LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

‘There is nothing doing in land,”

said a South Taranaki farmer giving evidence in the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, yesterday on the quest-ion of property values.

The Taranaki Producers’ Freezing Company have been advised that space has been allotted them for 7000 boxes of butter on the Port Adelaide, to load at Wellington about Marell 20. There was one bankruptcy in the New Plymouth district last month, as against none for February, 1921. So far this year the total number of bankruptcies is 4, compared, with one for the corresponding period of last year. At the presentation of the Sanders’ Cup to the erew of the Desert Gold at Auckland last night, Sir Joseph Ward announced that he would donate a cup, to be known as the Tasman Cup, for competition between New Zealand and Australian yachts. —Press Assn.

The directors of the Dairy Co. recently decided to close their .bulk store. Exception was taken to this by some of the shareholders, and at a special meeting it was decided to recommend the directors to continue the store. As a result Mr. Farquhar resigned from the directorate, Mr. M. Bou-rke being appointed to the directorate. The question of dealing with Natives was being discussed in the New Plymouth Supreme Court yesterday, when Mr. Justice Chapman made some observations as to his experiences of such cases. Much was heard, he said, of the Europeans getting the best of the deals, but he had known cases in which the native had “taken in” the European handsomely. In Auckland he found an instance in/ which one old gentleman had sold hife land three separate times to different pwners.

It is probable that the New Plymouth public will have an opportunity of seeing Miss Annette Kellerman, the noted swimmer and cinema performer, as efforts are being made in swimming circles to arrange a visit from her early in April. A witness in a land case in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday expressed the opinion that this season would return about 1/5 per lb. butter fat for dairy farmers. Challenged by one of the counsel engaged in the ease on the grounds that the estimate was rather optimistic, the witness still maintained that he thought the figure would be about right.

Arrangements jn connection with the disposal of civil business set down for hearing at the present sessions of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth were mentioned at yeterday’s sitting. In the case of Lavina Cox v. Alex. H. Christie, a claim for possession of land, damages for breach of covenants, of lease, and mesne profits, it was stated that a basis of settlement had been arrived at. The case of Alex Morrison and another v. J. A. Knight was adjourned sine die, and the case of MJ. Tempero and another v. M. L. Drury and another was adjourned, counsel intimating that in all probability it would be struck out. A fixture was made for Friday morning for the case of Newton King v. the ship C. S. Holmes, an action under the Admiralty jurisdiction. His Honor intimated that his desire to know definitely what business would come before the Court here was to meet the necessity of informing the Court officials at Wanganui of a date for the summoning of a jury for the hearing of a case there. At present the amount of work to be transacted here made it impossible to say definitely when he could sit at Wanganui. In the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, yesterday the case of H. R. Russell v. P. V. Stainton and Stainton and Co. was concluded. It concerned a claim by plaintiff for the taking of accounts to ascertain what moneys were due to him under an agreement by which he took the position of manager of the company. The evidence was lengthy, the case having been begun on Friday last. After cry nsels’ addresses yesterday morning His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman reserved decision. Members of the Taranaki Employers’ Association and the publie generally are reminded of the quarterly meeting of the Association on March 8, when Mr. K. C. Akers will read a paper on “Fire Insurance.” The Irish hand-embroidered voile blouses at the Melbourne’s C4reat Sale are eimply irresistible. 'These blouses are positively the loveliest ever exhibited in the town, and the sale prices are practically half those, at which the goods were formerly marked. Ladies should not miss these wonderful bargains.

It is remarkable how the old-fashioned method of washing clothes with bar soap, washing soda and wash-boa ( d drudgery has been displaced by the mod em scientific dry soap known as “Fairy Wonder” washing powder. The new way •has proved more economical, quicker and less laborious, whilst the hands remain soft and smooth. “Buy “Fairy.” It is the best of all laundry helps. All grocers.

