LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The action of the following committees in closing their schools on account of epidemics was confirmed at yesterday meeting of the Taranaki Education Board: Rahotu, Opunake, Marco, Puniwhakau, Mangahume, Inglewood, Mokau, and Pihama.

Entries for the butter and cheese classes at the Taranaki Agricultural Society’s Winter Show reveal a substantia] increase on thosq of last year. The entries in the butter section total 7'6 against 54 in 1929, and in the cheese section amount to 58, an increase of 14 on last year’s figures. School holidays were fixed as follows at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education Board: Autumn, May 6 to 17; spring, August 26 to September 13; summer, December 16 to January 31, 1922. The New Plymouth High Schools will observe the following dates: Boys, May 5 to 26, August 23 to September 13; girls, May 6 to 31, August 25 to September 13. The summer vacation in both schools will commence on December 13.

The question of securing an additional Agricultural Instructor for Taranaki will again be the subject of representation to the Education Department, and at yesterday’s meeting of the Education Board, the chairman (Mr. P. J. H. White) Agricultural Instructor (Mr. H. C. Johnson) were appointed to restate the case to the authorities.

We have to acknowledge receipt from the Bank of New Zealand of a volume containing the balance-sheets and reports of meetings of directors from 1960 to 1920. It is a well bound and printed volume, profusely illustrated, and as a record of the activities of our leading financial institution for those years, the most important in the bank’s history, should prove of considerable value. In those twenty years the bank has steadily improved its position, and become an increasingly potent factor in the development of the Dominion’s resources. The photographs of the bank’s chief directors and executive officers appropriately appear in the publication, which should prove of interest to the commercial and financial sections of the community.

When a report was presented to yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education Board by the reserves committee recommending that the area acquired at Moturoa be fenced and leased, the objection was raised by Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P.. that the adoption of the suggestion would indicate that the board had dropped all agitation for a school at Moturoa. The necessity for a school in that district, however, was as great as ever. It was finally decided that application be made to the department for a grant to fence the section in question.

The necessity for eradicating noxious weeds was again stressed by the Egmont County Council at its meeting on Tuesday. when a resolution, of which notice had been given by Cr. Wright, was carried, and that owing to the disgraceful state of the main roads through blackberry being uncut summonses be issued against all offenders. Cr. Ferguson was strongly in accord with the proposal, but he held that it did not go far enough. It was no use keeping the road frontages clean unless the land inside the fence was also kept clean, and in this connection he said stringent measures should be taken to deal with the seed merchant who sold seeds containing noxious weeds. He instanced the case of a neighbor of his who had grassed his land, and within a year had a crop of Californian thistle as high as his head. On his motion, seconded by Cr. Wright, it was resolved that the Government be requested to have all noxious weeds in the country eradicated through their inspectors, the council to particularly draw attention to the state of the Maori lands in the county, and that the Government be asked to take immediate steps to prevent the sale of grass and other seeds adulterated with the seed of noxious weeds.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education Board a letter was received from the office ol the League of Empire, London, stating that the London County Council was prepared to accept into its service a certain number of teachers from Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand, either in interchange with their own, or for temporary appointments for a period up to twelve months. A certain number of teachers from the Dominions had already been taken into the employ of the London Council, and the proposed interchange had the sanction of the New Zealand Education Department. The arrangement would not only be of value in creating a great educational band throughout the Empire but would, also give the teacher enlarged experience. The board decided to refer the letter to the Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute.

Ladies use but the one and only washing powder that does not call for extra soap or excessive rubbing and rinsing. It’s name is “Fairy Wonder” found in all up-to-date households, and at all grocers and storekeepers. Directions for use printed on every packet. Once again, don’t buy shoddy blankets when the Melbourne, Ltd., can supply pure all wool white colonial blankets at 49/6 a pair for double bed size. Warm, fleecy blankets which will wear for years

The Nelson band contest surplus is over £4OO and £3OO will be set aside for future contests and for helping local bands to attend contests. —Press Association.

The attendance at the evening passes at the New Plymouth Technical College is evidently far from satisfactory, judging by a report from the principal (Mr. A. L. Moore) received at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education Board. Referring to this department he said: “The present state of the evening class enrolment is at present a farce, being only 60, as against 142 last year. I have supplied all names to the truant officer, who is, I believe, taking immediate action.” A resolution was carried by the Taranaki Education Board yesterday in favor of asking the Minister of Education to reply to the representations made to him in January with regard to an increased maintenance grant. Speaking on this subject Mr. A. Lees (jaid that the allowance at present was quite inadequate, and, although at the end of December the board had a credit balance they had gone back £485 since the previous year. He believed that if all the work that should have been done had been carried out they would have had a debit balance instead of being in credit. If the maintenance grant was not increased the board would be faced with financial trouble.

An electric scheme that benefits all the farmers in the district is much more to the general advantage than would be one merely for the town, and a general scheme appears now to be within reach of the district within a reasonable time (says the Eltham Argus). We think that the people .who are going to reap the advantage of the general scheme owe a debt of gratitude to the enterprising spirit of the New Plymouth people, wio,. in the face of many discouragements, have persevered with their big undertaking. In some quarters the narrow view has been taken that “New Plymouth is going to make something out of it.” And why not? We certainly hope that the enterprise will prove of some advantage to New Plymouth, and that it will be mutually advantageous to all those districts which avail themselves of the power. All that the consumers of electric energy need consider is the practical question of the price at which they are to be supplied. If that is satisfactory—and we understand that it will be so—then all is well. Charges, it must be remembered, are ■subject to Government approval and periodical revision.

