LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The liner Kia Oia completed loading et five o'clock last evening, but the firemen refused to go on board. The vessel wbb consequently held up, but it is expected she will sail at six o'clock this morning for Wanganui. The New Zealand Shipping Company',? steamer, Buahine, icn route from England to New Zealand with returning troops, arrived at Capetown on November 24. After bunkering she sailed for Auckland, via Hobart, and is due there on December 23. During the week, ended November 2, the War Expenses Branch paid out 6119 war gratuity claims, aggregating £367,4*8 3s 7d. The daily average of payments was thus 1020. This brings the' total gratuities paid to November 29 to .31,20*, the total amount distributed being £1,949,842. Payments made by the Imperial Supplies Department for produce bought for the British Government reached £113,422,000 on 30th November (says a Wellington telegram). On account of wool £44,768,057 has been paid, for meat £41,312,800, for butter £ 6,235,900, for cheese £15,588,300, and sheepskins £2,253,700. Some visitors at the Horticultural Show yesterday enjoyed a good joke at the expense of a well-known local bee expert. In a competitive class for the most useful article made from a benzine case, the bee enthusiast had exhibited a very good-looking hee-hive, and the laugh was occasioned through his omission to provide an opening for the bees, to get into the hive. The display iof potatoes at the New Plymouth Horticultural Show yesterday was, perhaps, the. best ever seen' in the town. There were numerous entries in all the classes, and the competition was keen. The season up till Wednesday night had been an- unusually favorable one, and good crops have been the order. In the opinion pf one authority, yesterday's show of potatoes, for quality, sise and evenness, could not have been beaten anywhere in the Dominion, and in themselves formed a show worth going a long way to see.

A frost in New Plymouth in December is a rare occurrence, yet on Wednesday evening there was such a visitation on the.higher lands of the town that seriously affected potato crops. Beans and the young pumpkins and similar vegetables also received a set-back. The frost was also felt in Hawera, and tender garden stuiT, such as French beans, were nipped, though not so seriously 83 on the previous visitation a fortnight ago, says the Hawera Star. Owing to the coal shortage, Wilson's New Zealand Portland Cement Co.'s works at Warkworth remain closed, and the works at Whangaroi are-unable to run at full capacity. At present there is no prospect of any improvement. The result is that supplies of cement are very short, and the shortage of the shipping space is accentuating the trouble in Taranaki, where building operations may be temporarily held up. Cement is practically unprocurable in- Eltham, says the Argus. . ' The difficulty which arose at Onehunga pn Monday through the refusal of the Manukau waterside workers to load 50 tons of Bitgar which the Colonial Sugar I Refining Company proposed to send to New Plymouth by the steamer Rimu, remained unsettled up to the time when the vessel started on her voyage Another meeting of the Waterside' Workers' Union was held or. Tuesdav morning, as the result of which it 'was rei solved to adhere to the refusal to handle the consignment. The reason assigned for this attitude was that the men declined to be parties to sending awav to another community a elass of goods which they were unable to poreuiv for the use of their own households The sugar consequently remains in the sheds at Onehunga. A profitable butchery business is advertised for sale on page I by Messrs W. H. and A. McGarry, Eltham.

A tentative settlement has been arrived at in the dispute between the Wellington Gas Company arid the employees. The men are now working overtime, and a complete settlement is likely. The quarterly meeting of the Taranaki Licensing Committee was held at the New Plymouth Courthouse at noon yesterday. Those present were: Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M. (chairman), and Messrs. R. Cock, D. H. McDonald, W. Ambury and F. P. Corkill. Sub-Inspec-tor Hutton was present on behalf of the police. Two applications for transfer of licenses —the Oakura Hotel, from E. 0. Meredith to F. C. Emeny; and the Okato Hotel, from Alex. Sanson to E. 0. Meredith—were granted. Mr. H. K. Billing appeared for the applicant in each case.

Mr. G. J. Fama, formerly of the Patea post office, is with the "Diggers" Company that is touring Taranaki. Speaking to the Press of the late Lieut. Robbie, who was headmaster of the Patea school before enlisting, Mr. Fama Baid: "When I first met Mr. Bobbie in khaki, the men worshipped him. He was always looking after them and studying their interests just as the late Colonel Malone did. And it was the same on the western front. He never studied himself, but was always solfcitous for the welfare of the men under him. In regard to his utter disregard of self, I might mention a curious incident that occurred two days before Lieut. Robbie was killed. I met him behind the lines, and he told me he was going up to the trenches the next day. I told him there was no need, as he was doing invaluable work where he was, but he said something compelled him to go, though he had a presentiment that he would be killed. He went, and was' killed two days later whilst gallantly leading a platoon against the Huns in a raid." This was the fourth occasion, said Mi* Fama, on which he had talked with one who had had a presentiment of coming death, and in each case the presentiment had been fulfilled. Saturday, the 6th inst., is the last day of the Melbourne's great salvage sale, of Roberts' warehouse stock. Last opportunity of securing 36-inch flannelette, Is 9d; 03-inch ticking, 3s 6d; ladies' longcloth camisoles, 3s 6d;'ladies' large cotton vests, 2s lid; Island hats, Is lid; splendid quality pique skirts, 15s 6d. With the near approach of the Christmas season you will be looking for some useful little presents to bring the joy of the season into the hearts of those near and dear to you. We suggest that you should come early and see our wonderful range of ties, sox, shirts, braces, and handkerchiefs, all of which are useful and suitable presents for Christmas. Don't forget, it is Howell and Howell I who made a "speciality of these goods in the nobly dressy and unique designs for the Xmas season.