LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 4 April 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nominations for the Patea by-election close at noon to-day. A Sydney cablegram on Saturday reported that rain set in on Friday night. Last night the cables stated that ‘widespread soaking rain continues.

A local fisherman reports splendid sport in the Waiwakaiho. Fishing on four successive evenings he lifted 6,7, 6 and 4 fish, in ail 23 fine fish, ranging in weight from 2J to 7f lbs. .A Wellington telegram says the waterside disputes committee considered the trouble arising over the discharge of cement from the Wanaka and an agreement was arrived at, but whether it is satisfactory to the watersiders can only 1>? determined when the call for labor is made on the waterfront this morning.

Tiie sale of second-hand clothing held on Saturday by the New Plymouth High School Old Girls’ Association attracted a large number of buyers, and business was brisk, the stock being practically all cleared within half-an-hour. The total proceeds amounted to £46 10s, and the sale should result in about £4O being cleared for the High School boardinghouse fund.

The Tariff Commission opened its Dunedin sittings at the Law Courts on Thursday, and will probably remain at Dunedin till April 15. About forty witnesses, mostly representatives of business firms, have already announced that they wish to give evidence. The proceedings are held in private. The members of the commission are:—Mr. W. B. Montgomery (Controller of Customs), Mr. W. G McDonald (chairman of the Board of Trade), Messrs E. Davies, M. P. Cameron and R. J Gray (officers of the Customs Department). Mr. R. J. Gray is the secretary. The shorthand writer is Mr. R. V. White, of the Hansard staff.

Messrs. W. Sullivan, president, and M. J. Mack, general secretary, of the A.S.R.S., arrived in New Plymouth on Saturday and subsequently met a large gathering of members of the local branch, presided over by Mr. W. J. McIndoe, the local chairman. They explained in full the details of the agreement that has been arrived at between the society and the management. A number of questions were asked and answered, general satisfaction being expressed with the agreement. At the conclusion a vote of thanks and confidence was accorded the officers, and a vote of renewed confidence was passed in the executive.

The Wanganui branch of the Farmers’ Union recently discussed the proposal to charter a sailing vessel if possible and forward their wool Home to the Old Country. According to its rules, the union could not take up the matter, so it was left in the hands of the organiser, who with some local residents (states the Wanganui Herald) has arranged space on a sailing vessel for 700 bales of wool from Wanganui farmers. The vessel will sail about May, and the freight will be Id per pound, which will mean a saving of roughly 10s per bale to the farmers. The long voyage Home will also be an advantage, and will act as a substitute for storage at this end to tlie owners.

The house-fly peril formed the subject of a lecture given by Dr. A. C. Thompson to the members of the Christchurch Ambulance Division. He said that it was a dangerous fallacy to assume that the house-fly was harmless — its anatomy and rapid development made it a potent' disease carrier. It could not breed except under special conditions which existed mainly where decayed refuse of any kind was left to stagnate. It took seven days to evolve from the fupa Jo the adult stage, and the female was then capable of laying from 120 to 150 eggs five times during summer. In a short period from 500,000 to 750,000 flies could be reproduced from a single batch of eggs. The lecturer then detailed the various diseases which flies were likely to spread, including infantile paralysis and infantile diarrhoea. He said that dustbins and rubbish heaps were the most favorable breeding grounds and they should therefore be attended to at lesxst twice weekly.

Buy your woollen sweater coat now at the Melbourne before stocks are depleted. Take advantage of the present offering at 22/6 and 29/6. These goods are best colonial make, pu»e wool and ample fitting. Colors grey and heather.

