LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A striking illustration of the rapidity in cabling Press messages from London to New Zealand has been provided this week in the cables relating to the second test match between Australia and England. The difference in time between London and New Zealand Is that New Zealand is 11| hours in advance, so that when play was resumed at 11 a.m. at Lords (near London) yesterday the time in New Zealand was ]0.30 last night, yet the first news of yesterday’s play was received in the Daily News office before midnight. The message gave the position of the game at 11.20 a.m. (which to us was 10,50 last night) and the message was received at the New Zealand cable station at 11 p.m., thus taking ten minutes to travel from London to New Zealand.

The takings for the first four days of the Waikato Winter Show amounted to £1114'5, against £963 16s last year.

A Masterton resident had the misfortune to have two clothes lines robbed on Thursday evening. Many willow trees in the Wellington district have been .attacked by a disease which is killing them.

Extract from a letter from a settler in the Nelson district: “Five years ago I had planted 75,000 pines. They have made wonderful progress, some of them have reached a height of 25 to 30 feet.” Since the Department of Imperial Government Supplies commenced operations in 1915, it has purchased meat, cheese, butter, wool, etc., in New Zealand to the value of £158,930,587. A North Otago farmer declares that the present is the driest season in his forty-five years’ experience. The residents of Windsor, who are now carting water -from the Kakanui river, are asking for a share of the water now being carried from Oamani by train to Ngapara.

It is estimated that fully u million bags of cement will be employed in construction of the dams at the Mangahao hydro-electric works.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Egmont County Council notification was received that the county’s annual contribution to the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Board, based on the county valuation of £1,739,457, was £2391 15s.

At Whiteley Hall on Monday evening, a lecture of considerable interest was given by Mr. C. E. Bellringer on his tour through. Canada and the United States of . America. Many members were present, and the Rev. W. J. Elliott presided.

A recent visitor to Mangahao hydroelectric works states that something in the nature of a township is springing up at the lower camp. It is,here that the power is generated for the tunnelling and other works that are in progress.

In conversation with a Wanganui Herald reporter, Mr. W. Veitch, M.P., stated that recently he had been waited on by a large number of men, who were unemployed, with a view to his finding some avenue of relief. A number of these, Mr. Veitch stated, included married men with families, who were finding times particularly hard. During the past few months the Egmont County Council has elected its chairman three times. The first occasion was in November on the ordinary date for the re-election of chairman each year, but a new election was rendered necessary owing* to the altered Act, which it was understood came into force in April, when the council again elected its chairman, only to find that the election should take place at the annual meeting in May. This lapsed for want of a quorum, and the chairman was duly re-elected at the adjourned meeting yesterday. In returning thanks for his re-election as chairman of the Egmont County Council yesterday, Cr. S. Campbell thanked members for their past assistance and expressed the hope that this assistance would be still available to manage the council more economically than had been the case before. It was necessary that they should save money, and the first thing they would have to consider would be the reduction of wages, starting from the top. They would also effect a saving in their system of purchasing supplies’ and also by letting contracts in bigger quantities and not shifting their plant so often.

That the East End Reserve will be the only beach possessed by New Plymouth residents a few years hence, was the opinion expressed by the Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) at the annual meeting of the East End Committee last night. He pointed out that contemplated railway extensions at the other end of the town would encroach on the beach there, and the East End beach was therefore a valuable asset. He added that with the combination of fresh and saltwater, and plenty of room for tree-planting, the committee had one of the finest playgrounds the borough could show. He hoped this fact would be realised, and that they would work energetically for its development.

The preliminary count in connection with the recent census shows that since October, 1916, the population of the North Island has increased by 87,599, while the gain in the South Island has been only 29,926. This movement in population will involve another change in Parliamentary representation, and it appears that the South Island is likely to lose two seats. An exact calculation cannot be made until the distribution of population between the urban areas and rural areas has been determined. Rural population has a higher voting value than urban population, head for head, under the New Zealand law, owing to the operation of the country. The North Island at present has 45 European members and the South Island has 31.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Egmont County Council Cr. O’Brien gave notice to move that the council create another riding of portion of the Rahotu riding at the northern end of the county. He considered the Rahotu riding too unweildlV and thought that ratepayers at the Warea end were at a disadvantage in having no one to look after their interests. At present the three lading members lived in the Rahotu portion of the riding and there was no chance of the Warea end obtaining a representative. Cr. Green stated that he had not heard of any dissatisfaction in that district. and Cr. Wright stated that he had done his utmost to have a ratepayer in the particular district elected last year.

