LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

“What is happening to the council’s cottages?” inquired Or. KiMby at last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council. The engineer (Mr. W. H. Cook) replied that he expected to have had tenders called by now, hut this would be done within the next few days.

At an extraordinary general meeting of members of the Equitable Building Society last evening two appropriations of £250 each were disposed of by ballot in No. 3 Group. The winning marble was number 164, and the holder of the corresponding share is Mr. B. H. Gardner, New Plymouth.

The Westown Progressive Association has written to the New’ Plymouth Borough Council bringing under notice the urgent necessity for improving the ’bus service. The association expresses the hope that the council will give immediate effect to a suggestion made by the Mayor to convert an electric truck (at present used by the streets department) into another ’bus. The question will ba considered at the next meeting of the council.

A glowing tribute to the work of the Salvation Army was paid by Mr. M. Fraser during a lecture to the New Plymouth Victoria League last night. He stated, that the Salvation Army was the only Christian institution that was assisting the Hospital Board in the way of charitable aid. If the board found it impossible to supply aid to anyone the Salvation Army would always help them out, and the board were deeply indebted to them for relieving them of a great deal of responsibility in this respect.

In the course of his address to the New Plymouth/ Victoria League last night, Mr. M. Fraser (chairman of the Taranaki Hospital Board) appealed, to women to make a special effort to visit the old people in the Old People's Home at New Plymouth. He said that there were at present no less than 40 men inmates, the average age of whom was 82. There was also a large number of ladies in the institution, and it would be a commendable act for anyone who could to visit them and brighten their existence with their company and small gifts. “The great number of cars in- use has caused very serious congestion on the authorised stands for parking,” stated Inspector Day in the course of a report to the New Plymouth Borough Council last night. Mr. Day remarked that King Street especially had become seriously blocked. He suggested that new stands- be authorised, and he. submitted a number of proposals. it was decided that consideration be held over, and the Mayor intimated that the question of providing another stand for “taxis” would also have to be reviewed, as the present locality was becoming cramped.

A deputation of the South African Returned Soldiers’ Association waited on Mr. E. Dixon, M.P., at Hawera yesterday, asking him if he would make representations to the Minister on certain matters in regard to which they consider they are entitled to consideration. They had, for instance, a promise from Mr. Coates, when he was in charge of that department, that as soon as the soldiers who were disabled in the recent war had their requirements attended to the claims of South African veterans would be considered. They pointed out to Mr. Dixon that whereas a, man who lost a leg in the last war received £2 10s per week, a man who lost a leg in the South African war only got £2 per month. Further, the South African veterans asked for the same treatment as Maori war veterans in regard to old age pensions, and that promises made in regard to grants of land for disabled soldiers should be fulfilled. Mr. Dixon informed the deputation that he would at once make representations to the Minister on these matters. The annual meeting of the West End Bowling Club will be held to-morrow

A number of Australian sheep farmers are desirous of building a woollen mill on Vancouver Island, to cost £lOO,OOO, if they can obtain a free site.

■ It was stated at a recent meeting of the Wellington College Old Boys’ Association that the officer in charge of the V.C.’s at the burial of an unknown soldier in Westminster Abbey was a Wellington College “old boy,” namely, Brighdier-General Bernard. (“Tiny”) Freyberg. It is said that this honor was done him as he was the youngest brigadier-general “V.C.” in the British Arm y.

The Minister for Education has conferred with the Waikato Hospital Board. He said, he had found the buildings dilapidated, and repairs would be a very expensive proposition. There were only twenty patiens, who could be accommodated at Pukeora Sanatorium Farm, which was not paying. As a result of the conference, the board withdrew its opposition to the closing of the Waikato Sanatorium.

At a meeting of the Opunake Harbor Board on Friday (presided over by the chairman, Mr. T. P. Hughson), it was decided to return all subscriptions in connection with the Harbor Loan. This course was taken because the amount received did not reslch £lO,OOO, the amount required before commencing operations. The total amount of the loan was £50,000. £Chis means that the prosecution of harbor improvements at Opunake will not be proceeded with meanwhile.

