LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Considerable interest ia being taken in to-day’s match between the Springboks and Wellington, and in order to secure early news the Daily News has arranged for special telegrams giving the half-time and final scores. These messages, which will be received a few minutes after the spells end, will be circulated to various points. They will be shown in the Daily News window and will be posted in a prominent place at the entrance to Pukekura Park for the benefit of the crowd watching the local games. For the benefit of those in town the results will also be shown in the window of Mr. W. H. Preece (hair-dresser and tobacconist, Devon Street), which is one of the few shops open on Saturday afternoon. A young woman, of a reputedly good family, has been sentenced to a month’s imprisonment at Wanganui on a charge of being an idle and disorderly person.

Two hundred and five business matters came before the Otago Land Board at its last meeting, and it took a two and a-half days’ sitting to clear the order paper.

The War Pensions Board will visit Taranaki next week, holding sittings at Stratford and New Plymouth on Wednesday, morning and afternoon respectively.

No trips were made from Onehunga to New Plymouth by the Rar’awa this week on account of the. rough state of the Manukau bar. If weather conditions permit the vessel will resume the usual running on Monday. Newton King, Ltd., received a cable yesterday stating that the London Bank rate was now down to 5| per cent. A month or two ago it stood at 7 per cent., showing that the money market is considerably improving. Jn dodging a motor car driven by a Hawera motorist at Wanganui on Wednesday night, Nurse Margaret M’Coull fell down and the car passed completely over her without the wheels touching her. It was a wonderful escape from a serious, perhaps a fatal, accident.

The mail car which leaves Hawera at 6 p.m. for Manaia, collided on Thursday evening with a car driven by Mr. W. B. Lacey. The accident occurred on the Main South Road on the Manaia side of the Riverlea factory, but although the cars were damaged, none of the occupants were hurt.

The Eltham Amateur Theatrical Society report that the recent production of the revue “Pot Pourri” was a decided financial success, and it is hoped to be able to devote no less a sum than approximately £BO to the improvement of Taumata Park, a highly creditable performance.

“Which is Van Houten? Three cheers for Van Houten!” cried a hefty Maori as the Springboks were filing into the Masterton Opera House'on Tuesday. The public laughed heartily as they realised that the good-natured native was looking for Van Heerden, but had confused the footballer’s name with the more familiar name o,f the cocoa manufacturer.

The Taranaki Acclimatisation Society has now in the hatchery at Pukekura Park 100,000 rainbow trout ova and 100,000 brown trout ova. The latter came to hand on 'Thursday and have been placed in the hatchery trays. The eggs are a particularly good and clean lot. Mr. Bell, who is in charge of the institution, will be pleased to show visitors through on Sunday afternoon between 2 and 3.30 p.m. The quarterly return of business transacted at the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court for the period ended June 30 shows that 123 males and 19 females were concerned in criminal cases, and fines totalling £lBB 17s were imposed. There were fourteen juvenile offenders during the three months. There were JO9 civil cases during the quarter. The amount sued for was £4560 5s 7d and the sum recovered was £2340 0s Bd. Seventeen distress warrants were issued.

Residents of the coastal district around Parihaka, and especially the native community, have been expecting a visit from Ratana, the faith-healer, but it is now understood that Ratana is not coming, at anyrate not at present, the reason apparently being that he was not sent an invitation. It must be stated, however, that this breach , of Maori etiquette was quite unintentional, as it was the general belief that Ratana was making the trip on his own account. Whether the omission will be remedied depends on the Parihaka natives and their feelings towards the Maori faith-haler.

A meeting of the executive in connection with the boys’ and girls’ agricultural clubs was held at New Plymouth yesterday. Present: Messrs. A. E. Washer (chairman), F H. Buckeridge, Deem, Glasson, Johnson, Simm, and Stratford. Messrs. Kurth and Turnbull were also present, representing the farming community. An apology was received from Mr. W. B. Grant. In response to an appeal from the secretary for mangold and carrot growing, 150 pupils have so far entered, 14 schools in the northern district being represented. It was decided to close entries on August 31. It was also decided to create a group between Inglewood and Stratford for the purpose of growing swedes

During the visit of the Minister of Education to New Plymouth at the beginning of this month, representations were made to Mr. Parr by the Tara naki Board with a view to securing some reimbursement for capital expenditure amounting to £l2OO on workshops and plant. The Minister replied that he would consider the request, but could not hohl Out any hope of the board receiving a refund of the whole sum. The following letter has now been received by Mr. S. G. .Smith, M.P., from the Mr. Parr: “With reference to the request for a grant in aid of the workshops building and equipment, I have since gone very carefully into the matter and have pleasure in informing you that 1 have approved of a grant of £5OO to be utilised in relief of the workshop charges on the general account.”

Friends of the late Mrs. A. R. Atkinson are invited to a memorial service to be held in the Whiteley Memorial Church at 8.15 to-morrow night. Mr. J. F. Martin and Mr. 11. Grinstead, of Palmerston North, will be the speakers, the Rev. Mr. Collins presiding. Mrs. Atkinson, the wife of the president of the New Zealand Alliance, was known and beloved for her work among the women and children. All arc invited to this meeting.

Webster Bros, draw attention to the sale of good furniture at their mart on Wednesday next, on Recount of Mr. S. Lush. The sale commences at 2 o’clock and a full list of articles appears in our auction column, «

'The gas department of the Masterton borough is reported to have gone to the bad. by about £6OOO during the past two years. A commercial auditor is’ being appointed, to investigate matters.

