LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To-day, August 4, recalls poignant memories, for it is just eight years ago since hostilities broke out between Great Britain and Germany. The Dunedin Star etates that before the end of the year the PostmasterGeneral will announce his decision to reduce the charge for inland postage to Ud. A man named A. J. V. Ryan, wanted iby the New Plymouth police on charges of forgery and uttering, in the Taranaki district, lias been arrested at Christchurch and will be brought to New 'Plymouth. “That the construction of the new concrete wharf be carried out by contract.” is a notice of motion which will be moved at the next meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board by the chairman (Mr. C. ’E. Bellringer). Satisfaction was expressed at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce that the PostmasterGeneral had at last acceded to the request to extend the telephone line .from Tahora to Tatu, thus bringing the Ohura into direct communication with Taranaki. It was resolved to write the Minister thanking him for authorising this very necessary work. The Land and Income Tax Department is showing considerable activity over the inspection and examination of those liable td income tax .payment. In one district in South Taranaki, it is reported, they recovered over £30,000 from farmers who had failed to send in returns, or had sent in returns that did not comply with the conditions of the Act.

The Taranaki Chamber of Commerce yesterday decided to forward a remit to the next conference of Chambers of Commerce asking the Government to make it compulsory for the banks trading in the Dominion to issue notes o-f the same size and color for each denomination. At present some of the ten shilling notes in circulation are of the same size and color as £1 notes, which leads to mistakes.

The rate of progress of the construction of the Lower Awakino Road was the subject of discussion at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, the feeling being that considering the national importance of the work the rate was not satisfactory. Double the number of men at present on the works and an up-to-date and efficient wteam-shovel, it was contended, were required if the work was to ibe completed in a reasonable time. It was decided to write to the Minister for Public Works on the matter, and to invoke the assistance of the members for Waitomo and Taranaki.

“Within the last twenty-four hours a step in the progress of the board has been made.” said Mr. J. McCluggage at yesterday’s special meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board in reference to the information that the Government had agreed to connect Tatu and Ohura by telephone. This marked an important step and one that would have a good effect, said the speaker. Mr. King agreed with this, but added that a good metalled road was also needed.

This has been the worst planting season experienced for many long years, remarked a nurseryman to a News’ representative recently. The continuous bouts o.f southerlies and trosts, more or less heavy, had caused great harm to the young trees, and in not, a few cases replanting would be necessary. The value of tree-planting for timber, fencing posts and firewood, as well as shelter for stock, said the nurseryman, was being more and more realised in Taranaki, and where a farmer was settled, and not looking to sell his property, he was planting a few thousand trees each year. No better investment could ‘be made.

Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., has received a letter from the Minister of Public Works in reply to ah inquiry he made regarding the present position with reference to the Tangitu tunnel and the Lower Awakino Valley Road. Mr. Coates furniehfH the following reports from his department: “The Tangitu tunnel has been waiting for the arrival of the hardwoixl timber for lining. This has now arrived and a tunnel gang is at v'ork and has completed the south approach. The work should now be pushed to completion. On the Lower Awakino Valley Road an average of 66 men has been employed. 44 chains of formation 18 feet wide completed and six chains of metal laid near the two-mile peg. Timber for the bridge at 11A miles and pipes and shingle for several of the culverts have been carted. The steam shovel has been employed during the month near the four-mile.” Men, treat yourselves to the comfort derivable from wearing colonial all wool natural and fawn underwear. These goods are the finest value obtainable in the world to-day. being delightfully soft and warm, light weight, non-irritating and unshrinkable. Note the prices at th? Melbourne, Ltd.: —Canterbury make, 12/6 and 13/6; Roslyn and Mosgiel makes, 18/G,

Consumers are coming in at the rate of 100 a month to the Central Waikato Electrical Power Board, and by the end of August there will be over 600 consumers connected to the board’s lines, exclusive of Ngaruawahia. Poles and wires are being erected very rapidly, no less than 40 men being engaged on this work, and 200 miles have been completed. The lines are not being erected merely for present needs, but, with an eye to future growth of settlement. Consequently some districts, at present sparsely settled, but, with possibilities of future growth, have received power before closely settled districts with little future prospects. The allocation of the £5,000,000 loan, raised in London in April, is disclosed by the accounts for the June quarter. The authorised amounts and the amounts actually received ere as follow — Public Works fund, £2/800,000— £2,477,160 ; forestry, £200,000 £176,940 ; electricity supply £500,000 £442,350 ; Native land settlement £250,000 —‘£221,175; discharged soldiers’ settlement £250,000 — £221,175 ; education buildings £500,000 — £442,350 war loan redemption £500,000 — £442,350. The total amount received is shown to have been £4,423,500, and as the issue was made at par, the difference of £576,500 is too large to be explained by the cost of flotation. The bulk of the latter amount probably represents outstanding instalments, of which the laet was payable on July 6.

In spite of the tendency toward a gradual fall in values, rabbit skiffs are still commanding good prices, and in the high country of Southland some very large cheques have been paid. A buyer on his last trip, occupying ten days, including two Sundays, bought up 21,500 skins, and the best cheques he paid out was one of £306 to two men for two months’ trapping'. Another trapper’s work for a month returned him £B4, two men working for a month were paid £l5O and another pair for three weeks’ work received a cheque for £137 10s. The buyer concerned said that in tne high country, where the -best skins were obtained, there were many expert trappers who were averaging £2O a week, wet or fine.