LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The contractors have now completed Opunake’s new hospital, and it should be ready for occupation at an early date (says the Tinies).

A voung man was arrested at New Plymouth by Constable Parkinson late yesterday afternoon, on charges of alleged assault and theft. He will be brought before the Magistrate’s Court this morning. A wool-grower in the Lakes District is reported to have had no fewer than 850 bales of wool, representing two years’ clip, at last week’s sale in Dunedin. A rise of Id per lb in this consignment would make a difference of about £lOOO to him (states a Dunedin contemporary).

As an indication of the size of the “pot holes” in a road under the jurisdiction of the Pelorus Road Board (states the Marlborough Express) a member of the board stated at a meeting last week that a ratepayer had asked permission to fill up one of the holes with a cow that had died in the vicinity.

The Valuer-General (Mr. F, W. Flanagan) was in New Plymouth yesterday, and held a sitting at the Taranaki County Council Chambers, for the purpose of enquiring into dairy .farmers’ mortgages, and of mediating, where the opportunity offered, between mortgagees and mortgagors. As the nature of the enquiry was principally of a confidential kind, the sitting was held in camera. To-day and to-morrow the commission will sit at Stratford, and on the two succeeding days at Hawera.

A sad feature of the neglect of the blind in New Zealand is that a proportion have become mentally backward, according to Mr. Clutha Mackenzie, M.P. Mr. Mackenzie explained at a Christchurch citizens’ meeting that occupation and the teaching of self-reliance are essential in the treatment of the blind. He instanced one case in which a person who became blind was “given the run” of a backyard for ten years, and was given no opportunity to stir abroad. As a result, said Mr. Mackenzie, he is now a mild and harmless luna-

New Plymouth is a pleasant town in which to spend a holiday, but the return journey per train is a nightmare (says the Eltham Argus). On Monday the train left New Plymouth'for Eltham at 5.32 p.m., reaching Eltham at 8.40. There are, no doubt, difficulties in the way of running a faster service on a single line, with up trains to be met and allowed to pass, but the trip, nevertheless, is a trying one. The train left New Plymouth at 5.32 p.m., and a motor lorry which left New Plymouth at 6.20 p.in. reached Eltham just before the train.

- Further evidence of the high reputation which New Zealand butter has gained in other countries through the rapid extension of its overseas markets is contained in a letter from a lady resident of St. John’s, Newfoundland, to a friend in Auckland. “Just imagine!” she writes, “We have been using New Zealand butter at our table all the winter. It is delicious, and we all enjoy it very much. It is sold here at 43 cents a pound. This is the first time we have ever had it here, and everyone speaks very highly of it.”

In the early hours of Thursday morning, a W’airoa residence was entered by a burglar, and a quantity of jewels and clothing were taken. On Thursday evening a note was found on the lawn of Sergeant Wade's residence, stating that the stolen articles were concealed under a bridge, where four cross roads meet, near the river. Search was made, and the articles were found intact -in a creek, with the exception of a small sum of money, which was, the letter stated: “Kept to buy food; nothing all day.” The police are making further enquiries.

The championship prize for the heaviest cow on the ground is one of the awards gained by a New Zealand exhibitor at the Royal Sydney Show last week. The winner is Mr. F. W. Fairey, president of the Nelson A. and P. Association, who has been a successful exhibitor of cattle at the Sydney shows on several occasions during the past twelve years. His champion cow, which won in competition against all breeds and all classes, is a purebred Shorthorn. It was bred by Mr. Doughty, of Methven, Canterbury, from whom it was purchased by Mr. Fairey four years ago.

The use of matches may be compared with the proverbial grains of sand; they mount steadily, and in New Zealand alone swell the foreign trade account to the extent of £50,000 per annum, says a Wellington paper. The imports approximate to two million dozen boxes a year, and to keep at least some of this money in the country arrangements have been completed for the carrying out of an extensive series of tests covering the use of several New Zealand timbers for this purpose. The tests will be carried out on a full commercial scale, and will be of considerable importance in the utilisation of a large number of our so-called “weed” timbers. If successful, the scheme will mean a considerable addition to the match-making industry in the Dominion.

A burglar had the unusual experience of being treated with the utmost politeness in an Epsom (Auckland) house on a recent afternoon. The housewife had gone out, leaving at home her sister and the housekeeper. Later, the housekeeper went out, blit the young lady, who was lying down, was not aware of the fact. Accordingly, she took no notice of loud knocks at the back door, but when, after an interval, they were repeated, she decided to answer the door. On reaching (he kitchten she found there a man, looking quite selfpossessed. “Are you the grocer?” she asked. “Yes, madam,” replied the man. “Well, I do not know what is wanted,” said the unsuspecting young woman, .“but we will ring up.” The self-appointed grocer said “Thank you” and left. When her sister returned the young woman learned that the grocer had called that morning, that no tradesman ever entered the kitchen, and that her polite man had unquestionably bean a burglar.

; It is announced that the executive of the Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association is to meet in Wellington this morning, to consider the refusal of the Government to allow the association to affiliate, as decided by the ballot recently taken, with the Alliance of Labor.

