LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The mail train yesterday evening was crowded. Despite the provision of two extra carriages, a number of passengers had to stand from Wanganui to Taranaki.

An Invercargill telegram states that Mr. Evan Parry has intimated he is unable to accept the Southland Power Board’s offer of the appointment as chief electrical engineer, and the board has decided to invite, applications for the position in the Dominion and Austaalia at a salary of £l'2oo per annum.

The committee of the New Plymouth Amateur Athletic Club met last night, Mr. W. H. Moyes presiding. A donation of £2 2s was received from Mr. C. H. Burgess. Arrangements for the sports to be held on October 22 were gone into. Mr. Willis reported having made a. successful canvass for trophies, and the committee allotted the value of the trophies to be awarded in each event.

LADIES! Don’t wait; take Martin’s Pills. Be sure they are Martin’s ,Southampton, England.' All chemists and stores sail them.

Mr. James Robertson, of Waikoikoi, lately scratched one of hie fingers with ‘barbed wire, and ie in a critical condition (states the Courier.) His hand was amputated at the wriet, and the entire ann has now been removed. The patient is in hospital at Gore. The Corinthic landed a total of 67 immigrants under the New Zealand and Imperial Government’s schema. Thirtysix were nominated passengers, and six were given passages under the Imperial ex-servicemen’s oversea settlement scheme. The remaining 25 are domestics.

The question of taking some definite action as the result of the Arbitration Court reducing shearers’ wages by 20 per cent, is being considered by the executive council of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, with which the shearers are affiliated. It is likely, that a statement on the matter will ‘be announced shortly-

The Farmers’ Co-op. Organisation Society of New Zealand, Ltd., report having sold, on behalf of the Trustee of the late Edward Jollie, the homestead block of the “Waireka Estate” (situated at Patea, and containing 108 acres), at a satisfactory* figure, to Mr. J. M. Hurley, of Wftenuakura. A mild joke at the expense of the legal fraternity was made by a builder witness in the Palmerston North Supreme Court yesterday. “If a man buys a house,” remarked His Honor Mr. Justice Hosking,

“he should consult a builder. That would be better than consulting a lawyer afterwards.” “Much cheaper, sir,” supplemented the witness, much to the amusement of those present. A Maori judgment debtor told the magistrate at Featherston that he had received £ll2 fronij his father’s estate. His father died while he was away at Gisborne, and his friends indulged in a tangi without his consent. This had cost £2OO, and he had 'borrowed on his re-, turn sufficient money to pay his portion of the expenses. The repayment of this had absorbed the greater portion of his legacy. The New Plymouth Borough Council decided at last night’s meeting to draw the attention of the Taranaki County Council to the fact that the weir in the Waiwakaiho stream at Fitzroy is in danger of being washed away by any flood which occurs, as the shackles on the concrete blocks have disappeared. The question was brought up by Cr. R. L. Parkin, who said that one of the blocks had been shifted during a recent flood, and the shackles were broken. He asked what the council’s position was. The general manager i(Mr. F. T. Bellringer) , replied that while the council was liable for one quarter of the cost of the upkeep of the bridge, they disclaimed liability in regard to the weir. After discussion the council decided to communicate with the County Council. An eddy of wind in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, a few days ago caught the hat of a West Australian farmer, and carried it playfully across the roadway. An obliging young man ran in among the traffic, picked up the hat. brushed it carefully, and handed it back to its. owner. The stranger showed great com- i 'miecration, and as a. further proof of affability brushed some dust off the farmer’s coat. The visitor, says the Argus, was grateful—until, just afterwards he missed £3 from one of his coat pockets, lie followed the young' man, but the stranger saw him first, and, after a chase, escaped. \

The richest farms in the wide world are the date tree farms of the Arabs in Northern Africa, in regions where rain is unknown- These farms are worth £lOOO per acre, and they yield 20 times the annual crop (in value) of the best wheat field. The Spanish war in Morocco is really a contest between the Moors and the Spaniards for possession of the date lands. The go-called oases are really the counter-part of our artesian wells. As the Arabs grow dates, they plant the trees, where they are spread by the spring water, and never receive rain. They have a saying that the date needs to have “its feet in the water and its head in the fire of heaven,” in other words, in the fierce blazing sun of a rainless region.