Appreciation, of the efforts of school committees in assisting to further educational work by voluntary labor, and raising of money was expressed by the chairman of the Taranaki Education Board (Mr. P. J. White) at yesterday’s meeting. Mr. White said a fine public spirit was being displayed, and quite large sums of money had been raised of late in various parts of Taranaki, and he thought the committees could bp congratulated on this fact. He moved that the board compliment the committees throughout the district on the very fine spirit being evinced and the amounts of money which are being continually raised for the purpose of education and for the improvement of the equipment and surroundings in the schools in their respective localities. In seconding the resolution, Mr. A. Lees endorsed the chairman’s remarks and pointed out that though voluntary contributions were increased by subsidies, this did not detract from the fact that in the first place the funds were started by the residents coming forward in so handsome a manner,

Says the Wellington Times:—“With the manner of the Labor contingent one is particularly struck. It reminds one in a way of the mildestmannered pirate who ever cut a throat. Not, of course, that there is anything to suggest piracies, but that the extremism is hidden under the most correctly beautiful language, just as the piracy was hidden undgr an expression of mild benevolence. All extremism has been relegated to the slum areas, and constitutionalism has been brought out for the country voters, clothed in the most specious language, not convincing, because a little too general, but appealing to the farmers. No one would suspect that these mild-spoken constitution, alists had ever justified go-slow tactics, or manifested a preference for direct action. Still less would anyone suspect that the National Anthem has been to them or some of them, like a red rag to a bull, or that their main sympathy in the war had been not with men who did and dared, but with the men who didn’t do, daring to brave the law rather than the enemy.” The ratepayers in the Stratford hospital district, which includes the counties of Stratford and Whangamomona and the borough of Stratford, are very fortunately situated in the matter of the hospital rates they have to pay, according to the remarks of the chairman (Mr. C. D. Sole) at the last meeting of the board. In moving that a rate of is 2d in the £lOO on the capital value he levied for the ensuing year, Mr Sole said he did not think any other hospital district in Taranaki was anything like as fortunately situated in the matter of hospital rates. He had recently spoken to Mr. M. Fraser, chairman of the Taranaki Hospital Board, about the matter, and the impression he had gained from Mr. Fraser was that the Taranaki Board would have to make a levy of 3s 4d in the £lOO of capital value next year. Unfortunately the Stratford County had to pay more than its share, owing to the new valuation, but that matter would be adjusted next year when the new valuations for the Stratford borough and the Whangamomona county would be available. Dealing with the cost of maintenance of patients in the hospital, Mr. Sole said that in 19’14 the average cost per day was Ils 3d per patient, in 1920 it was 8s 7d, and in 1920-21, after the new wards had been opened, it was 9s Bd. Taking into consideration the additions to the building and the increased salaries to the staff, the board was to be congratulated on having kept the cost down to 9s Bdo

Chrysanthemum growers in this district are lucky. Mr. and Mrs. J. Barthorp have presented the New Plymouth Horitcultural Society with a handsome silver bowl to be competed for at the society’s chrysanthemum show to be held this day fortnight. The bowl may be seen in the windows of the Modern Tailors, Devon Street. It is well worth winning.

The attention of chess and draughts players is drawn to a notice of the annual meeting of the New Plymouth Club advertised in this issue to be held tomorrow night at 7.45. All members and intending members are invited to be present. Messrs. L. A. Nolan and Co. advertise a sale of a motor car on account of the estate of the late James Clarke. The trustees are desirous of winding up accounts of partnership of Gilmour and and the car must be realised.

There were seven weddings in Wangaw nui on Tuesday. One gentleman gave away a bride in the morning, and in the afternoon he was the bridegroom at another wedding. Motor cars with white streamers flying were prominent during the day. The exports from New Zealand in February were valued at £3,291,160, and for January and February the total was £8.630,552. For February last year the exports were valued at £2,748,603, and for the two months £7,097,582. The Farmers’ Co-operative Society offered for sale a number of farms in the estate of the late Alexander Mitchell, Kakaramea, at the horse bazaar, Hawera, on Saturday. Though the lots were offered on favorable terms, and would have met with keen competition in normal times, not a sale could be effected, and the whole of the lota were passed in. The Taranaki Education Board must be a good training ground for political aspirants. During the past three years three of its old members Ijave been elected to Parliament—Mr. S. G. Smith, Mr. R. Masters, and now Mr. E. Dixon,. When these three were associated, Mr? Wilkinson, then M.P. for Egmont, was also a member of the board. A public meeting has been arranged for Monday evening next, at 8 o’clock, at the Soldiers’ Club, to meet Miss Birch, the travelling and organising secretary of the Y.W.C.A., who is visiting New Plymouth with a view to forming a branch of the Association locally, and also to taking over the organisation and management (with the support of a citizens* committee) of the proposed Clarke Memorial Hostel. The annual meeting of the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society will be held at! the Soldiers’ Club on Monday next, April 18, at 8 p.m. With a view to forming a branch of , the Y.M.C.A. in New Plymouth a public meeting will be held on Monday evening next at eight o’clock in the Soldiers’ Club, and will be addressed by Miss Birch, organising secretary of the movement. Consideration will also be given to the question of taking over the organisation and management of the proposed Clarice Memorial Hostel.