LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stock is now pouring into the Wanganui freezing works, and at both works full boards are employed. It is expected that the wool sales will liberate Tn Hawke’s Bay a sum equal to nearly £ 140,<KM). The recover}' of the wool market has been quite as early as competent authorities expected, and with more settled conditions in Europe and in England it may he expected to become progressively better.

There was no truth in the rumor that there was a ease of plague in Auckland, stated the Minister for Health (the Hon. C. J. Parr) in reply to a question in the House yesterday afternoon. A Press Association telegram from Wellington says the Minister of Health states that a suspected case of plague has been under observation for three or four days in Auckland, but bacteriological fests indicate beyond any doubt that 'the case is not plague.

A suggestion that a recreation ground similar to the New Plymouth Recreation Ground might be formed in the Grafton Gully above the Grafton Bridge, Auckland, is made by Mr. G. W. Allsop, who has recently returned to Auckland from a tour through Taranaki. He' said that the New Plymouth Recreation Ground with its ferns, lakes, trees, etc., was a most charming spot, and he thought a similar ground in the Grafton Gully would form a great attraction. He did not think there would be any great difficulties. The New Plymouth ground was patronised by thousands, and was a favorite place for open-air concerts. At a meeting of producers at Stratford yesterday, to discuss the meat pool, a producer asked whether a similar pool could be formed for butter and cheese. Mr. E. Marfell (delegate to the conierence) sa.o. that he thought that this was only the beginning. Cheese and butter should certainly be pooled. If they had a fair market to-day New Zealand butter would be worth a good deal more than it was. He did not think they had a fair market at present.

We have been shown one of a set of five remarkable lunar photographs, recently received by the local Astronomical Society from Mount Wilson, California. They were taken by meaps of the 100-inch reflecting telescope in the observatory there, and display a surprising amount of detail. The pictures are to be kept at the local observatory as standards of reference in lunar observation, but are to be placed on view for a time in Mr. T. Avery’s window, Devon Street. The C. and D. liner Port Albany, a vessel of 8800 tons, which arrived off the New Plymouth harbor on Sunday, was berthed at the wharf yesterday afternoon. The Port Albany will be engaged until about Tuesday next loading a large consignment of dairy produce and sundries drawn from New Plymouth, Waitara, and Patea. The Federal Line advise the Wellington papers that their liner Aaikdura was scheduled to leave Wellington last night for New Plymouth, in which case she should arrive here to-day. The Ikaikoura will be unable to berth until the Port Albany lias cleared the port. She will also take in a cargo of dairy produce and meat.

A Maori maniac, who was removed from the Kaiwhaike pa, Wanganui, last week and sent on to Porirua, led his escort, Constable Hedgman, a merry dance while on the train. He was intent on suiciding, and, not being in a straight jacket, he was very difficult to control. Windows of the carriage were smashed, and when the train arrived at Palmerston Itorth a straight jacket nad to be borrowed from the local police station. With the help of railwaymen and other police, the man was securely trussed up after a fifteen minutes’ struggle. The train was delayed for 20 minutes. Escorting a mental patient to a mental hospital is one of the many uncongenial tasks which falls to the lot of a constable. The policemen who arrested the man at Kaiwhaike have reason to be glad that a fit of such maniacal fury did not take possession ot the Maori while he was being taken across the river in a cahoe.

At a meeting of the New . Plymouth Fire Hoard on Monday it was decided to adhere to the decision that the hitzrov brigade shall cease to-be a separate unit The board had before them a letter from the Inspector of Eire Brigades (Mr. Hugo) in reply to the protest from the Fitzroy residents. T.m Inspector stated: “As pointed out on several previous occasions, it is a most anomalous position that two sections of the same brigade 'should practice two different systems of drill and it is surprising to me that such a condition should have been allowed to continue, in regard to the disbandment of the brigade, mV recommendation reads: ■The time has come to disband the litzrov Brigade ns, a practically independent section.’ This does not mean the station should be abandoned and no liremen left in the district, and following is my more complete recommendation in the matter: 'The Fitzroy Brigade, as an independent body, should be but the services oi, say, six of the mem bers, including a foreman, bo retained, three or more to sleep m the station, X remainder residing witlun reasonable distance thereto and the wnole to form integral part of the New Plymouth Eire Brigade.’”

