LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 December 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

. Au alarm of fire was given in New Plymouth at eleven o'clock last night. Rubbish burning on the Mt. Byron reserve led to the alarm being given.

A seam of brown coal has been found | at Awahuri, pome 10 miles north of Palmerston North. A trial proved it is of a highly bituminous nature and admirable for licating purposes. In connection with the surprise packet scheme held in conjunction with the recent Kornan Catholic Bazaar in Wellington, Mr. Page, S.M., held the scheme came within the definition of a lottery and fined Father Smyth £lO. A man wrote to a Sydney paper the other day: "A pair of boots costs mo 355. A horse-collar 255. The leather in the collar weighs four times as much as the leather in the boots. Has the price of cardboard gone up?" Negotiations are now proceeding for the erection of 15 workers' dwellings in New Plymouth and 10 in Hawera. It is hoped the work will be commenced after the holidays.

It is said that the Waikato record of a Jersey cow which gave a 6.8 test with a yield of 4 gallons of milk daily has been beaten by a southern Jersey, which gave a test of 0.8 and has given an average day yield of 4£ gallons of milk per day. Writing to a southern farmer an Australian stock dealer states that he recently sold a line of 2996 bullocks, the average dressed weight of which ran to 8401b—a very high average. One of the hides brought £8 16s fld. The beasts travelled 300 miles by road find another 400 miles by/ail.

Infectious diseases notified in Taranaki during the week ended December. 22nd were:—Taranaki: Scarlet fever 1, diphtheria 2, pneumonia 1, meaßles 1; Stratford: Influenza 3, pneumonia 1; Hawera: Diphtheria 2, influenza 9, pneumonia 2, mea'sles 3; Patea: Diphtheria 1, influenza 2, pneumonia 1, measles 5. At a recent meeting of the committee which organised the Soldiers' Club carnival at iiawera (reports the Star), a balance-sheet submitted by Messrs L. 0. Hooker (organiser) and C. Goroer (hon. sec.) shov.'cri the total receipts amounted to £1196 9s 2d, there being several outstanding promises of donations. Those who assisted in the effort were accorded a hearty vote of thanks. The Hajvprn Star gives the following warnim?: Motorists proceeding to the New Plymouth races should take care that their numbers are in order, and remember that the speed limit is 20 miles an hour and 1-2 miles in the centre of the town. Tlio New Plymouth inspector in past years has collected quite a "pot of money" in lines, and a timely warning might save sportsmen some anxiety.

Australian files to hand contain par-' ticulars of the sensational accident which happened at Windsor (New South Wales) to Lieut. Montgomery, who was trying out an aeroplane for a rubber pompany. When about 200 ft in the air the engine choked with oil and misfired. The plane appeared to side-slip, and nose-dived. It struck the ground with terrific force, and 'was completely wrecked. Lieut. Montgomery escaped with a few nasty gashes on the face, abrasions to the body, and a severe shock. He refused to be taken to the hospital. Moved to experiment by noticing that a drop of oil made paper transparent, Dr. Jules H. Stean, a French scientist, has. discovered a fluid which similarly I renders .the human body transparent, and is likely to supersede the X-rays. Indeed, the inventor claims that his fluid is superior to X-rays, in that it allows the pathologist greater liberty in handling, and at the sanpe time shows not only Hit bone structure, but also the liner muscular and nervous systems. The degree of transparency produced by the action of the fluid can be regulated at the will of the operator. Itis said that a board can be made as clear as glass, so that a newspaper can be read through it. The agricultural contributor to the Morning Post is surprised that New Zealand is not sending more cocksfoot send to England. "The failure of NewZealand," he says, "to compete with Denmark as a source of supply for cocksfoot seed is a disagreeable' fact. When the war broke out hard fescue and cocksfoot, which do not seed well in England, were .profitable little appanages of our New Zealand jects. New Zealand fescue, sold as chewings, has for live years been goin£ to a price higher and higher, until other fescues are -replacing it, while Danish fescue, since a year ago, has so beaten the New Zealand out of the field that few firms quote the old familiar article." Fescues and peas are all more or less scarce, and New Zealand is expected to ship more freely in the near future. As a result of the marked success of the recent aerial mail trial trip from Auckland to Dargaville and back, it has been decided to experiment in connection with an aerial mail service for other districts. The Hon. J. G. Coates, Post-master-General, stated that trial services are to be started next month between Auckland, Dargaville and Whangarei; Auckland, Coromandel and Thames, Napier and Gisborne, and Christchnrch and

Dunedin. The Minister regards the Auckland-Dargaville-Auckland test as entirely satisfactory, the round trip having been accomplished to timetable and without any accident. During the war period the Postmaster-General had to do with aerial work both in Britain and France, and he takes a great interest in the possible future developments of aerial mail, passenger, and commercial services. In his opinion, the Dominion affords great opportunities for the development of mail and passenger aeroplane services, but the best types of machines for these purposes and the best district in which to inaugurate such services must first be determined by careful experiment.

Housewives who are considering the problem of meats for the festive season will have little trouble in securing excellent joints from Sole. Bros. The firm's bounteous display yesterday and to-day of choice lamb, mutton, beef, veal, pork, poultry, and small goods was a very attractive one. Everything offering is in the pink of pl-ime condition and specially fattened for the ChtisJmas trade. The lambs particularly are a splendid lot, most of the carcases tipping the scale at over oOlbs weight. Needless to state, Sole Eros are having a very busy Christmas Eve.

Motorists visiting the races should make themselves conversant with the road exit from the course before leaving. The dub has provided an additional track through the grass paddock near the main gate. Motors for town desiring to proceed direct to Waitara ot Inglewood must use the macadam exit road. There is very little time left in which to select Christinas gifts for. ladies. Morey's big stocks offer a wide variety ,of meat useful and beautiful present*

Official intimation was received yesterday that the Minister for Public Works has approved the constitution of the Te Awamutu electric power district over an area of thirty miles along the Main Trunk and from the Waikato to Waipa rivers. The first election of the Board will take place on February 4th. —Press Association.

The Eltham Fire Brigade's new motor engine has now been completed, and vm received from the hands of the builder (Mr. T. Hurrell) yesterday. It is painted the usual bright red lined in black, and with the initials of the Eltham Volunteer Fire Brigade in gold letters. The design of the vehicle is one that will afford every convenience for carrying men and gear,' and the work of building and decorating has been carried out in a most satisfactory manner. The shortage of accommodation for visitors almost lost New Plymouth a visit from the Royal Togos-Louis Alsace vaudeville company this week. It was found impossible to get accommodation at any of the hotels or boarding houses, and the management had almost decided to cancel the booking, when some xitizens who heard of the difficulty tame forward with offers to accommodate the company. The Royal Togos appear both race nights at the Empire Theatre. Applications for possession of dwellings are of almost weekly recurrence in the local Magistrate's Court,' and two such cases were presented before Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., at New Plymouth, yesterday morning. In the first case the counsel for the tenant intimated that an agreement to give up possession had been made to which plaintiffs consented. In the other case it was shown that the man who had purchased the house, which was the subject of the application, was living in a three-roomed house which had been sold, and the new owners of it had entered into possession without ejecting him, the result being that the two families, which consisted of three persons each, were living in the three-roomed house. Possession of the house in question was therefore required by the purchaser for his own occupation. The weak point in the case was that the requisite legal month's, notice had not been served on the tenant. A notice dated the Ist of November, requiring possession to be given up in one month from date, had been sent to the tenant by registered post, but as the date on the receipt for the registered letter was November 3 the. Magistrate non-suited plaintiff on the ground that defendant had not had the requisite legal notice.