LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sydney reports that very few cables are arriving from abroad. . The following (the only candidates nominated for the Eginont Licensing Committee) were declared duly elected: Messrs W. C. Clement, A. H. Guy, T. P. Hughson, N. C. Innes, and Michael O'Brien Miss Louise Mack, writing to a Wanganui paper, says her £H)(>O wager was made with Mr. Byron Brown, of Otaki, who now contends she did not fulfil her part of the agreement. Miss Mack pays she walked over the Tararuas, did not have to be carried, and can produce witnesses to this effect. The preliminary inquiry into the mishap to the Baden Powell, near Cape Eginont, while proceeding from Wellington to New Plymouth, has been concluded at Wellington. ' The evidence is to be forwarded to the Marine Department for consideration. It will be necessary (states the Star) to hold an election in the Patea Licensing district, owing to six candidates being nominated for the committee. An ngreement had been arrived at to nominate only the old members, but Mr. R. WJ. McNeill, who has served on the Egmont Committee, decided to seek election. On Friday last Mr. N. A. Christiansen visited the St. Mary's troop of Boy Scouts and instructed them in the land drill in connection with life-saving methods. Mr. Christiansen has offered to teach the boys to swim, and afterwards life saving methods in water. Such help is very much appreciated by the Scouts, and assistance in other useful directions would be welcomed from any source. At the Ellham Borough Council on Friday evening the question of the public library was brought up by Cr. Bridger, who described it as a disgrace to the borough. He would like-to see a public meeting called to deal with the matter. The Mayor said he, as chairman of the committee appointed to deal with this matter' would promise that the meeting would be called shortly.—Argus. There was an epidemic of window breaking in Opunake last week. One ivening a large plate glass window in diss McDonald's fancy goods shop was iroken, apparently by a stone, whilst he following evening a window in Mr. 'mith's boot shop was also shattered, ilinut the same time a stone was thrown hrongh the window of a residence in the district. During the thunderstorm on Thursday night or Friday morning six telegraph poles were struck by lightning on the lotokare Road, Eltham, and badly shattered. Fortunately (states the Argus), they continued to carry the wires, and some dislocation of local telephonic communication was the only resultant inconvenience. No other damage has been reported. Speaking at a reception tendered to him at Manaia, Superintendent W. Couper, of the Oamaru Fire Brigade, congratulated the Manaia Brigade on the splendid' condition of the plant and station, and said they were a credit to any borough in New Zealand. He gave an address on the workings and efficiency of fire brigade matters, which was appreciated by all. He also dwelt on the urgency of a water supply for ManaiaThe address was (states the Star) very highly appreciated and applauded.

During the past five years practically all efforts in country districts were concentrated in raising patriotic funds, with the result that local institutions were somewhat neglected This was the case at Warea. Now the war is over an endeavor is to be made to raise funds to renovate and improve the hall, and for this purpose a gala day is to be held in the Wairea Domain on Wednesday, March 10, when a programme of running, chopping, swimming and other events will be submitted. The annual report of the ITawera Library Committee stated that the highest, number of subscribers for any one month totalled 300—a record—being SI in advance of the best month for 11)18. The issue of books and magazines for the year—2l,3l6—is also a record, beating the IMS year by 3288. New books added to the library number 311, being a decrease of 30 compared with 101S, when a portion of Mr. Haselden's library was put upon the shelves. An analysis of the new book shows that they consist mainly of fiction, only 40 coming under the headings of history, travels, etc.—Star. A general meeting of members of the New Plymouth branch of the New Zealand Veterans' Association was held on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of deciding in what way the diamond jubilee anniversary of the Lattlc of Wai'reka should be celebrated. This event occurs on March 28 next, and it was decided to hold a church parade on that date An invitation was received from the younger men of the town to n motor outing to the scene of the battle, on the Monday (March 1'.)). and afterwards to ten mid an entertainment. This was gratefully accepted by the veterans. M was also decided to parade on the occasion of the Prince of Wales' visit to New Plymouth. There seems to be no limit to the rise in the prices of Indies pure woo] cashmere hose. The Melbourne Ltd. have just received advices from Leicester notifying an advance of 3."i per cent, on previous ontraits. and in addition there is also an extra charge of 4d per pair for dyeing. It will be seen from thi: that it is more imperative than ever to buy now for future requirements. A reminder is given of the sale to lie conducted by the Farmers' Co-opera-tive Organisation Society at their Opunake yards to-day, when a very large gathering of cattle will be submitted. Four pedigree Berkshire boars will be submitted, also 30C lambs, a Chevrolet motor cat, and a gig and harness.

