LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To-day ia Dominion Day, and an optional holiday. The banks, Government, legal, and insurance offices will be closed for the day, but it will not be a public holiday in wholesale and retail trade.

The number of admission tickets issued for the Auckland-Taranaki -football match at New Plymouth on Saturday was 3240. The cash takings were £261 2s.

A call on the services of the New Plymouth Fire Brigade was made about half-past nine on Saturday night to deal with an outbreak in a chimney at the Post Office.

A circumstantial story is said to be in circulation in Palmerston North concerning a midnight elopement. One of the parties represents summer aud the other winter. The sequel will probably be heard in the Divorce Court.

A man fell on the footpath near White and Sons’ shop on Saturday night at about 10 o’clock, evidently as the result of a fit. A big crowd soon congregated. When the unfortunate man had recovered somewhat he was taken home in a taxi.

?A lady visitor to Wellington had a rather trying experience on Thursday afternoon. She was passing a building near the General Post Office, when a quantity of fluid, evidently soup, was thrown from an upstairs room, landing on her hat and costume and completely spoiling the outfit.

The difference. A local farmer sent a bale of wool to Wanganui, and on Saturday received his statement. The wool realised 2M per' lb‘, or £3 4s 4d, and the expenses of railage and commission amounted to Us 3d, giv : ng him a net return of £2 13s Id, as against £2O last year for a similar bale. A London cable to Australian papers records a wonderful escape by members of the Seely family in the Isle of Wight. Ivy and Nigel, Sir Charles Seely’s daughter and son, were motoring near a cliff. The steering gear broke, and the car went backward, three wheels going over the edge of the cliff. The fourth hung on a post, suspending the car 70 feet from the beach. The children promptly jumped out to safety. The laying up of ships in New Zea land, and the falling off of overseas shipping, has meant less employment for waterside workers, of whom there are about 1600 on the union’s books at Auckland. Shipping is fairly busy at present there, and a large number of the men are being employed. For some weeks past, however, shipping at Auckland has been slack, and there has only been sufficient work to keep about 500 of the men employed. After this week shipping will slacken off again.

According to the Hon. Sir Francis Bell the course of business in the Legislative Council this week will be the consideration of the Address-in-Reply, which will be moved by the Hon. J. P. Campbell, and if the debate does not conclude by Thursday' ht? will ask the Council to adjourn in order that he may go to Auckland to meet Mr. Massey. He does not propose to take any other business besides the Address-in-Reply. He proposes to introduce two or three bills, one of which is the bill to amend the law of libel. Juvenile labor in factories was a subject raised in the course of the bakers’ deputation to the Hon. W. Downie Stewart last’ week. Mr. R. D. Martin, who brought the matter up, said that in Christchurch boys under 14 years of age were working in factories. It was a scandal that we should have boys this age working in factories. The federation to which he belonged asked the Government to take into consideration the increasing of the age to 18 years. They asked that legislation to this ejid should be introduced.

Regarding loans for local bodies Mr. R. Masters, M.P., has given notice in the House to ask the Minister of Finance whether 'he will inform the House when the present restrictions made by him reducing the advances made by the State Advances Office to local bodies from £lO,OOO to £5,000 in any one financial year will be removed; and whether he realises the great inconvenience this restriction, is causing local bodies in backblock districts, and consequent hardships on settlers, through county councils not being able to undertake urgent and necessary works through want of finance ?

A chapter of misfortunes are recounted by an Auckland business man. His brother has just written him from India narrating the following sad story: He and his companion were both seized with fever of kindred maladies at the same time, the friend succumbing. The bride-elect of the sick man arrived in India, and two days later was operated upon for appendicitis, dying after being put under the anaesthetic. Two days more, and the bereaved man received a cable asking him to inform his bride that her sister in Australia had been thrown off a horse and killed instantaneously. His cup was finally filled when he received word that his mother had died. His friend, his sweetheart, and his mother all died with, his name on their lips. A Wellington resident had an unenviable experience on a recent night. A portion of the high bank behind his rc ’• dence fell at about 10.30 p.m., and striking a fence at the rear o-f the residence, diverted its course, and hurled itself like a miniature avalanche against the rear wall. The occupants of the house were in a rodm at the back at the time, and it seemed to them that a violent earthquake had taken place. The concussion, according to one of the occupants, was very severe. It is estimated that about 14 cubic yards of earth struck the house, leaving soil to a depth of 4ft. against the rear wall. The wall, which is wood, was bent, but not broken, and considerable repairs will be necessary. The occupants of the house were unable to open the back door until the slip had been cleared.