In view of a recent collision between a motor-ear and a tram-car at the corner of Devon and Brougham Streets (on the south side) the question arose at last night’s ’ meeting >f the New Plymouth Borough Council as to whether the electric ’bus should be allowed to stand near this junction. The Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) posited out that the vehicle was somewTiat of a hindrance to cars coming down Brougham Street who wished to turn into Devon Street on that side. A councillor was of opinion that the corner was rather a dangerous one, in view of the fact that vehicles came/down an incline into the main street; lie believed that part of Brougham Street might yet hpve to be closed to motor traffic. No action was taken.

Drawing the moral, the New York Journal points to tlie need of men who have lived, active lives taking up a hobby. Any hobby will do if it keeps them active mentally and as active physically as their bodies require. The man who cannot find a hobby is doomed. “Natlire,” says the writer wisely, “does not do all the dictating in man's intercourse with her. Man con name Nature, to a great extent, the period of her existence. When he drops his old work and sits down to that most killing of tasks—doing nothing—it is a signal to Nature that the end may approach. In spite of this there are thousands of business men who retire without thought of what they are going to do to occupy the mind and the body. They take the brain and the muscle that have served them well and store them in the da rap of idleness, to be consumed by rust?

Sir Joseph Ward has emerged again from a private nursing home, after a month of treatment for a trouble which he now hopes has been mastered. With Lady Ward and their son, who has now left school for good, he intends motoring through Devonshire and Yorkshire, and then on to Scotland, and afterwards they will probabl/ pay a visit to Ireland. At present the/ think of leaving England for the United States some time next month. Here they will remain for a period before returning to New Zealand. Sir Joseph hai been approached to contest a seat for. the House of Commons at the general e/ection, but he is not enthusiastic over that matter, and after his long career in New Zealand the prospect of transferring his interests entirely to the Homeland’ does not appeal to him. He has no ixirticular plans when he reaches New Zealand, but he intends returning to England before very long.

Striked fuji silk blouses are the craze for tl’is season, and are extremely effective The Melbourne, Ltd., are making a special display of these goods in the iailored style with pockets, handstiteied, and with hand-made buttonhole*. The new styles are roomy and y«rj pretty. Pric< ’

Buyers from Vesteys and Armours are at present in the Wairarapa (says the Age). One of these is said within the last few days to have purchased 400 head of cattle at about £4 12s a head.

A regular weekly holiday for nurses at the Auckland hospital, such as is now in vogtue at the Wellington, institution, will probably be established shortly in the Northern city. Mr. A. D. McLeod, M.P., on his return from Australia, was well satisfied with the look of things in the Dominion as compared with the Commonwealth. “If New Zealand is to go -bankrupt,” he remarked, “then* I don’t know what will happen to Australia and other countries in the British Empire.” A striking example of the decline in land values in the Ashburton County was given by the sale at auction recently of 152 acres at laighmor. Last year, during the “boom” period, the owner was made a definite offer of £4O an acre for the property, but refused. At the sale it was sold on behalf of the inortgagees for £34 10s per acre.

A suggestion was made by Cr. Blackball at the meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council last night to the effect that a truck now being used by the electric ifeht department might be piit into commission in the Westown service while the present passenger vehicle was being renovated. He thought it would be advantageous if the truck could be used in the early morning (to connect with the mail train), and at midday. The electrical engineer (Mr. R. H. Bartley) said there would be a number of difficulties in making the truck suitable for passengers. In any case the work would take a few days, and he hoped to have the ’bus back in service by Monday next. On Friday next, Newton King, Ltd., are selling by auction the whole of Messrs. Shuttleworth Bros.’ stock-in-trade. The sale offers a rare opportunity of securing good, new, cheap articles of hardware; tools of all descriptions, house fittings, paints, timbers, etc. In addition to the warehouse stock will be sold all machinery, plant, which includes a Crossley gas engine in perfect running order, also a Ransome iron saw bench, shafts, pulleys and a large quantity of belting. The sale will commence at 1.30 p.m. sharp. Full details are advertised.