LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 February 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tf the price of living doesn't go down, some of us mothers will bo in iSiuinysidi! soon/' was the closing plaint in a letter received by the Mayor of 'Jhristchurch concerning sugar supplies. Most of the delegates to the Women's National Reserve Conference returned to their homes on Saturday, many leaving by the mail train. There were several members of the New Plymouth branch on the platform to see their guests off. In consequence of the Taranaki Group Hide Meeting having been further postponed to March 25th, the time for receiving entries has been extended to March 18th ••'orms may be obtained from all units, or from Group Headquarters, Uawera. Arrangements have been made to supply service rifles on the range, and previous to the competition sighting shots will be allowed in order to give competitors an opportunity of observing any error in their rille. This- has been arranged in order to get over the difficulty or the shortage of new barrels.

Harvest Festival services wore held in the Fitzroy and St. Auhyn Methodist Churches yesterday. There were liberal gift*; of fruit and produce at each place, and the offerings throughout the day were generous. At Fitzroy the services were conducted by the Revs. J Napier Milne, and H. I* Richards, and at St. Aubyn by the .Rev. John Nixon, who in the evening was assisted by Mr. Henry Holland, of Christchurch.' Appropriate hymns and anthems were sung at all the services. To-night at each centre there will be short entertainments, in which the members of Whiteley choir will assist, and the sale of the offerings of fruit and vegetables will take place.

A meeting of stewards of the Taranaki Agricultural iSociety was hold on Saturday to make final arrangements in connection with the Autumn Show to be held at the Waiwakaiho show grounds during the first week in March'. The entries received easily constitute a record for the Society. Thirty-two entrios have been received in each of the classes for Jersey heifers, whereas the previous largest entry in any class was 25. This year the jumping events and the classes for ponies are exceptionally well filled. Everything isecms to point to a most successful show.

The Citizen's Rand gave a very enjoyable recital at Kawaroa Park yesterday afternoon, before a largo assemblage. The programme included a number of new selections, amongst which were the marches "Pozieres" (Lithgow) and '•'Die Herald of Peace" (Greenwood), "The Brownie Boys" (an intermez;:a bv tVLeary). a cornet duet, '•Tda and not,'' played by Deputy Bandmaster Taylor and Mr. V. Husk The band also.played an arrancement of the hymn, "Jerusalem the Gold en," by Mr. F. W. 0, McT.eod, and several other hymn tunes and request items 'Die collection amounted to £l2 In the Magistrate's Court at Xew Plymouth on Saturday, •). G. 11. Blano. who anpeared on remand, before Mr. T. A. B.'Bailey, S.M., and pleaded guilty to three charges, was convicted and discharged for drunkenness, fined ,C2 for breach of prohibition order (in default 14 days' imprisonment), and for wilfully damaging the watch chain of a tram conductor, named Win. Moore, he was ordered to pay 10s damages and 12s witnesses' expenses. Arthur B. AYaldic pleaded guilty to bein? drunk in charge of a motor car, and was fined £5. Sc" ; or-Sergt. McCrorie represented the police. A disturbance took place between two men in Devon Street. Central at about 5.30 on Saturday afternoon. No one seemed l *w exactly the cause or just how tlie affair started, but one. man was seen to dash down the footpath, which was thickly crowded with pedestrians at the time mid in an instant two men were at h!ow= : « the street at Uroii" 1 '"- -cot corner. The scuffle lasted only a minute or two, when a police officer intervened, and the men will no donV bn called upon to answer for their behaviour. Neither was very much hurt, thoush one of them got a nnstv cut over the left eye. The arrival and detraining of Wirth Bros.' circus at \,v,v Plymouth on Saturday morning created quite n diversion for many people,,adults as well as children finding a wonderful fascination in watching i.l.e five elephants hauling all tlie impedimenta of the c-ireu* from the railway to the ground on which the circus was to show. 'Jhe inwiligenee of the animal:; was beyond ouestion, and they showed with what skill their trainers iud done the;r work. Cue feature of the proceedings was tlie absence of commotion and any hoarse shouting, the men and animals going about their "tasks in a quiet and businesslike fashion. One particular elephant was engaged in a variety of duties, from the shifting- of boxes to the shunting of a long strin" of railway trucks. Many of the" youngsters had furnished themselves' with cakes and buns, and these were doled out to the elephants as they stood about the street or passed by drawing their heavy loads. ' , °

Coastal residents can look forward to a musical treat on Sun Jay next, when the New Plymouth Citizens' Band will pay a visit to Pungarehu. The conductor, Mr. V ..-v-' k arranging a bright programme, and request numbers will be played as far as possible, as in addition t v o coastal residents, the proximity of Pungarehu to Cape Egmont light house and Parihaka should induce motorists from town to make the trip.

Only another week and the Melbourne's annual stocktaking snip will come to an end. Buyers generally have heon alive to the fact that all" prices are rapidly advancing, and have heen purchasing accordingly. 0„ the other hand, oiliev i. •„„,, aefervinu huviii"-. Thh is fatal. Buy now. while' the' safe is on. You'll not regret it. The Midhirst School Committee excursion lo New Plymouth seaside will take place on Wednesday next. Particular.-, are advertised.

A fine sense of family honor was evidenced in connection with a case which came under the jurisdiction of the Christehurch Official Assignee. A man who mis adjudged a bankrupt in IfiOfi died, having paid no dividend to his creditors, to whom he owed some £2OO. This unpaid liability was a burden upon his son's mind, and before going to the war with the Main Body he insured his life for £2OOO. and made a provision in his will that the £2OO odd owing to his father's creditors should lie deducted from the arno'unt due under the poliev should he lose his life, and that the debt should be extinguished therewith.' The lad was killed in action on fJallipoli on May 2, ]f)l;l. The creditors received 20s in the .CI.

The overwhelming experience of thousands testify to the value of "Nazol," as an effective precaution against influenza etc.

At ilie Native Land Court at Te I Kuiir interests in native land totalling over 15,000 acres were cut out to represent Crown purchases. One of the Mocks Wharepuhunga, No. 10, had already been subdivided by the Maori Land Board for settlement purpose.-, but not disposed of, so that it is possible that work will be available in cutting it up for Crown settlement. The statement that, the price of dairying land in North Canterbury has advanced by at least 10 per cent, during the past year was made by a valuer during the hearing of a civil action in the Christchurch Supreme Court. A land agent said that the prices for dairy land had gone up very considerably during the past five years.and were still rising. In fact, they could not get the places to sell. It was largtiy through the returned soldiers that prices were going up.

For some time past pickpockets have been busy in Wellington, and some people have been relieved of fairly substantial amounts of cash. A con'ple of days ago the detective branch succeeded in locating an Australian whose abilities as a practitioner of the light-fingered art were regarded as not at all mean on the other side of the Tasman Sea. The man was a "guest" at one of the principal Wellington hotels, and his immaculate style of dress, adorned as he was with a liberal array of costly jewellery, caused him to bo respected as a gentleman of means. In an interview with the police he was given the alternative of being haled before the court or of taking his departure to Sydney. He wisely chose the latter course, arid on Thursday he flailed by the Manuka, several representatives of the detective branch being in attendance to bid him farewell