LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 January 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The troopship Kigoma, with New Zealand soldiers and families, has arrived at Sydney, en route to New Zealand. According to private advices tne troopship Bremen arrived at Durban on December 31st from England, and was to sail on Monday for Wellington. She should arrive at Wellington about the 31st inst. Teachers' examinations for the D certificate are now being held at the New Plymouth Technical College. The examinations commenced yesterday, and will continue till the 19th. inst. Mr. H. Dempsey is supervising. Wellington advises that mails despatched November 13, via San Francisco, ttrri'-ed in London on the 22nd ult., and mails despatched on the 24th November, via Vancouver, arrived in London on the 31st ult.

"To let, a one-roomed whare. Apply within." Such a notice was given prominence by a land agent in Napier recently. He stated that he had about 40 inquiries, in some instances from people with four or five children.

Plans have been prepared and tenders are shortly to be called for the erection of Feilding Technical and Agricultural High School. The Education Department hag approved £10,500 being spent on the buildings. The Minister for Education has also agreed to make a grant for the hostel.

It is understood that the property which until recently was, occupied by the Westnort Coal Company, at the corner of King and Queen Streets, lias been disposed of by Mr. Stanley Shaw to the Public Trust Board. The purchase price is said to be in the vicinity of £2O per foot of the Queen Street frontage'. Now that a constabulary force has been established to carry out civil police duties at Samoa, the Samoan garrison, Which has been occupying the territory since its occupation by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in 3f114, will be withdrawn. The greater part of the garrison is expected to leave Samoa this week.

An Auckland returned soldier drew his gratuity, amounting to £6O, early last week. At the end of two days he had nothing left. A waitress was charged with robbing him during a motor drive, but she alleged that the soldier had given her money with which to buy a new costume, and the case was : dismissed.

That profiteers are being drastically dealt with in Britain is evidenced by the fact that a publican at Clapton was recently fined £IOO and costs for selling four of ale at sd, instead of 4id. Fines totalling £99 were imposed on a baker, of Bethnal Green, for selling bread at an excessive price and short ox weight.

A slump in wrist watches has begun (says a London paper of a recent date). One Hfttton Garden merchant announces that he is even selling gold wristlet watches at cost price. There are two reasons: One, the growing liking for thin platinum and gold watch chains; and two, the fact that every pert little flapper has become a wrist-watch wearer. Writes a correspondent of the Manawatu Times:—Among the most cheerful souls in Palmerstou North at Christmas time, and indeed at all other times, is a dear old lady of 9G, who lives alone and looks after herself in a wee cottage. She came to New Zealand about 70 years ago, and during the hard times of those days, earned her living at gleaning in the cornfields. Subsequently she married a blackfnith, and used to take her turn at the heavy hammer. A different kind of "striker" to the modern unionist. Now she lives sumptuously and happily on her old age pension.

The Eltliam Volunteer Fire Brigade held _ its monthly meeting on Monday evening, when the new motor fire engine was taken out for a trial spin. At the subsequent meeting secretary Hinch was appointed delegate to the Tarannki United fire Brigades Association conference at Stratford in February, and Captain Nuttall was appointed delegate to the Dominion conference, which is being held at Hastings, aLso in February. Fireman Rogers was presented with the gold medal won by him in the recent competition at the sports meeting at Taumata Park.

