LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 May 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Over 10,000 visited the battleship Renown at Wellington on Thursday. It may perhaps have surprised the Prince had it been made known to him that the Maori lady who kissed his hand in the Hawera Domain is closely related to an old and intimate friend of Edward the Seventh (says the Star). The lady in question is Miss Polly Walden, and she is descended from the well-known de Walden family, of whom, perhaps, Lonl Howard de Walden is best remembered.

The Council of the TaranaUi Chamber of Commerce yesterday instructed its secretary to write to the chief postmaster at New Plymouth to see if another automatic telephone, could be provided in the western area of the town in the vicinity of South road and Morley street or Belt road. It was also decided to approach the postmaster with a view to the opening of a receiving office for telegrams in the eastern end of the town.

"I have two children attending the Mimi Sehool daily- Should anything happen to them or the horse, I hold you responsible for any damage. If the pony that my boys ride to sehool could only reason like a human being, the first thing it would do would be to go into Waitara on your monthly meeting day and turn its heels to von and kick the lot of you out." Thus -wrote a ratepayer on the_ -Mangamaetio road, regarding the state of the road, to the Clifton County Council. Mr. W. J. Freeth, of Pukearuhe, was present at Cobbe's sale of pedigree .Tersevs, which was held at l'eilding last week. Competition was very keen, good prices being realised. The cows averaged 100 guineas, the top price being 151) guineas, and heifers averaged 75 guineas. Mr. Freeth secured the eow Hill Daisy, by Fancy Lord Twylish, who is the sire of many a world's champion, and who gave OGOlbs of fat for her first season. The price paid was 82gns. He also secured a bull calf by Eminent's Fontaine.

Mrs. M. Brown (Urenui) writes:— Having read several pretty* stories of the Prince of Wales in your paper recently, it occurred to me you might be interested in the following anecdote of H.R.H.'s childhood days, which I read in an English newspaper, while in the Old Country some years ago- The little Prince had not been told of the high position which he would one day occupy, but was allowed to find it out for himself during a history lesson while he was studying the genealogical table of the British Royal Family with his governess- When it dawned upon him that some day he would be King, lie exclaimed: "Then I will make a law that people shall not cut off puppy dogs' tails, that horses shall not wear bearing reins, and that there shall be no more sin!"

Speaking at the Government reception at Wellington on Thursday, the Prince of Wales said:—"l have had the pleasure and privilege since I landed of meeting hundreds of veterans of all thr.ie wars, and I am grateful to them for giving me the opportunity of seeing them. Vou probably know that I did not take part in the Maori and South African n-ara—(laughter)—but I spent four years at the front in the great European war —(applause)—and of all the experience-, which I then gained I value none as much as the opportunites which I had oi coming into close contact with men of all ranks from all parts of the Empire. I saw a lot of the New Zealand Division in Egypt, Flanders, and Germany, and I found New Zealanders in many other formations, also in the Royal. Air Force. In this way I was able to appreciate tlia magnificent spirit of New Zealander-, pakeha and Maori, and to realise tne strength of the Dominion's devotion to King, Empire, and the Homeland. I therefore owe a great deal to returned soldiers of New Zealand, and I hope they will continue to look upon me—l think they do now—as a comrade, because they prefer to call me out here 'Digger.'"

It is elsewhere announced that the monthly committee, meeting of the local branch of the Plunket Society will be held on Monday afternoon, when Mrs. C. H. Burgess will act as hostess to afternoon tea.

.Although the oyster season opened last Saturday, the Government oyster-pickers li.ive not yet commenced their work, with the result Unit practically no oysters have reached Auckland. A few sacks of oysters arc reported to have been gathered at Kawau, which is not controlled by the Government.

A report on the value of "toothbrush drill" in the schools was submitted to the Auckland Education Board by Dr. 1!. A. Davie?, medical inspector. It is intended to establish "toothbrush drill" in every Stale school throughout the Do-, minion, also n tooth wash ip eonjmic-. tion with the brushing, and headmasters are being 'circularised accordi ugly. The report was adopted, the board also deciding that the Department be asked to defray the cost of the requisite articles-

The spectacle of the senior Magistrate of Auckland spending p, day at tlio furnaces and clad in overalls must have been singularly refreshing to the men who shovel coal at the Devonport gasworks. This actually occurred a few days ago. Some slight dispute had arisen, and Mr. E. ,C. Cutteji, R..U, donned workers' i;ai ind spent a strenuous day on the actual scene of the dispute, seeing the conditions of the worker? for himself, and noting the specific points upon which the parties were at issue.

The high price of bacon which has been ruling for some time pant lias had the effect of making many people refrain from having their favorite breakfast dish. This lias had the result in Greymouth of the grocers combining not to stock bacon, and as a consequence (says the Star) the price immediately came dywn Id a pound. One wholesaler said ho considered that if they had held out a little longer the price would have been reduced still further.

A Petone resident who forcibly ejected the owner of a house who had entered the premises during the currency of defendant's tenancy was convicted and discharged at a sitting of the local Court on Saturday, as it was held that he had used undue force. The law states that the occupier of premises may forcibly remove a trespasser provided, that no blow is struck or bodily injury done. Mr. Massey recently stated it was the intention of the Government to try a "daylight express" between Wellington and Auckland almost immediately. Tne train, instead of leaving either end at night, will leave early in the morning, thus avoiding a night on board. Leaving at "i or (i a.m., tile destination could be reached well before midnight, and give a daylight view for the main part of thd journey.

