LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Saturday half-holiday wds observed last week by Stratford, Opunake, Manaia and Kaponga. , It is expected that the poll to be taken shortly will bring all the other Taranaki towns into line when for the first time there will be a uniform naif-holiday in the province. A claim for possession 'of certain chatels, or a sum of £137, was preferred by E. J. Baker (Mangorei) against Wm. Garmonsway (Korn) in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The case was partly heard last week and at the conclusion of evidence for the plaintiff yesterday Mr; T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., announced that plaintiff would be non-suited. A young man named Alexander Davis, who was committed to the Weraroa Industrial farm at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court in Hawera last week, was taken south from New Plymouth by Constable Hadler yesterday. Davis had previously been apprehended for theft from rooms at the White Hart Hotel and was ordered to come up for sentence if called upon, and as the result of an offence at Eltham he was again arrested and* was committed to a term of detention.

An Eltham motor car owner, on going to his garage on Monday morning in order to get his car. received somewhat, of a surprise to find that the car was missing, some one having forestalled him by removing the ear, apparently during the night, as it was sepn in the garage on Sunday afternoon. ' .The matter was placed in the hands of the police, but later in the day the car was discovered abandoned on the roadside at Ngaere, the only clue that it contained, as far as could be seen, being a broken beer bottle.

In regard to the question of providing the'water supply along Pioneer Road by means of a 4-ineh main, a letter from the Department of Labor was read at last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council, stating that the Housing Board was prepared to recommend the Minister to approve of an expenditure of £lOO towards the work, providing it was carried out expeditiously. It will be remembered that the council applied to the department for a contribution, as there were quite a number of workers’ dwellings on the road. The estimate submitted by the engineer gave the cost as £487 18s 4d. The council decided to reply that they were not prepared to undertake the work until half the cost was guaranteed by the persons interested. Is there such a thing as a live teddy bear? This was a question put to the News yesterday by Mr. C. Verne, who cleared up the point by opening a basket he was carrying, and out jumped a live little bear. It belongs to Queensland, is two years old, and lives on gum leaves in its native state, but this one has been trained to subsist on other foods. Mr. Verne with his pet is appearing at the pictures and the show grounds this week,

Measles are prevalent in Eltham just now and the classes at the Eltham school are very much depleted—Star.

A large seizure of sly-grog is reported to have been made by Constable Blaikie at Mokau, but last night the New Plymouth police stated they had not yet r(>;-pived a report on the matter. It is stated the taonstable caught a resident of Awakino Avith 131 bottles of whisky, which he was taking towards Awakino in a trap.

Sonic discussion was aroused at last .night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council when an application was received for permission to carry on a fruit business by means of a stand in Devon Street. It was decided that no stand be permitted between the western boundary of the Eginont Street intersection and Liardet Street.

Mr L Birks, Chief Government Electrical Engineer, will arrive at Stratford this morning and will hold a conference with the executive of the Taranaki Progress League at 10.30 a.m., when the whole aspect of hydroelectricity as affecting the province’, will be discussed. Tn the evening Mr. Birks will meet representatives of the Stratford borough. A former Wellington resident who has recently visited the West Coast, speaking to a Dominion representative, said that no doubt the public would be surprised to learn that the old State mine at Seddonville was producing coal once more. This mine was adandoned as worked out a few years; back, but some months ago a few miners “pegged out” the adandoned “claim,’ and are said to be making a good thing out of it. The informant was told that the men who took up the adandoned field put in £5O a-piece, and for those shares two weeks ago they were asking £l5OO. It is understood that there is still a large amount of easily-mined coal on the claim, and many are wondering how it ever came to be adandoned by the Mines Department.

