LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a clearing sale near Dannevirke on Tuesday grade Jerseys went up to £52, -which is claimed to be a Dominion record. The Auckland Presbytery has passed a resolution urging Parliament to make it a penal offence to impugn the legal validity of a marriage celebrated according to law* or to deny the legitimacy of children of such a marriage. In regard to the insurance of school children, the 'i'aranaki Education •Board decided yesterday that a policy bo taken out for £SOO, to cover the legal liability of the Board for accidents to children under its control, arising in or about the school buildings or school grounds, or otherwise to (and) or from school on school days. The AVellington Chamber of Commerce has received advice from the Prime Minister to the effect that the Government intends to make use of private aviation companies in New Zealand for a thorough test of the carriage of mails over approved routes.

The Postal authorities advise that mails were dispatched from London for New Zealand on October 7 per s.s. lonic, via Panama. The s.s. Waiwarra Bailed from Sydney on October 9 for Auckland. The vessel carries 3 bags of Australian mail for New Zealand.

The Patea gas plant refused to work on Monday night, and consequently the town was in darkness throughout the night. Later a good voltage was obtained. T!he hydro plant has been working for some days, but only at a low voltage, to enable the armatures, which were saturated with water when the surge tank burst, to be dried. When this work jts completed the plant will be available in place of the gas plant, says the Press.

The commercial expansion of Taranaki is reflected in the arrivals of late of a number of business men from outside towns, who have invested in local undertakings. In no less than four instances the new proprietors of businesses which have changed hands in New Plymouth recently are all, from Wanganui, and in other cases incoming employers hail' from the Hawke's Bay and Manawatu districts.

The action of the Government in placing a loan of six milliolns on to the market at fiy s per cent., subject to the highest rate of income-tax, is criticised in some quarters (says yesterday's Dominion,). In the_ present uncertain condition of the money market and the high rates of interest, this' is considered to be unfair. Overdraft rates have recently advanced, and it is anticipated that a further increase of i per cent must be made. In sympathy with the rest of the world, the money mnrket in the Dominion is hardening, and it is considered by some financiers in New Zealand that ii' debentures are to bo subject to full income-tax they will presently be sold as low as ■ .-CSo, involving a loss of .-CIS on every £IOO of Government debentures taken up. It is thought to be unlikely that debentures which some public bodies contemplate issuing at f>'/„ per cent will be taken up. The wonderful feat of changing from one aeroplane to another, oOflO feet from the fround, of doing trapeze stnuts hanging on » suspended bar whilst travelling l(K) miles an hour, are graphically shown in the Fox Gazette at the People's to-night. It was in performing a similar stunt that the great Lock, lenr was killed

Ladies! Beware of any washing powilcr that contains paraffin wax or caustic soda. These substances rot clothes quickly. "Fairy Wonder" Dry Soap i 3 absolutely free of these ingredients, yet it will cleanse and bleach clothes quicker and more effectively than any other known compound. See that you get "Fairy" when asked for. All' grocers stock it.

Thousands of mothers know the value or Sharhmd's Magnesia. They have proved how readily it corrects the stomncl' troubles of children. Sold evervwliare \fl

A pair of white swans were recently liberated in Pukekura Park, having been secured as a donation from the Christchurch City Council for the Board •'trough the. efforts of a New Plymouth rciulc-.'t. Mr. G. King. .V.H.iln ; of the Taranaki Education Board attendance at "{he monthly niceinijf yesterday, adjourned at lnnchco;i time to the Technical School whero a'good repast hod been prepared by the girls of the cookery classes. The occasion provided a good example of the practical work carried out at the school, and rafter lunch the members yoieu the .innovation very successful, the chairman"'(Mr. P. .T. hj! White) extending congratulations to tho Director of the College (Mr. A. L, Moore) on the culinary success of. the pupils. Regarding the , Taranaki Education Board's protest against the proposal to divert the Opaki Reserve, or any part of the accumulated funds, to the Victoria College, Wellington, a letter was received at, yesterday's meeting from Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., stating that the College authorities were desirous of having a conference with tho educational institutions in Taranaki on the subject. Mr. Smith favored this course as it would give publicity to Taranaki's position in the matter. The chairman of the Board (Mr. P. ,J. H. White) stated that Professor Hunter, of Wellington, was to visit Taranaki shortly to inquire into the position, and the conference would probably be held then.

The attractions of the port of New Plymouth to country visitors and townspeople as an interesting place to spend Sunday afternoon have been added to of late by the frequent occasions on which Homo liners have been in port over the week-end. On the last, three Sundays the C. and D. liner Port Pirie has been at the wharf, and next Sunday the Shaw, Savill liner Mamari will arrive, her departure from Wellington having been changed to' Saturday. Additional interest attaches to the Mamari, because she will inaugurate the direct steamer service between England and Taranaki, the vessel having 1,700 tons of cargo from England to discharge here.

A return asked for by Mr. Isitt allows that the number of barmaids on t.ho N.Z. Register in June 1913 was 1187. Eighty-one names have been added since that date, and six have been taken ofT —one owing to registration in error, and live because of non-employment as barmaid for two years o>' more. Several licensees have been prosecuted for employing unregistered barmaids. Inquiries are being made in regard to several cases of regprted deaths and alleged cessation of employment, which will probably result in further deletions from the register.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., notify clients that they have now arranged the date of their Supplementary Bull Fair, which will take place in their Stratford yards on Saturday, October 30. Entries are now being received.

The New Plymouth Boys' High School annual steeplechase will be held this afternoon on the Waiwakaiho golf links, providing weather conditions are favorable. The start is timed for two o'clock.

Even at 3s per lb for butter-fat, a lot of people buying land to-day will not have much left at the end of the year, after paying. interest and other expenses. There is still, good land to be got cheap if people Will go and look for it. Mr, B. Hewitt, of Hamilton, has recently spent a fortnight touring the North Auckland districts, and advertises in this paper a property of 376 acres at £2O 10s, which is a very cheap farm. It would cut very well into three. The local factory is paying supliers 2s M per lb for butter-fat now. With this issue we publish the Melbourne, Ltd.'s, Reduction (Sale announcement. These sales are always looked forward to by the public of Taranaki, and as usual a careful perusal of the list of sale lines will reveal many bargains to intending purchasers of sheetings, calicoes, crepe do chine blouses, men's and boys' clothing, bush rugs, etc., etc. All freshly opened goods, and in perfect condition.

To those who complaip about the high cost of living a splendid opportunity will be offered during' the next three weeks of reducing same, the occasion being the Melbourne's great reduction sale, which commences on Friday morning next. There will be drastic reductions among others on two of the most necessary items, household Manchester goods and clothing.