LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mails which left Auckland on September 13, per s.s. Makura via Vancouver, arrived in London on October 17. Nominations for the position of representative of the Ngu timaru riding on the Clifton County Council closed yesterday, the only candidate being Mr. Richard Mounsey, who is therefore elected. The vacancy was caused by the resignation of Mr. H. R. Harrison. A well-known social worker at Dunedin, speaking to a reporter on the subject of unemployment, stated that in many individual eases the position was undoubtedly very acute indeed. In one instance which had come under his notice a family had been existing for some weeks on only one meal a day.

The introduction of the Saturday half-holiday was attributed by a bankrupt confectioner of Timaru, whose at fairs were investigated by the Oificia. Assignee, as a factor which assisted in materially decreasing his returns. Saturday was always the best day of the week for business, lie explained, and farmers no longer came into Timaru 0.1 Saturdays to do their shopping. He blamed the trade conditions in Timaru for his failure.

A close contest in the Auckland East by-election was forecasted by Mr. Hall Skelton, who presided at the meeting of electors addressed by Mr. S. H. Foster, the independent candidate, the other evening. Mr. Skelton said he was of rhe opinion that the election would prove to be the closest yet experienced in New Zealand. He thought it would be fauna that Messrs. Foster, Lee and Mackenzie would poll within 200 votes of each other, with the other candidate away down at the bottom of the poll.

Business will be resumed to-day after* a break since Saturday afternoon, yesterday being a statutory holiday. The weather in New Plymouth was very unfavorable for outdoor gatherings, cold winds and intermittent rain being experienced. The fixtures yesterday were the Labor Day sports and Scouts’ sports held respectively at Western and Kawaroa Parks, and a golf match between Nev.’ Plymouth and Hawerft teams on the Waiwakaiho links. Details of these gatherings appear elsewhere. “It is regarded as part of the barber’s stock-in-trade that he should be able to tell hie customers all the latest sporting gossip,” said Mr. T. Bloodworth during the hearing of the hairdressers’ dispute in the Arbitration Court at Auckland. He made this statement ae an argument for the closing of hairdressers’ shops on Saturday afternoons, so that those engaged in the trade could attend sports and gather “tit-bits” of news for their customers. “There is something in that,” was the comment of Mr. Justice Frazer.

The retail price of butter in Wellington at present is nominally 2s per lb. Good table butter can, however, be bought for Is lOd, while some lines are retailing at Is 9d. The position may best be summed up by saying that the ruling average is just under 2s per lb. First-grade Canterbury butter has been retailed at Is lOd per lb. In one shop, which cuts prices very fine, it was Is 9d. North Island butter was selling at Is 9d per lb. In Dunedin, one company is charging Is IGd per lb retail for butter, and the other companies 2s per lb. Several grocers in Palmerston North are selling factory butter at Is 9d a pound. Commenting on the wool position at a meeting of the Auckland provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union, Mr. J. Boddie expressed the opinion that wool would again be at a payable price considerably sooner than had been anticipated. One factor that would contribute to this desirable end, he said, was that of the total unsold accumulation of wool in Britain only 25 per cen’-. was coarse crossbred. Another and more important factor was that the decrease in the world’s flocks in 1920, compared with 1914, amounted to 90,000,000, end the. flocks were still decreasing. It was, therefore, apparent that if the European countries were in a position to clothe their people the surplus wool would soon be absorbed.

Interesting details relating to the marketing of primary products in the United Kingdom were placed before the Auckland provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union by Captain F. Colbeck. He said that New Zealand mutton was being sold wholesale in London at 6M per lb., and the retailer was selling it at Is 6d per lb. The retailer claimed that he was only getting 2d a pound profit on the mutton. This showed there was a leakage of lOd per lb. and the farmers were out to secure that lOd if possible. To accomplish this they would have to reorganise the system of distribution. It had been shown by the Bristol and Dominion Company, when it was in existence, that butter could be successfully distributed in England and sold at good prices under its own label. This could be accomplished by co-opera-tive effort on the part of the farmers of New Zealand. Similar results could be achieved in respect to meat and wool.

The W.C.T.U. will hold the monthly meeting in the Whiteley Hall, WedOctober 26, at 2.30 p.m. If your dealer does not stock CLINCHER CYCLE TYRES, ask the next one. These tyres are fully guaranteed, up to fifteen months, according to grade. 4

It was stated in the Supreme Court' at Wellington that the value of ships had declined 7'5 per cent, between the years 1918 and 1920. A witness in a case said that probably a vessel for which £2O per ton was obtainable in 1919 could be purchased for £6 to-day. His Honor (Mr. Justice Chapman) said he had seen it chronicled that a vessel had been sold for as low as £3 per ton. Wintry weather prevailed all over the North Island yesterday. Races were postponed at Wellington and Hamilton, while at Wanganui the weather was too rough for the Taranaki-Wanganui golf match. It was stormy in Auckland, but a labor procession and sports were held. In Christchurch the weather was cold and threatening, and in consequence the trams and trains to the seaside were poorly patronised. At Dunedin the weather was gloriously fine. ®

