LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 July 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The purging of the Taranaki electoral roll jn preparation for the forthcoming general election has to date resulted in 1131 names being struck off. ‘ I hope too much of a song will not be made about distress for I think there ■ is more in other towns than in Wangai nui, only that we are more active in the relief measures,” said the Mayor at a ; meeting of the council. • “There will be no satisfaction in this country while the Civil Service is eating : t he heart out of it,” said Mr. J. D. Hall, i the new president of the Council of Agriculture. He also urged that the I accounts of the various Government de- • partments -should be prepared in a nrtii form way so that the public could uni derstand them. ‘ Tn the districts north of the Hurunui ‘ the large increases in deer herds have ■ resulted in the animals doing damage ; to sheep feed and native bush. The ; damage is so great that it is felt it will ;be necessary to reduce the herds. This ! is made more so as the animals have ; commenced to migrate south (states the I Christchurch Sun). ■ The first ‘"community sing” to be held • in the district took place in the Waver- • ley Hall on Tuesday evening, and there i is no doubt that the idea has cauglit on i there. The "sing” was organised by the Returned Soldiers’ Association in aid of the fallen soldiers’ memorial fund, and the sum of £lO 10s was collected at the doors. Air. W. McFarlane was the leader and an orchestra comprising Messrs. Davidson (piano), . Taylor (violin) and Nicholls (flute) assisted. This proved so successful that another <£ sing” will be held in a fortnight’s time.

Miss Rosina Buckman and her concert party will arrive in New Plymouth by the mail train to-night, and an informal reception will be tendered to Miss Buckman by the Mayor and the local musical societies at the Victoria League room at 9.15. The Victoria League is cooperating in the welcome and making arrangements- for the function.

The Taranaki Chamber of Commerce ha<3 been in touch with Major E. A. Belcher, the Commissioner of the British Empire Exhibition, relative to visiting New Plymouth, and last evening « wire was received from him stating that on his return to Wellington next week he will see if his itinerary will permit of him complying with the invitation.

The following extract is from a letter received by a New Plymouth business', firm yesterday and shows what great advantages accrue from having a direct shipping service from the United Kingdom to New Plymouth: “The order was received on May 18, and as the sjs. Kaikouia was a direct to New Plymouth boat, and was leaving Liverpool almost at once, they ’phoned the order through to the mill, and were able to get the goodis packed and sent away to Liverpool in time to catch this steamer. From receipt of order to time of despatch was only just over 48 hours.” This was smart work on the part of the Home firm. Who says the British manufacturer is asleep ?

The Taranaki Acclimatisation Society in May last received a petition requesting that netting -be permitted at the mouth of the Waiwakaiho river. The petition was forwarded to the Marine Department and the following reply has been received from the Minister, the Hon. G. J. Anderson: “I have to inform you that as a result of enquiries made, the department has found that if netting were permitted it would not materially increase the food supply, but on the other hand would be liable to do considerable injury to the trout at all seasons, and tlie department does not therefore, see its way to permit netting as asked for.”

Such bargains as 54-inch all wool knitted dress material, warm and useful, at 9/11 yard; all wool black cashmere hose, good quality, at 2/6 pair; ribbed cashmere hose in nigger, putty and grey at 4/6 pair; Llama brand stockings, 5/11 pair; all wool Doctor flannels, light and dark grey Shetland, 2/11 yard, white 2/9 yard; ladies’ smart tweed coats at half price, account for the unprecedented rush of customers at G. C. Waids great winter sale.

Some very interesting figures relative to the cost of building to-day compared with the prices a year ago were supplied to a Palmerston North Standard reporter the other day. In connection with the erection of municipal workers’ dwellings a tender has been accepted, by the Borough Council for a five-roomed concrete block and all heart timber cottage at £BB7. Less than a year ago when tenders were called for a similar dwelling the lowest was £1096 and the highest £1326. This represents a decrease in the price of building of £2OO in less than a year.