his or her money through the operations of the light-fingered gentry "good-bye" is said to it, and 110 hopes are entertained of ever recovering it. Quite a number of losses have been sustained bv people in this way in Auckland during the past few days, but of the total only two have been reported to the local detective department (says the Star oi Monday). The information was supplied by an officer, who asserted that there was nothing to warrant the statement that there had been an influx of pickpockets into the city. Despite • this, however, big losses have been sustained, twj aggregating £9O. It has also been reported that Wellington has not .been overlooked by these get-rich-quick individuals. On the racecourse the other day they did good onsiness, but ''missed the 'bus" in several instances—in one case taking a wad of notes under the double-figure mark, but leaving behind tickets on a winning horse that would | nave brought them a rich harvest. | In a. letter from T.ondon to a gentlej man in Ealelutha, Sir Thomas Mackenzie says: "As you know, we have successfully passed through a great crisis, caused by the railway strike ' It in part arose through the poor conditions which prevailed for so many years in the railway service, and the fear of some that wages might be reduced. Profiteering also must have had an enormous influence upon the minds of the railwavi men. One wonders how men with i families can live on \vhat is called the maximum wage. Eggs to-day are ».td each, and other foods nr;ced *n proportion. As for clothes, it seems that the place is fairly mad. My wife went the other day to buy a mantle, and the lowest priced one in the shop was £l.lO, which she could not look at. For my own part I had put off buying clothes for a long time, but recently was obliged fob"v two Suits, one at 14 guineas, and one at IS guineas, and four guineas for an extra pair of trousers. I have just ordered a dozen cotton shirts at 2os each, and for lining the shoulder in a coat ,C 4 10s was charged. One wonders whether, if prices continue so high, the country will ever again be able tr attain to commercial and manufacturing prominence. If prices do not go down, countries like New Zealand will lr- afforded the opportunity for developing industries for which they have the raw material; inj deed, the cost of living and conditions there are far better than in the Older Lands." Tn view of the tremendous rise in all Japanese silks it. would he wise policy for every lady to buy an extra blouse or two at the Melbourne, Ltd. at present prices. Crepe de chines show even a Bharper rise than silks, "Buy now" is

Since the electrification of the Manchester tramways j n 1901, £1,326,891 has been devoted from the net profits to the relief of the local rates. The largest amount contributed in any one year was £111,891 in the year ended March last. The Patea Press reports that rain fell on 157 days out of the 305, the total rainfall being 30.88 inches, an average pf slightly over 3 inches per month. During the previous year (1918) the total rainfall was 56 inches or an average of nearly 5 inches per month. Says fiketahuna Express:—There are good roads right through from Palmerston to Taranaki at present. It is on the down trip that motorists "cuss" when leaving smooth running they encounter extremely well developed "potholes" in Pahiatua, Borough and County and only in a slightly lesser degree in Kketahuna County; and the enjoyment of motoring changes to absolute discomfort.

At the recent examinations at the Eltham public school the following scholars gained proficiency certificates .—Boys: Leslie J. Gower, Raymond Irwin, David Jones, Keith Pennington, William Scown Raymond Seal, Hector Taylor. Girls' Marjory Birkett, Jean Carrick, Iris Hawke, Ameiia Kenny, I na Martin. Alice Thompson. Three pupils obtainr»r^ npe ™ cy £ ertificate3 > viz - Myrtle Gardiner, Edna Gear, and Myrtle Hill.

The platform at Hawera railway sta- + r ° n?ed on Monda y evening when the tram arrived with the Rimutakas contingent of returned Taranaki men, who were welcomed by the Mayor and cheered by the citizens. Refreshments were provided by the Women's Mrth n an^tvf r r 6 -/ 0r men who Went Shop-lifting was not uncommon in Eltham during the rush-trade of the wSj"? T aßon ' 6tate3 tlle -Argus. ln« f tradesmen have discovered the loss of goods which were not sold. One of them missed a necklace valued at 8s nl? f a ■ {OUnUUI P en " An «™nge* ment of mirrors in a shop is a good device for assisting in detecting pett? to book br ° Ught many of thelil

th?WV° th 6 j ° y - ri<rin g ! « c Wont, I PP ea Pre sa says: "The joy-riders have been discovered, we understand, and have agreed to make good the damage, which, however, does not compenaie the owner of the car for the trouble and annoyance suffered through the ouglitless act. The lesson, which will he a fairly costly one, will, it is hoped be a warning to the youngsters not to »«jj. „ lth otllr „„ P v,

pJend fmm A , • d9tone hilk wl,icl > mend fiom Awalmri, past Feilding, to Halcombe, apparently is a huge bed of own coal f q ,. te ngrf states an exchange. Several Palmeraton people visited a newly,opened seam n Lee s Line, two miles from Feildin? A heavy four-foot seam only ten feet °?^ +l ? ~rface °P*"ed up A load of this was used at the Awahuri dairy factory and in Mr. Matthews' tS" 0,1 e "» lne . and 6»ve excellent results.

