LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The case of Samuel John Thorn, who has been sentenced to death for the murder of Sidney Seymour Eyre, will come before the Executive Council shortly—perhaps not at the next meeting, but at the following meeting. Death sentence!* passed by the Court are not carried out until the Executive has considered the matter. The discovery of a three-legged White Leghorn chicken, which was hatched on Tuesday, is reported by a Stratford resident. The chicken is stated to be healthy and running about with the other chickens. The third leg branches off from the hip of the bird and has five claws, the leg itself being about double the size of the others. The prices quoted by our Stratford correspondent as having been realised at the hide and skin sale at Stratford yesterday were for average lines. There were some lines at the sale which brought prices slightly in excess of those quoted, but these were 'for better quality hides and skins than the average at the offering. The opening of the Patea freezing works, which was to have taken place on Tuesday, has been indefinitely postponed owing to the dispute with regard to the rates of pay not yet being settled by the central authority of the workers. The following unique advertisement appears in the Patea Press:—''Notice. — Any person found on Mrs. Ratana's premises will be prosecuted. Quite welcome for anything required. Ask Sirs. Pio or Mrs. Ratana. Time of entering must not be after S p.m. Lots of goods have been missing from these premises during the night—By Order." The New Zealand Axemen's Association, of Eltham, which in the old days was the strongest concern of the kind in New Zealand, is being wound up, and the surplus funds and property are being handed over to the Eltham Domain Board. This decision was arrived at on Monday evening. The control of axemanship is to be handed over to the New Zealand Cycling and Athletic Union. Mr. R. Masters, M.P. for Stratford, remarked at yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki Education Board that an opinion seemed to be growing that the education system of New Zealand was for the benefit of (lie teachers and not of the children, and he thought that it would be just as well to remove that idea. The remark was ancnt the suggested alteration of school holidays, in some cases to suit the convenience of teachers wishing to catch certain steamers. The doll-dressing competitions at the West End school is now finished, and the dolls were dressed by a ladies' committee yesterday. There were many dolls beautifully dressed, and they will be on exhibition and for sale this afternoon at Kawaroa Park, when the school will hold their gala day. There will be a j jumble stall, a produce stall conducted by Ah Whato, a plain clothes stall, a bag and sweets stall. The Citizens' Baud will play during the afternoon, and given fine weather it should prove a very enjoyable and successful ail'air. The New Plymouth Gas Company regrets a brief cessation in the service last night, and will endeavor to prevent a recurrence in the future.—Advt. Create an atmosphere of Nazol about you, so that you constantly inhale it—about 10 drops on the chest of the pyjania jacket at night or on the singlet in the morning protects you against infectious gerni3. It is undoubtedly good for Coughs, Coldi, Sore Xhro&U, etc.

The Taranaki Board of Education yesterday decided to congratulate Mr. Johnson, agricultural instructor, on the good Jesuits which his pupils attained at the •Slratl'ord Show. The Now Plymouth Technical College will for the Christmas holidays on December 17th, and open again on February Ist, 10:11. No announcement has yet been made as to whom the new Public Trustee is to be, and it is understood an appointment may not be made for a while yet. The Taranaki Board of Education yesterday decided to draw the attention of teachers and school committees to the fact that the inspectors' reports on schools were not intended for publication. The Hon. 1). H. Guthrie stated on Tuesday that 'between now and March the Government expects to have six or eight properties ready for sub-division for discharged soldiers. After December 10 there will be about 50,001) acres ready. This area will accommodate close on .150 settlers. The area includes pastoral land, dairying land, and land suitable for mixed farming. It is situated in the Hawke's Bay, Nelson, Taranaki, and Auckland dstricts. For the eiglit months ending November 30, 5595 immigrants have arrived in New Zealand, and it is satisfactory to know they have all been provided with accommodation and employment. Of this number 4205 were Governmentassisted passengers, comprising 574 men, 1854 women, 774 children, and 2300 were ■overseas settlement passengers, made up of 1124 men, 595 women, and 071 children. Of the total 335 came to the Taranaki district. The -stoppage of work on the Strat-ford-Okahuknra railway beyond Tahora is the subject of a letter which Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., has received from the Minister of Public Works. Mr. Coates says the temporary discontinuation of work until some other works are out of hand will not, in .his opinion, postpone the date of ultimate connection between Stratford and Okahukura. The Minister repeats his policy of doing first works which, in his opinion, will result hi most expeditious and economical construction. Many of the suppliers to the cheese factories in the district are becoming uneasy owing to the'unsettled state of the cheese market, writes our Stratford correspondent, and a general desire is apparent for a change over to butter manufacture. The Stratford Farmers' Cooperative Association, which controls a number of cheese factories, will probably come to a decision one way or another at a meeting of directors to be held this week. The indications are that the decision will be lo go back to butter without any delay. But for the prompt action of Guard Myers on Monday afternoon the Patea railway station would have been the scene of a ghastly tragedy (says the Press). Just as'the mail train was coming into the station at a good speed an elderly man got out of the south-bound train that had arrived some time previously, and attempted to cross the rails to the paltform, oblivious of the fact that the mail train was bearing down upon him. People on the platform held their breath, and expected to see the man cut to pieces, when Guard Myers ran and pulled the man out of reach of the train just as the engine dashed by. The driver of the mail train had seen the man on the line and had applied the brakes, but could not hare pulled up in time to save the man's life if he had not been dragged to safety. Blight on his avenue of hardy plane trees, which have been free from anything of this nature during their life of over twenty-five years, led Mr. M. Fraser, of New Plymouth, to communicate with the Department of Agriculture, and he has now received the following letter from Mr. T. W. Kirk (director of the horticultural division): "The disease which is affecting your trees is, unfortunately, becoming a very widespread trouble not only in New Zealand, but also in England, where conferences of foresters and scientists have been held to discuss the matter, which is of national importance. The disease has been identified as a fungus (Glaeosporum nervisesum). The remedial measures advised are heavy pruning in winter, followed by spraying with Bordeaux mixture, which should be 5.0.40 strength and applied with a power pump. Spraying should be repeated when growth begins in spring, the strength used being 4.4.40. All pruning!) should be destroyed by burning; all leaves should be collected and burned. It is probable that it is the fallen leaves that cause the spread of the disease. It is not-certain that these measures will eradicate the disease, but they are the only means of control that have been suggested. It is advised that these measures should be energetically applied." Notification has been received by the Taranaki Education Board from the Registrar of the Victoria University Collego stating that Professor Hunter would meet the board in conference in connection with the Opaku reserve on Tuesday, December 14. There are occasionally brought to the notice of the Taranaki Education 'Board instances of children with splendid attendance records, and at yesterday's meeting two further cases were reported. One was from Matiere, where a pupil has attended for five years without missing a half-day when school has been open, despite the 'fact that this pupil has a long distance to travel in all sorts of weather. The Kapuni school teacher also reported that a boy named George Scott had not missed an attendance during eight years, during which time his conduct and study had been excellent, and he was now deservedly the recipient of a proficiency certificate. The board decided to forward each pupil a letter in recognition of their excellent, attendance record, signed by the chairman and secretary of the board. The nurses of the public hospital are holding a Nurses' Day on Saturday next, Hth iust., when gifts of flowers, sweets! and produce will l )e most acceptable and may be left at Mr. Bailv's office, A.M.P. Buildings, on Friday and' Saturday morning. ' The public of Waitnra and surrounding district will,he interested in an advertisement dealing with drapery and clothing, to be found at Mr. H.' Joll's Central Store, Waitara. _ The I'riti sale advertisement appears in ouj; auction columns. A modern five-seater motor car is advertised for sale on very easy terms by W. H. ami A, McGarry, Eltham. The present high cost of living can be considerably alleviated by shopping at the Melbourne's special 'fourteen days' sale. Prices on sheetings, damasks, dowlas, ladies' hand embroidered voile blouses, men's suits, etc., have been very mue.i reduced in ofrler to get stock down. No perfume is so popular and appreciated as the famous No. 52 Lavender Water. „