LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The price of gas at Auckland is to be reduced by sixpence in January, making the cosl 7s 9d per thousand feet.— Press Association. The 'C. and D. liner Port Denison, which arrived from Lyttelton yesterday morning, brought a South Island mail for New Plymouth. Conferences of dairy factory managers, under the auspices of the New Zealand Dairy Factory Managers’ Association, will be held at Moturoa works, New Plymouth, to-morrow, and at Pa tea on Wednesday, 29th inst. The University of New Zealand examinations for degrees, professional subjects, etc., which commenced at New Plymouth on October 31, concluded yesterday. As showing the advantages of direct shipping the C. and D. liner Port Denison, which arrived at New Plymouth yesterday morning, has on board for the New Plymouth Harbor Board a steam shovel, which was only ordered from Home two and a-half months ago. Under the old order of things it would have taken six months and probably longer to have obtained delivery. There is likely to be a congestion of overseas vessels at tlie port of New Plymouth next week. The Port Denison, at present occupying the overseas port, will probably not sail till Monday, while the Otaki, now at Dunedin, is expected here towards the end of this week. The Waihemo, at present at Napier, is due on Monday, and the Middlesex is scheduled to arrive on November 26. ■St. Mary’s rose show at New Plymouth will be opened this afternoon by Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., at 2.30 o'clock. Several fine displays will be staged by some of the leading growers, and in addition Messrs Duncan and Davies and Messrs. Benefield and Sons, of Aramoho, will make comprehensive exhibits. Afternoon tea will be provided, and a stall of work in charge of the Ladies’ Guild and the Sunday School teachers, and a flower and sweets stall will be in evidence. The proceeds of the show are to be devoted to the new Sunday school building fund.

The critical period through which Church schools were passing was referred to by the Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Averill), speaking at Stratford yesterday. He hoped that the State schools would introduce a system similar to the Church schools. A big number of church people gathered at Wellington had asked the Government to introduce Bible teaching into the State schools, and he wanted to see something done to give the -State schools some of the benefits which the pupils of the Church schools enjoyed. The great aims of school life should not only be to prepare for examinations, but to build up character, for as soon as the character of a nation was gone that nation was done.

Reporting on the health of the Egmont County, the inspector of health (Mr. F. Swindells) notified the council yesterday that for the quarter ending September 30 eight cases of infectious disease were notified within the county, being 12.50 per cent, of- the total cases in the hospital district during the period. Of these cases one was tuberculosis and seven pneumonia, four being removed to hospital for treatment. It would be noted that pneumonia again accounted for almost al! the cases in the district. The position, however, was very satisfactory, for taken on a population basis the rate was 2.93 per 1000, a decrease over the preceding quarter of 0.74 per 1000.

“Many of the young people of Taranaki are looking positively jaded owing to too much amusement,” declared the Rev. E. H. Strong, of New Plymouth, speaking at the speech day at St. Mary’s school, Stratford, yesterday. Mr. Strong said he did not wish to appear as a “wowser,” but he thought just a little too much time was given at the present time to amusement. He had heard of a young man in New Plymouth who had attended twentyfive dances in one month.

The possibility of starting a class in wireless telegraphy at the New Plymouth Technical College was discussed at the meeting of the Board of Managers last night. The director (Mr. A. L. Moore) reported that there were several keen enthusiasts in the school and in New Plymouth, and he had no doubt that they could easily obtain sufficient pupils to keep a class going. Members of the board expressed approval of the idea, and said that they themselves would take an interest in it. The matter is to be kept in view when the school re-opens next year.

On Friday, at 11.45 a.m., l». A. Nolan and Co. will sell a quantity of secondhand timber on a section in Powderbarn Street behind the Convent.

If there is any business to transact, the next meeting of the Waitomo Licensing Committee will be held on Thursday, December 5, and the Taranaki committee on the Thursday following. The rolls for the forthcoming electoral and licensing polls will be closed to-morrow evening at 6 o’clock, and voters, whose names are not on the rolls by then, will find themselves unable to record a vote on the polling day.

“After the Maori War,” -said the Bev. R. T. Haddon at the Town Hall in Wellington, “we had one million acres of land confiscated from us. What was the reason? Why, to pay the war debt. If it had not been for that I would have been Worth some thousands of pounds a year. But the land was taken away from us, and that wan the end of it. It’s no use grumbling about it now.”

A concert was held in aid of the Fitzroy boy scouts at the Parish Hall on Monday evening, the capacity of the ball being taxed to the utmost. Items were given by the Melody Four (Messrs. A. B. McDonald, A. Brooker, W. Okey, and F. Hooker), and Messrs. B. Bellringer and L. Echlin, Scouts Cleland and Taunt, Misses Hodgson, Perrott and Foote. Mrs. Fredric acted as accompanist. A cake donated by Mr. Gallaher was sold for £l* 19s fid. The total raised from the concert was £lO 4s fid.

