LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Taranaki Daily Yews will not be published on Monday next, January 2. Tenders for the supply of about .cloo.000 worth of plant for the Mangahao electric works have been, accepted. They are all by British firms. This comprises the bulk of the power-house plant, and does not cover all the machinery required. Among the tenders were American and Swedish firms.

The sports ground at Pukekura Park, which has recently been sown, is now showing a good take of young grass, and promises tn develop into a good turf. Judging from appearances, however, greyhounds have been allowed to run over the grounds, and have done much damage, spoiling the surface in several places and necessitating further expense in putting the area into order again. This was only discovered by the committee yesterday, and naturally members were chagrined to find that the surface was being damaged. As a result it has been decided to keep a watch over, the ground and any dogs found at large will be immediately impounded. and the owners will be called on to meet the costs of any damage incurred.

There was a big number of visitors to the North Egmont mountain house yesterday, the day being fine and the mountain peak very clear in the afternoon. During the holidays the house and the new cubicles have been full, and Mrs. Cameron and her staff have had a busy time. The weather on Monday and Tuesday was not -very favorable, rain falling most of the time. On Sunday afternoon, when weather conditions were better, a party made the ascent. The road to the reserve and the mountain road are m good order, and with the weather more settled the mountain should continue to attract a large number of visitors during the next week or so.

Mr. A. J. Dacombe, a young New Zea land electrical engineer, living at Syd* enham, who has been carrying out experiments in wireless telegraphy for a number of years, claims to have invented an instrument which should attract the interest of wireless men all over the world. Speaking to a Press reporter, Mr. Dacombe stated that when a wireless message was received two notes were heard—a high or compensating note and a low note, the latter carrying the message. Foi years, he raid, attempts had been made to elimirate the compensating note, but without success. By means of his invention however, he claims that not only will the compensating note be eliminated so far as receiving messages is concerned, but the strength of the wireless will be increased, by about 50 per cent. In addition, the invention will dominate the effect of electrical disturbances on wireless plants by fully 20 per cent. Mr. Dacombe has conducted his experiments with the assistance of a private wireless plant, and he claims that he can receive messages from any part of the world.

Business transacted at the Chief Post Office;' New Plymouth, during the Christmas period, December 21 to 24 (inclusive), shows that there was a falling-off in the number of telegrams forwarded and received, but the quantity of mail matter handled was greater than that of last year. Mail bags and parcel receptacles received and despatched totalled 1280, as compared with 1234 in 19-’O. Telegrams forwarded numbered altogether 2684. the previous period shows a total of 2740. In messages received the figures are 31.1. and *3414 respectively. “ Tra . nsi + t *’’ (messages) which passed through the New Plymouth office en route to other places totalled 3569. an increase over this branch of work last year when the number was 3413. "’ as fallimr off in the figures relating to the sale of stamps, this year’s receipt being £428, as compared with £471 in 1920 This is not taken by the officials to ba an indication of a falling oft in revenue but rather the result of the Government’s action in cutting out oommission on the sale of stam Jg’ probably caused many vendors who previously dealt in stamps not to lay m *lie usual Christmas stocks.

The new amusement tax will come into operation on Monday next. Christchurch is faced with a shortage of water for domestic purposes as the result of a protracted period of dry weather. Mr. W. Higgins, of Waitotara, has beaten the record for sheep shearing (says the Chronicle). On. Moore’s station, Maxwelltown, last week, he put through a total of 372 sheep in 8 hours 24 minutes. Some miscreant placed a stout piece of timber across the bridge over the Waiongona River, on the New bymouth side of Egmont Village, on. Wednesday night. Fortunately it was discovered and removed before any serious damage was done to a motorist. The s.s. Arawa, which is due to arrive at Wellington on January 8 or 9, is bringing a batch of 188 immigrants. Thirty-one are nominated, 1.17 aye coming out under the Imperial Overseas Settlement scheme and 40 are domestic servants. Yesterday afternoon the New Plymouth racecourse presented the appearance of a military encampment, tents being rapidly erected, until at night 48 were ready. They are to be used by the 'Seventh Day Adventist delegates, who are coming from all parts of New Zealand to engage in their annual conference, Which begins next week.

