LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 March 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sixty-four cases of fruit and two cases of fish were seized by the New Plymouth borough inspector during February as being unfit for food. Jsnqwy at the New Plymouth hospital last night elicited that the condition of Roy Hogue, the eight-year-old boy, who was run over by a car on Tuesday, was considerably better. “A timetable suitable for the winter months is in course of preparation ana will be submitted to the council in a day or so,” says the monthly report of the New Plymouth tramways manger. In February 6647 people visited the New Plymouth Municipal Baths, and the receipts were £56 1 s Id. Eighty-nine hot baths were supplied, bringing a revenue of £4 3s.

Stock slaughtered for local consumption at the New Plymouth abattoirs in February comprised 166 cattle, 26 calves, 759 sheep, 111 pigs, and 12 sucking pigs. According to the report of the manager (Mr. T. J. Tteakes), these figures compared with last February show an increase of 111 sheep, 37 lambs, JI sucking pigs and a decrease of 11 cattle. 29 calves, and 32 pigs. One cow, one sheep, and two pigs were condemned. An Austin motor car. owned by Mr. T. Purcell, was totally destroyed by fire at Mahoe late on Thursday night. Mr. Purcell was driving the car with another passenger down the hill near the Mahoe school, when, for some inexplicable reason, it burst into flames and was completely destroyed. Mr. Purcell and the other passenger were slightly burned before freeing themselves. It is understood the car was insured for £2OO.

The recent reduction in the wages of carpenters in Wellington as a probable factor in lessening the cost of building was mentioned to a New Plymouth architect yesterday. Viewing the question generally he said he did not think that the lowering of the rates as mentioned will have a marked effect. Taking the wages bill for a five or six roomed house as between £3OO and £350 the savings at the most would be between £25 and £3O respectively. This was assuming that all the men were paid at the lower rate, which was not always the case in practice, for firms often paid above the award to good men. The centenary thanksgiving services of the New Plymouth Methodist Church are to be held to-morrow in common with the rest of the Dominion. In the evening the people’s service of praise will be held in Whiteley Memorial Church at 6.45, and will include anthems, solos, and hymns distinctive of Methodism. The soloists will be Mrs. A. M. Mowlem and Mr. W. L. Hay. A large united gathering of the Sunday schools will be held in Whiteley Church in the afternoqn.

There is more labor available in Taranaki to-day than there has been for a good many years. One man called, on a Tikorangi farmer, and offered to put in the winter on the farm for 10s a week and keep. He was a good type, but the farmer was under the impression that he would be compelled to pay union wages. As a mattter of fact there is no award in connection with farm labor in Taranaki, wages being a matter of mutual agreement. A Taranaki gentleman is leaving for England shortly, and recently made overtures to the New Plymouth Expansion and Tourist League to act on its behalf whilst there in inducirig people with small means, who are finding conditions difficult, to come out to Taranaki. The matter was fully considered by the league at a meeting on Thursday evening, and it was decided to supply the gentleman in question with all the information at its disposal, and, on receipt of a cable from him that such a course is advisable, to consider the advisability of engaging his services for propagandist purposes. ,

“The Northlander” is the latest to enter the ranks of New Zealand newspapers. It is published at Kaitaia, in the “winterless north,” by the uncrowned king of that district, Colonel Allen Bell, who raised the capital for the concern in rather an original way. Falling put with the Kaitaia Age, the existing newspaper, he started out by addressing meetings throughout Northland, and asking his auditors to subscribe for shares of £5 each, on the understanding that they would never get their money back and never obtain a dividend. In this way he raised £3OOO, and “The Northlander” is the result. It is an e'ght page paper, well got up and printed, and its articles bear the impress of its vigorous editor, Colonel Bell, who can be depended upon to make a success of the venture if anyone can.

Judgment for defendant was given by Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M./ in the New Plymouth Court yesterday in the case of Brandon Haughton, photographer (Mr. H. R. Billing) v. W. 11. Oakley, photographer (Mr. R. H. Quilliam). The case concerned a claim for £36 5s 7d in respect of stock said to have been wrongly taken by defendant, who was the purchaser of Haughton’s business. After reXiewing the evidence, and looking at the case from all the circumstances of a business transaction, the Magistrate came to the conclusion that the goods which were taken by Oakley were included in the stock which he purchased from Haughton. Plaintiff was therefore non-suited with costs, excepting those of taking the evidence on commission.

During the month ended February 28 the working of the New Plymouth tramways showed a revenue increase of £l9B Os 3a, as compared with February, 192.1, and 15,328 additional passengers were carried. Last month’s receipts were £1942 17s sd, of which the Morley Street route was responsible for £ll2 6s lOd. The aggregate number of passengers carried was 176,921, and the mileage was 18,696, representing an increase of 2998 miles as against the previous period’s figures. The monthly report of the tramways manager (Mr. R. H. Bartley) states that the fine weather had permitted a fair amount of track maintenance to be put in hand, a start being made at the Fitzroy end.

