LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Inglewood County Council lias decided to put into operation the heavy traffic by-laws as from May 1. “There are some mean people,” said a member of the Pukekura Park Board last night. The board had before them some instances of petty thefts this week, including the plucking of a particularly beautiful specimen of hybiscus. At yesterday’s meeting of the Inglewood County Council notification was received from Mr. F. Swindells, inspector of health, that for the quarter ending March 31, there had been an absence of notifiable infectious disease within the Inglewbod County, which was exceedingly gratifying to record. The party who continued the search in the National Reserve bush near Inglewood for the missing boy, Leonard Blanchard, met with success yesterday morning. In response to the cooees of some of the searchers the boy’s answer was picked up and Blanchard was found about eight o’clock. He was little the worse for his all night sojourn in the bush.

Mock bankruptcy proceedings occupied last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Commerce Students’ Society. The “bankrupt,” who showed a considerable deficiency in his estate, underwent a cross-examination from a large gathering of “creditors,” and at times questions and answers provoked a good deal of merriment. At the conclusion of the meeting a vote of thanks was accorded to the Deputy Official Assignee (Mr. J. S. S. Medley), who assisted in the proceedings. The president of the society (Mr. C. IL Burgess) intimated that at the next meeting the subject of costing would be dealt with by Mr. Gordon Fraser.

The tuatara lizard that wa® found on the rocks at Plimmerton a week or two ago has not accounted for its appearance on the mainland, and its journey from Stephen Island on a floating log is still a matter of conjecture. A possible explanation of the presence of the creature at Plimmerton has been offered by a Palmerston North lady, who states that in 1911 Dr. Endletzberger. who was relieving Dr. Wilson, brought a tuatara lizard from Rotorua. This he sent to the family of W, T. Wood, who were then living at Plimmerton.

The lady thinks it probable that when Mr. Wood’s family left Plimmerton they released the lizard.

When the visitors to the farmers* school at the Central Development Farm at Weraroa were being received at the Levin Dairy Factory last week, Mr. J. B. Brown, chairman of directors, took the opportunity of urging upon all dairy farmers the importance of supporting the dairy produce pool which was in course of formation. He said that it was only by this means that they could hope to stabilise the market. He announced that the ’ test news from Home was to the ,fc that the dairy produce market was still firming, and there was every prospect of its holding up. A very interesting week or two was spent recently by Mr. B. C. Bennett and two other keen anglers in exploring the district streams between Hawera and Opunake and round towards Pungarehu. The fishermen pitched a camp by one of The streams near Pihama, and from there made expeditions to try out the neighboring streams. They gi-adually worked their way north. They found that the streams south of Opunake were much better stocked than north, and had altogether excellent sport and a good trip. The experience they gained of the fishing is valuable, for it shows how well the work of the Acclimatisation Society is bearing fruit, and makes a strong inducement for fishermen from other parts to come to South Taranaki. —Star.

Some discussion took place at the meeting of the Inglewood County Council yesterday regarding the cost of hospital administration. The question arose out of a notification from the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board giving estimated expenditure for the coming year and stating that the levy on contributing bodies would be the same as last year, viz., 2/9 in the £lOO. The chairman considered that the institution was a very costly one to run, and seeing how hard it was for farmers to pay their rates at present ■steps should be taken to economise wherever possible. He thought that they should raise their rates to patients and insist upon, those paying that were in a position to do so. While admitting that nurses should be given every possible comfort, he considered that •hundreds of pounds had been spent on the outside appearance of the nurses’ home, which, considering the hard row settlers had to face, might have been left till things were better. Cr. Capper, who is a member of the Hospital Board, stated that the board were economising wherever possible, and were losing no ! opportunity of collecting accounts. Regarding the nurses’ home, he pointed out that this had been commenced before the slump, and, further, the plans had to be approved by the Government.

