LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Ravawa was expected to cross tlie Manukau Bar at six o'clock last night.

The Mew Plymouth Trades and Labor Council lias purchased the Good Templar Hall, Powderham Street. Householders in the Borough of New Plymouth are warned that the water supply must be conserved as much as possible.

The next Home steamer to call at the Waitara roadstead is the Waimana, which is expected to call about January 25. As far as is known at present she is only taking a small cargo from Waitara (writes cur correspondent). It is said that over £IOOO per foot was refused for a property in Queen Street, Auckland, and that the upset price is somewhere in the vicinity of £I2OO per foot.

Returned soldiers can obtain tickets for the New Plymouth races from Mr. W. Okev or from the depot opposite the Criterion Hotel on the mornings of the races. They must present their discharge papers before tickets will be issued.

The weather this summer has been very unseasonable. A few fine, summer clays were succeeded on Saturday by gusty weather which, in the evening, turned to violent winds and fitful showers, whilst yesterday the conditions were reminiscent of mid-winter instead of the height of summer. Yesterday was the longest day; it may well have been taken for the shortest.'

There was some fear that a quantity of Christinas fruit and other Christmas goods awaiting shipment in Wellington would not r?aeh New Plymouth before, Christmas, but the cargo is expected' here to-day. The Rosamond, which is bringing the goods, left Wellington yesterday afternoon, and is expected hero about four o'clock this afternoon. An arrival at New Plymouth yesterday was the steamer 'Malaita * (1217 tous) from Noumea, with a cargo of phosphates. The vessel left Noumea last Monday and after a fair weather trip anchored off Moturoa early yesterday morning. The port health officer (Dr, Wade) and the harbormaster went off after breakfast, and the Malaita was passed and berthed about eleven o'clock. Her movements from here are uncertain!

A profitable butchery business is advertised for sale on page 1 by Messrs \V. H. and J. McGarry, Eltham.

It is said that all the timber mills in the Southland district are gradually getting back to pre-war conditions, and the railways will soon be hard pushed to lift the timber; in fact, even now the Department cannot carry it away in sufficient quantities to keep the mills clear. ' The demand far exceeds the supply, | and orders are being refused daily. There has been no development yet in the threat of a tram strike. The time allowed by the Tramways Federation of New Zealand to the various tram-owning authorities for a repfy to the demand for a further conference on the question of wages and hours has expired. An announcement is expected as to what further steps the federation will take in the matter. A section of the tramway employees in Auckland express dissatisfaction with tile result of the conference recently held in Wellington, and aver that the delegates who then actod had not full powers to arrive at a settlement, hence the demand for further consideration of the question. The great craving for excitement which found a place in the lives of many of the girls was deplored by Miss Butler at the annual prize-giving of the Auckland Girls' Grammar School, and the ease and readiness with which they were distracted from the ordinary routine work. "Parents," she said, "are in a great measure to blatne for this. During the war there were so many entertainments organised for war charities, and children, were, in great demand; the v, _ ar has ended, but still the entertainments continue, and it would seem as if dancing in public were far more important to some girls than education. I am strongly of the opinion that every girl should be taught dancing and deportment, but I think that public performances at night, with their unnatural surroundings and unnecessary excitement, are exceedingly bad for growlng girls, and I should be very glad if parents would forbid their daughters taking any part in such performances during school terms. It grieves me to think of the physical wastage and lack of development which indulgence in such things must cost a growing girl." "There is in New Zealand much misery and trouble," said Dr. Newman at Wellington last week, "and every fear seees an increase in the hospital 'and charitable aid rates. There must be a policy of ■ uplift and a stricter inquiry into the causes of poverty and wretchedness. During the last session the pensions to the aged had been increased, and pensions had been granted to epidemic widows. But why stop at that? Why not pensions to widows of men who died from cancer and consumption ? A pension had been granted to widows with children, but they did not get so much as the epidemic widows. They must readjust ifteir ideas on tneae quest tioiis. The old notion was that the j weakest should go to the wall, but different notions prevailed now, and the Stqte should see that the lot of innocent sufferers should be made* easier. There was insurance against death and accident. Why not insurance against Bickness? lam one who thinks that an active war should be waged against ill health and disease, said Dr. Newman, fn the old days, New Zealand was regarded as a health resort, and consumptives were allowed to come in freely and spread the disease. They had to fight it hard, and as the result the deaths from consumption, once 18 in 10,000, were reduced to 14, then 10, 8, 7, and it was now Gi per 10,000, and in a few years he hoped the disease would be stamped out altogether in New Zealand. (Applause). "Typhoid was once prevalent in Wellington, but it had been stamped out, thanks to an excellent system of drainage. They should now make a crusade against cancer, which, if tackled in earnest, could be reduced, as was consumption and typhoid." (Hear hear). ' ' Large consignments of case oil are expected to reach Dunedin during the latter part of this month and in January from America. The first lot will come to hand by the Union freighter Kurow, which is due at Napier this week from San Francisco and Suva. This vessel is carrying several thousand cases for Napier. Lyttelton, and Dunedin. The steamer Liberty, due at Auckland about December 20 from New York, will discharge her ease oil cargo at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, and Sydney. She should reach Dunedin early in January. The Liberty will be followed by the steamer Iceland, which is about to leave New York for Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin. The American schooner Commerce sailed from San Francisco on November 23, bound for Dunedin, with a full cargo of case oil, and she may therefore be expected to arrive about the third weete in January. Another American schooner, the Samar, left San Francisco towards the end of November, also bound for Dunedin with a full cargo ot caso oil. The American schooner Planter is n6w discharging case oil at Bluff from San Francisco. A similar cargo is being landed at Napier from the American schooner William E. Burnham. The barquentine Wauganui has just completed discharging a case oil cargo at Wanganui, and the American schooners Henrietta and Luzon are now en route from San Francisco to Auckland and Lyttelton respectively with case oil cargoes, and the four-masted barque Monogahela has been chartered to load at San Francisco for Wellington and Sydney.

