LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Baden Powell was yesterday purchased by a New Plymouth syndicate which proposes purchasing other smali steamers for the New Plymouth, Lyttelton, Wellington, and coastal trade. "Defendant is a man worth approximately £-20,000, with an income of aboul £7OO a year," said counsel, when referring to the defendant in a maintenance case in the Masterton Court. The customs revenue collected at New Plymouth for the past month amounted to £5003 8s Bd, compared with £2805 Os Id for the corresponding period oi last year. The beer duty for the past month amounted to £217 Is 4d, against £l5O 17s 5d for July last year. Addressing the officers of the Wellington Institute, Colonel A. V. Bettington hinted at the possibility of a 22 hours' air service between New Zealand and Australia. "Air ships," he said, "will prove to be just as reliable as ships, and they will prove much quicker." The following is the return of numbers of births, deaths, and marriages for the district of New Plymouth (Mr. J. S. S. Medley, registrar) 'for the month of July, 1919, the figures for the corresponding month of last year being given in parentheses: Births 32 (36), deaths 15 (15), marriages 15 (12). At a meeting of the Clifton County Council yesterday a telegram wns received stating that Mr. James Buddie, chairman nf the Awakino County Council, would be in Waitara this afternoon, and would like to meet the chairman of the council, the mayor, and the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce re re the Taranaki-To Kuiti road. Mr. H. F. Toogood, C.E., stated at the conference of local bodies in the Wairai'apa last week that in his opinion tarsealing was far in advance of tar-grout-ing. The latter system was forever rising and sinking and making waves, while the former could he kept as smooth as a billiard table. A largely-signed petition from residents of Uruti, n-sking for the expenditure of a sum of money which has been on the Estimates for a post office, has been referred by Mr. W. T, Jennings, M.P., to the acting-Postmaster-Oeneral. who has replied that flic amount will be reinstated, There is now a fairly big population in the district and a public office 13 required. The scarcity and dearness of meat in Auckland is causing much concern, and the Herald has suggested that the big store of frozen meat in the country shall be made available to the butchers. Butchers, interviewed, told a reporter that the customers would not buy frozen meat, and they would have to shut up shop if they tried to sell it in competition with fresh. An enjoyable social and dance was jhcld in the Holland Hall on Thursday evening, there being about fifty couples present. The music for the dancing was capably supplied by Miss Rita Sole and Messrs J. Clark and D. Costello proved efficient M'sC. During the evening songs were contributed by Misses Rita Whittle and Jean Bennett, and a recitatiou by Mr. Hartman. Similar functions will be held fortnightly during the remainder of the winter months. For non-dancers progressive euchre parties will be held in conjunction with the socials. The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, says a New York cable to the Paris Daily Mail, announces that the first year has just ended of its new industrial relationship plan, whereby the employees were given a voice in discussing with the employers matters pertaining to their welfare. During the year wages increases totalling £1,000,000 have been given, while under the group insurance plan 9251 employees have been insured for a total of £1,837,000, and 30 employees retired on pensions averaging £4 lo.s a week. In connection with a paragraph recently appearing in the News that nothing was being done with regard to the metalling of the road at Mt. Messenger, a prominent settler of the district informed a News' representative that while the progress being made is not so great as he and other settlera would like to sec, it was only fair to the Public Works Department to say that some work was being done. <3angs of men were at present engaged in stripping the pit, whilst others were forming 'the road into the pit. Part of the crusher and some of the bridge timber had also been got on to the site.