Doubts as to the possibility of raising any further loan moneys at present were expressed by the Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) at last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council. He stated that a communication had been sent to the Government some days ago, but no reply had yet been received. The procuring of the State’s guarantee ip order to enable moneys to be raised outside New Zealand was not t certain, and unless the assurance was forthcoming it would be useless to attempt to float the loan. The council decided to telegraph to the acting-Prime Minister enquiring as to the position, and it was also resolved to send a deputation to Wellington, if necessary, to further push matters ahead.

A meeting of the New Plymouth R.S.A. and citizens’ orchestra was held, last night, to formulate a scheme for further operations. Mr. MeDiarmid was in the chair, and the whole position of the future was carefully reviewed. It was resolved) as an outcome of the opinions expressed, that a meeting should be called early in July at which all players of orchestral instruments are particularly invited to be present to discuss the practicability of entering upon a different class of work, the object being to secure further players; and, with varied class and work to be placed in hand, to stimulate genuine interest, and establish a permanent sphere of usefulness. A Wanganui resident who has just returned from a visit to Wellington reports to the local Herald that conditions regarding unemployment down there are pretty bad. He was Surprised to see such a large percentage of youths and young men on the waterfront looking for jobs. He believed that this was largely due to the consequences of young fellows, during the .period of shortage of labor, taking on ‘unskilled jobs, instead of learning a trade, because of the better wages attached to the former job. Now that the time for a reduction in hands has come, these young fellows And themselves without a trade and without a job, their numbers swelling the already overcrowded ranks of the unskilled laborer.

Changes in the administration of the Police Department, which .were announced recently by the Commissioner of Police (Mr. J. O’Donovan), are now in operation. The police area of the Dominion has been divided in four divisions, each in charge of a superintendent. The Wellington division, consist? ing of Wellington, Palmerston North, Wanganui, New Plymouth, and Napier police districts, is supervised by Superintendent S. P. Norwood, while Inspector W. B. Mcllveney takes over control of the whole of the Wellington police district, Sub-Inspector Willis being in charge of the city area. The corresponding officer of the Wellington police district will in future be Inspector Mcllveney.

The noVel sight of a driverless motorcar proceeding along the street in quite an orderly manner, and keeping carefully to its right side, astonished a number of people in the’lower end of Queen Street, Auckland, on a recent evening. When opposite the Thames Hotel the runaway swerved suddenly and launched itself against a passing tramear. This brought its career to an end without any damage being done. The performance had been witnessed by the 6.5, p.m. crowd on the corner of the street, and the final act evoked a mild cheer when it was seen that no damage had been done. The crowd surged round the runaway, and pushed it to the side of the street to await an owner. A policeman appeared with a notebook, but nobody seemed to know who the car belonged to, nor where it had come from until eventually the owner put in an appearance about fifteen minutes later. It appeared that the owner had gone into the post office, leaving the engine running, and b'y some unexplained means its gear lever had been moved, with the above results.

An interesting enterprise in cinematograph production was undertaken by a company whose headquarters are in Palmerston North. It has commenced the production of a film to be called “The Birth of New Zealand,” depicting the outstanding events in the history of New Zealand from the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The scenario has been written round the experiences of a typical group of pioneers, and the reconctruction of Auckland in the forties will be a feature of the film. Its chief purpose, however, is to portray incidents of historical importance, and great pains have been taken to ensure accurate presentation of scenes, actions, and personages. This preliminary investigation has been virtually completed, and the actual filming of the story is to be commenced shortly. The interior scenes are to be staged and photographed in Dunedin, and the exteriors in the neighborhood of Auckland. The prologue, depicting the arrival of Captain Cook off the coast of New Zealand, and his firstlanding, will be the first undertaking.

Raincoats of all descriptions for men, women and boys are being shown at the Melbourne at reduced prices. Men’s are now at from 29/6 to £5 ]2s 6d; ladies’ from 35s to 59s 6d; smart juvenile raincoats in best quality gaberdine, 45s to 49s 6d; youths’ rain coats, 45s to 555.

Our Mail Order Department is ever on the watch to safeguard the best interests of our customers. Abram, “Shop by Post” Chemist-j New Plymouth*