•Mr. Pirelli lias never lost nn opportunity to, as lie himself expressed it, "instil a few home truths into the hidebound minds of men who won't see what ia in their own interests" (says the Dominion). At a meeting on Wednesday night more than once the candidate scored in handling the extremists, notably when enlightening them as to the lamentable absence of a white New Zealand plank in official Labor's platform. The candidate was being heckled about the Liberal leader's leaning towards indentured labor in Samoa, and in reply he ejaculated: "You extremists talk about slavery, you—you! Why —why did the Labor " Party take ii white New Zealand off Labor's platform, when no matter what party is returned to power a white New Zealand should be one of the most prominent planks in its platform? You (the extremists) talk of indentured labor, but you act for slavery. You are not only prepared to allow all colored labor into the country, you not only propose that there shall be an internationalisation of New Zealand, but you yourselves are the greatest slave-drivers that exist!" (Uproar ) He told them that after the election law and order—not Bolshevism—would rule New Zealand. "I stand," he ejaculated, "not for Wellington Central, but for a loyal Empire. (Uproar.)' You will find on December 17 that the members returned to Parliament will be representative of the people of NewZealand. , . You disloyalists. . .1 know you don't like the salt being rubbed in. J know that you can't stand it. You are the men who do more injury to your country than anything else. You disloyalists! Oh, you poor innocent fools I"

In the Magistrate's Court at Opunaka on Thursday, A. C. Walshe, licensee of the Opunake Hotel, pleaded guilty to charges of selling and exposing liquor, and was fined £1 and costs 7s on each. His wife was iined £2 (costs 13s). oil one charge, and £1 (costs 7b) on each of, three others. All the charges arose oat of the same occurrence. Mr. T. A. B, Bailey, S.M., was on the Bench, and SubInspector Hutton prosecuted. Mr. Mart shall appeared for the defendants.

A great shortage of chinaware and English crockery is reported by Auckland merchants to exist at the present time, according to Auckland files. Ifc was stated by one business man that hundreds of pounds worth of crockery had lately been purchased from retaildealers by shopkeepers in distant towns in the North Island, who had found it impossible to secure supplies from the. wholesale houses. They bought at $e full retail price, and were quite willing to do so rather than lose custom, retail*' ing again at increased prices. One rea«l ■son advanced for the present shortage was that following tho armistice last year a number of dealers grew somewhat "panicky," and, anticipating a drop ia prices, cancelled their orders. Instead' of cominng down, however, prices went up, and with present difficulties In the matter of securing supplies, they werflj now regretting their over-caution.

Up to the present no steps have bant taken to ascertain what are the prospeats ' of securing petroleum in this district (says the Press Kaikoura correspondent), notwithstanding the fact that oil can be seen oozing from the ground in various localities, in one instance at a spot within half a mile of the township, and on the foreshore. In another locality a stream of water is saturated with oil to an extent that a match thrown in the stream will Ignite the liquid, The indications are' such as ta warrant further investigation by a Go. vernment geologist, as was promised at the time of the "blow-out" on the, Farmers' Co-operative Association's property on Beach road. The prospects of securing payable oil .are most promising, and steps should be taken to have a geological survey of the district Coal also abounds in Kaikoura, good samples taken from different localities demonstrating the existence of coal r«ef» in the district.

