LOCAL IND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1922, Page 4

LOCAL IND GENERAL.

The mail train was nearly two hours late in reaching New Plymouth on Saturday night (Christmas Eve) and the Rarawa was correspondingly late in leaving with a full complement 01 passengers for Auckland.

New Plymouth was very quiet as far as inebriates were concerned over Xmas, only one falling into the hands of the police. He was a first offender and was fined £1 yesterday morning by Mr. T. Furlong, J.P.

Messrs L. A . Nolan and Co., report having sold to The Melbourne Clothing Company Ltd. a fine building site with a frontage of (13 feet to Courtenay Street. The Melbourne intend building a modern factory on the site at an early date.

Messrs. <L. A. Nolan and Co. report having sold Section 18, New Plymouth Harbor Board Reserve, Ariki Street, to Mr. W. W. Thompson. A farm offered by auction on the 23rd inst. was bought in by the mortgagee.

A party of New Zealand miners left this country for Russia about four months ago, states the Grey River Argus, and, it is believed, reached their destination safely. They will work in the Siberian mines.

A restive horse was responsible for an accident to George Robinson, a farm labourer, of Kaimata, on Saturday night- The man was riding the horse down Devon Street, and at the corner of Eliot Street it swerved in fron? or a car driven by Mr. A. E. Washer., The horse was not injured, bAit owing to the breaking of the girth, Robinson was thrown heavily, and was removed to the hospital suffering from abrasions on the side of the head and a bruise on the left leg below the knee. The injuries, however, were not serious, and Robinson is expected to leave the hospital in a day or two.

The mere failure to keep a property clear of noxious weeds, according to a legal opinion received by the Takapuna Borough Council, renders the occpuier of such property liable to prosecution; and failure to clear the land of noxious growths after service of notice by an inspector constitutes another distinct offence. The council is therefore advised that it is justified in proceeding against landowners without necessity for issuing any notice. At present the district is without any duly-appointed inspector. It was, however, decided by the council to give instructions that proceedings be taken in the most glaring cases discovered within the borough.

“Admiral Halsey, whose retirement from the Navy is announced, had already become completely a courtier, and it was unlikely that he would again go to sea,” writes the Star’s London correspondent. “It ought not to be forgotten, however, that before he gave his services to the Prince of Wales he had a very distinguished sea career, and might easily, had he gone on with it, ultimately have 'become commander-in - chief. He was Lord Jellicoe’s captain of the Fleet, a post which is equivalent to Quartermaster-General in the Army, and made him responsible for the victualling of all the ships at Scapa Flow. Before that he was captain of the New Zealand during the long voyage she made to the Dominion which presented her to the King, and he made, I believe, more speeches than any naval officer had done before or since.”

In regard to the arrest at New Plymouth of a man using the assumed name of “Thomas Wells.” and the attempt to defraud a chain of banks, it appears that it was the banking authorites in Wanganui who became suspicious. Three banks there were favoured by the patronage of some man, namely, the Bank of New Zealand, New South Wales, and Australasia. It is understood that the accused commenced operations with about £25. He introduced himself at each bank under a ferent name, and opened the accounts accordingly. The amount involved in Wanganui alone, had he been successful, would have been approximately £2OOO, and the whole of the operations would have amounted to about £8450. This is considered by the police to be the biggest attempted fraud of the kind on banking institutions in. the Dominion. The accused who was formerly in a Hawera law office was attired like a > onng farmer, with leggings, etc. He used a motor cycle to travel along the coast. The prevalence of rabbits in the North Island was recently investigated by Mr. T. E. Crosse, chairman of the Hawkes Bay Rabbit Board. Writing to the board in regard to a consultation between himself and the Hon. W. Nosworthy. Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Crosse said that he had found the whole country from Manawatu to Auckland in a most serious condition. The lighter land from Foxton to Wanganui river month was perhaps the worst. > The reduction in. carrying capacity was serious, and certain farms could be detailed where the shortage of sheep amounted to. -from 4000 to 8000 head. Going north to Auckland the rabbits were more or less numerous, but were governed considerably by local rainfall and the condition of the soil. Many portions of the Waikato were hopeless.. It was quite plain that a most determined effort had to be made, but it would be very difficult to get a sufficiently united and consistent attempt made over the whole country to cope with the pest. The various amendments to the land laws for the purpose of preventing aggregation passed in recent years increased tin? difficulty. Under present conditions waste lands were not being taken' up. and were becoming breeding places. Mr. Crosse said nothing that could be done in the direction of assisting the Department to take drastic and comprehensive steps to deal with the situation should be neglected by the board.

Special values at C. C. Ward’s: Ladies’ vests, good quality, large size, 1/6, 1/11, 2/3 each; fancy fronts, 2/11; comfy cut 2/3; cellular vests, 3/11 each. Best " value procurable in hosiery and gloves. Silk ankle mock seam, 2/6 pair: non-ladder, 4/11; silk gloves, double tips, 5/H pair; long silk gloves, AAilj kid, adflvea*. BZI.I* 12/6-