LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 September 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The body of the late Mr. T. A. Butler, a victim of Sunday’s fatality at New Plymouth, was sent to Wellington yesterday morning for interment. The body was conveyed to the train by a number of returned soldiers, who attended as a mark of respect to the memory of an ex-comrade. The number of men applying for work at the Auckland Labor Bureau is gradually falling off. One point worthy of mention in regard to employers’ applications for labor is that there is a growing demand from country districts for boys and youths for farm work rather than for men.

The Christchurch Press’ Wellington correspondent states that Mr. Massey is likely to get into harness the moment he reaches Wellington. He will be entertained at a luncheon by members of both Houses of Parliament, and this is likely to be the only function at which he will speak Regarding hie mission until he speaks in Parliament. The Government Department of Forestry has informed Mr. Buckeridge, provincial secretary of the Taranaki branch of the Farmers’ Union, that Mr. P. M. Page will be available to give addressee on reafforestation, tree planting, etc., at any date after October 10. The de-' partment asks Mr. Buckeridge to arrange an itinerary accordingly. A meeting of the combined committees of the North and South Taranaki dairy factory companies was held at Eltham on Tuesday, when the question of the acquisition of the Ohura coalfields was under consideration. It was decided to appoint a deputation, consisting of Messrs. Connett and Murdoch, to interview the Minister of Mines with a view to obtaining a geological report on the Ohura coalfields as early as possible.

The break-down in the health of school children, so often attributed to over study, were discussed by Dr. J. W. Mell wraith in a lecture at Auckland. These break-downs, he said, were caused by a delay in the anatomical development of a child as compared with mental development. In America the testa for measuring intelligence were not considered complete until an X-ray photograph had been taken of the child’s wrist to show a corresponding anatomical development. Steps were then taken to ensure that the child developed harmoniously and without undue etrain. The ever-widening subject of the ability of women to meet men in intellectual pursuits and professions was touched upon by Dr. J. W. Mcllwraith in a lecture at Auckland on measuring intelligence. “The reason that women have not mads such a name for themselves as men in the intellectual field—though they are the in others of men who did” he said, “is because they have been told and they have believed, that they had hot sufficient intellectual capacity. It: is only the selfishness of men that kept, and still keeps, them out of fields of mental activity.” Two young sheepfarmers residing in the Akitio district had 74 bales of wool at the recent Wellington wool sale. They have just received their returns and have, worked out their profit on the clip, and they are now wondering what if would have been had they sent the wool to London. The clip realised £4lB Is Bd, while the charges were £387 8s 7d, leaving a profit £3O 13s Id. The ' charges were made up as follows:—Shearing £Bl, cartage and boat-loading £27 14s, wool packs £27 14s, receiving, weighing and cataloguing £lO 9s, cartage from wharf to store and insurance £4 0s 2d, shepherd and keep ,£l5O, total £387 8s 7d.

Arrangements for the re-planting of oyster beds in the northern fisheries and the Hauraki Gulf are now being made by the umef Inspector of Fisheries, Mr. L. F. Ayson, who is visiting Auckland for that purpose. The work will be started early next month, and will be carried out in Whangaroa, the Bay of Islands, and Te Kumu Bay, on the Coromandel coast, where the work of replanting was commenced laat year. Te Kumu is considered a most suitable place for replanting, on account of its sheltered position and favorable natural conditions. The Coromandel coast is famed for the quality of its oysters, and the material for the building of the rock walls in on the spot.

An unfamiliar object in the sky is reported in the Harvard astronomical bulletin of August 9, just received by Dr. C. E. Adams, Government Astronomer. The paper publishes a telegam received from Professor W. W. Campbell, director of the Lick Observatory, stating: “Starlike object, certainly brighter than Venus, 3 degrees east, 1 degree south of sun, seen seven minutes before and at sunset by naked eye. Five observers. Set behind low clouds. Unquestionably celestial object: changes favor nucleus bright comet, less probably Nova (new star). Dr. Adams remarks that the date of the observation is not given, and says it is remarkable that no other notification has reached him. It is hardly likely that the observers saw Mercury and made a mistake; and, considering the standing of the authority from which the message came there must have been good grounds for the report. If the object was a cornet, it might have disappeared into the brilliant light about the, sun, but should have reappeared by now.