Extraordinary stories of profits nuufa by Indians, Greeks, Arabs, and Syrians by exporting sovereigns to India and the Far East, where gold coin and gold ara at a substantial premium, were freelv current throughout South Africa during the war. Owing to the impossibility of getting natives to accept notes, the ex« port of sovereigns was prohibited except to Mozambique, which supplies the bulk of native labor for the mines. The lion, hole afforded by the possibility of «xpart« '"g kyj way of Lourenco Marques was' eagerly seized, and Asiatics in the Union .were continually applying to banks for payment in gold, this being exchanged for South African notes in Lourenco sovereigns. The Government has now stopped the traffic.

The Premier was explaining to an audience up Waiuku way the other afternoon the tremendous admiration the French had for the New Zealand soldiers. He was telling the story of a fine win a New Zealand crew had at some rowing races on the Seine- "You know, the Parisians are more volatile than we are; they don't mind showing their filings. The crowd were irantw with delight when the New Zealanders won, and I assure you it was with the greatest difficulty that I prevented tha ladies round about embracing me." The audience laughed, and so did the Premier, when a quiet-looking countrymani sitting in the corner of the room asked seriously, "Did you try very hard?" \

Under the peace terms it is provided, that Germany will have to surrender t<» France and Belgium nearly 25 per centi of her total holding of cattle and sheepi says an exchange. The following arj the details: (1) To the French Govern* ment: 500 stallions from three to seven years old; 300,000 foals and mares, from eighteen months to seven years old, of Ardenno, Boulonnais, and Belgian breed; 2000 bulls, from eighteen months to three years old; 000 milch cows, from two to six years old; 1000 rams', 100,000 sheep, and 10,000 goats. (2) To the Belgian Government: 200 stallions, from three to seven years old; 5000 mares, from three to seven years old; 50,000 milch cows, from two to six years old; 40,000 head of young cattle, 200 rams, 20,000 sheep, and 15,0)30 sows. All th 9 animals surrendered must be in normtt health, and condition.

Supplies of dairy produce are coming to hand plentifully (says the Wellington 1 Post), and the industry may bo Bald to be pursuing the even tenor of its way< The requisition question after July 81, 1920, i 3 being unofficially disaussed, but producers appear to be too busy to con* fer upon this important subject. The matter will have to be fully coniidfTtd, however, before the usual gatherings at the winter shows take place. By th»t time (well before, in fact) producers should be in possession of flrat-hfcnd information gathered by special repre« sentatives sent from New Zealand'to th» United Kingdom, independently of that furnished from day. to day by association representatives in London and el*ewhere, as well as by British and Canadian distributing houses who keep their N'ew Zealand friends advised of what is passing. Allocations of space for London have been made as follows: Arawa, 0000 crates cheese, Wellington; Unhang ii 7,800 crates cheese, New Plymouth! 1000 boxes butter, Patea, 8500 boxes butler, Wellington, 3500 boxes butter, Wanganui, 2400 boxes butter Gisborne; Port Sydney, 50,000 boxes butter, Auckland. .S-.'iMi I'rates cheese Wanganui, 8500 crates cheese Patea. . ■

The name of the late Dr. Edith Hunt-, ley will long be kept alive in grateful memory by the fin® bequest of Which the a i - dißoloSed at a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board (say® the Dominion). Under the terms of her will, lie greater part of Dr. Huntley's estate is left m trust for the creation, maintenance, and endowment of a ward or wingr at the local hospital, to bo devoted to the care and treatment of expectant mothers and to Buch research work as lessen th# P»>n and perU of child-birth. The sum thus made avail* *p n " apP^U ? between *BOOO and £IO,OOO, and the terms of the trust are admirably broad. It is f or the benefit ot all women without distinction of creed or station.

Sensible gifts are much appreciated by men these days, and the very fine display made by the New Zealand Cloth, mg Factory makes the selection of a pre* sent for an easy matter. Ties, shirts, hats, fancy sox, hankies, collars, braces, etc., suggest suitable presents for men, while ladies will always up, predate a silk wrap, a panama hat, or A dinty pir of shoes. The New Zealand Clothing Factorv for seasonable and Mm 1 sible gifts. '