LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thpre was a big demand for the Christmas number of the Taranaki Daily News on Saturday. Agents are reminded that further supplies can be obtained on application to the office. A quarter-acre section in Gill Street. New Plymouth, with a 7-roomed residence, was submitted to auction Dy Newton King, Ltd., on Saturday. The property was eventually passed in at jciooo. The firebell at the New Plymouth Central Station will be rung for testing purposes between 10 a.m. and noon to-day. in the event of a tire the ward m which the outbreak occurs will be notified in the usual way of ringing.

The New Plymouth electric tramways earned £1422 for the month of November, an increase of £371 over the takings for the same period of last year. The electric 'bus earned £9fi, or £l2 more than last year. The applications for electrical connections were 30 and additions 13.

An incipient fire waa discovered underneath the New Zealand Insurance Company's buildings in Brougham Street (near Mr. A', George's shop) aliotit nine o'clock on Saturday night, but as the outbreak was immediately suppressed tlie assistSnce of the Arc brigade was" not sought.

The bazaar held last week at Uruti in aid of the Backblocks Mission was a great success, over £BO being cleared. The promoters desire to acknowledge help from .St. Mary.'s Home Mission (per .'Miss Godfrey I, New Plymouth Girls' High School, Methodists' Ladies' Guild. Pukearuhe (per Mrs. Freeth); also assistance from Awakino and Urcnui. A purso of over £lB was handed to the missioncr (Rev. Baniett). Mokau and Awakino district is to have a visit from the Hon. D. H. Guthrie (Minister of Lands) and the Hon. J. G. Coatcs (Minister of Public Works) in the near future, arrangements having been made by Mr. W. T. .Jennings, M.P. Tlie Minister of Lands will go from Waitara to Mokau, and will visit the soldier settlements up the river and at Mahoeiuii. The Minister of Public Works will come from South Kawhia on to Awakino, visiting the tunnel work and will also decide at Mokau about the bridge site. The Minister, after proceeding up the river, will come on to Waitara, inspecting the metallingwork and quarry operations on the way.

Beautifully line weather at New Plymouth yesterday afternoon induced a large runuber ot lovynspeopto to the seai'rant. The Citizem?' Band recital at the Breakwater was well attended and i the takings (for bandsmen's Xmus box fund) were about £2O. The band, under Conductor F. W. 0. McLeod, rendered an attractive programme of music, the numbers inducting the chorus "Kyrie and Gloria" (Mozart), and the descriptive selection ''The Village Blacksmith" (Gactas). In the latter various effects were introduced, including the use of the tubular bells for the first time, and the number was much enjoyed. The ranks of the band have been depleted by the loss of a number of senior member*, and the majority of thi! players were comparatively young men The work was very satisfactory and their efforts, as well as those of the band as a whole, are deserving of hearty public support. Members of the Kquitable Building Society of New Plymouth (Second and Third Groups) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable today, 20th December, at the secretary's oilice, Currie Street, from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to S p.m.—Advt.

Messrs Treweek and Joll advertise in this issue particulars of what they consider a very cheap property in the Alton district*

fflie execution of .Samuel John Thorn, condemned to death for the murder of Sidney Seymour Eyre, at Pukekawii, will take place at Mount Eden gu«l at eight o'clock thin morning.

.\[r. Alister flunu was burnt out at Kai Iwi a ■ few days ago, losing his bouse am) practically the whole of the contents. Mr. Gunn and family are now occupying a couple of tents and milking some 00 cows, which is no small hurdle under the circumstances, says tile Press.

In the ease of Fred Fanning v. Henry Gant, hotelkeeper, of Eltham, a claim for £l5O commission alleged to have been agreed upon for the sale of the hotel at Eltham, Mr. W. G. Riddel, S.M., in Wellington on Thursday delivered his reserved judgment. On the ground that the contract on which the plaintiff relied was not binding, the magistrate non-suited him.

Because the Wairoa Freezing Company dismissed two men who had taken a halt-holiday without permission ovor 100 employees went out on strike in sympathy with the two. After negotiations the company agreed to re-engage tho two men, one in his old position, and the other in a different department, and the strikers returned to work.

