LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Two petitions in bankruptcy in rhe New Plymouth district were filed last month, as compared with none for May, l'!>2l. Sb far this year ten bankruptcies have occurred in the district.

June 21 has been fixed as the date of the by-election rendered necessary by the death of Mr. E. Kellett, member for Dunedin North. The writ for the election, issued on Monday, is returnable on June 27.

In Dunedin yesterday the Prime Minister promised a deputation representing musical bodies and the Competitions’ Society to amend the amusementtax in the coming session in the direction of relieving such bodies.

Decision was reserved by His Honor Mr. Justice Reed in the case of Bett and Bayley, Ltd. (Palmerston Nortn) v. VL F. Buist (Hawera), the hearing of which was concluded in the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, yesterday morning. Plaintiffs claimed £275 19s Bd, on a promissory note, being the balance of the purchase money in respect of a motorcar. Defendant counter-claimed for £466 damages.

The annual report of the Taranaki Provincial War Relief Association stated: The amount outstanding by way of loans to soldiers as at March, 1921, was £6756 Os 4d, and this amount has been reduced during the past twelve months to £4700 (te. Notwithstanding present financial conditions, the repayments have been satisfactorily maintained,' and the executive committee has pleasure in reporting that the securities covering the outstanding balance are in a. satisfactory state.

“After all that has been spoken and written about the League of Nations, the ignorance on the subject is simply colossal,” sn r •' the Rev. Dr. Gibb at the conference o/ the Dominion League of Nations Union. Dr. Gibb indicated that his remark applied to members of Parliament as well as to the public generally. Following upon this, it was proposed that a series of questions on the matter should be put to candidates for Parliament.

At yesterday’s sitting of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth argument was concluded on the application for leave to dispense with security .on appeal in the case of H. R. Russell v. P. V. Stainton. At the hearing of the case Mr. Justice Chapman gave judgment for the defendant. Yesterday Mr. Justice Reel announced that before giving his decision’ in the present matter he would consult Mr. Jsbice Chapman and give his decision in writing. Mr. H. R. Billing appeared for plaintiff and Mr. C. H. Croker for the defendant.

“There is no doubt that damages are an efficacious remedy for nervous trouble,” interjected Mr. Justice Stringer, in the course of examination of a plaintiff in a compensation case at the Auckland Supreme Court. Plaintiff had detailed how her nervous system had been deranged by the accident, and defendant’s counsel was cross-examining her as to what part the civil proceedings played in her malady. He suggested that the sufferer would be much relieved when the case was over, but His Honor went a step further with his trite remarx.

Over a year ago the Wellington City Council authorised the purchase of a young elephant for the Zoo, one which would, in course of time, allow itself to be used as an animated and elevated cushion for the juvenile visitors to the municipal menagerie. The Sydney Zoo authorities at that time promised to secure one for Wellington for about £350, but, like everything else, the price of elephants has risen. Sydney has now advised that the price is more likely to be £6OO, which puts elephants in the luxury class, and outside the scope of the council’s activities. An application for assistance came before the executive of the Taranaki War Relief Association yesterday from a married returned man with two children. Correspondence was read from various associations and sanatoria throughout the North Island, the case being generally described as unsatisfactory. It was pointed out that the case had received assistance from various patriotic sources and had been more generously treated than most. One member said it was a great hardship for the wife and he thought something should be done from some source for this unfortunate woman. It was finally decided to drop the case •in view of the correspondence received.

Many faults are found in New Zealand with the Dominion government of tropical dependencies; but other people hold a higher opinion of our work. When travelling to and from Rarotonga on the mail steamer, Mr. J. D. Gray, Under-Secretary for External Affairs, met many people who had travelled widely. They were the cosmopolitan crowd usually met on such voyages, and well qualified by travel and experience to express an opinion. “It ijy.-® gratifying to me as a New Zealander,” said Mr. Gray, “to hear the comparisons made between the New Zealand and other national administrations, and to note that in almost every case it was very much, to New Zealand’s advantage.”

Gne of £he largo engines known as the A. B. type, which have been in use on the Main Trunk line for some years past, made a trial run through to New Plymouth from Wanganui yesterday with the goods train. These engines, while being more powerful and faster than the engines we use in this section, are also said to be much more economical iu fuel consumption. The turn tables at New Plyinouth and Hawera have been strengthened to accommodate this class of engine, and it is understood that if the trials prove that the engines are suited to the country between Wanganui and New Plymouth two of them will be brought into permanent use in the section. one being utilised on the mail train. This will enable the train to be heated by steam, the necessary alterations having been made to the carriages. It is also anticipated that another and much to be desired result will be the speeding up of the mail train between New Plymouth and Wellington in the near future.

