LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 February 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

London advises that mails were despatched for New Zealand on February 3 by the R.M.S. Corinth ic, via Panama, Mails which left Wellington on' December 21 by the Remuera, via Panama, arrived at London on February

The statutory half-holiday movement is likely to become a burning question locally, in the immediate future (says the Eltham Argus). 4 The Saturday men quickly got to work with their requisitions, and the Thursday supporters are not idle. This question is likely to impart some interest to the forthcoming municipal elections. The last game of bowls on the New Plymouth Club’s green will be played on Saturday, the 19th inst., and at live o’clock that afternoon a suitable ceremony will mark the close of the career of one of the original Taranaki bowling greens. The property has been sold, and the club will soon be using its new greens in Courtenay Street.

The quarterly sessions of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth open at 11 o’clock this morning before his Honor Mr. Justice Hosking. The calendar is not a heavy one. There are three criminal cases, including charges of false pretences, fraudulent conversion of moneys, and wilful damage. The civil list comprises 13 actions, and there has been one divorce petition filed. There is one appeal, that of Feaver and Booker, from a decision of Mr. T. A. B. Bailev, S.M., at Eltham.

It is said that from May 1 next a five-day week will be observed in the laundry industry in Auckland. Tins is in accordance with the terms of the recent Arbitration award governing the industry. The five-day week will bo observed during six months of the year, and a six-day week during the balance of the year. In the Wellington district the matter is under discussion, and no definite arrangement has yet been arrived at.

The deer shooting season this year will open on March 15 and close on May 31. The number of licenses to shoot fallow deer bucks is limited by regulation to 30, no more than one license being allowed each person. The shooting of does and fawns is prohibited, while no person holding a license may kill a buck carrying antlers with fewer than four points, or shoot more than five bucks in all.

The first issue of the Imperial War Medal in New Zealand has been made. A special machine has been imported from England for stamping the medals, and a second machine is expected to arrive shortly. When the latter is installed it is anticipated that, medals will be issued at the rate of 300 daily; but as there, are nearly 100,000 to be sent out it will occupy twelve months to complete the issue. The medals will he issued in alphabetical order.

Don’t endure corns! Progandra will remove them in six drossings, or money will be refunded. Progandra does not harm the surrounding flesh. Get Progandra—l/6 from chemists and stores, or post paid from Barraclough’s Pty., Box 1247, Wellington. 106 a. Barraclough’s Nervine stops Toothache —1/6. Rheumo rapidly relieves Rheumatism. BE PATRIOTIC. Don’t talk Patriotism and sunport' foreign tyres at the same time —bo a Practical Patriot and gain material benefit, by always using SPENCER MOULTON TYRES. Obtainable from ALL PATRIOTIC GARAGES, or Box 258, Christchurch. A 1

The State Advance Board has granted the Manaia Town Board a loan of £lO.OOO for sewerage and water works. The Taranaki County Council decided at yesterday’s meeting that all outstanding rates be sued for. In reply to a question, the clerk (Mr. R. Ellis) inform-. the council that the amounts not yc; paid totalled about £5OOO.

A meeting of the Auckland Labor Party, addressed by Messrs. Savage and McCombs, M.P.’s, carried a resolution urging the Arbitration Court to reconsider its decision with respect to the nine shillings, bonus, the' basis of the calculations being most unfair. The position in regard to the various domains under the control of the New Plymouth Borough Council was disclosed in the annual reports and balance sheets presented at last night’s meeting. The Marslaid Hill account showed a credit of £l5 19s 4d, and the cash at bank a. u in hand for the Rotokare domain totalled £135 18s sd. The Mt. Byron domain account was £1 12s 9d in credit.

