LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 July 1920, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A story typical of the present-day madness in property transactions is t/dd’ in New Plymouth as being trim. An owner of a house desired to sell and piit the. property on the market at £750. The agents could do no business, so lie raised the price to £IOOO. Time elapsed, and still nobody seemed willing to, take this bargain. ... In desperation be decided to ask £l3O0 — and a sale was made.

‘■lt’s a dog’s life being a borough councillor,” remarked one of the Wanganui citv fathers at the tramway power plant inquiry, as he started to relate the bad time the public had boon giving him in, consequence of the recent tramway breakdown. The Mayor said that a man came- to him the other day and asked if there were any tram cars for sale as he wanted one for a fowlhouse.

A pet parrot on board the steamer Curacao, which arrived at San Francisco from South Pacific ports, repeated the remarks of a sailor, with a result that 374- bottles of liquor which had been secreted by members of the crew were discovered and thrown overhoard before the ship reached ' the three mile limit, say an American paper. The parrot died soon afterwards.

For bronchial coughs, take Woods’ Great Peppermint. Cure, 1/9, 2/9.— 1 A /Ivl-

in view of*the complaints made in some quarters that soldiers are being put on too expensive land, it is of interest to note that Mr. Guthrie (Minister of Lauds) stated in the House that the avcTage capital value of the land acquired for settlement is £l2 3s the average capital value per holding is £2445; while the 'average holding is 202 acres.

Owing to tho unsatisfactory state of the petrol supply jn Wanganui for some time past, combined with the high price, a number of private owners have ceased running their cars except on special occasions. The effect of this has made itself felt in the mechanical staffs of some of the Wanganun garages, where some of the men have been obliged to find other means of employment.

A certain Napier hotel-keeper, becoming aware that stock was disappearing from his bar and cellar, took extra precautions to guard against the thefts. He attached new locks to all entrances, gates, etc. Ho them called in a friend and a thorough investigation inside and outside was made, with the result that a .trapdoor on the outside of the building, & and which apparently wat there for no particular purpose, was located. It was found that the innocent looking trap door led to the cellar underneath the bar. The rest was easy. From the well beaten track which led to the cellar, it was quite evident that tire excursions had been going on for* some considerable period. In the cellar many empty cases were found proving that a considerable quantity of liquor, glasses, and other articles had been stolen. The present licensee has only been in occupation a few months.