LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On Friday about 32,000 strong Rainbow fry were liberated by the Hawera Acclimatisation Society in the Kaupokonui stream, above Kaponga.

Speaking at the meeting of the Eltham Dairy Co. on Saturday, Mr. H. D. Forsyth (chairman of directors) touched on the cost of marine insurance, which had cost the company £l9OO last year. He said that he noticed that Mr. J. R. Corrigan (chairman of the Hawera Dairy Company) had suggested that dairy companies should undertake, their own marine insurance, and Mr. Forsyth considered that the idea was a good one. In this connection he pointed out the success that had followed the establishment of the Farmers' Mutual Insuranep Co., which had earned profits amounting to £12,000. If this success could be achieved with fire insurance l>e thought it could also be done with marine insurance.

A Wellington traveller for hardware and other goods, who has just returned from a North Island trip, reports a greatly improved tone in Auckland and Taranaki (says a Wellington paper). In those districts, he says, traders were once more beginning to place orders with some freedom, and altogether the feeling among business men was more cheerful and buoyant than was the case six months ago. This was possibly due to the improved prospects in the dairying industry. The Manawatu district was also showing a brighter face, but Wanganui and Hawke’s Bay were still ”es dead as glutton” from his particular point of view. The New Plymouth Citizens’ Band gave .a recital at the Breakwater yesterday afternoon, a large crowd being attracted to the seafront by the glorious spring weather. Considerable interest is being taken in the band at present, in view of the possibility of success at the forthcoming contest at Thames on September 5, and this was reflected in yesterday’s collection, which amounted to £2O 10s. The presence of the liner Durham at the wharf wag an additional attraction, and a large number inspected the vessel. The result of Saturday’s house-to-'house collection in aid of the band contest funds was very satisfactory, the total collected being about £5O.

After next week the New Plymouth Citizens’ Band will be known as the 4tb Wellington Battalion Bund, following on the recent decision of the committee to adopt the military organisation. The chairman (Mr. E. J. Sole) made this announcement in responding to the toast of the band at the annual R.S.A. reunion on Saturday night. At present t|ie New Plymouth R.S.A. is under notice to quit their club premises in King Street. Speaking at the annual re-union on Saturday night the president (Mr. A. M; Mac Diarmid) said it Would be for the executive to see what other arrangements could be made, as it would never do to allow the club to drop out. The president’s remarks received hearty endorsement from the gathering.

The Stratford Musical Society, assisted by the Egmont Club orchestra, will repeat the highly appreciated concert with which it opened its season at Stratford at ‘Eltham this evening. Judging from the hearty applause which greeted the society’s efforts in its former concert the performance should .prove a most delightful one for Eltham music lovers. There are in all sixty performers and half of the net proceeds will be devoted towards the funds of the Eltham Salvation Army Boys’ Home.

The official war are of absorbing interest to those who visit the war trophies exhibition. There is not a poor photograph in the collection and the New Zealanders can be recognised in the trenches, before and after battles, on parade, in hospitals and rest camps and watching the Rhine. The visit of Mr. W. F. Massey, Sir Joseph Ward and the New Zealand journalists to the New Zealand troops in France are fully illustrated. Sergeant Dawson, who is in charge of the war trophies exhibition at New Plymouth, arrives by mail train tonight. ■Men, buy your saddle tweed working trousers at the Melbourne, Ltd. Full, stocks of the famous ‘ En-zed-ar” and Mosgiel nakes at 20/6 per pair. Also mfr’s cofton tweed ’’Hardwtar” trousers at 16/6, and men’s best quality striped denim trousers at 12/6 per pair.

The Lowgarth Dairy Company had decided to resign its membership of the Taranaki Progress League, and a sum of £l'o | has been voted towards the expenses of the Taranaki Hydro-electric Committee.

Most of the older macrocarpa trees in Palmerston North are badly affected with disease. One shelter hedge that was planted over thirty years ago has been completely destroyed.

A Carterton nurseryman sent tq Belgium for glass required in a large greenhouse. The duty and freight charges exceeded by £2 the amount paid for the glass.

It is understood that a beginning has now been made in retiring on superannuation the public servants who have been 40 years or more in the service. This action has been repeatedly demanded by the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, and other public servants’ associations.

There was a good demand for heavy farm horses and useful sorts at the Farmers’ Co-op. horse fair at Opunake on Wednesday, the bulk of the horses submitted changing owners. The entire, Gowan Brae, was purchased by Mr. H. A. Cross, of New Plymouth, for 140 guineas.

