LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A private cable message received in Dunedin at the week-end stated that all the Tooley-street offers for New Zealand cheese had been withdrawn. A consignment of 65 tons of sugar wfts brought to New Plymouth by the Rarawa yesterday morning. Most of the sugar was brown, so that the shortage of the white article is still acute in Taranaki. The New Zealand conference of veterans will meet in New Plymouth on Wednesday morning nest. On the same day a luncheon will be held under the auspices of' the Taranaki branch of the Veterans' Association, at which the delegates and a number of other guests will be entertained. )h the House #if .Representatives yesterday, the Education Committee reported that it had no recommendation to rnnke in connection with the petition praying that teachers in Roman Catholic schools might have renewed the right to tra.vel to their schools by railway free of charge. The report was tabled.— Press Association.

The popularity 'living in flats has attained in Auckland was instanced (says the Star) in regard to Newmarket in a report furnished by the sanitary inspector at the westing of the Borough Council, Within the borough a large number of houses were being converted into flats, and it was ascertained that there were 129 people living in eight buildings containing 42 flats. .In our auction columns to-day appear particulars of furniture sales on account of Mr. J. W. Riddoch and Mr. A. F. Grant. The sale will be held in the tho Workers' Social Hall on Friday next, commencing at 1.30. Included in the long list to be gone through are two pianos, both of which are in very good order.

An increase in the selling rates for drafts on London is announced. The new rates are as follows, those lately current being given in parentheses:—On demand, 20a (10s); 30 days, 10s (2s tid); 60 days, par (5s discount); 90 days, 7s Od discount; telegraphic transfers, 30s (30a). The nett rates came into force last week. An extensive tour of the Dominion during the Parliamentary recess is contemplated by the Prime Minister. In replying to a deputation in Wellington, Mr. Ma»Bey said that during the last six or seven yeaTs, he had been very largely tied to his office; there were even some parts of his own electorate which he had not seen for years, but fortunately they were a very patient people in the North. It was time he visited various parts of the country and he intended, provided nothing unforeseen happened, to make the most of the recess for this purpose. The Ulimaroa arrived in Wellington from Australia on Monday with 64 bags of mail from Wellington, including three bags from London, 43 from the United States, one from Cape Town, and seven from China. The Westralia sailed from Melbourne at 3 p.m. on October 15 for Wellington. She carries 98 bags of mail for New Zealand. The s.s. Garada sailed from Sydney for Auckland at 1 p.m. on October 15 with 16 bags of mail. As there must shortly be several vacancies on the Supreme Court Bench of New Zealand owing to judges having reached the age limit, there is a good deal of speculation as to the names' of the men who will be chosen for this high position. It is rumored that a well-known Aucklander is almost certain to be among those elevated (says the Star). He is a young man, not yet a K.C. who has won a very high reputation, particularly at the Court of Appeal, and his appointment would give keen satisfaction to the legal profession not only in Auckland but throughout the Dominion.

Tlie "Drapers' Record" for September in its notes on "The Trade Centres" referring to Manchester, states: "Trade prospects at the moment are anything but bright." After touching upon industrial troubles, it is stated that a (narked slump in raw cotton rates had destroyed confidence for the time being. Inquiry in piece goods for abroad had "dried up," and "even if shippers had orders to place, they would not operate at the present time," The paragraph ends: "Cloth manufacturers have not sold their production this week by a long way, and prices are weaker. • All kinds of yarns have been sluggish, and rates have been easier in sympathy with the decline of the raw material."

Waxing reminiscent the other day, an Auckland pioneer said he remembered days when the prices of many articles of food were much higher than they are to-day. jWhen he landed in Auckland in 1865 eggs were selling at 4s a dozen, bacon cofit about 4s per lb, and a loaf of bread was 9d. He described the consternation of the' mother of a family of twelve when she went to purchase the ham and eggs for the breakfast, to which they had been accustomed in their Homeland. .Food prices were not regularly on this scale, however, great fluctuations taking place according to the supplies. In the five years 1009 to 1913 the average annual export of butter from Irei land was 30,110 tons; in the same five yorrs the average annual export of cheese was 301 tons. In 1920 this had changed, for the export of Irish butter had fallen from 36,110 tons, tile prewar average, to 16,685 tons, while the export of cheese had risen fjjom 301 tons, the pre-war average, to 15,273 t£us.

