LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The induction of the Rev.~fi. A. Coleman, M.A., to the parish of Okato by the Archdeacon of Taranaki, will take place at Okato to-day at 3 p.m. The service is being held at this hour to enable parishioners and others from a distance to attend.

Three additional homes have been completed by the Housing Department recently, two in Wellington and one in Te Aroha. The total number of homes completed since the inception of the scheme is now 91. The department estimatefl that 130 additional homes will be completed before August 31 next, and another 163 will be ready for occupation before the end of the year.

No further details have been received regarding the visit to New Plymouth at the end of the week of Mr. R. W. McVilly, general manager of railways. Mr. 8. G. Smith, M.P., yesterday telegraphed to Mr. McVilly asking for the time of his arrival and departure, adding that, in view of the important business requiring his persnoal attention it was imperative that Mr. McVilly should stiy here on Monday.

The Wellington Education Board decided yesterday that the services of any pupil teachers* and probationers who do not intend to continue in the teaching service - be terminated forthwith, and that shose concerned be required to sign an agreement to that effect. It was stated to be unfair to the department and the board that graded teachers should be required to train probationers, who were liable to leave' as soon as they derived sufficient benefit to fit them for other professions. —Press Association.

The request of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute . that the Wellington Education Board should collect subscriptions for members of the institute among the teaching staff was renewed at yesterday’s meeting of the Education Board. It was pointed out that other boards of the. Dominion had collected the subscription. An animated discussion ensued, and eventually a motion declining the request was carried on the casting vote of the chairman.—Press Association.

A meeting of householders in the Fitzroy school district was held last night, the Rev. J. F. Martin presiding. The meeting was convened for the purpose of considering means of raising funds for the improvement of the school grounds. It was decided to hold a function, to be called the Fitzroy School fete, on Saturday, November 5. A general committee was formed of those present, and the following sub-committees were set up: Entertainment, Mr. Duckworth; ladies, Mrs. Martin; advertising, the chairman (Rev. J. F. Martin); works, Mr. H. Hall; school staff, Mr. Johnson (headmaster) The general committee will meet on the third Wednesday of each month, and the entertainments committee propose to commence euchre parties, etc., forthwith.

Councillor R. A. Large has written the following letter to the Mayor of New Plymouth: “I am sorry to have to inform you that I find I am technically disqualified from holding the office of borough councillor, owing to my being a guarantor to one of the corporation’s contractors. I think, therefore, it will be better if I hand you my resignation, so as to strictly comply with the terms of the Act. I am advised that once the difficulty is removed there is nothing to prevent me offering my services again to the borough, and with the consent of those gentlemen who nominated me I shall accordingly do so. \I very much regret having to resign, but consider the course I am following is the best one in the circumstances.”

Cabinet has approved the extension of the scheme for the treatment of children’s teeth. The scheme has been particularly successful, and has already had an effect on the health of the children in some of the schools. Many thousands of children have not yet received treatment. Two additional medical officers are to be appointed; one will take charge of the dental ilinic in centre, the other will travel through the back districts with a specially equipped dental motor ambulance. Inquiry has shown that many country children are in great need of dental attention.

Attention is drawn to an advertisement in another column notifying that the hours for opening the Bank of Australasia at Waitara on Tuesdays and Fridays has been altered to from 12 noon till 1,30 p.m

Buyers are scouring the Manawatu district just now for fat stock for the Wellington and other outside markets.

As a protection against motor-car thieves, several Hastings owners are now training dogs to stay in the oars and mount guard during the absence of the drivers.

Game is reported to be fairly plentiful in the Bay of Islands, Hokianga, and Whangaroa Counties, and in certain localities some very good bags have been secured.

At a meeting of the shareholders of Turners and Growers, Ltd., of Auckland, the largest fruit firm in the Dominion, it was stated that the turnover for the year was approximately £500,000. “That the Agricultural Department’s experts be requested to specially advise farmers as to the use to be made of Nauru and Ocean Island phosphates, in regard to ground rock or superphosphates” is a remit forwarded to the annual conference of the Council of Agriculture by the Masterton A. and P. Association.

