LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To-morrow's Daily News will contain a full detailed report of the general election and licensing poll. Agents are asked to notify the office by this afternoon the number of extra copies they require. The voting for the New Plymouth Holiday Queen at present is: Ngamotu (Miss Claudia Weston) 576, East End (Miss Bellringer) 278. The interests of the Hicks Bay Freezing Works have been purchased T>y the Gisborne Sheep-farmers Frozen Meat Company, who will erect works there.— Press Association. In illustrating the newly discovered potentialities of the universe at his lecture on Monday night, Sir Robert Stout stated that enough energy was contained in 220z of radium to tow a 12,000 ton steamer a distance of 6000 miles at 15 knots per hour. In response to the request of the New Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, tho secretary (Mr. E. Lash) has been notified that the booth for the installation of a slot telephone at the corner of Eliot and Devon Streets has been completed. As soon as the necessary material comes to hand the telephone will be installed. "This go-slow policy is a relic of the old Chartist days," said Mr. A. D. McLeod at one of his meetings in Wairarapa. "The Chartists used to say, 'Do less work, and there will be more work for everybody.' Carry that idea to its logical conclusion: Dp nothing at all and there will be lots of work!"

The position in regard to Christmas fruits in New Plymouth is somewhat acute at the present time. Some lines are aimost unprocurable, while supplies of others are exceedingly short. The failure of the Corinna to make the call at Wellington as she was expected, has affected the position seriously. Another boat is due to leave Wellington about Thursday, but the local merchants and grocers are endeavoring to get the vessel sent away a day earlier to ensure the goods being here for Saturday's trade.

On the 20th of this month, the Midhirst Dairy Company is paying out a further bonus of Id per pound butterfat on last season's supply, the bulk of the money being mostly the equalisation money refunded from the consolidated fund. This is practically the final payment Midhirst suppliers will receive on last year's output, the pay-out for last season thus reaching Is 10% d for butter and casein. The factory this year is having an increased supply, the' output for November being 10,600 of butter (nearly 5 tons) in excess of last year, whilst the test is higher by .09. On the motion of Mr. Quilliam, probate of the will of the lata Mr. John Downs has been granted by the Supreme Court to Messrs Frederick' William Okey and John Newton Johnson, the executors therein named. Owing to the destruction wrought in the gardens by sporting dogs, the owners of "Brooklands" and "Maranui" notify that they are laying poison en their grounds for dogs. The New Plymouth Coursing Club has been notified by the National; Coursing Association of New Zealand that the next New Zealand Waterloo Cup will be i-un at New Plymouth in July or August of next /ear.

London advises that mails for New Zealand were despatched per steamer Mahia, via Australia, on the 12th. inst. Mrs. Frethey, „of Frankleigh Park, New Plymouth, has consented to act as one of the judges of the garden competitions to be held by the Hawera Town Planning Association. The matron of the Hawera Hospital reported at the last meeting Or the Board that since the .November meeting there had been 21 patients adr mitted, 17 discharged, and two deaths, leaving 40 patients remaining in the institution. * It is broadly hinted in some newspapers, states the Eltham Argus, that Mr. Pearce's withdrawal from the Patea contest was procured by the offer of a seat in the Legislative Council. That may, or may not, be true. But there is quite a "spicy" story being circulated in Patea as to the real reasons—a story chat is not likely to be printed.

The arrest of a young girl named Catherine Emily Martin was made at Kaimata yesterday by Detective Fitzgibbon, of New Plymouth. The girl will appear before the magistrate this morning on a charge of stealing postal notes valued at £0 2s 3d from the Kaimata Post Office. At Auckland during the week-end burglars blew open two safes with explosives, and got ■ away without detection.. From the Vacuum Oil Company's safe thieves secured £3O, while from the premises of W. Casey they took £5 and a number of cheques. The work is regarded as being that of the same gang that committed a similar crime in Poasonby a short time ago. Speaking at Wellington, Sir Joseph Ward declared that the bonus that he had promised to the Post and Telegraph employees throughout the Dominion ought to be paid to them. (Applause.) They were entitled to it, and ought to have had it before now. "They will have it," he added, "just as certain as I am speaking from this platform." (Applause.} In his report at the prize-giving ceremony last night, Mr. 0. Johnson, headmaster of the school, paid that he was pleased to report that the children came to school cleanly and properly dressed, and for this he wished to thank the mothers. He wished to bring under their notice the number of children who were given a small sum with which to buy Biscuits or something similar for lunchfood totally unfitted for a growing child. He considered a large portion of the malnutrition referred to by the medical inspector was attributable to this.

