LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 May 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Taranaki Farmers’ -Smart Road meat works closed down for the season on Saturday. A brighter skin and hide market is reported in a Press telegram from Wellington. Sheepskins show a general increase of forty cent., and salted skins fifty per cent., while ox, calf and yearlings’ hides show a penny to fourpence advance. For the year ending December 31, 1919, the average amount standing to the credit of each open account at the New Plymouth Post. Office Savings Bank, which includes id its returns the Hawera district, was £6s' Is Gd. Oamaru heads the list with £7B 6s lid, and T-imaru comes next with £7l 12« s Bd. New Plymouth stands fourth on the list, being just behind Dunedin.

For the year 1919-20 there were 16,231 dairy cows in the Waimate West district, an average per 1000 acres of 363.13. In the Hawera, district there Were 21,204, and an average per 1000 acres of 196.7. The average per 1000 acres for the whole of Taranaki is 91.29, nearly double Auckland, the next highest, where the average is 48.58.

In the Taranaki land district there are, according to the latest Government returns, 6288 holdings, the total area occupied being 1,705,180 acres, alul the average size of holdings 271.18 acrefi. The only district in which the holdings are smaller is North Auckland, where the average is 230.51 acres. That the demand for Jersey cattle is very much in evidence is borne out by the' fact that a Taranaki firm of Jersey breeders have sold to an Auckland buyer a line of 15 grade weaner heifers for £l5 per head, which must be a record price for this year, and, incidentally, shows confidence* in the continued prosperity of the dairying industry.

The creation of an industrial organisation embracing practically all the workers in the clothing industry* is being undertaken. The Tailors’ Federation is linking itself with the Tailoresses and Pressers’ Federation. The new organisation will cover tailors, tailoresses, cutters, pressers, milliners, dressmakers, shirtmakers and workers in allied trades. It is to come into existence in the very near future.

The number of divorce cases set down for hearing at Wellington this week has increased from just over 70 to 80. A change in the present price of sugar is not expected before November, according to the chairman of the Board of Trade.

A man named Harry- Hall Wheelhouse was arrested at Whangamomona on Saturday/ on a warrant of committal to New Plymouth Gaol issued at Hawera for disobedience of a maintenance order.

A statement in regard to the trouble on the Patea steamer Kapuni was made on Friday by Mr. W. T. Young, general secretary of the Seamen’s Union. He said in view of representations that it was desirable to get a quantity of cheese shipped from Patea, his union had agreed that the Kapuni’s bulkhead, which the crew allege is leaky, should be examined and tested on June 10. A test will be made in the presence of a union official. In the meanwhile the Kapuni will carry no benzine. At Hawera on Friday Rowland Tallis Eagar was charged with attempted rape and indecent assault on a Maori girl at Norman by on May 12. Evidence was given by Bella Awhe, Iraia, Dr. Thomson, Rangihawe, Te Aka, W. S. Poole, Rangi Tonga and Senior-Sergeant Henry. Accused, who pleaded not guilty, was committed to the next sittings of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth for trial. Bail was allowed accused in £lOO and two sureties of £5O each. Bail was forthcoming. There was a large congregation at the people’s service in the Whiteley Methodist Church/ New Plymouth, last night. The musical portion was excellently carried out by choir and orchestra, a number of anthems being given. Solo parts were taken by , Messrs. B. Bellringer and R. L. Cooper. The title of the address given by Rev. W. J. Elliott was: “A Question No Man Can Answer”, the text being Luke S-3G: “What shall it profit, a man if he gain the whole world an’d lose his own soul?” This was a theme affording scope for much reflection, and it was dealt with in forceful fashion by the preacher. A petition is being circulated in Christchurch, asking Cabinet to repeal the sentence of six months’ imprisonment recently passed on ‘Vvnliam Vivian Whitta, for carrying on the business of a bookmaker. Twenty men, nine of whom are returned soldiers, arc canvassing the “sporting fraternity” for signatures to the petition. Each man is paid £1 a day. The first man to obtain 2000 signatures is to receive a further £5, and £2 will be paid for every >OOO signatures obtained by any man after the first.—Sun.

