LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a special meeting on Monday night the Stratford Borough Council fixed the weekly half-holiday for the town for Thursday.

“What we want to do, sir, is to publicly notify the fact that in future offences a heavy penalty will be asked for,” said counsel in a case at the Hawera Court yesterday in. which a man was charged with leaving a dead cow on the banks of the Kapuni stream. In reply to a question in the House yesterday, Mr. Massey said he did not propose to drop the question of the charges made recently by Mr. R. A. Wright (Wellington suburbs) into certain dismissals from the public service, but he would first have to hear what Mr. Wright had to say, and he would then consult Cabinet. —Press Assn.

Germany is evidently out to regain trade, and is leaving no stone unturned to effect this end. A well-known Hawera firm yesterday received a publication from a German firm advertising various goods, but as practically the whole of it was printed in German, :t was of little use.

The Railway Department is proceeding actively with the reconstruction of th e Whenuakura railway bridge, which was recently wrecked by a flood. A big gang of men with the necessary material are on the spot, and it is hoped to be able to resume through rail traffic in about ten days’ time. —Chronicle.

A young man named Roy Jones waylaid an elderly man named Spurdie, who was in delicate health, in Wanganui lately, and pummelled him so badly that he was obliged to keep to his bed for some days afterwards. For this brutal behaviour Jones was mulcted in a fine of £7 10s by an indulgent magistrate, who would have shown a greater regard for public interest and safety if he had sent the young blackguard to gaol for a term.

The Hawera Dairy Company is making an advance to suppliers for last month of Is per ib for butter-fat. Last year, for the same month, the advance payment was Is 6d per lb. The increase in production for the factory as compared with last year has been 13 per cent., mainly due to the favorable season. It is expected that the ’total amount paid for butter-fat per lb for the season will be Is 2d, which is about equal with the pre-war price. The cost of manufacture, however, has just about doubled. —Star.

The 4th Battalion Band, New Plymouth, will be among the competitors at the Dominion contest to be held in Wellington next month, and will leave New Plymouth on February 11. At a meeting of the committee last night the question of raising finances was discussed, and it was decided to hold a number of entertainments to augment the funds. The first of these will take place on Saturday night at Kawaroa Park.

An unusual christening occurred at the Christchurch Magistrate's Court on Monday. With Mr. S. E. McCarthy, S.M., and Miss A. Edwards, matron of the Christchurch Receiving Home, as sponsors, a young New Zealander, aged two months, who had been left unclaimed on a clergyman’s doorstep, was given the name of “Miss Opawa,” after the locality in which she was found. As the Court cleared a witness was heard to remark that the child should be grateful in years to come that it had not been found in Waipukurau.

“I think farmers and manufacturers should spend a year or two at our university colleges studying economics and science,” said Sir Robert Stout at Auckland the other day. Such a course, he said, would tend to greater efficiency, and would make them better farmers. Clergymen, lawyers, and doctors attended the university in order to train as professional men, and if it was good for them surely a course of chemistry, biology, and economics would give the farmers an understanding of problems which to-day confront the people. A party of representatives of the Wanganui Education Board, comprising Messrs. W. A. Collins (chairman), W. 11. Swanger (secretary), and E. R. Hodge (architect), are at present on a visit to the Taranaki Education district and arrived in New Plymouth last night. They were met at Hawera yesterday morning by Mr. P. J. H. White (chairman of the Taranaki board) and Messrs. H. J. Thornton (secretary), C. H. Moore (architect), and H. W. Insull, who takes up the position of secretary shortly. The party were conducted through the new Technical School at Hawera, and visited various schools on route to New Plymouth, including Manaia, Opunake, aud Okato. To-day a visit will be paid to New Plymouth schools, and the visitors return to Wapgauui to-morrow morning.

A meeting of the local committee and guarantors of the New Plymouth Chautauqua was held at the Soldiers' Club on Monday afternoon. Mr. C. H. Burgess, who presided, expressed a feeling of disappointment at the small amount of interest that appeared to be taken in the arrangements for this season’s Chautauqua, especially as such a large number had signified their desire at the last season that arrangements should be entered into for the Chautauqua to come this year. Mr. P. Stainton concurred with what Mr. Burgess had said, expressing the opinion that it was on account of the apathy of the people of the place that travelling entertainers did not come to New Plymouth. He thought, however, notwithstanding the present position, it was possible to make this season’s Chautauqua quite as suc-

ressful as its predecessors. This year’s Chautauqua is to be held in the Empire Theatre, commencing on February 4. Mr. E. R. !>'Anvers, of Feilding, who was present at the meeting, explained the system adopted there of booking seats for the season, or for single entertainments, and also the means adopted for securing the guarantee for the succeeding season, which , had worked out quite successfully in their experience.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., wish to draw clients attention to their Te Wera sale, which they are holding on Friday, January ,71 0. at 1 p.m. Full particulars of entries will bo found on page R of this issue.