LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The following are the vital statistics for the Kaponga district: —Births, 1921 96, 1920 92; deaths, 1921 13, 1920 15; marriages, 1921 15, 1920 19.

The question as to whether the. usual Saturday half -holiday will be observed in New* Plymouth this week, in view of the New Year holidays. on the first two days of the week, has been raised by New Plymouth retailers. The position has not been definitely ascertained yet. but it is understood shopkeepers will be obliged to elose their premises.

In the Magistrate’s Court, New Plymouth, yesterday, a native, Rangi Elers, was charged with the theft of ■ ,£lO (is at Opunako on December 26, the mqney being the property of Alexander Dick. An application was. made by Senior-Sergt. MoCrorie for a remand to Qpunake for hearing to-day, and this was granted. During the first nine months of the past year 10,835 males and 10,351 females were born in, the Dominion, while 4602 males and 3504 females died in the same period. The number of children still-'born is not included in the birth statistics just given; it was 653.

A return showing approximately the mileage of roads in the Dominion has been compiled by the Government Statistician from returns furnished by the local bodies for the year ended March 31 last. The grand total for all roads is 64,328 miles, made up as follows: Metalled, 27,507; not metalled, 16,954; total formed roads, 44,461; bridle tracks, 5260; iinfor jhed legal roads, 14,606.

The first eight months of the year were comparatively dry and the last four wet, according to the statistics compiled by the • Government meteorologist. The total rainfall for the year was 4'2.86 inches, which is about she inches .below the mean for the previous year. There were about ten fewer wet days than usual, but the months of January, May, October, Novernbe- and December had a larger number of wet days than in most years. The total rainfall for the month of December was 6.67 inches. The' much dreaded fire blight has made its appearance in Patea, which so far as the authorities are aware, is the .only district in the Dominion in which it has appeared outside of the Auckland province (says the Press). Some days ago Mr. J. .D. Fairweather noticed what appeared to be a new kind of blight in his orchard at Kakaramea, and, suspecting that it might be fire blight, at once communicated with the Agricultural Department. The department immediately instructed an inspector to visit Mr. Fairweather’s property and ascertain if the blight was actually fire blight. He accordingly arrived in Patea on Saturday last and definitely pronounced the disease to be fire blight. So far as is known there is no remedy for the blight.

On two charges of committing an unnatural offence, A. O. SturrocK appeared on remand from December 27 before Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., in the New Plymouth Court yesterday. A further remand was granted till Thursday. 12th inst,, on the application of Senior-Sergt. MoCrorie. Before granting the adjournment His Worship had. remarked that accused was arrested on December 19, amk was again before the Court on December 27. It did not seem fair to accused to postpone the hearing further. In reply, SeniorSergeant MoCrorie said that the police were ready to go on with the case, but. the remand -was being asked for to enable the attendance of accused’s solicitor. In response to a question put by the Bench, accused said he consented to the remand, and His Worship then made the order, saying that as the adjournment was really on accused s behalf it altered the complexion of the application. Housewives are guaranteed snowwihte clothes with the use of “Fairy Wonder” Dry Soap, the queen of washing powders. “Fairy” will not redden or chap the tenderest skin, nor will it injure the finest fabrics. It is par excellence the finest washing compound in the wile, wide world. All grocers stock

A young man at Lyttelton obtained £l5 from a widow on promising to marry her. He failed to carry out the contract, and was arrested on a charge of false pretences.

A teacher in an Auckland school asked the question, “Can anyone tell me the meaning of D.V. ?” “Yes, miss,” came promptly from a young hopeful, “it means de Valera.”

“Don’t think that the freezing companies are angels when it comes to shipping frozen mutton,” said Mr. D. Jones, M.P., at a meat producers’ meeting. “We don’t,” replied a wellknown local farmer. “We look upon them as ‘fallen’ angels.”

While Pastor Ries, of Dannevirke, was waiting in a surgery for medical attention some ill-balanced person unfastened the traces attaching his horse to his gig (states an exchange). When the pastor came out and attempted to drive away the horse went forward, and the reverend gentleman was thrown heavily to the ground, suffering an additional injury.

Maoris are hardly economical, and they are fond of motor cars. Recently there came before the notice of a Wellington legal firm a case in which a descendant of Captain Cook’s colonials had purchased seven motors —all Fords —and when one developed engine trouble, simply abandoned it by the wayside. The trouble arose when the firm which supplied, him sent in its bill. History does not relate if he paid.

The heavy weather reported by cable from Sydney is delaying shipping in the Tasman Sea, and both the R.MjS. Marama and Ulimaroa, will not reach Wellington till to-dy. The Union Steam Ship Company were advised by wireless from the Marama that she is encountering a gale and high seas and cannot arrive at Wellington, before this evening, although she should have put in an appearance on Tuesday morning. The Ulimaroa, which did not leave Sydney until a day after the Marama, is not likely to arrive at Wellington before this ’evening.

“Fortunately the staff of clergy has been considerably increased, and much solid work is being done in every part of the diocese, but we still need more clergy for work in the country districts’ as at present the supply does not equal the demand,” says the Anglican Bishop of Auckland. Dr. A. W. Averill, in a New Year letter in the Church Gazette. He adds: “Perhaps the greatest need of the Church in New Zealand to-day is for young, active, phyisanly, mentally and spiritually strong men, who will be willing to serve where they are really needed.” Rarely have the Waikato farmers experienced such a good year from the climatic point of view as this one, remarks the New Zealand Herald. The grass and crops are now in luxuriant condition, while haymaking is proceeding apace. Nevertheless the farmers arc disturbed at the falling prices of butter-fat. and point out that their land which was bought during the last few years for high prices, is also depreciating in value, although the price of manures and commodities has not been reduced to any great extent. One returned soldier of lengthy farming experience who purchased land two years a<*o has a gross annual income of about £BOO. of which £7OO is paid out in interest and general expenses.