Reference was made at the meeting of the Wanganui Harbor Board on Friday night to the controversy between Wellington and New Plymouth regarding which is the cheaper route to Wanganui for transhipment of cargo. The chairman, Mr. A. G. Bignell, produced a statement of rates from the Railway Department, which showed that the statement made at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce the other day was substantially correct, jn so far as railway freights for classes A, B, C, and D were concerned. The chairman added that the bulk of the cargoes to Wanganui were contained within those four ■ classes. Class C, quoted by New Plymouth, referred only to produce and manure. He added that it was really a matter for the importers; they would soon find which was the best route for them. Mr. Bassett said that New Plymouth’s claim referred only to certain lines of cargo, not general merchandise. •Mr. Higginbottom said that if the overseas freight to New Plymouth was the same as tlyrt to Wellington, it was possible tha£ some classes might come chaper via New Plymouth. It was really necessary to try actual shipments before it could be definitely stated which port was the cheaper.

' Carter's Friday puzzle, which appeared in our issue of Thursday last, has brought replies from both town and country, and prizes have been posted to those who sent in correct solutions from the country. The following is the correct reading: “Carter's business lives and thrives. We grow with the times. Always up-to-date. Our quality is high, our prices low. Try Golden Lily Butter.”*

The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., wish to draw clients’ attention to their Te Wera sale, which they are holding in their Te Wera saleyards on Friday, June 17, at 1 p.m. Full particulars of entries, etc., will be found on page 8 of this issue.

A preliminary advertisement of a clearing -sale on account of Mr. T. Walker, Bell Block, appears in our auction columns. His herd although small is a particularly good one.

Five per cent discount coupons issued with Mail Cash Orders. Abram, “Shop by Post” Chemist, New Plymouth

A petition is at present in circulation amongst the dairy farmers of the Auckland province, and will later be sent throughout the North and South Islands, asking for protection in Great Britain of New Zealand dairy produce, by preventing it being sold except under the registered New’ Zealand brands. The petition emanates from the Dairy Farmers’ Union, Pirongia. Speaking of the lack of medical men for the backblocks, the Minister for Public Health (the Hon. C. J. Parr) said he was fully alive to the disabilities of the backblocks, and he thought it was the function of the State io provide some assistance. He thought it would be a good policy to induce young men, on finishing their training, and after having had some hospital experience, to take up, for a period, work in the backblocks districts. He hoped, while in office, to give some general help in this way, though he could make no definite statement.

The decision of the Government to utilise unemployed men o n the Opunake railway was mentioned at the meeting of the Egmont County Council yesterday. Mr. O. Hawken, M.P., in acknowledging receipt of the council’s resolution asking the Government to put unemployed men on the railway, said that he had no particulars as yet of the numof unemployed, but from what he heard it would be a long time before the line was finished if they had tp do it. He would bring the urgency of the construction befofe the Minister. The chairman intimated that word had since been received that the Government were going to put unemployed on this railway. Cr. Wright said that it was a pity they could not get a gang equal to a Maori gang in the Wairoa district, who had completed .13 miles in twelve months.

A scheme has been prepared by Mr. S. A. R. Mair, county engineer for Rangitikei, and Mr. Staveley, engineer to the Wanganui Borough Council, for a hydro-electric power supply for Rangitikei, Wanganui, and Waitotara counties, with the included boroughs and town districts. The proposed power site is 47 miles from Wanganui and seven miles from the railway line. One great advantage is stated to be that the work can be put in hand without preliminary outlay for reading. The work necessary is—(a) An earth dam; (b) concrete dam; (c) downpipe to apply pressure to turbines and electric motors. It is propqsed to fonn a power board at an early date, consisting of members from Rangitikei, Wanganui, and Waitotara counties, as well as representatives from the towns and boroughs concerned. The estimated cost is £500,000. Half of the sum is-for harnessing the power (estimated at 10,000! h.p.J, the balance for the charges incidental to the linking up of the different points where the power will be used. Mr. Birks, Chief Electrical Engineer for the Public Works Department, and the Hon. Mr. Coates, Minister of Public Works, have both inspected the site and expressed approval of the scheme. The pedigree Jersey sale at WaiWakaiho commences at 10.30 a.m. sharp today. The Melbourne. Ltd., are carrying full stocks of men’s, boys’ and youths’ raincoat© and tweed overcoats. All the coats are extremely good quality, whilst the prices have been reduced in every instance. Altogether it is an opportunity to buy both as to selection and price.

A short treatise on the art of washing clothes by “One Who Knowe,” is tersely described by the writer in these three words, “Use Fairy Wonder.” And that’s about all there is to it. A packet of this wonderful washing powder, once tried, will do more to convince housewives than all the newspaper talk in the world. All grocers stock it. Ask for it.