LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At Hawera on Tuesday evening Mr. R. W. Shallcrass, general secretary of the Sports Protection League, addressed a public meeting. It was decided to resuscitate the local branch, and Mr. Gray was elected .president and Mr. V. B. Stratton secretary.

All territorial training will be suspended from December 1 to January 7. This decision lias been made to permit As many members as possible of the Staff Corps and Permanent Stall' to take their leave, which in many cases has accumulated, and to enable the staff to concentrate on administrative duties.

No information has -yet been made public concerning the proposals of the Reform Party in the Taranaki electorate at the coming elections, but a further meeting of supporters will be held at New Plymouth to-morrow night. It was freely rumored yesterday that the (ate Mayoress, Mrs. C. If. Burgess, would be a candidate, but we are able to state that Mrs. Burgess has no intention of coming forward.

The successes at the recent examination of the Canterbury College School of Engineering include the name of Leslie Allan, an old pupil of the New Plymouth Technical College, who obtained Ist class freehand mechanical drawing: Ist class steam; Ist class strength of materials: Ist class applied mechanics: Ist class descriptive geometry; 2nd class mechanical drawing; 3rd class pure mathematics, differential and integral calculus and conic sections. The Taranaki Education Board yesterday adopted a scheme for the grading of employees in the Board's office. It was also decided to invite the present employees to Join the teachers' superannuation fund, and that the joining of the fund bo made a condition of fill appointments to the office staff in the future. The Board aUo adopted a system of grading for the whole of Ihe Inanual and technical instructors under fts jurisdiction. The remit of this deoarture is to place all the officers in the position of knowing from the outset what ' prospects a particular position holds, and increases in salary, up to the maximums fixed, will be made automaticallv.

As the outcome of some good humored banter regarding the probability of "ducks eggs' 'in a certain cricket match, a one-match was plaved last evening between Messrs J. R. Hill and J. Hayden in the presence of a number of "officials,who will, at a date to be arranged, be entertained to dinner by the loser. Each man had to do all the bowling and fielding while his opponent batted, and the proceedings were watched with keen interest. Hill went to the wickets first and made 17 runs, and when Hayden's innings was completed he had 82 to his credit. Hill batted again and made only 4 more funs, and therefore Hawden was awarded a "three-point win." As indicating the fury of the gale in some parts of Otago a few days ago, a Becks correspondent says: On Friday it blew a living gale here. It was terrible, but at Mataxanui they got it much' worse. There was a funeral on. It left the house at two o'clock, and reached the cemetery at Omakau at bix o'clock after a terrible experience. The fury of the gale was so terrific that Rt one stage twelve men had to hang on to the hearse to Reep it from being blown over. At another stage it held them up for an hour and a quarter. The sides of the hearse were smashed in and two of the wheels broken. Thecoffin had to be put into a cart to finish the journey. There are gigs and Iraps on the roadside now wrecked by the gale. When the architect's report was before the Taranaki Education Board yesterday, Mr. Trimble complained that the plans for the Huwera Technical High School had gone to the Department without first having been approved by the Board. Mr, Moore (the architect) explained that he understood that provided lie and Mr. Latrobe, Superintendent of Technical Education, could come to an agreement on the matter tlio plans could go forward. He had a conference with Air. Latrobe, and the plan sent in was one that he was prepared to recommend should be adopted. He knew the matter was urgent. Mr White agreed with Mr Trimble that all plans should be approved by the Hoard, who had to accept responsibility with tlie department for any plans sent forward. •■The chairman said he was sure Mr. Moore had acted in the best interests of the Board and the seliodl. The matter was urgent and the ITawera people had been pressing considerably for tlie building to be proceeded with. He intimated that no plans in future should be sent to the department without the consent of the Board or the chairman. A reminder is given of the Rose Tea this afternoon in the Te Henui Church Hall, also of the entertainment in the evening. DRINK HABIT CURED. Times out of number "Drinko" baa vanquished drink, freed the man from the degrading bondage, given him his self-respect, and raised him in the opinion of his friends. "Drinko" succeeds whether it is given secretly or not. It is tasteless and odourless, and contains no harmful drugs. It won't injure the most delicate constitution. Drinking can be cured and "Drinko" does it. Any genuine enquirer can see the unsolicited testimonials we are continually receiving, proving that "Drinko" cures drinking. Write for free booklet; describing this great cure. All enquiries confidential. Plain envelopes used. Lady Manager, Drinko Proprietary, 212 A.C. Lambton Quay, Wellington.

