LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At last night’s meeting of the Paritutu troop of the Legion of Frontiersmen, strong approval was expressed of a proposal to arrange a series of lectures. not only on the weapons which would be used by frontiersmen, but on other subjects relating to the objects of the legion. A small committee was set up to arrange a syllabus and to report to the next monthly meeting. It was also decided, in order to study the convenience of country members of the troop, to hold future meetings at 8 o’clock instead of at 7.30 as at present. Inquiries at Hawera clothiers’ and mercers’ elicited the information that although prices dropped suddenly when the warehouses were quitting stocks there is now a hardening tendency in nearly all line* (says the Star). The quality of the goods has shown a decided improvement during the last few months. Trade is getting better, recent Saturdays being exceptionally busy. In the hardware line prices show a slight decline, and business is improving, despite the slump in the building trade. There is still the same number of customers, but retailers say that not nearly so much money is being spent as in more prosperous times. There has been a steady demand for footwear right through the winter, and trade has been exceptionally good during the .last two or three weeks. Everything in this line is now on a much cheaper basis and there is an optimistic spirit in the trade.Speaking at the. annual re-union of members of the Motor Trade Association Mr. J. F. Cousins. of Wellington, said that in New Zealand in the past, the motor car had been held up a l ' a luxury and something to be taxed. The new viewpoint was that it was a necessity. In America the complaint was that the motor taxes were too high, and that efficiency was being taxed. In New Zealand the taxation was in proportion three times as great as in America. The average ear coming into New Zealand was taxed from £65 to £7O. and on top of that the tyre tax was about £l5. Good roads were needed, and the motors were again to be taxed. The Government considered that they wanted half a million for this purpose, and were prepared to contribute £200,000, but wanted the motorists to find £300,000. Motorists regarded this as unfair, and while they were prepared to pay a share, considered that the public and country who would also benefit should also pay their share. Relatively to its size, the. New Zealand kiwi lays the biggest egg in the world. It is larger than a swan’s egg, and almost equal to that of an ostrich, but the bird is no heavier than a white .Leghorn hen. There is a serious danger that, like other New Zealand birds, this wingless curiosity may be allowed to die out by our apathetic authorities. The eggs are easily found and readily hatched, and the chicks hardy to rear. Being unable to fly, they are as easily held captive, but no attempt has been made I to increase their numbers, which, naturally, are being depleted by introduced enemies. They are good friends to all gardeners, and would thrive and breed on our esplanade (says the Manawatu Times). But the leather-bound .game laws prohibit the taking of eggs, even for such a purpose, and those in authority don’t trouble themselves in such questions. Their concern is more in the direction of deciding whether the bones of some extinct bird was rinornis, notorn ns of apteryx.

Bargains like the following keep the Melbourne’s Sensational Sale a-booming: Men’s grey denims, 7/6: men’,', hard-wear trousers, 9/6; men'.'. (N.Z.R.) dark grey tweed trousers, 24/6; men’s Irish lawn handkerchiefs. 9d; men’s neat bow ties, 1/-; men’s all wool flannels, 6/6; men’s knitted socks, 1/6; men’s natural singlets, 6/6; pants to match, 7/6.

t Five bankruptcies were recorded in the New Plymouth district last month as compared with three for August, 1921.

There were fourteen bankruptcies in Auckland during August, making 107 for the eight months, compared with 60 for the whole of 1921.—Press Assn.

“A plastic or fugitive term,” was the description given by Mr. Justice Chapman at the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, yesterday to present-day "land values.”

The building trade in New Plymouth still continues active. Last month-per-mits for buildings were issued to a total value of £13,900, this including 15 new houses and three new shops. An amount of £57 10s was collected in fees by the Borough Council.

The Wanganui Chronicle hears that certain interesting incidents, which are having a rather disturbing influence upon the present somewhat uneven tenour of politics as affecting the native race in the Wanganui district, are about to be ventilated.

The borrowing of motor-cars is stated to be somewhat prevalent in the Wairarapa. Recently a taxi-driver who left his car for a short while at Carterton was compelled to walk back to Masterton. The missing vehicle was subsequently* -found abandoned on the roadside.

"What are the necessary qualifications for a land agent,” asked counsel of a witness at the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. "Ability to walk or ability talk.” “I think he needs to be an artist,” interposed Mr. Justice Chapman. "He needs the ability to paint in brilliant colors.”

After a very brief retirement the jury returned a verdict for the defendant in the claim brought by Edward Thomas in the Supeme Court at New Plymouth against William H. McDonald for £2837 damages for alleged misrepresentation in the sale of a farm at Ball Road. Costs were allowed as per scale, witnesses’ expenses and disbursements to be fixed by the registrar. A. Wharehuia settler says that the past winter has been the best for stock experienced during the past twenty-one years. Whilst there has been an unusual number of heavy frosts in central Taranaki, the days have been fine and the sun unusually warm, and with a plentitude of feed, cattle are coming into profit in splendid condition, and there is every prospect of the new season proving a bumper one. In his opening remarks while summing up at the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday in the case of alleged fraudulent misrepresentation on the sale of a farm, Mr. Justice Chapman said that this class of action was very rare. The case under cons’deration was the third successive case of the kind heard at the present sessions of the Court at New Plymouth and he did not think that there was such a record in any other court in the Dominion. These cases were cropping up in the North Island, however, but as yet he had not heard of any such case in the South Island. They all arose, continued His Honor, out of the same circumstances, namely, the land boom and the slump which followed on the reduction in the price of butter-fat from 2/- or 2/2 to what was expected would be about 1/-, but which had in some cases been 1/4 per lb. Had it not been for the continual 'rise for several years in this test of values, and the sudden break , which came with the drop in prices, there would never have been these actions.