The Board of Trade has announced the removal of all restrictions on the disposal of cement. The supply has increased at a greater rate than the demand, which, indeed, has slackened considerably, and it is not considered necessary any longer to ration supplies to builders. Builders say the removal has come too late, as owing to the financial position a smaller number of building contracts are being let.—Press Association. Referring to dairy produce, Sir Thomas Mackenzie said in Wellington 4jn Thursday that the outlook was exceedingly good. War prices could not be expected, but good prices seemed to be assured. Russia had ceased to export butter. Denmark was sending increased supplies to Britain, but had not reached the pre-war standard. Canada’s export of dairy prod, e had declined to about half the 1’903 and 1904 figures. New Zealand seemed to be the only dairying country that was increasing production. The trouble in the world’s markets today was not over-production, but under, consumption‘Tn no part of New Zealand is it possible for such great development to be carried out as in the Auckland province,’ 4 said the Minister of Public Works, the hon. J. G. Coates, in a speech at Paeroa on Tuesday evening. He referred to statements made in other ports of New Zealand about ‘‘favoritism” toward Auckland, and said they could be attributed to the green eyes of jealousy. In the Thames Valley Electric Power Board’s district, no fewer than 1700 farmers had applied for electric power for their homes and milking sheds. “Nowhere else would you get such a response,” the Minister said. He added that it was his duty to do. his best for New Zealand as a whole, and he endeavored to see that justice was done. —New Zealand Herald.

Says the Lyttleton Times : —A few weeks ago the Prime Minister promised to set up a commission to inquire into the matter of Departmental expenditure and suggest where economies might be effected. Apparently this pledge lias been carried out —in a very remarkable fashion. Mr. Massey appears to have handed the appointment of the commission to the Public Service Commissioner, who has entrusted the inquiry to himself, his first assistant, and certain heads and sub-heads of Departments. These officers, chosen by one of themselves, are to make an inspection ot their own work and pass lodgement upon it. They are to inquire whether they and their subordinates have been and are guilty or not guilty of the charge of extravagance which has arisen out of the swollen figures of Departmental expenditure. Apparently they are to decide the order of reference, too; and it does not appear that the Prime Minister and his colleagues are going to interest themselves very much in the proceedings. The public will surely think this a strange way of trying to get at the facts or of seeking reforms in the directions of economy and retrenchment. During the Faster holidays Mr. F. Gillanders, of Hawera, paid a visit to the Waipatiki oilfields, near Dannevirke. For the information of those who may not know it may be here mentioned that Mr. Gillanders possesses the faculty of water-divining, and it is said that any subterranean stream ot liquid, be it oil or water, exercises similar influences on a person who is susceptible to it that underground running water has been amply proved to influence. Whether oil at a great depth below the surface does exercise such an influence has not yet been proved but Mr. Gillanders was interested in the subject, and this decided his visit to Waipatiki. He says that the locality in question has the appearance of be-' ing very dry, and from casual observations does not appear to contain anything like the natural water supply of, say, Taranaki. But in walking over considerable areas at Waipatiki the influences such as are experienced by water-diviners when passing over underground streams were met with four times as frequently as could be met with in Taranaki. Whether these were caused by oil flows, by water, or other influences not yet understood it was impossible for Mr. Gillanders to say or even to consider an opinion upon. On the exact site of the present bore Mr. Gillanders felt no sensation of any kind, but a few yards away on either side the contrary was the case to a pronounced degree. He does not suggest that that necessarily indicates that the bore is not in the proper position. Assuming for a moment by subterranean flows of oil, the large quantities of steel used in the bore, the piercing of the ground to a great depth, may slightly in some unexplainable way have deflected the influence. —Star. In our issue of the 2nd inst. the Manaia stock sale was wrongly advertised to be held by the N.Z.L. and M. Co. The sale will be conducted by the Farmers’ Co-op. Organisation, Ltd., whose advertisement of it appears on page 8 of this issue.

In this issue Messrs. Webster Bros, advertise for sale in their new on Wednesday new and modern house furniture on behalf of Mrs. J. B. Butchert and Miss Jones. The sale commences at 1.30 p.m Mr. H. Cocker, successful high-class tailor and costumier, notifies the public in the leading column page that he not only makes all kinds of genuine tailormade garments to order, but that he also stocks ladies’ and gents’ overcoats, raincoats, suits and costumes, the stock being large and choice.

For washing woollens, cottons or fine fabrics such as silks, crepe de chines and georgettes, “Fairy Wonder” washing powder is unique. It cleanses without rubbing, loosens dirt without boiling, does not shrink the garments, and creates no nasty scum or smell. “Fairy” leaves the clothes sweet and wholesome, and bleaches snow-white without injury. Bought of all grocers.