LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 May 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It was suggested at a meeting of the St. John Ambulance Society and Red Cross at New Plymouth yesterday that a complete first aid outfit be placed in every school in Taranaki. Mr. H. Dempsey said it would cost £250, and consequently no action was taken. A telegram from Nelson says the population of Waimea county is 9267, the last census returns being 9284. The decrease is due to the formation of the Tahunanui Town Board. In Nelson city, excluding the suburban area, females show an excess of 2620 over males. In furtherance of the New Plymouth harbor scheme a start has been made with the earthwork for the tramway to the Paritutu quarry, about a dozen men now being employed on the work. An other tunnel is also being driven in the rock m preparation for another blast, which should be ready for firing in about a month’s time.

For Bronchial Coughs, take Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. 4

Great excitement was caused near Feilding on Friday by a wild bull, which broke out of the owner’s paddock. The* owner went after it on horseback, and an exciting encounter ensued, the bull charging the horse and goring it. The rider had a very narrow escape. Another horse bn the road was also gored before the owner of the bull returned with a rifle and shot the beast.

,A drop in overseas freight rates in certain lines of produce is announced by various steamship lines trading with the United Kingdom. Freight on oats has been reduced from £5 a ton, plus ten per cent, primage, to ,£4 8s a ton, plus the same primage. In the case of beans, peas, barley and wheat, the drop is from £5 a ton, plus ten per cept. primage, to £3 8s a ton, plus ten per cent. The new rates take effect immediately.

The quarterly sittings of the Supreme Court now being held at New Plymouth had been in session for a week yesterday, and for the last two days the court has continued the hearing of cases after the dinner adjournment, business being taken last night up till ten o’clock. Indications are that other business yet to be dealt with, including the re-trial of a criminal case, will occupy a further week.

A monument to the memory of Sir Arthur Guinness, Speaker of the House of Representatives for 10 years, has been erected at the main entrance of the Greymouth cemetery by the electors of Grey, the constituency he represented for 29 years. The chief feature of the monument is a granite column 20ft. high. Sir Arthur Guinness died on June 10, 1913, at the age of 67 years. A tablet has also been placed on the monument in memory of Lady Guinness, who died on January 12, 1920. When making the presentation to Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., at New Plymouth last night, the ehairmafi (Mr. G. Grey) remarked that the .purse did not contain sovereigns, as it was impossible to get sovereigns now. Thereupon a guest present handed to Mr. Jennings a souvenir in the shape of a sovereign, which had been through the Gate Pa fight and had also been for a couple of years through the recent European war. having been sent to him there.

A mysterious explosion, apparently caused by gelignite .placed in the kitchen range of the Commercial Boardinghouse, Waihi, occurred at 1.30 yesterday morning. Flying pieces of iron were hurled through the partition into the diningroom and more or less damage done to the building and its contents. The circumstances are regarded as somewhat suspicious, owing to recent trouble between a section of the boarders and the landlady. The police are investigating the matter. Among the debris found was a piece of fuse near the stove, which it is assumed was attached to the explosive used. Up to the present the Defence partment has issued 25,000 British war medals to ex-soldiers of the Dominion. In all there are approximately 97,000 medals to be issued. These are being turned out at the rate of about 500 per day. The medals are being distributed in alphabetical order. The medals due to the next-of-kin will not be distributed until the surviving ex-sjldiers have all been supplied. As regards the Victory Medal, to be issued to all ex-soldiers who were in the actual seat of war, an officer of the Defence Department stated that none had come to hand, and he had received no word about them.

The absurdly high prices given sometimes for second-hand books sold by dealers is shown by a catalogue received in Christchurch (says the Lyttelton Times). A copy of the late Mr. A. Hamilton’s work on the art workmanship of the Maoris is catalogued at £2 10s; a copy was sold by auction in Dunedin a few weeks ago for £lO. Dr. Ferdinand von Hochstetter’s “New Zealand,” published in 1857, sold sometimes at £6, is offered at £2 10s. Copies of the first edition of Judge Mailing’s “Old New Zealand,” published in 1863, bring high prices; a copy is offered in the. catalogue for 9s. Sir Richard Owen’s “Memoirs of the Extinct Wingless Birds of New Zealand,” published in 1879, is sold readily for £lO, £l2, and £l5; it is catalogued now at £4 -is for two volumes, including the plates.

A well-attended and enthusiastic meeting of those interested in the proposal to form a Savage Club in New Plymouth was held at the Soldiers’ Club last night. Mr. W. H. Robertshaw presided, and after explanation of the aims and scope of the proposals it was unanimously decided that a Savage Club be formed. Some sixty members were elected, and many others who were unable to be present intimated their intention of becoming members if the chib were formed. A committee, with Mr. C. H. Wyatt as honorary secretary, was set up t.) arrange a programme for the first meeting, to be held on the 28th instant. It was also decided to notify the Savage Clubs at Wellington, Auckland and elsewhere that a club had been formed in New Plymouth, and that members of other clubs would be welcomed.

Arising out of a recent case at the Stratford Magistrate’s Court, in. which a local resident was convicted on a charge of allowing “pillion riding” on his motor-cycle, a petition signed by eighty motor-cyclists was received at Monday night’s meeting of the Stratford Borough Council, protesting against by-law 343, which made it an offence for a motor-cyclist’ to cany a passenger except an a side-car. The petitioners stated that in other boroughs similar regulations had either been repealed or were not now enforced, “pillion riding” being a common practice throughout the Dominion; that the practice was not dangerous and was as safe as carrying a passenger in a ride-ear. The council decided not to enforce the by-law, on condition foot rests were provided for the passengers carried on the motor cycles, and the borough inspector was requested to withdraw four prosecutions for breaches of the by-law, which were pending. That a more healthy tone is noticeable in business generally, is evidenced by the fact that the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association of Canterbury, Ltd.’s, bond issue has been a splendid success. Already over £190,000 has been received out of the quarter-million asked for. Investors, both small and large, from one end of the Dominion to the other, have responded. Where tne return is good, and the investment sound, it is apparent that money can be found. In (the present instance, the interest offered is 7$ per cent, per annum, free of income tax, and the bonds are transferable like bank-notes. No douot these facts are materially assisting in the flotation.

Winter clothing, underwear, and rugs and blankets are meeting with phenomenal demand at the Melbourne’s sensa J tional price reduction sale. The cold snap recently experienced, together with the extremely low prices quoted, make the popular Melbourne stores busier than ever. The sale ends on Saturday.