LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 May 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The General Manager of Railways lias written to the Stratford Borough Council, slating that the work of making the proposed alterations to the Stratford railway station would be put in hand as soon as possible.

The weight-guessing competition for the live weight of a sheep, in connection with Saturday's mart was won by Mr. T. Bates (Bell Block), Mr. ,1. Daverv (New Plymouth) guessed the same as Mr. Bates (1401b) but in the draw the latter secured the lucky ticketIt is claimed that the Dunedin Hospital is the lowest, as regards cost per occupied bed, of the four main hospitals in the Dominion. The cost per occupied bed in the Dunedin Hospital is £lll 4s, while at Wellington it is £129.

At a meeting of the North Canterbury Potato Growers' Association, tlie question of price-fixing was discussed, and it was resolved to suggest that not less than £5 10s per ton be fix<?d for May <;n trucks, sacks extra, with a 10s increase each month, as a fair price to ask and receive for potatoes. The shortage of benzine that has existed at Auckland for some time has been overcome by the arrival of several shipments. The position now is such that it is anticipated that the Petrol Committee, which had the control of rationing the supplies during the petrol famine, will be disbanded.

The New Zealand Dairy Company is shortly to erect a laboratory at Prankton, where it is intended to carry on analytical and bacteriological work in connection with all branches of the dairying business:, including dried milk. There were thirty applications for the position of analyst, which were submitted to a high authority, who reduced the number to five- and finally selected Mr. R. L. Andrews, at present" assistant to Dr. Maelaurin, Dominion Analyst at the Government laboratory, Wellington. The Auckland Ravings Bank has purchased the property adjoining its present Queen Street premises on the northern side known as Mason's Buildings. This step was decided upon by the trustees in consideration of the possible necessity of an extension of the Bank's premises in view of the steady increase in its business. The property has a frontage to Queen Street of 20 feet, with a depth of 1(10 feet to High Street, the frontage to which is 30 feet. . The price paid j was £20,000. A circular letter was received by the Stratford Borough Council last night from the Hawera County Council, soliciting support for the following resolution, which had recently been passed by that body:—"That the assistance of all local bodies interested be solicited with a view to urging upon the Government the necessity of completing the line to the Mount Egmont quarries." It was decided to support the resolution, and to invite the assistance of the local M.P. in urging the matter upon the Government. At ft sitting of the Auckland AntiProfiteering Tribunal, complaints regarding the prices of boots and shoes; darning wool, ladies' scarves, tinned toheroas, chaff, flour, coal, fowl-wheat, harness, horse-shoes, milk, and fencing-wire, were den It with. In several instances refunds were ordered, and the balance of the cases are still under investigation. A number of complaints were also received from country districts in respect to coastal steamer fares and railway freights, but the tribunal had not the power to make investigations concerning them. With reference to the proposal of the Stratford Borough Council that an engineer be appointed for the Boroughs of Stratford, Eltham and Hawera, the Hawera Borough Council replied that it ha:l appointed the Mayor and the chairmen of the works and finance committees to represent it at the proposed conference, and suggested that the delegates should meet at the Council Chambers, Hawera. The Eltham Borough Council replied that it did not wish to act in the matter. These replies were before the Stratford Boroygh Council last night. The Mayor said that owing to the attitude of the Eltham Borough Council the scheme would have to 'be dropped. A motion that the two councils be written to to this effect was carried.

The Clerk of Awards (Mr. Jas. Jordan) lias received advice that the sitting of the Arbitration Court at New Plymouth will take place on Monday, the 17th inst., at 10 a.m. The court was formally adjourned yesterday morning.

Three hundred and seven cases of influenza were reported in Auckland during the 48 hours ended at noon yesterday, nine being severe. Of these, 110 mild and one severe occurred in the city, and 115 mild and four severe in ths suburbs. During the 24 hours ended on Saturday, 105 eases (including 15 severe) were reported.—Press Association, '

Rome favorable comment wa t i made at last night s meeting of New Plymouth ratepayers on the -way the Borough Council's workmen (and particularly the tarring gang) carried out their work. The engineer was able to state that in the matter of tarring, compared with what lutd been done in other centres, t'he New Plymouth men have established' fresh records for Taranaki for the past season, in regard to the length of road done, the number of square yards of tarring put down, and also the cost of the work.

In the Magistrate's Court at New Plymouth yesterday, judgment was given by Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., for plaintiff by default: Henry Weston (Mr. CH. Weston) v. C. Badham, jnr., £2 7s Od (costs 10s). Frank Keenan was ordered, on tiie application of Mrs. E. U. Joseph (Mr. 1). Hutelien), to give up possession of a dwelling house on or before Saturday next. The application by Mrs. Laura J. Brown and J. R. Tiplady, for possession of a dwelling in the occupation of Ernest R. Cattley, was adjourned for a month.

Mr. A. Coldwater, president of the Tnranaki Chamber of Commerce, telegraphed the Board of Trade with a view to having a larger quantity of cement sent to New Plymouth than the unall cargo of 200 tons to be brought by the s.s. Rimu, which is considered quite inadequate for present requirements, and suggesting that an effort should be made to have at least 1500 tons sent here at once, as work in connection with essential industries, public buildings, schools, and dwelling houses, as well as the borough's hydro-electric extensions, is at present at a standstill. A reply has been received tc the effect that negotiations are going on and when possible a more definite reply will be forwarded. Amongst visitors at present in Gisbonie is Mr. James Payne an ex-resi-, dent of Invercargill, who had a lengthy service in the Norih Sea during the war in the capacity of a chief motor mechanic. Mr. Payne told a Times reporter that he was attached to a disguised fishing fleet, and had many interesting experiences- On one occasion a drifter on which he was. employed ran out of fuel off (he Belgian coast, and the Germans, if they had dared, might easily have captured the vessel. In due course, however, some British monitors and destroyers appeared on the scene and that ended their anxiety. What impressed liim most in connection with the work in the Norih Sea was the secrecy that was observed; The British crews never seemed to know what mission they had been sent out to undertake. A vessel might go out to sea and after dropping a depth bomb at a given spot would move off to another locality without any knowledge of the result of its work, which would be ascertained by divers working from a vessel following up. The only chance a, Hun had of escaping detection \( f as to stop her engines and lie on the bottom of the ocean. By the aid of instruments- the British "hunters" could not only hear a Hun submarine travelling underwater miles off, but could also learn her position. The life, said Mr. Payne, was hard, but very interesting. On Thursday the postponed No. S (Taranaki) group military sports will be held on the Boys' High School grounds, commencing at 11.30 a m. There will be a charge of la for admission, proceeds to go towards establishing a Taranaki Group military athletic fund. The Citizens' Band will be in attendance, and given fine weather the gathering should be a most successful one.

Men, make up your mind and buy a Lo Roy oily canvas coat before the prices advance. In another month these famous coats will be almost unprocurable. The Melbourne, Ltd., still have a few of these coats left at £4' IDs (id. Every coat in stock is double lined and bears the makers' name and guarantee-