LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 April 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Government offices throughout the Dominion will be closed on Friday in celebration of St. George's .Day and St David's Day. The reply of the Prime Minister, as Minister for Railways, to the demands of the rsiilwaymen's organisation in regard to the question of improvement in pay and conditions will, it is expected, be given in Wellington to-day. Creymouth reports that for some time past there have been complaints about the obsolete telephone system in Greymouth. Conversations have been overheard by uninterested parties. The department promised an improvement, but nothing lias been done, and many subscribers threaten discontinuance of the telephone.—Press Association.

A deputation from the Egmont County Council waited on the Hon. J. GContes yesterday in reference to a grant of £784 from the' Government for the Wiremu Road. The deputation pointed out that the whole of the amount had not been expended because the Government would not allow more than 13s a day to be paid for the workmen. The Council was willing to carry out the work to the satisfaction of the district engineer and pay the difference between 13s a day and IBs, which was the lowest wage they could get the work done for. The Minister agreed to the request.

The lonely island of Pitcairn was visited by the steamer Otaki, which arrived at Auckland from Liverpool on Sunday. The Otaki called there on the evening of April 7, and landed mails from Colon and a quantity of provisions. About 38 of the inhabitants of the island rowed off to the steamer and brought with them fruit and curios. It was learned that the islanders were very short of bedclothes, and women's clothing, also buttons, cotton, needles, and tapes. Their chapel was still without an organ, but arrangements had been made for one to be sent from New i'ork, and its arrival was being looked forward to with .great interest. A movement is on foot amongst the members of the New Plymouth High School Old Girls' Association to initiate a campaign for raising funds for the erection of a hostel for the Girls' High School. The matter was referred to by the chairman of the Board at Monday's meeting, who stated he had told a deputation from the association which had waited on the committee, that the Board could be relied upon to assist the project, and the members expressed themselves as in cordial sympathy with the undertaking. It is understood nothing definite will be done until an assurance is given that moneys raised locally for this purpose will be subsidised by the Government.

Tlie Mayoress draws attention tci the mart to be hold in New Plymouth on Saturday, in aid' of a girls' hostel in New Plymouth, This is the first appeal to the public, an! generous support is asked for. Donations of produce, home-made cakes, and other articles may he left at Jir. Hugh Baily's office, Egmont Street. Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, fot Osmdis and Colds, never faik v

The Presbyterian congregations in the flaw era district have recently raised over £SOO for foreign mission work. The New Plymouth dredge Paritutu ivas taken up on the Wellington patent slip on Monday morning for an extensive overhaul. She will be on the cradle for about a fortnight. The anniversary of the landing of the Anzacs at Gallipoli falls on Sunday. A combined religious service will be held at Everybody's Theatre, New Plymouth., at 3 p.m. The Department for Imperial-Govern-ment Supplies has since its inception purchased a total of 2J million bales of wool, scoured 300,000 bales, and purchased and fellmongered C£ million sheepskins,

Word was received by the Mayor of New Plymouth last night that th'p ehjldien from the schools in the Tnglewood district, woul# now be brought to New Plymouth for the visit of the Prince of Wales. Yeste.Jay morning's express train was of unusual length, and was packed with passengers. Extra carriages had been put on to accommodate the Hawera district natives, to the number of about* 100, who were to join the special train at Marton which is to take them and otiier natives to Rotorua. ' Replying to a letter from the JockeysAssociation asking for free admittance to all parts of the course for the Association's representative, the Auckland Racing Club states that under the rules of the Racing Club it can Dot recognise the Association. The Club suggests that the jockeys await the decision of the New Zealand Racing Conference in July next.—Press Association. A deputation of four returned soldiers from the Kota settlement waited on the Minister for Public Works at Stratford yesterday with reference to providing means of access to their farnw. The Minister said the district engineer had prepared plans and specifications which were now in Wellington. He would wire to Wellington asking the Department to send them on to him .so that the work could be gone on without delay. «At the. Hawera R.M. Court yesterday J. Henry, T). ,T. Middleton, F. Shaw, R. Horton and W. 0. Perry were charged with being unlawfully on licensed premises when such premises were required to be closed, and John Kelly, licensee of tlie Dominion Hotel, was charsred with exposing liquor for sale on Sunday. For the defence, John Kelly stated lie had no object in going into 'the bar, and had not served anyone with drink. Ho had no idea how the men got into the commercial room. Tlie 'Magistrate fined Kelly £2O. and the other defendants, except Horton (who was fined 20s) 40s! The license was not endorsed. Mr. O'Dea asked that costs of appeal be ed.

