LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At Newton King Ltd.’s haymarket on Saturday weaner pigs made 4s 6d and 5s (id each, small stores or slips from 8s fid to 14s according to quality.

At the annual meeting of members of the North Taranaki Hunt held on Saturday, iiention was* made of the fact 'that the club-9iow had a permit to hold a race, meeting every year, instead of biennally. as had been the custom. The 1921 race fixture will probably be held in' New Plymouth during September. At a meeting of the Omata branch of the Farmers’ Union the following resolution was passed: “That the farmers of this district view with alarm the proposal to change the existing weekly half-holiday from Thursday to Saturday, believing such a change would Be inimical to the farmers’ working conditions. Further, such a change would inflict a great injustice on country school children, as they could not, for any reason, be taken to town without causing a break in their school attend-

ance. The Hon. C H. Izard, M.L.C., who is about to leave New Zealand on a visit to England, has presented an area of I*2 acres to the city of Wellington to be used as a public park. The land is situated at the back of Wakefield Heights, on which the wireless station stands. It is described as a-splendid property and will constitute an excellent recreation ground for the western portion of the city. On behalf of the City the Mayor gratefully accepted the gift, which will be known as the Izard Memorial Park, and perpetuate the name of the son of the donor, who fell in the’great war.

The question of the daily motor service between the Marlborough and Canterbury railheads was considered at a meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Progress League last week. • The Marlborough Chamber of Commerce wrote, out that there was no reason why the journey should not be made a daily “through.” trip, with a speeding-up of the present train from Christchurch to Parnassus, and a fast train from Blenheim to Wharanui, linked with a capable motor service. The journey should be accomplished between Blenheim and Christchurch within eight ’hours. It was hoped that the Progress League would give its support in the matter. On the motion of Mr. H. Holland, it. was decided that the League should give the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce its heartiest support. Mr. Will Lawson, organiser of the Marlborough Progress Committee, who is in Wellington, states that what is aimed at is a tri-weekly service to connect with the Arahure

A South Island tour has been arranged by country members of Parliament of the Reform Party (reports the Evening Post). The tour takes place during the last week of the present month. Disapproval has been expressed a>t Auckland against the Government restriction of the right to sell and buy timber by auction.

The opinion is expressed by prominent Manawatu farmers that owing to the poor returns -from sheep-farming there will be a great increase in the butter-fat suppliers next season. This will mean a demand for good milking cows as spring approaches. Eight speeches a day. This is an achievement any public man might be proud of, but the Governor-General speaking on Thursday night at the Greymouth Town Hall, claimed an average of eight speeches a day during the last four days -of his present tour. His Excellency added, amidst laughter, that he belonged to what was known as the “Silent Service,” but he had sadly broken the rules lately. In refusing a discharge for a bankrupt who had come" to bad financial grief through racecourse gambling, the New South Wales Registrar in Bankruptcy said that the offence has of late years been treated more seriously than it was some years ago, and that so serious has it been viewed in England that now if a man commits an offence of this sort he is guilty of a misdemeanour and if convicted of an indictment may incur a sentence of six months with hard labor. “I hope/’ he added, “that this ease may get to the ears of the authorities, and that they may see fit to adopt the English legis-. lation.”

A potato called the “Burbank” is now said to be grown almost exclusively in America, but, strangely enough, does not appear to be known very well in this country. It is said to possess every good quality, and also “to have conquered the earth.” Burbank himself, the raiser of this remarkable production, estimates that sufficient of it has already been grown to pave a street 2(M)ft. wide at the equator, and last year no less than J 4,000,000 bushels of this variety were produced. Why do not some of our growers take it up? However, it must be remembered that many things that give splendid results in America are of little or no use here. “A man when he is sick is an economic loss to the community. When he is well he is an economic asset. When he is sick,, therefore, he should be made well as quickly and cheaply as possible,” said Mr. E. Killick • (secretary to the Health Department), giving evidence before the Hospitals Commission. The question of medical and hospital treatment, he stated, was becoming a very serious one to people of ordinary moans —even to tbose'of the middle class, “the new poor,” as they might be called. If the breadwinner himself was ill, it was a particularly heavy burdeli. A sudden mania has arisen here for baby shows, says a Sydney writer. Within the last fortnight we have had no fewer than four of them in different suburbs. All have been a pronounced success, and drawn large numbers of spectators. The general effect of the shows has been to persuade the people that the population is not deteriorating —far from it. Sydney has as hale and hearty babies as any other Australian city, and complete evidence was given at all the shows that they are quite capable of using their lungs in a manner which must be anything but comforting to their parents. Of course there is only a proportion of these infantile Sydneyites who are remarkably troublesome in. this way. On the other hand, there are quite a number who ate exceedingly good tempered and quiet. One extraordinary feature of the shows has been the large number of twin sets on view, whilst in one instance there was a set of triplets, which was equal to any three other babies on view. It is obvious that Sydney has a virile young population coming on.

There are vacancies for youths for training as seamen and for men for training as stokers in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. Particulars are advertised in this issue.

The well-known “Te Henui” racing stables, belonging to the estate of James Hawkins, deceased, are advertised in this issue to bd sold by public auction on Saturday, April 30. The sale is being conducted by L. A. Nolan and Co., under instructions from the Public Trustee. Several sections in the township of Rahotu are also included in the sale.

A leasehold dairy farm in the Mangatoki district is advertised on page 1 by Messrs. W. H. and A. McGarry, Eltham.

Owing to the high cost of new suits, costumes, dresses, etc., thousands of people are now having their garments renovated, thereby saving the cost of new ones, The firm of J. K. Hawkins and Co., dry cleaners and steam dyers, have one of the most up-to-date plants in New Zealand for doing this class of work, and they receive goo lS to renovate from ah parts of the country. At the cost of a few shillings soiled and faded garments can be made equal to new. Now is the time to economise—so have a look over your wardrobe.—Advt.