LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The rainfall in Inglewood for March was 15.92 in. Bain fell on 25 of the 31 days of the month. A ’Sydney cable states that the price of wheat has been reduced by threepence, making the present price 5/7 per bushel.

• In the course of his speech at Moerewa, Mr. Massey stated that the Government had paid £560,000 for its share of Nauru and Ocean Islands, and that it was a good investment. He was satisfied the whole amount would he paid back, and he thought New Zealand should make more use of the phosphates of which she was a partowner.

The sittings of the Arbitration Court, which were to have been held at New Plymouth yesterday, did not take place, as some of the parties concerned ,in the matters for hearing were unable to proceed. The Court, however, was occupied in Chamber work in the preparation of a number of awards arising out of disputes which had been referred to the Court.

Taking the season through, trout angling in Taranaki has been fairly satisfactory. During part of February and March, conditions were all in favor of the fish, the weather being boisterous and the streams too flooded for angling. During the last few days, however, rodmen have visited the various rivers, and report trout in good numbers. The conditions were idea) for fly-fishing, good execution having resulted from the use of the “Bradshaw’s Fancy,” ■■'Twilight Beauty,” and in the evening, “Peverel of the Peak,” and “The Royal Coachman.” The trout are in good condition, and give excellent sport. Should fine weather last till Easter it is expected the season will close quite satisfactorily from the point of view of the angler.

The Riverdale factory has made the last of its cheese for the season, the plant having turned, over to buttermaking.

A High Schoo] boy named Leslie Calvert, aged 13 years, met with an accident yesterday morning whilst riding a pony to tlie school from his home at Hillsborough. When near Strandon, the pony slipped on the tram rails, throwing the boy to the ground, and causing a sprained foot, besides skin abrasions. Constable Hadler and Dr. Brewster awere communicated with, but as tl)e boy’s injuries were not serious, after receiving attention at the Boys’ High School hospital, he was taken home.

When the employees of Messrs. Whitcombe and Tomba, Ltd., arrived at the premises on Saturday morning, it was discovered that the warehouse had been burglariously entered the previous night or during the early hours of Saturday morning, and that fountain pens and silver pencils to a total value of £5O had been stolen. This is the second occasion in which the premises have been entered by burglars within a period of aproximately six weeks, and on each an entrance was effected in a similar manner. Access to the budding was obtained by means of a back window winch faces the bank below Wellington Terrace. During the past few years large numbers of sea-birds have made their homes in the vicinity of the mouth of the Waiwakaiho River. In addition to the ordinary seagull there may be seen seaswallows. mollyhawks, black-backed gulls, petrels, with an occasional penguin. Shags are fairly plentiful, while on. rare occasions a couple of blue herons may be seen picking up food on the edge of the tide. During the past three weeks most of these birds have been undergoing the annual moult, coming up the river about a mile for sanctuary Here they may be seen in hundreds, standing on the rocky, dry watercourses, pruning themselves, with the result that some localities are thicklystrewn with many-colored feathers.

Whiting from Gallipoli under date of January 20 last, Liehtenant A. W. Mildenhall, N.Z. Forces, who is attached to the InTperial Graves Commission, gives Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., some particulars of interest to many in the Dominion. Shrapnel Valley cemetery is now under construction for the permanent cemetery, and when completed will be a creditable work. The weather conditions on Gallipoli had been very trying, and damage had been done in the smaller cemeteries. On Anzac Day this year, it is anticipated, a memorial service will be held on Anzac Cove beach, and many visitors are expected from Constantinople. The only visitor to Gallipoli since Mr. Jennings was there was a Mr. McLeod, from NeW South Wales.

Matters of interest to settlers in the Waitomo electorate recently submitted to the Minister by the member for Waitomo (Mr. W. T. Jennings), include the following:—The completion of the tunnel on the Uruti-Tangitu and the OkauKotare and Waitaanga Road, for which the settlers have been waiting over 15 years for access to their holdings •. the Mokau bridge (estimate for constructing which in pre-war times was £30,000, but recently it was mentioned at a public meeting that the cost would be £10,000); the desirability of schools at Waimitia and Awamarino; and the removal of penalty clauses in mortgages until the financial position had improved. A number of matters from soldier and citizen settlers are to be inquired into by the Taranaki Land Commissioner.

Local bodies are still receiving notification from settlers unable to pay their rates. The Inglewood County Council, at its last meeting, received r letter from two brothers stating that they were unable to pay, as the Government had taken their milk cheques. They thought the council had better send the rate card to the Commissioner of Crown Lands and see what could be done. They had never received £2O this season, so how were they to pay rates? The council had written the Minister of Lande to ask if 1 some relief could not be given returned soldiers and local bodies in the matter of the collection of rates, but so far no reply had been received. The board recently appointed to take charge of the Huatoki Domain are taking steps to raise funds for the purpose of improving the grounds. The domain is situated on the Huatoki river, between the A’ogeltown School and the Doralto Road. Originally covered with native trees, it is now overgrown in parks with fern, although, some fine patches of bush still remain, which with a good sole of grass underneath help to make an ideal picnic ground. The board propose to fence the grounds in so that they may be cleared up and replanted, and a considerable amount of work has already been done in this direction, making a great improvement. On Saturday last, in conjunction with the school committee, a substantial bridge was erected over the river, a concrete perr being built on one side and the bridge erctedj the whole of the work being done in one day. This bridge will enable the children from Frangleigh Park to cross the river in safety and will also provide better access to the domain from Vogeltown. A picnic will be held on Easter Saturday to raise much needed funds.

It is announced elsewhere that Messrs. Stainton and Co., New Plymouth. have been appointed chief agents in the province for the Australian Provincial Assurance Association, Ltd. The A.P.A. is a coining company. Started in 1913 its life assurance was a quarter of a million and accident premiums only £202. In 1920 the new life a-saurance was and accident premiums £54,149. It took one of the oldest established companies forty years to net a volume of new business in any year equal to that put on the A.P.A. books in 1920. The company has now undertaken fire insurance, and with its complete organisation and enterprising policy should be equally successful in this field. The F.C.O.S. announce that their Hawera Autumn Horse Fair will be held on Friday, Itfy inst.

A meeting of the Westown Progressive Association is called for this (Wednesday) evening. His Worship the Mayor will be present at the meeting.

The Wanganui Fresh Food Company advertise on page 1 that they are p* e ‘ na/fed to make with factories for their cream for the remainder of the season.

) In this Issue an advertisement appears calling for tenders for the building situated on the corner of West Quay and Whittaker Street, Waitara. The huildin» is to be removed by May 31, 1922. Particulars may be obtained from Fairbrother and Pickering, Devon Street, New Plymouth.

The second annual sports meeting is being held in Mr. F. Mitchells grounds [at Huiroa to-morrow. It will be followed by a dance in the Huiroa school m the evening.