LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 June 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At d meeting of the Stratford Retailers’ Association last night it was resolved by 19 votes to 13 to close on the Saturday afternoon of the -South African football match at New Plymouth.

The New Plymouth Harbor Board’s dredge Pari tutu, which has been in Wellington for some weeks undergoing her annual overhaul, left Wellington at 8.10 last night for New Plymouth.

The Mayor of PJatea Stas received word from the Minister of Public Works that he hopes to call for tenders for the erection of a new post office at Patea shortly.

In the three days ending last night 32,000 freight carcases of meat and a small quantity of other cargo have been loaded by the P. aud O. liner Peshawur at the New Plymouth wharf. This rate of loading is considered very satisfactory, especially as the larger portion of the meat (22,000 freight earcases) had to be railed from Waitara. The Peshawur sails for Wellington this afternoon. At yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Progress League at Stratford the resignation of Mr. C. J. Belcher as a member was received. The following firms and local bodies also resigned: Royal Oak Dairy Company, Elthitm County Council and Manaia Town Board. The resignations were accepted with regret.

As a result of the “scarlet and white” dance organised 'by Mr. J. Hoskin at Kawaroa Park recently the funds of the Clarke Memorial Hostel will benefit to the extent of over £lO. Several re* quests have Deen made to have the dance repeated, and if a convenient night can be obtained it is likely the dance will 'be given again.

The Mayor of Christchurch has another idea for regulating traffic at street intersections. He has obtained a concrete drain pipe about 4ft high, with the words ‘Keep to the Left” painted on it, and his intention is to submit this idea to the by-laws committee of the City Council with the suggestion that the drain pipe should be placed at the busy intersection of Cashel an.l Colombo Streets.

It is expected that a new eteamer will shortly be completed for the South Taranaki Shipping Company, Ltd. This line already has the Kapuni and other vessels. The new steamer is being built ■by Mr. W. H. Brown, at Auckland. Mr. Brown built the Kapuni. The now vessel will have a tonnage of, roughly, 500 tons, and a draught of about 9 feet. She is an iron vessel.

At Tuesday night’s meeting of the Taranaki Wireless Institute at Stratford Mr. C. Ward said that it was his ultimate intention to give wireless concerts in Stratford direct from the best concert halls in London. Mr. T. E. Bridger said if granted a permit to erect a receiving plant the institute would be prepared to receive news from all parts of the world, and communicate it direct to the newspapers of Taranaki or to other sources of interest.

The regular use of “Sinus” milking machine cleanser will keep all machinery parts, cupa and tubing sweet, clean and wholesome enough to satisfy even the most exacting inspector. “Sinus” t horoughly cleanses without the slightcups pr

A Hawke’s Bay resident says that, in spite of everything that may have been said to the contrary, the unemployment difficulty is most acute in the district extending from Dannevirke to Napier. The effect upon trade, he says, is very marked in the larger towns. The average rainfall in New Plymouth during the past twelve years has been 74.29 inches. The highest temperature during that period was 89 degrees, on January 10, 1921, and the lowest 5 degrees frost on June 5, 1921. The lowest average in winter was 1£ degrees. We are indebted to Mr. W. W. (Smith, who had charge of the meterological station, for this interesting information.

