LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ac Wednesday's mooting of the Wangamii Education Board, the Department notified a grant of £2BO for the drainago of the Patea School. It was expected that communication on the Whar.gamcmona line would he restored yesterday. In the meantime trains have been running as far as PohoUura.

A fire broke out about 11 p.m. on Wednesday in a cottage at the Patea Heads, occupied by Mr. O'Louehlan, and owned by Air. E. E. Wells, of Hawera, the building being completely destroyed, together with i|s contents. The origin of the outbreak is a mystery.—Press.

A meeting of the Equitable Building Society of.New Plymouth was held last night. Two appropriations,of £l5O each were disposed of by ballot, both going to Mrs. E. Buchanan. Two appropriations offered for sale by tender were sold at a premium of £l6 10s.

A smart, but hardly commendable, performance was reported from the Hav.-era showgrounds. A carter was removing, among other things, a quantity o" bread that had been left over from the show. On returning after a short absence he found that two sacks filled with loaves had disappeared. Who was responsible ho was unable to discover.

A meeting of the New Plymouth Patriotic Committee; was held yesterday, Mr. W. J. Clianey presiding. It was decided to support the proposal contained in the notice of motion given by the chairman of the Taranaki War Relief Association to re-transfer £18,867 13s 4d from the loan account to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. Five applications and medical certificates under the terms of the permanently disabled soldiers' scheme were considered, and recommendations made in each case.

It is estimated that the Hawera A. and P. Association lost from .£BOO to £IOOO as a result of tiio wet weather during the show, but a number of generous offers have been made which will help to improve the posit'on. Some members have agreed to double their subscriptions, some exhibitors refused to take the prize money awarded them, and a number of special donations have been promised. One gentleman has offered to give a donation of £5 if fifty others will make s'inilar donations.

The M'nfiill at Inglewood in the early part of this week is said to be the heaviest for some thirty years, and for the 24 hours ending 0 o'clock on Thursday morning, the 19th, it was certainly the heaviest recorded since the, instalment of a rain guage there in 1914. The score was (1.55 inches, which beat the former to]) mark on July 21st, 1015, 6.42 inches, by a noticeable margin. There is no damage to streets in _ the borough, nor to roads or bridges in the country reported at present.

There was a fair attendance at the meeting he-Id last night, in the Soldiers' Club, for the purpose of forming a Boxing Association in New Plymouth. Mr. K. Whittle was voted to the chair. A letter was received by the committee previously set up from the secretary of the N.Z. Boxing Council, stating that there was already a Boxing Association from the town affiliated to the Council. In the face of this the meeting was adjourned, and a committee, consisting of the chairman and secretary (Mr. E. Clarke), T. P. Smith, and Jas. Garcia, was. set up to get into communication with the officials of the old Association, if possible, a'ter which a further meeting, will be held, and the old Association will cither be revived or a new one formed.

Some interesting details of the part played in the war by members of the New Zealand Fire Brigades, wore given by Captain Champion, of Huwera, in responding to the toast of the United Fire Brigades' Association, at Thursday night's social function at Stratford. He said that there were on the roll of the Association 241)1) men, of whom no less than ](i.')7 enlisted, a record of which they could feel justly proud. Of this number, ?.!)'■) were' killed, 304 wounded, 048 invalided home, and 5 were prisoners of war. The distinctions earned by firemen included a V.C., earned by Lieut. Grant, of Hawern, two Distinguished Service Orders, nine Distinguished Conduct 'Medal;, four Military Crosses, thirty Military Medals, and the Belgian Croix cle Guerre. This was a splendid record, which would be hard to beat, and he ventured to say that if the necessity ever arose again, the firemen would be among the first to answer their country's call. One of the most effective precautionary measures against an attack of influenza is the free use of "Nazol" day and nljsht.

The sale of Mason's. -Gardens, the Well-known and extensive property at 'J'aita, Lower Hutt, lias been effected for a sum running .into five figures (says the New Zealand Time?). According to Mr. Charles .T. King, of Xapier, who was in Germany at the'outbreak of war, there were none in Hil-i who were not overjoyed at the thought of the war. All, even women and children, stated they had been waiting for it all their lives. There was no doubt of the result, the general opinion being nit the end would eome in two or three months.