It was stated on Saturday that the percentage of arrears of amounts advanced to ex-soldiers by the New Plymouth Repatriation Committee was 12.8 per cent. It should have read 1.28 per cent., the transference of the point making all the difference.

Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (Second and Third Groups) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable today (Monday), Sept. 26, at the Secretary’s Office, Currie Street, from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.. and 7 #.m. 8 £.lD.—Advi.

I V It was mentioned to the Hon. W. Downie Stewart last week that the federation which represents the working bakers of New Zealand wishes to secure an amendment of the Factories Act to provide for a reduction of hours from 48 to 44 ger week. The representative who mentioned the matter said it had been “recognised all over the world that 44 hours is a fair week’s work.”

The proposal to reduce the number of organising teachers forms the subject of a question tabled in the House of Representatives by Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P. Mr. Smith has given notice to ask the Minister of Education whether, in view of the great benefit that has accrued to the children of backblock districts by the inauguration of the system of organising teachers, he will give the House an opportunity of discussing the proposal to reduce the present number of organising teachers before taking the final steps to give effect to such proposal? It was announced in Wellington recently that a sale of land had been postponed “until after the football season.” It just shows one how careful business people should be in announcing the dates of anything whilst the oval ball is in action. It is true that there is an acute hunger for land and houses in Wellington, but surely those affected can take another pull at their belts while these momentous, breath-catching, Empireshaking Rugby matches are being decided. It is rumored that some shops now open for business may be closed during the whole of next football season.—Dominion.

South Australia is taking an interest in New Zealand as a market for its citrus fruits. Although 2000 miles away a journey that necessitates long railway haulage through three States and then transhipment to a steamer in Sydney, it apparently pays to send the fruit to Wellington. South Australia last week sent a large consignment' of blood oranges (most delicious of fruit), ordinary oranges, the big “poor man’s” oranges (one of which makes a meal), a'nd lemons. The blood oranges will retail at 2s 6d and 3s per dozen, and “poor man’s” were marked 5d per lb by one shopkeeper. “Germany Ls nothing but one big wheatfield, that is, as much as 1 count see from the train. It is no uncommon sight here to see man and woman working side by side on the land. The same may also be said of France; there I -found many of the old battlefields flourishing corn fields.” Such was the opinion of Mr. C. Lane, a Melbourne business man who arrived in Wellington recently from San Francisco, says the Evening Post. Mr. Lane has rorecently from San Francisco, says gium, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. When he was in London in July, he said, there seemed to be a decidedly better tone amongst the wholesale houses there than had been apparent for some months before. Gambling is the curse of sport. While admitting that, a confirmed punter told a writer in the Christchurch Sun that lately there has been more betting on football matches in New Zealand than on horse-racing. In Christchurch alone many thousands of pounds have changed hands recently over the results of football matches. Some of the individual wagers have been for large sums.

There is no doubt about all cotton goods becoming dearer in the near future. After touching bottom the price pendulum has swung sharply back, due to an advance of 50 per cent in American cotton. On top of this a duty on cotton piece goods is certain to be imposed within a week or two. The moral is, buy now at the Melbourne, Ltd., while prices are low.

At a recent dairy factory meeting, factory managers were accused of showing “points” to suppliers. Be that as it may. no doubt managers are as often sinned against as sinning, but in regard to the supplying of unclean milk, suppliers can have no “kick” coming if milk is rejected on that account. The only remedy is to use plenty of “Sinus”, which ensures clean milk, and clean milk means harmony at the factory.