath. Dr. Robertson, who was called in, worked for an hour and a half to restore animation, but without success

Some year or two ago a New Zealand soldier married before leaving for the front, leaving his separation allowance to his wife. When on board the transport he found to his consternation that his wife was already married, for her first husband was aboard the same

transport! He soon got over his dis-

appointment, and whilst on leave in London essayed another matrimonial venture. But he could not re-arrange his separation allowances until he had returned and "had it out" with his first spouse.

A number of teams from the yards of local poultry fanciers were forwarded to Auckland yesterday to take part in the next laying competition. Mr J. Ev.f sent a team of brown Leghorns, Mr <f. Hawkins and Mr E. Hunt, white Leghorns; and Mrs Johnson, Silver Wyandottes.

In the Magistrate's Court yesterday Mr A. Crooke, S.M., gave judgment for plaintiff by default in the following undefended cases: John Duggan (Mr H R. Billing) v. W. M'Carty, £32 3s 3d (costs £3 SS.5 S . 6d); H. Collier and Co. (Mr T. P. Anderson) v. Mary Matilda, Wright, £26 Is 3d (costs £3 2s Od). No order was made in the judgment summons case brought by Cook ana Lister .(Mr A. H. Johnstone) against a native named Charlie Tu Poki, Inglewood.

At yesterday's meeting of the Egmont County Council, when the question of providing the engineer with a motor car was under discussion, the chairman (Cr. W. E. Wright) said he had it on the beat of authority from a Arm in the Waikato who were large users of motor cars that they had heen advised from both London and New York not to purchase any cars at present as a big drop in price was practically certain in the near future. The firm referred to were, in the meantime, hiring cars for their purposes.'

At yesterday's meeting of the Egmont County Council Cr. Green asked what was to be done with the office building taken over from the Parihaka Road Board. He pointed out that a movement was on foot to form something in the nature of a club for young men, in view of the likelihood of the hotels being closed up .and he thought the building could be utilised, with some alterations, for such a purpose He hoped the council would keep that matter in mind if they considered disposing of the building. He said something would have to be done to endeavor to keep the voting fellows from congregating around' the street corners at night time. The coal shortage, which has boon acute in New Plymouth for some time past, has been somewhat relieved by the shipment brought by the Kamona from Gveytnouth and Westport. The vessel arrived on Friday last and landed 1900 tons, of which 400 was for the railway department and the balance for the freezing works, the Gas Company and household purposes. A longer * time than usual has been taken in discharging the vessel, as owing to her not being equipped with electric light no night work has been done- The unloading «of the cargo was completed yesterday afternoon. The four seamen who deserted from the bnrquentinc Thrasher and were arrested by the police on Monday night, appeared before Mr A. Crooke, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning. When the case asainst one of the men was eallsd Mr A. H. Johnstone entered a plea of not guilty and asked for an adjournment as he had not had an opportunity of conferring with his client Mr J. H. Quilliam, for the master of the vessel, asked that the cases be proceeded with as the ship was waitin? to «ail The cases were allowed to stand down until just before one o'clock, and when they were then called the men were further remanded until this morning. At the Town Hall/Stratford, to-night a meeting of exceptional interest will be held, when addresses will be delivered ■by the vicar of Stratford, Dr. Davis Gordon, Dr. Steven and Mr Moss.