The sporting instinct is strong even in a hospital ward, the Auckland Star says: “It was jocularly remarked on Christinas morning by the chairman of the board that the color schemes in the decorations that had been so beautifully carried out seemed to have been worked out to suit the ideas of some of the patients' and nurses with due regard to their favorite colors and the “tip” they had got as to which horse would win the Auckland Cup at Ellerslie. No tevo schemes were alike, but the uncertainty added to the zest of it all, and led to a healthy rivalry that impelled Mr. Wallace to say when he was leaving that it was impossible for him or anyone else to say which ward looked the best. Whether their colors passed the winning post first or not, they had all succeeded in equalling one another with their decorations, and all deserved to win.

Seven Europeans who were peacefully and pleasantly engrossed in Grey mouth in the fascinating but illegal game of packapoo were rudely disturbed by the police, and as a result they will be required to attend the Greymouth Magistrate's Court on January I'l. The scene of the raid was an establishment in Chinatown, and the raiding party was led by Detective Young and Sergeant Fryer. Their sudden entrance caused wild excitement among the Chinesfe and whites on the premises, and the latter cast desperate glances aroiind for an avenue of escape. The police arrangements had beer, well made, ever, and the hau? was complete. The men on the premises realised that the “game was up,” and names and addresses were quickly forthcoming. Whi.ft the raid in progress another patron of the “bank” arrived, and on reaching the door was met by the polio* tpie.-y from Detective Young: “Do you want a ticket ?” The visitor forgot his man ners in hiM hurry, and when last seen was exceeding the speed limit.

The 4th Battalion Wellington Regiment BVid has been epgaged to play a programme of music at the Ngaere Gardens on Sunday, January 22, when a day of special interest to holidaymakers is being prepared by the proprietors of the gardens. At the East End picnic Miss Jenny Rae, of Eltham, was the winner of the Highland dancing competition.

Your soiled or railed suite, costumes, and dresses can be successfully drycleaned cr dyed and made equal to new at the cost of a few shillings, by J. K. Hawkins and Co., dyers and dry cleaners Dev i Street, New Plymouth. We also renovate felt hate, Panama hats, furs, etc. Now. it does not matter where you live; just post your goods to us, and they will be returned in a few days

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. H. Preece, Devon Street Central, New Plymouth.

It was proved at the Supreme Court of Victoria, at Melbourne, that (1) SANDER’S EXTRACT is much more powerfully healing and antiseptic than ordinary ’ eucalvptus preparations; (2) SANDER’S EXTRACT does not depress the heart like the se-ealled "extracts” and crude oils; (3) SANDER > EXTRACT- is highly commended by many autherities as a safe, reliable and effective household remedy. Get the genuine—insist if you have to—-aaa be

A ‘Wellington Resident who refused a demand for money made by a man in the city one night was followed by the man, who overtook him off Wellington Terrace, and seriously assaulted him, knocking him down several steps. Thousands of tropical-colored finches, parakeets, wild geese, pigeons, ducks and ot\er birds, arrived in Sydney recently by the steamer Marella. This feathered cargo was the result of many months of toil on the part of Mr. George Davis and his assistants, in the wild country around the Alligator River, Northern Territory. Mr. Davis (says the Sydnej' Sun) collected over 5000 birds in various parts of the Territory, and a large number of them will be handed over to Taronga Park Zoo. The remainder are to be sold privately.

The healthiest occupation one can adopt, according to a list made by the United States Department of Labor, after investigating causes of death in nearly 200,000 cases in twenty different occupations, is that of farmer or farm laborer. The average age at time of death among farmers is given as 68.5 years. The most hazardous occupation is that of bookkeeper or office assistant —average age of death only 36.5 years; railway engine-men and train-men live only 37.4 years; plumbers and gasfitters, 39.8 years; compositors and printers, 40.2 years. Accident makes the life of the’railway-men short, while the greatqpt enemy of the bookkeeper, plumber and printer is tuberculosis. “I wish to relate to you my experiences on New Year’s Day, as I think they are most amusing,” writes a News’ subscriber living a-t the back of Midhirst. “I left Stratford for home, a distance of about 12 miles, on a motor bike. I hadn't gone more than a mile before I broke a fork of the bike, so consequently borrowed a push bike, which I put out of action after travelling about six miles. I then walked two miles, and got the loan of a horse, which saw me to my journey’s end. In the afternoon I got the loan of a gig and horse in order to return the push bike, and on my return journey I had the misfortune to smash the wheel ,of the gig, so you see I had quite an exciting time on New Year’s Day.” With the completion of the new dam at Nihotupu, Auckland will possess storage for 840,000,000 gallons of water, which, at the present daily average consumption of 5% million gallons, will enable the city to withstand a drought of 153 days’ duration, should anything untoward happen. The average daily consumption per head of the population is at present 56 gallons, while the storage capacity is 349,000,000 gallons, made up to 220 million at Kaitakere, 69 million at the new auxiliary dam at Nihotupu, and 60 million at present impounded by the partially-constructed main Nihotupu dam. Tt is estimated that the latter undertaking will be completed by March, 1923, when the full reserve of 840 million gallons of water will be available. Early next summer the construction of the main Nihotupu dam will be so far advanced that the reservoir will then contain about 200 million gallons, or a little more than one-third of the full capacity of the completed reservoir.