"Ours," says the Sydney Daily Telegraph, and the remarks apply equally to New Zealand, -'is a fruit-eating climate; we ought to eat fruit with every meal throughout the summer, and a great deal of fruit in winter even. Many people wotild prefer to make their breakfast or their mid-day meal of fruit alone, and a larger proportion of fruit among our foodstuffs would probably make a, real difference to the health of the population." The Glasgow Bulletin, under the heading ''A Fortunate Misfortune," says: ''Mr, P. M. M'Kay, a New Zealand Scot, had the misfortune to lose one of his hands while engaged at his trade of carpenter awl builder. With Scottish grit, he set about repairing the damage, and with such success that the Government of New Zealand adopted his artificial arm. Since he brought his clever invention to this country it has beer, taken up by the Ministry of Pensions." It is curious to observe that now the farmers are asking for a free mark-ct for hides, on which they have for some time been robbed at the rate of about £1 each hide, the people engaged in the "protected'' leather trades have suddenly found there is a scarcity of leather, and that the removal of' the embargo on export of hides may lead to all sorts of disasters; In' this plaint the monopolists are being strongly backed up by the Unions interested, who, of course., have no sympathy with the farmers.

Wo (Manawatu Times) have linen favored with a look at the balancesheets of the "Hawera County Electric Co., Ltd," for the past niiw years. Though little is heavd of their operal:c:is. they arc pf much interest to the pcopie of this district. ■ The capital uibscribed is only £14.525, and the annual revenue is already £10,405, with an annual average increase of £10(10. There are 1253' consumer.-,, also showing an annual increase of 100. A steady dividend of 7 per cent, is maintained and the reserves amount to £"o!'2_ Taxation amounting to £141!) is paid. In a Government scheme it is assumed that this sum will, not be chargeable.

"A great many families in Auckland ami m '■• -mitres cannot afford to have their children closelv watched by servant:., and . >s. therefore, my solemn duty to nrntect llin-e children from men of your kind," said Mr.' Justice Chapman at the Supreme Court recently (says the New Zealand Herald), when sentencing a prisoner who had been '■v>:v' emit'- V.f indecent assault. His Honor added: —"Mnr.v children are compelled >:<> nl.iv in the streets, and a great many mothers, when they hear-of eases like this, must feel considerable apprehension. Since I have been on the bench I have had plenty of evidence of the anxiety of parents regarding the safety of their young children from men of evil habits and designs." The prisoner, who had been recommended to mercy by the jury, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment with hard laborA native who hails from the Waitotara district, and who joined up with the Main Body, seeing service at Gallipoli and on the western front, was passing through New York on his way home when he ■ was hailed by a welldressed American, who shook him warmly by the hand and exclaimed: "You are a New Zealand native I see, Do you happen to know Patea?" The native, who was taken aback by the warmth of the greeting, replied, "Do you mean a man or a place?" The American answered, "A town in Taranaki." The native immediately replied that he knew it very, well as lie came from within teir miles of it, whereupon the American asked him if he knew anybody of the name of Howitt, to. which the native replied that he. did. as he remembered them being in business there some years ago. The American said, "Well. I happen to be a nephew of Mrs. Howitt's. Her brother was my father. 1 wish you would go and sen them when you get back and tell them you have seen me. My name is Maokay. Are you.doing anything? If not, come along with me and I will give you a good time." The native said he was doing nothing, but was on his way back to New Zealand, and he spent two days with his new-found friend, who treated him like a king, takirnr him everywhere and seeing that he lacked for nothing. The sequel occurred a few days ago when a knock came to Mr. Howitt's front door, and on opening it a welldressed Maori was seen wearing the hadn-e of a returned soldier. lie immedialclv asked if Mr. Howitt lived there, and -on being told that he did, he said he desired personally to thank him for the kindness shown him by his nephew in Now York.—Patea Press.

Kntries arc coming in well for the Taranaki A. and P. Show at New Plymouth next month, and there is every promise of a splendid gathering. Kutries close to-night, at nine o'clock, v.'ith the secretary, Mr. W. P. Okey.

The annual Easter Monday picnic at Kawaroa Park this year promises to eclipse all other functions. The energetic committee have matters well in hand. Several new novelties will he introduced. Good work has been carried out in cleaning up the portion of the reserve at tlie back of the baths. The Band will give a recital at the Park on Sunday afternoon. The whole of the drive Ims been top-dressed, and the grounds are in fair order, reflecting great credit on the custodian.

The animal stoektairing sale at the .Melbourne, Ltd., stores will positively end on Saturday, the 28th inst, A reminder is given that sale prices on present indications cannot be duplicated for years, indeed if ever again.

The sale of building site* advertised by the Farmers' Co-op. Organisation Society of N.JS:, Ltd., to be held at the Winter Show Buildings to-morrow (Saturday) on account of Mr. S. K, Corry, will not take place. The sale has been indefinitely postponed to a- date to be announced later.

The attention of our readers is drawn to the Horticultural Society's chrysanthemum schedule, which appears in our advertising columns. Those interested in chrysanthemum culture should cut the advertisement out for refernece. The show is to be held on Thursday, 22nd April, at the WMteley Hall.