LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Waikaio visitor to levin states that the high prices being received for butter-fat at the dried inilk factories up north are enhancing the price of good cows, and that dairymen expect values to go up to £SO and £OO in a year or two. One effect is to improve the milking breeds, whilst anything below standard is promptly culled. There is a pronounced scarcity of wax matches in Christeliurch at present, and many tobacconists are without supplies. There are, however, still adequate stocks of wooden matches, whicli are mainly obtained in Japan. The bulk of the wax matches used are now manufactured in the Dominion. A shortage of the materials used in the manufacture is given aa the main reason for the shortage. It lias been stated that the Labor candidate in connection with the Queen Carnival at the Catholic Bazaar had withdrawn from the contest. The candidate. is still in the contest, and it is the hope of the committee that the Labor Party will rally round their queen and place her at the top of the poll on the final night of the competition. Legislation is to be prepared to deal with and to prevent, as far as it is deemed desirable, the attendance of school children at night entertainments. An intimation to this eifect was received by the Auckland Education Board from the Education Department. The proposal to introduce legislative control is stated to be the result of action having been taken in the matter by the Auckland Headmasters' Association. Incoming English mails promise to be few and far between for the near future. An American and English mail will arrive by the Waikawa, which left San Francisco for Wellington on January 13. She should arrive at Wellington on the 10th of February. The Ruapehu, due at Auckland about the 28th, will have an English mail, and word has been received that the Athenic, which left Home 011 the 16th instant; lias English letters aboard also. Whilst a party of XJrenui residents were Ashing oft' the Murawai cliffs, near Urenui, a large stingaree was hooked by Mrs. F .Puller, and with the assistance of other members of the party after a strenuous struggle lasting, two hours, it was drawn into shallow water -at the base of the cliff' and despatched when the receding tide permitted members of the party to get down to it.The monster was over C feet 6 inches long, its sting being about 16 inches. This trophy 19 now in the possession of the lady, who was responsible foj- its capture. The record shipment of hardwood timber from West Australia, which has been brought to Auckland by the steamer Admiral Codrington for the Railway Department, includes about 160,000 jarrah sleepers. The remainder of the cargo consists of a miscellaneous assortment of timbers required for ordinary railway purposes. The timber will be distributed over the northern half of the. North Island, and most of it will be allocated to sections in the Auckland district.

A sidelight on the reas&n for the low rate of exchange on the tlnited States was thrown by an Ameritym visitor, who was airing his views freely in one of the Auckland hotels. He said: "My country has been paying tribute for about 120 years, and now that she is no longer a borrowing nation, but is the only lending nation in the world at the present time, she means to hold on and make the best of her opportunities." He followed up his remarks with various arguments in support of his contention that America had the ball at her feet and would make good use of it.

Several matters of importance to his electorate were brought before the Government by Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., during a visit to Wellington this weeli! The Minister for Public Works promised to obtain a report on the question of metalline Mount Messenger and the need for pushing on the lower Awakino Valley Road. Mr. Jennings urged the Minister for Education to provide suitable accommodation for married teachers in the back districts, while in an interview with the Prime Minister Mr. Jennings emphaslsed the desirability of completing telegraphic communication between Tahora and Tatu.

The ruthless manner in which incapacitated men are hustled by able-bodied people during the nightly scramble for tramcars in the city was instanced to the Postmaster-General, the Hon J (lordon Coates, by Mr. A. C. A. Sexton! of the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association, as an example of the handicap under which these men suffer. Mr. Sexton urged an additional allowance of £2O a j ear for those who lost a leg, and, unfortunately speaking from personal experience, he said the amount of exertion required to walk even a short distance with an artificial limb was from five to ten times that expended by the normal individual. Men. who had lost a leg had not the same enduring power that they formerly possessed, and they were at the mercy even of school children when they were in a cro wd. An additiona pension would help to compensate or the great, disabilities and personal "■conveniences suffered. Mr. Coates agreed, and said he would see what could be done in the matter.

will i I "' lVile S e railway warrants will now be issued to all soldiers suffering from disabilities which, in the opinion of a medical officer, render firstclass accommodation necessary. In his annual report to the Senate at Dunedin the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand (Sir Robeit Stout), referred to the fact a considerable number of New Zc; i University students and others "v „ " ,e , mb ,7. of the Expedition!::",' Force had obtained scholarships in the would h Tf erSitieS ' Tl ' ese * ould be o immense service to the students m enlarging their outlook and in making them acquainted with the MothTip" "I!V education al institutions. These scholars would return to their native country, so that people in New Zealand would have the advantages of their services, in building up and im proving the social life , „^ e Cftnnot ford to lose our bright and intellectual youths observed the Chancellor; "there is ample work here for them to do." Not a little quiet amusement was caused by a slightly hysterical lady who occupied the witness-box in the Auckland. Police Court the other afternoon, fehe was giving evidence in support of hor application to have her husband prohi'bned, and slated that, after bavinendured great W ™tal agony for years" affairs reached a climax, and "she had to come to this dreadful Court." "Oh! J loathe it" she said, and then added dramatically, "Why, I'd rather go to the dentist, any day."

A telegram from Wellington says an Order-in-Council prohibits the exportation of preserved milk, condensed milk, and dried milk, save with the consent of the Minister of Customs on the recommendation of the Board of Trade. A telegram from Timaru says the manager of the Colonial Motor Company yesterday paid a cheque tor £4OOO in Customs duty on 280 Ford vehicles, to be landed at Timaru ex the Whakatanc from Montreal. The amount equals half the last financial year's Customs at Timaru. A telegram from Auckland says the dry spell prevailing since the middle of October has been broken, steady rain setting in about nine o'clock yesterday morning. In twelve hours one* inch has fallen, this being the first occasion since October that this figure has been recorded. The Minister for Railways said yesterday that instructions had been given for a modification of the order of reference to the Railway Servants' Employment Board (says a telegram from Wellington). He hoped the Board would be able to go on with tlia business on Monday. A dairyman residing not fifty miles from Stratford (reports the Post), states that he has got a purebred Jersey that can beat all the recent records. Tor two days his cow gave 105.21bs of milk with a test of 7.2, which works out at a lump better than Mrs. Banks' cow giving Gslbs per day on a test of 4.0 4 and making 81.691bs fat for the month. A meeting of dairymen at Christchurch decided to increase the wholesale price of milk to Is 2d per gallon. The increase is to come into force on February Ist, and continue until May Ist. This is a rise of 2d on the present price.' FAIRY WONDER Cleaner, the wonderful new discovery for washing clothes, has taken the feminine world by storm. No other washing compound gets the clothes such a good color in so short a time and with less rubbing and boiling. In fact, with Fairy Wonder, partially soiled white goods such as sheets, pillow cases, etc., may be put in the copper and boiled for fifteen minutes to come out spotlessly snow white. Ask your grocer for it. The famous yellow label pure wool llama cashmere hose is again in stock at the Melbourne, Ltd., at its Cd per pair. Thiß hose is absolutely the best of its kind and is imported direct, from the makers in Leicester, England. Other makes of cashmere pure wool hose in stock at as (id to 7s 6d.