LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The census figures for the Stratford County were available yesterday. They are: Males 2774; females 2395; total 5169. Cattle tick is stated to have become established in North Auckland, and it is understood the Department of Agriculture propose to enforce drastic regulations with the. object of eradicating the pest.

At a meeting of the Waimate County Council the. following motion was carried:—“That this council was in sympathy with the scheme to create one large power board for the whole of Taranaki if all other local bodies in the area were of the same opinion.”

During a discussion on wages to surfacemen at the Patea County Council meeting, it was reported that one of the roadmen employed by the council was 80 years Of age. The chairman stated that the man in question was worth 5s per day more than a good many roadmen employed by local bodies.

Rowland Tallis Elgar, aged 21, was brought before Mr. Ekdahl, J.P., at the Hawera Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of having on May 12, at Normanby, attempted to commit a serious offence on a native girl, aged nine years. The accused, who had been arrested by Sergeant Henry and Constable Andrews, was remanded for one week. Bail was allowed—accused £lOO and two sureties of £5O each.

“I wanted to come to New Zealand ever since I was a baby, when my father told me of its charms,” declared Mrs. Fitch, an American educationist, in response to the Mayor’s welcome at Wellington on Thursday. “Its scenic beauties are all they were represented to be,” Mrs. Fitch naively added, ‘‘but I was also told that it was a country where strikes were unknown.” Mrs. Fitch hastened to add that it was over forty years since her father was settled*'ia Dunedin,

I Mr. J. Wilkes had an unfortunate accident with his new taxi car on Thursday evening. Whilst on his way to iTikorangi a wlheel collapsed at Bell Block, with the result that the car turned a somersault. Fortunately all the occupants escaped serious injury, but portions of the car were badly knocked about.

The Saturday ha If-holiday in Waitara will operate from May 28, and in view of this the change in ‘New Plymouth will probably take place on the same day. Though no definite date lias been fixed, it is likely that the result of the New Plymouth poll will be gazetted next week, in which case the change will be made a fortnight to-day. A feeling of opposition against Auckland was stated by Mr. W« T. Jennings, M.P., at Auckland the other evening, at his farewell social, to exist in Parliamentary circles. He said he did not know the cause of it, jbut he attributed it to envy of Auckland’s magnificent resources. [That is riot the cause so much as Auckland’s own selfishness, wanting everything for herself and caring nothing for the. rest of the Dominion.] While a Maori was crossing a drained swamp at Kaikakapu, Maketu, he discovered a canoe which had been revealed through the settling* down of the surface of the swamp after draining. With assistance he uncovered the canoe, which is 40 feet long, and built of kauri. It contained two round and manuka sticks sharpened at both ends. The natives consider that it belonged to Hongi, who lost a canoe during his raid on Rotorua.

The New Plymouth Soldiers’ Hostel, which has been open for about two years, is about to be closed, the lease expiring on June 16. The hostel was opened chiefly by the activities of Mrs. C. H. Burgess, whose generosity in providing home comforts for the returned men has been much appreciated. On Wednesday evening the final of a series of danees which have been held in the institution was made the occasion of a presentation to Mrs. Burgess by the boarders of the hostel, as a mark of appreciation of her efforts in bringing about the establishment.

The steamer Australcrag, which leaves Auckland for New Plymouth this morning in continuation of her voyage from Antwerp, has not brought the first cargo of basic slag from the Continent direct to New Zealand since the outbreak of war. The Port Pirie a week or two ago discharged at New Plymouth a direct consignment of this fertiliser. London was the final port of the Port Pirie, but over 1500 tons of • basic slag, wihich formed the principal part of her cargo for New Plymouth, was loaded at Antwerp (Belgium). The Australcrag is therefore bringing the second direct shipment of Continental basic slag to New Plymouth since the |var.| The quantity in her case ,is 3000 tons, and she is due here on Monday. When a prisoner came up for sentence at Auckland on Wednesday in a case possessing unpleasant features, a number of ladies were seated in the Supreme Court. “There are a number of witnesses, here, ladies, who would not, I think, wish to hear any of the details of this case,” said Mr. Meredith, the Crown Prosecutor. Mr. Justice Adams then announced that ladies could leave the Court for the time being. None stirred. His Honor, in his politest tones, but speaking more loudly, said: “I do not wish to make an order to have the Court cleared, but I am sure that ladies (and he emphasised the word) will be only too glad of the opportunity to go outside.” Then, one by one, the ladies went.—Star.