If silver does not come down in price, and we cannot get our usual shipment of silver coin from the Old Country, it is (juke pusaiblu that we shall have an issue of 5s notes (says the Auckland Star). As a matter of convenience the paper notes for the smaller denominations, such aa were issued in Egypt in the latter stages of 'the war, are much preferable to the coin. Instead of two unwieldy half-crowns, for instance, one will carry a neat slip of paper about four or five inches long by half that width. They have, of course, the disadvantage of gathering, the.dinging microbe and the dirt, and if. they were not renewed oftener than the filthy pound notes that we have to put up with, the convenience would in no way compensate for the additional risk one would run in handling them. Talking about the Egyptian currency, we in New Zealand might well copy their £1 notes in the matter of size. Instead of the roll of "blankets" a man lias to carry round in this country, the Egyptian with the same amount of money would have a handy bundle of notes not much bigger Mian the 10s notes issued by the Bank of New Zealand—and the less paper the less dirt. "If I were a private person, I would take my wife and go and live in New Zealand, for I fell in love with the country. Of nil the girls I left behind the initials of the one I loved best (ire 'N.Z.'" General Booth, back in London from his tour round the world, has undoubtedly happy recollections of his month in the Dominion. These were his first flattering words of comment when the London correspondent of the Evening Post saw him. Indeed, so great was his enthusiasm with regard to New Zealand as a "piece of God's earth" that one wondered it' his natural and inspiring delight in all good tilings tempted him to the use of superlatives. But, no, of all the lands he had seen on his long voyage he was genuinely convinced that New Zealand was the most desirable. "I fell in love with the people," he said, "but I did not find them so energetic, so filled with that imagination which is the basis for success in life, so capable of sacrifice in a great cause, as I found the people of Australia. Still, they captivated me. I was delighted with the children in Dunedin, Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch. I was permitted to speak to the boys and girls of the Higli Schools in Dunedin and Auckland. Even in the short time I was in the country I felt that I was able to enter a little Into the life of the children, and to understand their multiplicity of outlook. But I felt that there was a want in the education system. Man is a composite being—not only of _ body and mind. The training of the body and mind is not enough. The educational system could well be extended to meet the spiritual needs of the children." Things are financially and economically rotten in the state of Denmark. The Danish treasury, in spite of the millions from the sale of the Danish West Indies to the United States and the flow of money to that country during the war, is at low ehb. The kroner is badly depressed. In addition to the labour disturbances which have racked the country for months, there is a severe lack of housing and grave shortage of coal wherewith to keep industry going. Copenhagen prisons are' fulj, not of criminals, but of families unable to find other roofs. Schools and other public buildings have also had to he used to meet the housing crisis. Train service is drastically curtailed, principally because of the lack of coal. With 1 the revival of German industry, hopes of. relief supplies of coal from that quarter are diminishing. Bolshivism seems to be on tho decline, principally, it seoips. because of the disclosure that the eighthour day was not favoured by tho Soviets. Socialists appear a disheartened lot since the Danish elections. The workers are deserting the Socialist banners in shoals. The new Democratic majority in the Folketbing does not seem to need the weakened Socialist support.

Writes a London correspondent:—An Invention of great interest to cloth manufacturers will probably attract the attention of woolgrowers in Australia. A Leeds scientist is producing a marketable form of artificial wool. Professor Barker, the head of the textile department of tho Leeds University, well of the article. He says that many ■of the claims of this invention have been substantiated, and that the researches are being actively continued. The basis of this new substance is cotton waste, which is treated after the manner of the' British Cellulose Company in the manufacture of artificial silk. The chief dif : ficulty in preparing this new wool arose in the proess of combing. The fibre was broken into such small pieces that itcould not be combed by any form of existing machinery. It was, therefore, unfit for making into yarn on the worsted principle. But that obstacle has now been surmounted; yarns lmve been made and cloth has been manufacturedAt present it looks like rough homespun, but it seems to be possible to make a finer fabric. Those who are concerned with this manufacture claim that the wool is a better insulator against heat and cold than pure wool, and much cheaper, 'People are awaiting Professor Barker's final report. If the tests prove to be satisfactory the manufacture of this wool will be commenced on a business basis.-! Up to the present time 110 one suggest-; that artificial wool will rival the real article, hut it may occupy a similar position in the woollen industry that artificial silk occupies in the silk industry. The Melbourne's sale is attracting crowds of enthusiastic buyers from town and country. Evidently the public is well aware that this is the place for genuine bargains. Note these real money-savers in Manchester goods: Horrockses' famous A 1 calico, 36 inches wide, 2s 3d; usual price 2s !)d. Crewdson's very heavy N0.2 calico, 3f> inches wide, 2s Od yard; usual price 2s lid. Good heavy white twill sheeting, "2 inches wide, 5s fid yard; usual price os lid. White sheeting, similar make, 54 inches wide, 4s fid; usual price 4s lid. Best is best. No two opinions dilt'er when the merits of ''Fairy Wonder' Dry Soap are discussed. Everyone who has used ''Fairy" is unanimous in saying it is the best they ever used. "Fairy" is an easy winner in the .household stakes. Don't allow yourself to be put oil' it. All grocers stock it.