LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 February 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

“He’s like a fly with one wing off; knocking about and doing nothing.” This is the description an Inglewood cdunty councillor yesterday gave one of the county employees.

“If the ranger were to come out our way, I can assure you he would need to bring a drover with him,” remarked Cr. Topping at the Inglewood County Council meeting yesterday. For distribution through the Dominion prior to Anzac Day the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association has received 396,000 artificial poppies from France.

The Midhirst School and'district will hold their annua] picnic at the Ngamotu beach to-day. The combined eastern schools from Toko to Whangamomona will picnic at Ngamotu on the 17th inst., over 1000 arriving by train at 11 a.m.

It was reported at the. meeting of the Pukekura Park Board last night that boat hire on the park lake for the period from December 31 to February 6 had realised £32 6s. This was stated to be easily a record for any period of similaf length. To-day, at 2 p.m., L. A. Nolan and Co. will submit to auction at their mart, furniture and effects in tho estate of the late Mrs. M. A. Beal. Details are-ad-vertised.

A quinnat salmon that was in perfect condition, and turned the sc'ile at 201 b, was landed from the Rangitikei River last week.

Dunedin bakers predict a decrease in the price of flour of £0 per ton, and a corresponding decrease in the price of the 41b loaf from 7d to 6d on March 1.

A 25 per cent, reduction in the price of linoleums has been announced in the Old Country, to operate from January 1. It will be some little time yet before this reduction takes place in the New Zealand markets. The chairman was authorised at last night’s meeting of the Pukekura Park Board to take the necessary steps to have the old maze at the top end of the park ploughed and sown down. The chairman said that this beautiful spot was not as fully appreciated or patronised as it might be, and he had no doubt that if improvements were carried out this would become a popular picnic resort and children’s playground. The Inglewood County Council, in accordance with the telegram from the Minister of Internal Affairs regarding a distinctive wedding gift from the ladies of New Zealand for Her Royal Highness Princess Mary, forwarded lists for shilling subscriptions to the various dairy factories in the district. So far only one list has beer returned, viz., Maketawa, with a footnote as follows: “Unsupported; butter-fat only 7d pound.”

A short sitting of the New Plymouth Court was held yesterday, Mr. H. R. Cattley, J.P., presiding. Charges of drunkenness and committing a breach of his prohibition order were preferred against J. J. Larkin, who was arrested on Monday night. On the first information he was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment, and on the charge of breaking his prohibition order he was remanded to appear before the Magistrate to-morrow. For drunkenness Daniel Yore was fined £1 and 3s costs.

Sport is reported to be very good this season in many parts of the district, showing that the work of the Acclimatisation Society is bearing good fruit (says the Hawera Star). Messrs. W. Bell and B. C. Bennett had a day on the Kaupokonui and landed eighteen good fish, the total weight of which was 39J lb. The fish were all in particularly good condition, and consequently gave first-class sport. All of them were caught on the fly. The anglers report that the river was alive with fish.

The New Plymouth police report that they have received information that a man named George Oliver is missing. Oliver had been boarding with Mrs. Rose Buckland, of Argyle Street, Hawera, and he came to New Plymouth a few A’eeks ago. He had been staying at the Red House Hotel and left there on Sunday morning last, and up to the present no tijuce of him has .been found. Fears are entertained for his safety. Oliver’ is stated to be of 64 years of age, of medium build and a carpenter by occupation. He was clean shaven, had grey hair and was wearing a brown tweed suit.

Rev. R. Haddon, of Normanby, will leave shortly for the north to attend several historic gatherings in connection with the work of his church. There will be r conference at Auckland, and later gatherings at Russell, Waitangi (Korareka). Whangaroa, and The meeting at Whangaroa vrill be of special interest, for it will be the centenary celebration of the foundation of 1 the church work in that district. Visitors from abroad will include bishops from America, England, and Australia, and also the King of Tonga. Mr. Haddon has been asked to speak in the Auckland Town Hall in connection with the anniversary and the Treaty of Waitangi. When the report from Mr. F. Swindells (inspector of health) was read at the meeting of the Inglewood County Council yesterday, the chairman remarked that it was a good advertisement for the health of the district. The report certainly was a very good one, the list showing that there were eight cases of infectious diseases notified within the county during the year, viz., scarlet fever 5 cases, diptheria 1 case, and pneumonia 2 eases. No comment, he added, was necessary on what was an exceedingly satisfactory position, the numbers notified amounting to 3.43 per cent, of the total for tlm whole of the district, and tak.-n on a population basis were at the rate of 2.55 per 1000 of population.

Arapuni would be a splendid source of power for Taranaki, said Mr. Leggatt, in the course of an interview with the Auckland Herald, but he rather thought transmission losses over the large stretches of unoccupied country would be very heavy, in which case the advantages of cheap generation would be outweighed. In respect to his own requirements for electrical energy at New Plymouth for smelting and refining operations in connection with ironsands, he was afraid his only hope of supply depended on local enterprise and cooperation. If the local bodies would see the great advantages attending the institution and continuation of an iron industry at New Plymouth he thought he should be able to put the case to them quite simply, whereby they would realise that every effort should be made to make use of existent hydro-electric power sources. Mr. Leggatt, accompanied by his wife and daughter, left by motor on Monday for New Plymouth, going first to Te Awamutu.

In common with other local bodies the Inglewood County Council has a number of ratepayers who are faced with difficulty in meeting their rates. At yesterday’s meeting of the council a number of letters were received from ratepayers. Some ratepayers wrote that owing to the slump in butter and the price of biitter-fat, they were unable to meet their rates. Being returned men they had to do their best to meet the payments due to the collector of revenue, whom they had not been able to settle fully. They should endeavor to pay as much of their rates as possible, but felt that it was better to advise the council rather than let them slide. Another ratepayer wrote offering to pay so much per month, whilst another promised to send a portion. The council briefly discussed the matter, but no action was taken. A suggestion was made that the ratepayers might be allowed to work out their rates, but it was pointed out that calculating on the amount of rates to be received, the counci’ had entered into certain expenditure, and if the ratepayers were to work out their rates now that money would not be available.

Pounds can be saved by having your old or soiled garments renovated by J. K. Hawkins and Co., dry cleaners and steam dyers, Devon Street, New Plymouth. We have the most up-to-date plant in Taranaki 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.