LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 July 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is reported that the seamen engaged on a certain coastal boat owned in Napier earned no less than £3O a-piece last month. The men were exceptionally busy at coast stations, and the period was looked upon as a good one. The shortage of timber was referred to by an Auckland builder the other day. He stated that it was almost entirely due to the falling off in production. In America, he said, the output per man weekly was 3000 ft, where in New Zealand it was only 200 ft. On the information of the County Inspector (Mr. B. Tippins) Edward Punga was charged at the New Plymouth Court- yesterday with allowing a cow to wander on the Waitara Road. Defendant, who made no appearance, was convicted and fined 20s, and ordered to pay costs £1 2s '0(1. Mr. Quillmm (County solicitor) appeared on behalf of the informant.

To show that the old spirit of trench comradeship was still existent among returned soldiers, the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald, in the House of Representatives yesterday, said that in a- recent ballot for three sections some of the men, who had fair sums of money, entered for only one ballot in order that others, with leaser means, might have better for the smaller sections. The issue of war saving certificates to enable persons of small means to have some part in raising New Zealand's war loans has developed into a method of encouraging thrift, and, possibly, will become a permanent institution in this country- At present the issue is being continued under the loan authorities, which had not been exhausted. The investments are by no means small, considering that the certificates are issued in multiples of 13s 4d and 16s. The following figures supplied by the Postmas-ter-General show the investments in certificates since the inception of the scheu? and for the past twelve months:, Total sales since incpetion, August 11, 1910, to May 31, 1920, £4,596,509 ss. For twelve months ended May 31, 1920, £547,118 4s. Two addresses of special interest to thoughtful people will be given in the Workers' Social Hall next lunday and Monday evenings, under the auspices of the International Bible Students' Association. The lecturer, Mr. Edward Nelson, is a fluent speaker and a thorough Bible student, who holds the V.D.M. decree of the Association. These two lectures have aroused the keenest intellectual and spiritual interest amongst Bible readers all over the world. The Melbourne's sale, just concluding, has established a new record for tha 'firm, trade throughout being exceptionally brisk. Buying goods at reduced prices is just now a very payable proposition as prices of all goods are still rapidly advancing.

The conference of the New Zealand Labor Party unanimously decided to support the proposal of Labor members to increase the salaries of M.P.'s to £SOO, members to pay income tax and superannuation levies.

The military prisoner, A. M. Strang, is still in custody in Masterton, As soon as a military escort is provided from District Headquarters at Palmerston North, he will be conveyed to that town for court-martial; The prisoner, who hails from the Pahiatua district, was called up on February 27, 191S, and had been missing since that date.—Wailarapa Age. "The old order changcth, giving place to the new!" An Otaki district farmer informs us that recently a smartlydressed man arrived at his farm in an up-to-date five-seater motor-car.- The farmer went out to meet him, thinking a visitor had arrived, or possibly a would-be purchaser of the property, but, lo and behold, it was only a bushfcller Who had come to start work felling bush on the farm.—Mail.

One of the outcomes of the scarcity of houses has been that many people have had to get into flats or furnished apartments in Wellington. Similar conditions exist in Great Britain, and Mr. Kingsley Wood, of the Ministry of Health, recently stated: "Profiteering in furnished lettings will doubtless be made an offence." "If we do not build houses today, you can depend upon it wo shall have to build hospitals to-morrow," also declared Mr. H. A. L. Fisher, Minister for Education, when speaking recently in England. A large and enthusiastic meeting was held at the Technical College on Wednesday evening, to form an Old Pupils' Association. Mr. T. Bailey was voted to the chair. Mr. Moore, thte present Director, explained the aims and objects of the Association. A motion to form the Association was unanimously carried, and the following officers were elected:—President, Mr. A. L. Moore; Vice-President, Miss Maggie Jones; secretary, Miss Laura Jensen; committee, Misses I. Thirkleson, Maggie Hannah, W. Hawker, C. Bain, E. Newall, Lydia Fuller, E. Corney, Messrs. Haddon, Smith, R. Oliver, F. Senter, E. fiovenlock, T. Logie, H. Oliver, Tuki Ruru, G. S. Crump, 11. H. Skeliton, and T. Bailey; dance committee, Misses Jones, Corney. Hannah, Messrs. Crump, Bailey and Skelton; hockey committee, Misses Hazid Andrews,-Hawker and Harvey; footbail committee, Messrs. R. Pascoe, T- Bailey, and R. Oliver. The above committees will report on various suggestions at a subsequent meeting to be held in a fortnight's time. At this week's meeting of the WhiteIcy Club, Mr. J. Baillie was the lecturer, and took for his subject "Some Modern Novelists." The speaker briefly referred to some of the greatest of modern English novelists, giving the names of some of their best works. Rev. J. Napier Milne supplemented Mr. Baillie's lecture with a few concluding remni'KS. To-morrow Mr. Newton King will sell by auction in the estate of the late Wm. Bayly, two houses in Gill street. Both properties are in a good 'locality, very handy to the centre of the town, and stand well above the road. Both have modern conveniences. He will also offer, under instructions from the Publie Trustee in the estate of the late Wm. Kendall, a half acre section with comfortable 4-roomed cottage situated in Lepperton; Ladies! You must buy "Fairy Wonder" Dry Soap if you wish to' lighten your work -on wash-day, and at the same time get satisfactory results. All grocers stock it. Give it a trial. The name of one of the accused in Mo-day's restaurant theft ease was Montford, not Mountford, as the name was spelt in our report. To-morrow, at their mart, Webster Bros, are selling 100 sacks of primest Canterbury table potatoes.