Particulars of T. Lamason’s weekly sale at Stratford are inserted in this issue and owing to the King’s Birthday falling on Saturday the sale will be held on Friday.

In order to cope with the necessary business, built up as the result of supplying goods true to name and by paying careful attention to selection. H. G. Staub, seedsman and florist, of Regent Street, Hawera, has found it necessary to enlarge his premises. Clients will find here a large assortment of ornamental trees and shrubs, also fruit trees and roses, delivery of which can be given at once, as they are all growing in the grounds' at the rear of the premises. All new season’s seeds are ready for distribution for the coming season. Clients would do well to read ths »oecial offer in advwt. ou page 1.

The general manager of the Peninsular and Orient Company has telegraphed to the New Zealand agents in z connection with the loss of R.M.S. Egypt: “Egypt Board of Trade inquiry will shortly be held, when all circumstances will be made clear, but, having now seen commanding officer and passengers, you can state everything possible was done by ship’s people to save lives of passengers and crew.” “Most of the waterside workers at Tokomaru Bay have farms of their own, and some of them run. 800 to 1000 sheep and ship their own wool,” said the secretary of the Tokomaru branch of the Gisborne Waterside Workers’ Union at the Arbitration Court, at, Auckland, in reply to a question as to whether the men did any other work when vessels were scarce. “The relations between capital and labor ought to be very harmonious,” remarked Mr. Justice Frazer. “It all depends on who is the capital and who is the labor,” replied Mr. J. Roberts; “the workers are ‘sheep’ owners, not ‘ship’ owners.” “There is only one type of New Zealander for whom 1 have no respect,” said Professor W. H. Pringle at the Wellington Rotary Club luncheon on Tuesday, “and that is the man who goes Home on a hurried trip, interviews the High Commissioner in I.ondon, spends a few af tempo ns at the plub, rushes across Germany, ami speaks to a few railway porters and hotel waiters there, and then says that the Old Country is done for, and that the only Eve nation is Germany. Gentlemen, the Old Country is not done for. She has a far greater influence than she ever had, and if we could only get Europe stabilised, British trade would be greater than ever in the past. Pay no attention to the story of Germany flooding the Englisn markets.”

The contention was put forward by Mr. T. Bloodworth in the course of an address before the members of the Auckland Rotary Club that the wages of labor were paid on a wrong basis, thus contributing to the labor problem. He did not, however, advocate “payment by results”— piecework payments—which would not, he thought, improve, but would rather magnify the error to which he wished to draw attention. The remedy, as suggested by a deputation to Sir George Fuller in Sydney last week, was a flat minimum- wage for a man and wife alone, the employers paying into a pool sufficient for the needs of all the children. Under such a scheme the standard of comfort could be brought into the homes of every worker without additional burden to the industries or the finances of the country.

The preparation of rhe electoral rolls in readiness for the approaching general elections is well in hand. The time allowed for the readjustment of rolls, necessitated by the revision of boundaries following last year’s census, expired on Monday, and this portion of the work is well up to date. The enrolment of electors nc# already on the rolls will now be actively proceeded with. Each electorate will be divided- into blocks, and a house-to-house canvas will be made by selected postmen, who will work under the direction of the. central electoral offices shortly to be opened. Each postman will carry a copy of the roll, showing recorded removals, and will also be provided with enrolment and change of Qddress forms. In localities in which no postmen are employed the work will be undertaken by postmasters, who will supply to registrars lists of adult persons qualified to be enrolled.

Householders requiring good pure allwool colonial 'blanket® should see the wonderful values offering at the Melbourne, Ltd. These blankets are admittedly—value for value—the finest prn ductions in the world, and will give years of service. Buy now while stock® are complete.

“Fairy Wonder” Dry Soap dissolves the dirt in soiled clothes * like magic without the elightest injury to , the fabrics It is so thorough in (action that many housewives do not trouble about boiling when the clothes are only partially soiled. Give it a trial. Its out on it® own.

A meeting of the Justices of the Peace Association will be held in the Jurors’ Room, New Plymouth Courthouse, tomorrow (Friday), evening, at 7.30 p.m.