LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The New Zealand Bands Contest will be held in Nelson next month. About twenty-live bands will be competing. In the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, yesterday, discharge from bankruptcy was granted to H. R. Cuff, motor dealer, Stratford, on the application of Mr. L. A. Taylor (Hawera)f

Official returns show that the persons arriving in New Zealand during the month of JanuaTv, 1921, exceeded the departures by 26*24. In the corresponding month of 1920 there was an excess of arrivals over departures of 1962. Eight male Chinese and two female Chinese arrived during the month, and three male Chinese departed. An adjourned meeting of creditors in the estate of A. J. L. May, storekeeper, Bell Block, was held yesterday, Mr. J S. iS. Medley, Deputy Official Assignee, presiding. After a little discussion it was agreed to further adjourn the meeting pending the receipt of tenders for bankrupt’s business. The charges for Press telegrams are to be increased on February 16 to a uniform rate of Is Od per hundred words. Parliamentary reports will be charged at Is 4d per hundred words. The tariff before the war was 6d per hundred, subsequently increased to Is. so that the Press rate has been trebled, while the rate for ordinary traffic has been doubled, The Hawera Swimming Club have received a message from Dunedin asking if, the club were prepared to have Miss Shand swimming at the ,carnival to be held at the baths on March 1. The club replied accepting the offer. Miss Shand is the champion lady swimmer of New Zealand, and has just broken the world's record at Dunedin in the 440 yards ladies’ championship.— Star.

Referring to the unrest in Samoa, Mr. Massey stated at Christchurch that the natives 'had not quite got over the epidemic, and there were a few persons there who were not peacemakers. The leading men, or chiefs, for want of a better word, had proclaimed a “sa,” which was a boycott of business places, not quite so strong as the Maori “tapu.” The natives said that these places were charging them too much for their goods. However, it would not last, and the natives were settling down a little as compared with three months ago. While spending the afternoon on the beach with her children yesterday, a New Plymouth lady left a perambulator standing on the bridge that spans the railway line near the Terminus Hotel, and- later, when one of the children went on to the bridge, it was found the perambulator and its contents were burning fiercely. It is surmised that a spark from a passing engine ignited the highly inflammable kapoc cushion. What would have been the result if a child had been left in the perambulator is •erident, and as the public are in the habit of leaving their go-c Ats in this place yesterday’s incident should serve as a warning.

In putting before the Wanganui branch of the Farmers’ Union the claims of the Development League to support, Mr. W. A. Veitch, M.P., said the Ahckland commercial zone last year had £789,000 of public money voted, compared with £708,000 for the rest of the North Island and the South Island. He regarded the Auckland organisation as perfect. ■lt was a good thing for Auckland, but they could see how’the rest of the Dominion was affected. He believed that the unequal distribution of public money would result in the passing of a law to make the distribution more equal. He was astonished, on going through the district. at the misunderstandings bet wa jW* .“*<l .suuutrj)

I A London cablegram reports that an Aberdeen-Angus bull calf brought the record price of 3000 - guineas and two others 2700 guineas at an auction sale at Perth.

When the question of immigration was before the executive of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association recently the late secretary, Mr. E. F. Andrews, said he knew of three cases of widows, each with four children, arriving in New Zealand as immigrants. The only means of livelihood' they had was a pension of £1 16s 2d a week from the Imperial Government. It was impossible for these women to go out to work if their children were not to be neglected. They had relations in New Zealand, but these were not in a position to help them to any extent. “Why did they come?” asked a member. “Mainly on account of the rosy picture of New Zealand life painted in the circulars in connection with the overseas settlement scheme,” replied Mr. Andrews. After a discussion of official replies to previous complaints in regard to the manner in which immigrants had been received the meeting expressed its approval of the arrangements now made. To be in London by June is the Prime Minister’s obligation. In Christchurch he was unable to reply to questions as to the particular, urgency of the coming Imperial Conference. “There is no question that it is an urgent call,” said Mr. Massey, ‘‘but if you ask me the reason for it I am not able to give it. It would be a breach of confidence, but you might get it in. the cablegrams any day.” Mr. Massey said the session in March would not last long. His experience of short sessions of the kind was that they lasted from six to ten days. He did not definitely announce the cancellation of his intended visit to Samoa, but merely expressed doubt as to whether he would be able to make the trip. Complaints against the failure of women engaged for domestic service to fulfil their engagements have been referred to the Labor Department in Wellington. It states that as soon as an engagement is made, a definite contract exists between the parties. If either party fails to keep it an action lies for breach of the contract. For instance, if a servant accepts an engagement, she enters ipto a contract immediately, and damages are recoverable from her if she fails to abide by the terms of the contract. This do*es not apply to engagements for a definite term. Such contracts should be in 'writing before they become binding. The chairman of the Eltham School Committee (Mr. I. L. Bridger) has received a telegram from the Taranaki Education Board intimating that the Education Department’s sanction must be obtained before any definite action can be taken in regard to re-establish-ing the district high school in Eltham. This “red tape” will probably make it impossible to re-establish the school thifi year, and Mr. Bridger is recommending the children to go elsewhere (says the Eltham Argus). In the meantime he is placing the matter before the Minister of Education (Hon. C. J. Parr).

