LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 July 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Greymouth Star says that prospects are brightening in Blackball. During the last few months the population has increased, as has also the coali export. At present every man is working at the mine, which 1s a pleasant contrast with the state of affairs several months ago. Grants approximating £3418 were made under the permanently disabled soldiers scheme, at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki War Relief Association. After this amount and other contingencies are met the funds of the Association will be in the vicinity of £14,600. It was stated at the meeting that there are about two hundred cases yet to be dealt with under the permanently disabled soldiers' scheme.

The Secretary to the Board of Trade notifies that until the arrival of the new season's sugar no alteration in price will be permitted. Any increase over the present ruling price will be considered a breach of Section 32 of the Board of Trade Act, and action will be taken accordingly. The public will be notified when the new sugar is expected to be placed on the market. The U.S. and A. Line chartered steamer Donald McKay arrived at Auckland on Tuesday morning from New York with 79,000 cases of oil (kerosene, benzine and motor spirits) for distribution at Auckland, Wellington, and New Plymouth. The vessel will, in addition to general cargo, discharge 26,000 cases of oil at Auckland, 38,000 cases of oil at Wellington, and 15,000 cases of oil at New Plymouth. The Donald McKay is expected to reach Wellington next Monday.

The fact has just been made public that the Prince of Wales's tour in Canada cost £SOOO, a very modest sum in view of some Royal visits. King George's visit to India cost nearly £25,000. Only a small portion of this, however, had to be defrayed by the British ratepayer. The Ophir trip cost 50.000. When the Prince's grand-father-—himself then only Prince' of Wales—went to India in 1875, the trip cost £BOO,OOO, of which £112,000 was defrayed by the Treasury. A cold snap is at present being experienced in New Plymouth. Yesterday morning was one of the coldest experienced in New Plymouth for a long time. Three degrees of frost were registered on the sports ground at Pukekura Park, which is l colder than any other record at this period of year during the past twelve years. Mr. W. W. Smith, "who keeps the records at the park station, stated there were two degrees of frost at that altitude, which is 160 feet above the Eecreation Ground. He also said it was cold enough to freeze on the sea shore.

A News reader writes drawing attention to the fact that at Ongarue there is a large number of unoccupied houses and sheds that might well be removed to towns where there is need for them. He continues: "These residences were all up-to-date (4 and 5 rooms) with outhouses, and have brie?; chimneys, stoves, etc., and are well built and finished. A crying shame, is it not, that there should be a large number of splendid residences empty, and simply deteriorating while people are living in—well, pig styies, in New Plymouth! The mill itself has enough roofing iron to roof three good houses, while the necessary buildings for workshons, offices, etc.-, will ma.ke good living places. They could be rebuilt a second time. If the mill were working or any possibility of it being at work in a decent time"th\£ would be 'nuff sed, but from what regents there tell me there is no prospect of it getting work, and it might be, if ail .agitation were started in regard to tliese empty buildings, the company to save itself might at once put the thing into commission; that would do good because increasing the timber output would be of benefit."

Don't hesitate to use Nazol very freely, especially by constant inhalation. It protects the mouth, nose and throat against infectious igfluuusg gtrmfc

Palmerston North expects to have electric lighting and power installed in fh« borough within 15 months. Mr. J. Pease, of Hawera, has presented that town with three acres of land near the Waihi beach as a public reserve.

There is some strange disease affecting cata in the Hastings district—said by some people to be pneumonic influenza — which is causing considerable mortality amongst the local felines. How an erring husband added insult tj injury was told by a complainant in a maintenance case at Christchurch. "He boiled the kettle with my Bible," the witness said, "and then asked me to have a cup of tea." • Residents of Ingles ood and surrounding districts who are desirous of having new buildings erected, or having repairs and additions to existing buildings executed, should read the advertisement in this issue inserted by F, Bond, builder and contractor of Kata Street, Inglewood.

Rents are not oppressively high in Auckland. "A rental of 12s 8d for a four-roomed house is a fair average here," says the Star, ''although there is a case where such a dwelling on the two-penny section has a prospective tenant who is willing to pay a pound. The average for a five-roomed house is set down at 12s 7d, and this is very nearly right, while 10s 4d as the mean price for six rooms well borne out by facts; 23s lid is the official average for seven rooms, 32s 6d for eight rooms, and 54s for nine or more." The Wanganui Borough Crmncil held an inquest last week over the cost of entertaining the Prince of Wales, whose visit to that town ft not likely to be forgotten for a long while. The account for the memorable supper ran into no less a figure than £691, and the floral decorations to £240. The total amount rat. into £1679, and the net liability £1435. Councillors expressed much wrath at the extravagance indulged in. The Mayor was anxious that the discussion on the matter should not appear in the I'ivw, as the town had already been belittled over what had taken place at the bail But, by 8 votes to 3, his suggestion was rejected. It was mentioned that the big caterer's bill was due to the breakage and thieving of various articles.

The Dominion dffice in London was not backward in advertising the Prince's tour through thip country. "One can realise almost intimately the progress of the Prince in New Zealand oy spending a minute or two at the window of the New Zealand Offices in the Strand, opposite the Adelphi," says a London paper of May date. "A map shows the Prince's route, and models of ships give an idea of the position from day to day of the Renown' and her escort. There are photographs shown of the places visited, and specimens of native weapons and products such as those given to the Prince. A fine photograph, of His Royal Highness is exhibited, and it is a pleasure to hundreds to And themselves in such close touch with an historic voyage."