London papers report that oil has been struck/ in a bore put down by the Government at D’Arcy, near Dalkeith, in Scotland. The depth of the sand containing the oil was 180 ft. It is stated' that the prospects so far point to a considerable yield of oil being obtained. The world’s most shallow oilfield is situated in California. Recently there were found near a place called Gxnard an oilfield, where the petroleum 16 so near the surface that little more than a pick and shovel is required.

The Taranaki freezing workers’ dispute was set down for hearing at New Plymouth before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. P. Hally) yesterday. The companies were represented by Mr. A. N. Williams, of Patea, but, following the practice adopted in other centres in connection with the present dispute, the men gave notice that they would not be represented. As the matter is before the Arbitration Court in various parts of the Dominion, and an award is expected in the near future, it was considered advisable to adjourn the hearing of the local dispute until the Court’s decision is made public. Some news for dairy farmers is contained in the latest quotations for basic slag, which is now on offer at £4 17s fid per ton, packed in 1001 b bags, c.i.f. and e, main ports. Basic slag is recognised as probably the best manure for North Taranaki and the grass responds to nothing else so quickly. When compared with the price ruling last May, namely £8 2s per ton, it will be seen’that the reduction is very considerable. As a matter of fact the figures are almost down to pre-war level.

There is on view at Messrs. Derby and Company’s garage, Devon Street, a very rare plant, said to be the only one of its kind in the district, and probably in the Dominion. In growth it reseriiblcs somewhat the flax, except that the foliage is round. The plant only flowers once in every two or three years, and the flowers, which are very brilliantly colored like some gorgeohs tropical bird, and of a peculiar formation, last for three weeks. The plant on view is now in bloom, and will no doubt prove of great interest to horticulturists.

The supply of fruit, especially that coming from the Islands, is causing New Plymouth retailers some anxiety, chiefly owing to the suspension of the Onehunga shipping service. Most of the Island fruit is landed at Auckland and transhipped, but under the present circumstances, the fruit has to be railed, this process usually taking several days. Fortunately the weather ha.? been colder than usual for the time of the year and fruiterers are 'living in hopes of the fruit arriving in good condition. The Auckland strawberry market cannot be drawn upon because of the shipping trouble, but adequate supplies are coming by rail from the Fielding district. Supplies of other lines of fruit are not causing much difficulty as the bulk of this comes from Hawke’s Bay.

Because he sqw a picture of Nurse Cavell in a- second-hand shop window at Hawera, reports the’Star, a man smashed the picture over the head of the proprietor. As a result, he was arraigned on a charge of assault. Defendant, said the senior-sergeant, did not wish to appear in Court, but admitted the offence. The incident took place during the “war scare” recently. The defendant, who was the worse for liquor, imagined that it was incumbent upon his as a patriot to express- resentment at seeing Nurse Cavell’s picture in a second-hand shop. He, therefore, Went in. asked for the picture (which was valued at 10s), and, when it was handed to him, smashed it over the head of the proprietor. He was fined £l, and ordered to pay for the picture. “All history teaches that what lives on in the lives of men is simplicity, sincerity, and godliness, and what makes for decay is luxury and indulgence,“ said the Rev. J. Lamb Harvey, or iSt. Andrew’s Church, Auckland, at the commencement of a sermon on the “Simple Life” recently. What was wanted was more regularity with regard to living and more hard work, which enabled people to sleep the deep, sound sleep of the just, and this was at the bottom of the benefits of the simple life, for it would cure ‘ life of our nerve troubles. The -simple life was really the religious life, for it was the best life to live. Many thought war would purge the world from its sor'didness and its sins and follies, but it was a foolish hope, for war did nothing to uplift a people. He was not a pessimist, and there was much in all our lives for which one rejoiced, but there was a lot to be sad over. There was the old reason of mammon worship, love of display, con« tests for pleasure, placed above those things of the senses. There was no time for art and culture. Sport and amusement, dross land decoration, or something to put down their throats seemed to be the chief end of life. It was a miserable creed. A return to the simple life would take off the weights which held man down, and they would get back to those self-respecting days when honour, and love, and respect, and helpfulness of others would be the chief end of life. At the Ngaere Gardens on Sunday next the 4th Battalion W.I.R. Band (New Plymouth) will render all the contest items. The proceeds of the recital are in aid of the Stratford Band fund to procure instruments. A splendid* remedy for Bronchitis end Influenza U Nazal. Try it! 2