LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

1 The takings at the Fitzroy Methodist Church Christmas fete, which was held in the hall yesterday, amounted to £SO. The Wellington Dominion is not very complimentary to the new member for Nelson, Mr. H. Atmore. It calls him "a windy politician of little use ia Parliament." P°H® were taken at Masterton yesterday on three proposals to raise sums aggregating £78,000 by way of a loan for various improvements. The only proposal carried was. that for an extension of the gasworks,—Press Association, As a result of the recent concerts given by the Returned Soldiers Association as a benefit to Mr. A. Jenkins, who was injured while assisting to decorate the Coronation Hall for the last annual ball of the Association, the sum of £SS Will be available to hand over to him. The building trade in Wanganui must be very busy indeed, for although tenders were called for additions to the Opera House, the invitation was not responded to by one builder. The explanation given was that the builders were too busy. "As there are 10,000 land agents in New Zealand, would you be in favor of making some of them build houses instead of having a scheme of immigration to secure labor?" asked a member of the audience at Mr. R. A. Wright's meeting recently. The chairman (Col. Hughes) answered the question with another: "Would you live in one of the houses?" (Laughter.) A &ew Plymouth stock agent, who haa just returned from a visit to the Waikato, states the road from Hamilton to New Plymouth was never in better order than it is at present. Of course, it is a fine weather road. When MtMessenger is metalled and the lower Awakino diversion completed it will be possible to make the journey from Taranaki to the Waikato in wet as well as m fine weather.

An attempt to make tlie northern Bide of Devon Street more attractive during the evening time is being made by a number of business houses who are combining in erecting a lighting system m front of their windows, including 12 400-candle-power arc lamps, which will be lighted every evening. The block affected rung from the Modern Tailors, Ltd., up to Mr. Lobb's shop (inclusive), and it is considered the step is one distinctly in the direction of town improvement.

There is great activity in tlie Christchurch building trade. In October it was disclosed in the City Surveyor's report to the City Council that 45 permits, of the value of £36,925 had been granted, compared with 22 permits of the value of £.11,550 in October last year. For seven months of the financial year, 286 permits were issued of the value of £254,000, compared with 117 permits valued at £9,000 in the same period of 1918.

the efforts of the newly appointed inspector for the County of Taranaki to enforce the dog registration regulations resulted in several delinquents appearing in the Magistrate's Court, New Plymouth, yesterday, before Mr. H. E. Cattley, J.P., when convictions and fines were recorded in several cases. Several informations were dismissed or withdrawn. In some of these defendants asked for their costs, and the presiding justice reserved the point for magisterial decision. Mr. R. H. Quilliain, who appeared for the County Council, opposed the application.

speaking of the immense possibilities of air defence in the caße of future attacks from the sea, Sir Joseph Ward, in a speech at Bluff week, says the Southland Times, let drop a remark about "a certain bomb that the public know little about," which piqued the curiosity of hia auditors. Later, he let them in a little to the mystery, explaining that he had his information from one of the highest military authorities in the Old Land. A few months before the end of the war one of the enemy powers discovered a poison which had such a permeating effect that if half a dozen two-pound bombs were dropped over, say, Trafalgar Square, and there were 10,000 people sheltering in the tubes, they would all be dead in a very short time, although the bombs did not touch them. The British authorities had been advised of the discovery fairly early, and at once set about getting a sample. But the Germans, before a bomb was secured, became possessed of the idea that the British had attained their end. This, according to Sir Joseph's informant, saved the position, for the Teutons were afraid of reprisals with their own medicine over Berlin, As battleships, airships, and all manner of fighting machines in the future would probably be armed with this deadly weapon, stated the narrator, some idea could be gained of the intensified deadliness of another conflict.

Mr. Newton King notifies that Mr. John Stella's sale of dairy cows tomorrow (Saturday) will be held at the farm, Spotswood, New Plymouth. A reminder is given of the concert by the Red and Black Strolling Entertainers in the Rolland Hall this evening in aid of the Maori queen's candidature. Patrons are assured of a first-class and enjoyable entertainment. No extra charge for early doors. Be smartly shod during the holidays! We are prepared to meet every demand with the best stock of fashionable footwear in Taranaki, and our usual moderate prioes will prevail throughout the festive season. See us for practical presents. Foster's Boot Store, Stratford. A profitable butchery business is advertised for sale on page 1 by Mm»» W. E. ud J, JieQasts. Mthaa