LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 January 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A total of £1713 Ils was taken at the gates at the Stratford Racing Club’s recent meeting — £4OO less than last year. “There has never been a season like this; it is the best season I have ever seen in Auckland—a wonderful season for the dairy people,” said the Prime Minister, on his return to Wellington from the north*.

The Shaw Savill steamer Arawa from London, via Panama, is due tc arrive in Wellington to-morrow. Coming by this steamer are 188 immigrants’ Of these 40 are domestic servants (coming to engagements), 31 are nominated, and the remainder are exImperia] soldiers, their wives and families, who are coming out under the Imperial Government’s overseas settlers scheme.

A picnic organised by the West Coasters’ Association was held at Kawaroa Park on Saturday afternoon and attracted an attendance of upwards of sixty people. The bright sunshine which prevailed, and the pleasant surroundings of the park, contributed to make a very pleasant day for those who attended, and as* Kawaroa especially caters for the children the young folk were quite in their element. / “I notice.” said the ’ Minister of Public. Health (Hon. C. J. -Parr) recently, “that the Mayor of Blenheim has accused me of being rather ‘panicky’ in my campaign against rats. I wish to heavens local authorities could get a little ‘panic’ into their municipal bosoms about the insanitary state of their respective boroughs. Some municipal authorities do not seem yet to know that there have been 110 cases of plague in Australia, and nearly seventy deaths, in the last few months. Should the dread visitor appear here, those very people would probatly upbraid myself and my department for not having warned them in time.”

The Timaru Herald states that a run by car along some miles of road in the plains and downs west of the railway in South Canterbury showed the travellers a considerable total of grain crops in ear and one or two paddocks of oats in stook, but the majority not yet ready for the reaper. The wheat crops seen gave the impression that if favorable weather prevails during the grain-filling period the average yield will be good. Very few outstanding fine crops were seen, but on the other hand really poor crops were even fewer. The majority of oats crops, however, seemed to be on the light side.

Reference to a paragraph published in the Sydney Morning Herald of December 31 last was made by the Minister of Public Health (Hon. C. J. Parr). He mentioned it in connection with the campaign against rats. The paragraph is as follows:—“Mail advices from Japan report that plague rats discovered on the Tango Mani at Nagasaki in time to prevent the disease being spread in Japan. The vessel was thoroughly fumigated. The steamer had just arrived from Australia, and the officers reported that twelve dead rats were found aboard. An examination of the animals showed genuine plague.” “That gives some indication.” said the Minister, “of the imminent risk all countries receiving shipping from Australia must. run until the utmost precautions are taken.”

“When I saw what France was doing for its reconstruction I felt prouder of my country than I did even during the war,” declared the Very Rev. Dean Regnault whilst telling a Christchurch Press reporter about his experiences in the war regions during his recent visit to Europe. He described how trenches and shell-holes were filled, and fields were cultivated though they still contained patches holding war’s debris, but it was when telling of how the peasantry, yet unable to rebuild their homes, lived in temporary shelters, and sometimes felt it a bit less uncomfortable to sleep in a “dug-out,” as it gave more shelter from the rains, that he manifested his pride in the pluck of the French nation. The havoc of war was evident in the villages and towns when he v’isitecl Northern France, but never- ; theless nearly all of the factories had been rebuilt, and fully half of them, were permanent structures. In town and country, people went to work with a. win towards reconstruction, not waiting for indemnities —although the French spirit was determinedly for reparation in time. The first thing which the peasantry did after seeing to the cultivation of their fields was to rebuild the schools, and out of the 6700 which had been destroyed during the war, 5500 were now rebuilt. The round-the-mountain trip yesterday, via Opunake and Dawson’s Falls house, organised by Mr. G. Gibson, was patronised by twenty passengers, and a very enjoyable day was spent. The cars left New Plymouth at 8.15 a.m., when the weather was cloudy. Slight showers ,wete encountered at Tataraimaka, but were of short duration, and fine weather prevailed for the remainder of the run to Opunake. At this town the party paid a visit to the beach and resumed the journey through Awatuna and Riverlea, from where a o-ood view of the mountain was obtained. The cars arrived at Dawson’s Falls house (via Kaponga) at a quarter to twelve, after a good trip along the track. At lunch the visitors were well catered for by Mr. Murphy. The journey home was via Stratford, Inglewood and Lepperton, arid New Plymouth was reached about 5.30 p.m. It is probable that further trips will be arranged during the season, and it is also intended to have an excursion to Mokau next Sunday if- weather conditions and the state of the road permit. A few shillings spent in the free use of Nozol to protect the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and threat from coughs, colds, and sore throats,

“The meat trade is the most immoral business in the Empire,” said Mr. J. C. Cooper at the meeting of farmers in Masterton on Wednesday.

