LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The January pay-out on the 20th by the Stratford Dairy Factory is on the basis of 9d per lb butter-fat for butter and Is for cheese. In February, it is reported, the prices will be 8d and lOd respectively. A Press Association message from Wanganui reports that the police have received word that an oil launch has been washed up on the beach near Kai Iwi. No further particulars are to hand.

Improvement in the North Island sawmilling industry is indicated by the disposal by the Forestry Service of a block of five million feet of milling timber, principally rimu, near Raetihi, for £10,597. It is understood a Rangitikei firm were the successful tenderers. In the House yesterday afternoon the Minister \ for Health informed Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central), in reply to the latter’s inquiry if anything was; being done to prevent a recurrence of an influenza epidemic such as is now sweeping over Britain, that he is making inquiries into the matter.—Press Assn.

“Our country is in a bad way just now, especially Kimberley, with all the mines closed down,” writes Mr. H. C. Bennett, manager of the Springbok footballers, in a letter to the secretary of the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union. “Half the town are on relief works at present, and things are getting worse.... Still we smile and try to take our pleasures as usual. I ■wish I was back again in your part of the world,” he adds. Athletes' should mote that nominations for the Clifton Sports close with the secretary to-day.

Nelson, “sleepy hollow,” is at last bestirring itself, and by means of an attractively got up booklet, is telling the world that it is the “garden of New Zealand,” and has more sunshine than even sunny Italy. The booklet is issued by the Nelson Chamber of Commerce, and betokens an interest in the attractions of the town and the resources of the district that has not been evinced in the past. Its publication and circulation outside should do Nelson much good.

The assertion made through a Southern paper to the effect that under the meat pool the South Island was going to suffer a loss through having its output pooled with the North, was queried by a speaker at a meeting in New Plymouth yesterday when the pool was being discussed. He said there was a recent instance in which a ship loaded 10,000 wether carcases at Napier before going to the South Island. “All the cargo on the ship would go Home as prime Canterbury,” the speaker concluded.

A collision took place yesterday afternoon in Devon Street between one of the new tramcars and a taxi car driven by Mr. J. W. Wilks. The motor was standing at the kerbing near Nolan’s auction mart, and just commenced to move. out on to the roadway when the tram came along and struck the front of the car with considerable force, breaking the forepart, including the radiator, and both front tyres were burst. The tram was pulled up within its own length. There was a motor lorry standing behind the taxi car and that may possibly have obstructed the driver’s view of the tram as it came down the hill from Liardet Street.

The one hundredth' anniversary of the landing in New Zealand of the first Methodist Minister and his wife, the Rev. Samuel and Mrs. Leigh, will be celebrated by the Methodist Church throughout the Dominion to-morrow. At the Whiteley Memorial Church the Rev. W. J. Elliott will preach on subjects appropriate to the event, while hymns distinctive of Methodism will be sung. Solos will be rendered at the evening service by Mrs. F. C. Ferry and Mr. F. E. Gooder, and a strong orchestra will assist the large choir in the various anthems. The citizens of the community and the visiting bowlers are elsewhere cordially invited to attend the great historic event.

“If there is anyone here representing the harbor board we might give him a reminder that we want the work speeded up a little bit more than has been done in the past forty years,” said Mr. W. Stanley, in speaking at a meeting held in New Plymouth yesterday to discuss the meat pool. Mr. J. T. Quin, who was the principal speaker at the meeting, replied that he thought the Harbor Board had a hard row to hoe at present. “All that we can say,”' remarked Mr. Quin, “is that the port is an absolute success. We paid under sufferance for many years. Since the freezing works were erected, however, a new filip has been given and without a shadow of doubt your port is a success.” The fact that the port of New Plymouth would probably be the outlet for all the frozen meat from the Taranaki province and adjacent districts under the meat pool scheme was mentioned by Mr. J. T. Quin at a meeting of producers held in New Plymouth yesterday to discuss the pool. Mr. Quin had previously stated that certain ports of call would probably be eliminated by the pool in order to reduce shipping costs. In reply to a question by Mr. D. J. Hughes he said he did not think New Plymouth would be cut out and went on to make his statement as reported above. He believed that in regard to some of the small roadsteads the pool would have to try and get smaller boats of say 2000 tons, and insulated to lift produce instead of having some of the bigger boats lying off for days at a cost of £5OO a day. The Waverley correspondent of the Hawera Star, talking to a settler from Moeawatea on Friday, gleaned some information concerning the cloudburst last week. He informed him that it must have happened well inland from Moeawatea, as only a very little rain fell there at 11.30 a.m. The first indication they had that anything was wrong was the rumbling noise made as the onrush of water swept all fallen timber before it. The water in the Moeawatea stream rose four feet in three hours. A suspension bridge at. Mason’s was nearly gone. The guy ropes snapped, and the bridge swung back to its place again. “My informant told me that he stood at one place for three hours, and never saw a drop of water, all that was seen being logs floating down.” The mailman coming in from the Moeawatea took nine hours to do the trip on horseback, as the roads are in some places washed away and in others covered by silt and logs of wood. The break on the bridge has made Waverley station very lively, qnd the local carriers have their work cut out to meet the extra pressure that is being put on them.

-The debate on retrenchment that took place in the House recently, when the estimates of the Public Service Commissioner’s Office were under consideration, showed that there is a strong feeling on both sides of the House that unjustifiable hardship is being inflicted upon some members of the Civil Service. Ministers are disposed to resent the tone of the criticism. They regard retrenchment as a painful duty. They are anxious to avoid inflicting hardship, but they do not believe that it is possible to reduce the number of employees in the State Departments without causing suffering to sohie people. The heads of Departments have not welcomed retrenchment. They have fought very hard against it, and only when forced to do so by an imperative demand for reduction of expenditure have they co-operated with the Public Service Commissioner in making dismissals and retirements.