The Postmaster-General, the Hon. J. G. Coates, received the following telegram from Christchurch at 3.15 on Friday:—“This is the first message passed over New Zealand’s telegraph lines by means of machine-printing telegraph apparatus. Whilst this message is passing, trials have proved that it is possible to have seven others—i.e., three more going to Wellington and four coming to Christchurch—all on the one wire. In about two months I expect-to be in a position to hand over the apparatus for practical work, handling commercial and Press messages. The next circuit to be equipped with this apparatus will be one of Auckland-Wellington circuits. —(Signed) E. A. Shrimpton, Christchurch.” The apparatus now in use in New Zealand prints the telegram in Roman capitals on a long strip, or tape, of paper, which is then cut into lengths and gummed on the ordinary telegram form.

Farmers, let this fact soak into your mind: One rejection of your milk by the factory managers on account of impurity will cost more than a year’s supply of “Sinus,” the champion milking machine cleanser. Why run the risk when “Sinus” will keep your machines, tubing and utensil's sweetly clean at a trifling cost.

A cable message'from London to New York, dated August 18, says: “Sir Robert Horne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, stated in the House of Commons that there were serious deficiencies in the revenue receipts for the first four and one-half months of the current financial year, as compared with the Budget estimates. These resulted, he said, from the sale of surplus war stores and materials, which brought much less than was anticipated, and from loss of revenue in excess profits duties, unavoidable in the present state of trade.”

Perhaps the greatest, and certainly the most striking achievement in practical psychology this century has been the discovery of a method by which human intelligence can be measured. At a meeting of the Auckland Institute, to be held on Monday evening next, Dr. J. W. Mcllraith will explain the method, and show its application in education, in commerce and industry, in the law courts, and in war. That it must have far-reaching results is pressaged from the fact that the United States applied the method to 1,700,000 recruits for its European army, and that over 4 millions of primary, high school, and university students have already been classified, tested and recommended for appropriate educational treatment. The Sydney Sun reports that there were further prosecutions for income taxes at Darwin on September I, but only one case was decided, that of John Hanson, a compositor on the Labor newspaper. He said that he was earning £6 10s per week, and refused to pay taxes. He also owed the State hotels £2O. Asked why he did not pay this, he said: “Oh, the State has plenty of money.” He was sent to gaol for 40 days. At meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board, Mr. E. R. Gilmour referred to the fact that the bill for light and fuel amounted to £8 12s per day. He added that in other directions fairly large sums were incurred, and he thought the time had arrived for the engagement of a special person to manage this part of the administration. He was of opinion a housekeeper should be engaged. The board set up a committee, consisting of Messrs. M. Fraser (chairman), E. R. Gilmour, H. R. Cattley, and J. Sutherland, to report on the question.

The Plunket Society’s “At Home,” to be held at Kawaroa Park bungalow at 3 o’clock this afternoon, should'give great pleasure to all lovers of music. Mr. Drake, the Auckland tenor, has kindly promised to render several songs and there will be other numbers by the best local artists. The committee have made arrangements to cater for a large number, as this being an afternoon function it is hoped that many mothers will be able to come and enjoy a musical tea at the small inclusive charge of two shillings. The entire proceeds will be devoted to the society’s funds, for helping the mothers and saving the babies.

It was inadvertently stated in yesterday’s issue that nominations for events at the Labor Day sports closed on February 15. This should have read October 15.

Special attention is invited to the advertisement in this issue of a sacred concert to be given by the band in Everybody’s Theatre next Sunday evening. An excellent programme has been preferred, and as proceeds are in aid of the contest expenses it is hoped that a large number will be present. The sale that is being held by the Defence Department at Hawera is proving very successful, good business being done. It is the intention of the department to hold, a similar sale in New Plymouth in about a fortnight’s time.