LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 July 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

■Says a writer in the Auckland. Star: — “Sir Joseph has been visiting Germany under the name of ‘Mr. Begg. If Mr. Massey travels incognito, no doubt it will be as ‘Mr. Borrow.’”

Two candidates, Messrs. Ralph Brophy and John Cassie, have been nominated for tlje vacancy on the Egmont County Council, caused by the resignation of Mid W. R. Wright. The poll will be taken on August 3.

Buyers for butter and cheese are on the warpath in Taranaki. It is reported that one offer for cheese would, enable the factory concerned, to pay out to suppliers 2s per lb of butter-fat for the season. The factory did not close, believing that prices will further improve.

The War Pensions’ Board, which is comprised of Messrs. D. G. A. Cooper (chairman), Dr. A. W. Izard, Mr. J. D. Harper (returned soldiers’ representative), and Mr. G. C. Fache (Commissioner of Pensions), arrived in New Plymouth yesterday. During a sitting in the afternoon the board dealt with ten cases, and will continue the hearing of further cases to-day, to-morrow, and on Saturday.

“I wish you would correct the extraordinary rumor that has gained currency, that the Springboks would not play against the Maoris,” said one of the South African team to a representative of the New Zealand Times. “Why, we have practically adopted the. little son of Mr. Parata, and the reception we got last Sunday from the Taranaki } r .oris was one of the best if not the best experience we have nad on the tour.”

There will be a good yarding of dairy cows at Rahotu to-day. See adA'ertisement in this paper.

The gross takings in connection with the New Plymouth Central .School concert last week amounted to the sum of £lO2 14s 2d. The expenses will amount to about £25. A letter from the New Zealand War Accounts and Records Office, which was read at the meeting of the executive committee of the Taranaki War Relief Association at Stratford yesterday, stated that up till March 31/1921, the number of soldiers who had died since their return to New Zealand was 1136. The number of soldiers who returned was GO,OOO, so that an average of 1 in 60 had died since their return.

An illustration of the effect of slackness of trade on wholesale soft goods warehouses was given in the Supreme Court at Christchurch during the hearing of a petition asking that a mercer should be adjudged bankrupt. In evidence the local manager of a very large warehouse firm said: “What we made in five years we lost in six months.” Mr. Justice Herdman: “The public can look forward to a harvest, then. They have been waiting for it a long time.”’

The Taranaki Provincial War Relief Association was formed in December, 1915. From then until March 31, 1921, it has granted relief to soldiers and their dependents amounting to £22,226 8s 9d. This amount includes’grants in necessitous cases, clothing allowances and general assistance. Payments to permanently disabled soldiers in that period amounted to £30,739 3s Sd.

In his lecture to the W.E.A. at the Technical College, New Plymouth, on Thursday evening last, Mr. Bottrill dealt with “The ownership of capital.” The lecturer contended that land, a gift of nature, and iricapable of extension, should be in the hands of the State, while capital, which is* capable of indefinite extension and is the product of the individual, should belong to the individual. He referred to the plans devised to put an end to the conflicts between labor and capital, among them being (a) profit sharing, (b) the gift of shares to the employees, and (c) co-operation between workmen and employer. Factory suppliers have “their day out” at the annual meetings of their dairy companies, and at yesterday’s meeting of shareholders of the Okato Dairy Company, Mr. W. J. Gray put in a plea for the ladies, whom he considered should be given “a day out” at the company’s expense. ' Members agreed that the ladies should be given consideration, but there was slight diversity of opinion as to whether this should take the form of a picnic or a dance, and it was finally decided that a picnic shouiti be given some time after Christmas, to Ibe followed if desired by a social evening. & As a. case of backblocks hardship, the following experience of a settler on the Mangere Road, which is practically unformed for the greater portion of over twelve miles from Whangamomona to the Waitara River, was related to Mr. R. Masters, M.P., on his visit to that portion of his electorate last week. This jsettler in question has been on his selection for seven years. He said he had practically sold his dry sheep last season at 2Ss a head, but owing to the terrible state of the track he would not risk, taking them out to the township. The slump came, and eventually he ss’.d for 12s Gd. “The wool is still in the shed,” he added calmly. “I can tell you there’s a big hurdle for anyone farming in the Back.” This settler lias a wife and two children, and like all the others on the road, he wants the Government to carry on. road work in the backbloeks, to give them a chance to earn something extra and hold on to their homes.—Post.

Recent donors of gifts to the New Plymouth library and museum were accorded a vote of thanks at tno recent meeting of the committee of the Carnegie Institute. The list comprises: Mr. J R. Thomas (Omata) an old double-barrelled pistol, ploughed up on Captain Kelly’s farm at Huirangi last year; Mr. Lightband, an old copper coin: Mr. Birch, a small Maori adze, found on Puketapu, New Plymouth; Mr. W. Tweedale, a very large stone with edge worked by Maoris but use unknown; Mr. W. G. Taylor, metal spearhead used by Senussi tribesmen in Eastern Sahara when fighting our boys in 1915-16; Mr. W. K. Morrison, fine specimens of stalactite and staiagmite found in Marsden cave near Greymouth six years ago; Mr. J. Ostler (Kohuratahi), bark of a hinau tree with names of surveyors, J. Morgan and S. Stieller, cut in it 30 years ago; Mr. A. W. Webster, 8 copies of Taranaki Punch, Vol. I. (1861), and a bundle of Herald newspapers, 1860; E. C. Stanley (Hillsborough), a marine curio found at Castlecliff in 1914; Mr. W. H. Skinner, a book on geology.

'Speaking at the annual meeting of shareholders of the Okato-Puniho Coop. Dairy Company yesterday, Mr. W. J. Gray mentioned the practice that was growing up of suppliers from adjoining companies bringing their milk to the Okato Company. He considered that this was not fair to the directors of those companies concerned, as it was likely to put them in an awkward position, and he considered the company should do their utmost to discourage such a practice. The chairman did not see how the company could refuse to take such suppliers; possibly they might refuse to allot shares and make them go back to their own factory. It was all very well to talk of loyalty, but there was no sentiment in business, and if a man could get an extra penny or two for his butter-fat he’ could not be blamed for doing so. Until tne directors’ hands were tied by a resolution from the shareholders they would do their best and deal with each case as it came along. He said there was an old agreement whereby the company would not take milk from suppliers who did not apply for shares before August 1, and this would be abided by this year. Mr. Sorrenson has now decided to sell the whole* of his implements, horses, etc., all of which are good. The sale takes place to-day. See advertisement in this paper. Note advertisement in auction columns of an important sale of dairy cows at Stony River Saleyards on Monday next, on account of Mr. Frank Sole. The attention of Waitara residents is drawn to an advertisement re dressmaking classes to be conducted by Miss Hunt.

The North Taranaki Hunt will hold a point-to-point meeting of two events on Saturday next, at Mr. Les. Burling’s Waitara’. Other events are to be arranged if sufficient inducement offers.

An important clearing sale to be held at Pukearuhe to-day (Thursday) is that on account of Mr. A. Sorrenson. The cows are a very good line, showing plenty of - Jersey, being young, in splendid condition, and early calvers. The Melbourne, Ltd., report a brisk demand for the splendid line of men’s saddle tweed trousers offering at 29/6, and without exaggeration there hasn’t been such a bargain in men’s solid working trousers as these for several years. Come and see them. They are great.