LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An impudent theft occurred last week at the Otaki Hospital power-house, where several cases of benzine were evidently wheeled away in a barrow. placed on a car, and taken away.

At last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council, it vfax decided to call tenders for the erection of further workers’ houses, the number to be erected to be determined by the amount of finances available.

“That the powers conferred upon county councils and road boards to enter upon and to .remove from private land and rivers stone, gravel and other materials, after giving the prescribed notice, and subject to the payment of reasonable compensation, be also conferred upon borough councils and be made applicable not only for the purpose of constructing roads or streets, but also for the purpose of constructing any public work.”—A remit from the New Plymouth Borough Council to'the Municipal Conference.

A tribute to the work of the Ne.v Plymouth railway staff was paid by Mr. T. C. List, when speaking on behalf of a deputation which waited on the general manager of railways at New Plymouth last night. Mr. List said the business community of Taranaki was indebted to the staff at New Plymouth, for the manner in which they had carried out their duties under great difficulties, and were also particularly fortunate in possessing such a capable and obliging man as Mr. O’Shea as stationmaster.

The licensing case, in which Ambrose and Albert Loveridge were charged with being on the premises of the Breakwater Hotel after hours, came before the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The defence was that the Loveridges were genuine boarders, and the ease was adjourned from last Thursday to allow Mrs. Hammond, wife of the licensee, to give evidence. She, however, did not appear, owing to illness, John Carwood, a stevedore., residing at the Breakwater Hotel, gave evidence as to the Loveridges staying at the hotel on -May 12, and on preceding and succeeding days. The case was then further adjourned till next Monday.

An extension of the operations of municipal abattoirs is suggested in the following proposal which the New Plymouth Borough Council will forward to the Municipal Conference: “That the Slaughtering and Inspection Act, 1908, be amended to empower any council which has established an abattoir to establish or provide in connection with such abattoir, boiling down works and plant for the conversion of offal, blood and condemned carcases into tallow and artificial manures, or to purchase or otherwise acquire existing works for such purpose.”

“That-the Department be requested to permit the use of horse boxes for the carriage of stud cattle, if and when required.” The above resolution, passed by a recent conference of Taranaki A. and P. Societies, was brought forward for the consideration /of the General Manager of Railways during his visit to New Plymouth. In the absence of the President (Mr. W. B. Grant*), the societies were represented by Mr. W P. Okey. In reply, Mr. McVilly said the Department could not undertake the matter as a general practice because the number of horse-boxes was limited. Where possible, however, the Department would meet the wishes of owners in this respect, providing, of course, that they were willing to pay a reasonable fee fixed by the Department for the use of the boxes.

Amongst remits decided on by the New Plymouth Borough Council last night for the Municipal Conference this year was the following: “That legislation be introduced: (a) To provide that the consumer shall be charged for the volume of gas which is.- supplied upon a basis of heat units actually available in that volume, such calorific value to be determined, at frequent intervals by some authority independent of the supplying bodies; (b) to provide for authorative testing of and supervision over gas meters; (c) to make it compulsory for the supplying bodies to provide gas of a standard of purity to Ise fixed by the Government by- regulation for each district.”

The General Manager of Railways . (Mr. McVilly) was asked yesterday, on behalf of the Taranaki Hospital Board, if he would grant the board the same concession as is given to farmers in the matter of carriage of lime for agricultural purposes on the railways. The request was put forward by Messrs. M. Fraser (chairman), and 11. R. Cattley, and it was argued that as the board farmed a property of ninety acres they were entitled to the concession on lime brought by rail. Mr. McVilly replied to the effect that owing to the privilege having, been abused on many occasions the Department had to tighten up the regulation, but if the board would give an undertaking that they were using the lime for farm purposes only he would not object to bringing them within the. scope of the regulations. Mr. Fraser intimated that this would meet with the board’s wishes, and incidentally remarked that owing to tightness of funds every concession obtained by boards was of assistance in helping them carry on.

The port of New Plymouth is again faced with the possibility of congestion and delay on account of the insufficiency of berthage accommodation. The liner Waimate is due to arrive from Oamaru to-morrow to load frozen meat, but the only overseas berth is at present taken up by the Australcrag, and the latter vessel will not be ready to sail till Thursday. Following on the Waimate will be the steamer Tregarthen, from New Orleans, with a cargo of phosphates to discharge, but it is not yet known if the Waimate will have cleared in time to allow of the immediate berthing of the New Orleans vessel.

Abram, “Shop by Post” Chemist, New Plymouth, has the most comprehensive , Druwtistfi’ Sundries in Taranaki.

The Masterton police on Saturday morning arrested W. Powell, tobacco nist, Ludwig (“Tommy”) Crass, tobacconist, and Jeremiah Cuff on charges of carrying on the business of bookmakers. The three men are well known about Masterton. Bail was arranged for them during the afternoon. They will appear before a Magistrate next Friday. Pigs are still in some demand in Inglewood, if'one may judge by the prices given for those sold at Newton King, Ltd.’s mart on Saturday (writes our correspondent). Poor quality weaners made from 7s 6d to 9s, somewhat larger pigs, though not big enough to class as stores, 18s to 225.