"I saw more pigs in Germany than in any other country I visited on my trip—there were thousands of them," said Mr. J. C. Cooper at the meeting of farmers at Masterton on Saturday. Though pig 3 literally swarmed in Germany, Mr. Cooper said he saw comparatively few in England. In the sugar beet districts of Germany the pigs were fed on the waste of the beet crops.

A local resident wlm suffers from asthma, visited Turakina the other day to interview the Maori faith-healer (says the Manawatu Herald). He said there were two hundred patient* ahead of him, and he was told to cail again. He informed us that what he eaw removed a good deal of scepticism, and instanced a case of paralysis, where t'.e patient was now able to move about, without being wheeled. There was slaughtered for consumption in New Plymouth last: month: 207 cattle, 31 calves, 800 sheep, 85 pigs and one sucker. Tripes cleaned 200. Compared with last Xovember they show an increase of 17 cattle, 19 calves, 154 sheep, !) lambs and 21 tripes, and decrease of 0 pigs. Fees' due for the month were £lO2 0s sd, an increase of £2l 2s od.

A bull, tho property of Mr. R. F. Kirk, Glenkenieh, attacked his owner on Friday and seriously injured him. But for tiie animal being •ihort-horned he must'have killed Mr. Kirk (says the Tapanui Courier). The t.nly thing that saved the man was presence of 'mind. He drew his knife and stabbed the brute in the eyef«, and he then desisted. Br. Robertson was sent for, and attended to the injured man, who is making a good recovery.

Unemployment is now occurring amongst boot operatives, the output of most of the factories having been substantially reduced (says the Christ - church Sun). In some instances employees are getting only three days' work in the week. The'main cause of this is the exceedingly .heavy importations of Australian footwear, which have glutted the market. In addition, the public appears to have bought heavily during the period from February to June, and the demand is now very moderate.

"When six o'clock closing was mooted first," said the union advocate in the Arbitration Court in Wellington during the hearing of the licensed hotel workers' dispute, "I thought with the employers that it would have a disastrous effect on the industry, and would throw hundreds of workers out of employment. However, six o'clock closing has made more work than ever before. To-day there are more persons employed in bars than before the early closing law came into force. There' are bars all over some hotels, special bars built in every available comer, as a result of the decreased hours."

An exchange says that a visitor to Auckland this week will be Mr. Lussich, an Aucklander who has shown remarkable ability in town planning. He lias been in New South Wales 10 years, where lie has done much towards the betterment of greater Sydney. He is the manager for the Town Planning Co., of Australia on Rosebery model suburb, and is also engaged at present in the laying out of a great model suburb at. Strathfleld. This suburb will be known as Strathholine, and is being built by the New South Wales Government under its new housing scheme. It will be the first and much the largest Stateowned suburb in the Southern Hemisphere, if not in the world.

This evening the boys of the Salvation Army Boys' Home, Eltham, will give a programme commencing at 7.45 in the Town Hall, Eltham, consisting of Swedish drills, pyramid tableaux, character sketches, etc. Commissioner and Mrs. Hodder will be .present to conduct same. A brass band consisting of boys from the home will take part, The Melbourne's the place for men's suits. Not since the beginning of the great war have stocks been so well assorted. Styles are right up to the moment. Quality is supreme, whilst'the make, lit and finish leave nothing to be desired. Fabrics are guaranteed all purewool, and prices range from £5 IDs 6d to £9 15s.

Housewives, see that your Christmas order contains a packet of ''.Fairy Wonder," the marvellous washing powder. If you want your washing done expeditiously and well without rubbing or the use of extra soap, use "Fairy," U» e magic cleanser. On sale at all grocers.

Mr. F H. Barnitt, in his new advertisement, is offering a valuable dairy farm in exchange for a, house in New Plymouth, and also wishes to draw hia clients' attention to the change in his 'phone number.

One of the most attractive displays this Christmas is that made by the New Zealand Clothing Factory, Devon Street Central. Handkerchiefs, "ties, shirts, sox, pyjamas, and leather goods are tastefully displayed, and suggest presents that are both useful and acceptable.— New Zealand Clothing Factory, New Ply. ■mouth.