LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Flags were flown on Government buildings in New Plymouth yesterday in honor of the eleventh anniversary of the accession of King George V. As an economy measure the Clifton County Council decided at yesterday’s meeting to reduce the wages of its employees two shillings per day all round as from June 1.

The Mercantile Gazette of this week, writes as follows:—“The business conditions to-day are not unsatisfactory, at least they are not quite so bad as some people would like to think they are.” The memorial erected in the Frankley Road school grounds to the memory of the Frankley Road men who gave their Jives in the war will be unveiled tomorrow afternoon at 2.30 p.m. by Lieut.Colonel C. H. Weston. The New Plymouth Citizens’ Band will attend the ceremony.

The Chrysanthemum Fair and social held in the Coronation Hall on Thursday afternoon and evening resulted in a sum of,about £9O being secured for the Taranaki Agricultural Society’s crockery fund, after meeting expenses. The credit balance is a tribute to the work of the ladies’ committee in charge of the function. Foot-warmers are to be installed on the mail trains in Taranaki. Our Stratford correspondent writes that Mr. R. Masters, M.P., has received a letter from the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, actingMinister of Railways, stating that it is proposed to bring foot-warmers into use on the New Plymouth-'Wellington trains early next week. A new and interesting use has been found at Auckland for the seaplane. A launch towing a raft of logs broke down the other day in the Hauraki Gulf, and search by ordinary methods failed to locate it. A seaplane from the New Zealand Flying School was commissioned. It soon sighted the launch, alighted alongside it, and told those on board that a ship would be sent, and before long brought the news to the owners. Two handsome stained glass windows, which will shortly be placed in St. Mary’s Church, New Plymouth, arrived by the Port Pirie last week. They are to be dedicated to the memory of the late Archdeacon Walsh and the Rev. A. H. Colvile respectively, and will add greatly to the appearance of the church. A special service for the purpose of dedicating .and unveiling the windows will be held in the church on Sunday afternoon, the 15th inst.

Leo Matthew Rogers, aged 23, and Eric Dad well Rogers, aged 21, who had pleaded guilty to charges of theft of butter from the Meremere Dairy Company’s factory at Ohangai, came before Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.M., at the Hawera Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for sentence. Eric, the younger brother, was convicted and discharged, and Leo was placed on probation for eighteen months, and ordered to pay to the company the value of the butter stolen ( £3B ss).

Severe injuries were sustained by a boy named Rowe, son of Mr. W. Rowe, of Bell Block, yesterday, while cycling to school, as the result of coming into collision with a motor-car driven by Mr. C. Olliver, an employee of Newton King, Ltd. The scene of the accident was the corner of the Parati Road, near the Bell Block railway station, where the road is narrow, while high trees shut out the view of the by-road, on which Rowe was travelling. The accident resulted in the boy sustaining a wound on the front of the right knee, a fracture of the femur and injuries to the scalp. He was conveyed to the' hospital, and last night his condition was reported to be satisfactory. Writing from Bromley, Kent, on March 22, to a friend in Hawera, Mr. Will Hutchens says: My musical experiences have been varied and interesting here. After .seven weeks’ strenuous playing with the Kennington pantomime. I have been engaged as leader of the municipal orchestra at Weymouth for a 14-week summer season. I have also done deputy work with the largest theatre orchestra in London, 34 in number, at “Chu Chin Chow.” Last week I sang the tenor solos in Stainer's “Crucifixion” at Bromley Central Hall, and shall in all probability be fulfilling a week’s singing engagement at Broadstairs shortly. Ido not find that much general advance in music has taken place during the last ten years; in fact, vocally there seems to be little or no development whatever..

The question of the formation of one power board for thh Taranaki province was discussed by members of the Clifton County (Council at yesterday’s meeting, as the result of correspondence on the subject from the Progress League. The chairman (Cr. R. H. Pigott) said he was in favor of the suggestion, and Cr. Jones expressed the opinion that a combination of the whole province would assist the New Plymouth scheme. Cr. Bamitt: “The boot is on the other foot; New Plymouth started the scheme and the others want to join in.” The chairman replied that he had always thought the scheme mentioned would be developed at a quicker rate by having the whole of the province to back it ap. The council decided, on the motion of Crs. Jones and Sutton, in favor of a provincial power board for the development of hydroelectricity in Taranaki, preferably in conjunction with the present New Plymouth scheme.

A meeting of the West End School Committee was held last night, when Mr. J. S. S. Medley presided. The headmaster (Mr. D. J. Evans) reported that for the four weeks ending April 29, 18 pupils had been admitted and 5 withdrawn, the number on the roll being 547. The average attendance was 508.2, a percentage of 93.7. Mr. Marshall had entered on his duties on May 1. They had, he pointed out, tried to arrange that books for the children’s section of the public library should be issued to the school, but without satisfactory results, and he asked that a sum should be allocated for the establishment of a school library, for which the standard VI boys had collected £1 10s. Any money donated would carry a £ for £ subsidy. It was resolved to vote £lO towards the establishment of a library and to apply to the Education Board for a subsidy. Messrs. Lobb, Evans and Rountree were delegated to procure the books. A sub-committee consisting of Messrs. J. Hoskin, T. Petty and W? H. Broome was set up to consider the advisability of holding a concert in aid of the ground improvement fund. It was resolved, in view of the, altered half-holiday, to hold the meetings on the first Monday, instead of on Friday. The announcement inviting tenders for the purchase of 10,009 boxes of butter, ex West Coast Refrigerating Co.’s store at Patea, is withdrawn.