Judgment for plaintiff by default was given in the following civil cases at the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday by Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, SAL: Okato, Puniho lAid Warea Dairy Companies (Mr. R. H. Quilliam) v. Bert Hammond, £8 12s (costs £1 10s 6d); G. M. Fraser, Assignee H. Maine's estate (Mr. Quilliam) v. Tohia, balance of claim, 19s (costs £1 I6s) ; same v. Tohia, costs on claim, £1 Is; M. 0. Butcher (Mr. T. R. Anderson) v. Norman Hamblyn, £3 10s (costs £1- 3s 6d); Standish and Anderson (Mr. H. R. Billing) v Annabella Gernhoefer, £73 7s lid (costs £4 16s 6d); John Avery, Ltd. (Mr. A. R. Standish) v. H. A. Haycock. of Hawera, £5 Is 9d (costs £1 5s 6d). In a judgment summons case, Matipou Rakeianoa. (Mr. Anderson) v. Morehu Renan, being a claim for £l7 15s 6d, debtor was ordered to pay £2 per month off the amount, default being fixed at 18 days’ imprisonment.

A New Plymouth resident just returned from a visit to England states that farming in the south of England, where he stayed, is very profitable nowadays. An average of about £2O per acre is taken off the land, which is well cultivated; the cost of labor, rates, etc., absorbs from £l2 to £l3, and the balance is profit. The land itself can be bought at one-thiYd the price that obtains for similar quality land in New Zealand. Fat sheep bring from £6 to £7 10s, and 2%-year. fat cows or bullocks £6O to £75.- yihe English farmer never enjoyed such a good time as he does at present, “but,” said the traveller, “the climate makes England impossible for a man brought up in or used to the colonies. The absence of sunshine is a drawback that can only be appreciated from experience, and nothing can make up for the great climatic disadvantages.” He mentioned that he pail! 15s per flay at a London hotel equal to the best in New Zealand, boots of good quality cost him 255, and shirts 6s 6d each. The dearness of living at Home, so far as jdothing was concerned, was all a myth.

One -of the most successful systems of “payment by results” i nthe world is that instituted ’ several years ago by a British enginering firm. Under this scheme the ordinary output is taken as the standard, and for every one per cent, by which this output is exceeded the wages of every employee, from the office boy upwards, arc increased by one per cent- As an incentive for the men togive the scheme a trial, an increase of 10 per cent, in wages was granted right from the beginning. The arrangements have worked so well that the output has increased by nearly 50 per cent., and the men are on the point of receiving 60 per cent, more than the standard wage. Everytaing is done in close consultation with the representatives of the men, and the trade unions have given their support. A very friendly and contented feeling has been engendered between the employers and employed. Over one hundred firms have adopted similar systems with every prospect of a most beneficial effect on the output of British factories.

11. Cocker’s for new coats, costumes, raincoats and knit coats, in great variety. The new stock is well worth 'inspection. The annual dance in aid of the Puniho School funds will be held in the Puniho school-room on Friday evening. Patrons can rely on an enjoyable evening, as the committee are leaving no stone unturned to make this dance more successful than any of its predecessors. Mr. B. Vincent, of Stratford, has bred a bird with 3 legs which has been examined by all the local experts, who state that this bird is half hen and half rdoster, and is capable of fulfilling the functions of both sexes. This curiosity will be on view at the New Plymouth showgrounds to-morrow and Thursday. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., draw attention to their Matau sale on Friday, March 11, at 1 p.m. Full particulars of entries on page 8. Men, it’s not too early to stock up suits, hats, ties, collars, shirts, braces, travelling g°ar, etc., in view of the forthcoming early Easter. A light raincoat also is an indispensable adjunct to every traveller. The- Melbourne Ltd, can fit you out economically and satisfactorily.

The story of the wonders achieved by “Fairy * Wonder” Dry Soap is no “old wives tale.” The modern housewife who, in nine cases out of ten, has to do her own washing, can verify the statements as to the invaluable help “Fairy” ’is in the. laundry. Tn these strenuous times she naturally adopts the best time and labor saver on the market —that’s “Fairy.” Of all grocers.