In advocating the, setting up of district committees in farming districts, Mr. H. Mortenson stated in an address to farmers at Levin that one of the duties such a committee might take in hand was to “keep an eye on the Government.” It would be noticed, he said, that the Government intended to increase the , salaries of heads of departments. Before such a thing was done, the speaker contended that the taxation of the country should be reduced.

Millions of catterpillars are reported to have held up traffic recently on a portion of the Canadian-Pacific railway between. Fredericton Junction and Harvey. A railway official reported that for miles the forest had been stripped of foliage and the tracks were covered with worms, which greased the rails so badly that freight trains had difficulty in getting over the section, and passenger trains had to run in two parts. All the C.P.R. trains were equipped will) special steam jets in front of the wheels, and a 200-pound pressure of steam was. used to help clear the caterpillars off the tracks. The Shaw, Savill liner Kia Ora, which arrived at New Plymouth last Saturday, has been employed during the week loading frozen produce for the Old Country. It is expected that the loading will be completed this morning and that the vessel will sail for Wanganui roadstead some time this afternoon. The cargo loaded by the Kia Ora at th*s port includes 30,000 freight careases o£ frozen meat, 6000 crates of cheese, 127 bales of wool, 575 cases of tinned meat; also a quantity of hides and tallow. From W’anganui the vessel will go to Wellington, Australian ports and thence to England. “I am surprised a lady of your age can see to write without glasses,” said a Lyttelton woman to a Christchurch dame who was signing a receipt on Saturday for a contribution towards a charitable institution in the city. “Well, I could not have done so a fortnight ago,” replied the writer with a smile, “but,” she continued, “I wrote to Ratana soliciting his help for my rapidly-failing sight, and I received a letter enclosing a verse of Scripture and advising me to have faith, Ratana promising to pray for me in the meantime. From that day my sight began to improve, and already my eyes have become so strong that I can see sufficiently without the aid of glasses.”

“This case, if I may say so, has a touch of Gilbert and Sullivan,” said Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell at Wellington, when Robert W. Jeffries admitted the theft of a handbag and contents, of a total value of £2O, from Ellen Wilson. Accused, said Mr. Treadwell, had taken the bag from Gamble and Creed’s tea-rooms while under the influence of liquor. When he reached the Public Library he had been overtaken by a flood of what counsel described as “alcoholic remoise,” and had returned the bag to the stop, as from a note he discovered that the contents were intended for charity. Later, finding he had more money than he should have possessed, he‘ had again visited the shop, Handing over his surplus cash. In the meanrime the matter had been handed over to the po?ce. The magistrate decided to dismiss the case under the Probation Act.

“Unless the Americans do something to prevent it, the Hawaiian Islands will, in the course of time, become practically Japanese,” remarked Dr. C. Chilton, in the course of a lecture at the Canterbury College on Wednesday night (says the Press). The total school population of the islands was 43,271, and of this number there were 17,546 Japanese children. The preponderance of Japanese children at the schools was due to the fact that the Japanese workers on the sugar and other plantations are, allowed to marry, and being a studious and industrious people, all the children are sent to school. The United States was endeavoring to make these children “good Americans,” and compelled them to attend the State schools, but, as the lecturer remarked, the Japanese are a quiet working people, and they contrived to have schools of their own, which the children could attend before and after being at the American schools.

A day or two ago a pigeon, owned by a resident of South Dunedin, was sitting on one egg and a chick which had just been hatched out (says the Dunedin Star). The bird flew out of its box and alighted on a stable roof some distance away. The owners, in its absence, looked into the bok, and were surprised to see only one chick and the egg not there. Before long a neighbor’ saw the male pigeon, which had been in the vicinity of the stable, fly back with something in its beak. The owners on again looking into the box saw two chicks there. The most likely explanation of this curious happening is that, owing to the damp caused by the hatching of the first egg the other adhered to the bird’s feathers, and, on its alighting on the stable the egg somehow broke and the chick was hatched out in the iron gutter. The male pigeon, seeing what had happened, must then have carried the chick back to the box.

The gift of £4OOO does not very often fall into anyone’s lap, and seldom into the coffers of any of the churches, but the Rev. J. A. Lochore, superintendent of the Auckland East Methodist Circuit, has received the promise of this sum in order that an up-to-date church may be built in, and in keeping with the beautiful suburb of Remuera (says the New Zealand Herald). A suitable site has been secured in Vincent-avenue, near the Remuera road, but sufficiently distant from the tram traffic. It is part of the Cotter estate, and as it is on the highest part of Remuera, the building, when erected, will be visible from every quarter. For the present the donors desire to remain anonymous. The only conditions attached to the promise are that the entire amount must be put on the structure and its furnishings and not on the-site, and that the structure must be *in brick and tile. The work will not be put in hand until the financial market becomes a little easier, but preparations will be made, so that no unnecessary delay will, take place.

A full detailed advertisement of Mrs. E. Hodson’s clearing sale, to be held at Waitara on Wednesday next, appears in this paper.

Preliminary announcements of a special sale of pedigree Jersey bulls, undft' the auspices of the New Plymouth Jersey Breeders’ Chib, Waiwakaiho bull fair, and a sale of pedigree Jersey cattle ow behalf of Mr. Charles Goulter, of Blenheim, appear in this paper. The meeting of the Paritutu Preservation League, which was called for Monday night, has now been fixed for Friday.