LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The nursing staff of the New Plymouth Hospital went into occupation of the new nurses’ home yesterday, the furnishing of the building being practically completed. The kitchen block will not be used for a few days.

Very gratifying results are claimed by the Auckland Education Board in connection with the school they opened last year for the benefit of partially deaf and dumb children, or children suffering from defective speech, under a special teacher from the Stunner School, at' the Myers Kindergarten.

A muster parade of persons liable for military service, but who do not attend drill, by reason of distance from a drill centre or exemption, was held at the Coronation Hall, New Plymouth, yesterday. About 150 boys and men were present, the object of the parade being to check the addresses of those on the non-effective list.

Furniture at auction sales is not fetching very high prices just now (says the Wellington Times). The following are a few instances of prices realised last week for articles in good condition: Settee and two divan chairs, £lO 10s; kauri sideboard, £2 12s 6d; kauri wardrobe, £4 ss; five oak high-back and two carved , dining-room chairs, £9 9s; oak bedroom suite, £26 10s.

Two young men, first offenders, appeared before Messrs. H. R. Cattley, J.P., and M. Fraser, J.P., in the New Plymouth Court yesterday, having been arrested for causing a disturbance in Devon Street on Saturday night. One, who was charged with drunkenness, was convicted and discharged, and was prohibited from procuring liquor. On a second information, for using obscene language, he was fined £2. The second man, who was charged with assaulting the other, was fined £1 and ordered to pay £1 Is medical expenses.

An indication of the state of the labor market in Auckland is given by the fact that last week there were 500 applicants for a laboring job worth £5 a week, and 158 for a clerical appointment worth £3 10s a week. Social workers aver that there is more genuine distress in the city than has been the case for many years, and employers are urged to exercise discrimination in employing labor. It is stated that in some cases both the husband and wife of immigrant families are in work, and it is suggested that employers might ease the situation a little by not employing women whose husbands had work, to enable widows with families, and young girls who were self-dependent, to find a living.

Unemployment is on the increase, according to the experience of the Labor Department at New Plymouth. Enquiries show' that last week there were thirty applicants at the office. These included fourteen laborers, five farm hands and three carpenters. Others included two grocers’ assistants, two porters, married couple seeking hotel work, a cabinetmaker, warehouse employee and monumental mason. One laborer was sent to private employment. Of the total number of applicants there were fourteen married men, with 36 dependents, and 16 single men. Mr. A. A. Ross, the leader of the Farmers’ Union political party in the Auckland province, in the course of an interview!, stated: “There is an apprehension abroad as to our position with regard to the Reform Party, and I wish it to be distinctly understood that we stand absolutely independent of any of the present parties, and we hold ourselves free • to vote for or against any Government on any matter that, might arise. As regards the main question of the need for the new party, we hold that the interests of the primary producers are so preponderant in comparison with any others in the Dominion that it will be conducive to the stability and welfare of the whole community that those interests should at all times and under all conditions have their due weight ;n shaping the. national destinies. It is difficult enough, owing to the scattered nature of country occupations, to bring this weight to bear in any degree, and so long as the country' representatives are pledged to any of the existing parties the case is hopeless.” .Hills-borough residents- are notified by advertisement in this issue that the annual general meeting of the Hillsborough Hall Associatiin will be held on Tuesday, 18th inst.

The Cape Egmont (Pungarehu) Sports Club will hold its annual sports meeting at Pungarehu to-morrow. The meeting will be followed by a ball in the evening. -

The contractors for the new bridge over the Patea river in Broadway, Stratford, have lost no time in making a start. Yesterday they naa men clearing the growth off the river banks in readiness to sink the foundations.

At the Inglewood. Court yesterday W. D. Winstanley applied for a variation of a maintenance order of 5s per week in respect of his mother, an order for that amount having been made at Picton. The application was dismissed.