An interesting comparison % in prices ruling for milk in 1895 and the present day is given in some old records in the possession of a Bell Block farmer. In 1895 the farmer was selling his milk at 2|d per gallon, and in one month he sold 17,591-lbs milk to one customer, for which die received £l4 19s, lOd. Taking milk at to-day’s price at, say. 7d per quart, the farmer would receive just under £2OO for the same amount of milk. At the'“■same period the farmer was retailing good butter at 6d per lb. Mr. W. J. Gray, of Okato, addressed about 50 Maoris at Rahotu, on Friday, 20th instant, to explain to the natives the danger of being involved in the question of the destruction of Paritutu. He said that if the natives took any part in associating themselves with the league already formed by the Europeans, and if the question of the right of the destruction of Paritutu were submitted to the natives it would open up many grievous questious to the Maori mind—viz., Te Kauwau (the old drill hall), Pukearaki (Mount Eliot), 1 and Te Waitapu (Maori cemetery at the Breakwater), and other grievous questions around Paritutu. Mr. Gray advised them to watch the movements of t'he league closely, and not to plunge in on the first tide of advice. The meeting endorsed the advice.

The necessity for some form of street traffic control in New Plymouth has been frequently pointed out, and with a view of devising some method a trial was made on Saturday by Mr. R. Day (borough inspector) of painting white discs on the roadway on intersections of streets. The object was to direct vehicular traffic into taking the turn on the correct side when negotiating corners. The discs were the subject of curiosity and even amusement on the part of many, but were favorably commented on by a number of motorists, and the trial indicated that something on a bigger scale than this preliminary idea might well be put into operation. The fact that the move was a new one had to be taken into consideration, but with |he co-operation of motorists it should prove a help in regulating traffic. On Saturday a couple of drivers were noticed turning a corner on the wrong side, and it is probable prosecutions will follow.

Gone are the days when Island oranges could be bought in plenty and at prices that enabled everyone to use them as fruit, and not as occasional luxuries. That was before the stringent regulations which to-day result in tens of thousands of cases of this luscious fruit rotting yearly on the ground in its island habitat, while we in New Zealand go a-hunger, or rather a-t'hirst. A recent incident at Auckland affords a somewhat sad illustration of how this fruit regulation operates. According to the regulation, no citrus fruit is allowed to be landed in New Zealand unless accompanied by a certificate stating that there is no fruit fly within a radius of one mile of where the fruit was grown. As a consequence, shipments of citrus fruits have been condemned on arrival here owing to snowing slight signs of the pest, although it is contended by many authorities that the fly, being the product of a tropical clime, cannot exist in New Zealand. A week or two ago a valuable consignment of mandarins, valued at about £BOO, arrived at Auckland from Fiji, but on account of this drastic regulation, the whole consignment had to be taken out to sea and dumped overboard. This course was insisted upon by the department, in spite of the fact that the fruit was all of first-class quality, while the market at the time was absolutely bare of mandarins.—Star.

Housewives with tender hands should never use other than “Fairy Wonder” when washing clothes. This truly marvellous compound, in addition to cutting the day’s work in half, keeps the hands beautifully soft and prevents chapping. All users or “ Fairy” are delighted with this phase of the work.

Buyers of blankets will find a good assortment of all wool goods at the' Melbourne, Ltd. This firm lias been extremely fortunate this season in obtaining blankets direct' from leading mills in bales lots, thus saving discounts and other charges incidental to handling smaller lots. Come and inspect. The prices dre right.

The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., draw attention to their Stratford Sale on Tuesday, 24th inst., at 12.30 p.m.

