LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 February 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Members of the Taranaki Education Board held an enquiry at Manaia yesterday into the cause of the fire at Manaia school.

The sugar shortage in Taranaki is expected to be relieved on the arrival of the Rarasva to-day. The vessel is bringing about seventy-five tons of sugar.

At a sale by Mr. Newton King of town property at Manaia last week, a 4roomed dwelling and quarter-acre fetched £515. Several quarter-acre sections were sold at prices varying from £IOO to £SO.

The populations of the four chief metropolitan areas are respectively: Auckland 133,712, Wellington 95,235, Ghnstchurch 92,733 and Dunedin GS,716.

The rainfall in Hawera during January (reports the Star) totalled just over Gi inches, a good deal above the average, and li inches more than fell last January, which was a wet month. The farm of 96 acres at Inaha, in the estate of the late Mr. F. Silvester, which was offered by auction at Manaia last Tuesday by Mr. Newton King, was knocked down to Mr. W. Forbes, of ICakaramea, at £B7 per acre.—Star. Dairy factories report considerable increase? in the milk supply, owing to the improvement in farming conditions brought about by the rains of the past month. At one factory where the yield fell from an average of from 55 to 56 cheeses per day to only just over 40, the make last week returned to its previous average.

The Auckland district gold return for 1919 totals £463,632, compared with £609,879 for the previous year, a decrease of £146,237. The output from the mines was:—Waihi, 192,613 tons, value £313,T60; Grand Junction, 66,530 tons, value £07,899; Talisman/ 3455 tons, and final clean up, total £46,642,

There is at present in Napier, saya the Hawke's Bay Tribune, a lady whose residence is usually in Dannevirke, who is reported on good authority, to have come into an inheritance that must be 6ensational in the history of Now Zealand. The lady in question was approached by a Tribune reporter, but refused to give any information on the subject, though from the manner of the refusal it appeared that the story was founded on fact.

A warning was given by Miss Mack m her lecture last night against falling into the snare of the Germans who would assuredly come amongst us in the guise of "commercial lambs." She said they had played the part of the "lamb" in many towns they had entered during the war, just so long as it suited their policy to do so; but directly that purpose was served, their innate brutality asserted itself and they became ravenous beasts. So they would in commercial relations if they were given the opportunity. The member for Egmont (Mr. 0. Ho.wken) had a busy time in Wellington last week (states the Argus). Apart from attending the Hide Conference, Mr. Hawken was present at the Bacon Inquiry, which he considers convinced those present that the price of bacon would have to be raised or farmers would refuse to go on with the industry at present. He stated that the Omoana loan has at last been granted to the Eltliam County, and that Sir Wm. Frasor h<ui promised a £ for £ sulb&idy to replace the destroyed Mangawhero bridge, provided the Government engineer's' report is favorable.

The post and telegraph revenue in the New Plymouth postal service for the quarter ended December 31, l!>l!t, was £17,774, as compared with £13,907 for the December quarter of 'l9lß, This total was exceeded by only sis districts in the Dominion—Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Napier and Wanganui. The Savings Bank deposits for last quarter amounted to £428,688, and the withdrawals to £313,157, as agajnst £171,944 and £145,888 in the corresponding period of 1918. The moneyorders issued and paid were £59,747 and £44,799 respectively, as compared with £32,750 and £20,967 in 1918. The Savings Bank deposits were no doubt swelled by soldiers' gratuities.

The approaching visit of the Prince of Wales to New Zealand was mentioned by the Mayor (Mr. J. Clarice) at the meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council last night. Mr. Clarke said that the Government had been requested to include New Plymouth in the tour of the Prince, and he did not think it was necessary to take any further action. No advice had been received from the Government on the matter. It was pointed out by councillors that the Prince would only spend a month in New Zealand, and most of this time would be occupied in visiting the four centres and the leading tourist resorts.

A New Plymouth watersider worker was before the Court yesterday in connection with an application for possession of a dwelling. When the Magistrate learned that the rent was nearly six months in arrears, he questioned the defendant as to why he had allowed himself to get so far behind in his payments, and remarked, "Men in your employment get well paid, and I can't understand why you haven't paid up the rent." His \VoTship also remarked that the rent (9s per week) was very low, and if defendant did not keep up payments be could be turned out and lie would find great difficulty in getting another house. Ultimately an order for possession of the dwelling was made and judgment (with costs) entered for the amount of arrears of rent.

