LOCAL AND GENIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 February 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENIAL.

In the past year the AVsnganut Borough valuations have .increased;by...£l7y. 000, from £194,000 to £211,000. ■. .'.•: >.; No fewer than nineteen fresh ca¥ei"of influenza wore (report th'e , 'Argus)' ; *nd B ti-' fled in the Kaponga distfiyt on "Sittur- 1 day. ~..iny -. ju. .■:.■ At a meeting of bandsman at Patea on!. Friday last, it was decided i* reform the. Patea brass band, and Mr. Baxter. ; c.anJented to act as conductor until EastejF, At last night's meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council very appreciative, remarks were made as to the success with which the borough inspector had; controlled the traffic in connection with the recent race meetings. , At last night's meeting of the High Schools Board it -was decided to congratulate the principals of the two schools on the gratifying results achieved at the recent public examinations, which were considerably better than for many years past.

The New Plymouth Borough Council last night empowered the Disputes Committee to confer with the tramway employees on the matter of increases in wages and improved conditions which are being asked for. Another supply of benzine will be brought to New Plymouth this week. The Huia, whbh has just brought a full cargo of benzine, is due to leav* Wellington to-morrow with another shipment. A cargo of about 2000 tons of coal is to arrive at New Plymouth shortly. Advice has been received that a collier is to leave Newcastle for this port direct, but particulars as to the name of the vessel and her late of departure for New Plymouth are not yet available. A particularly hot day was experienced in New Plymouth yesterday, the "glass" registering slightly over eighty degrees in the shade. The eighty mark has been touched twice before this season, but yesterday seemed more oppressive than usual. The town bore a somewhat deserted appearance, and many people spent the day at the seaside. Lupins are proving a perfect curse to the farmers in the Woodvilie district, the pest being especially troublesome along the Gorge road, where settlers are experiencing great difficulty in eradicating it. Plenty of lucrative employment is available from farmers for cutting this growth, but men are scarce. Some farmers are offering the work on contract, others on the wage system.—Examiner. At last night's, meeting of the High Schools Board it was decided to issue a oiroular to parents of boarders stating that boarding fees would probably have to be raised during the second and third terms, owing to the increasing cost of living. This, it was stated, would be only a temporary expedient and a reduction would be made at the end of the year if possible. In a letter to the New Plymouth Borough Council last night the secretary of the Frankleigh Park Settlers' Association, who wrote in respect to the laying of a water pipe main along Frank'ley Road, said the Association would be prepared to consider the question of providing the labor for the work, which he said would bo done in three days, while if the borough did it it would' take ten days. The comment was received with laughter by the Council. In a note by the engineer, exception was taken to the remark, and it was stated that if the men came along they could get a job at any time.

The art union in connection with the Catholic Bazaar held in New Plymouth was drawn at the Soldiers' Club last night. The winners are:-—First prize, gold nugget, value £2O, No. 737, Mr. W.. Devlne, Palmerston North; second prize, oil painting, value £l2, No. 2109, Mr. Goldie, 342 St. Aubyn Street, New Ply-, mouth; third,prize, hand-painted mirror, value £7 10s,'No. 1310, Mr. R. Gribbon, Waitara; fourth prize, oil painting, value £5, No. 1468, Mr. L. McAsey, Lepperfon; fifth prize, oil painting," value £4, No. 246, name not available; sixth prize," oil painting, value £2; No. 1031, Mr. A. Knight, Veale Road, New Plymouth. .