At a meeting ot. Christchurch citizens it was decided that the City Council should be asked to obtain the power to raise a sum of not more than £25,000 by a special rate on capital value iu 'the city, to erect a war memorial. A leading firm in Palmerston North has just introduced a saving policy for its employees. The firm has practically established a bank for its hands, and allows them 7 per cent, for money placed on iked deposit for twelve months, 0 per cent, for six months, and 5 per cent, on current account. In the latter instance the employees are furnished with cheque books. As reported some days ago, the Wellington Tailors' Union passed at a recent meeting a resolution requesting the Government to instruct the Board of Trade to inquire into the cost of producing suitings manufactured iu the Dominion. The Prime Minister has replied to the secretary of the union that an inquiry into the matter has been in hand for some time past, and that he is expecting a report from the Board of Trade shortly, Unofficial reports Indicate that the coal miners' unions will approve of the draft agreement referred to»them by the coal conference (says the Dominion). The delegates at the conference who represented the men are generally in favor of ratification of the agreement, and their recommendation is expected to be the decisive factor. The miners have not got all they asked for, but they have secured some substantial concessions. The new agreement, if accepted by the miners, will be national in scope, and will require to be signed by representatives of the conference. At a meeting of the Wellington Licensed Victuallers' Association, it was decided that, in view of the increased price of beer imposed on them by the' brewers, that all beers sold in public bars be not less than fivepence. The meeting also decided to increase the price of beer sold in "square riggers" from tenpence to one shilling, customers to supply their own bottles. Beer retailed in -'square riggers," "demi-johns," etc., will be charged for at the rate of 4s a gallon. The price of all other liquors, including bottled beer, remains the same. The gardens competition at Hawera, under the auspices of the local Town Planning Association, is expected to be very successful. At present 43 entries in the two classes have been received, and it is expected the number will reach over fifty. These will include many of the leading residents of the town, all of whom are entering keenly into the competitions. Silver cuds 'have been donated by Mr. C. Goodson. and Messrs Blair and Sellar, and donations have been received from .Mesdames Pease and J. S. Young and Messrs B. L. .Toll, H Lewis, J. G. Osborne, A." T. Wills, J. d Cameron, and John Hicks.—Star At the recent meeting of the Australian Methodist Board of Missions held in Sydney it was decided to grant the New Zealand Conference the .Solomon Islands as a separate field from 1922. That year the centenary of the Methodist Church of New Zealand is to take place. The New Zealand Conference is to be allowed -the* right to draw on Tonga and Samoa for the native teachers in .the Solomon Islands. White missionaries Will probably be appealed for at the meeting of the conference. Nineteen are required for work in the Pacific, and so far only six suitable ones are known to be available.

_ In view of the inability of the Public Works Department to carry out hydro-electric schemes expeditiously, a Wellington engineering authority considers that an opportunity should be given some of the larger firms in Great Britain to tender for complete installation on condition of employing a fair proportion of ex-service men and paying a minimum wage upon which the capital cost could be based, with a substantial bonus for the delivery of the energy within a stated time, all concerned to share in the bonus. The great thing was to get the work done quickly, under conditions fair to all. If present methods failed in that respect, then the Government should be prepared to allow others to be tried. More figures prepared and published by the Government Statistician convince that the cost of living is still climbing higher. Food, rent, fuel and light are the four necessities he combines, and he proves by the general average for the Dominion that ever since July, 1014, except on two occasions when "die increases were not apparent, the cost of these four combined materials have increased month by month. At the beginning of 1917 the four had advanced by 17 per cent. They dropped slightly for a month, then started soaring again with renewed vigor. Similarly in the middle of last year the average was stationary for two months, then it fell a very little, and then flew up between July and December from a 32 per cent, increase to one of lIS per cent. Last December the shilling's worth of groceries cost Is Rd, the same value in dairy produce wits obtainable for Is CI, meat Is 4d, and, taking these three food groups together upon pre-war prices was just over 10s in the pound sterling. Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (.Second Group) are notified that subscriptions due and payable to-day (Monday, March Ist, 102(1),' at the .Secretary's Office, Currio Street, from 3 a.m to 12.110 p.m., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 pm. to 8 p.m.—Advt