LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The TJromii Hotel has been taken over by Sergeant Trehey, late of the New Zealand police force. To Saturday last the War Expenses Department met 55.237 claims for gratuities, representing a total disbursement of £3,325,074. —Press Association. The Pa tea County Council decided on Saturday as tlie weekly half-holiday, the chairman's motion in favor of Wednesday beimr defeated. The Borough Council of Patea deferred its decision on the matter with a view to seeing what action was taken by Hawera. The Tutrimuri block, which has been acquired from Messrs Biddiforrt Bros, by the Government for soldier settlement, is to be thrown open lor selection in February. The land which is situated about sixteen miles from Martinborough, has been cut up into eleven holdings, ranging in area from 350 to 000 acres. A visitor from Wellington, the holder of a considerable amount of property, who spent a few days in Te Kuiti, has ?aid that if ever lie went back there it would be at this season of the year. The quietness of the town made the statement seem a little curious so he was asked the reason. "Well, all the land agents seem to be away,"' was the reply.

At the Westport borough Council's meeting last night it was resolved to request the Government to remove the clause in the Finance Act, 1915, resulting in unjust impositions on the revenue of the • Westport Harbor Board.—Press Association.

Quite a settlement lias been established at the Waverley beach. Last week tli ere were no less than 106 persons camping there —approximately one-sixth of the population of the town.—Press. The takings of the Hastings Municipal Theatre on the occasion of the UrenClabby fight, amounted to £IOOO 14s 6d. The Hawke's Bay Boxing Association estimate that a net profit of about £3OO will result.

"He is a good working horse, but he goes to sleep in the shafts," said the Engineer, at the Patea County Council meeting on Monday, when referring to the sale of the county horses. "Bit of the go-slow policy about him," added the chairman.—Star.

The final meeting of the Southland Electrification Committee was held yesterday to arrange for handing over its affairs to the Electric Power Board, which holds its first meeting to-morrow. The Board is the first in the Dominion to be constituted under the Electric Power Boards Act.—Press Association. The Matapu School Committee was granted permission by the Board yesterday to erect a memorial to fallen soldiers in the school grounds, and a roll of honor in the school building, subject _to the approval of the Board's architect and the agricultural instructor, as to the exact position of the memorials.

New Plymouth anglers who fished the coastal streams last week-end came across undoubted evidence of trout poaching. Hidden near a fine pool of water was a home-made spear which evidently had seen a good deal of service. In addition, three or four of the trout taken had marks on them which had probably been caused by bullets from a pea-rifle. At yesterday's meeting of the Education Board advice was received from the Department that no action could be taken at present iir the direction of rebuilding the Central and Courtenav Street schools. Mr. Smith referred to the medical inspector's report upon the health of the children at these school:, in 1918, and said he hoped the deputation which would go to Wellington shortly would have something to say The Taranaki men from the Kjgoma, on reaching Hawera on Tuesday evening, were given a hearty welcome bv the Mayor (Mr. E. Dixon), who congratulated the soldiers upon their service for King and Empire. The Salvation Army Band was present, and rendered several selections pleasingly. Cheers were given the Hawera men and their comrades who went north. Private Watkins was the only one of the Kigoma draft to arrive in Stratford, and he°was formally welcomed home by the DeputyMayor (Mr. Campbell Jackson).

The continued drv spell is causin« considorab!.. *.lnrm in farming districts throughout tiie Auckland province, and, m keeping with other parts, the dairying and agricultural lands on the Wai'hi Plains, at Athenree and at Katikati are suffering. The Ptanis have stood the drought better than parts of the Waikato and other districts, but unless a good fall of rain comes shortly the milk suuply. which has alreadv fallen wejl below the average for this' time of year, must show further diminution. ' and crops, including turnips, must suffer seriously.

The following matters which have occupied the attention of the Taranaki Education Board on various occasions, were yesterday referred to Messrs Mastens, White and Smith to interview the Department while in Wellington: Establishment of D.H.S. at Opunake, West End School site, New Plymouth Technical College site. Stratford College. Waitara School, Hawera Technical School building, schools in Mangorei district new schools at Central and Courtenav Street, new residences, Marakopa School site, grants foi bathrooms and washhouses, delay in anproval oi 'subsidies arid the question'of the increased prices of materials and labor.

