LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sitting of the Conciliation Council will be held at New Plymouth to-day to consider the dispute in the butchery trade. On Monday the application of the dairy workers for an award will be dealt with. Mr. T. Harle Giles, who will preside, is expected to arrive by the Rarawa this morning. The formation of a regimental band in New Plymouth was to have been considered at a meeting called for last night, but yesterday the convenors announced that the meeting would be postponed indefinitely. It s not likely that the project to form another band will be pushed forward.

Messrs. Walsh Bros, are expecting a super-marine flying boat to arrive to their order shortly, and with that they will be prepared to undertake mail services from Auckland to Gisborne and from Gisborne to Napier. The supermarine flying boat can make a landing on land or on sea and is a good sea boat.

Two young men entered the Darlington (Sydney) post office just after it had opened on a recent morning and placed a piece of paper in front of the postmaster. He glanced at the paper, upon which was written, “If you move you’re a dead man,” and on looking up he -found two revolvers pointed at his head. Apparently he thought little of this, for he laughed at the intruders and crossed the room. The two men decamped, and after being chased by the postmaster made their escape. The annual competition -for the Tabor Shield, under the auspices of the North Taranaki Centre of the Royal Life Saving Society, will be held on the Fitzroy beach on Thursday, March 3. At a meeting of the committee held on Wednesday it was decided that entries for the Hughes Life Saving Cup (open to all primary schools) and the Taranaki Schools Life Saving Competition (open to all secondary and technical schools) close on February 12. At a meeting of the North Taranaki Head Centre of the Royal, Life Saving Society on Wednesday, a resolution was passed congratulating Mr. S. Stroud upon his brave action in saving the life of J. Skrypeak, and it was resolved that his action be recorded on the centre’s minutes; also that Mr./W. H. Hardgrave, a memeber of the centre’s committee, be complimented on his'successful work of resuscitation upon that occasion.

There was a difference of 21 degrees between the warmest and the coldest places in the Dominion on Wednesday. At Tauranga the registration was 77 and at Bluff Once again Port Ahuriri (Napier) was a good second to Tauranga; this time with 75, and then came Russell with 73. Greymouth 72, beat the rest of the recording stations, but it was run very closly by Cape Maria van Diemen 71, Gisborne and Egmont 70, and Auckland 69. Wellington’s record was 66.

Exclusive of troops of the Expeditionary I?orce, the number of immigrants arriving in New Zealand in the first eleven months of 1920 was: Males 2'1,907, females 18,771; total 40,678, of whom 3729 were assisted immigrants. In the same period the number of emigrants was:—Males 16,26-1, females 13,696; total 30,960. The excess of arrivals over departures for the eleven months was thus 97’18. For the corresponding period of 1919 the total number of immigrants was 17,466, and the total number of emigrants 17,435, an excess of arrivals over departures of 31 only.

There is a good demand in Canterbury for early potatoes at 2|d per lb. Reports concerning the activities of the Potato Growers’ Association are causing quite a flutter among local potato merchants, and until the strength of the association becomes known, they do not seem inclined to quote for this season’s delivery. The average area in potatoes is about 25,000 acres, equal to about 125,000 tons, or roughly, one and a quarter million sacks. This is a very large quantity for an association without previous experience to handle. It is confidently believed that there will be a surplus again this season.

Statistics published by the Government show that 67,315,813 superficial feet of sawn timber was- exported from New Zealand for the year ending November 30, 1920, compared with 51,410,980 superficial feet for the year ending November 30, 1919. The Wairarapa Age expresses the opinion that the large increase in exportation will not be viewed with satisfaction by builders and house-seekers, particularly when it is known that a considerable quantity of rimu timber has been dispatched to other countries. The Government has adopted the policy in regard to some commodities that a sufficient quantity, must be retained for home consumption before permission to export is granted. Cannot this policy be applied to timber? The sawmiller will, of course, "claim that he has a right to sell in the best, market. But this claim does not affect the principle that a sufficient quantity of timber should be available 4 for home requirements. The Railway Department has discriminated in its freights against imported timbers. Why should it not discriminate against timbers that are intended for export? “On washing day I smile and_say, it’s easy to wash the ‘Fairy’ way.” Resolve to-day that you will get that happy feeling of perfect contentment with your washing by using only “Fairy Wonder” washing powder, the soap that actually preserves the clothes while it cleanses them. In packets of all grocers