Mr. G. H. Bell, of Oakura, has just received word that his handsome little Jersey cow Sylvia of O.K. has won the gold medal, offered .by the Jersey Breeders' Association for the highest semiofficial butter-fat record in the senior two-year-old class for New Zealand. Sylvia of O.K.'s record is 9774.21b5. of milk, which yielded 556.911b5. fat, a very creditable performance indeed, especially so seeing that she had only to produce 2731b5. of fat to qualify for her certificate of merit. Mr. Bell also had a junior two-year-old heifer under semi-official test, and also not in the medal list; she too put up a splendid performance, producing 7919.51b5. of milk, 460.151b5. fat. This heifer had to produce 2461b5. fat to qualify for her certificate. The price of galvanised iron is not likely to decline, judging by a report from the British Department of Overseas Trade. This states: "The total exports of galvanised sheets from the United Kingdom for the first nine months of 1919, amounted to 109,039 tons, having a value of £3,560,530, while the figures for the corresponding period of 1913 were 5(11,63" tons and £7,737,210. The position of this trade' to-day is that, while productive capacity remains, very much what it was before the war, manufacturers have been unable, owing to difficulties mainly connected with labor, to approach their pre-war output. The situation lias been aggravated by the recent railway strike necessitating the closing down of most of the mills, and it will take some time to clear off the arrears of business. Practically all works are fully booked with order's until the. end of the year, and with only one or two works now quoting, the price ruling is very firm at £32 per ton, minimum for 24-gaugc corrugated sheets in bundles

The Coal Conference will probably conclude to-day, although there are stiil important matters to be discussed.

The departure of the Mokoia for Samoa has been •postponed until 3 p.m. today. This, lias been caused by the (iovernment arranging with the Union Company to allow the. ship to call at Lyttclton on the way from Port Chalmers to pick pp a very large number of passengers stranded there through the dislocation of the ferry service.

The flOtli anniversary of the battle of Waireka, the successful ending of which saved the townV New Plymouth, takes place on the 28th March. It is the in-, tention'of the younger men of tin town to marlc the occasion by entertaining the fnirvivo'vs and other Maori war veterans. Before the great war the veterans were entertained each year to a dinner. This time it' is hoped to take them out for : tt moWr trip- and visit the old battle grounds, and to wind up the day with a tlinner'and concert.

a deputation from the Returned Soldiers' Association waited on the Magisterial Repatriation Board, and, amongst j other matters, suggested that tlie. ? for business loans be increased ,from ' £soo ,'shpuld, ,be ~fra*. of interest, apd that the 'limit ,for furniture loans be increased jro'm £pp to £75 free of interest- These .matters-were discussed by the New Plymouth ■..: Repatriation Conmvttee last evenings ; the unanimous feeling . being ;thet the Increases should be granted, it .being pointed out that £3OO nowadays did not go very far in setting up or, .purchasing a 'business, and that, then£sty now granted for the purchase ofjurniture was quite inadequate for the purpose. >.A resolution in support of the proposals was carried, and will be,conveyed to the Repatriation Department,

The junior pupils of the Citizens' band are reminded that a meeting will be held In the bandroom, Leach street, at it o'clock on Tuesday (this evening), for the purpose of arranging the new time-table, and general matters. Every youth must he present, so that the instruments where alloted may bo checked Off, and others distributed where possible Those boys having instruments belongs ing to the band and failing to l,e present, will render themselves liable to forfeit same, as other lads are waiting to be supplied with an instrument.

The Melbourne's, annual "Stocktaking sale has only .ano.thcr .twelve days to run. All goods reduced during the sale' will revert tq former prices Imtnedia'tely on conclusion of the sale. Buyers are |)articukr , ly , 'rcque?te'd' , 'f.o lio'te' ■fa<--:. and make their jfuf chafes' accordingly. '•• A public.meeting;will be h,e!d;in the Town Hall, Stratford,,, on inst., in regard. ,to t\\e .new .railway, station proposal?. . !,'_.,". ' ;ij .'•''._'. A welcome social will be timdwed to the Rev. J. \V. and Mrs.McKfiaii'.ie.Jit St. Andrew's Hall, Stratford, to-night." To-day, at their mart, Oun-te'Street; Webster Bros, are selling the largest quantity of fruit for this season, It comprises over 700 boxes of some of the choicest fruits from Auckland, Nelson, and Hastings. The sale commences at 2.30.

Over one hundred heavy horses of excellent quality are catalogued for Messrs R, IP. Morrissey and Col's show iior«e sale to be held in Gillander's stables, Hawera, on Friday next. Farmers and buyers requiring good milk carters or sound heavy working horses fhonld be able to have their requirements filled at. the fair. The sale will commence at 10.30 sharp. Particulars will be found in our advertising columns.