LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Cabinet has approved of the acceptance of Mr. Bignell’s tender for the Patea post office, subject to satisfactory final negotiations. Thirteen pedigree Jersey .bulls, on their way. from Taranaki to Auckland buyers, were shipped north on the Rimu yesterday. Reports are current that different blocks of shops and land in Devon St. are changing hands, one big place in particular being mentioned. Investigation .proves that the reports are entirely without foundation.

Additional evidence of the desire of the lady members of the Community Club to cater for the Territorials and .Senior Cadets is furnished by the general wish that has been expressed that they should assist at the area rifle meeting at the Reware wa rifle range on Saturday, November 4. Accordingly the ladies have undertaken to supply lunch at a nominal charge in the agricultural society’s luncheon room at the showgrounds, while they will also supply morning and afternoon tea at the range Those who help to brighten the lot of the old people at the Rangiatea Home are deserving of very warm thanks. Recognition of this was made at yesterday’s meeting of the hospital board, when a resolution was passed thanking those who had taken an interest in the home during the past month. It was mentioned that thanks were due to Mrs. Burgess 'for providing an entertainment by the junior girls of the Victoria League, and for the supply of confectionery; to Dr. Home, the Carnegie librarian and Mr. W. B. Fussell (Lepperton) for magazines and papers; and to Mrs. Hurlestone for flowers. Each season considerable numbers of good dairy stock leave Taranaki for other parts. During the past few weeks Mr. F. Mills (of Hawera), the wellknown Ayrshire breeder, has sent away several consignments, including a young bull, to Mr. B. Marshall, of Runciman, South Auckland, who was a prominent Ayrshire breeder in Scotland. He has also sent a young bull and two heifers to Messrs. Braithwaite and Copeland, of Waimauku, near Hellensville; a truck of heifers and a young bull to Mr. Rimmer (chairman of the Hellensville Dairy Company); and a bull to Mr. W. H. Cane, of Upokongaro, Wanganui River.

The annual social and dance held by the Avenue Road Card Club took place in the Workers’ Social Hall last night. There was a large attendance and an enjoyable evening was spent, a euchre tournament (for which there were 91 tables) being followed iby dancing. A splendid supper was provided by the ladies’ committee, and the arrangements made by the secretary (Mr. J. Cliff) were excellent. The special prize in the euchre tournament (a suite of furniture) was won by Mr. Oliver, the other prize winners being: Ladies, Mrs. Stephenson 1 (easy chair), Mrs. Baldock 2 (electric kettle), Mrs. Foote 3 (quarter ton of coal), Mrs. Arms 4 (handbag); men, Mr. D. McLean 1 (easy chair), W. Prentice 2 (watch), A. Boyd 1 3 (quarter ton of coal) and H. Patterson 4 (25 lb of flour and a bottle of wine). The question of calling applications for a resident medical officer at the New Plymouth hospital was raised by Mr. S. 'Vickers at yesterday’s meeting of the hospital board. He remarked that the chairman (Mr. M. Fraser) had had the matter in mind prior to his illness, and he believed an appointment on these lines had been made at Palmerston North. The work of such an officer would be to take over the duties of the dispenser and administer anaesthetics, thus saving the fees paid to the doctors. He thought that such an appointment would effect a considerable saving to the Iboard. The matter was left in the hands of the house committee of the board to report to next meeting, after obtaining the opinion of the medical superintendent. While a waggon drawn by a span of 16 oxen in charge ot two native drivers was going to railhead camp, near Nakuru, East Africa, it was “ambushed” by three lions. The lions leaped upon one of the oxen, dragging it to the ground, while the natives disappeared Into the scrub, where they sought refuge in the nearest tree. The rest of the oxen became panic-stricken and dashed off along the rough road dragging behind them the swinging waggon, the dead ox, and the lions. Suddenly there appeared round the bend of the road a European driving a motor car. He could not avoid the onslaught of rhe maddened oxen and he had no rifle. Almost by habit his hand sought his motor horn, and as the uncanny shriek rose above the noise of the oxen he was astonished to see the lions leave their prey and dive into the bush, while the clear ar