A meeting of the West End School Committee was held on Monday night. The headmaster (Mr. D. P. -Evans) reported that the number on the roll at the end of March was 617. During the month nineteen had been admitted and six had withdrawn, leaving a total roll number of 630. The average roll number was 624.5 and the average attendance 582.9, a percentage of 93.3. An epidemic of colds amongst the junior pupils had militated against good average attendance. It was stated that good progress was being made in connection with tlie ceremony of crowning the carnival queen. This will take the form of a. fancy dress ball, to be held on May 26 in Kawaroa, bungalow, which is being placed at the committee’s disposal by the Kawaroa Park Committee. It was decided io leave the arrangements in the hands of a committee comprising Messrs. J. Hoskin, j‘ Lobb and the teachers. It was resolved to make application to the Board of Education for subsidies in connection with grants by the committee to the school library; also for basket ball equipment and for material for Montessori work. . Messrs. J. Hoskin and J. Lobb were appointed a visiting committee for the month.' The Taranaki Boxing Association is calling applications for the position of secretary of the association at a salary of £52 per annum. Mr. Carlson’s mercery and outfitting business has been purchased bv a local syndicate, and it has been decided that Mr. Carikon shall run the business as Jieretoforo. The very high quality of the goods stocked by Carlson’s is wellknown. 3'lie stock has been purchased at 10s in the £, and the public will Leap the benefit of this tremendous reduction by patronising the sale, which igoiammced yesterday.

At a gathering of Maoris at Ratana’s last camp several prominent men were mentioned as candidates for the Maori seat at the coming election. Among them, Mr. Geo. Broughton, farmer, of Patea, and the Rev. R. T. Haddon. Both declined to accept nomination, and Ratana’s son was chosen to contest the seat against Dr. Pomare.

“Let me say at once that we must have a board of missions,” said the

acting Primate, Bishop Julius, in his address to the Anglican General Synod at Auckland. “Why is provincial organisation of this nature possible anywhere but in New Zealand? Again and again we have failed. Maori Missions, provincial papers and much else have come to nothing. Is New Zealand too big or is it not rather too small? Our diocesan synods are parochial as a parish vestry, an<> our sense of spiritual and ecclesiastical union is too weak to overcome the petty jealousies of our chief towns.”

During the past few months the Inglewood County Council has made considerable improvement to the road, between Waipuku and Waiwakaiho, and now a portion of the Junction Road is being sealed with bitumen. Yesterday, prior to resuming business in the afternoon, councillors visited the scene of operations,'' which are in charge of Mr. Skit- ( rop, and were interested spectators of the work of spraying. The sprayer used was manufactured by Mr. Nixon, of New Plymouth. This portion of the road will be paid for out of the general rate and will serve to give ratepayers an idea of the advantages of bitumen as a road preservative.

Wild pig shooting in the Taranaki district was referred to by Mr. C. H. Whitehead whilst in conversation with a. Manawatu Standard reporter. He said that, on high country sheep stations, wild boars were a decided nuisance. Once a boar had tasted lamb’s flesh the instinct to kill and devour the young sheep became very strong and it would go to any lengths to obtain such food. Serious ravages were made upon the flocks during the lambing season and he had known a boar to dog the footsteps of a ewe persistently, till the offspring was delivered, and it then fell an easy prey to the hungry denizen of the ranges. Because of this an annual excursion against pigs was necessary, and sportsmen would find any amount of game offering on the ranges, about 26 miles inland from Eltham. Mr. D. McAllum, sharebroker, advises that all shares in the Onakaka Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., have been disposed of y and can only now be obtained at a premium. *■ A huge sale of bankrupt stock is now proceeding at Carlson’s, men’s, youths’ and boys’ outfitter, opposite Criterion Hotel, New Plymouth. The outstanding feature of the sale will be the extraordinary bargains obtainable, and the public are asked to remember that in addition to the smashed prices the quality of the goods is all top grade. Entries for the chrysanthemum Show, to be held in the Parish Hall, Inglewood, to-morrow, close with the secretary at 9 p.m. to-night. For particulars see advertisement in this issue. Ladies, just think a moment how “Fairy Wonder” can help you in your home. It will bleach clothes snowy white without injury. It is extremely economical, being cheaper bulk for bulk. The Melbourne’s gigantic sale is attracting hosts of shoppers. Bargains like the following are the magnet: Pure wool cashmere hose, 2/11 pair; Horrockses’ flannelette, 1/4 yard; wonderful fine herringbone twill unbleached sheeting, 3/6 yard; 27in. nursery flannelette, 9id yard; 4-ply knitting wool, one ounce skeins, 6d skein.