LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 November 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mails which left Wellington on September 16, per s,s. Port Bowen, via Panama, arrived in London on November I. The annual rose show in connection with St. Mary’s Church, New Plymouth, was concluded on .Saturday afternoon. The receipts in connection with the show and sale of work amounted to about £137. “The foreman tells me that this is the worst month he has experienced for some time, worse even than last year, for getting work done owing to the weather,” said the chairman of the H< wera County Council at the meeting on Saturday. Rural mails were mentioned in the House of Representatives by Mr. H. Poland (Ohinemuri), who said that great objection had been offered to the proposed charge of £2 a year for delivery of mails. The Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. G. Coates) said that he was prepared to listen to any views that might, be placed -before him on the matter, and pointed out that the new regulations were really in the interests of the rural residents themselves. He thought it would be found that the proposed charges would really be less than those imposed at present.

The teachers and scholars of the St. Aubyn Methodist Sunday School paid their annual visit to the Old People’s Home yesterday, and entertained the inmates with a repetition of their anniversary hymns. Mr. R. Deare conducted the singing and was assisted Iby Miss Ibbotson at the organ. There was a large gathering of the public at the home, and a collection taken up in aid of Christmas cheer for the old people realised £4 5s 4d, which carries a Government subsidy of £ for ,£.

j.he debate on the Financial Statement is to open on Wednesday. Atfirst, the Prime Minister expressed a desire to take it on Tuesday; but at the earnest request of members from all sides of the House, he deferred the debate to the following day. When the debate on the Budget is finished the Prime Minister intends to go on with the discussion of the tariff schedules; and after they have been dealt with the Tariff Bill itself will be taken. Further financial proposals will be brought down when the tariff has been disposed of. Addressing a meeting of Friesian cattle-breeders* at Palmerston North, Mr. C. H. Weatropp, a former president of the British Friesian Association, said that there were more Friesian cattle in England than New Zealand, but for so young a country New Zealand had done exceptionally well. The stock he 'had seen was superior to that bred in Great Britain, and would hold its own in any cattle-breeding country.

A meeting of the TXranaki branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute was held at New Plymouth on Saturday. Correspondence was read from the general secretary at Wellington regarding the institute’s platform of keeping before the public the need for educational i-eform, and asking the branch to suggest the names of a number of leading people in every centre to whom copies of proposals could be despatched. It was decided to. supply the information. A resolution was carried expressing regret that the Education Department had seen fit to reduce the number of organising teachers, as the branch considered the action was an injustice to the schools affected. They also urged that in the case of organising teachers who become absorbed in the teaching profession removal expenses should be paid, and that no reduction should be made in salary or grade. About 20 members were elected. An address on “Post-war Problems” was given by Miss Mary McCarthy at the Workers’ Social Hall last night. The meeting was held under the auspices of the New Plymouth Labor Party, and there was an attendance of about 150. Miss McCarthy, who recently returned from a women’s conference at Geneva, dealt generally with matters which have been receiving some prominence of late, including the Peace Treaty and the Russian famine. At the conclusion of her address she was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

In attempting to field a ball during the New Plymouth-Western Park’Clubs cricket match on Saturday, Mr. Garnet 11. Saunders had the misfortune to sustain a fracture of the right thumb. The accident was due to the fact that in attempting to catch the drive from the batsman Mr. Saunders received the force of the 'ball on the top of the thumb, bending it backwards and causing a painful break.

The pupils of the Warea School are busily engaged in practising for their annua) concert, which takes place in the Warea Hall on Friday evening next. There is certain to be a crowded house, as settlers of the district have pleasant recollections of the splendid programme submitted last year, and it is stated that the programme this year will easily eclipse that, consisting as it does of songs, recitations and dialogues, coneluding°with a scene from Pickwick Papers. The Melbourne, Ltd., are showing a fine range of ladies’ summer cotton vests, with or without sleeves, at from 2/11 to 4/11. These singlets are British (Canadian) make and are all full length and ample fitting. See special window display. s

Farmers are realising the benefits accruing from a generous use of “Sinus,” the champion milking machine cleanser, judging 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. -*• Nolan and Co. and Farm-Co-op. stores.

