LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A number of eases of alleged breaches of the licensing laws in respect to certain recent happenings at a coastal hotel will eome before the Magistrate at the Bitting of the Court in New Plymouth on Friday. After a brief discussion upon war "■raves, the Dominion executive of the N.Z.R.S.A. on Monday resolved: “That the graves of all soldiers whose deaths are attributed to disabilities received during or aggravated by their active service should he regarded as war graves, irrespective of any time limit or continuous treatment since discharge.” The Ponsonby Junior' Brass Band, which is going on tour during the Christmas holidays, intends including New Plymouth in its itinerary this year. They are expected to give a recital here on December 28. The local bandsmen are making arrangements for billetting the boys for the one night they will be here.

NORTH BRITISH . BOBBER HOT WATER BAGS, with the -Unique” Patent Stopper. The rubber is reliable, rhe joints are secure, the stopper cannot leak. 5

By special request, the Fourth Battallion (Wellington Regiment) Band, will repeat last recital in Pukekura Park next Sunday, October 2. The contest march wall be included in the programriie.

“Before the beginning of the nineteenth century the Bible was placed on all British warships, and it was through this fact that the entire community of Pitcairn Island had become Christian people,” remarked the Rev. O. Blundell in the course of an address at the annual meeting of the New Plymouth branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society last night.

The trout-fishing season will open next Saturday, October I, in all acclimatisation society districts wiith the exception of Rotorua, where it will open on November 1. The season will end on May 31 in tlie Rotorua district and on April 30 in all otiier districts. The Rot,onia district comprises the counties of Rotorua, Whakatane, and East Taupo, and parts of the counties of Wairoa, West Taupo, and Matamata.

On Monday evening the Whiteley Club concluded its meetings for this session with a social in the Whiteley Hall. Musical items were contributed by Miss Arnold, pianoforte solo; songs by Mrs. Berg and Misses Cooper, Orr and Perrott, and an elocutionary item by Miss Kivell.- The accompanists were Misses Arnold, Scott and Orr. Prizes for competitions were given by Miss Coop-.-.r, and won by Miss M. Bottrill and Miss Pearce. After supper games were participated in. The Rev. W. J. 'Elliott presided.

The question of a calorific standard for gas was raised in the House of Representatives by Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central), who. asked the Minister for Internal Affairs, Hon. W. Downie Stewart, whether it was the intention of the Government to introduce a Bill this session dealing with the matter. The Minister said a Bill had been drafted and was at present in the hands of the law draftsmen. It was being considered at the present time, but he was not able to say whether it would be introduced this SEL-sion or not.

Writing from Gallup, New Mexico, under date August 20th. a Palmerston North tourist says:—“There has been a cloudburst, up the line, and 500 people just escaped to the hills in their night attire. The rain has been fearful, and on either side of the railway line it !s just like a lake. We saw several tents ,in an asphalt space, and people sitting round a lire. These are stranded autoparties. wfio cannot go any further, and have camped on the only dry spot.” Prince, an Irish terrier, which died recently at Stafford, was the hero of a remarkable war adventure. In 1914 Pivate Brown, of the Staffordshire Regiment, the owner of Prince, went to France. A few days later Prince was missed from his home at Hammersmith and wthin a fortnight arrived in some unexplained manner in the trenches near Armentieres and found his master. The facts of tlie dog’s journey were verified by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

W'hat is perhaps a unique, but certainly a magnificent family war record, came under the purview of the Finance Committee of the Wellington War Relief Association during the past month. The committee granted a loan of £l5O to the father of two soldiers who were killed in action. It appears that the father himself enlisted when he was 64, and served four years in the trenches. As if that was not enough to show that the male members of the family had “done their bit,” the wife of the aged warrior paid her own fare to England, where she voluntarily engaged for several years in honorary war work.

