LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Plymouth Borough Council last night refused an application for permission to take up a collection at Pukekura Park on Sunday, March 12, in aid of the funds of the Eltham combined bands’ carnival.

The question of ventilation of the electric ’bus was brought before the New Plymouth Borough Council last night. On the motion of Cr. V. Griffiths it was decided that the recommendation of the electrical enginee. to substitute louvres for the fanlight windows be given effect to. In connection with the visit of H.M.S. Chatham to New Plymouth (commencing next Sunday) tlie Borough Council decided last night that free passes on the trams be extended to of the ship’s personnel during their stay.

A. Wellington Press message says that the Dominion executive of the Returned Soldiers’ Association approved the Poppy Day scheme, under which next Anzac Day replicas of the Flanders poppy will be sold all over the Dominion, when it is hoped to raise £20,000 for the relief of unemployed soldiers.

“It has come to something when a man doesn’t know the names of his own children,” remarked Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., at the Eltham Magistrate’s Court yesterday when a man who was charged with failing to maintain his children had to consider before he could give one child’s name. The defendant, '.rbo was not in the least abashed, smilingly explained that he had had no education and ‘got mixed

“I do hope that not only notices will be served, but that steps will be taken to see that they are complied, with,” said Cr. J. Brown at last night's meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council when l;he subject under discussion was the clearing of, noxious weeds.

A set of tuned cow bells, a two toned wood block, a Chinese tom-tom, a siren whistle, an “all-in-one” trap, besides a drum stand and cymbal holder, formed the items of aii application for a grant to the New Plymouth High Schools I Board last night from the 'boys’ orchestra. The request for these jazz instruments was received by the board members with audible smiles and the' grant of £9 Is, as requested, was approved, members speaking in appreciative terms of the standard of music 1 endered by the orchestra at various functions.

A well attended meeting under the auspices of the New Zealand Society of Accountants was held at New Plymouth last night, when it was decided to form a students’ society, which will become a branch of the Taranaki Students’ Association. Officers were appointed as follows: —President, Mr. C. H. Burgess; vice-presidents, Messrs. J. C. Nicholson. T. C, List, F. T. Davis, W. H. Robertshaw and G. Dunean. A committee of seven was set up to carry out executive business The society hope to draw up a syllabus that will prove interesting to students of commerce and to business men.

The Comptroller of Customs states that, as a result of consultation with the Commissioner of Taxes, it has been decided that, in view of the provisions of sub-sections 4 and 5 of section 9 of the Finance Act, 192.1 (No. 2), it will be necessary for all export entries passed on and after March 1 next to bear a statement showing the name, address, and occupation of the person, firm, or company with whom the goods specified therein have been insured. In oases where insurance of the goods has been effected with a person, firm, or company not carrying on business in New Zealand, it' will fiu-ther be necessary for such statement to show also the amount of the premium, and for an additional copy of the entry to be delivered to the Collector of Customs for transmission to the Commissioner of Taxes, Welling-

A correspondent who communicated with last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council pointed out that the entrance to a property in the Gill Street extension was being used as a public convenience and he urged the necessity for erecting a proper convenience. 'The Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) said he hoped if the council were fortunate in raising the balance of the £57,000 loan that the building of the Brougham Street convenience would be one of the first works authorised.

Reporting to last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council, the Mayor (Mr'. F. E. Wilson) stated that a conference had been held with representatives of the -East End Committee on the question of what protective measures, are to be taken at the reserve to prevent sea erosion. He had proposed that the wall scheme be rejected and that four groynes 'be put out. The engineer (Mr. W. .11. Cook) v/ill bring down a report on this question shortly.

The local meat pool, organised by the Patea Farmers’ Freezing Co., is now in operation (says the Star). The movement should suit farmer® of South Taranaki admirably. It provides for them the means of disposing of their cull cows and bulls with the least possible inconvenience in the way of transport or driving, and it should, as far as any arrangement humanly can, secure for them "the highest return that it is possible to secure. The dates at which stock will be received at the various yards belonging to the Farmers’ Coop. Organisation Society are advertised on. pag® 8 of this i&aue.

The New Plymouth band won £47 10s' in monetary prizes at the contest at Wellington last week. The band also annexed one gold medal. A meeting in Auckland under the auspices of the Labor Party in the Strand Theatre on Sunday evening, after an address by Mr. Combs, secretary of the P. and T. Officers’ Association, passed a resolution heartily approving the movement oi the P. and T. Association to make common cause with organised Labor in raising the standard of living for wage and salary earners.