Mr. R. S. Sage, secretary to the Hawera Chamber of Commerce, has received a telegram from Mr. F. W. Flannagan, Valuer-General, stating that he will sit at. Hawera in his capacity as commissioner in connection with mortgage adjustments on rue 21st and 22nd.

At a meeting of farmers held in the Foresters’ Hall at Hawera on Saturday and presided over by Mr. R. Dunn, the president of the Taranaki executive of the Farmers’ Union, urgent appeals were made to the farmers of the district to strengthen their union by the enrolling of new members. The Boys’ and Girls’ Club movement also discussed.

Frederick Norman Bellringer pleaded guilty at yestereday’s sitting of the Inglewood Court, to a charge of having been found on licensed premises while being a prohibited person. Bellringer admitted having taken an order out against himself. His Worship convicted accused and imposed a fine of £2, with costs 7s.

In accordance with a clause in the agreement between the shipowners and seamen, which provides that wages automatically rise or fall with the wages in Australia, there has been a drop of 9s 7d in the monthly wage. It will be remembered, that an addition of £1 6s 8d per month was given tentatively' last December, and this has been reduced in Australia to 17s Id.

A Dannevirke shopkeeper showed, the News a return that is an eye-opener in the way the producers’ money goes. He shipped Home 1171 carcases of frozen mutton. His gross return from the mutton when sold in the London market was £2030 15s lid-, but charges amounted to .€1457 7s 6d, leaving the farmer to pocket proceeds amounting to £573 8s sd. At a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at Inglewood yesterday, before Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., judgment was given by default in the following undefended cases: C. K. Dan v. Chong Hop, £l7 5s (costs £2 16s) : State Advances (Superintendent v. .John Davidson, £l5 17s 5d (costs £1 3s) ; Sutherland Bros, v. Henry Urban Coles, £l4 19s 2d (costs £2 14s) ; P. G. Nops v. W. J. Beswick, £l3B Ivs 3d (costs £7 5s 3d).

The opening night of the West Coasters' Association’s monthly socials took place at the Soldiers’ Club, New Plymouth, last evening, when a pleasant time was spent by members. A musical programme was contributed by Mt. and Mrs. Skelton, Mrs. McWhirter, Miss Jemison. Miss D. McWhirter, and Mr. A. Robson. Dancing was indulge! in till a late hour, music being supplied by Mr. and Mrs. Skelton. Mr. Robs, n oiuciated as M.C.

The quinnat salmon has evidently become acclimatised to New Zealand waters, and reports are general of good catches being made. In the South Island the fish seems to thrive particularly well, and anglers are having excellent sport. Several fishing parties have met with gratifying success in the Canterbury rivers, landing some goodly-sized specimens. The quinnat seems to roach tolerable proportions in the Rakaia river, Mr. W. Scott, of Southbridge, a few days ago landing one which turned the sc&le at 311 b,, and other residents of that district securing good hauls of weighty fish of the same variety.

The administration of justice is carried out in Havelock, Marlborough, under curious conditions, states the Blenheim paper. The periodical sitting of the Magistrate’s Court is held in a poky little office at- the rear of the post office, used as the police station when the court is not in session. Everything is in miniature, and the magistrate upon the bench is barely visible to the rest of the court. The spectators seat themselves on forma that run round the walls, and when the seating accommodation is occupied the latecomers 101 l about anywhere. The local constable is particularly busy, as he acts in the capacity of clerk of the court, court crier, swears the witnesses, etc. The dispatch with which business is transacted is surprising.