Asked a question on Wednesday about the impending disposal by the Imperial authorities of their surplus butter stocks, the Prime Minister said he was completely convinced that no serious move would be made until the New r Zealand producers had had an opportunity of considering their position. He believed the Imperial authorities would keep their promise to refrain from selling out in the meantime.

A large cargo of frozen meat was taken by the liner Westmeath, which sailed from New Plymouth last evening for Wellington, to continue loading for Home. The vessel was in port for a week and during that time 26,000 freight carcases, which were railed from Messrs. Borthwick a.-J Son’s Waitara works, were placed on board. A small consignment of cheese, 750 crates from the Taranaki Producers’ works, was also despatched by the Westmeath.

On New Year’s Eve (Saturday) Devon Street, from • Liardet Street to the post office, will be closed to vehicular traffic from 7 p.m. onwards. This action has been decided on in view of the large gathering of people which generally assembles in the town on this occasion, including in its numbers many children, and the shutting out of wheel traffic should make for the safety of pedestrians.

On the £57,000 which was passed through tire totalisator at the Taranaki Jockey Club’s Christmas meeting the Government will collect the sum of £3990 8s in taxation. The two and a half per cent, levy amounts to £1425, and the dividend tax of £2565 8s makes up the balance of the total. In addition the club also incurs other small taxation on gate receipts.

The latest official returns show that there arc now thirty freezing companies operating in the Dominion, which control 46 works, only four of which are co-operative concerns. Thirty of these works are situated in the North Island and sixteen in the South Island. The works have a total capacity of dealing with 4430 head of cattle and 14'8,400 sheep and lambs per day, with a total storage capacity of 7,062,000 601 b freight carcases.

There were between 80 and 100 motor vehicles at Opunake beach on Wednesday. when a combined picnic was held by the employees of the Eltham County Council, the Eltham Borough Council and the Kaponga Town Board. The weather was not too promising when the party, which comprised about forty adults and a similar number of children left Eltham, but on arrival at Opunake the day proved all that could be desired.

•Christmas in Patea (says the Press) was the quietest known for. many years. During Saturday morning and afternoon only a moderate amount of business was done, but in the evening a number of country settlers came into town, when a fair amount of shopping was done; in fact, one large firm reports having broken last year’s record for Christmas Eve by about £3O. The district sports fixed for Boxing Day (Monday) were not held on account of the wet weather, a decision which was very welcome to many, who did not feel in a mood for sports of any kind owing to the shock caused by the death of Mrs. J. A. McKenna and Mrs. Whu. Williams, coupled with the fatalities at Waitotara and Waverley. Altogether Christmas in Patea will be .remembered as the saddest known for many a long

Shark-shooting was an |tem in the amusements at Opunake on Wednesday (says the Argus). Three fairly large sharks, probably from six to eight feet in length, were basking in the surf and remained circling around for more than a couple of hours. Crowds of people gathered on the rocks to watch the fish, and one of the spectators who had a small sporting rifle, had a few shots at them, but his efforts did not appear to inconvenience the sharks, which swam around for a long time. Another spectator threw out a lino baited with a fish, but the sharks were not tempted to bite. Crowds of people were bathing not very many yards from where the sharks were. The bathers may have been safe, enough in the shallow, broken water, but those who went into deep water beyond the breakers, and many did, were taking a risk. Sea bathers should remember that at this time of th& year sharks are numerous around the New Zealand coasts.

A peculiar domestic situation has arisen in a district not a thousand miles from Palmerston North as a result of matrimonial alliances, states an exchange. Two farmers, who were neighbors, had the misfortune to lose their wives and to be left with families of daughters. Both of them married a second time, each taking as his bride a daughter of the other. Each, therefore became the other’s father-in-law, and the wives occupied a peculiar relationship. As both of the young women have families it would bo interesting to know the relationship of these with their parents and with the family of the first marriages. The 4th Battalion, Wellington Regiment, Band has been engaged to play a programme of music at both days of the 'Stratford races. On the first race night the band will play 'in the evening outside the Town Hall,’permission having been obtained to take up a collection in aid of the band funds. Ladies requiring light summer weight blouses should see what the Melbourne is offering. Irish hand embroidered voile ■blouses and jumpers and crepe de chine blouses occupy pride of place, whilst the i styles and values are incomparable. The ,yoile blouses are exceptionally dainty.