Still another effort .is (states the Argus) being made to revive the Eltlinm Cricket Club, and there now appears to be mueli greater prospect of success. Earlier in the season the financing of the club promised to be a somewhat difficult proposition, but some donations have now been promised and some of the 'gear previously belongrns to the club has been discovered, which will make it a much easier matter. Several local plavers are taking the matter up with enthusiasm, and it is hoped that practice will be commenced shortly. Challenges have been received from a number of neighboring clubs. A remarkable feature of some implications which were before the Education Board yesterday was the fact that three matters which came in succession before the Board for consideration related to requests for assistance bv school committees, each of which reported large sums of money raised by the local residents to further the interests of their schools. One school had a balance of £2(14: another presented a cheque for £302: and a third had between £7O and £SO. and the Board was naturally concerned that these voluntary contributions should receive the fullest subsidisation by. the Department

The increased cost of homes and the ris.np cost of building j s ! mv ; ng an a preciable effect on insurant business in Wellington and elsewhere in Xew Zealand. People have been realism* that a home whirl, cost, say £ 1000. \vonld cost U2OOO to-da- to rebuild, and the result has been for them to increase their insurance. Insurance authorities stated that (he increased cost of buildm.? was beinjr taken into consideration, and, tor the purposes of insurance, the present day value of a Uldiiuj was taken into consideration when it was valued for insurance. The increases *o made by cautions people formed no inin Wellington during the past year.

Great development has-.taken place of ate in the Thames Valley Last year the production of the district, measured in money, amounted to about £4 500 000 and of this sum the Hanraki Plains 'eon' tribute* £150,000. The trend in agricultural districts now is to make the facilities for transport of produce for shipment easy and quick dispatch. At present the wharf facilities at Thames, the terminal of the Valley district, fall far short of the requirements of the dairying industry. An ambitious scheme "is being considered by the Thames Harbor Board which will allow of the berthage of moderately-siml ocean-going vessels foi the Thames Harbor Board by Mr Blair Mason, and the scheme, to cost between £175,000 and £200,000, will allow ot vessels of a draught of 22 to 20 feet going right up to the wharf to load

Owners are reminded that nominations for the Taranaki Trottino- Club's inaugural meeting close with the secretary, at New Plymouth, at 9 o'clock Already good entries have been received tor all events.

A profitable butchery business is adverted for sale on page 1 by Messrs W. H. and . . McGarry. j&i&aia

Through the kindness of the Hawera people, all the accommodation hag been provided for the members of the N.S.W. State Orchestra.

Mr. Hope Gibbons states that the trustees of the Aotea Home in Egypt are arranging to award to the nurses and rother members of the staff of that institution (all of whom have now returned to New Zealand) gratuities similar to those granted by the Government to members of the Expeditionary Force.

A prominent dairyman informed an Argus representative on Saturday that it is certain that the prices of both butter and cheese will show la advance on any previous rates. It is anticipated that even if the Imperial Government purchases the produce there must be a. substantial increase, while if the factories sell on the open market there will be a. big jump in the price obtained. On the recommendation of the Financo Committee, the Taranaki Education Board yesterday decided to apply to the Department for a special grant of £IOO in order to provide apparatus for introducing Montessori methods in connection with the infant departments of its larger schools, and that advice of this be sent to the head-teacher of the Hawera School, from whom an application in this respect had been received.

When the son and daughter of two neighboring dairy farmers got "spliced," the arrangement was that they should reside with the bridegroom's parents and help to work the place. The day after the wedding a friend dropped in about cow time to have a pitch with the old man, and was surprised to see the newlyweds hard at work milking, "Didn't they have a honeymoon?" he asked. "Honeymoon!" said dad. "No time to go honeymooning. But they missed two milkings.'V-Eltham Argus.

A remarkable discovery was made as the result of investigations into the death of a bullock on Mr. R. H. Phillips' farm at Hurioa recently. A piece of rubber tubing, three feet long, of the type ordinarily used in connection with milking machines,' was found in the animal's stomach, and apparently had caused its death. About six inches of the tubing had been chewed, and the rest swailowed whole. This should serve as a warning to stock-owners to keep their places clear of odds and ends of this description.—Post.

The Taranaki Education Board yesterday passed a resolution asking "the Department, owing to the unstable condition of labor and materials, to give the Board an assurance that it would bear the extra cost of erecting buildings over and above the grants authorisedMr. Masters said the position was worse now than it was during any time during the war period. The members of the Board heartily supported the resolution, which was brought forward by the chairman.

A "Peeping Tom" received well deserved punishment at Auckland the other day. The other night,. Just as the lady inmates of a residence at Devonport had finished undressing, one of the girls put up the blind and lowered the window to let rsomc cool air into her, room. There he was, the figure of a man outside the window, and the dim outline of a hat hanging on the gatepost. The young lady was badly frightened, and gave the alarm. Meanwhile the male figure moved rapidly away, removed the hat from the, gate post, and was gone. But in the morning there was found in the garden beneath the window a handkerchief with a- man's name on the corner. This handkerchief was handed over to the police, and they made a point of interviewing a young man named William Richard Harrison, aged 20, who was charged with being found bv night on private premise?. It war,' proved he had gone a long way out of his way to peep into the girls' bedrooms. He was sentenced to a month's hard labor.