“Football honors are not cheap,” wrote a “rep.” player to the Wellington Rugby Union. He had lost £4O in salary last season for the time he was absent from his job.

“In Great Britain the dairy farmers sell their milk whole, and not on the butter-fat basis, as is the case in New Zealand,” stated Mr. C. H. Westropp, ex-president of the British Friesian Association, when addressing a meeting of dairymen at Palmerston North.

A correspondent, in making a complaint to a southern paper regarding the excessive prices charged foi’ knitting wool, states:—“Excellent jumper wool of all kinds of shades is being retailed in London at 6s per lb, and it is a little difficult to understand the tremendous difterence between the price there and that charged in our shops. As I had numerous samples posted to me last mail, 1 am in a position to know iny statement is correct. 1

Powerful new armored cars, with caterpillar traction, are now being delivered to the British tank corps, and although a secret is made of their speed, they have already been observed shooting over the fields at a rate which an Irish mare might envy (says a London paper). They are fitted with Rolls-Royce engines and heavy batteries. The units to whom they have been delivered have been breaking and rolling up an entire line of machine gun defence impervious to anything but artillery fire. Two years ago a prominent farmer of this district sent off five truck'rloads of bullocks to be exported to the London market (reports the Dannevirke Evening News). He\ obtained the usual advance against the beef, and has received advice that the consignment had been sold at prices which require him to refund £2OO. In the period since that consignment went Home many more have followed it, and the unfortunate consignor is wondering what his total losses are going to be. Mortality among dairy herds in the Feilding district appears to be very prevalent this season (says an exchange). One farmer from Makino, who is visiting Wanganui, states that he had the misfortune to lose 31 milking cows out of a herd of 82, and another neighbor lost 13 out of 14. Other heavy losses are reported in various parts of the district. Farmers are puzzled at the nature of the disease, which carries off the cows with great suddenness, both before and after calving. Various treatments have been tried on the cows, but without success.

The impromptu ocean rc.ce across the Pacific from Panama to Auckland by the three Shaw, Savill and Albion steamers Mahia, Raranga, and Matakana came to an end on Wednesday, when the last of the three vessels, the Matakana, reached port, states the Auckland Herald, The fastest time was made by the Mahia, which reached Auckland on Monday, having made the passage from Balboa in 20 (fays 19 hours, an average speed of 12.9 knots.. The Raranga reached port on Tuesday, having covered the distance in 21 days 8 hours at an average speed of 12.6 knots. The Matakana’s time was 21 days 12 hours, with an average speed of 12.4 knots. Trade possibilities were discussed by Mr. Frank Goldberg, of Wellington, who arrived by the Makura on Friday. He said he found business men on both sides of the Atlantic very ready to discuss the New Zealand market. The English were rather more conservative perhaps than the Americans in this respect, but receptive to new ideas and suggestions once their interest was roused. Economic conditions were much more stable at the time of Mr. Goldberg’s departure than they had been on his arrival six months before, when there was unemployment on a vast scale, also a great coal strike and much hardship and suffering. Things were getting back to normal when he left; the cotton trade had improved greatly, and manufactures and industries were expanding generally, while many firms were looking for export trade, whereas when he arrived they would not listen to any suggestions as to overseas business.

Sir Thomas Mackenzie takes a cheerful view of the - wool outlook. “X think wool will move,” he said to the members of the Palmerston North Luncheon Club. ’The Germans are getting credit, I believe, and will >be able to supply the orders they are receiving. That is arousing the Home manufacturers. If the Germans can get the market they can get the finance. We have more than touched bottom. There are 4,833,000 bales still in hand or more than two years’ supply, but if the articles ar* manufactured at sufficiently low prices people will buy. I was surprised to read that before the war Germany consumed more wool than the Home country. Every year she used GOO.OOO.OOOIbs. Of 'this she and Austria produced 1 per cent, of the finer and 4 per cent, of the coarser grades.” It would thus be seen that once these countries and our own returned to the normal it would not. be long before the surplus wools were used up. Sir Thomas made very caustic reference to the manner in which the British wool controller exercised his functions.

Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (Second and Third Groups) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable on Monday, November 7, 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 p.m. |o 8 p.m.—Advt.