John Benson, “Nitrate King,” has bought His Majesty’s Theatre, London, from the Tree The purchase for £500,000 was actually agreed upon between Mr. Benson and the executors of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in 1918, but

the Tree regime ended only recntly through the longevity of “Chin Chin Chow.”

“I think that much of the land in is distinct is over-valued,” stated a

retired "farmer to a Manawatu Times representative He said that he had sold his own farm years ago at £5O per acre, and he believed that at this price it would be difficult to make it pay. The farm had since been sold at £l5O per acre. Four Chinese, who thirty years ago were miners in British Columbia, will, says a Reuter message from Ottawa, shortly sail for China each with a small fortune. In the ’nineties they collected six pounds of platinum, which, on breaking camp, they put into a bottle and hid under a rock. Time separated the four, but meeting last year in China, they decided to go back to Canada, platinum having gone up from 50 cents an ounce to 75 dollars. With difficulty the party found their cache, and recovered the platinum, which they have now sold for over 7000 dollars.

Selling burial plots through advertisements in the daily papers seems to be a novelty in America. One such advertisement in a New York City paper reads: “Wives to-day, widows to-mor-row! To-day the husband can telephone us: ‘Send an automobile for my family.’ He can ride up to the magnificent Westchester Hills and see the most beautiful park in America. Now it can be a cheerful party—for life is full, and he is just doing a wise thing—not a serious thing. He can choose his family lot. He can pay a small depositl—and he can motor home with the freedom of mind of duty done. So easy

to do! To-morrow, if he should die. he can do nothing!”

During recent heavy rain in the Takaka Valley, what is supposed to have been a cloud burst occurred in a gully at Clifton, causing a gigantic land

slide, which did heavy damage, estimated at thousands of pounds (states the Nelson Mail). The slide carried away the old wine cellar so well known to visitors, the sawmill and water wheel; also, together with an express, tools, casks, everything, in fact, in the track, wrecking in its career a milking shed and plant. “That New Zealand has no representative in New York city is a matter of regret,” said a recent visitor to the Dominion. “Australia is represented in the person of Mr. Sheldon. Thia representation covers many points and gives Australia a status which New Zealand lacks. During the whole four months I was in the city, New Zealand was never mentioned in the Press excepting in association with Australia, and in such a way as to foster the common belief that it was part of Australia. ‘Our growing trade relations warrant representations, whilst the wonderful resources of-'this Dominion in minerals, climate and scenic beauty deserve mention in a country so full of enterprise and ambition.”

Many remarkable stories of the “modus operandi” of members of an expert criminal gang which operated in Melbourne for a long time are told. Not the least interesting (says the Age) is that of one man—tall, well, built, and always immaculately dressed. Ostensibly he worked as a tally clerk, but only sufficiently to keep him clear of the vagrancy iaws and of suspicion the part of the detectives. For a long time he was suspected by one detective, but the latter’s suspicions eould not be confirmed owing to the clever manner in which the criminal worked. At length he made a mistake. The clue was promptly followed up. and he was sentenced to a long term of Imprisonment. In conversation later he related the explanation of a mystery which had been puzzling the police officers for some time. In one establishment in the city the proprietor was continually missing valuable guns from the shop. On the building, windows or doors, there was no trace of a shopbreaker having been at Vrork. It was not cleared up until the convict volunteered his explanation. It

was a one. He said, candidly, that whenever he felt in need of a “fiver” he opened the front door of the shop with a key he had made himself, took a gun worth probably £3O, and sold it to a fence.” The matter of obtaining the right key wa,s ingenious. “I only had one disappointment,” he added, naively. “One night when I paid a visit to the shop.l found the old lock had been removed and a new one substituted. 1 was delayed for over an hour, as I had to make a new key.” “The loveliest lot of voile’ blouses ever shown in town,” is common comment regarding the new goods now being exhibited at the Melbourne, Ltd. These blouses come diredt from Belfast, and comprise the very latest styles in dainty Irish hand-embroidered work. Qualities are superfine. Prices range from 15/6 to 45/-. No matter what may be said to the contrary by prejudiced or interested persons, “Fairy Wbnder” Dry Soap is the finest washing powder ever placed on the market. Older and less efficient powders are being rapidly ousted by this wonderful new invention. There’s a good reason. It works while you sleep. All grocers. Many of our readers will be sorry to 1 note that Rennie’s Xmas Fair closes down this week, and the offer of free Xmas gifts will be withdrawn. Such a lot of housewives are proud of the gifts they got from Rennie’s, and if you didn’t get one, it’s not yet too late. Come this week; next week will be too