It was expected that 100,000 bushels of grain would be brought down the Clutha river from the districts on the upper reaches this season. The river, however, is reported to be falling fast, and it is possible that the steamer will not be able to negotiate the upper reaches. A motor-car which started off on its own account while standing outside an hotel at Cambridge the other night, through the brakes not having caught, careered down and across the main street. The car then collided with the verandah supports of a butcher’s shop, tearing the poles out of the ground in spite of their concrete foundations. The car, which strangely enough was little damaged, narrowly missed two pedestrians.

Mr. A. McNicol, M.P., interviewed the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Minister of Lands last week, with reference to the 50 per cent, deductions from soldier settlers* milk cheques. The Minister stated it was desired to show discrimination in these deductions, and soldier settlers would not be unduly pressed. Some of the visiting racehorse owners are reported to have received a surprise when their animals were unloaded at the station. They found the Civil Servants much more alert than usual for “excess luggage,” and considerable horse fodder paid such a freight that it is unlikely these owners will carry more than the limited, amount in the horse box«s in future.

The annual saving in coal made on the present electrified train services in Victoria, as compared with steaip, is estimated at £58,000 a year. That is the monetary advantage gained by the saving of coal. But there are other great advantages (says the Age). For instance, there is the great increase in revenue arising from the large growth of passengej traffic which the converted services have brought about. The present electric service requires about 54,000 tons of coal per annum,* costing about £70,000. The same services, run with steam, would cost £128,000 a year by consuming 91,000 tons of coal. Then, again, a further great saving in work-'' ing costs is effected because of the reduction in train crews. The steam train needed three men, whereas the electric has but two, and there is a further expense with steam trains in the maintenance of stand-by engines where quick service is required. As the result of the frequent fast services an increase in passengers amounting to as much as 30 per cent, has been recorded on lines already electrified. So, although the electrification system when complete will add to the department’s interest bill to the extent of about £250,000, the savings and increased receipts will more than make up that amount.

The lineal descendant of the old Hauhau religion is the Ringa-tu, which numbers many hundreds of adherents to-day along the Bay of Plenty coast and in and around the Urewera Country, writes “Tupara” in “Quick March.” The name comes from the gesture of the “uplifted hand,” the sign of the faithful in the fanatic years, and the chants and prayers are those given forth by Te Kooti half a century ago. They are mostly from the Psalms of David, and there is much beauty in a Ringatu service, with its long-drawn chantings and its responses like the Church of England ritual. The priest of the service places the tips of his fingers together as /he recites the prayers and the people in responding hold up the right liand on a level with the face. One of the centres of the Ringa-tu disciples is Waioeka, a settlement a few miles inland from Opotiki. The big carved meeting house there is highly tapu, and no paleface is allowed to set foot in it. Saturday is the holy day of the Ringatu, and there is a kind of special festival once a month. Up in Taranaki the adherents of Te Whiti-ism —quite a dif'ferent brand of old-time religion from the Ringa-tu—have their monthly meetings for prayer and exhortation at Manu-Korihi, on the Waitara. The followers of the late Te Ua, Te Whiti’s fellow-prophet, hold similar gatherings on the 17th and 18th of each month at Ketemarae, near the township of Normanby. Ladies are always interested in new season’s goods, and the wealth of new blouses, frocks, hosiery, handkerchiefs, ribbons, embroideries, etc., are sure to prove a big attraction at the New Plymouth Soft Goods Manufacturing Co., Currie Street, New Plymouth. Patrons are invited to inspect.

New Plymouth during the past few years has progressed at a great rate, and nowhere is this more noticeable than in the suburbs, and particularly in Westown. A long-felt want in the last named suburb has been a butcher’s shop, but this is now about to be supplied, as a modern building, built on hygienic lines, of concrete and wood with plenty of ventilation has just been completed in Tukapa Road in a central position near the Belt Road. It will be opened for business at the end of the week, but from to-morrow it will be opened for inspection to the public, who will agree with the verdict of the Government inspector that it was one of the best shops he had ever had the pleasure of inspecting. The firm is also opening a small goods shop in Devon Street, near the Criterion Hotel, and all small goods will be manufactured on the premises.