1 A famous American preacher—himself a bachelor—thinks that the reason men are disinclined to marry in America is because they are afraid to. This is hi; | wail:—''The women to-day have gone socially and financially crazy. Homely interests do not appeal to them. Theatres, dog shows, horse shows, cat shows —any old kind of a show—are the things that appeal to them. And as for money, it is the kernel of every woman's happiness to-day, or she thinks so until she finds out too late that she is judging by wrong standards altogether." During the past several months a number of motor cars have disappeared from town, and peculiarly enough most of them have been retrieved at Aramoho deserted (says the Wanganui Chronicle!. On Tuesday a local business firm's car was standing outside the office when a ■ man was noticed hy a member of (he staff to jump in and drive oil'. Getting into another ear the firm's representative went oil' in pursuit, and overhauled the jnv-rider near the hospital and took him to the police station, where it was found that he was a resident of Gibson Street, Aramoho, where several of the missing ears had been discovered. The man will in nil probability be called upon to explain his conduct before the Magistrate.

In a speech delivered on the housing problem by His Majesty the King, he said:—"lf this country is to be the country we desire it to become, a great offensive must be undertaken against disease and crime, and the first point at which the attack must be delivered is the unhealthy, ugly, overcrowded house in the mean street, which we all of us know too well. ... It is not merely houses that are needed. The new houses must be also 'homes.' Can we not aim at securing to the working classes in the:r homes the comfort, leisure, brightness, and peace which we usually associate with the word home.'."

The Nelson Colonist, after a useful life of 03 years, ceased publication on Saturday last. In its obituary, it says:—"Very few of tlu general public, have any real conception of the cost of carrying on a daily paper supplied hy cable and telegraphies services; fewer know how enormously the cost of production has increased of .recent years. Before the war. changing, conditions led to substantial increase in cost; during the war there were further advances, and to-day the rate of increase is more rapid thaii at any previous time. The position today as compared with 1914, is that have risen iiO per cent., and all materials used in manufacture have greatly increased in price, the staple commodity in newspaper production, newsprint paper, showing an enormous advance. During the war newsprint advanced to three times the pre-war price and more. To-day there is a shortage in the supply, and prices in the open market are lrom five to seven times those of while tlie prospects are that for several years to come the cost of newsprint will be higher than in 1019 Some portion of these increased charges has been passed on to the subscriber and the advertiser, but not by any means an adequate amount.''

The Navigation and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., Ltd., invites applications for 230,000 shares. See advertisement on page, one of this issue. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency draw attention to their Stratford sale, on Tuesda'y, ltlh inst., at 12 o'clock. I'nil particulars of entries will he found on page eight of this issue.

''Fairy Wonder" Dry Soap is the greatest household help of modern times. Indispensable in the laundry, it is equally useful for scouring pots and pans, cleaning wood and paint work, and is an absolute luxury in the hath. Don't forget to try a little "Fairy" in your bath. At! grocers stock it.

The Melbourne, Ltd., have an excellent range of ladies' blouses in silk crepe de chine and georgette. Prices are moderate, while qualitcs are good, and guaranteed to give splendid service. Every young man in New Plymouth is invited to the Regnal League of Fellowship meeting in the Whiteley Church, Eiardet Street, to-morrow afternoon, at ° ,( -'l°Pk. Mr. O. H. Dolby, M.A., will speak on "Self-Culture." The soloist ".vill be Mr. Baden P. BellriMter,

One very interested spectator of I the Prince's reception at Palmerston [ was an old lady of 97 years, whose brother was a footman in Queen Victoria's household fifty years ago. Inspired' by a motherly impulse, a very old lady stepped forward from the crowd in Feilding, and shaking hands with the Prince of Wales, said: ''How do you do, my der.r; aren't you tired of b:'ing called "Your Highness 1" and the sincerity of his acknowledgement, must assuredly have convinced her Unit she had guessed right. Admitting that ''a deplorable mistake" had been made by a branch manager, Charles Joseph Clements, a Cheapside .cutler, was at the Mansion House, Loudon, fined .1100 and five guineas costs ,for selling two razors, bought wholesale at 45s per dozen, at one guinea eac/i, with 3s (id for the case. Mr Viekery, prosecuting, said the price represented between SOO and GOO per cent, profit, and the City Profiteering Committer had ordered a sbs refund to the buyer. Kawakawa (North of Auckland) is growing in importance as. a shipping port, and the creation of a. Harbour Board is contemplated. The erection of a freezing works with a capacity of 100,000 carcases is expected to be completed by December next, and the meat will be shipped at Opua, where there is a maximum depth of six fathoms oi water.

In the opinion of the Lyttclton Times the Wellington Magistrate who imposed fines of £2O each on two men for breaking the "anti-shouting" law seems to liave determined to make a shocking example. ''Everyone knows," says our contemporary, "that this war provision of the National Government has always been honoured more in the breach than in the observenee, and since the armistice it has generally been regarded as more or less, anil considerably more than less, obsolete. The general opinion will be that the Magistrate in question has imposed penalties ont of all proportion to- the nature of the offence. Indeed, it ■will seem to most minds a much smaller real offence to buy a friend a drink than to punish that act with a fine of £2O. Judgments of this harsh nature are not calculated to inspire respect for a law which never was popular, since it makes a legal offence of a practice which the average citizen cannot be persuaded to regard as b„ing wrong or socially harmful. An attractive proposition is advertise.! by Mr. li. J7 Ible, Inglewood. It is a !>3acre farm, stocked and equipped, ready with which to start the season. For particulars see advertisement ou land page.

At the Haymarket to-day, Mr. Newton King will sell by auction Mr*. Hal. GooJacre's very flue pair of ponies, with phaston and harness.

. This morning, at 10.30, on section adjoining the Haymarket, Currie Street, Mr Newton King is selling a large quantity of good second-hand timber.

Of interest to local builders, contractors, etc., is the sale of builder's plant, tools, etc., at Okato on Tuesday next. Particulars are advertised in this issue.