The official notice of the appointment of the Tariff Commission is published in this week’s Gazette. The members of the commission are: William B. Montgomery.. (Comptroller of Customs), William G. McDonald (chairman of the Board of Trade). Maurice P. Cameron (Hardware Expert of the Customs Department), Frank Davies (Inspector of Customs. Wellington), and Robert J. Gray (Examining Officer, Customs De- 7 partment, Wellington). The commission is directed to present its report upon the proposed revision of the tariff to the Government not later than August 31, 1921.

As the result of a disturbance on the mail train on Thursday night two men were brought before Messrs. H. R. Cattley and T. Furlong, J.P.’s, at the New Plymouth Court yesterday. Richard Blackburn was charged with drunkenness. obscene language, and assaulting a ticket inspector (Mr*. C. A. Boyd). Alfred Ames was charged with drunkenness and causing damage to a lavatory door. Senior-Sergeant M’Crorie represented the police. After hearing the evidence /bf the inspector and a passenger, the Bench inflicted the maximum fine (£10) on Blackburn, with a default of one month’s imprisonment. Ames, being a lesser offender, was fined £2. They were also ordered to pay expenses, amounting to 17s 9d in the case of the former and £1 2s 9d in the latter.

The N.Z.E.F. canteens run in the various theatres of war, in England, and on troopships during the war, made a profit of between £70,000 and £BO,OOO. For the purpose of deciding upon the best means of allocating this money, a Canteens Fund Board has been set up, consisting of Major-General Sir Andrew Russell (chairman), Brigadier-General G. S. Richardson, Colonel F. Symon, R.N.Z.A., Colonel R. St. J. Beere and Messrs. C. W. Batten and R. J.'K Aidrich (two representatives of the N.Z. R.S.A.). No definite plan has been' formed yet as to how the money should be distributed, but it has been suggested that the sum should be handed over to the War Funds Council for allocation amongst the various war relief societies in the Dominion. Whatever policy is decided upon by the board will ultimately be forwarded to the Minister of Defence for approval. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., wish to draw clients’ attention to their Stratford sale which they are holding in their Stratford yards on Tuesday, 15th inst., at 1 p.m. Full particulars of entries will be found on page 8 of this issue.

Miss Noren, Chautauqua junior lady, will supervise the folk dancing and games to be given by local boys and girls at the Central School grounds this morning at 10 o’clock. If the weather is unfavorable the folk-dancing will be held in the Chautauqua tent to-night at 7.30 o’clock.

Weather permitting, the New Plymouth Citizens’ Band will play at Kawaroa Park to-morrow (Sunday), at 2.45 p.m.

The members of the Taranaki Employers’ Association are reminded of the quarterly meeting to be held on the 15th instant at 8 p.m. At this meeting Mr. C. H. Weston, LL.B., will deliver a lecture on the “Sale of Goods Act 1908”. The subject matter of the lecture concerns everyday trading and contracts, and every member should endeavor to be present.

Mothers of girls, your chance has come. You are offered at Rennie’s Sale, Waitara, some girls’ school dresses and frocks at. half-price. They are shopsoiled and crushed, but are easily washed and ironed. Not many, so hurry. Taranaki Agencies. Ltd., have arranged for a direct shipment of basic s’ag to New Plymouth, to arrive early in May. The slag is of good quality, and farmers .should book their orders now to avoid disappointment, and to avail themselves of the greatly reduced jpric#.