LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It wae announced at a Labor Party gathering at Wellington on Monday evening that the Alliance of Labor had taken over the Maoriland Worker. The revenue collected in the New Plymouth postal district during the quarter \ ended December 31, totalled £21,124 as compared with £22,422 in the corresponding quarter of 1920, a decrease of £1298.

Replying in _ the House yesterday to Mr. W. T. Jennings (Waitomo), the Hon. D. H. Guthrie said l he had no intention of bringing down a Fair Rent Bill this or next session, but the subject was being dealt with in another way in the Land Laws. Bill. —Press Assn.

At last night’s meeting of the Plymouth Borough Council it was de cided to appoint Me» F.* Orbell as th< council’s representative on the Assess ment Court which is to sit at New Ply mouth during February. The expected railway “cut” wai mentioned in the House yesterday af ternoon. The Minister for Railway! said ho would make a statement on th< subject in the course of a few days.— Press Assn.

In connection with the recent partia destruction by fire of the Urenui Hotel Mrs. E. Kennedy, who has for the pas: sixteen years owned the hotel, has now arranged for rebuilding, which js to bi put in hand at once.

The initial' practice in connectior with the newly-formed pipe band of th< New Plymouth Caledonian Society was held last night. There was a gooc muster of recruits and a successfu practice was recorded.

Messrs. R. Cock, C. H. Burgess, am J. R. Cruickshank have been appointee by the New Plymouth Borough Counci as commissioners for the renewal funds established in connection with the electric light and tramways department

Primary schools in Taranaki will re open after the summer vacation to morrow. The New Plymouth Girls High School resumes on Tuesday February 7, and the Boys’ School opens on Tuesday, the 14th. The New Plymouth Technical College day school reopens on Tuesday, February 7, and the evening classes begin on the first Monday in March.

A report presented to the New Plymouth Borough Council recently by the engineer (Mr. W. H. Cook) on the question of the disposal of sewage was referred to at last night’s meeting. It was decided to defer consideration to enable the engineer to submit estimates of the cost of extending the discharge pipe to below low-water mark. “All the Happy Party” writes from Wafitara: “A picnic party visiting Kawaroa Park enjoyed such a happy day and had such kindly attention shown by the custodian that a felt to publicly express our thanks ‘to the citizens of New Plymouth for their liberal provision for the enjoyment of visitors, and especially the children.” t The late Mr. George Stephen Taylor, of Opunake, who died on January ’l, 1922, after providing for certain legacies, willed that the residue of the deceased’s estate be given to the Public Trustee upon trust for the officer in command of the Salvation Army in New Zealand, to be used for the general purposes of the Salvation Army.

The Post Office Savings Bank returns for the Decmber quarter of last year show that the deposits totalled £6,897,019. and the withdrawals £7,436,070, the withdrawals thus exceding the deposits by £539,021. In the New Plymouth district the deposits for the quarter amounted to £254,990, and the withdrawals to £‘294,277, the excess of the latter being £39,287. In the corresponding quarter of the previous year the deposits were £332,113 and tha withdrawals £343,470. the excess of withdrawals being £11,357. Prices for fat lambs at auction continue to improve. At Geraldine last Wednesday over 2000 were sold, the great majority at over 20s, and a score of lots at 24s and upwards. The’top price was 28s Id. The Dannevirke, correspondent of the Hawke’s Bay Herald also reports that the sheep market is on the improve and in the last few days there have been many inquiries locally for store stuff at an advance of from 3s to 4s a head for ewes and wethers, but the demand is largely unsatisfied even at this rise.

The Dominion’s exports in the December quarter totalled £8,362,100 and for the whole year (1921) £44,628,827. The corresponding figures for 1920 were £11,256,379 and £46,441,946. For the port of New Plymouth last quarter’s exports were £681,879, and the whole year’s £2,985,942, as compared with £283,294 and £1,869,185 for 1920. Last year the total exports from Taranaki (New Plymouth, Waitara, and Patea) \Jvere valued at £5,444,069 as against £4.168,835 in 1920, an increase of £l,275,234, or over 30 per cent.

Under the auspices of the Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, an address was given in the Soldiers’ Club last night by Mr. Vai. Duff, A.P.A. The subject was the “Advantages of Company Formation over Partnership,” and this question in its varied aspects was ably dealt with. By a clear and concise process of reasoning the speaker gave a decided decision in favor of company formation. A dainty dish of Cold Meat, Fish or Fowl, is all the daintier and more appetising with a dash of Sharland’s Tomato Hav® you tried itj _