Mr. A. F. Ellis, New Zealand Commissioner in connection with the Nauru Island phosphate industry, returned to Auckland from a visit to Australia ou Wednesday. He states that during 1-921 the commission’s first year of working, the shipments of phosphates totalled 394,999 tons, of which slightly over 120,000 tons came to New Zealand. He said the business was going ahead quite smoothly.

“I regret to report that the sneak thief lias again been busy,” stated the report of the librarian (Mr. J. HBeattie) presented to the last meeting of the Carnegie Institute Committee. He added that not only had sine of the smaller magazines disappeared from the reading room, but one audacious thief entered a room which was closed and stole a presentation fountain pen. A young farmer in the Auckland district, who was worried because he could ’not pay the interest on his property, had to undergo an operation. A letter came for him when he was recovering, and he would not open it because there was the name of a firm of solicitors on the outside of the envelope. A few weeks afterwards he found that the news in the letter related to a legacy of several thousand pounds left him by an uncle in the Old Country.

A Carterton message says that recently the settlers of the Pahaoa district "rated themselves and raised a loan of £BOOO, and erected four suspension bridges. These structures, of steel and concrete, were completed and opened about October last. On Sunday a -small mob of sheep, 150, were being driven over the bridge at Ngiapu when the structure collapsed, and they fell into the river fallow, a distance of about 30 feet. Seven sheep were killed. It is reported the cables were pulled out of the iron clamps of the top piers.

A resolution was carried by the New Plymouth Borough Council at last night’s meeting deciding to proceed with the raising of the sp'ecial loan of £9OOO for extension to the hydro-electric works (including the enlargement of No. 2 tunnel). The currency of the loan is to be for eleven years, until* April 1, 1933, and the interest at the rate of per cent., payable free of exchange in New Zealand half yearly. The security for the loan is a special rate of onefifth of a penny. The correctness of the view that country children do not receive such a good primary education as children in the towns was challenged by Inspector Bird in a report to -the last meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board. He said that the highest percentage of proficiency passes were made in the country schools. In the one-teacher schools 78.8 per cent, of the pupils gained proficiency certificates, two-teacher schools 80 per cent., three and four-tcacher schools 83.2 per .cent.* fivc-teachers schools 81.5 per cent.

“There is more than a fortnight’s work; in fact it is more like three weeks,” remarked His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman at yesterday’s sitting of the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, when members of the Bar were assembled at his request in order that an idea might .be obtained of what cases were fo come on. His Honor stated that there were apparently about fifteen civil cases for trial in addition to other work. He had been asked to report to Wellington on the position, so nothing more could be said about the sessions just at present.

“It is not generally known that rats can be successfully snared,” writes the Health Department. “A ship’s officer recently informed an inspector that he had seen a lot of snaring earned out by fixing a smooth-running thin wire noose outside the rat holes. A rat ioD lows the same instincts as a rabbit, and on meeting an obstruction about the head pushes further into it. This offers a further field of endeavor to those who have met with trap-shy rats on their premises. It is most essential that everyone should continue unceasingly their efforts to reduce the rat population. The plague may be in our midst very soon. Like other dreaded diseases it does not discriminate in its victims, and, therefore, everyone has a personal as well as a community obligation to perform.” A reminder is given that entries for the Horticultural Society close this evening at 8 o’clock. The secretary will be in attendance at the City Flower Fruit Shop, 257, Devon Street, to receive late entries.

The New Plymouth Savings Bank notify that consequent upon the Savings ' Bank Act having been amended the trustees can now pay interest on deposits up to £2OO at the rate of 4i per cent.

Messrs. Nolan and Co. advertise in this issue a substantial reduction in the price of Texaco motor spirit and -benzine.

Webster Bros, will submit by auction to-morrow, at their mart, furniture, etc. Particulars are advertised in this issue. “’Sinus,” the famous milking machine cleanser, is a scientifically blended compound in powder form put up in'handy size bags for immediate use. A small quantity put through the machmes with Ivarm water instantaneously cleanses without the slightest injury to any parts. The Melbourne’s Great Annual Sale commences this morning at all the firm’s branches. This great event has been eagerly awaited by hundreds of shoppers throughout the province and H the bargains are any criterion the sale will be a huge success. Particulars of a clearing sale at Ornate, to oe held by Newton King, Ltd., to-day, are advertised m this issue.

The -best possible value is now oßerinv at Morey’s. The last days of their groat summer sale are running and bringing to every purchasel the biggest -bargains.