Some little time ago, it will he remembered, when the Tndian riots in '•!' we assuming a formidable aspect a contingent of troops from New Zealand, with macliin<v<nins, and under the command of Major Puttiek, left Wellington in the Government steamer Tntanckai, 1o protect the public in the event of a disturbance, and assist. in the maintenance of order generally. Of their work in this direction, news has come through from time to time. Now that quint reifrns in Fiji asraiii, consequent 011 the settling- of the causes of unrest, new.-., has been received by the Defence Department that the troops are hem? sent hack again to New Zealand. The department's advice states that the Tntanekai will leave Fiji for Wellington on Sunday iiighf. B

The Committee of the Girls' Friendly Society have asked the Mayoress and those ladies who came forward to help them in their efforts to get a Girls' Hostel, to take over the whole scheme of pattering in funds ana running the new hostel, and in doing so, hope that 'all those who have warmly promised help wi.'l continue to give that hell) to the Mayoress, for the sake of the girls. The O.K.S. Committee feel that for the present they have enough work on their hands in meeting the immediate damands for rooms at their club house. A deputation from the Citizens' Committee which raised money for the building of the Assembly Hall at the New Plymouth Boys' 'High SchooV waited on the Board of Governors on Monday to hand over the sum of £l3l which it had been decided to offer the Board for the boys' school for general purposes. In handing the money over Mr. P J. White referred to the' movement m the Old Boys' Association to piovide some kiiid of a memorial to the old hoys who had fallen in the war. Two proposals had been put forward, one for a chapel and the other for entrance gates and a library. Whichever might be ultimately adopted, it was hoped this money might he car-marked for that object. The chairman, in acknowledging the gift, said the deputation could rest assured of receiving the fullest assistance of the Board, which would never the services which the Citizens' Committee had rendered the school.

A meeting of Indies, under the presidency of the Mayoress (Mrs. Jrs. Clarke), was held yesterday afternoon for the purpose of arranging to attend to the needs of the country school children who will be in New Plymouth tor the visit of the Prince of' Wales. All the necessary details were gone into and sncli arrangements made as were considered desirable. It was reported that the gills of the High .School would form the word "welcome" along the eastern terrace, and 011 the southern teiraco the girls of the Technical College won'd form out the letters "H.R.H " A number of ladies will he needed to assist in this, and Mrs. Clarke undertook to take the names of any willing to help. It was strongly urged that some provision should he 'made on the ground for children of Standard 11.. and Mrs. Baily undertook to arrange for a number of ladies to look after these children if the committee agreed to them being included.

Neivs from Fiji reports that the Government. lias deported four of the chief leaders in the reeent Indian disturbances:—Manilal (barrister and solicitor) and his wife, Fazal Ivhan (professions,l wrestler), and Haripal (a Mahommedan priest), who sine© April havo been secluded on the Island of Mukuluvn. They were sent away on the Atua, which arrived in Auckland yesterday. It is understood that Malilal intends to stay in New Zealand if permitted. Khan and Haripal will go to India, via Sydney. Five hundred Indians at Ba demanded that the Government should give Manilal a trial or they would strike, but the removal of the disturbing factor has had its effect, and things are quietening-

Linked in peril, pride and pain, Australians staunch and bold; What we've done we'd do again, And what we've won we'll In the heart of grateful France The memory shall endure, Of Anzac rifle, sword and lahce, *Voods' Great PenDermint Cure.