The Prime Minister stated on Saturday, in reference to a cablegram published last week, that lie had been informed of the steps taken by Manchester to encourage shipments of produce to that centre, and had publicly stated his approval of any such action, which would extend New Zealand markets and thus be of benefit to the producers. Ho was, glad to see that definite action was being taken to advance the business; but no arrangement had been made for diversion of Dominion shipments. For some years he had emphasised to the New Zealand producers the value of developing trade with important centres in Great Britain, thus extending the area -for marketing our meat and dairy produce. While' we were seeking markets in other countries we must not overlook the possibilities for greater trade with Britain. The oyster season will open shortly at a date to be fixed by the department (says the Auckland Herald), and an excellent yield is anticipated. The chief inspector of fisheries, Mr. F. L. Ayson, lias completed a detailed inspection of the oyster beds in the Hauraki Gulf, including the Coromandel coast, and also at Great Barrier, Whangarei, Bay of Islands, and Kaipara, to estimate the quantity of oysters that will be available for marketing. He found the beds in very good condition, most of them bearing a heavy crop of

mature oysters, and all of them exhibiting large quantities of young oysters from last year’s spawning. It is expected that the quantity of oysters to be marketed will be considerably

in excess of last year’s yield. A conference is to be held shortly between

the Superintendent of Mercantile Marine, who controls the picking, Mr. Ayson, and local inspectors, to decide how many men are to be employed on picking, transporting, and marketing the oysters this season.

The world’s sculling championship match between Hadfield and Paddon takes place on . the Wanganui river on Easter Tuesday, 18th inst. New Plymouth enthusiasts who wisli to see the match arc notified that Mr. Geo. Gibson will run a special motor service to Wanganui on that day if sufficient inducement offers, and will return the same evening. The return fare is £2 10s.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company advertise on page 8 of this issue particulars of the sale at Te Wera, which the company wiH hold on Thursday next Friday next being Good Friday

A Press message from Dunedin states that the Hillside branch of the A.S.R.S. carried a resolution the P. and T. Association on its decision to affiliate with the Alliance of Labor.

Members of the New Plymouth Ladies’ Life-Saving Club met at a social gathering at the Kawaroa Park Bungalow on Saturday afternoon. The president of the club (Miss E. Dowling), in welcoming the visitors, referred to the good work accomplished by the club since its inception recently, and remarked that a physical culture class was being inaugurated for the winter, with Mr. F. J. Eggleton as instructor. On behalf of the club, presentations were made to Mr. P. Mathieson (custodian of the baths) as a recognition of the assistance he had given to the club, and to Miss Mather, who has acted as secretary. Awards and certificates won by members were presented by Mr. A. R. Standish (president of the North Taranaki Head Centre of the Royal Life-Saving Society).

The Hon. Mr. Guthrie is on a visit to the East Cloast. Speaking at W'hakatane on Friday he said he was impressed on his last visit by the extraordinary success of the work of drainage, and was doubly impressed this time.- Great development would take place; there was a vast future before the plains and the natural port of Whakatane. The soldiers’ settlements were all very satisfactory, and greatly pleased him. The drainage of the Rangitaiki, Hauraki, Wihi and Te Puke swamps was an object lesson to the Dominion, but only a portion of the lands would be drained. There was the problem of the irri. gation of Central Otago, the development of pumice lands, which, was a promising field of experiment, and the gumlands, the treatment of which had already been mastered by the department, " the draining of Hikurangi, Kaitaia, and it was J)oped also of 50,000 acres in the South Island. The war had doubled the national debt, and the only way to carry it was to use the other half of the Dominion lends which were now unproductive and double the production in order to relieve the shoulders that carry the taxes. The Urewera portion of the land, now on the market, would soon be a great stock-raising area, but, some of it would suit for dairying purposes and help to pay the debt incurred, reserving at the same time adequate forest areas.

Entries for the sports events at Kawaroa Park on Easter Monday are coming in freely from all parts of the province. The Highlanders in the Eltham district are supporting their well-organised pipe band by promises of a large competition in the respective Highland events. Representatives in North Taranaki of Bonnie Scotland are keen in anticipation of meeting in true sport the Scots of the Southern districts. For the schools’ tug. of-war there are several nominations. The Boy Scouts will give various displays connected with their world-wide order. A specially constructed platform will be the scene of the bagpipe and dancing items, thus ensuring a good view for all spectators. Be one of the multitude at Kawaroa Park on Easter Monday.