LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 January 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A new geyser has appeared at Whakarewarewa, near the Pohutu geyser, and played to a height of fifteen to twenty feet on Friday night.

The Mayor of Eltham received advice that the following Eltham men, who returned by the Rimutaka, would reach Eltham by the mail train yesterday evening:—Private C. C. Barker, Private C. H. Peacock, and Private H. S. Turner. At Pohunga station (Mr. J. Eeedy's), a. record for the Coast in the way o£ shearing was (states the Manawatu Times), put up by a native named Neba Wi Pei, who shore 350 sheep in nine hours, thus breaking the previous record of 347 put up last year by a native with small sheep, whereas Neha Wi Pei'a were all big sheep. A profitable butchery business is advertised for sale on page 1 by Messrs W. H. and J . McGarry, Sltham.

A cable from London says the theatrical dispute has teen settled.

Local anglers have no reason to complain of poor .baskets this season (says the Eltliam Argus). From the Patea and other rivers about many good catches have been made, the fish being in fine condition.

At Patea, last year, rain fell on 157 days out of the 36a, the total rainfall being 36.89 inches, an average of slightly over 3 inches per month. During the previous year (1918) the total rainfall was 50 inches or an average of nearly 5 inches per month.

The condition of Miss May Coombes, who was badly injured through falling oft' Mikotahi on New Year's Day, was reported by the hospital authorities last night to be still very critical, though •some slight improvement was noticeable during the day. Both the inward New Plymouth express on Saturday and the outward Wellington express yesterday carried a full jomplement of travellers returning to their homes after the holidays. Two extra carriages were attached at Hawera to yesterday morning's train in order to tneet requirements of passengers joining the train there.

The meeting of Taranaki dairymen, to consider the question of the disposal of next season's output of butter and cheese, will be held at Hawera on Thursday nest. It is probable, states the Argus, that Mr J. B. Murdoch will be presentto lay before the gathering some of the information gained during his re.'ent trip to Europe, regarding the dried milk industry. This should ensure a large and representative attendance, ft is also likely that arrangements will be made for a further important conference of dairymen to be- held at Wellington in about a fortnight's time.

The Taihape correspondent of the Wanganui Chronicle states that now that the throes of the election campaign are over, our little country i s settling down to raking in the dollars that may be floating about during Christmas week. One or two incidents in connection with the election call for comment in passing. In one of our districts there was a block vote for one of the candidates, the other two receiving none At this particular spot the candidates had committees. What became of the committees' individual votes ?

Melbourne Ltd. blouses are noted throughout the Dominion for excellence of cut, style, and finish, and moreover tor their quality and value. Locally made of best imported Japanese silks and crepe de chines, the styles are kept right up-to-date, while the fitting is much better than in imported blouses Visitors to New Plymouth have been astounded at the remarkable values in voile silk and crepe de chine blouses offered at thp Melbourne, Ltd., the noted blouse and hosiery store. All silk and crepe de chine offered is guaranteed to give good service.

"You must know," said a lady delegate to the Teachers' Conference, "that smoking is greatly on the increase among girls and women, and that drinking is also on the increase, I believe that this is partlv due to the fact that man? girls in the upper classes of our primary schools are not influenced by a womanly woman." The statement brought to his feet a male delegate, who said that he did not ihmk the charge should go forth that the working-class girls, the girls trained m the primary schools/were doing the smoking. It was the „ wh whose parents were very wealthv and taught by women. "The statement should not go down," he said, "that the girls trained by men in the public schools are the sinners in this respect"

Settlement ia proceeding apace on the me of the Stratford-OkalmJra. railway t.ie effect >e;ng plain to the visitor after ft iapse of a year or two. The iron where the terminus is likely to remain MtcToVtT 8 - extent of the works in progress at the rtation yards that Tahora will be an foportant link in the railway system 1W with the Main i- nnk, a consummation which those who note the rate of progress at pres! m,ah • S , t '"'. whlle we wait - the pioneer pushes ,nto virgin bush and precedes the ■ron horse, hewing out homes for future and traffic on the line There and* ,7" th ° f fMd hl the Mangapapa and stock are ,„ splendid

True to his promise, the Defence Win«ter has presented Waverley w th one captured b ? M *°° \h \,7 ?■ lUrmgl Urmg the kte W, and tho gun winch , 8 a neM ' * n " duly arrived in Waverley, and is a/ Present at Mr. S. J. Tavlort ™LI ,rt ftr g ofu TowaEoardVb ""C s, T t thrills tho Capture of the gun is a loth September, 1916, during the man guns was captured, the the s:;f m ?!\ tbG N °* S n ' d ! 6^ overhauled' them and ' oll t i'k M " made two serviceable gS °* * he SIX

our) ;„ ' lncans ot forced w ndows anspidou,. manner. Thev J'v "'" a in .-d out 0/ «..«!« a- htnot watch m a n directions Th» "sident after eyeing then cloTeh- w *ft & "„ ;, *', P"™"' ancl detained uie uois until the arrival nf +i,„ „ v Stolen property was fTundtottefc' •~, including gold taJch, «X

ot « h «* appear j., our auction columns.

"Fairy Wonder" cleanser, the new scientific Dry Soap Washing Powder, is the great discovery ri the age, and'before long will be in the home of every up-to-date housekeeper in Australasia. It does its work cleanly, quickly, and effectively. Besides that, it is the most economical in use, makes the clothes beautifully snow-white without the slightest injury, and leaves the hands beautifully soft and smooth. Be sure and give it a trial. All grocers have it

A welcome fall of rain was experienced in New Plymouth and the surrounding districts on Sunday night, the Pukekura Park meteorological station registering 1.23 inches for the 11 hours ended at 8 a.m. yesterday. The total rainfall for the past year was 69.44 inches, that for the year 1918 being 70.25 inches.

Christchurch grocers appear to have adopted a very effective method of rationing the very small supplies of 6itgar at present held in the city (says an exchange). A number are limiting sales to 21b lots, and then only to people who purchase goods to a certain value. One large concern requires a- customer to purchase groceries to the value of 6s before it will supply up to 21b of sugar. The idea w to check people going the rounds of the shops and purchasing sugar at each. Hie N.S.W. State Orchestra arrived in Auckland on Sunday by the Mahcno. The first concert is to be given in Hamilton on Thursday night. The itinerary of the tour through the Dominion shows that the orchestra (CO men and 20 ladies) left Sydney on January 2nd for Auckland, and will arrive back in Sydney on February 16th, after an absence of 47 days, 39 of which will be spent in New Zealand. It will give 30 concerts. Nine towns will be visited in the North Island, and four in the South Island. The date for the New Plymouth concert is Thursday of next week.

The steering gear going out of control, a motor lorry, carrying a load of tiles, belonging to Messrs. Boon Broscrashed into a telegraph pole, while turning from Powderham Street into Dawson Street at about two o'clock yesterday afternoon. The driver had allowed himself ample room for negotiating the corner, but the machine took a sudden swerve inwards and collided with the post. The spring of the forecarriage was broken, the mudguard and bonnet were buckled, and the wind screen shattered, but no other damage seemed to have been sustained. A few of the tiles were displaced from the lorry by the impact and some were broken.