LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 November 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Tnglewood County Council is asking that a commission be appointed to inquire into, and adjust between the Stratford and fnglewood Counties, the revenue received by the Stratford County from the toll-gate on the Mountain Road.

House rents in New Plymouth provide a remarkable anomaly, according to the Government Statistician's latest returns. Tt shows that a five-roomed house costs 22s 3(1 to rent for a week, whereas a six-roomed house could l)e rented for 18s Id. Is it that the live-roomed koujcs are of a superior type, or is it just something else?

The missing schooner Jubilee was the subject of a question in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr. Massey informed Mr. V. H. Potter (Roskill) that the Government was doing all possible to facilitate the search for the auxiliary schooner Jubilee, missing on the voyage from Auckland to Xiue Island. Dr. Pomare added that arrangements had been made with the Samoan administration to send food to Xiue by any vessel going that way.

At the New Plymouth Court yesterday, before Messrs. H R. C'attley and T. Furlong, J.P.'s, J. Maxwell, who was arrested for 'drunkenness in Devon Street by Constable Phillips on Monday evening, was convicted and discharged. The offender was ordered to pay cab hire incurred.

It is understood that the New Zealand transport workers, including seamen, have decided to take action in the hope of preventing the further use of Japanese steamers in the. NewcastleNew Zealand' coal trade. It is contended by the Transport Federation that the employment of low-paid Japanese crews is unfair competition against New Zealand and Australian shipowners and seamen.

A young man, ,!■ A. Smith, who was arrested hy Detective C'ooney in New Plymouth on Monday, appeared before the Court yesterday 011 a charge of committing indecent exposure at the East End beacli on October 28. Accused, who pleaded guilty, was convicted and admitted to probation for twelve months, being ordered to report to the probation ollicer monthly. Messrs. H. R. Cattlcy and T. Furlong were the presiding Justices.

Heportiug to the Tnglewood County Council on the allocation of war trophies to laranaki, Mr, A. Corkiil, who represented the Jnglewood County at the meeting that decided their distribution, stated thai, the Jngjewood Borough and County had been allocated a trench mortar and two machine guns, and as two machine guns had already been allocated to the borough he suggested that the local committee which would be set up should consider the claims of Tarilci and Tarata for a machine gun. He stated that he had endeavored to obtain a field gun for the district, but had not been able to. Cr. Cameron said that while a field gun might be larger and more imposing a trench mortar would prove more interesting.

At yesterday's meeting of the Tnglewood County Council, notification was received from the Mines Dcparlmcnt asking for information regarding limestone quarries in the district, as a committee of technical ollicers from various (iovcrnment departments was deliberating for the purpose of considering the advisability of establishing lime crushing plants throughout the Dominion. It was resolved to reply that, there were no limestone quarries in the district, and at the same time lo express pleasure at (he action of the Movcrmncnt in the establishment of lime crushing plants. Cr. Simpson pointed out the anomaly tliat existed in that they had to pay for farmers in other districts having their lime carried 100 miles by rail free, without being aide to participate in the same benefits themselves. Mails which left Auckland on September 27, per K.M.S. Tahiti, via Vancouver, arrived in London on November o, On Saturday Webster Bros, are selling a five-seater Ford car, in good run-ning-order

The price of oatmeal in Dunedii) lias been reduced from .C.'il to £2!) per ton, and rolled oats are down from l!ls to ISs per dozen 4lb bags.

The Eltham Chamber of Commerce is moving in the direction of obtaining additional police protection for (.lie town. At the Hawera Court yesterday, W. V. McXamara was charged with failing to comply with a maintenance order in favor of his wife and children, to the amount, of C7H, and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, unless lie paid the amount within a month.

In the Kltliam Police Court on Monday, before Messrs. T. C. Stanners and H. H. .ludd, .I.P.'s, Kiehiu-d Blackburn was lined L'2 for drunkenness and disorderly conduct, and, was also ordered to pay £5 damage to a window. Notwithstanding Uie Prime Minister's tip that (lie session would end veslcrday, the latest information indicates that the House of Representatives will not finish its business before to-morrow or Friday, and that the Legislative Council will conclude 011 Friday or Saturday.

There are motor car thieves in Auckland as elsewhere. The other day a handsome car was left outside the busi r ness premises of a well-known firm, while the owner transacted some business with the head of the firm. When the owner returned to the street he found the motor car missing, and he is still minus several hundred pounds' worth of useful property. Oisborne business men, dissatisfied with their present shipping service, propose to form a shipping company and to purchase two cargo vessels, one for the Wellington-Napicr-Gisborne service, and the other for the Auckland-East Coast (tisborne run. The proposal is receiving a great deal of support.

Then* is in use in France an electrio substitute for the barber's scissors. It consists of a comb carrying along one side rif its row of teeth a platinum wire through which flows an electric current. As (lie comb passes through the locks to be shorn Jin* heated wire instantiv severs tiie hairs, leaving them of even length and sealing the cut ends, as in the ordinary process o£ singeing with a taper.

Realisation of a very acute house shortage in Wellington has been forced upon one property owner in a striking fashion, though iiis experience by no means stands alone (says the Dominion;. Tie had a four-rpomod cottage lo let and advertised the fact. There was no mistake about the response. Applicants called by the score. Their visits followed so fast one on another that the lady of the house grew wcarv of answering the door, and placed on it a notification that the cottage had been lot. But still the applicants came, and before the procession ended over 100 had called to enquire about the house, which in point of fact had been let before the first response to the advertisement was received. So anxious were many of the people to rent the place that, they were ready to buy 1 lio furniture it contained in order to secure it.

Mr. (I. .1. Hawker. (Egmonti on .Saturday suggested to the Minister of Railways that (here was room for a great deal of improvement in the arrangement! of the trucking yards for stock at the various railway stations of the country. He believed that thousands of pounds were being lost every year on account of the unnecessary knocking, about of stock, and the demurrage of trucks. He suggested that half-a-dozen competent officers of the Department should be directed to study the question and propose improvements. At Hawevn, one of the biggest, trucking stations in JJcw Zealand, the trucking yard had only one gate. When stock arrived by the train at night, tliey had to be put through the yard in/which were the cattle awaiting trucking next morning. The cattle in the yard had to be put, on the road while the other animals went through. This state oi affairs had existed for about DO yearf, and it had not yet occurred lo the Department that the thing to do was to provide another gate. Mr. Massey sain that he would ask the General Managoi for Railways to investigate the question.

''The-clergy don't aim at becoming wealthy," remarked the Yen. Archrteifcon P. 13. Ilaggitt at the Canterbury Anglican Synod last week. ''What they do desire, and what I think we have a right to expect is a living wage." After indicating what a living wage should cover, including saving a little for the future. Archdeacon Haggitt said he did not believe Jiat there was a clergyman in the diocese, including those connected with the (athedral, who had a wife and family, who was receiving a wage : that enabled him to save more thai\ a very little. The Ven. Archdeacon J. A. Jacob remarked that during the four years he had been in the Wellington diocese, and the nine years he had been in the Christclmreh diocese, he had been the best paid priest, in each diocese; vet, though lie had no children, and though his wife was a good manager, he would have been 111 debt but for "certain small private means, ,-CfiO per annum, he possesed. In the thirteen years he had saved £2OO. Mr. H. M. 'Hannebr trusted that Archdeacon Haggitt's statement would not go unchallenged, as they should be careful not to alienate the sympathy of church people who were, not getting big wages.