In the review of taxation that Parliament must undertake in the session that will open next month the amuseinent tax might with advantage be abolished (says the Auckland Star). It is recognised that everybody is entitled to rational, relaxation, and of late years the picture theatres have opened up o. new avenue where all classes may enjoy innowait.amusement. It is not'too much to say that pictures have become a national institution; film theatres have spread

from .the chief cities to'-theSmallest of the boroughs To many of'the patrons the additional amount charged by reason of the tax is of little moment, but to the great majority whoso one Moor amusement this-is, . mn so „ mall a sum is a r ea i hardship, .restricting, if not jmta prohibiting, a; harmless pleasure. JSew Zealanders are not alone In asking a reconsideration of the amusement tax The butter supplies in Auckland are lKsmft carefully husbanded in view of the threatened shortage of the quantity necessary for local consumption before.'the

new season's product comes on ■■ to' the market. The acting-general manager of the New Zealand Dairy Association, Mr W. Dent, stated the other day that the association had so far placed no absolute restriction on the quantities supplied to customers, but unless the new season's butter started coming to hand fairly early in August restrictions would have to be adopted for a short period. There was still in cold storage in Auckland a small quantity of butter belonging to the Imperial Supplies Department, and a requeßt had been made that this stock should be released for local distribution. If this course were adopted the local position would he quite satisfactory, but, in the event of this supply being B ont south for distribution, the local resources would be severely taxed to meet the normal demand. ' Owners of properties who wish to make an exchange should read W. H; and A. McGarry's advertisement on page on*. . •■•

A London cable states that the flororata has sailed from Plymouth with 1300 New Zealanders on board. The rainfall in Hawera during July was 3.91 inches, not a very heavy fall for a winter month. The "good roads" movement north of Auckland, around Kaitaia, has made a Btart by the ratepayers authorising a £54,000 loan. A Masonic peace thanksgiving service is to .be held at St. Mary's church, New Plymouth, on Thursday evening next. Mr. Burwell has made an offer to the Anglican Church to build a church in concrete at Kaimata in memory of his - late wife. Mr. Henry Brown has ofiered , £IOO towards the erection of a. memorial 1 church at InglewoodAt yesterday's meeting of the Clifton County Council the chairman (Mr. R. H. - Pigott) stated that he had recently t motored through from Feilding, and, out- . side the tarred roads, there was no . better piece of road than that between New Plymouth and Uruti. i The Eestar Company, which at present 1 is situated at Wanganui, desires to cen--1 tralise its works, and has secured a site t near Petone wharf. It is rumored (says t the Wellington Post) that a large comt petitor of the Restaur Company is also on the outlook for a site in Petone for similar workß. , The following are among the sub- > scribers to the Hawera peace memorial) ] Mrs. A, S. Tonka £IOO, Messrs J. R, 1 Corrigan £IOO, R. H. Nolan £6O, F. J Mills £SO, W. D. Powdrell £SO, Mrs. Pease £SO, Quin Bros. £SO, Messrs O. Hawken £25, A. Death £2O, " A. E. Johnston, V. Nowell, J. French, \V O'Callaghan £lO each. f As two young fellows were going home . late last evening they saw a glow in the , shop of Cook and Lister, Currie Street, i They at once gave the alarm, and, with the help of others, broke in the door t and emptied out a drawer that was aflame. The fire brigade were on the scene a minute or two later, but their > services wore not required. No damage was done, but had the light not been ■ detected when it was the whole building, 1 which is owned by Sole Bros., must have ' caught. ! A man who has taken a keen interest m railway matters for a number of > years informed a reporter in Invercar- • gill that owing to the difficulties in ob- • taimng supplies the boiler tubes of the ■ engines were worn out in many cases. ■ All the engines at present in use in , Southland were badly in need of repair, i and could not do the work required of them. The time was fast approaching, he said, when, even if the Railway Department had. had an adequate supply t of coal, a restricted service would have been forced upon it through the deterioration of the rolling stock. ; Wild statements made to the police ; about "dastardly" crimes," including "the ; murder of twelve girls by the Red Hand gang," have led to committal of a youth to the mental hospitals (says an Aucki and .paper). Early on Friday morning I last he informed a policeman on duty in ! Queen Street that he had seen a memi ber of the Ponsonby police "brutally assaulted" in,the Domain. No sign of • the crime