No fewer than 7'72 immigrants are expected to reach New Zealand within the course of the next seven days. They comprise New Zealand nominated, Imperial Overseas Settlement Association and domestic classes. On board the New Zealand Shipping Company’s Remuera, due at 'Auckland to-morrow morning from Southampton, is a total of 265. The Shaw-Savill liner Corinthic (also en route from Southampton), which has advised by wireless that she will arrive in the stream at Wellington to-morrow night, is bringing a further batch of 262 prospective settlers, while the complement of the Federal Company’s Dorset, which should make port at Auckland on Thursday next from Liverpool, totals 245. There are 25 domestic servants on the Remuera end a similar number on/ the Dorset. For New Plymouth there are 6 new arrivals on the Remuera, 8 on the ■Corinthic and 34 on the Dorset.

. Reporting on the New Plymouth borough electric light department’s operations for the month ended February 28 the engineer (Mr. R. H. Bartley) states: “The applications received for the month number 44 and the connections made to the mains are 50; also 14 additions have been made 10, existing installations. February was a very dry month and the river level fell considerably. We managed, however, to carry on by making small adjustments in our power demand. This dry spell was followed by an abundance of rain, which raised the flood level of the river to the highest point-reached during the season (approximately 8 feet rise) at the old intake. The' Waiwakaiho river was put through the new intake and No. 1 tunnel on March 7 and one part has remained open continuously since.” Mr. R. Day brought down a proposal to the Tourist and Expansion League on Thursday for the housing of holiday makers in the busy season. Accommodation in New Plymouth is, as is generally known, utterly inadequate at holiday’ times, and the solution of the problem is no easy one, in times like the present. Mr.. Day suggested the building of hutments of galvanised iron with rounded roofs in groups of about twelve, the sizes being 12 x 12, or 12 x 16, lined .with a building composition to overcome the variations in temperature, with wooden‘floors and fitted with bunks, and stoves if required. Ample provision was made for ventilation, and the necessary sanitary arrangements. The cost was estimated at from £3O to £4O per hutment. The scheme was debated at some length, and further consideration will be giver, to it at the next meeting of the league. . Tahora is noted for two things—its railway “carriages” and its school buildings. The former are architectural triumphs. Weather boards have been built on a frame over ordinary trucks; seats encircle the -space, and light and ventilation are obtained from the cracks in the timber, and there are plenty. The schocfl buildings are equally fine. ‘They were originally intended as a makeshift for about 35 scholars. Now the master (Mr. Greig) and his lady assistant have to accommodate and try to teach no fewer than 70. How they are able to impart any knowledge to the children —a fine, intelligent lot —in such conditions was a matter of surprise to the Chamber of Commerce delegation which paid the school a visit last week. The sheltershed, if it can so be described, is also totally inadequate, only accommodating about half the children, the rest of whom have to shift for themselves when rain comes—and rain is by no means unknown at Tahora. The .‘ehool grounds are cramped and in bad order, and £he settlers Jiave a real grievance against the board or the department, which should see that tjhe country children are given a fairer chance whilst school. <

The Rarawa reached New Plymouth from Onehunga at 10.30 last night. Bar-bound at Manukau Heads on Thursday evening she did not cross the bar till 9.15 yesterday morning, and considering the weather she made a good run to New Plymouth. The Rarawa returns North to-night.

The figures in connection with the running of the electric ’bus service in New Plymouth during February show that receipts for fares were £ll6 19s lOd. Passengers number, 10,660, made up as follows: Westown 5870. Franxley Road 639, Vogel town 4151. The figures represent an increase of £27 Is 4d in the fares over the corresponding month of last year, and 1114 additional pas'sengers. Anti-plague precautions are referred to by the New Plymouth boroqgh inspector (Mr. R. Day) in ,his monthly report to the council. . He says: have given particular attention to the cleaning up of yards and the poisoning of rats. Food shops have been frequently visited. The * increased public attention to cleanliness is having an effect upon the removal of refuse. It is taking the present plant all ita time to cope with it.”

Reporting on the waterworks the lonthly statement of the New Plymouth borough engineei contain* the ollowing reference under the heading

of mains and services: “The main from Devon Street to the Government property. Veale estate, ie in hand, 924 feet of 4-inch pipe, with valves, and fire plugs, being laid to the 6th inst. The whole of the work will be completed by the middle of the month, after which the mains at Strandon will receive attention.”

Reference to the care of soldiers’ graves is made by the New Plymouth borough engineer (Mr. W. H. Cook) in hie monthly report on the cemetery, which states: “The returned soldiers’ plot has been formed up by taking off the top soil, covering with clay and resoiling the surface. A border of flowering plants has been planted and it is now reedy for handing over to the ladies who have promised to keep it in order.” ( Dealing with other work, the engineer says there is a great growth of convulvulus and other rubbish along the bank, and he proposes to get extra help for four weeks to make a thorough clearance of this area.

Messrs. Borthwick and Sons notify in this issue that the price of bacon •pdgs has been advanced to *s£d and porkers to sd. i The New Plymouth Ladies’ Life-saving Club wishes to gratefully acknowledge further donations as follows: —Dr. Brewster 10/6, Mr. T. C. List 10/-, Mr. Den-ny-Brown, 2/6; Messrs. Bennett, Ferry, and Miss Clarke, trophies. Remarkable bargains in Manchester goods are offering at Morey’s to-day. Housewives should not miss so good an opportunity to replenish their linen stocks.