Private cablegrams have been received in Wellington from Colombo showing an advance in prices for all grades of teas. Ordinary and medium qualities have risen 5 to 10 Ceylon cents per pound. The market is described as rising. A petition was circulated in Stratford yesterday asking the Borough Council to retain the Thursday half-holiday until the matter is submitted to a poll of the ratepayers in April (writes our Stratford correspondent). For failing to send one of his children to school, Frank Ansley, of Okato, was fined ss, costs 7s, at the New Plymouth Court yesterday. The information was brought by the Education Board officer (Mr. G Pascoe). The liner Kumara, which is coming to New Plymouth to load produce for the Home market, is due at New Plymouth about January 31 from Newcastle. She will complete her cargo at Wanganui and Wellington, and will leave the latter port about February 16 for London, via Panama.

The Union Company’s passenger steamer Moeraki left Sydney at eleven o’clock yesterday morning for Wellington with passengers. She is due at Wellington on Monday. A cable message says the New Zealand teachers’ cricket team are passengers.

We understand that the Eltham Progress Committee have been active in the matter of enquiring into an electric supply for Eltham, and may shortly have something practical to place before the citizens (says the Argus).. It is reported that a comparatively inexpensive scheme can be devised sufficiently laßge to supply town requirements for lighting and power. An information was brought in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday by the Pukekura Park Board (Mr. R. H. Quilliam) against Joseph Kendrich, who was charged with picking flowers in the Park, contrary to the park by-laws. Counsel said this class of offence was one which was difficult to detect, but the Board had a duty to safeguard the public property. Defendant was convicted and ordered to pay costs, 17s 6d.

After his recent tour in the country districts, the Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister for Public Works, stated in Wellington that never before had he seen so much in the way of improvement being carried out on the land. Everywhere the farmer seemed to be spending his money on his land. Right in the backblocks the plough was being put into the ground and on every hand there were signs of increasing prosperity. The Hastings fruit growers suffered

severely by Saturday’s gale. The orchards are well sheltered in the direction of the prevailing wind, but this gale came from the opposite direction, and the trees getting the full force were stripped of apples, pears, plums and peaches to a great extent. Trees were broken down and in some cases uprooted. Large quantities of fruit are lying on the ground, in many cases not being sufficiently matured to be any good. The loss is considerable, especially on top of the shbi’tage of the season’s crops. The New South Wales shipping strike i? seriously affecting the leading hotels in Auckland which cater largely for tourists. Since the Sydney-Auckland service became interrupted there has been a considerable falling off in the business done by these hotels, owing to the fact that many Australians who intended touring the Dominion and had booked accomodation in Auckland, have been compelled to cancel their arrangements. The laying up of the Niagara, Maheno, and Makura has also interfered with traffic between Auckland and Vancouver, and this will cause a large drop in hofel bookings in the city.—Star. The Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. G. Coates) has arranged to leave Wellington to-day on a tour of the South Island. He will proceed first up the Wairau Valley along the suggested route of the South Island Main Trunk line. He will go back along the coast, through Kaikoura, as far as Kekerangu, in order to see something of the coast route, and will then proceed southwards. He has arranged to go to Lake Coleridge, on a visit of inspection to the power station and the river diversion works, on Saturday, January 29. He will spend the Sunday at Lake Coleridge, and will proceed on the Monday to Bealey and Otira. He will be in Christchurch again before going further south. “He seems to have been joy riding on this festive occasion,” said Inspector Hutton, at the New Plymouth Court yesterday, in referring to an information against a young man, Dhulup Singh, -who was charged with exceeding the speed limit in Devon Street on Christmas Eve. The Inspector said defendant was driving a car at about thirty-five miles an hour . Singh was also charged with driving without a tail light, and with failing to carry a rear number plate. The charge of speeding was regarded as the most serious by His Worship, who imposed a fine of £5 and costs. On the other two informations defendant was merely convicted and discharged. It is apparent (states the Christchurch Press) that forward buyers at lOd for lamb have been “nipped”—-that is, according to the present position of the market. Probably thev were speculating on the removal of the controlled price at Home and a greater reduction in the freight rate than has been conceded. A factor that makes the drop in London difficult to understand is the rapid clearance of cool stores in England, the stocks, according to a London correspondent’s letter of November 18, amounting at that date to only 20 per ceat of the quantity of six months before, the altered state of the market being indicated by the fact that arrivals of New Zealand mutton and lamb were being released immediately on discharge from the vessel.

