LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 July 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Hawera Winter Show concludes to-day. The exhibition is full of interest to town-dwellers and farmers and the many interesting features make up an attractive display. The primary schools and inter-collegiate football matches at Hawera to-day provide an additional attraction.

The funds administered by the National War Funds Council have received a welcome addition under the will of the late Sarah Mary Brock, who died in Wellington on .June 27 last. Deceased, after providing for legacies, left the residue o-f her estate upon trust for the National Fund for -wounded soldiers. Tire value of the bequest has not yet been ascertained, but it is expected the fund will benefit to a substantial extent. The Public Trustee is executor of the will.-r-Press Assn.

Consignments of 100,000 brown trout ova from Christchurch and 40,000 rainbow ova from Rotorua have been received by the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society and are now on the hatching trays in the Pukekura Park hatchery. The ova arrived in excellent condition. The remaining 40,000 rainbow ova ordered by the society are expected by the mail train to-night. A further 100,000 brown trout ova from the Kakataramea hatchery are due to arrive during the next few days, making 280,000 in all ;to be hatched and liberated this season.

In view of the second public service salary “cut” the Publie Service Association is endeavoring to secure public opinion concerning the equality or otherwise of the Government’s action, and with this object in view local bodies are being circularised. . J. Ewart forwarded 1o yesterday’s meeting of the Clifton County Council a copy of a lengthy resolution'passed at a meeting of civil servants at New Plymouth on June 13, protesting against the proposed second salary “cut.” An expression of opinion from local bodies was desired as an indication as to the attitude of the public in the matter. The chairman of the council said the Government should know best- how to secure efficiency in the service, and it was not the place of local bodies to interfere. The council's opinion had already been expressed in a resolution passed at the last meeting and forwarded to the Prime Minister.

The danger arising from cattle tick being introduced by stock coming across the Mokau River into Taranaki was discussed at the meeting of the Taranaki Agricultural Society's general committee yesterday. While members agreed that the regulations were all right they were not satisfied that the conditions were being carried out, and the opinion was expressed that a dip should be erected on the north side of the Mokau River and stock compelled to be dipped before coming across, even if they had been previously dipped before leaving for this district. Steps will .be taken in the mat-

Poljtical unrest on the eve of an election is not confined to the Pakeha. The Maori is having his preliminary gatherings and already there are more than hints of a split in the camp- Kawhia Jias started the campaign. A large gathering of some 700 Waikato natives has been in progress during the week, and it was sufficiently important to attract Sir Maui Pomare, who represents the Western Maori electorate, and is also in the Cabinet. It seems that a son of Rataha (the Maori healer) has been promised 25,000 votes if he will stand as candidate for the Western Electorate. This has compelled the Waikato Maoris to make an attempt to consolidate their forces. Sir Maui explained to the assemblage that when he had refused to subscribe to the new “Covenant” of the Ratanaites and asked what his shortcomings were, was told that he had none but he "lacked -the vision of the Lord.” After a long harangue, in which Sir Maui told the people that he did not ask them directly for their votes, he advised them to consider well before making their choice. Personally, he did not think young Ratana a suitable person to lead the race. The knight was subjected to some chaff over his acceptance of a “showy and ta-wdiy” title, but he held that it was given as an honor to the Native race, not merely a personal decoration. Te Rata, the nominal “King,” was looked to by the gathering to give a lead as to which way Waikato’s sympathies should saving, but he is evidently an astute politician, for summed up. his advice was that Waikato should lie low like Brer Rabbit, and say nothing. Like most Maori meetings the Kawhia hui was a .pronounced success gastronomically, but’ wliat the political result was no Pakeha could attempt to guess.

The attention of dairymen desirous of replenishing their herds with good heifers for the coming season is directed io springing heifer fairs to be held at Stony River and Rahotu on the 11th and 12th inst. Full particulars of both sales are advertised in the auction columns.

The whole of the freehold land together with all boring material, machinery. etc., lately in use by the Taranaki (N Z.) Oil Wells, Ltd., will be sold by auction on the property, Moturoa, New Plymouth, on August 30. An announcement appears in the auction columns of this paper.