The urgent need for having an up-to-date motor ambulance stationed at Opunake, in place of the present useless horse-drawn vehicle that is now locked In a shed there, was brought before the notice of the Taranaki Hospital Board yesterday by the Rev. Strand, chairman of the Egmont County Nursing Association. Members agreed that an ambulance should be stationed there, and it was decided to applv to the department for one. of the military motor ambulances that are now being sent out from England, and if the.request is favorably entertained, the ambulance will be sent to Opunake.

The Eltham Dairy Co. is presenting its suppliers with a very niee "Christmas box" on Saturday next, when (the Argus states), in addition to the usual "20th" payment, the company is also distributing l 3d per lb on butter-fat supplied this season, and the final bonus of %d on last year's supply. The latter makes the total payment for last season 2a Oid per lb butter-fat. "If," said Mr. T. Bloodworth, "Labor candidate for Parnell, "Labor is prevented from expressing itself politically and constitutionally, then the time is eoroinz when Labor will express itself in some other way. If that happens then the middleclass will suffer most and longest. There is no political hope for the middle-class through the Labor Party."

Don't let the Liberal v. Reform fightfought about nothing in particular—win the battle for official Labor. If the candidates persist in incurring that risk, then let Reform afd MiDeral electors meet the situation by voting for the. better man, irrespective of party. Party loyalty that wins the battle for somebody else is stupid. Democratic party loyalty that, for trivial differences, wins the battle for extremists and disloyalists—or for the followers thereof—is a national crime. —Wellington Post.

A 9 an illustration of the advance mado in astronomical science. Sir Robert Stout 'said on Monday night, the appearance of a moon of Jupiter could be timed to the minute. He had recently been at the Wanganui Observatory, and Mr. Ward had told him that the moon" of Jupiter was due to appear at a quarter past eight that night, and surelv enough, the telescope being; fixed on the planet, it's moon was there. In the Juvenile Court at Palmerston North yesterday a boy of 13 years of age was ordered to receive six strokes with the birch and was committed to the Nelson Training Farm for theft from twelve places, which he broke and entered. The modus operandi of the boy was to break a glass door, get access to the lock and enter the premises. The lad's aTreet last night in business premises was the sequel to a succession of nightly occurrences. It is about fifteen years since a choral festival was held by the combined choirs of the different Anglican churches of North Taranaki, but an effort is being mado this year to revive what should be a very popular annual event. The church choirs from Stratford and Waitara, and a few individuals from elsewhere, will join with the choir of St. Mary's in rendering a simple service of praise in St. Mary's Church this (Thursdav) evening next, at 7.30 p.m. It is expected that there will be about 00 choristers. The anthem will be the old favorite. "And the glory of the Lord," from Handel's "Messiah," but otherwise the music will be of a simple and popular nature. Archdeacon Evans will give a short address, and there will be a collection to cover expenses. It is hoped that all lovers of church music will encourage the effort, which is intended to stimulate the orderlv and reverent rendering of the church services, by being present. The visiting choirs are invited to meet the members of St. Mary's choir in a social way, after the service In the Parish Hall. >

Returned soldiers who will be visiting the New Plymouth races on the 26th and 27th inst., may obtain their lawn passes on the morning of the races at the club's depot, opposite the 'Criterion Hotel in Devon Street. No soldiers' passes are beta? posted. A charge of Bs is being made for admission at the main gates. DO YOUR WASHING IN HALF THE TIME. Fairy Wonder Dry Soap enables you to do this! Clothes need no boiling or rubbing. Fairy Wonder makes them like driven snow. It contains no harmful paraffin wax which makes clothes yelow instead of whit.l Try it! Is lOd large packet,