The curious fact that a duck has built its nest, in a tree has been noted in connection with the proposed removal of the old dead willow tree on the bank of the river Avon, in Christchurch, near the Provincial Council (states the Lytetlt-on Times), Last season the- caretaker of the building heard a noise near the tree, and saw the mother duck lowering her brood, one by one, for a swim in the river. The nest was in a hollow six feet up the trunk. In a paper dealing with gas questions, read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, Mr. A. Dougall said that within two .years, and with only hastilyimprovised apparatus the gasworks in Britain produced thirty million gallons of pure benzine and toluene sufficient to make 1,250,000 tons of “lyddite” and 60,000 tons of “T.N.T.” Lord Moulton, then Director-General of Explosive Supplies had said in 1917 that without the direct aid of the gas industry it would -have been impossible for the country to have waged the war or even for any but a trifling time to have resisted the enemy.

An interesting position lias been created between the headmaster of the lEltham School and the school committee (states the Eltham Argus). For the past five years the officers of the Salvation .Army have been granted leave to graze a -horse on a portion of the school grounds during certain hours. The headmaster is evidently of opinion that the privilege should not be granted any longer; at all events he has removed the horse, and says that it is not to be grazed on the school ground any longer. His action does not meet with the aproval of the school committee, who say that the privilege is to be continued, and have instructed the Army officers to that effect. And now the point is who Jias command of the school grounds, tJie headmaster or the school committee?

Last week was a very busy one at the port of New Plymouth and some exceptionally good work was done in handling cargo, especially that outward bound. Speaking to a .Daily News reporter yesterday, the stationmaster stated that on Monday 170 tons of cargo were discharged by the Baden Powell and on Tuesday the Rarawa unloaded 20 tons and took on 30 tons. On Wednesday the Kahika shipped 7000 crates of cheese and a further 4000 and 50 tone of general cargo on Thursday. Friday was the busiest day, when 990 tons of general cargo were taken out of the Corinna and 2300 crates of cheese loaded, while the Rarawa discharged 130 tons of general cargo and shipped 30. On that day also the Port Chalmers arrived and loaded 13,000 boxes of butter and 33 trucks of frozen meat, and, although work was not started on her till 9.30 a.m. the whole of the meat was placed in the chambers by 8.30 p.m. Next day the balance of the shipment, comprising 53 trucks of meat, was loaded in and a further 6600 crates of cheese placed on the Corinna.

Members of the Chinese community in a port on the Queensland coast recently succeeded in effecting a corner in bronze coins. As a result of the scarcity of coppers, the Chinese were eventually able to retail their collection at a cost of 21s for every £ worth of bronze coins. So successful were the speculators that they decided to increase their price to 225. Their greed, however, proved to be their undoing and irate business men denounced the attitude taken up by the holders of bronze coin. Eventually the Federal Treasury officers were notified of the plight of business people in this Queensland port. They immediately decided to meet the position .and dispatched £lOOO worth of bronze coins to the distressed port. As soon as this consignment arrived down went the price of pennies, and the Chinese manipulators found themselves overloaded with a supply of coins for which there was no demand. The people of the Queensland port have now recovered from the temorpary inconvenience caused by the shortage of pennies, and the Chinese concerned in the deal are sadder but wiser men.

The committee of the New Plymouth Beautifying Society will hold a working bee on Baines’ Terrace to-mor-row (Saturday).

To-day, commencing at 11.30 and continuing all day, a very large assortment of China and other English imported useful articles will be sold -without reserve at Webster Bros.’ Mart.

The N.Z. Meat Packing and Bacon Co., Ltd., who are large buyers of. calfskina (for cash) advertise in this issue the datea they will be receiving same throughout North Taranaki.

Quoth the washerwoman: “I have been out doing washing for the past forty years, and liave tried all sorte of socalled washing powders, but in all my experience there hasn’t been one equal to “Fairy Wonder.” Where the clothes have been soaked overnight with this wonderful powder I can do the work in half the time without feeling the least bit tired. 1 All grocers stock it.

The Melbourne, Ltd., announce a special purchase of men’s all wool knitted pants in ribbed and plain at a price equal to 20 per cent, reduction. TJiese will be offered retail accordingly, and have been priced to sell at 8/6 per pair. Buyers are requested to pay an early visit to the store.

The annual winter sale at “The New Zealand Clothing Factory” is now in full swing. The “H. 8. brand of clothing, mercery and boots is so well and favorably known by the public that a sale organised by this firm is fully taken’ advantage of. Parents can make solid savings on all purchases of clothing, mercery and boots, for both man and boy, during the sale period.