The Wellington Times' Otaki corres(No W ImT ' arg , e Stud <=baker car from Vfi- S ? Ve ' Jeen stolen from Miramar, turned turtle at ParaJ- ida ' V \. 11 is state<i that ,„j °f Wa ? d "ven by a mere bov, who for his companion a middlc-a^ed man an d fur t her , that when fn if t T m road their P ape wis Tin sixty milea an hour. The car <m rounding a bend, ran foul of a waW channel, with the result that itvas turned over with bad results The lmdTv S, whili e Vi, a t w ""i-screen suffered No , M I J V 3 ° dy Was also imaged. one 6au the occurrence and in were'no 1 the fact * hat there hlnni ® 0 he occupants, bevond dint TV??' «>e scene of the S > Constable Satherlev reported thn matter to headquarters at Wellington."

A bedroom thief has been busy at the well-known Auckland private W»] Cargeii. where sums rrom £2O down +' n. few shillings have disappeared Several rooms were visited and the poeke , « occupants emptied. The total amoun I'","."? £3 °" Auckland has boe„ uctimised at different times by some very clever hotel thieve*, amon/wCm nas one of outstanding ability with an English reputation. This man Wi „ simple device by means of which he en ered rooms even when theT"^ "■'ded°hl t! inS i ' d B P ' I'ici'lentallv. he , " e " *1 f,l ° mystification of his victimby carefully their dWTS ho kev on the inside of the door' after he had returned to the corridor. This man came bv his undoing in the end owbv whic!, P i > ' VSICaI (!e , fect - a slight limp— I ,' ,e was "lontified bv a victim icavint W f a f ' jlMt ' the'thief Wu|l iar "a't Tr*" notice<! j,is P«»imr ga.t. flis Sjmple ljtt , ■ sr* the re!ics ° f th ° «* tinJ 6 ,I . aVO J le , ftrd muoh duri "? the elect v Ut t! ' e ° Vils of **vlv Govern- ? ,' lan - v l)f the Beforni Party have o \ t,,e evils of th « Party svs' Hip'p f ' n " r ' cnn ' l! datns of either Hie demand for an Elective Fxecutivo has been m „ tle by , nany of om . ; ?e "f A'- v P rnmi "ent parliamcntarLl ' f tWe ,s a body of .eling i,i favor of some modification of the .Swiss system in the appoints of Whether that W cm would suit our institutions or not, could certainly experiment at this' juncture by setting up a National Cabinet, not selected entirely on party lines As we have said on another occasion. Mi. Mnssey and his nartv have a went importunity of showing that to (hn-n—----to use the phraseology of the member nl^7 r " _ « e W ' f;,rß " f the 00,n,t '-v all considerations of party Kriiciency and ability, it seems to us are of much greater account and of far more importance than the repetition of nartv shibboleths. Will the Reform Party in his crisis of our affairs, prove their loyalty to great ends, and act as an example to all parties bv igiiorne party in their choice of an Exwntive? This nronosal of a non-nart.y National fiovernment will, we feel assured be received with approval by most of our fel-low-colonists. Few pronosals in politic unanimity, and some will be tound to rai«e the party cry. Those who expect office nnd are not chosen will assuredly disapprove. and there will be tound n few who are ahvavs 'Wn' the Government." But the welfare of our own neonle must he our first nnd only consideration, and if that inspires us we must help forward the creation of n .nationalist Cabinet whose members will place the good of the Dominion as a whole as their Tiishest ideal.

The Loan and Mercantile remind clients they are holding their usual monthly sale at Matau on Friday next Jan. 9. '