Drenching rains, which have been long looked for by the farming community of Taranaki and those whose gardens have been suffering from the recent spell of dry weather, fell in the New Plymouth district last night. For a considerable time no rain in 'sufficient quantities to be of appreciable value has fallen, ai;d last night’s downpour will be welcomed throughout the province. It was still raining steadily early 'this morning-

A letter from the Pukekura Park Board, conveying a resolution passed at its last meeting, (asking for a conference with the borough reserves committee to discuss the question of park control, was read at last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council. It was decided that as the reserves committee was only an administration body, that the Park Board be equested to meet the whole council next Monday night. A brass band contest will he held at Dannevirke from Tuesday, February 15, until Friday, February 18. A complete programme for all four days of the contest has been drawn up, and bands from all over the North Island will be competing. The sum of £360 will be distributed in cash prizes, in addition to medals for certain events. One of the main attractions will be the competition for the Boosey Shield, which will go to the band obtaining the highest aggregate points in music in two test selections and a quickstep competition.

The price of bacon was the subject of a statement' issued by the Auckland Prices Investigation Tribunal on Friday, as a result of a complaint received from a branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union earlier in the week. Tn its investigation of this question tho tribunal ascertained that the market for pigs has fluctuated a great deal since the beginning of the year. Toward the end of last year the price for bacon pigs was lUd a lb live weight, but since the commencement of this year this price has declined to 5d a lb. The tribunal states that some of the bacon at present being sold at Is lOd a lb wholesale is from stocks" for which high prices were paid. None of the bacon prepared from the pigs sold at 5d a lb live weight on the trucks has yet been placed on the market, but the stocks at present available for consumption are from pigs sold at Sd a lb live weight. The recent further decline in prices, the tribunal considers, should be reflected in the retail .price of this commodity next week, as the wholesale price dropped early in the week to Is lOd a lb.— New Zealand Herald.

The by-law concerning ' overhanging hedges was referred to at. last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council. In connection with a complaint, received at the previous meeting, regarding the dangerous state of tlie corner at the junction of Powderham and Dawson streets, the general manager (Mr. F. T. Bellringer) reported having looked into the legal position, and stated that the council could give notice to an owner, who had an option of appeal to a Magistrate, and if the objection was not upheld the owner would have to out the hedge. No figure as to height was stipulated in the ln the case under review the subject being a high hedge on the corner. Cr. Parkin enquired what action could be taken in the event of a building being erected on such a corner. The Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) replied that no action, ’of course, was open in such a. case. and. in view of this fact, he thought that they should go carefully. After discussion the council decided that no action be taken.

In order to provide good sport for the 1 holders of licenses the Hawera Acclimatisation Society have just imported from the Auckland Society forty brace of pheasants. These will be liberated in various parts of the district, in addition to the birds reared at the local hatchery and in other parts of South Taranaki The president (Mr. B. C. Bennett) t.old a Star representative that hatching at the station had been very good this year, while wild hatching was also excellent. Some of the birds have been put in the gazetted sanctuaries in Eltham and districts, and although there have been some cases of illegal shooting there, the instances are not' numerous. Another importation is that of a pair of Canadian geese, a fine bird and a strong flier, introduced for the first time here. They have been located on Mr. Goodson's dam for breeding purposes. For some time they will be protected, but later they are to be liberated. The advisory board of the New Plymouth Technical College met last night. Present: Messrs. J. H. Dolby (chairman), H. Baily, F. T. Cobham, C. Carter, F. W. Sandford, and A. L. Moore (director). The director read his report, which, was received and adopted. It was resolved to congratulate the director upon the successes at the recent book-keepers’ examinations. It was also resolved to apply to the Education Boayd asking them to take the necessary steps to form a board of managers for the New Plymouth Technical College. A letter was read from the Edu-

cation Department in regard to the school hostel asking for further information, which tho director was instructed to siyrply. A resolution was passed congratulating the director on the enterprise he had shown in providing a boarding hostel for the, school. A first-class entry of sheep has been secured for their annual sheep fair, which the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., are holding at their Mataii kaleyards on Friday next, the 11th inst.. at 1 p.m., and a successful sale should result. Four thousand sheep will be yarded, as well as 200 head of cattle, which include a fine lin?. of grade. Jersey heifers on account of Mr. Robert Smellie. Full particulars will be found on page 8 of this issue. The Bon Marche Drapery Stores announce the continuation for a further period of the gigantic combined sale. Immense bargains will be offered daily at both stores— Kaponga and Eltham.