LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a meeting of the Taranaki executive of the Farmers’ Union on Thursday. a letter was received from the Auckland branch urging that the time was ripe for the formation of a farmers’ political party. The president moved that the letter be received and that discussion be deferred till the matter had been brought before the Dominion executive. This was seconded by Mr. Orr and carried. A meeting of the New Plymouth Boy Scout committee was held last night, Mr. Trueman (vice-chairman) presiding. A discussion took place regarding the Easter camp, but a decision was deferred till the next meeting. Mr. Taylor was appointed examiner for cook’s badge. There are still a large number of New Zealanders stranded in Sydney on account of the stewards’ strike, but two large batches are due to return early next week. These will come to Auckland and Wellington. The Moeraki left Sydney on Thursday for Wellington, j where she is due on Monday, and the Tofua is expected to leave this morning. ' Even when these steamers arrive there will still be a number of people stranded in the New South Wales port, and it will probably be a fortnight or three 'weeks before the last of the stranded New Zealanders return.

The outlook was briefly touched on by the president of the Taranaki executive of the Farmers’ Union at Thursday’s meeting. Mr. Dun said, as they all knew, everything was in a chaotic state at the present time, and they did not know wh&i they would get back to, normal conditions, but the tendency a greater section of the public to take a saner view, and he hoped that before the end of the year they would be back to normal. All the producing countries had not been able to get into line yet. One thing that was upsetting Britain was that Germany was able to produce cheaper than she could. Britain was producing a lot that she was not able- to dispose of. This applied to coal. They were getting accumulations that could not be sold owing to the high cost of production. The position would; he suggested, right itself in time. The cost of raw material was not the reason for the high cost of the finished article, but the high cost of producing. He hoped that price-fixing, which had never been a success, though it may have been excusable as a war-time measure, would soon be done away with.

The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agencv Co., Ltd., wish to draw clients’ attention to their Whangamomona sale, which they are holding in conjunction with Newton King, Ltd., at the salevards, Whangamomona, on Wednesday, 26th inst., at. 1 p.m. Full particulars of entries will be found on page 8 of this issue.

Lovers of bargains are promised a treat by the Melbourne, Ltd., whose gigantic slimmer reduction sale is announced in this issue. The bargains advertised are certainly tempting, and buyers will no doubt flock to the feast on the opening and subsequent day of the sale.

The most important sale in the history of the Melbourne, Ltd., will be launched on Tuesday next, 25th inst. Everything has been reduced, whilst scores of lines are cut down by more than half. The bargains to be offered are in fact sensational, and buyers are promised a veritable bargain feast. Read the. sale advertisement

The Postal authorities have received advice from Vancouver that the R.M.S. Mara ma, which left Vancouver on the 12th inst., carries 477 bags of mails for New Zealand and 900 bags for Austra-

It was reported at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board, Mr. E. C. Banks presiding, that the Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey would prefer not to sell his land at Mangere East. The board desired the property for the purpose of a school site. When Mr. Massey’s position was announced Mr. A. Burns eaid: “Take it under the Public Works Act.” Mr. E. C. Purdie said the board could make an offe/, and if he still adhered to his position then they could take it as suggested. This suggestion was approved unanimously.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board yesterday, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson said it was very necessary that the board should take action in regard to deciding sites for warehouses which were urgently required. He asked if the board had received any communication from the Railway Department intimating what their decision was in regard to the land to be taken at Moturoa for railway extensions. The chairman (Mr. Newton King) replied that there was no advice from the Department. The board resolved to again write to Mr. MeV illy (General Manager), inviting him to visit New Plymouth to discuss the matter, and failing his attendance it is proposed to send a deputation to Wellington. The New Plymouth Harbor Board, at the monthly meeting yesterday, received a letter from the Fire Board, intimating <hat the fire alarm system was being extended and it was intended to put a box at the corner of Whiteley Street and Breakwater Road. . It had been suggested by the Superintendent of Brigades that the Harbor Board might desire to have an alarm box on the wharf, ag was the practice in other places. After discussion the board members did not feel disposed to instal a box at the wharf.

In welcoming the appearance of the New Plymouth Technical College magazine, which bears the title of The Egmqntonian, we desire to congratulate the staff and pupils on a very creditable initial volume. It is framed on the lines of the best of similar magazines and deals concisely with the work of the College and the recreations connected therewith, besides containing interesting and amusing reading matter, which gives evidence of the admirable education the pupils are receiving. This magazine should find a place in every household in Taranaki where the subject of secondary teaching is of interest, besides which it keeps in touch with ex-pupils, and should be valuable in developing tlyit esprit de corps which is so essential in all colleges. The activities connected with institutions of this nature are t not sufficiently realised by the community, so that the Egmontonian has a useful sphere in remedying this defect. The monthly service at the Whiteley Memorial Church on Sunday evening will be of a very special character. The Rev. J. Napier Milne, who will take part in the service, has succeeded in persuading Mr. C. E. Bellringer to give some account of things seen and heard on his recent trip to England and America. Mr. Bellringer is an exceedingly able speaker, and may be expected to give an address of deepest interest to all. Familiar hymns will be sung, and an anthem rendered. It is not possible to arrange this month for the short musical service owing to the s absence of choir members on holiday. The service will commence at 7 o’clock and close at 8. A special invitation is given to those who are in town for the week-end in connection with the bowling tournament. “Fairy” washing powder is a pure soap in powder form, unique on account of its efficacy in washing linen snowwhite. It gently but surely gets out every particle of dirt without hard work on your part. “Fairy” keeps your hands soft and white. Insist on your grocer giving you Fairy. The catalogue of furniture to be submitted to auction by L. A. Nolan and Co. on Wednesday next is advertised in our auction columns.