The New Plymouth police were advised yesterday morning by Constable Longbottom, of Inglewood, of the sudden death of a man named Wm. Albert Jury. The deceased, who was a married man, and resided with his family at Tariki, was aged about 59 years. He dropped dead suddenly at about six o’clock yesterday morning. He had not been under medical attention recently and an inquest will probably be held. A doctor was summoned, but could only pronounce life extinct when he saw deceased. £

Despite the wintry weather the special train from New Plymouth to the Waverley races yesterday was very well patronised, and it was necessary to puton extra carriages at various stations to accommodate the passengers. Owing mainly to delay at Kakaramea, where another train was passed, the special was over half-an-hour late in arriving at the racecourse, being too late to permit of its passengers investing on the first race. The totalisator receipts suffered accordingly. There was a marked drop in the totalisator returns at the Waveriey races yesterday, which were held in rough weather. The machine handled £I9,S7S, compared with £41,953 when the meeting was held at Wanganui last year, and £36,501 at the previous meeting held at Waveriey. The effect of

the weather on the attendance, and the fact that the special train was late and prevented full investment on the first race, were factors in the decrease. The meeting provided good racing, the principal event, the Cup, being won by Mr. W. Duncan’s Tame Fox.

The Christmas number of the Auckland Weekly News, a copy of which is to hand, maintains its standard of excellence. The illustrations that grace nearly every page are typical of the scenery and life of the Dominion. Very pleasing results have been obtained in the production of the tinted whole page pictures which are special features of the number. For variety of subjects, arrangement and artistic treatment ’..his year’s issue has not been equalled. The quality of the paper used is, if not superior , to, at least quite on a par with that of pre-war days. '‘The special efforts concentrated on this year’s issue can well be claimed to have resulted in an edition de luxe which will meet with generous approval and do much in the way of advertising the scenic attractions of the Dominion.

Publicity on an extended scale for New Zealand was suggested by a question in the House in the name of Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon), who asked the Prime Minister for details of the present extent and functions of the present publicity department, and whether he would consider extending its scope, so that Now Zealand products might be popularised in Great Britain, and the people of New Zealand might be impressed with the economic benefit of purchasing local manufactures ihstead of imported goods? If the Prime Minister would entertain these proposals, would he consider means whereby the cost should be borne by those who benefited, such as the farmers and .he secondary industries?

Mr. A. Seifert, of Palmerston North, who has just arrived from America, had some remarks to make on the trade conditions in that country. He said that many manufacturing concerns were doing better business now than ever before. A produce merchant who was largely interested in butter and cheese, had told him that his farm had had the best year in the history of his business. Another firm, manufacturing railway equipment, had stated that business was unusually good. “In my judgment,” said Mr. Seifert, “trade depression in America will soon come to an end. At the present time about 5,000,000 men are out of work, but it has to be remembered that before the war started America had 7,000,000 men out of employment.” The weather conditions could hardly have been worse yesterday for the Waveriey races, a cold wind accompanied by more or less rain throughout the day making matters very unpleasant. In the morning many thought that the races would have been postponed. The ground, after the recent rains, was saturated, and the trampling soon made it a veritable quagmire, through which the speculators cheerfully tramped to the totalisator. The authorities hail laid straw in places, which minimised the evil for a time. A section o£ the crowd found enjoyment in watching the antics of those who suddenly lost their hats or had their umbrellas blown inside out, whilst additional enjoyment was derived when someone went sprawling in the mud, as often happened. A particularly choice morsel was the sight of a Chinaman of small stature with a large umbrella, which was caught by a gust and lifted him into a puddle of liquid mud, where he struggled in an attempt to close the umbrella.

The Presbyterian bodies o’ St. Andra’s Kirk are makin’ muckle preeparations for their graund Scotch Fair. A’ guid folk are advised tae gang along an* tak a’ their bairns wi’ them, for ther’ll be mony bonnie things baith for auld an’ young. Mind, it’s tae be i’ th’ Workers’ Ha’ on th’ 27th and 28th inst.

Choice, fragrant, freshly-manufactur-ed State Express cigarettes at specially reduced prices. Look! We offer you these high grade smokes at a wonderful reduction—so for 2/6. Smokers, you cannot get better treatment than this offer gives you. And remember, we guarantee these are fresh new stocks. W. 11. Preece, Devon Street Central, New Plymouth.

Let your Canned Meat requirements this summer be the “T.F.M.” brand, manufactured at the Smart Road works: 11b sheep tongues; 31b and 61b ox tongues; l|lb and 6lbs corned mutton and beef. Support New Plymouth’s own works, and ask your grocer for “T.F.M.” meats.

AMATEURS’ EXPOSURES developed and printed. Best possible got out of every negative. Post in your exposed films to H. J. Abram, “MAIL ORDER” Chemist, New Plymouth.