Extraordinary business in towels, sheeting and damasks is being done at the Melbourne’s Great Mid-winter Sale. These goods have come direct to the firm from leading British manufacturers and this fact, combined with the substantially reduced prices, makes the sale offerings absolutely unique.

“Fairy Wonder” cleanser, the new scientific dry soap washing powder, is the great discovery of the age, and before long will be in the home of every up-to-date housekeeper in Australasia. It does its work quickly, cleanly and

effectively. Besides that it is the most economical in use, makes the ■ clothes beautifully snow-white without theslightest injury and leaves the hands beautifully soft and smooth. Be sure

Mr. Ford says that his concern turned out car No. 5,000,000 on May 31, 1'921, and that it is now in his museum along with the gasoline buggy that he began work on 30 years ago, and which first ran satisfactorily in the spring of 1893.

A North Island owner in conversation recently with the Dunedin writer

“Sentinel” stated that some Northern owners contemplated going out of the. sport, not because of the slump, but because they were not satisfied about “getting a go” for their money.

There is every prospect of a revival of building activity in Invercargill at an early date, two of the contemplated structures involving an expenditure approaching £49,>000 each, states a local paper. Altogether there is in sight work that will run to well over £lOO,OOO spread over a period of about two years.

“In this country, our minds should be so educated that we shall consider it the very first of our duties to fight for the defence of the country should the circumstances demand it,” remarked Sir Joseph Ward at Marlborough College on Monday.

There are still in the North people who possess the sturdy spirit of the pioneers states the Whangarei Advocate.) A Maungaturoto farmer who wished to visit Whangarei undertook the first part of his journey in typical pioneer style. Lighting his lantern soon after 8 p.m., he tramped the long 25 miles to Waiotira, reaching his destination about 4 o’clock next morning. From Waiotira he came on by train.

While two sisters and their bridegrooms were standing before the altar about to exchange marriage vows at the Church of St. Martin at Pau, a beautiful young woman rushed up to the priest, crying “Stop the marriage of this man. You cannot marry him because he is already married to me.” At the same time she hurled a bottle of red ink at his head. The bottle missed its objective, and struck one of the sisters, while its contents copiously bespattei’ed the two men and the two brides. The young woman was arrested, and the priest then married the two’couples.

A well-known Hawke s Bay land agent has stated that a much brighter tone was apparent in business (reports the Napier Telegraph). The chief difficulty, he said, was to get sellers to understand what buyers were prepared to pay. It was Very clear that sellers knew the price of building was not going to fall any further, and that a compromise with the prospective buyer was the best thing to do. More money was about, and buyers were prepared to give larger deposits than was the case a short time ago. “Better times are here,” he stated, “more confidence is apparent, and a conviction is slowly being forced into the public mind that things are on the mend, and that there is no necessity for further hesitation.”

The following story is neither parable nor fable —it is fact. A certain officer of the Crown who had made himself peculiarly unpopular with the public was, in the interests of the public and himself, transferred to another district. To him came, while in the execution of his duties, an elderly and somewhat untidy gentleman to have certain official work done. The uncivil and unpopular official in good, round, set terms rated him in the most truculent and abusive manner. When he paused for breath the elderly gentleman asked him if he had finished, and said: “Now I will introduce’ myself,” and produced 'his card, the Hon. , Minister for the Department of the unpopular official. “The kauri is among the most ancient of trees,” said Mr. J. W. Boynton, S.M., in his lecture at Auckland. It was not the tallest of trees, but some specimens contained more cubic feet of wood than any American or Australian tree. In remote ages, kauris were the principal tiees of the world, and their cones, wood, and leaves were to be found in the rocks of Switzerland, Siberia, North and South America, and elsewhere.

The public are cordially invited to the Victoria League rooms on Monday next, when there will be community singing and a Shakespeare recital by Dr. J. R. Purdy, of Wellington. A collection will be made on behalf of the unemployment fund. The first series of euchre parties at the Fitzroy School concluded with Mrs. H. Bishop winning the ladies’ consolation prize and Mr. J. Dickie, jun., winning the gentlemen’s prize. Handsome trophies have been donated for the second series. For further particulars see advertisement. The second of the combined pianoforte and classic dance recitals by Miss Constance Leatham and Miss Mavis Tuke will be held on Monday evening. There will be a complete change of programme.