LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Fielding Star is inforfned that within the past three months a dealer in Fielding has sent away as many as 20.00,0 rabbit-skins. It is stated that continued shooting has failed to make any appreciable diminution in the fallow deer herds in ! ()tago. Recently a mountaineer count*ed twenty head in a small area in the Blue Mountains, Central Otago. A movement is on foot at Winton !to establish a woollen mill for the dis- : trict. The mill is to be a two-course mill, to cost approximately £30,000. It was elicited at a large and enthusiastic meeting presided over by the Mayor of Winton that no mill in New Zealand had called up more than 4s Gd in the pound in capital. Among • the lusty-looking assisted immigrants who arrived by the last ship in Wellington, 'was one whose sole capacity for earning a living was a fouryears’ experience as a professional hockey player. He is returning to England forthwith, dissapointed. with New Zealand. He was offered a job at milking in the Manawatu district. The charges and counter charges of litigants in the Supreme Court, while lengthening out the proceedings, have rarely the effect of creating fresh interest as the hearing goes on; in fact they become wearisome . Such was the opinion of a candid witness at the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday, when, in answer to counsel, he said he had not heard all the evidence of previous witnesses. “I’ve been in and out of the Court and the others have not been interesting. You have my sympathy/ 1 he added, “and the jury, too”; while the inclusion of His Honor in the 1 general expression was made as a smile flitted round round the Court

i A first offending inebriate, who did | not appear, was fined 10s (the amount of Ijiis bail) by the Magistrate at New Plyi mouth yesterday. At a representative meeting of the Hawera branch of the New Zealand Labor Party, on Thursday it was decided that the party would contest the Patea seat.

A deputation from Hawera will be proceeding to Wellington next week to wait upon the Prime Minister with a view to having the recent valuations of Hawera borough suspended for a year. Mr. E. Dixon, M.P., telegrn 'bed to Hawera on Thursday evening: i.osterday the Minister of Public Works informed me that the advertising department had received instructions to call tenders for the erection of police residence and station. I am making a strong representation to the Minister of Justice to give permission to proceed with the erection of the memorial, not waiting for the old. residence to be removed.”

The evidence for the defence in the case Hurrell versus Officer, a claim for £3300 damages for alleged misrepresentation in the sale of a farm at occupied the whole of yesterday’s sitting of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth. The hearing, which has been a lengthy one, is now nearing conclusion, as this morning the Court will resume at nine to hear the addresses of counsel and His Honor’s summing up.

At a meeting of Taranaki bakers on Thursday /reports the Stratford Post) a Taranaki Master Bakers p Union was formed, the following officers being elected: President, Mr. E. May (New Plymouth), vice-presidents, Messrs. G. Young (Inglewood) and J. Sheehey (Eltham) ; committee, Messrs. Clements (Hawera), Ford (New Plymouth), Walters (Waitara), T. Smith and B. Davis (Stratford). The subscription fee was fixed at £3 Ba per annum.

I The much-maligned Californian thistle [has at least one good use. Mr. H. W. [Gilling, Government apiary inspector, in : an informal chat last evening, said that • despite the poor crop of honey last seal son he had found one man in the Taihape district who said he had a record production last year, and on investigation he found that this was due. to a large patch of Californian thistle in the vicinity. Though hot so full-flavoured as the best quality article, still the honey obtained was quite good. A fire was discovered in the office block of the Sash and Door Co., Ltd., at the corner of Liardet Street and Gill Streets, at 8.20 last night. On arrival the fire brigade found the building enveloped in flames, and on being subdued the fire was found to have complete! v gutted the interior of the board of directors’ room. Externally very little damage was done. It is understood the building was insured in the Phoenix Office for £2OO, and that the furniture and effects were uninsured.

Probably one of the busiest trades in Wanganui just now is.thdt of electric wiring (says the Chronicle.) One firm alone has had to import the services of certificated wiremen ‘from other centres in order to cope with the demand for installations. One or two big contracts have been let, while other business firms are epnsidering proposels. So far as residential wiring is concerneu work is busily going on in various parts of the town.

One at least of the. grain stores in unvercargill (says the Times) is stocked ’practically to its full capacity with part of the fruits of the Southland oat harvest. Tiers .of bags, each, holding from 1501 b to 1805 b, and in rare cases 2001 b, are stacked up to the roof, and there are about 19,000 of these well-filled bags in the store, almost half of them being the property of different firms who have them stored there. “This is the largest quantity of oats we have ever had in the store,” said the owner. “Once, during the war, we put 10,000 bags on one steamer, but were not then so fully loaded as we are now.”

‘“Sugar-beet growing experiments on several farms in Central Otago have been carried out under the direction of the Department of Agriculture. So far as the crops are concerned the results have been excellent, and as they are now ready for harvesting the work of sugar analysis will be taken in hand immediately.” This was the repy given by the Minister for Agriculture, Hon. W. Nos worthy, to a question asked in the House of Representatives.

Five vessels, including three from overseas, were at the port of New Plymouth yesterday, their gross tonnage totalling 18,905. The Kaikoura (8697 tons) has been in port several days unloading English cargo and loading frozen meat for Home, and is expected to sail about Tuesday. The Kaituna (2042 tons), which has been unloading 1500 tons of coal from. Newcastle, is expected to clear port to-day. whilst the Eastern Sea, which arrived yesterday from New York, via Auckland and Wellington, with case-oil cargo, is anchored in the stream, pending the Kaikoura’s departure. The Kamo, with southern cargo, and the Rarawa with northern cargo, helped to swell yesterday’s activities at the port. The Maindy Lodge (2686 tons), which was due at New Plymouth to-morrow with coal from Newcastle, has now had to be diverted to Wellington owing to congestion at this port.