The Official Assignee at Dunedin (Mr. W. W. Samson) has just closed au estate which showed a deficiency of £2OO, in which the creditors now receive 20a, in the £, and instead of the above deficiency there 13 a surplus of £4OO to go to the bankrupt.

Lands to be thrown open for selection during November and December total 15,83U acres in area. Of this area CO acres 444 perches, comprising the Wadding ton Settlement is at the Hutt, and is in 11 sections, to be disposed of to discharged soldiers as small holdings. The date of opening in this ease is Deeembei 10. Land suitable for small holdings, apiary sites, 'pastoral funs, grazing, agricultural purposes, mixed farming, and for building sections is on ere d in the various land districts. Small supplies of rice have come to hand, lately from Sydney, but the shortage in Auckland is still acute (says the -New Zealand Herald). The Australian supply is stated to bo very limited indeed, and recent consignments have advanced in price, although this has not been passed on to the public, to whom the retail price is still 8d per lb. A well-known Auckland merchant stated that he had manged to place an order in Australia for two tons at £6O a ton, three times as much as it would have cost six months ago. There is little prospect of any improvement in the position until next May, when the new crops in the East are gathered. 'Another article in which there is still an acute shortage ia methylated spirits of wine. Very small quantities are bein« received from Australia from time to time, but like the rice this goes into consumption, the market remaining practically bare. = The compilation of an Australian Doomsday Book was suggested in the Commonwealth House of Representatives recently by Mr. Maloney. He gave notice of a motion (says the Melbourne Age) to the effect that, in order to eliminate the burden forced ijpori Australia hy the war, and to prevent the "innonnborn millions" from being sadwith the yearly interest, it was the npinion of the House that a Doomsday Book bo made. This would show the full present value of the immovable property, with the names of the owners based where possible on the present Federal and State land tax, or both. Any increase of value that occurred during the next 'ten years should then, the motion suggested, be used for the extinction of the war debt.

Tiie rise proposed to be given to jurymen was ■ mentioned by Mr. JusticeCooper at the Supreme Court, Auckland, recently during the hearinng of the Makura apple case. His Honor was not sure whether the jury, who had been sitting for nearly three days and had a fourth day ahead, were entitled to more than the old rate of Ss a day. Sir John Findlay, K.C., remarked that the increase had been authorised by Parliament, but he really could not say when the change would' take effect. He had an idea that it was January 1 next. ''That shows how careful our legislators arc." put in Mr. C. P. Skerrett, K.C. A little later Sir John Findlay produced a copy of the amending Act, and informed the Court- that the change took effect from September 2(i. t The Star reporter, who was in court afterwards, made some inquiries, and found that the effect of the new legislation was to empower the Govenior-in-Council to make reflations fixing the rate of payment for jurors. So far as the court officials were aware, however, no such regulations had been gazetted, though the amending legislation had been in force six weeks.

The people of Christchurch have taken to the coiisumption of frozen meat with avidity. A butcher at the Addington market last ivoek said that but for this new development acting; as a brake on competition amongst butchers, prices at Addington would have .soared to famine rates, and a retail rise to a considerable extent would have been inevitable. The amount of fat cattle offering was the smallest on record- Under the circumstances it was inevitable that prices should advance, and although a rise of several pounds a head actually occurred, this advance would have been trebled if it had not been fpr the factor of frozen meat. The supply of fat sheep proportionately was even worse, about onethird of normal requirements bMng yarded, but the advance in priec3 was remarkably low under the circumstances. It was stated by butchers that there will be no retail rise of meat in most cases. A large number of applications were lodged during the week fur supplies pf meat from freezing works, such meat retailing on an' average about 2d per pound below' the price for the fresh article.

Word has been received by the Melbourne, Ltd., that their tender has been accepted for salvage stock from the recent fire at Roberts N.Z. Ltd. warehouse, Elliot Street, Auckland. The goods will be placed on sale at an early date.

The Loan and Mercantile draw attention to their monthly Matau sale, to be held to-morrow at 1 p.m. Particulars of stock on page S.

A women's meeting will be held in the Good Templar Hall on the afternoon of Sunday next, when Mrs Eva Craven-Wheeler, one of America's finest elocutionists* will speak to women only, telling the story of America's great fight and victory for national prohibition. The meeting is held under th# auspices of the Women's National Efficiency League, The Young Women's Guild, and the W.C.T.TJ. ' With clocij. tion and music a pleasant and profitable aftennlon is promised. Miss Mildred Thomson and Mrs Wilkes will be the 6oloists.