LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Daily News will issue a special bumuer to-morrow in connection with the history and development of Stratford and district and tlif growth of the Stratford A. and P. Show, which opens to-morrow. A cable from London says Dominion officers are organisms a permanent memorial in the Royal Automobile Club in recognition of the Club's hospitality to twenty-flve thousand Dominion soldiers. ■ At a meeting of the Egmont A. and p, Association on Saturday, a letter was received from Mr. A. D. Perkin, secretary, forwarding his resignation, owing to ill-health. The resignation was accepted with regret, and a letter of appreciation of his past services is to be forwarded to Mr. Perkin. "Don't call me "Yer Honor," snapped Mr. Marshall to a native witness at the Opunake Court. "Well," replied the native, quite unabashed, "you te biggest speaker of te lot, you talk te big talk and I think it alright I call you te Honor. You seem to ho te biggest spruiker amongst te lot of us." Later lie alluded to Mr. Marshall as "My dear frjend."—Opuaake Times. Hundreds of Rioter Lorries of' all descriptions are fitted with NORTH BRITISH SOLID BAND TYRES! Assure long wear and satisfaction bv fitting NORTH BRITISH. District agent, W. O'Callaeliaß. Hnwera, '6

Mils despatched from New Zealand to London on September 23rd arrived there on the 20th inst. The Pacific Cable Board* reports: "Clear of United Kingdom traffic all along the line." A block of land fronting Queen Street, in Auckland, has been sold at a little over £650 per foot. The total purchase price was £33,500. Queen Street land is probably the most valuable in the Dominion.

The Shaw, Savill find Albion Co.'s liner Kia Ora is due at the breakwater to-day, to load the largest consignment of frozen meat ever taken from New Plymouth by one vessel. The capacity of the vessel is 85,000 freight carcases, and the load from here will be 04,000 freight carcases, including 7,000 from Hie works at Waitara. The loading will probably occupy about a week. The Kia Ora left Wellington at seven o'clock last night, and is expected off the breakwater about eight o'clock this morning.

At last night's meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council a communication was received from the State Advances Department in connection with the ;£ 10,000 loan for tlie purpose of erecting dwellings for the council employees, stating that it was permissible for the council to raise the loan without taking a poll of the ratepayers. It was therefore resolved on the Mayor's motion to take steps to raise the loan without a poll.

An accident occurred at Inglewood late on Saturday evening. A motorcyclist named Arthur Huggins, of Tokaora (near Hawera), with Ilia sister pillion riding, was returning from Egmont Village-when he met two horsemen, and collided with one of them named Rogers, the three being more or less hurt. Mr. R. Cutfield, who happened to be passing, picked them up and conveyed them to Nurse Bennett's private hospital. Subsequently Huggins was removed to the New Plymouth Hospital, where he was found to be suffering from injuries to his face, a bone being fractured and muscles torn.

The possibility of yet another increase in the price of tea is lorefasted by Auckland merchants. In some of the retail houses pound pacKcts of tea are still selling at 2s 2d and 2s Oil, but the supply is limited, and with increased cost of landing the price to the retail consumer will inevitably increase also. It was stated bv one merchant that tea was being sold in Auckland at a lower cost than it could be landed here, but when existing stocks are exhausted the price must advance. One factor in the present shortage is held to be the conversion of the United States from a coffee-drinking to a. teadrinking country. Before the war comparatively little tea was corisumea, una a considerable portion of even that was green tea, practically unknown in New Zealand. The troops returnins from the front, however, took with them a decided taste for tea, and their conversion lias apparently spread to homes throughout their country.

Beporting to the Xew Plymouth Borough Council last evening, the general manager (Mr. F. T. Bellringer) stated:— I again take the opportunity to emphasise what I have stated on different occasions in annual reports, that it is an undesirable practice to provide for new street works, new enterprises and new plant from the general account. As far as possible all available funds in this account should be utilised for general repairs and maintenance, and capital expenditure should lie provided from loans. Streets and footpaths cannot be constructed in an absolutely permanent manner, and even when constructed under the most modern methods require to be properly maintained. Money should be available for this purpose, as want of repairs for a few years means that the street must be reconstructed, and the. capital expenditure in the first instance is wasted. As pointed out in the report upon street works, a fairly large amount of plant is urgently required, and I trust that the council may see its way to provide for this plant by a loan and not attempt to provide for it out of the general account.

Tlio Melbourne, Ltd.'s, store lias been the chief centre of interest for the past few days, the attraction being the first great salvage sale of Roberts, N.Z., Ltd.'s, Auckland, warehouse stock. The bargains offered have been of a compelling nature, and the management report record business. A special train for visitors to the Stratford Show will leave, New Plymouth at 10.50 a.m. on Thursday, arriving at Stratford at 12.50 p.m.