At yesterday's meeting of the Education Board, in pursuance of notice given at the previous inedlKng, Mr. H. Trimble moved that the Board being of opinion that a third inspector is permanently needed in the district, protests against the continued employment of Mr Dempsey as an inspector. His argument in favor of the motion Was that it was not in the best interests of an efficient service to employ in such a capacity a superannuated officer of the Board. 'He agreed that a third inspector was necessary and thought a teacher still in active service should be appointed to the position. Otherwise there was no chance of teachers rising to the best and highest salaried positions in the profession. Tlie motion was seconded pro forma. After some discussion an amendment was carried to the effect that the Department be urged to permanentlv appoint a third inspector of schools in the district. Members regretted the reference to Mr. Dempsey in the motion, and urged Mr. Trimble' to delete nnv personal reference from it. but this 'he declined to do. Appreciative references were made to the very good work done by Mr. Dempsey.

Large quantities of timber are piled up on the mill skids on the West Coast awaiting shipment here, says the Christclinrch Sun. Yet there is a grave shortage of timber at present in the citv so much so indeed that the building boom, which was commencing, has really temporarily collapsed for lack of materials Unfortunately, (he greatest shortage exists m dry timber, and materials which have not gone through the proper seasoning stages are, in manv wises, beinutilised for interior work. ' The position as explained by a merchant, was that the shortage was largely due to the action of the Board of Trade in requiring shipowners to give preference to coal as a freight. Shipowners, wherever coal was available, were required to load that fuel as a cargo. Timber had largely been carried whenever there was not coal enough to complete a careo. In consequence of this policy, he considered that during 1019 not half the timber was brought to Canterbury as was tho case in 1314. In Greymouth alone there were hundreds of thousands of feet of timber piled up for shipment. Needless to sav both millers and merchants had protested to the Prime Ministers, and the Board of Trade on the matter, and folowing these representations, there' had been some relief, but it was quite insufficient.

Webster Bros, advertise a sale for next Saturday morning at 10.30 of a quantity of timber, iron and glass, on tlie sue of their old mart, Devon Street. Men's Police braces 2s lid at the Melbourne, Ltd., also Shirley President braces, light and heavv weights, 4s Udboys elastic braces, with leather ends' Is 6d; leather belts, 2s 6d; men's Pado garters Is 9d; men's Paris garters, Is Hd; men's Irish lawn handkerchiefs Is each, '

Start the New Year well by wearing Docknll's shoes. The experience of those who have worn them for manv past years is that they are stylish, com fortab e and long wearing, and are the best value iu the town.

Copper, which cost about £SO a tort before the war, costs to-day, landed at Lyttelton, £lO5, an enormous increase, yet it is not so scarce as might bo. imagined, and electrical contractors say that the greatest difficulty is to obtain poles rather than copper (says the Lyt* teltqn Times). The inspector of stock reports that between 30,000 and 40,000 calves have been killed in the Waikato this summer. He states that fanners find it does not pay to rear calves and pigs while the present high prices for butter-fat continue. New country is not being opened up ' quickly enough to absorb all young stock, and he predicts a tremendous shortage of beef.

During last year 99,647 bales of hemp were graded in the Dominion compared with 149,235 the previous year. In December, 2414 bales of tow were graded, as compared with 1187 for the corresponding month of 1918, an increase of 1227 bales. For the twelve months ended December 31st, 1919, the number of bales graded was 19,783, as compared with 28,4198 for the previous twelve months ended December 31, 1919, twelve bales of stripper-slips were graded, as compared with 1307 for the previous twelve months.

The fat stock season is opening and should prove one of. good ' prices for graziers and sheep owners in Southern Hawke's Bay, for while the northern portion of the province has been suffering from the severest drought for years past, the southern district has been blessed with a sufficient, though not by any means superabundant, ,supply of moisture, and will be able to send forward a very fair proportion of fat stuff. The other day, from Mangatera, were despatched 14 trucks Of sheep to the northern freezing works, while 16 trucks went off to Wanganui.—Dannevlrke News. ,

The necessity 'for advertising NeW Zealand in other countries was com* mented on by Mr. H. L. Cunninghamei a resident of'Palmerston North, who rej cently returned from a trip abroad. Hewas astonished to find the ignorance dia/ played in relation to this country while on his travels. The large majority ol! people knew nothing of our geographical. situation, leaving alone the vital qnea* tions of our exports and requirements* Even the editor of London Opinion (Mrl John Hart) had told him he did not' know the name of any one of our towns, The New Zealand soldiers did much to: advertise the, country in Englandi France—and in Germany.

The effect of reduced values of th* sovereign upon fire insurance in New Zealand will probably be an increased ' rate of premiums at an early date, Owners of dwellings and business premises will be compelled to increase their insurances, in order that they may be able to rebuild in case of fire. The nominal value of wooden buildings has increased in some localities by from 25 to 50 per cent., while the cost of re* building has increased by 100 per cent. If the risks on existing tenements are considerably increased the insurance companies will be completed, for their own protection, to raise the premium rates. This is an outlook which may not be viewed with satisfaction by the, general public, but it may have the effect of inducing people to build in, brick and concrete instead of in wood.