The bbdy of a man which was found on the beach at Waitoitoi on Wednesday has been identified as that of Ramanui Hohepa, a Maori, who resided at Manutahi, near Hawera. An inquest was held at Urenui on Friday before Mr. R. 11. Pigott, J.P., and a jury of four. The father and a brother and sister of Hohepa gave evidence of identification based on the clothing, height and other characteristics. Hohepa was last seen alive by a native woman at the Waitara Road railway station. It is presumed that he proceeded to Waitara and fell off the wharf into the river while under the influence of drink, hie body being carried out to sea. He was ’not .seen in Waitara by any natives, among whom he was well known. The verdict returned was to the effect that Hohepa was found dead on the beach, death being due to accidental drowning. The relatives took charge of the body and had it removed t'o Hawera for burial.

■Some interesting contributions for the New Plymouth Museum have been collected by Mr. G. A. Adlam, and several fragments .of a tree trunk about six inches through, are on view in the window of Mr. S. Teed’s premises in Devon Street' prior to being placed in the museum. The log was picked up on the Oakura beach, by a settler on the Koru Road. When he came to split it for firewood 'he thought it looked almost too rotten to be useful, but made a blow with the axe which split the log, revealing some lettering on a rounded core in the centre. The letters are written one under the other and form the words: “A. Wood, 5 years old.” In the last word only the “o” and the vertical stroke of the “1” (the letters are capitals) are shown, the log having been broken off at that point. There is an old resident of the Oakura district of the name inscribed on the wood, and it is thought that his brother may have stripped the bark off a sapling and cut the inscription when Mr. Wood was five years old, though Mr. Wood has mo recollection of such an occurrence. Mr. Adlam also secured other curiosities for the museum.

At Maritzburg, South Africa, recently a two-days congress representative of all shades of opinion met and discussed the Indian menace. It was stated at the meeting that there were less than 140,000 white men in Natal, while the saftie State had 200,000 Indians, and their numbers were growing so fast that it was estimated that in ten years’ time there would be 10,000,000 Indians in Natal. The chairman. Advocate Roy Hathorn, stated that the Indian question in Natal and Transvaal had become one of self-preservation, whether there was going to be a white civilisation or a hybrid colored race. If the question was not tackled immediately the Asiatic was going to be the predominant race in South Africa. An instance was cited where in a town there were 223 Indian voters and only 100 whites, and the Indians had to elect a ticket of seven whites to the council because there were not sufficient Indians who could read or write English. The meeting, which included ueiegates who had travelled considerable distances to be present, ultimately carried a series of resolutions advocating a vigorous and uncompromising attitude towards the Indians, with the avowed object of ultimately excluding from the country all of that race except servants and necessary labor.

The province of Alberta, in Canada, has ventured upon a scheme of free and universal hospital service of the most complete nature, states the New Zealand Journal of Health, which in its •turn quotes from the Hospital World, Toronto. The foundation of this scheme is laid by an Act under which the province had begun the construction- of municipally controlled hospitals on such a scale that, when completed, no resident of this large province will be more than 35 miles ffiom a good hospital, where he shall have absolutely free accommodation and housing service for himself and family. Instead of coming within the category of charity institutions, service at these hospitals, the cost of construction and maintenance, conduct, standards—all will be analagous to that of the free public schools. In effect, this might be termed a provincial system of sickness and accident insurance in which taxpayers pay the premiums and “cash in” on the benefits whenever afflicted. Five of the hospitals are already complete and in active service, two are rapidly nearing completion, plans have been drawn in six more districts, and surveys are being made all over the province.

Messrs. Tristram and Co. advertise in this issue particulars of a freehold farm at Midhirst at the low price of £26 per acre, and upon exceptionally easy terms to returned soldiers. On Wednesday, at their Mart, on account of Mrs. Lansley, Webster Bros, will hold an unreserved sale of all het;, household furniture and effects. Particulars appear in our auction columns. Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (Second and Third Groups) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable today (Monday. May 23), at the Secretary’s Office, Currie Street, from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.—Advt.