“That the operations of the State Advances Office be extended by substantiincreasing the maximum, viz., £lO,000 (including housing), which the office is permitted to lend to any one local body in any one year.”—This proposal will be forwarded to the Municipal Conference by the New Plymouth Borough Council. ' During the visit of the General Manager of Railways to New Plymouth yesterday, Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., again brought under the notice of Mr. McVilly the question of providing a stock yard at the Lepperton station, and expressed, the opinion that such a convenience would be welcomed by settlers in the district. The General Manager promised to look into the proposal further.

The fact • that no less than three tangis are being ’held in the district accounts for the large number of natives who are at present visiting Hawera (says the Star). The chief tangi is one being held at Ohangai over the body of Ramanui, who was drowned recently at Waitara. Ketemarae Road pa and Okaiawa are the scenes of the two other tangis.

A Wanganui resident, who has just returned from a visit to Christchurch, states that one of the signs of the times is the large number of second-hand motor-cars now in the hands of agents for sale. A number of these cars were bought by farmers and others when times were prosperous, and partly paid for, but now the joint owners are anxious to realise on them.

Two visitors to the Wanganui race.«\ on Saturday, a male and a female, secured a substantial dividend without making an investment on the totalisator. As the crowd was'surging'towards the machine, they made a. dive for a roll of notes, which was being trampled underfoot. The female got most of the bundle, and rapidly disappeared Somebody will probably report that he, or she, has been robjjed.

A seam of coal (says the Waikato InDependent) has been discovered in the neighborhood of Cambridge. Preliminary investigations made have proved most satisfactory, and negotiations are now being made for the formation of a syndicate to go more fully into the matter. Judging from reports there is every prospect of the discovery proving a splendid thing for Cambridge and district. |

Referring to the exorbitant freight rates charged by shipping companies, at the 'Manawatu sub-provincial Farmers’ Union executive meeting on Saturday, Mr. Gower (Foxton) said he knew of one farmer who had sent Home 160 bales of wool for which he received 5Ad per pound, and he had all his shearing expenses to pay on top of that. It seemed monstrous that the whole of the profits should be eaten up in this way by overhead expenses. Two remits regarding motor vehicles were adopted by the New Plymouth Borough Council last night to be submitted to the Municipal Conference. They are: “That the Motor Regulation Act, 1908, be amended to provide that all registration of motor vehicles shall be renewed annually,” and “that the Motor Regulation Act, 1908, be amended to authorise the issue of regulations limiting the size of and weight to be carried by commercial vehicles.”

A Wellington firm which is doing the actual field work for installing a generating plant to supply electricity for operating traffic in the Otira Tunnel, is getting appliances ready, in order to make a start as soon as possible. A* site for the power-house has been excavated, and a start has been made to putin the concrete foundations of the power-house and the boiler-house. Rails for the permanent way through the tunnel have arrived in New Zealand. Thete are 1020 tons at Arthur’s Pass, and between 500 and 600 tons at the Addington Workshops are being made into points and crossings. To-day is Empire Day. This day, which is also the anniversary of the late Queen Victoria’s birthday, is the day of chief celebration by the Victoria League throughout the Empire, and the New Plymouth branch of the league will entertain junior associates under 18 years of age at the club room at 7.15 to-night. Archdeacon F. G. Evans will speak to the children on'lmperial topics, and the rest of the everting will be devoted to games, music and competitions, for which each child is asked to take a lead pencil. The Victoria League was -founded twenty years ago in honor of the late Queen Victoria, and its chief aim is to foster the Imperial spirit in the rising generation.

A't last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council notification was received from the Associated Banks that the rate of interest charged •on advances to local bodies would be 7 percent. as from June 1. The Associated Banks asked that the council make application to the Minister for Finance under section 14 of the Finance Act for authority to pay the increased rate of interest. The Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) stated there was only one course to take in view of the banks’ decision, and he moved that the necessary application be made to the Minister for Finance for the authority. The course was adopted. The two men who escaped from the Wanganui Gaol on Saturday had not been captured up to last evening, as far ais the New Plymouth police knew.

The Melbourne, Ltd., have opened out the following new goods: Nursery flannelette, men’s oily canvas coats, -men’s hard-wear trousers, men’s warm tweed overcoats, men’s and boys’ gaberdine raincoats, men’s, coat sweaters, men’s warm knitted pants, and boys’ oilskins.

There are no “extras” when “Fairy Wonder” washing Powder is used. Fairy does the trick all on its “Dan Malone.” No extra soap, no extra (rinsing, no extra rubbing, and no extra boiling. If you want the best and cheapest washer on the market ibuy “Fairy.” All grocers stock it.

Ladies who have offered their services in connection with the ladies’ committee of the Military Ball will kindly note that the meeting advertised for Tuesday 24th inst. has been postponed until Wednesday. May 25