Numerous rumors have been current in Eltham during the past few days concerning the N.Z. Meat Packing and Bacon Curing Company, the local branch of which was stated to be making huge reductions in its staff (the Argus states). On enquiry from the manager (Mr. G. Dewhirst) a reporter learnt that while reductions will be made in the number of men employed at the end of the month, this is only in accordance with usual practice of the company at the end of every season. The present slaughtering season concludes at the end of this month, and the new season opens in from four to five months’ time—about October. In the meantime the company retains only the permanent staff, who will handle the stock in cool store and attend to the general running of the factory until the next slaughtering season commences. The teachers attending the winter school, at present being held in Stratford, visited the Model Dairy Farm on Thursday in charge of Mr. H. C. Johnson, the Education Board’s agricultural inspector. Mr. J. W. Deem, chairman of the Model Farm Committee, was on the ground and conducted the teachers round the farm, giving a lucid explanation of all the operations. The rpot crops in experimental plots were being weighed, and the figures of the weighing were available later in the day, proving of great value to the teachers in connection with instruction received during the week regarding values of manures. The cowshed and. machinery were inspected, as also were the pasture top-dressing experiment plots, and the crops sown for spring feeding. The plot showing the value to the following of sowing oats with tares was inspected, also the plots where an experiment is being carried out to ascertain if the growing of clover in a manner similar to lucerne is suitable to the district. As a native of London who went out to Tasmania at the age of five, and while still in his youth settled in Invercargill, and later Dunedin, Mr. Chas. Francis, who is regarded as the Dean of the American printing industry, said at Wellington on Thursday that since leaving New Zealand many years ago he had watched our little Dominion with great interest. He found from his observations that the people of the Dominion—both classes—had settled down to the attitude that they would not change conditions as they at present existed until they saw something better. “You have,” he remarked, “the law of arbitration to try and get them together. It is a very good law —a very much better law than what I saw in Australia—but you will never get them together 7 by law.” Only by establishing friendly relations with each other would the way be paved to a better understanding. They would never get together by filing claims. Personally, he had frequently addressed trades' unions in the United States, and he had always found that they did not realise until they were told about them that their employers also had troubles. The employees did not understand the employers’ troubles at all. A service of special interest to men will be held at Whiteley Church on Sunday evening. The choir will be entirely composed of male voices l , when some fifty men are expected to take part, including quartettes by “The Melody Four.” The Rev. W. J. Elliott wilt address his sermon especially to young men, and patrons of all sports are very gordially invited.

In regard to the price of cement, a leading Taranaki architect states that it is a fact that some cement is on the market at £6 a ton, as reported in the News, but it is a special lot from Canada. For good English and New Zealand cement the price in New Plymouth is about £9, with the likelihood of an early advance. At this price he considered it better value than that quoted at £6. From another source a News reporter learned that the comparatively low offer of £6 was being made to bring about a loss amongst those who recently have had to import cement from England, and that the quantity available at this price is very limited—so limited, indeed, as not to affect the market, even if the quality was equal to that of the local article. A builder who was seen says that cement will never be cheap again until coal comes down in price, for it takes a ton of coal to make a ton of cement. Coal costs the cement companies anything from £4 upwards, and to this has to be added the various other costs of manufacture. At the same time, he felt satisfied that there never was the scarcity of cement in New Zealand that was made out, stocks being held to force up the price on the public. In proposing the toast of Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., at Auckland, on Wednesday evening, Dr. Leys referred to his youthful spirit, his buoyancy and largeheartedness, which had endeared him to them all. He recalled that Mr. Jennings and himself were first associated as camp-followers of Sir George Grey, and said that in those days he was quite as eager and earnest a Radical as he was to-day, and as he always would be. He had so identified himself with the industrial interests of this country, he had so won the hearts and the confidence of the workers of the city, that his nomination to the Legislative Council in 1892 received general approval. Dr. Leys said, he thought that was a great testimony, not only to Mr. Jennings’ services and ability, but to his sterling character. One of the most depressed sections of labor in those days was that of the tailoresses, and it was characteristic of Mr. Jennings that he should have set himself to improve the conditions of these workers—the ones most needing help. (Applause.) The chairman recalled how, after a term of ten years in the Upper House, Mr. Jennings decided to join the fighting political forces of this country, and how he stood for and won the Egmont seat.

Among the commissions which Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., was asked at the farewell social tendered to him at Auckland on Wednesday evening to undertake on his coming visit to Europe were two on behalf of returned soldiers (says the Herald). Their spokesman, Mr. T. Long, asked the guest to investigate the question of immigration, as to which the returned men were not satisfied, and to ascertain what was being done in regard to the suitability of the immigrants coming out, and what they were going to do on arrival here. Another request made by Mr. Long was that Mr. Jennings would ascertain what measure of care is being bestowed upon the graves of fallen New Zealanders on Gallipoli. Two or three of the speakers sent messages to the Irish people through the guest, one, Mr. T. Witheford, going so far as to express the wish that Mr. Jennings might go to Ireland as a peacemaker. Still another request was that Mr. Jennings should induce Sir Joseph Ward to return to New Zealand to again take up the leadership of the Liberal Party. In replying, Mr. Jennings said there might be some chance while he was in Britain of Mr. Massey and himself trying to do something to bring about a rapprochement between Ireland and England. (Applause.) As to Sir Joseph Ward, he was too useful a man to be out of the political life of New Zealand. (Applause.)