LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

After the telegraph office closed yesterday morning the Mortgages Extension Bill was put through committee with minor amendments approved by the Minister. The Bill was then read a third time and passed. The House rose at 2 a.m. For some time past it lias been known in New liyraouth that postal matter has been tampered with, and on Monday afternoon Detective Fitzgibbon arrested a letter carrier named Wm. Donald Blair, who was brought before the court yesterday and remanded for a week on the charge of theft of postal matter. While comment is current on the rapidity of the progress of spring, claims are already being made that summer is already here (says the Auckland Star). The tangible evidence takes the form of a consignment of strawberries which has made its appearance for sale in one of the auction rooms at the city market. A meeting of the Bay of Plenty Development League decided to urge tho construction of a branch railway from Whakatane, also the opening up 'of the Urewera country, and purchase of Tanarou (Galatea) station for returned soldiers, and giving baekblock settlers more consideration regarding postal facilities. —Press Association. Speaking at the last meeting of the Egmont County. Council the chairman (Mr Wright), reporting on his recent trip to Wellington, said he had great hopes at first that Egmont would get the balance of their big loan, but these hopes were qiute dispelled when he found that the Act allowed a limit of only £IO,OOO each year, and the outlook for raising money was very gloomy. Delegates, he added, felt very keenly the difficulty of raising money, especially when they saw that £30,000 had been voted for a motor road | from Blenheim southwards, and £70,000 to the King Country counties. The question as to whether tar-sealing and renovating of roads are maintenance, and so barred from securing advances, was raised, and after some discussion with the Department, , were submitted to Crown Law officers for an opinion. At present the Department will not grant one shilling for such work. In the course of enquiry, Mr Wright found that money was not available in New Zealand, and that the best terms on which it can be got-outside was, at 5 J per cent with 1 per cent for exchange. —Star. Speaking of public works, in his ad-| dress at Whangamomona on Tuesday, Mr R. Masters said the beat news contained in the paper issued the previous morning was that Sir Wm. Eraser was going to resign. Sir William might be a very commendable man in many ways, but he was a most unsuitable man for Minister of Public Works. He was too old, and had not sufficient energy. If progress was to be made they would need to have a more virile man. He was absolutely sure that Stratford had lost the Opunake line because there had been more activity on either side of the town, and now the train was to run between Opunake and nowhere. If they had a representative like the member for Egmont they would never have tost the line.

A Wanganui press menage states that the North Island Brass Band contest is to be held in February next, The decreased output of coal from the mines for the six weeks durinc which the "go slow" policy has been operating is 49,957 tons. The total loss for last week was 8744 tons. At the hist referendum in April a number of returned soldiers not on the roll obtained special permits for voting. ft has been brought under the notice of Mr Jennings, M.P., that a number of these men who voted are not on the present rolls, and the member has asked a question in the House as to why they' have been excluded and whether it will he necessary for them to All up fresh enrolment papers. The funds of the Taranaki Agricultural Society received a welcome addition at the Waiwakaiho bull fair yesterday. A yearling Jersey bull, 'donated by Mr H. C. Sampson, who has been one of the society's strongest supporters and hardest workers, was sold and realised 50 guineas, and a yearling Ayrshire bull, donated by Messrs Olson Bros., of Egmont Village, also keen supporters of the society, realised 6 guineas. ' The steeplechase in connection with, the annual sports of the New Plymouth : Boys' High School will be run off today on the New Plymouth golf links at 2 p.m. No special invitations are being issued, but- parents and friends of •the school aro cordially invited. A cable says the Federal elections in Australia have been fixed for December 13. It was stated in a recent cable message that prohibition had been carried in Norway. Further particulars have come to hand in a cablegram received by the secretary of the Auckland Provincial Council. According to this message, the issue before the electors was simply whether the sale of spirits should be prohibited, the sale of beers and wines not coming into question at nil. The cablegram states further that the result of th e voting was in favor of prohibition of the sale of spirits. The cities showed a large preponderance in favor of■ continuance, the vote in Christionia being 18,000 for the change, and 75,000 against it. The position in Norway therefore is that while beer and wines may be sold as heretofore, the sale of spirits is banned. The line of ladies' silk knitted sporM coats showing at the Melbourne, Ltd., is creating quite a stir among the fair sex. The coats are right up to the minute in fashion while the prices are extremely reasonable, ranging from 69s 6d to 89s 6d. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., draw attention to additional entries to their Matau sale, which they are holding to-morrow, 17th hist. Lovers of a first-class entertainment will be interested to note that a musical and dramatic entertainment will be given in the Rolland Hall on Monday evening next. The musical and vocal items will be by the best lecal talent. The drama will be supplied by accredited performers, and patrons may look forward to a rare treat. Cheap boots and shoes of poor quality are the very worst investment anyone can make. They never give satisfaction to the purchaser. Dockrill's high quality footwear has proved to be the best value obtainable anywhere. There is not the slightest doubt about the wonderful washing properties of the new washing powder '"'Fairy Wonder" Cleanser, Those using it are unanimous in their praise as to its economy and efficacy, and it positively reduces labor and fuel to one-half. Every wide-awake housewife uses it. Ask your neighbors about it. Stocked by all grocers and wholesalers.