LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 August 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A cable received from .Sydney early tbis morning says English cables are greatly delayed. Tlie Frankley Road Co-op. Dairy Company report ft very successful season, the pay-out being 2s per lb. for butterfat. The long-looked-for supply of cement for Taranaki is expected to-day. The Ngakuta, which is bringing 940 tons from Limestone Island, left Wellington Inst evening for New Plymouth, and should arrive in port some time to-day. Fielding lias decided to form a club, at wliieh business and professional men may meet Tegularly for an informal discussion of matters of mutual intevest and pertaining to the advancement of the town. There was a short discussion at the annual meeting of the Bell Block Dairy Company on Wednesday evening with reference to the C.W.S. marketing scheme. The proposals, hqwever, did not appear to meet with much favor, and no action was taken in the matter.

It is understood that a sum approximating £788,000 was paid out in the Wanganui railway district on Tuesday, the money representing increased pay and bonuses recently granted to railwaymen.

Evidence of what a heavy rain may do in one night is to be seen at Five Rivers, Southland (states the Western Star). To the east there is a, range of steep bare hills, sloping to a great western plain. In a few hours a heavy downpour rushing off the • hillsides gouged out along the roadside a big gulley nearly a mile long, six to 10 feet deep, and 10 to 12 feet wide. I ,notice with regret a growing tendency, in the Police Courts, to deal with chargea of theft by way of a fine," said his Honor Mr Justice Salmond, iti sentencing a prisoner found guilty of theft, at yesterday's sitting of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth. "To treat such a serious offence as theft by way of a fine is putting it on the same level as a breach of a by-law, and to my mind is a great mistake."

In addition to the directors only one shareholder was present at the annual meeting of the Manutahi Co-operative Dairy Co. There are only about twelve or thirteen farmers supplying the factory. and most of these only supply through sliaremilkers. The smallest hard owner is over 50 cows, and the largest owner has about 450 cows. There are cases in which, farmers employ two and three sliaremilkers on different areas. —Star.

The committee of the New Plymouth Horticultural Society met on Wednesday to make preliminary arrangements for the holding of shows for the taming year. It was decided to hold three shows, a spring show on the first Thursday in December, a general show on the last Thursday in February, and a chrysanthemum show on the last Thursday in April. A recent English paper stated that, owing to the relaxed vigilance of the police, cock-fighting has recently been revived in . Ireland. At Boresdown, West Heath, recently a ''battle" was fought betwnen cocks owned by representatives of North and .South Ireland. Thirteen fights "were held, the result being declared a draw. Over 2000 spectators were present, and many motor cars were drawn up beside the scene of the encounter.

At the meeting of Waitnate West County Council last week, Cr. McKay said he had noticed that the question of meat inspection had been discussed at a recent Farmers' Union meeting. He did not see why meat killed for consumption in the country districts should not he" inspected the same as that consumed in the larger towns. He did not think butchers would soil diseased meat knowingly but they had not sufficient knowledge to know whether some animals were diseased or not. It was resolved that Counties in Taranaki be circularised on the subject.

Some of those who have house property interests in Hawera take quite a hopeful view of the future, and expect that next year prices for dwellings (states the Star), will be even higher than they are now. This is based on the belief that dairy farmers are going to have a very prosperous season. After every milking season there is usually a good enquiry for town properties by dairy farmers and sliaremilkers, and with the large amount of money that will be received for produce this year and distributed amongst this class of people the demand for houses will be greater than ever.

The acuteness of- the newspaper situation in the Homeland is reflected in the statement that since the war the cost of paper has risen fivefold, while printing cliarges to-day approach a rise of 200 per cent. This has necessitated a large increase in the price of. many popular papers. The price of the Nation and of the Spectator has gone up ftom Hd to Oct, whilst other weekly journals have been increased from Gd to Is. The price of The Times has risen from Id to 3d, and of The Times Literary Supplement from Id to 6d. The Manciief>tar Guardian has increased from Id to 2d, and this example has been followed by a number of other daily papers.

The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth will be concluded this morning, after which the civil business will be commenced, the first case set down for hearing being the Egmont Racing Club v. Martin Hendricl;pon, a claim for £lO4 Bs. money paid'and received. The sittings will be continued to-morrow, and on Monday his Honor Mr. Justice Salmond will leave for Wauganui to conduct the sessions there. The remaining business in New Plymouth will be adjourned until after tile conclusion of the session®, when his Honor will return to New Plymouth. At a meeting of the executive of the North Taranaki Head Centre of the Royal Life-Saving Society, some discussion took place as to the conditions of the competition for the Nelson Shield, and it was decided to instruct the head centre's delegate to the Dominion Executive to support the conditions set out by the donor of the trophy. A letter was received .from the Dominion Executive relative to a change in the conditions of competition for the Wlgram Shield, and the local head centre expressed its disapproval this, and recommended that another trophy should be provided for inter-centre competition as suggested in the Dominion Executive's letter. A general meeting of members of the New Plymouth branch of the Returned Soldiers' Association will be held in the Club rooms at eight o'clock to-night. A full attendance is required, as several important matters are to come up for discussion.

Coughs andtColds, never fails, 1/9, 2/9. Cwvjor