A very fine drawing showing what a fully tattooed Maori face was like in the old days, is to be seen in the window at Avery’s, bookseller’s. It is the work of Mr. W. F. Gordon, who has made this line of art a long study. A good drawing depicts the tattoo in a clear manner than a photograph from the life does as, for certain reasons, the latter never gave satisfactory results. The subject is no doubt a lo'st art. The old artists have passed away, and the present generation of the Maori race know absolutely nothing of it. A fully tattooed Maori would be a curiosity now a days. The craftsman has given the Maori names of the incisions. A meeting of the committee of the Eltham Retailers’ Association was held on Monday afternoon to consider the request of the Taranaki Rugby Union for the closing of the shopis of the town on July 16, the occasion of the Springboks’ match with Taranaki at New Plymouth. The secretary (Mr. F. H. Ham) reported that thirty out of thirty-nine local tradesmen interviewed had expressed a desire to keep their shops open, and the committee thereupon carried a resolution that the closing of the shops could not be agreed to, but recommending employers, where possible, to grant employees a holiday if they wished to attend the match.—Argus. The death occurred at Opunake on Sunday (says the Times) of James Blackett, a well-known identity. Deceased, who was 61 years of age, had been suffering with a severe cold for some days, complications supervening and bringing about his death somewhat suddenly. An inquest was held before Mr. M. J. Mcßeynolds, J.P., Acting Coroner, and a jury of four. Medical evidence was given 'by Dr. T. N. Watt to the effect that death was due to heart failure brought on by an attack of influenza. A verdict was brought in in accordance with medical testimony. The following paragraph appears in the annual report of the Country Racing Clubs’ Association: “The executive desire to bring under notice the advisability of all acting together and putting an end to the complimentary or deadhead ticket business, which has reached such dimensions as to 'become a serious drain on the resources of clubs’ finances. The Thames Club put their foot down on the obnoxious system at their last annual race meeting, with the result that the receipts at the gates were exactly doubled, although there were no more people present than at the previous meeting. The gate at the 1920 meeting was £628, and at the 1921 meeting it rose to £1256. The total!sator receipts, which the dead-head was expected to boost up, were some £3500 over the previous meeting when the dead-head was in strong evidence. These figures are worth studying, and the fact they illustrate worth following. Members of committee, stewards and officials of sister clubs only should receive the compliment.”

A Taranaki settler, speaking about old times in Taranaki, says he remembers quite well when 4d per lb was all storekeepers would give for butter, and the price had all to be taken out in tea, sugar and other groceries. “There were no tar-sealed roads in those days,” ■said he. “We had to toil in from the backblocks as best we could, no matter how deep the mud. I remember that a neighbor of ours had a good apple orchard, while we had no fruit, and my father made a swap, giving a heifer fori a bag of apples.” While motoring to Stratford on Tuesday afternoon, Mr. E. Crabtree (of Eltham) had his motor car destroyed by Are. He* was the only occupant of the car at the time, and had a very narrow escape from serious burns himself. While running out of town the engine back-fired, but Mr. Crabtree did not notice anything wrong until near the Anderson Road corner, when he discovered that the rear portion of the car was burning fiercely. He immediately stopped the car and sprang out just as the flames approached the front portion, and within a very few minutes the machine was nothing but a mass of flames. The car, which was a Wolseley, 12-16-h.p. five-seater, was completely destroyed, the aluminium body being melted in the fierce heat. The machine was insured in ;the London, Liverpool and Globe Association, but the amount of the insurance cannot yet be ascertained.—Argus. Messrs. L. A. Nolan and Co. report a large entry of poultry on Friday last. The demand was good for all classes of birds, prices realised being as under: Hens, young, 4/- to 5/7, ordinary 2/11. to 3/10; pullets, White Leghorns 7/- to 9/-; cockerels, 3/1 to 4/4; purebred Orpingtons, 7/6; roosters, 3/3 to 3/6; bantams, 1/-; ducks, 4/3 to 4/4. In the mart a large quantity of ornamental shrubs and plants elicited keen competition. The usual furniture and sundries also sold well. A detailed advertisement of Mr. J. B. Marsh’s clearing sale appears in this issue. ) Men are not neglected at the Melbourne’s great Midwinter Sale, as the following bargains testify: Shirley Police braces, 3/11; Shirley President braces, 4/6; riding breeches, 27/6; gaberdine raincoats, 27/6; hard-wear trousers, 1-6/6; working shirts, 8/6; fine neglige shirts, 8/6; and pyjamas, 11/6 suit. A final reminder is given of the Catholic dance to be held in the Stratford Town Hall to-night (Thursday). The dance is under the auspices of the Children of Mary, and the promoters are: Misses N. Thomson, A. and L. Fisher and H. and D. Fitzgerald. Mrs. Bianchi’s orchestra will be in attendance. Railway arrangements in connection with the Dominion Show at Hawera are advertised in this issue. A preliminary advertisement of Messrs. Bates and Kimber’s clearing sale at Okato appears in this issue. North British Rubber Hot Water Bags, with the “UNIQUE” Never-leak Stopper, have the North British Rubber Company’s trade mark stamped on the neck —-the emblem of quality. 125. Ideal walking weather, if you have a suitable walking stick or cane. There are suitable sticks for ladies and gents of all ages, at W. H. Preece’s shop, Devon Street Central. All reliable woods, and canes nicely finished and mounted a t prices th© 4 - will please- '