A conference of all branches of the New Zealand Industrial Association will be held at rhe Town Hall, Auckland, on February 9, 10, and 11. The Auckland Association is launching a campaign to extend the development of New Zealand in regard to manufactures. It contends that unless New Zealand manufacturers can educate the public to buy New Zealand goods in sufficient quantity to keep focftl factories going, the Dominion is threatened with being a “dumping ground” for the world. It states that th*re are signs that such a movement is/already on foot. The committee of the association proposes to spend £2500 a*year for three years in general organisation and publicity work, and it suggests that every manufacturer should ahlot a certain amount of money each Jear for this fighting fund to protect our industries. So much money has been invested in plant and machinery that, the nation maintains, such a contribution is not in the nature of a donation, but is an insurance against business logs. By so combining the manufacturers could obtain much better results, and impress the public far more t an if\a much greater amount were sp nt iii'isolated-efforts—Auckland Berate

A terse reply to complaints about cost of living was made recently by Mr. W. M. Hughes (Australian Federal Prime Minister). “The difficult times ahead,” he said at a conference, “can be met because Australia is singularly fortunate and favored by Providence. We live in a country where there is an abundance of food. People in this country do not know how well off they are, and this applies to the rich man as well as to the worker. The ribh man who complains about taxation has not begun to know what taxation is by comparison with the Englishman, and if the worker who complains about cost of living were to go to England he would very quickly abandon all those other prayers on which he is in the habit of spending hours and repeat one short and fervent petition to the Almighty to bring him back to Australia.”

Discussing various matters of interest in connection with his visit to England, Dean Fitchett said that prices were undoubtedly high, but one thing that must strike anyone visiting England now was the excessive luxury. Along with the industrial mutiny there was an extraordinary manifestation of luxurious living. The fashionable restaurants were always crowded. One had to book seats for luncheons, and at places of amusement in like manner. On the night before he left England the Dean went to a concert in the Free Trade Hall in Manchester —one of the largest auditoriums in the Kingdom. The place was full from floor to ceiling, and the lowest-priced seats were 10s. The work-ing-class people had plenty of money, and they spent it freely. Undoubtedly they had more now than ever they had had.

A suggestion crystallising a doubtful phase of “the rule of the road” watf brought before the Otago Motor Club on Wednesday in a letter from Mr. F. Sundstrum. He pointed out that the rule was very indefinite in the eventuality of two cars meeting at cross roads. Here there was always a feeling of uncertainty on the part of each driver as to who should give way. He suggested that a definite rule should be made throughout New Zealand that in the case of two cars crossing, the one having the Ither car on his right-hand side should in all cases keep out of the way, or stop, allowing the other car to keep on its way. Had this rule been in existence and carefully observed in a recent accident, whereby a life was lost, he felt sure no accident would have occurred. Mr. Sundstrum enclosed a rough diagram setting forth the position. The chairman said that the suggestion was a good one, which had been approved by the club, and would be ref er Aid to the South Island* Motor Union as a remit for consideration.