LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Taranaki Daily News,will lished as usual on Monday (Easter Mon day).

\ A man named Lincoln Evan Turner, who was arrested in New Plymouth on Thursday,, appeared before Mr. T. Furlong, J.P., yesterday morning on a charge of stealing four heifers at Hastings. Accused was remanded till Tuesday.

“It is an extraordinary thing,” said the Prime Minister in Parliament, “that in the last six weeks we collected more by way of income tax than ever before in the history of the country. And we had not put up the rate.” He does not know of the difficulties many experienced in finding the money.

Tiie New Zealand branch of the British Red Cross Society discussed a proposal at the last meeting of the executive, and approved the idea of linking up'all the Red Cross societies of Taranaki. The Hon. Dr. Collins, C.M.G., chairman of the N.Z. executive, will visit Taranaki and arrange to address the Red workers. The chief object of the Red Cross is, to enrol as many members as possible, so as to augment peacetime funds.

Taranaki continues to demonstrate its faith in the dairying industry. While farmers in other of the Dominion are bemoaning the condition of things pertaining to the land, the Taranakians are going on doing things and developing their enterprise, and doing so without any appeal to the Government for help. Actually levying themselves by the pound Of butter to make up the pound sterling. Thus, the shareholders of the Bell Block Co-operative Dairy Company last week decided to proceed with the erection of a new factory, at an estimated cost of from £BOOO ,to £9OOO. To this end it was decided that 2d per lb butter-fat out of this season’s profits be allocated towards the cost of the building, representing a total cash donation of'approximately £4OOO. Fine example that for all co-operating farmers.—Feilding Star. The Easter traffic in the railways in Taranaki has been particularly heavy this year, 'On Thursday evening the mail train was over half-an-Koiir late arriving. It was a very heavy train, comprising about thirteen carriages, all of which were crowded. Last night s train was a very large one, being also crowded, while yesterday morning outward traffic was also very heavy. Yesterday’s out mail train consisted of nine passenger cars, all well filled on leaving New Plymouth. At Stratford another car was ad(Led, whilst at Hawera it was found necessary io put on four more carriages to accommodate the crowd, and even then a number had to stand. The Rev. J. Napier Milne will conduct farewellV qer .^ ces ' on Sunda ? in the Wfiiteley Memorial Church. Tn the evening' the monthly lecture will treat “Of some ancient and modern miracles.” The central pAtion ,of the address will deal with the question of healing without a doctor, a subject in which interest has been greatly quickened by Ratana’s faith cures, and‘the present day movements of .Christian science and new thought will, in this connection, pass under review. 'Finally, Mr. Milne will refer to Harold Begbie’s “Broken Earthenware” stories, several of the characters of which he has met. The choir and orchestra will give a short musical service at 6.45. The anthems are: “Silent Night” and “Awake up my Glory,” bv Bamby, ‘‘He Lifted Me,” by Alexander. Mrs. Macdonald will sing “There is a Green Hill,” by Gounod, and “Nearer mv God to Thee” will be taken by Mr. Baden Bellringer.

A long night dance is to be held in the Foresters’ Hall, Hawera, on Monday night, and should prove an enjoyable function. A special feature will be a waltzing competition, for which a prize of £2 2s is to be awarded. Entries accompanied by performances close with the secretary,' Miss H. Hearne (Hawera), this evening.

The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., draw attention to their Kohuratahi sale on Wednesday, March 30, at 1 p.m. in conjunction with Newton King, Ltd. Full particulars on page 8. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.. Ltd., draw attention to their Stratford sale on Tuesday, 29th inst., at 12.30 p.m. Full particulars on page 8.

The New Zealand Clothing Factory announce their “End of Season Special Period” commenced last Saturday. This firm makes a practice at the end of each season, of marking down all oddments revealed at stock-taking. Odd lines in men’s and boy’s clothing, mercery, hats and boots are marked down to prices that will ensure a speedy clearance, New Zealand Clothing Factory, New Plymouth.

If you soak Soiled Clothes overnight in water to which' has been added a teaspoonful or so of “Fairy Wonder” washing powder you'll be agreeably surprised to find in the morning how little work is •required to complete, the washing. “Fairy” does 'ail the' hard work while you sleep. Isn’t it simple. Try it. Of all grocers.

That go'od old game of “cocoa-nut shy” will be humming on Easter Monday at Kawaroa Park, Seven sacks of ooooanu'ta have been ordered for the day, so that young and old can kfok forward to a big day witih the coooanUite-

4< l never did bother much about the price of native land/’ remarked the Hon. A. T. Ngata, in the House of Representatives, “because the price only made a difference as to whether it wa» a longer booze or a shorter booze.” An Auckland carpenter, who alleged that through the negligence of two farmers, on whose property he was working, he drank caustic soda in mistake for hop beer, brought an action for £l6OO damages. The case - was settled out of court. .