A branch of the Commercial Bank of Australia, Limited, has been opened at Gisborne, making the ninth branch this bank has opened in New Zealand since October 1, 1912, when they first extended their operations to the Dominion. The bank has purchased freehold property in the four centres, and its business is steadily growing. During Mr. J. P. Luke’s term of office as Mayor of Wellington the revenue increased from £451,000 per annum to £1,078,000 per annum. The capital value of the city when he became Mayor was £19,000,000; to-day it is £25,000,000. The population has been increased very largely through the amalgamation of suburban ares; it has risen from 66,000 to 90,000.

Said Mr. Justice Frazer in the Arbitration Court. “The ’function of the Court is to see that the minimum wage is a fair minimum wage.” The employees in any trade, he added, were well able to take advantage of the law of supply and demand in boom times; it was in times of depression that the necessity arose for the Arbitration Court to protect the workers by the aid of a minimum wage. But in fixing that rate the Court had to be careful it did not encourage unemployment by fixing a prohibitive minimum. A remarkable instance of perseverance under adverse conditions ?s afforded Ly the success of Mr. E. A. Robinson in the- March University examinations (says the Wellington Post). Seven members and ex-members of the soldiers’ commercial class at the Wellington Technical College were successful in these examinations. Mr. Robertson, who passed in bookkeeping, stage 1., has lost both arms, and has only an artificial left arm with which to work, but, in spite of this, he obtained a pass with 23 marks to the good. In the examination room he labored under extremely adverse conditons, but the extra time allowance taken was under threequarters of an hour. The Minister in charge of Repatriation (the Hon. D. H. Guthrie) has written to the Director of the Technical College congratulating him upon the success of the class.

An observant Palmerston citizen, commenting on the statistics recently published in regard to unemployment in Palmerston and district, says it is quite possible to gain a wrong impression unless one factor is carefully considered. That factor is ithat even in good times there is a large percentage of “wasters” and failures. It gains a livelihood easily, and is not particularly noticeable. It runs from sto 10 in every 100. When bad times come, and this class has to battle for itself, it naturally takes first place on the list of unemployed, or unemployable, and makes the total number look abnormal, when, as a matter of fact, it is not alarming at all, all things considered.

It was the generally accepted opinion among experts that it would be impossible to improve the simplicity of design or the efficiency of the Hutchinson Patent Hydraulic Vacuum Pump commonly called the “Hutchinson Power”, but all the farmers who are driving their milking machine with this power will be interested to learn that the patentee has succeeded in devising an entirely new head with fewer working parts so arranged as to 'be practically unbreakable, and, what is of still greater importance, one that gives greater capacity and greater efficiency, this being obtained by setting the valves at such an angle that all the air is expelled at each pulsation, the angle at the same time increasing the capacity. Inis head may be readily fitted to the existing machines at little cost compared to the increased advantages. The entire elimination of the cost of benzine and oil where the “Hutchinson Power” is used must command the serious consideration of all farmers where water is available. —Advt.

The Melbourne’s sensational price reduction sale will only continue until Saturday next. In the meantime many oddments left over will be sacrificed at less than half-price to clear. Men’s suits in particular will be heavily discounted in order that stocks may be reduced. An exceptionally busy week-end is expected.

A comparison of the various washing powders on the market results in a veritable triumph for “Fairy Wonder”. The wonderful compound practically works by itself, loosens dirt without rubbing, and reduces boiling and rinsing to a minimum. It is also pleasant to use, occasioning no offensive scum or sud-steam. Try a packet. All .grocers stock it.

Built in sections to his own design, Mr. James Bennie, architect, of Wellington, who recently visited America, is importing a complete bungalow, of a type popular in the United States, which he has adapted to local conditions The house is on the bungalow plan, with a large living room, which can be made still larger by the utilisation of folding doors. The house, suitable for erection on a 40ft. by 100 ft. section, is built of Californian redwood weather-boarding, lined throughout with Oregan pine. The h'ouse, in sections, is now on the water, and, when it reaches Wellington, will be erected on one of Mr. Bennie’s sections at Island Bay. Tn America these houses oan be erected in five or six days. Every part is numbered, in a manner that makes it impossible to make any mistakes in construction. In New Zealand, where they are not used to erecting the section house, the job may take a little longer, but in any case would not take half as long as to build a cottage in the ordinary way. Mr. Bennie’s experiment will be watched with interest, as the extraordinary high price of timber in New Zealand is having a deterrent effect on house-building in the ordinary way. At Uruti sale next Monday will be offered several lines of good quality dairy heifers, comprising Jerseys, Holsteins and Shorthorns.