LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 31 July 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the last meeting of the directors of the Wellington Gas Company it was decided to reduce the price or gas by 3d per 1000 cubic feet as from feepember 1 next. It is stated (reports the Grey River Argus) that the tendency of' timber prces remans a fallng one., and that building sorts can be now bought on the Coast at 10s 6d per 100 ft. , A Palmerston soldier, who is living on a Government section on the JYlam Trunk line, says that owing to want of roads a number of seiners have clubbed together by forming a little township of houses whence they < r ide to and from their farms.—Manawatu Daily Times. . i "These days people won't work any-j where that is too far from the town or j I picure shows," said Mr J. Ca&elberg, atl j the Masteiton Chamber of Commerce meeting (states the Age). "I know of several families only three or four miles from Masteiton who cannot get maids to go out to them." A resident, writing to the Hawke's Bay Herald, declares that the peopW of Taupo have been more scared by what they have read in the papers i . about earth tremors than by their own I experience of them. The school children, he says, get a lot of fun out of them, and their school work has not : been interrupted for a single hour. I There is said to be an exceptional number of cases of blood-poisonin in and about Dunedin just now (states the Star). The cause of this outbreak i is obscure, and some medical men consider that it is attributable to the fact that the very cold weather of late has lowered the resistance powers of the people, the other theory being that the ■ germ responsible is of an unusually virulent typeArrangements are well in hand for St. Mary's Fourteenth Annual Spring Flower Show and Bazaar. This year the show will be held in the Lloyd George Hall at th© Winter Show- Buildings. This will prevent the overcrowding ex- | perienced last year. The prize list has been well subscribed and it only needs j favourably weather to ensure record enj tries of bulbs, cut flowers, etc. Home industries are well catered for, special classes being included for the children. The schedule will be circulated with the Hawera Star early next week. One thing that can be said for the Farmers' Union Conference is that it is a particularly outspoken body of men (says the Dominion). Another is that it is thoroughly qualified to speak with authority on matters affecting the man on the land. In the circumstances its eulogy on the treatment accorded soldier-settlers by the Government will carry great weight. Those who follow the proceedings ,of the conference will have noted that the Government is as unsparingly I criticised as anyone else where mem- } bers think it necessary, and the tribute paid to Ministers in connection with soldier-settlement can, therefore, be taken as sincere and well merited. The scientific methods employed by cargo palagers were in evidence in Auckland last week, when (states the Herald) a case of drills, valued at £57 10s, was opened in a Auckland warehouse. The case had been shipped at New York and was passed there as absolutely intact, but when opened up it was found to contain a collection of scrap iron, stones, old harness, chains, ancL horse bits, so made up as to give the exact weight of the original contents. The substituted articles were of such a nature as to suggest that the theft had occurred at stables during carriage between the warehouse and the wharves at New York. Similarly a case of what purported to be plug tobacco was recently given a clean receipt at Auckland, but when opened was found to be a mixture of bricks and American newspapers, sufficient to make up the necessary weight. The Southland Education Board awaits the report of a special committee which is to interview the chairmen of school committees and the headmasters of town schools for their opinions on appeals by outsiders to the children and collections by the pupils (states an exchange). The senior inspector recommended an. investigation under the heads: Addresses by social reformers' essay and other competitions, political and other propaganda, canvassing for financial support, advertising by samples and handbills, lectures entertainments, matches, and special features. Officials state that these appeals are on the increase, and headmasters need grotection. The school hours are scarcely sufficient to cover the schedule, and the practice of closing early for children to see pictures and other entertainments make it increasingly difficult to get through the schedule. It was stated that the Education Department had recommended several entertainments as suitable for children,. and Mi" Parr himself had endorsed picture programmes which interrupted school hours unduly, whil« parents objected to children collecting by canvassing from house to house or on the streets. Not long ago a big passenger ship was coming to New Zealand with a full complement of passe#gei-s.' -The voyage was a most enjoyable' one, and there was much fun and dancing on board. One highly cultured maji, however, preferred his books and his pipe, and could not be induced to join in the gafety. The voyage was drawing to a close, and it was decided to hold one big fancy dress ball as a final effort. Every one on the ship was supposed to be Taking part except the staid M.A., who was given up as impossible. All unknown to, the others excet the barber of the ship, he decided to be present as an Oriental. He had ?ardly ever been in a ballroom in his life, and could not dance, but as an Eastern character he could throw his legs about and make himself funny. He got shaved in a suitable way to play "the character as well as possible, and throughout the whole evening he wp^ much sought after, being mistaken for one of the good-looking young engineers of the ship, who was on duty. Girls gripped his hand, sometimes £aye him a squeeze and one was bold enough to sit on his knee. He enjoyed it all and pjayed his part well. Some daring ones,"thinking he was still in his favourite spot in the smoke room, decided to serenade him, but of course when they went for that purpose he could not'be found, and it was thought he had gone to his cabin to get away from the noise, while in reality he was right in the thick of it. The joke did not leak out till the ship £ot to Auckland, and then the fun was fast and furious. At the Busy Drnpei 's ohmj.—Special bargains for this week only: Fancy and stripe blousings, usually 2/6, 2/11; a bargain at 1/- yard. Herringbone sheeting, single bed, 1/11. Crepe de chine, all shades, special quality, usually 12/6; bargiari price 7/11. Full size white blankets, all wool, 45/-. Ladies' allwool black cashmere stockings from 2/11. Dr Jaeger's black cashmere stockings, great value; bargain prices 4/11, 5/11, 6/11, 7/11. Knitting wool, 2oz. skeins, all shades, 1/-. 40-inch dress tweeds, usually 10/0; bargains at 4/11. 54-inch coating; tweeds, usually 11/(5, 15/6, 22/6, 26/0; bargain prices 4/11 to 9/11. Men's President braces, 1/11. Boys' tweed overcoats, sizes 0, to S, 18/(5. Youth's heavy tweed overcoats, sizes 7 to ]3, 29/G; worth 54/6.— i At Gillett's.—Advfc.

j A stoppage of work at the Taupiri ! Company's coal mine at Rotowaru oc- ' (states tt© Auckland Herald). Ihe dism^sal of two men led j to a diepute., which resulted in the union calling all the men out for the remaind- j er of the day. TJio disnute was subse-! quently feettied, and the men returned to work. Some very interesting figures relative to the cost of building to-day compared with, the prices a year ago were I supplied to a Manawatu Standard reporter. In connection with the erection of municipal workers' dwellings in Palmerston North, a tender has been acceped by the Borough Council for a five- ! roomed concrete block and all heart timber cottage at £887. Less than a year ago when tenders were called for a similar dwelling, the lowest was £1096, and the highest £1326. This represents a decrease in the price of buildngof £200 in less than a year. I