A Canterbury resident, when driving in a gig, placed a cigarette- holder in a pocket, not realising that the cigarette was still alight. The result was that his clothes caught fire, and the gig seat was damaged before he was aware what had taken place. The man was so badly burnt that he was taken to the Christchurch hospital for treatment. The* work of the New Plymouth library in the period December 8 to January 19 is referred to in a report to the Borough Council by the librarian (Mr. J. H. Beattie). He states: Since the last meeting of the committee (December 8, 1921) 21 have joined the library and 16 have left, a net increase of 5 subscribers. During the same period 25 new books were purchased and placed on the shelves. The financial side of the library’s operations continues to progress satisfactorily, expenditure being much the same as the. previous year, but receipts show an increase of £B7 over the corresponding period of last year. A meeting of the W.C.T.U. was. held on January 26, a large number of members being present. A letter was read from Miss Mary Lovell, of America, with reference to the L.T.L. and Band of Mercy work, and it was decided that that branch of the union still endeavor to take up the work. The treasurer’s report showed a balance of £ll He 3d. The membership i« now 136. It was decided to hold the cradle roll picnic on February 18, at Kawaroa Park. Mesdames Valentine and Kibby were appointed delegates to the Dominion Convention, to be held at Hamilton in March.

A complaint regarding alleged “scant courtesy” of the driver of the 5.30 o’clock' electric ’bus to Vogeltown was received at last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council from an anonymous writer. The complaint was that tbe driver of the on a certain wet day had failed, at the request of intending passengers, to stop the > bus near a verandah under which the complainant and others were sheltering. In reply to the complaint the driver wrote stating that the point at which he was asked to stop was not a stop provided for in his orders, and that he had previously had trouble with the inspector for stopping in unauthorised places. The council decided to take further action.

Two ocean liners, each of over 8000 tons, are at present in the New Plymouth harbor. The Port Albany is loading a large quantity of dairy produce, meat and sundries, while the Kaikoura, which arrived from Wanganui last evening, is standing by-waiting for a berth also to load produce and meat. The Port Albany will probably sail for Wanganui to-morrow morning, when the overseas berth will be taken by the Kaikoura. The overseas steamer Waikawa, now discharging cargo at Wellington, will, according to the Wellington papers, arrive at New Plymouth tomorrow. It will probably be Lh? 1 end of this week or early next week before a berth is available for this vessel. The coastal shipping trade during the last few days has been particularly brisk and it’ was necessary to anchcr the auxiliary sehoonep—Zita in the stream for two days she could be accommodated at the wharf.

The Lyttelton Times, commenting on the cost of producing daily newspapers in- England, says:—New Zealand conditions show the same features in an exaggerated form. Prior to the war the charge for wages in an average newspaper office was 50 per cent, more than the charges for materials. Now the position is reversed, and materials are 50 per cent, above wages. Newspapers are to-day working on materials that cost, landed, more than three times the figure of 1914. The peak price for newsprint landed during the last twelve months was lOd a lb, as against the old price of a fraction over a penny. The most fortunate buyers had still CL stock their stores at a price 430 per cent, higher than the pre-war cost, and every newspaper in the country has in store paper bought on that basis —because no newspaper can afford to work without a reserve supply. The best basis on which paper can be bought to-day for future delivery is 160 per cent, higher at the mill than the average pre-war figure, and the cost in store shows a still bigger advance. All other costs have advanced similarly. Thus the cost <of carriage of newspaper is 105 per cent, higher, and the distribution more than double the former cost.

The following social innovations are mentioned in the Viennese paper, Reconstruction:—Bulgaria, which, like Germany and Austria, was compelled by I the terms of the Peace Treaties to abolish universal military service, has introduced instead of this the liability for citizens of both sexes to do service in the performance of works of public utility. The liability to service begins for girls at the age of 16, for young men at the age of 20, the term of service being six months for the former, and twelve months for the latter. Exempt from service are, besides the bodily disabled, all married women and the bread-win-ners of families. The service extends to agricultural amelioration, construction of canals, roads and railways, besides other work of public utility. The object of compulsory public service is to be, as stated in the introductory note to the Bill, the awakening and strengthening of the social instincts and feelings of solidarity jn all classes of society, and the development by this means of the moral and economic prosperity of the country. This Bill finds a compliment in a regulation issued by the Ministry for Public Education by it is decreed that agricultural and other manual work is to be included in the curriculum of all schools. In the report of the effects of these innovations splendid results are announced from a moral as well as from an economic point" of view. Much attention is paid by the Legislature in Bulgaria to the propagation of good books and writings among the young, and severe measures are provided for the suppression of trashy and. dangerous literature.

Particulars of entries for Awakino sheep and cattle fair to be held on Saturday next are advertised in this paper. The famous “D. & Ay* corsets are again in fuh supply at the Melbourne, Ltd., at reduced prices. The new stock, although reduced in price, is fully up to the high standard of quality set by the manufacturers, a foremost British-Cana-dian concern. Prices range from 10/6 to 29/6. Inspection cordially invited. Farmers, let this fact soak into your mind: One rejection of your milk oii account of impurity % will cost you more than a year’s supply of “Sinus,” the champion milking machine cleanser. Why run the risk when “Sinus” will keep your machines, tubing and utensils sweetly clean at h trifling cost. One or two teaspoonsful of Sharland’s Magnesia, two or three times a day. should be given to children during hot weather. It corrects acidity, flatulence, and Calais the atoaach. • ...