Many thousands of feet of good casing, piping and steel rope and a large quantity of fire and plain bricks are to be sold at the Taranaki Oil Wells sale. See advertisement in this paper. Particulars appear in this issue of the sale of dairy factory plant, etc., by Webster Bros, at their mart on Friday, September 1. A large quantity of timber will be sold at next Stony* River sate. See advertisement. The N.Z. Loan'and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., wish to draw public attention to the clearing sate which they are holdin o- on the Homestead, Pohokura, on account of Swanger Bros., on. Friday, September 1, at 1'2.30 p.m. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co Ltd., wish to draw clients’ attention! to their Stratford sate which they are holding in their Stratford yards on Tuesday, 29th inst., at 12.30. Full particulars will be found on page b oi this Ladies! Have you ever noticed how certain washing powderk make nasty scum on the water, and also create an objectionable acidy smell. There is northing like that about “Fairy Wonder dry soap, the queen of washing powders. “Fairy” is clean, sweet and wholesome, and does its work thoroughly and satisfactorily. Of all grocers. On Thursday evening of next week, members and friends of the Pukekura Park Croquet and Tennis Club are requested to attend a card evening at Mrs. W. Marshall’s house, Vogel town.

A small boy was before the juvenile Court at New Plymouth yesterday on a charge of the theft of £'s worth of confectionery from a shop in Devon Street. The boy’s married, sister offered to take care of him and to see that he did not go out at nights unaccompanied. The boy was reprimanded by Mr. A. M. Mowiem, S.M., the gravity of his offence being pointed out to him. It was explained that he was to be under the direct control of his sistet’; otherwise he would have to be committed to an industrial school. The boy’s father undertook to pay for the stolen confectionery, and the case was thereupon adjourned for twelve months.

It is common knowledge that financial accommodation is a somewhat difficult matter to arrange at the present time and some remarks on the subject, very much to the point, were made at the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, yesterday. The witness was being questioned as to his financial resources and the values of his stock. The value of the latter, he said, was the amount of accommodation the bank would give. “The a.uctioneiers,” he added, "charge anything from ten to fifteen per cent foi’ money, and you have to go hat in hand and with (gilt-edged security to get it.” In reply to His Honor’s query as to whether the situation was not now becoming a little easier, the witness replied that he did not find it so as far as his banker was concerned.

A leading firm of Wellington solicitors recently wrote to a northern County Council: —“We have ’been instructed by a large British financial association to act as its representatives in New Zealand. The association is a combination of a number of large financial houses representing in the aggregate upwards of £160,000,000 of capital. These houses are accustomed to lend the~ great bulk of the money raised by New Zealand public bodies bn the London market, 'but in the past the arrangements have been made in London and the borrowing body has not had the advantage of coming into direst cdhtact with the actual lenders or their* representatives. It has now been thought that the appointment by our principals of New Zealand representatives would be a great convenience to New Zealand public bodies desiring to negotiate Ixxxns, and we have had instructions to approach you with a view to facilitating the transaction of loan operations by you on the London market.” Members of the council expressed approval of the London financiers’ action in appointing New Zealand representatives. The question of the council applying for loan money through them was deferred until the next meeting.

The restoration of the historic church at Russedd is to be undertaken shortly, tenders having been called for the work this week. The floor of the church is to ,be raised, concrete foundations put in, and boarding to be replaced wherever necessaxy. For some time past, it has been the aim of settlers of the district to have the old church.put into a state of good repair, for its historic associations make it one of the most interesting places of its kind in New Zealand. The 014 church wag built 84 years ago, and New Zealand’s first Govenor, Captain W. Hobson, attended service within its walls. During the stormy days of the “forties” the little building played a conspicuous part in the fighting between Maori and pakeha, its walls still showing the bullet holes made by Hone Heke’s rifles, while in the graveyard outside are headstones b bearing the names of those associated with the earliest history of the little township of Kororaraka.

The attention of persons looking for a good property investment i<s directed to the Taranaki Oil Wells (N.Z.) Ltd.’s auction sale. The refinery site, which consists of five acres of freehold land, along with several spacious buildings, offers one in this direction. The land is suitable for & cutting-up proposition, or the buildings may be let in their present condition for storage purposes at a rental that would be equivalent to a handsome rate of interest on one’s outlay.

The following hosiery lines have been reduced at the Melbourne’s Sensational Sate in addition to the other sale lines as advertised:—Pure all wool cashmere hose, reduced from 3/6 to 2/11; one-one rib cashmere hose reduced from 4/11 to 3/11; -pure Llama hose, reduced from 6/6 to 5/6; famous yellow label Llama hose (full fashioned) reduced from 7/6 to 6/11.

Members of His Majesty’s Veterans’ Association are reminded of the unveiling ceremony at Omata to-morrow.

The unveiling ceremony of the Omata memorial will be conducted by Archdeacon Evans to-morrow (Sunday), at 2.30 p.m., and the general public are cordially invited to be present.

.Wharehuia residents are reminded that entries for the Home Industries Exhibition close with the secretary on Monday next, 2Sth inst. Farmers! The calving season is here. Sometimes this means trouble, anyway, prevention is better than cure. Sykes’ Drench has proved its value to the farmer for twenty-four years. You can buy a dozen drenches for 17s. That is a small sum to pay for security against calving troubles, so be wise in time. Particulars of train arrangements and issue of holiday excursion tickets to the Hunt Club races at New Plymouth on September 2, are advertised in this is-