LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The rainfall in Hawera during September totalled 3.44 in. A magisterial inquiry info the loss of the coastal steamer Tainui opens at Lyttelton next Wednesday.—Press Assn. "Aotea" grounds are to be opened for the season next month, when the Citizens' Band will give a Sunday concert in aid of the funds of the local Tourist and lixpanaion League and the Beautifying Society. A Christclrarch wholesale firm has notified retailers that owing to the continued higher cost of raw coffee, which has advanced from £l5O to £240 per ton during the past month, they have been compelled to increase the price of pure coffee by 3d per lb, and blended by 2d per.lb. Twenty-seven Indians and twelve Chinese arrived from Sydney by the Makura, which arrived at Auckland last week. The Indians all passed the education test, and th e poll tax was paid on each of the Chinamen. AH were therefore allowed to land.

"All the boys are not at home," said Sir James Allen at the meeting of the Returned Soldiers' Clubhouse Society at Wellington. "There are still about 2000 in camp in England, less than 200 sick, some wives, and between 4000 and.6ooo on the water."

Henry Ford, automobile manufacturer, has promised to prove at his own expense that a gasolene street car can be operated at a cost far below the present trolley-driven ear. It is to be built of composition steel, which is claimed to be lighter than ordinary steel. He proposes to still use rails, but do away with the eilormous outlay in wires and equipment, necessitated under the present method.

An illustration of what faith and confidence will accomplish was given by Mr. A. E. Sykes at the Tourist and Expansion League meeting on Tuesday evening. Some years ago, he said, the Taranaki A. and P. Association was in very low water. At a meeting of members all but one man was in favor of closing down. That gentleman was Mr. J. Connett, who convinced those present that it would be a mistake to let the society die. He then threw himself heartily into the society, and to-day they had a real live body, with a capital and well-appointed showground and holding shows that were a credit to the district.

Plans have been prepared by the Public Works Department for extensive alterations to the Post and Telegraph Offices at Hawera. These show that very much improved accommodation will be provided for the public office and counters and that the telegraph and telephone departments will be materially extended. Tenders are to be called at an early date for the work. The secretary of the Department told the Mayor when he was in Wellington at the Municipal Conference that there were three towns in New Zealand which, he said, were progressing more than any others, and of these Hawera was one.—Star.

Although very little has appeared in print regarding the search for the escaped prisoner Matthews, it has been going on assiduously with indifferent luck (states the LyHelton Times). Rumors are coming in from all quarters about the man's movements. The police found a definite trail in the shape of a kind of a dug-out, on the hills, not far from the tunnel mouth at Heafieote. Here the man had been Apparently hiding for a day or two, apaprently, emerging only to get food. It was reported, also, that Matthews had been seen on a No. 2 tram from the hills, and it is supposed that at one time he was in the vicinity of Kennedy's Bush. A very enterprising country constable landed a man who bora a striking resemblance to Matthews, and brought him into town, but it was soon established that it was "the wrong bird."

Mr. Massey told a story at a dinner at Wellington the other evening about his first coming into Parliament twentylive years ago, and how he got the news of his election. He was elected for a back-block constituency, at a by-election. The political centre of the district was forty miles from Auckland. On the night of the poll the returns were not yet complete—he. had a lead of a hundred, and there were thirty returns to come in-—and ho set out next day to ride with a friend to Auckland, still in doubt as to the result. He reached Devonport, on his way to Auckland, and was by this time very keen to learn the best or the worst. On the ferry boat, there was a man reading the paper, and he asked him what had been the result of the cleciion. The man, who did not know Mr. Massey, replied, according to Mr. Mas- . soy's way of telling it: "That fellow Massey is in." "Only he didn't say 'fellow'," Mr. Massey explained.

A recent traveller abroad is Mr. A. S. Burgess, of Hatrick and Co., Ltd., and relating iiis impressions to a Wanganui Herald reporter, he said that while the large foreign, particularly German, element in the United States colored the national feeling towards Britain, he considered the bulk of the people were friendly towards her, the business community especially so, and openly acknowledged and admired what Britain had done in the war. Expressing himself as very glad to be back in what he considered the best -and most beautiful country in the world, he remarked on the fortunate position of New Zealand compared with other countries in regard to prices. He illustrated this by saying that, when crossing the Atlantic thirteen years ago his saloon passage cost him £lO. The other day it cost him £4O, and he could have sold his ticket after for more than double the money. After booking his passage he met another New Zealander, who had to pay £BS 10s for an Atlantic passage. So far as shipping was' concerned, freights and fares were distinctly favorable to this part of the world. Regarding prices generally, no doubt these had risen in New Zealand, but much less so than in other countries, and whatever burden they imposed they were much less than elsewhere. New Zealanders, in fact, were more fortunate than they realised.

The Melbourne Limited have opened nut another fine lot of men's tweed and gaberdine hats at 8/6, 9/0, and 12/6. Owing to the enormous advances which have "boosted" up the price of men's felt hats, the comfortable tweed hat is having quite a good run. The experience of thousands of housekeepers proves the value of SHAR- , LAND'S "MOA" BRAND EGG PRESERVATIVE. It is certain, reliable, ec> ', lomieal, and laves heaoa of meMjr. 4