In connection with the concert in aid of the funds of the New Plymouth Beautifying Society the promoters have been fortunate enough to secure the services of leading artists, including Mr. Wm. Hay, an Australian singer. A special concert orchestra will also assist. Mr. Hay has a tenor voice 'and appears in the programme in four items. The local artists are of first rank and are favorites with the public. Popular prices have been fixed, 3s (reserved), 2s and Is. The box plan is on view at Collier’s, where seats may be reserved without extra charge. Tickets may be had at the .office of the president (Mr. Hughes), or the secretary (Mr. Clarence Pepperell), both of Brougham Street, Mr. Mac Diarmid (Fitzroy) the treasurer, Mr. G. W. Browne (Vogeltown) and Mr. Robert Davies (Westown). Mr. Hay arrived last night from the South. It is said that he intends to reside in New Plymouth.

Ngaere Gardens are at present looking at their best, and' provide a pleasing picture to the eye of the visitor. Anyone making the trip to-morrow should have an enjoyable day’s outing. The special attraction will be a programme of music to be rendered by the 4th Battalion Band from New Plymouth and their recitals at Ngaere have proved very popular. There are many pleasant spots in the gardens and Messrs. Lester Bros, have also made complete arrangements for catering for visitors'.

The Home Missioner (Mr. H. G. Sell) will hold services on Sunday next, the 22nd inst., at: Piko II a.m.; Okoke, 12.36 p.m.; Pukearuhe, 7.80 p.m.

It is reported that another “cut” in the railway service is in contemplation. The Wanganui Harbor Board has decided to fix the price of its dredge Kaione at £60,000, and the hiring fee for the vessel at £l2O per month for a six months or longer charter, exclusive of officers, crew and running expenses. A settler’s house near New Plymouth was recently visited, and jars and other articles stolen. Settlers should take warning and lock up their premises when absent, as petty thieving all over the district is more rife just now than it has been for many a day.

Some good deep-sea fishing off New Plymouth has been reported during the pjist few days. Trawling by motor boat is much in vogue, and some surprisingly good catches have been made, including some fair sized Kingfish. Parties at Urenui have also been successful in flounder spearing on the mud flats on the river. The warm weather and smooth water have facilitated the fishing. At a meeting of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League on Thursday evening, it was reported that the tourist traffic during the holidays was greater than ever before despite the unreasonableness of the weather. The Tourist Bureau was made full use of. The chairman (Mr. T. C. List) stated that the number of visitors to the mountain house also constituted a record, and that the recently erected extensions were fully availed of. At a meeting of the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League on Thursday evening, Mr. R. Day stated that the recent Seventh Day Adventists’ camp was conducted on model lines. During his inspection on the ten days the camp was held he had seen nothing to which exception could be taken, though on one occasion he found an empty jam tin which a boy had been instructed to take away to the dump and had put it behind a tent instead. This, he thought, was a record. A discussion ensued as to the practicability of instituting a similar tent camp to deal with the summer holiday traffic in New Plymouth. It was considered impossible to have 100 tents, and that to purchase them would be out of the question, unless townspeople came behind the scheme. It was pointed out' that if the band contest, were held in New Plymouth next year, as was likely, there would be at least 1000 visiting bandsmen, and two or three thousand other visitors, and to house such a number would present a very difficult problem. A member remarked that a public meeting was to be held so soon as it was known if the contest is to be held here and possibly the question of accommodation would then be discussed. It was agreed to defer further consideration of the matter until after the meeting. The 4th Battalion Band will give a recital to-night at Kawaroa Park in aid of contest funds. Dancing will be held on the lawn.

In this issue the N.Z. Meat Packing and. Bacon Co., Ltd., advertise the rate per pound the company is paying for pigs.

Colonel Mclnnes, chief secretary for the Salvation Army in New Zealand, accompanied by Major Wallace, commander of the Taranaki Division, will arrive in New Plymouth this evening. Besides conducting the usual services in the brougham Street Hall, the Colonel, who is a very able speaker,-will give his thrilling recital “The Scottish Covenanters,” in the Workers’ Social Hall at 3 p.m.

The Melbourne, Ltd., have still a few men’s pure fur felt hats in plain and velour finish at 19/6. These goods were formerly 35/- and 39/6, so that the enormous loss made can be readily realised. The hats were bought from an indent agent whose client Was unable to meet his engagements. “Sinus,” the famous milking machine cleanser, is meeting with an extraordinary demand , from dairy farmers throughout Taranaki. “Sinus” ejeanaes thoroughly and quickly without injury to tubing or cups. Obtainable from L. A. Nolan and Co., New Plymouth, and Farmers* Co-op. stores.

The Commissioner of Taxes draws the attention of taxpayers to the notification appearing in to-day’s issue that the due date of payment of the income-tax is on Tuesday, February 7, 1922. Additional tax will accrue if the tax is not paid on or before February 28, 1922. The demands will be posted from the office of the Commissioner of Taxes on or about January 31, 1922. Demands must be presented with all payments, and if a demand has not been received the Commissioner should be communicated with. It should be noted, however, that individuals (not companies), whose surnames commence with the letters D, J, K. P, W will not receive their demands until some days later. In these cases a new due date—viz., February 21, 1922—-will be fixed under section 127. Additional tax will accrue twenty-one days thereafter. A rebate of 5 per cent, will be allowed on all tax paid within twentyone days of the due date.