While driving, sheep to last Wednesday’s Taihape sale, a well-known resident was asked by a friend passing to have an apple. "Certainly,” he said, “I will give you three sheep for two apples.”. Later in the day a friend on the wayside asked him to partake of a little refreshment, which he did, and considered that also worth a fat lamb. “I know it will be said that I am like a pelican crying in the wilderness,” stated Dr. Newman, M.P., speaking on the Address-in-Reply debate, “but I have been urging for six years, and I urge again to-day that the construction of branch railways, which are not feeders, but bleeders, should be stopped, and motor-’buses and motor-lorries put on instead.” There was £160,000 a year, Ira said, being spent in interest on railways only partly finished, and that, surely, was very bad finance. Mr. John Cobbe, of Feilding, writes to the Dominion:—During a recent visit to the States and Canada I interviewed some twenty of the leading Pacific Coast, retail butchers, and found that every carcase of New Zealand lamb that they had handled the last few yeafs bore Westfield tags, and this works is owned by Vesteys. Now Vesteys did not distribute this meat, but it was handled by Burns and Co., and Swift and Co., one of the dominant firms in the American Meat Trust. It would be of very great interest to the farming community if Mr. Massey would give reasons for his continued allegiance to Vesteys. Unskilled labour is easy to obtain in Wanganui, says the Herald, in consequence of the tightening situation, and a large number of unemployed men are reported to be in town. This is caused in the main by the slackening off in prim- ' ary produce industries, the men coming into town to seek work. ' It is also reported that farmers in the back country are endeavouring to reduce wages for casual men employed in special jobs, such as drainage, fencing, etc. The ruling rate was £1 per day, and in one instance .it is stated that a back country farmer offered a casual employee £3 per week and meat, but the offer was turned down. The rate of pay for casual work is now stated to be 10/- per day, and the worker to “find” himself.

There is indignation in Westport over the ordering of 150,000 tons of coal from Wales for New Zealand (says the Westport News?. The Coast suffered badly during the Mrar, and immediately after it; but has been looking forward to a rapid recovery with more shipping available, but the Government seems to be more intent on importing coal at prohibitive prices from other parts of the world than developing its oxyn coal resources and at the same time bringing additonal population to the country. The farming community has suffered a severe set*back, and it seems as if the powers that be will not be happy until they have dealt a similar blow to the mining community.

A remarkable experience befell the first South express from Auckland on Tuesday. Nearing Te Awamutu the driver observed a man on the line ahead signalling him to stop. The train was brought to a standstill and investigation revealed that about twenty feet of both rails was buckled into an S shape, this having been caused by the rails expanding with the heat. The train moved slowly over the bent rails and proceeded on its way. The damage to the rails was first discovered by a surfaceman who waited to warn the driver of the express, which was nearly due. Had the damage not been discovered in time for the express to pull up, the bend was so pronounced that a serious accident might have resulted. A correspondent sends the following to the Nelson Mail :—“Considerable interest has been aroused locally during the last few days by the marvellous and incure of a great invalid. It was classed as quite a hopeless case, but through ‘the miracle man,’ Ratana, of Wanganui, she has been raised up, to the amazemnet of all who knew her. For over nineteen years it has been impossible for her to hold up her spine, and she has been cased in a steel frame from head to foot. Now she needs no support at all, and has no pain, and is daily increasing in health and strength. When so remarkable a case occurs at our doors, it certainly demands serious and impartial attention.”

It is to be hoped (says the Southland Times) that steps will be taken to bring under the notice of the Government the complaints of Southland farmers regarding the destructive habits of hares and the manner in which they are increasing. New Zealand has had a lesson in the case of rabbits, but we are assured by farmers that the hare now threatens to outdo bunny and to become a more expensive pest. They do not seek any very serious measures to combat the nuisance. It is asked that the protection now afforded the hare should be removed, so that he can be shot at all the year round. The protection of the hare was introduced in the interests of sport, but there can be no excuse in the maintenance of this type of sport when the cost falls heavily on the farmer.

A few remarks about what it feels like to be Finance (Minister in a time of stress were made to the House last week by Mr. Massey. “I can remember,” he said, “one Minister of Finance who controlled the finances through a slump—a very bad slump—but it killed him. Eighteen months ago a gentleman who was for many years a Minister of the Crown, and who knew the position of the finances of this country, said: ‘lt does not matter who takes the finances ; five years of it will kill him. I don’t think it will kill me. At least, I hope not. But I begin to realise the difficulties of the position and I tell you, Mr. Speaker, that I would not do the work I am doing now for £16,000 a year, but Jor the fact that I am in it, and am going to see it through. All that lam anxious to do is the best I can for the country to which I belong, and the public affairs of which we are privileged to manage.” Everybody’s Dining-room and Restaurant will be open for business this (Saturday) morning. Grills and fish will be available at all hours, and hot dinners from 12 to 2 and from sto 7. Fresh fish when in stock will be sold over the counter at all hours, as well as hot fish and chips. Progandra cures Coms quickly. 1/6. Rheumo rapidly relieves Rheumatism. 2/6 a.nd 4/fk