After a lengthy spell on the Putiki slip, the steamer Hawera was launched on Friday and taken to the Wanganui town wharf. Here the final repairs to the steamer will be effected. The indications are that when the work is completed, t’he Hawera will be as good as new, says the Chronicle.

The auctioneers announced at the Levin sale on Thursday that in future no animal will be offered in the dairy section under £5, the object being to eliminate cull entries. A cautious dairyman inquired: “What if butter-fat goes down?” The auctioneer: “Well, if that goes down we’ll all go down.”

Sir Thomas Mackenzie, M.L.C., has informed the Daimevirke A. and P. Association that the wool situation at Home is improving, but a sad muddle has been made of it by those in authority in this country. It is known that if wise counsel had prevailed early last year the Imperial Government would have taken last season’s fleece at the old rates.

A Pahiatua lady had £7O worth of jewellery stolen while staying with friends in Wellington recently. The jewellery was taken during the owners’ absence from the house for an hour. While the detectives were enquiring into the case a residence two doors away was broken into and over £lOO worth of jewellery taken. The thieves got clean away with their haul.

A humorous incident occurred during the progress of the fire which destroyed the Marlborough Press buildings, recently. A well-known business man got a ladder and climbed upon the roof to smother incipient outbreaks in an important part of the buildings. Someone annexed the ladder, and he was left alone. Feeling lonely, he lit a cigarette, when the watchful firemen below, thinking a flame had started on the roof, promptly turned ou the hose, adding further to the misery of the marooned volunteer.

At the annual meeting of the Lowgarth Dairy Company on Thursday the chairman (Mr. E. J. Fearon) in moving the adoption of the report and balancesheet pointed out that there had been a big increase in production during the past season. The company had paid out 1/9 up to the present, and if the company’s unsold cheese realised present market prices the company would be able to pay out a total sum of 2/3 per lb butter-fat. After a discussion the suppliers passed a recommendation to the directors regarding the disposal of the coming seasons output, favoring immediate sale to open consignment.— Argus. Ratepayers on the Opua Road are said to have solved the problem of road repairs for themselves (says the Opunake Times). They are keeping the road open by their own labor. This principle of self-help on the roads might well be extended. Self reliance is a fine thing, much good work having been accomplished by it. A suggestion has been made that the nine councillors spend a week with their own teams on each byroad in the county, the engineer to see that they keep working and cut out talking. Their presence on roads for the time stated should increase the value of adjacent land by at least £lO an acre. Providing, of course, they had a publicity agent in the camp. Messrs. Summerson and Sons, of Darlington (England), have already experimented with Taranaki ironsand, a'nd have proved to their own satisfaction that it can be smelted on a commercial basis by an electrical process (says the Manawatu Times). The late Mr. E. M. Smith, who represented New Plymouth in Parliament, was one of the first to urge the value of Taranaki ironsand, and it may be that his son (the present representative) will live to see the seed sown by his father bearing abundant fruit. If the English experiments prove successful, it is probable that smelting works will be established at Moturoa, and that they will be subsidised by the Government. The iron industry may yet become immense value to the Dominion. for apart from the Taranaki sand, there arc huge deposits of iron ore at Para para, in the South Island.

“It is estimated that one-fourth of the area of Canada is covered by forests, but that’ only one-tenth is covered with sawtimber, a greater part of which has not yet been properly explored, and is still undeveloped and inacessiblc. Of the 40 species of trees found in Canada only 18 conifers and 12 broadleaf trees are of commercial importance, and as the broadleaf species only comprise 3 per cent of the total cut, it will be readily seen that the forests of Canada are essentially conifers,” said Mr. A. Hanson, of the New Zealand Forestry Department, at a lecture at Wellington. A writ was issued out of the Supreme Court at Darwin recently on behalf of Councillor Robert Thupein, formerly Mayor of Darwin, against the Northern Times Proprietary. Plaintiff claims £lOOO damages for alleged libels contained in the Northern Territory Times newspaper. The articles complained of are four in number, and are entitled, “The New Billets,” “A Lost Leader,” “A Martyr Fallen from Grace,” and “A Hollow Show.”

“Fairy Wonder” washing powder is a pure product, the result of scientific effort in search of an active soluble detergent. non-injurious to fabrics of any kind. Tn additon the compound contains an ingreilient which bleaches and another which prevents the hands from reddening or chapping. “Fairy” will also soften the hardest water. Try a packet.

; The interest shown in the auction sale of carpets at Webster Bros.’ mart has been well maintained in regard to the stock which is now beinu offered for priiyate sale.