LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 June 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It was stated yesterday afternoon that seven weddings had taken place in New Plymouth during the day. One photographer had five engagements to take wedding groups, and there was a thick coating of confetti across the doorway of his studio. Another eight weddings are set down for celebration to-day.

The election of directors at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Farmers' Fertiliser Company at Auckland layt week resulted as follows:—H. R. Mackenzie, 2,848; G. T. Bayley, 2,788; E. Somerville, 2,397; J. S. Coimett, 1,201. There being three vacancies the first three are elected.

In reply to a question last night, in regard to the .attitude of the Labor Party to the recent liquor referendum, Mr. Semple stated that personally he believed in State control. The position of the Labor Party was not that it embraced State control in its platform, but that it demanded the right of the people to vote on the question of State control.

On the motion cf Mr. O. D. Sole, at the Hospital Board conference yesterday, the following remit was adopted for consideration by the Hospita! conference: "That steps be taken to obtain legislation relieving hospital and charitable aid boards of the responsibility of maintaining the widows and children of criminals whose lives have been taken by the State, or who have been imprisoned." In answering a question last, night as to whether the State coal mines had paid, Mr. Semple reminded his audienco that Mr. Seddon had started the mine, not so much with a view to making profits, as to be a check on the price of coal charged by the mines worked by private enterprise. In that respect they had paid, and he asked his hearers to try and imagine what the price of coal would have been if there had been no State mines.

At the Hospital Board Conference at Hawera yesterday, Mr. .Murdoch Fraser (chairman of the Taranaki Hospital Board) said that the average age of the inmates of the Old People's Home at New Plymouth was 83, and they had men up to 93. "The older they get, the stronger they get," exclaimed the speaker. He also remarked that they were not all angels, or strong advocates of prohibition—at aay rate, when they came down town.

In connection with the hockey tournament at Hawera, on Tuesday, the Star states that only one fact marred' the day —the public failed to support the sport financially, and when the box placed at the entrance to the ground was opened up it contained only £1 17s 6d—a disappointing total considering turn u>eie was a large number of people present, and that tlie association has no opportuu ity of replenishing its slender funds except by appealing to those who enjoy watching the games. One of the machines belonging to the N.Z. Flying School made a trip to Russell on Saturday morning. Mr A. B. Williams, of Waipiro Bay, who arrived in Auckland, being anxious to visit Rut'se'i, decided to take the trip by air. He accordingly arranged with tie N.Z. Flying School at Kohimarama, and left at 11 a.m. for Russell in a 125-h.p. seaplane, Mr George Ball being pilot. The distance, 145 A miles, was covered in a little under two hours. It should be explained that the sea route was followed to Russell.

. Mr. Parry stated at the Empire Theatre last night that since the war commenced the unimproved value of land in New Zealand had increased by approximately £32,000,000, and in referring to the returned soldier problem stated that the man who went to the front and suffered the hardships of war, who wanted to buy land when he came back, would have to pay his share of the increased value, brought about during, and largely through, the war. He declared that the increased value was entirely com-munity-created, and did not belong to the man who for the time being owned* the land.

At yesterday's conference of the variout Taranaki hospital boards Mr. Fraser said that a matter that could be discussed at the conference was the opening of a central depot through which alt hospital boards could obtain drugs at lower rates than those ordinarily charged. At present they were in the power of two firms, and supplies had been obtainel of late through the Health Department and the Military Department, at great advantage to his board. They spent £I3OO a year on medicine, and he was sure that 20 per cent, could be saved if a depot was opened by the Government for all boards. It was decided to haw this brought up at the proposed Dominion hospital conference.

The ilia of life are infinite. But few unbroken health eajoy, Strive as we may to keep it right, Some stress the balance doth destroy; In winter this is ever so, Of sore throat, cough, or cold we're: sure, 'Tis then we know the debt we owe, To Welcome Wood# Great Pepper-