LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 January 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mails which left Auckland on December 20 by the R.M.S. Niagara, via Vancouver, arrived at London on January 23, 1922.

Some people can break the borough by-laws and suffer no ill consequences. Others have less luck. While alighting from a moving tramcar at the Pioneer Road stop yesterday, a young man, apparenty unpractised in the art, fell rather heavily, but fortunately clear of the car. He suffered only from a shaking and some injury to his nether garments.

The Taranaki Education Board has been notified by a circular read at yesterday’s meeting that, the department has reinstated the conveyance and boarding allowance to pupils attending secondary departments in district high schools.

“I should like to know when the Stratford School building will be ready for occupation f” was a question put by .Mr. H. Trimble at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Education Board. The architect <Mr. C. H. Moore) replied that actually the buildipg was ready, but the delay in securing, the grant for furniture'had held up operations. He understood that in the meantime school would be resumed in the old building. During the last week or so prisoners'have been engaged in generally cleaning up the slopes of Maryland Hill, and yesterday morning the accumulation of rubbish was being burnt. The fire, however, after the dry weather that lias been experienced, spread very rapidly through the grass and to the trees surrounding the residence of Mrs. iverr, in Brougham Street, with the result that it was necessary to call the lire brigadeThe brimideamen turned out smartly and soon had a good lead playing on the tlames which were extinguished without difficulty.

During the past year the progress of the Te Roti-Opunake railway has not been rapid, but some headway has been made, the Opunake Times says. The bridge over tbe Waingongora has bean finished and rails are to hand for the section as far as Kapnni where preparations for plate-laying are now in hand. The track has been cleared as far as Auroa, and if there is any money available (there will be plenty of men this winter) the line should reach Opunake before the end of 1923.

To-morrow, at Webster Bros.’ Mart, will be sold a big consignment of 1000 boxes of choice fresh Auckland fruit. The sale is fixed for 2 o’clock.

The cruiser Melbourne leaves Auckland for Wellington at 6 a.m. on Saturday, and remains there about four days. Thence she goes to Lyttelton. H.M.S. Chatham leaves Auckland for the south at noon today, omitting Gisborne and Kaikoura from the itinerary.—Press Assn.

A resident of Blackball has receved a letter from a friend in the United States, who was previously a miner in the Blackball mine (states the Christchurch Press) . He says :“No go-slow here; anyone suggesting such a thing would be lynched or shot. It is hustle and go for your life all the time.” The danger of leaving about matches which are not enclosed in tin coverings was shown by a discovery in a local grocer’s shop yesterday. One evening during Christmas week tbe shopkeeper noticed a strong sulphur smell in his shop, but could not locate it.- When cleaning out some top shelves in his shop yesterday he took down a packet of matches and discovered that rats had gnawed through the paper wrapping, and ignited the head of a match. The resulting spark had set off all th© matches on one side of the packet and a fire was only prevented through lack of air to fan the -flame. “Members should endeavor to see that as far as possible nothing else comes in the way of them attending at the board,” said Mr. P. J. H. White, chairman of the Taranaki Education Board, yesterday, when leave of absence was granted to four of the members. He remarked that tbe work was not merely confined to the monthly meeting as there were committee matters requiring attention. Of course in two instances members of the board were absent on Parliamentary duties, in which sphere they had done good work on behalf of the board.

A letter from the Education department read at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki board intimated that the application for a grant of £49 for certain alterations to the western wing of the Fitzroy school could not be entertained. In connection with this school a letter was also received from the committee asking that certain improvements be effected to the gymnasium (including hat and coat accommodation for pupils), and that shelter sheds be provided for boys and giris. The Committee’s request was left in the hands of the chairman (Mr. P. J. H. White).

A peculiar complaint, something akin to colic, has been prevalent a-bout Dunedin for some time past, but, though it has been fairly common, the health authorities have not so far been able to find a common cause to .jyhich it might be attributed. The disease, which is thought to be stomach influenza (states the Otago Times) is not a notifiable one, and the difficulty about making in-, vestigations is that complaints do not usually reach the authorities until after the patient is convalescent. The disease is accompanied by stomach pains and vomiting, but it appears to be mostly of a very niild nature, lasting only a few hours, though some people have been ill with it for several days. A letter has been received by tbe secretary of th Y .W.C.A. from an appreciative guest at the Clarke Memorial Hostel during the Christmas vacation. “Whilst on my holiday in New Plymouth I stayed at the Y.W.C.A. Hostel. I feel it would be very unfair if I did not write and tell you that 1 had r most enjoyable time there. I would like to compliment the committee on acquiring such a beautiful place for girls to live in. More particularly would I like to congratulate your matron, Miss Roughton, on the excellent way in which she runs the Hostel. The food is very, good and excellently served, tbe house is spotlessly clean. Miss Roughton is so very kind that the Hostel is truly ‘a home away from home.’ I hope that the house will always be full, and that your undertaking will prove a financial success. With all good wishes for the Hostel’s future success, Yours, etc.”

A report on Standard 6 examinations was presented to the Taranaki Education Board yesterday by the Senior Inspector (Mr. J. A. Valentine). He stated: For Standard 6 certificates 761 pupils sat from our public schools. Of these 501, or 65.8 per cent., gained proficiency certificate's, and 149, or 19.6 per cent., gained competency certificates, of which 25 were endorsed. These figures indicate a slight reduction in fha proficiency percentage and a considerable rise for the competency figures, the result over all showing for this year an increase oi, 6.1 per cent, in the number of candidates gaining certificates. From the private schools of the district 69 candidates came forward, of .whom 35 or 50.7 per cent, gained proficiency certificates, and 10 or 1'4.5 per cent, were awarded competency certificates. These results are a good deal lower than were last year’s. A party of Wanganui residents who have recently toured Taranaki are enthusiastic, the Herald says, regarding the lieauties of that province and the excellent roads Which they found there. It was a great treat to motor over 50 or 60 miles of tar-sealed roads with hardly anything in the nature of a bump. They found the country looking in excellent condition and were impressed with the large quantities of hay which were being harvested. In every part of the province farmers were cutting hay. Feed, owing to the favorable seAson, was plentiful, and the farmers were providently providing themselves with fodder for the winter. The beauti* ful gardens of New Plymouth both public and private, impressed the visitors, as also did the facilities provided on the beach for the recreation of children. There were swing-boats, see-saws, slides, and even a miniature merry-go-round. The new type of tram-cars adopted by the Borough Council were also favorably commented upon.

The Melbourne, Ltd., are showing some splendid new lines in white bath towels just arrived from the manufacturers. The following are extra special value: —20 inches by 42 inches long, 4/11 per pair: 23 by 44 inches long, with ted stripe, 7/6 pair- 24 by 48 inches long in double terry make, 9/6 pair. Quality is superb.

Quoth the salesman: “I know it is considered bad policy to 'leery the other ' chap’s wares, but is it not a fact that So-and-so’s washing powder 'rots the clothes, and such-and-such a powder makes a nasty scum? Nothing like that about <“Fairy Wonder,” the queen of washing powders. The public soon a good thing. My sales have trebled in three months.” ‘All grocers stock it.

Weather permitting, Mr. G. Gibson will run a motor trip to Mokau on Sunday next. Particulars are advertised on page 1 of this issue. Booking is heavy, and intending passengers should book without delay.

A sudden chill may give you cold in the head, inflamed throat or bronchitis. Remember, if you should take a chill don’t wait until you are laid up, but use Nazol freely right away. Thousands jenow its value.