In her lecture last night Miss Made said one of the greatest experiences of those who went through the war was that they ceased to be strangers to each other. Wherever one went and whoever one met, there was always n strong sense of comradeship. From this she went 011 to make a strong appeal to civilians to cultivate this spirit towards the returned soldiers. Any discontent there was among them she attributed to the loss of that feeling of comradeship which they had grown accustomed to during their war service. The fault was because civilians did not understand this experience and the boys could not explain it, and consequently there was often a feeling of great loneliness with them. They had faced war horrors wid death together, and now had to face peace and perhaps prosperity separated, from their comrades, and she urged people everywhere to help make up for this by getting into touch with the boys and providing them with ample amusements.

The Melbourne, (Ltd., are busy preparing their annual stock-taking sale, which is scheduled to commence at New Plymouth, Inglewood, Stratford and Eltham on Friday the Oth inst., and also at Hawera on Thursday, the sth inst. The public are asked to be on the lookout for the special advertisement in the daily newsfajpeM.

Wellington advises that mails which left New Zealand, on December 21, arrived at London on January 31.

A member of the Board of Trade, Mr. Clinkard, arrived in New Plymouth from Wellington last night. His visit is a private one, and concerns only departmental matters. The annual Dominion conference of the Women's National Reserve will be held in New Plymouth this month, opening on the 17th inst. The use of the Borough Council room has been granted for the meeting. "Any man who says he is a carpenter can get a job to-day, no matter how little he knows about the trade," remarked a councillor at the meeting of the Borough Council last night. "I know a man who is getting 2s '<! d an hour who could not build a shed by himself."

The New Plymouth Borough Council haa received a letter from {he Kiwitea County Council asking for support to the following resolution: "That this Council urge upon the Government the desirableness of having the import duty removed from dump trucks purchased by local bodies for the purpose of roadmaking and road maintenance." It was decided to support the Kiwitea Council. The half-holiday question was briefly touched on at the meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council last night, when the solicitors' opinion on the matter, which has already been published, was read. It was decided that as no action could be taken locally to change the day, the Government should be asked to declare Saturday the day of the universal half-holiday throughout the Dominion.

A request for support towards developing the coal resources of the Westport district in order to assist to overcome the shortage of coal was before the New Plymouth Borough Council last night. The matter was brought up in a letter from the Westport Distriet CommitW, which stated that its object was to get the Parliamentary party for Samoa to visit Westport, and it was hoped the Council would impress the desirability of this on the local member of (Parliament. The letter wan received.

The question of rating on unimproved values was brought before the Taranaki County Council yesterday by the chairman (Mr. J. Connett). Mr. Connett said the present system was penalising the man who improved his property, and letting of! lightly the man who did not do much to his land. The man who kept his place in order and improved it had to pay more than the man who did not do so, and this was not fairIn order to take a poll on the question it is necessary to get fifteen per cent of the ratepayers to favor the idea, and w'th this object in view the Council decided to circularise petitions in each riding.

One of the most disappointing features of the tailoring trade during the past year or so has been depreciation of the quality of the cloth and linings In spite of the abnormal increase in cost. For several years it was impossible to get cloth equal in quality to pre-war days. The mixing of cotton with wool in England and the resultant produc* tion of a cloth which often wore well, yet in appearance, after exposure to weather, it never looked like the cloth made from virgin wool. Not only has the quality of the material deteriorated, but the ability of the tailor to tell good cloth has deteriorated, too. He has gradually come down from the 16oz. to ISoz. One of the largest (or rather the largest) tailoring establishments in Taranaki have always had for their motto, "Keep the quality up." You can always depend on the cloth that you get from The Modern Tailors, either at Stratford or New Plymouth. They have some of the good old indigo and black serges on the way now. The W.C.T.U.'s annual meeting will be held in the Good 'Templars' Lodge Room on February 4th, at 2.30 p.m.