Remarkable figures relating to the value of the penny when given regularly and for a specified purpose are disclosed by the annual report of the Wellington Catholic Education Board. That body has been in existence since 1913, at which time was inaugurated a system of collecting pennies at the church doors for the support of the Catholic schools, so as to make up the difference between what the parents of pupils were able to pay and what was the cost of the services of the teachers. The net result is that since that time the “pennies,” as they are known, have yielded the very satisfactory amount of £5765; last year the amount raised by that means was £724, as compared with £713 for 1920.

The question of affiliation with the British Empire Service League was touched upon at the Dominion executive meeting of the N.Z.R.S.A. on Monday. Mr. R. B. Bell, in bringing down the report of a committee upon the constitution, said the committee was of opinion that last conference intended the association to be placed in a position to affiliate if the result of certain inquiries was found to be satisfactory. The executive adopted a clause drafted by the committee to enable affiliation to be carried through without further change in the constitution, provided that the next conference approved of affiliation. The proposed extension of the moratorium in relation to deposits has drawn attention again to the question of the relative rights of depositors and creditors. The acting-Prime Minister (Sir Francis Bell) was asked on Monday if the provisions of the Mortgages and Deposits Extension Bill would give depositors any security or priority over creditors. The Minister replied that depositors and creditors were on the same footing. It would be unjust, in his opinion, to give a priority to depositors, but the point would remain open until the Bill was passed. Last year the Department nf Agriculture imported a quantity of sugar beet seed from Victoria, and port’on of it was distributed to intending growers. A number of trial plots wore sown in Canterbury and Otago, and the resulting crops were quite encouraging. The maximum yield, however, was not attained. chiefly through the seed arriving about two months too late for a seasonable sowing. Several crops yielded from 18 to 22 tons per acre, and with better spacing of the rows and more attention to thinning, this yield could no doubt be increased. It is now time to sow seed for the ensuing year. The department liaa a supply of seed now available for intending growers. Farmers are realising the benefits accruing from a generous use of “Sinus, the champion milking machine cleanser, by the recent sales of this indispensable dairy commodity. It pays to use “Sinus,” and farmers have not been slow in recognising its value. On sale at L. A. Nolan anil Co., and Farmers’ Co-op. stores.

The whole of the scrlVage stock for the Taranaki Clothing Company’s recent fire in Brougham Street has been purchased by the Melbourne Clothing Company.

At Urenui sale on Monday next will be sold a line of exceptionally choice yearling Jersey heifers on account of Mr. P. Wells, Pukearuhe. See advertMement iu thia paper.

At a meeting of the Farmers’ Union at Levin on Saturday a statement was made that high freight charged on benzine by the Railway Department was responsible for large quantities of this oil being sent all over the country in motor lorries, which carried it much cheaper. Consignments had been sent by this means from Wellington even as far north as Mangaweka. .Under the Law of Libel Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the Legislative Council yesterday, bona fide reports of statements made at public meetings are, it is understood, to be privileged. That is to say, libellous statements made by a speaker at such a meeting, if reported by a newspaper without malice, will not be actionable as against the speaker. It is anticipated, also, that the Ward clause, making slander actionable as criminal offence, will be repealed, and that slander will revert to its previous statue as a civil offence only. Notices concerning new valuations of borough property are being received by New Plymouth ratepayers from the valuation Department at Wellington. The new assessment generally appears to represent a large percentage of increase on the former figures (1914). Property owners who wish to appeal against their assessment are given an opportunity to <do so up till October 11, up to which date the Valuer-General receives appeals. On Friday, Messrs. L. A. Nolan and Co. are selling a Ford Car by auction. The car is in splendid order. As from Saturday next, October 1, the offices of the New Plymouth Savings Bank will be situated in the New Zealand Insurance Co.’s new buildings, Devon Street.

The Melbourne, Ltd., have a fine display of ladies’ tailored Fuji silk blouses, which are extremely fashionable this season. Other popular silk blouses in crepe de chine, georgette and Japanese silk are also being shown. Prices as usual are very moderate.