LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 1 April 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

London advises that a mail was despatched for New Zealand per s.s. lonic >n March 24, via Panama.

A working painter told a Wairarapa Age representative last week that painters in the Masterton district were still being paid more than the award wage. “I do not think this will last long,” he said. “In the past there has been one man to do three men’s work. In a few weeks’ tiqje there will be three men to do one man’s work.”

oThe restrictions which have controlled the sale and distribution of cement for some months past have now been removed. The Taranaki Cement Distribution Committee which was set up under the Board of Trade, held its final meeting on Wednesday evening and disbanded- Cement may now be purchased from any dealers without the necessity of \ securing a permit and making application for an allotment, and it may be used for any purpose whatsoever.

‘Under the heading, “Happy New Zealand,” the London Evening News recently said:—“A cablegram received from New Zealand says there is- an absence of unemployment in the Dominion, only 1 per cent, of the demobilised soldiers having had to be granted sustenance allowance since their

return. The general prosperity has also resulted in almost ail soldiers who received loans repaying their instalments loyally and promptly-”

With 873 immigrants from England, the Shaw, Savill and Albion liner Waimana arrived at Wellington from Southampton via Panama on Wednesday. The vessel had been chartered by the Imperial Government under their new immigration scheme to send out ex-imperial service men and war workers- The new arrivals include such useful types as tradesmen of various kinds with a small proportion of women who did war work. A large number had been waiting at Home for months to get a passage, and it was ultimately found necessary by the British Government to charter the Waimana to bring the immigrants out. The vessel came without cargo. A leading New Zealand produce export house has advised its clients that jits last -cabled advice from London stated that Government stocks ot cheese were 5000 tons, and that the final allocation was then being made. It was thought that the total quantity would not be taken up- Market prices were as follow : White, 146 s per cwt ; coloured, 160 s to 1625. The market was steady. Throughout the season, the firm remarks, coloured has been very scarce and has commanded a premium over white. This is not usually the case in the United Kingdom, where the preference is for white cheese. Perhaps some outside demand for coloured has cropped up and thus caused the price to show such a great advance on white. It is easy, however, for the colored market to be overdone, and as a rule white cheese is much more saleable than coloured.

A contributor to the Manawatu Standard writes : “It is interesting to note that good farms in Aberdeenshire are selling at from £l4 to £l6 10s per acre, a brother of mine having bought at the latter price from the Mafquis of Aberdeen. These farms will carry to each 100 acres 30 head of cattle (fat bullocks, .2% to 3 years) and 50 sheep, the' former selling at from £3’6 to £55 per head and the latter £4 15s to £6 5s per head. Pigs realise £lO each, and barley and oats, planted on 23 acres, command good prices. How does this compare for value with land in New Zealand at £lOO is £££

About half past nine last night the New Plymouth Fire Brigade received a call to an outbreak of fire which had occurred in the premises in Currie Street occupied by Bruce and Feakins, blacksmiths. The fire apparently originated in a quantity of loose material in the building, but was quickly suppressed by the brigade, only slight damage result-

A good story is related by a gentleman who recently returned from a visit to Taupo. The tale concerned a European clergyman, a noted Maori scholar, who during the day had succeeded in taking a good catch of trout from the Jake. On his return to shore he offered, in excellent Maori, to-make a gift of one of his fish to a Native lady, who in equally excellent English thanked him, and asked him to bring the fiwh to the back door.

The Cawthron Institute at Nelson, which was founded for the purposes of scientific research by means of a bequest made by the'’late Mr. T. Cawthron, will be officially opened next Saturday evening by the Governor-General, Lord Jell Icoe. A site at Stoke for the housing of the institute was acquired by the trustees' some time ago, but building operations have been deferred for the present, and the work of the ihstitute has been commenced in temporary premises at Nelson. The opening ceremony will be held in the Nelson School of Music-

One of the principal reasons, of the Maori gathering at Morinsville, says the Waikato Times, is the holding of a conference of Maori ministers to discuss the advisability of working together instead of separately as at present, in the interests of the Maoris. The conference, which will be attended by native representatives of nearly all the Christian sects, is under the chairmanship of the Rev. R. Haddon, superintendent of the West Coast-Taranaki Maori Methodist Mission.

/London papers to hand by the latest mail announce a big slump in the price of fur coats. It is said that enormous profits were made in furs during the war period, when prices soared up to £5OO and £6OO for a coat. One firm was announcing a reduction of 80 per cent., and no coat reached three figures. The most expensive coat, formerly priced at £420, was being offered at 90 guineas, and coats that formerly sold at £lOO and over could be bought at £l5 to £3O. These were January prices, when the weather was still cold and wintry. “We are getting down to pre-war conditions here,” writes an American to a friend in Hamilton. “Prices are being scaled down to where they should be. Common wages, which were from five dollars to 6.5 dollars per day, are now 3*50 dollars, and men are plentiful.”