Mr. G. W. Allsop, of Auckland has recently been on a motor trip to Taranaki and other provinces, and has given his impressions to the Auckland Herald. In Taranaki, Mr. Allsop remarked, he passed through several toll-gates, paying 2s 6d but the roads, all tarred macadem, were’so good that ho considered he received excellent value for the money. While the toll fees did not cover all the upkeep they helped considerably, and visitors thus paid a share of the expenditure. The only place in Taranaki where Mr. Allsop experienced -a lad road was at Mount Messenger, on the way from Sew'Plymouth to To Kmtl. The road there, was unmetalled and after a few days’ rain was very bad. The worst part of the whole tup was in the Taumatamaire lulls after pass ing Mount Messenger, where he hart to drive for 16 miles through In one place the ruts were so deep that the whrels of the. car could not touch the bottom, and it was necessary to have the ear dragged out by horses On this portion of the road Mr. A,lso P ed a car which had skidded over a bank, a distance of alrnlrt ,20ft A man and three children were in it, but they all Xped injury. Altogether, Mr. Allsop remarked there was little pleasure ’.n a motor trip in the Auckland Province owing to the extremely rough main roads.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., draw attention to their Tarata sale on Friday, January Particulars on page S.

Otago has founded many big commercial enterprises, and it has easily taken in its stride, as one might say, the launching, or the assisting to launch, of a new steamship company (states the Dunedin Star). The £2U,000 required to float the Dunedin-Wanganui Steamship Company is fully subscribed. Captain Holm, who is bringing out the Kylebeg, has ventured £5OOO in the enterprise, and most of the balance of the capital has been subscribed in Dunedin and Oamaru, leading Dunedin manufacturers, such as Speight’s, Shacklock’s, and others, taking fairsized parcels of the shares, while other firms have contributed as an expression of goodwill.

On Mayor Island, 25 miles off Tauranga, pictures were recently taken in connection with the picture "The Birth of New Zealand.” The actors and actresses had an experience which gave them some idea of what life on a desert isle must be like. Owing to adverse weather conditions the launch was unable to leave Taurf6iga with supplies for two days, and the marooned party had to fall back on bully beef and hard biscuits. A scene of the picture was in the making when the launch was eventually sighted, but the Jure of fresh bread and palatable provisions proved too much for the characters, and the camera man jsudd.enly found Mhimself photographing the bare scenery. Having recorded all the scenes possible on the island, the party returned to the mainland and proceeded to film a sham battle in the bush outside the town of Tauranga. This required the services of a tribe of Maoris, and a number of descendants of Te Kooti’s people were secured. Attired in the correct garb and armed with Snider rifles and shot guns, they entered into the spirit of the figllt with considerable zeal. Several, however, overcharged their blank cartridges with powder in an effort to get a heavy smoke effect, and in the clash of opposing forces one Maori was badly burned about the‘chest, while another received a few shotgun pellets which an enthusiastic warrior had forgotten to extract. The afccountß of the battle convey the impression that Te Kooti’s raids were mild affairs in the matter of din and spectacular effect w"hen compared to the “movie” efforts of his descendants. Box plans for the “Old Mother Hubbard” pantomime will open at Collier’s to-morrow morning, at 9 a.m. No seats will be marked off before this hour. Country patrons who’ forward postal notes to Collier’s will be -allocated seats alternately wjth each booking. The amount for reserving, including amusement tax, is 5/6.

Newton King, Ltd., invite entries for all their sheep fairs, list of which appears in auction columns. Pounds can be saved by having your old or soiled garments renovated by J. K. Hawkins and Co., dry cleaners and iteam dyers, Devon Street, New Plymouth. We have the most up-to-date plant in Taranki for doing this class of work. It does not matter how soiled or faded your garments are, we can renovate them like new. Our ’phone number is 685. Get busy.

A delightful range of ladies’ summer underwear is now displayed at Morey’s. Make your selection to-day.

Messrs. Harkness, \ osseler, and Young notify having taken over the South Road Foundry, New Plymouth, from Messrs. R. S. Wooldridge, Ltd. The firm are out to execute all castings etc. at shortest notice.