LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 April 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The number of men employed on the Stratford railway during February was: East end 81, west end 18. On the Opunake branch railway 53 men were work-

No fewer than ten bankruptcies were registered in Napier last month, making nineteen for the first three months of the year.

The entries received for the dairy division of the Taranaki Agricultural Society’s forthcoming Winter Show are particularly encouraging, ,'being, considerably in advance of any previous year. In the butter classes the total number of entries is 83, compared with 76 last year, and in the cheese classes 86, compared with 58 last year.

Mr. James Doyle, the retiring chief inspector for the Wellington City Council, when speaking at a farewell'gathering last week, said he had always endeavored fro be impartial. He had prosecuted his parish priest, made Lord Glasgow register his dogs, and on one occasion prosecuted himself for jumping on a tramcar while it was in motion.

One night recently when the steamer Euripides was between South Africa and Australia, the pantomime “.Sleeping Beauty” was produced on board. One steamer, 500 miles away, distinctly heard the songs and choruses with the aid of the wireless.

A representative of a Taranaki Dairy Company who was in Wanganui recently stated that his factory had sold all its surplus butter over what was required for local trade at Is 6‘/>d per lb in bulk, the contract being over the next few months.

With the object of forming physical culture classes, a meeting of the New Plymouth, Ladies’ Life Saving Club was held last night. Thirty-two members were elected and considerable enthusiasm was displayed. Classes will be held every Wednesday in the Central School and the services of Mr. Eggleton Shave been obtained as instructor. It is hoped later to form classes in St. John Ambulance and Red Cross work.

Maoris along the south coast of the South Island have been true in their predictions that March would prove a very wet month, says the Tuatapere Guardian. Throughout the whole of the past month one fine day has scarcely succeeded another, and it must be many years since farmers have been placed in such an unenviable position as at present.

A Dannevirke sheepfarmer showed the News a return that is an eye-opener in the way the producers’ money goes. Tie shipped Home 1171 careases of frozen mutton. His gross return from the sheep when sold in the London market was £2030 15s lid, but charges amounted to £1457 7s fid, leaving the farmer to pocket net proceeds amounting to the diminished sum of £573 8s sd.

A painter, whose tender was accepted for the painting of a new house at Petone, collected the necessary paint and materials for carrying out the job in a shed close to the job. When the men arrived on the scene to commence operations the following morning, it was discovered that tflie paint and other materials had been stolen during the night.

A Wanganui business man had a unique experience the other day. He had a house at Aramoho to paper for a tenant and placed the work in the hands of a local tradesman. A few days later the local tradesman called and presented the account. “But you have not papered the house,’’ said the business man. “Yes I have,” replied tlid tradesman. The business man then told the tradesman that he had only just come back from the house, and there was no sign of new paper. The tradesman nearly collapsed when he found that he had papered the wrong house!

A farm outside of Hamilton that changed hands at £35 an acre was sold lately at £8 10s. The owner had paid £25*00 deposit, but he could not pay the interest, and was sold up and had to walk off. Then another farm encumbered with mortgages to the tune of £lB,OOO was put up to auction and knocked down for £lOOO, £17,000 worth of mortgages being wiped out. These are only a couple of instances of what are going on, and indications of what may be looked for, says a northern paper.

“The fact of the dried milk factories at Waitoa and Waharoa having to be closed next, week as regards thi? manufacture of milk powder (says the Star’s Te Aroha correspondent) will mean that the services of a large number of workers will be dispensed with. This district has received two setbacks by the cessation of the manufacture of both glaxo and dried milk. Dairy farmers interested have from time to lime been informed that there are unlimited markets for both these products, and recent events are providing much food for thought.” Instead of bare iron plates for her decks, the steamer Australind is concreted from fore to aft (says the Auckland Star). Although this adds to the weight of the ship, it was found necessary when she was engaged in carrying imtnigrants from England to West Australia before the war. Going through the tropics the iron plates on the, main and shelter decks were found to heat up considerably in the intense tropical sun; and this * was detrimental to the comfort of passengers in the daytime. Although the Australind is not now Carpassengers, she still retains her heavy decking, and during tjhe war this was 1 an improvement on the bare iron plates, when the steamer was engaged in carrying troops from Australia.

iSpeaking at a recent meeting at the Premier predicted that there “would be a drop of two millions in the income tax next year. For that and other reductions in revenue it would be necessary that the retrenchment policy must continue. Our prosperity depended upon England and the purchasing power of the British people, and for that reason he much regretted to rea< £ of the prospect of industrial trouble at Home. It was the duty of td\e Government to decrease the cost of living, of production and of government, while at the c ame time increasing the exports of the country. The number of settlers must be increased, and the Government was not going to allow good land to be idle. It was not in the interests of the State to do so. “Fairy Wonder” washing powder soaked with the soiled clothes overnight thoroughly loosens all dirt without rub. bin". All 'that is necessary to ligntiy rinse or boil and the washing is done. What could be simpler? Give, it a trial. On sale by all leading grocers and storekeapers.

An epidemic of burglaries has occurred in Wellington during the last few weeks.

The Scandinavians of Mauriceville celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their arrival in New Zealand on Monday. The Waikato Times reports the case of a young returned soldier, a skilled accountant, who two years- ago put his gratuity and his savings, £BOO in all, into a farm. He “went under” during the slump and for three weeks had been tramping about looking for a job. He had just 32/- left out of the wreck.

Ordered by the Wanganui S.M. Court to come up for sentence for theft when called 'upon, and prohibited as part of his punishment, a man named Sinclair was arrested in Waitara recently for theft. After serving fourteen days in the New Plymouth gaol, he appeared again before the Wangani\ Court on Wednesday. Senior Sergeant Lopdell said drink was the cause of . the trouble. It had been responsible for the man being separated from his fax»Jly, and the charges of - theft were directly due to his muddled state. Through the senior sergeant, the defendant suggested that he should be placed on probation for two years and -be prohibited during that time wherever he was. The senior sergeant said the man recognised his weakness, and it would be advantageous to have him “nursed” for a while like that. Mr. Day, 'S.M., ordered probation for two years.—-Chronicle. By advertisement in this issue, the proprietor of the Waimate Hotel notifies that dinner will he available at that hotel from 11 a.m. on Saturday next, when the Hibernian sports meeting will be held at Manaia. The Fourth Battalion (Wellington Regiment) Band will give a recital at the Recreation Grounds, Wa'itara, on Sunday next, at 2.15 p.m. Residents of Manaia and district are reminded of the Athletic Sports to be held jn Manaia Domain to-morrow (Saturday), Sth just. A Plain and Fancy Dress Ball is being held in the Hempton Hall, Okato, tonight. The New Plymouth Life Saving Club extends an invitation to honorary members to attend a social meeting tomorrow (Saturday) at Kavvaroa Park bungalow. Representatives from the New Plymouth Card Association will meet at the Central Fire Station on Saturday evening. A full attendance is request-