LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Savage Club korero on Saturday night the chief savage was enabled to report that the club finished its 1922 season with a credit balance. It was decided that in response to many suggestions the club would give a public concert at an early date.

Dr. W. P. P. Gordon and Mr. B. H. Horner, representing .the Stratford Returned Soldiers' Association, waited on the Premier at Stratford on Friday night seeking the lifting of the embargo placed on the payments under the Taranaki War Relief Association’s scheme of grants to permanently disabled soldiers. The deputation was introduced by Mr. R. Masters, M.P., and was sympathetically received. An inspection of the New Plymouth railway yards and the port railway facilities was made on Saturday by the general manager of railways (Mr. R. W. McVilly) and the heads of departments accompanying him on the tour of inspection. Yesterday the visitors were the guests of the Chamber of Commerce at a trip to the mountain, and they leave for Wellington this morning.

According to the official statistics New Plymouth is the clearest place in the North Island -for meat, the index number being 1330. Whangarei is the next dearest with 1228. Dannevirke (946) and Napier (969) are the cheapest in the Dominion.

There were 96 men employed on the Stratford-Main Trunk railway construction works during September, 80 at the east end and 10 at the west end. On the Opunake branch line there were 61 men employed. The greatest activity was on the North Auckland Main Trunk line, where 578 men were working. The East Coast Main Trunk works employed 511 men. Storm v weather prevailed in New Plymouth during the week-end, and all sporting fixtures had to be postponed in consequence. A heavy thunderstorm broke over New Plymouth on Saturday morning, and heavy rain continued all the morning, with scattered showers in the afternoon and evening. Yesterday the sun shone fitfully, but several heavy showers were experienced during the day.

The final korero of the 1922 season was held by the New Plymouth Savage Club on Saturday. The chief savage (Mr. D’Arcy Robertson) presided, and Mr. MeVilly, general manager of New Zealand railways, was amongst the guests. An apology was received from Mr. C. H. Weston, the first chief savage of the club, who was unable to be present owing to ill-health. There was a large attendance of members, and the very excellent programme was commenced by a haka and poi dance by bravos of the Savage Club, instrucrea by Mr. Alma and his two daughters. During thin evening the chief savage congratulated the club on the success of the 1922 season, due to the energy and goodwill of the committee, and particularly to their hon. secretary (Mr. U. IT. Wyatt). They had made the work of the chief savage very easy, and with the hearty co-operation of members which had always been forthcoming, the successful season had been assured. a special expression of appreciation was accorded the orchestra and its conductor (Mr. F. W. G. McLeod). The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth District Repatriation Board was held on Thursday afternoon. The director of repatriation wrote expressing his approval of the satisfactory results achieved by the local committee, and reflected in the summary ‘of the report furnished by the secretary. Since last meeting no returned men have been assisted. The agenda paper showed that some 23 cases had been reviewed by the board. Two transactions for furniture loans were reported as completed, and a loan for a business of a substantial nature had been declined by Wellington. The secretary reported that during the month advances amouting to £950 had been repaid. Three returned men personally applied for loans amounting to £l5O for furniture. These were approved. Two men applied for indulgence for various reasons, and the request was granted. Two had also received, since.last meeting, the same consideration from the executive, whose action was approved. The action of the executive in recommending the approval of three applications for loans was also approved.

The New Plymouth Battalion band contributed in wo small manner to the success of yesterday's unveiling ceremony at Okato. .Twenty-eight bandsmen and several members of the committee made the journey by motor lorry, and besides leading the hymns at the service, rendered a short recital, including a cornet duct polka by Bandsmen R. Taylor and W. Kay, and the contest march. The Okato people provided the band with dinner and afternoon tea, for which Mr. E. Sole (chairman of the hand committee) returned thanks. A collection was voluntarily taken up by the Okato settlers, as a result of which the band funds will benefit considerably. The band has two more Sunday engagements in the near future, next week at Ngaere Gardens, and the succeeding week at the unveiling of the soldiers’ memorial at Rahotu. Referring to a tour of inspection of the Inglewood and Taranaki County Councils’ roads with a view to judging the value of bitumen road-making, the chairman of the Eltham county said on Saturday that he was convinced that bitumen was a very suitable material. Inglewood had been unfortunate with regard to weather and in placing bitumen on top of clay blinding, but the bitumen work done on the Main South Road by the Taranaki county was splendid. It was decided to order 50 tons of bitumen to arrive via New Plymouth in December, and to consider the question of obtaining a bitumen machine later. An invitation is given by advertisement to all willing to work in the interests of the Government candidate, Mr. C. E. Bellringer, to attend a meeting to-morrow (Tuesday) evening in the old Taranaki Club building in Egmont Street. Mr. Bellringer’s meeting at Vogeltown has been altered to begin at 7.30 o’clock on that evening instead of 8 o’clock as advertised. Mr. Bellringer speaks ax Huirangi to-night.

In the Salvation Army self-denial appeal, the amount collected by Envoy Buick, Adjutant Brown, and Lieutenant Wilkes in Waitara and along the north coast of Taranaki for the Waitara Salvation Army hall and self-denial appeal was £l2OO, including a number of promises to come in and a little more ground, to cover.