could be found by ft posse of : police, who immediately hurried to the - Domain, and further statements, including the story of the "murders," led to the apprehension of the youth. When first asked his name, he gave the name of a French aviator. ' The Mayor and chairman of the Hai wera Chamber of Commerce yesterday I consulted with some of the business men in reference to the difficulty of getting goods from Patea, and the fact that the , County Council were limiting the amount • carried to two tons (says the Star). As the result of their conference, it w\is resolved to communicate with the Minister of Railways and the Acting Prime i Minister. The following telegram, there- , fore, was sent; "Position here most acuto; goods congested Patea. Local bodies taking action to limit transit oi goods by road. Urge that Mr. Wiikin- . song request be immodately adopted.E. Dixon, Mayor; M. J. Lynskey, chairi man, Chamber of Commerce." People evidently obeyed the invitation of the General Manager of Railways, for ■ yesterday, when the passenger reduction i came into vogue, compelling passengers ' to show cause why they should travel, there was very little congestion at the local railway station, and, though there were only three carriages in the train, none of them, was filled. One, indeed, a long second-class car, contained but one passenger when it left here. There was considerable delay, as late the previous evening .instructions were received that each passenger had to be given a permit to travel after satisfying the official as to the necessity thereof, and, as this permit contained the name of the passenger, together with the destination, it can easily be' seen that, there was considerable delay at the ticket window Thosejarho had been wise enough to take the precaution,of securing a ticket the day before also found that they had to join the queue and obtain the permit ihe .statiomnaster showed every consideration, and, instead of closing the ticket window fifteen minutes before the time of. the. departure of the train, delayed the. train fifteen minutes till all had permits. Yesterday quite a number took the precaution of obtaining permits for journeys, intended to be taken to-dav and wisely too, as the regulation is to he Adhered to and the ticket window is to bo shut promptly to time. i,Ji 116 $* ',* for .* ho "Mien' hostel larder this afternoon promises to be a great success.' The hostesses will be pleased to meet friends at the Mayoress' room HB Buildings, Devon, Street, fW 2 o'clock. All are cordially invite! especially country friends who are in o7h^ t, f' 1 7' The Mayoress wishes n,r m? t * ertol > Ladies' Guild, per Mrs. Lepper, for a donation of £lO towards the Soldiers' Hostel, also the Mascot Social Club £ 2 2s' (per Mr Hughes) BoyfScouts £1 U wonit the park on Peace Day), Okafo and Tataraimaka churches (per« Mr. Fox). , Comn,W P^^ erly .4 eelin e "f «,e School committees' Assocmtion, to be held on Monday next at th s Technical College JS*% °l C ° ndal7 w Jibe read at 8 p.m., when the public are cordially invited to be present are a very choice line, chiefly JerseyShor horn cross, and arc in the best of t tlo ;'„ T °y are '« absolute «10, M Mr. Kelly is po ing in for sheep. This prac .caUy.tlie. last clearing sale n «.e district, and dairymen should not I miss the opportunity 0 f filling their retirements. Mr. Kelly has 'been dairymg for seven years, and this is his first clearing sale. When your little child is hot, restless and feverish, with a fresh cold, don't dewy, but immediately.give>.NAZOL» on till « v,?K Bnd l> in to dress so •that tbi gWld can ishale it vtitititytjg.

The Court of Arbitration at Welling* ton on Thursday Was Informed that the furniture trade employer* in the Nelson and Taranaki districts consented to the application to tlieir businesses of thV> amendment recently made in the Wellington award. The court, therefor* ordered that the Wellington decision operate in the districts named. Indications of an early spring are* apparent in the Auckland district (saya the New Zealand Herald). A resident of Great Barrier writes stating that the native pigeon is already sitting on ita eggs, while the tui is building its neat. Further indication of the mildness of the season is afforded by the kowhai, w hioh are now showing a faint tinge of cotor while watcr-lillies are developing rapidly! The whaling season at Whangaaromu so far has been very successful (says the New Zealand Herald). Up to the present, 27 whales have been caught, and, although this is not a record number the quantity of oil obtained has never been exceeded at this stage of thl season, the whales having been of extra large size. The winter ■ whaling season extends for another three Weeks j then thro occurs a break of about six Week* before the summer season commences, By that time the whales which have gone north to warmer water to breed will be returning south with the young calves.