Tn going through rts lists recently the Auckland Hospital Board found probably the ’oldest person who needed assistance was one who had been on the books for a long time and was just on a hundred years old. It was found out, too, that the old body still enjoyed some of the pleasures of life usually associated with much younger people, and the board found much pleasure in granting an extension of her allowance.

Interest and amusement, especially the latter, were aroused by a motorcar, with a number of occupants, obviously dressed in their very best, careering through Lambton quay (Wellington) with two- big bold legends, “Just Wed” and “Love Birds,” fastened on the back of the hood. The feelings of the travellers, on arriving thus labelled at the railway station, can be better imagined than described.

Questioned as to the severity of the wave of influenza in New Zealand, the Minister for Public Health (the Hon. C. J. Parr) informed a reporter at Christchurch that its effect had been felt much more in the North Island than in the South. However, the trouble was not of the notifiable type, and as far as he could learn its threatening features had now almost disappeared.

A southern resident, who is on a visit to Wanganui, in conversation with a Herald reporter, Stated that barley of good quality is very cheap in the south, with the result that he knew of several poultry enthusiasts who had turned their attention to it as a fowl feed. Personally, he rarefly used any other grain except barley, with satisfactory results. He would guarantee that his fowls would produce as many eggs on good barley as could be produced by any other means of feeding.

A local resident who is familiar with the pulse of the local labor market, states that he estimates that there are fully 400 men unemployed in Wanganui at the present time. As an instance he states that a representative of a new industry commencing in Wanganui, has had over 100 applications for employment. He had no sooner arrived in the town than he was met by several men looking for work and was wondering how they received the news of his arrival so quickly. — (Wanganui Herald). “If education can make a girl a good housekeeper, it will fulfil its highest function as far as she is concerned,” said the Minister for Education (the Hon. C. J. Parr), at the Beckenham School. “I hope that in the new curriculum (the course from 12 to 16), the girls will give half their time to domestic science, as it is done in Victoria. With the other half 'of the curriculum devoted to English, arithmetic, book-keeping, etc., the course will train a girl to become a proper housewife. and an intelligent companion for her husband. The importance of domestic science cannot be stressed too much.”

The new Convent School at Kaponga will be formally opened to-morrow, the ceremony being performed by Archbishop Redwood. The new school is a handsome concrete structure, built at a cost of £2700. The following programme will be carried out: High mass at 11 a.m., school benediction 12 noon, concert programme 12.30 p.m., luncheon Town Hall 1.15 p.m., grand ball 8 p.m. By advertisement in this issue the School Committee extend an invitation to residents of Kaponga and district to be present at the ceremony. “I think that if special courts were set up to deal with motoring cases,” said Mr. F. W. Johnston at a meeting of the Canterbury Automobile Association, “the time of the country would be saved. The courts would soon be competent to deal with such cases, he said, and the present experience of cases, being allowed to drag on from week to week would be obviated. At present the judges of the Supreme Court were working at high pressure, and he was sure that if such a court as he was suggesting was set up, the judges connected with it would not have any sinecure. Hot meals are now provided for the students of the Ashburton Technical School on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The object of this provision is a double one, namely, to provide for all long-distance students a wholesome hot' meal at a minimum cost, and to give the girls in the cookery classes practice in purchasing the necessary materials, cooking a three-course dinner, and serving it. The girls of each class will be divided into groups of two or three, and each group will decide a suitable dinner and work out the approximate cost per head. They will then be given the cash to purchase the materials from the shops in which they consider the highest quality can be obtained for the cheapest price. After the materials* are bought the whole responsibility of cooking and serving the dinner rests with the students, though they are under the supervision of the domestic science instructors. In this way it is hoped that, every girl will be taught how to obtain and cook a wholesome dinner at the lowest possible cost.

Mr. D. Mcßea, who won the open piping contest, in the Highland events at the Kawaroa Society’s gala day on Monday, is a member of the New Plymouth Caledonian Society’s recently-formed band. By error it was stated in yesterday’s issue that Mr. Mcßea was an Eltham competitor.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., wish to draw clients' attention to their Tarata sale, which they are holding in their Tarata yards on Friday, April 21. Full particulars of entries will be found on page 8. There are so any points to be urged an favor of the charming and fashionhole chrysanthemum that it is no wonder that their popularity continues to increase.. The colors are becoming brighter and better, and the range of coloration has been considerably extended during recent years, while for decorative purposes there are no blooms to equal them in late autumn and early winter. Lovers of the queen of autumn flowers should make a point of visiting the New Plymouth Horticultural Society’s chrysanthemum show, where many of the latest and best varieties will be on exhibition.

Wharehuia residents are reminded of the re-opening ball, to be held on Friday

The Tarata Sheep Dog Trials are being ’held to-morrow and Friday. A large number of entries have been received, and. weather permitting, a successful meeting is assured.

The meeting of the War Memorial Committee, called for this evening, will be held in the municipal offices, Liardet Street, instead of at the Soldiers’ Club.

Messrs. L. A. Nolan and Co. advise that their usual monthly sale of hides and skins advertised for Tuesday, April 25, has been postponed until Tuesday, May 9.