Freemasonry in India is in a highly prosperous condition, according to the Indian Masonic Year Book, which has just been issued. All three constitutions of the United Kingdom are represented, England by five district grand lodges, Scotland by a separate grand lodge, and Ireland by a number of detached lodges not under a separate jurisdiction. At Bombay 50 units‘meet in the Freemasons’ (Hall, 32 being English. There are 23 English todies in Calcutta, in addition to eight Royal Arch chapters in India divided among five subordinate jurisdictions, while English (Mark Masonry is represented by 76 lodges.

Twenty-five years ago a gum-digger named Reynolds, sinking holes for gum in the Mahakirau Valley, found loose gold in a slip, states the Whitianga correspondent of the New Zealand. Herald. Further search led to the recovery of £2OOO worth of the precious metal. From time to time unavailing efforts were made to locate the reef from which the gpld came. Four years ago Mr. O. W. Andrews, a miner with 40 years’ Australian experience, commenced the quest, and, single-handed and without Government help, persevered in a claim, which he named “The Lone Hand.” He lias now discovered a reef, which is exceedingly promising, and from which, in a few feet, he has secured specimens and quartz to the value of over £2OO. Gold is showing freely in the face, and as there is a prospect of the reef joining functioning with another a short distance away, there should be something exceedingly good in store. The claim is close to the main road to Coromandel, 400 ft above the creek, and nine miles from Mercury Bay. Some idea of the energy necessary for conducting a campaign can be had from the Prime Minister (says the Sydney Sun). He has fought eleven elections and a few referendums and constitutional campaigns since he floated into .politics in 1894—50 he ought to know. In the coming campaign he expects to travel about 15,000 miles, to make about 130 speeches (somewhere around 780.000 words), to run against about 3000 deputations, and to get about five hours’ sleep. But that is only for one campaign. He has been in eleven of them. Certainly he has fought only one as Prime Minister—this will be his second—but in previous ones he has been Icadfng a party and directing operations, so he has gone a few miles and said a. few words. It’s interesting to work it out. For the eleven elections to date it comes to something like this: 80,000 miles, 2500 gallons of petrol, 1030 speeches, 6,180,004 words. The effect of the slump in the tourist business on Rotorua private hotel proprietors was emphasised before the Arbitration Court at Auckland by Mr. S. E. Wright on behalf of the employers, in making application for a new hotel •workers’ award. Mr. Wright stated that Rotorua, except during the progress of the railway strike, had never experienced slacker business than at present, and this applied not only to hotels, but to the boating, fishing and coaching interests. Actual figures of the i retrogression, based on the takings of five large Rotorua hotels, were supplied by John N. McLean, who said the average decrease of revenue for the year ended September 30, 1922, compared with the previous year, was 121 to 18 per cent. Mr. Justice Frazer agreed that Rotorua had suffered considerably from Hie financial stringency, but he believed matters had taken a turn for the better (reports the New Zealand Herald). The indications were that this year would see a gregt revival in tourist traffic.

The Melbourne’s Great Turn of the Tide Sale continues unabated vigor. Bargains like the following cannot possibly be repeated: —Fox Bros.’ famous indigo serge,* 54in. wide, 6/11 yd; Kaiapoi tweed trousers, 17/6; men’s Paris garters, 1/11 pair; 'boys’ dark worsted sport suits, sizes 7 to 12 26/6, sizes 13 to 16 29/6; children s Island hate, 1/6; men’s and women’s Island hats, 1/9; men’s Pennine shirts, 7/11; and Shirley Police braces, 3/3 pair. Great as are inventions like electricity and the telephone, it is doubtful if either of these have proved such a boon and a blessing to the busy housewife as “Fairy Wonder,” the magic cleanser. Clothes become snow-white where “Fairy” waves her wand. At all stores. Local athletes are requested to note that the annual general meeting of the New Plymouth Amateur Athletic Club will be held in the Soldiers’ Club tonight. It is seldom that the public have the opportunity of acquiring a really fine residence such as Mr. Andrew Smith’*, which L. A. Nolan and Co. advertise for sale by auction in this issue. Although almost in the centre of the town, the section is high, which makes it quite private, and the situation is ideal for either a gentleman's residence, private boarding house, or convalescent home. The dance recital by the pupils of Miss M. Tuke, to be held in the Empire Theatre to-morrow (Tuesday) night, promises a splendid entertainment. Pretty dancing girls, beautiful frocks, and dances entirely new’, should certainly draw a crowd. The coming of the warm summer weather finds most men keenly alive to the necessity of procuring more suitable garments in the way of underwear, the order of the day being something cool and. comfortable, and yet with good wearing qualities. Several special lines are now being offered at N. B. Howell’s, Devon Street East. Good, cool, comfortable summer underwear, and at prices which are surely tempting. Yon are well advised to see these lines at c nee. Don’t forget—go to N. B. Howell's, next McNeill’s, for your summer underwear.