LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We are informed that the New Plymouth official Labor Party has decided to nominate Mr. W. H. Fitzpatrick as a candidate for the vacancy on the Borough Council. The Land Purchase Board has acquired from Mr. Geo. Rutherford the Waitohi Peaks Estate, Medbury, North Canterbury for soldier settlement (cays a Press telegram from Christchurch). The property comprises 9000 acres pastoral land and the work of sub-division will be put in hand at once. A meeting of the committee which has in hand the arrangements for the appearance at New Plymouth of the New South Wales orchestra, was held yesterday afternoon. Guarantees to the extent of half the amount required were reported as promised, and there is every reason to believe that the balance will be secured immediately. A 50-acre dairy farm at Hawera at a low figure is advertised for sale by Jff. H, and A. McGarry,

The Wangantti and Gisborne branches of the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association have passed resolutions protesting against the non-payment of the promised bonus. The proceeds from last Thursday's concert in New Plymouth in aid of Baby Dominion Day, amount to £25 is lid. This includes a donation of £1 from Mrs. Burgess, and £1 14s taken for home-made sweets. The following cases of influenza were reported between noon on .the 17th inst. and noon on the 20th inst.:—Auckland:' 21 mild, 1 pneumonic, 4 severe; Wellington: IS mild; Canterbury: 7 mild, °1 pneumonic, 2 severe; Otago nil. A man named Win. Arthur Woods, who was arrested in Wellington on Tuesday, Jtas been remanded to appear in the Magistrate's Court at Now Plymouth on Wednesday. He is churned with the theft of £95, the property" of Martha Smith. At the Farmers' Union executive meeting on Thursday, Mr. T. Julian reported upon the Parihaka block. Some of it was first-class, and, as a whole, it was good farming land. Certain portions of it were infested with blackberry, and it would be cruelty to put returned soldiers on it. The Farmers' Union has decided to engage in a publicity campaign by engaging writers to supply articles to newspapers on economic subjects, and lecturers to deliver lectures. The Taranaki executive decided, on Thursday, to set up a committee consisting of Messrs E. Dunn, F. Mills, A. R, Pierce and E. Maxwell to carry the project into effect.

The :Shaw-Savill and Albion Co.'s steamer Kia Ora, which is duo here on Wednesday, will take away tiio largest shipment of frozen meat ever sent from New Plymouth at. one time. The capacity of the vessel is 85,000 freight carcases and the load from here ' will be 04,000 freight carcases, including 7.000 from the works at Waitara. The loading will probably occupy about a week. There was a good attendance at the Rose Show at St. Mary's Hall yesterday afternoon, and a very satisfactory financial result has been reached. The flower stall takings amounted to £2B 17s Id and those at the Guild work stall to £2l 13s sd, making a total of £SO 10s lid. Those who organised the undertaking are to be congratulated not only on the excellence of "the display whicn was staged, but also on the result, and all who worked so well to carry the show through deserve tho highest praise for their efforts. The secretary of the New Plymouth Returned Soldiers' Association (Mr. V : O. West) advises that Messrs Batten and Harper, representing headquarters of the association, will be in New Plymouth nexjt week. A public rneetin<* is to he held on Thursday evening for the purpose of fully ventilating the'aims of the association and explaining any mutters that may want clearing im. A special invitation is to be extended* to all heads of public departments and others who may be directly interested in the activities of. the association to attend the meeting. Mr. Harper is the representative of the returned soldiers on the Pensions Board.

At Hawera yesterday the Mayor (Mr. E. Dixon) mentioned to tile Prime Minister (Mr. W. F. Massey) that the Borough Council had two or three old loans falling due shortly. nniT ir.ey sought the assistance- of the Prime Minister in securing the money to repay those loans. The Prime Minister said he did not think there would be any difficulty about arranging for the extension of the term,'and also that there would not be any trouble in securing the money at a reasonable rate of interest. "I have no doubt we will bo able to see yon through," said _vfr. Massey. The need for building a new police station at Hawera as rapidly as possible was impressed upon the Prime Minister by the Mayor of Hawera as head of the deputation which waited on Mr. Massey at Hawera yesterday,, The deputation asked that the police station should be erected on the site at the rear of the Courthouse, so as to obviate the necessity for bringing prisoners—whether guilty or not guilty—through the main streets. Tho removal of (lie station to this site would also enable the council to have amnle room for the building of the Soldiers' Club and municipal offices in Princes Street. The Prime Minister replied that he had bad a look at the two sites, and if he could help them in any way he would be only too gJad to do so. A discussion arose at the last meeting of the Land Board over a letter in which a. valuer stated that he had heard assertions made by certain agents that on ncncunl of being friends of the Commissioner or members of the Board, that sales put in their hands had a good chance of being recommended. The Commissioner and the Board stated that they had no friends in business matters of this sort, that every application was treated on its merits as it appeared to the Board, and if any difference at all was made, it was in the direction of being more particular wjtli deals in which acquaintances were concerned. The Board considered solely the interests of the discharged soldier, irrespective of the agent concerned, and in no case would it consent to a recommendation unless backed up .by valuations. In every case where large sums were involved the Board secured 'two valuations, and where they differed materially, a third was obtained. In some cases, soldiers considered they were badly treated because the Board would not recommend purchases in excess of the valuations, not realising that such refusal was really in their own interests.

The Rev. J. Napier Millie, who has studied with some thoroughness the spiritualistic movement, is to lecture at Whitcley Memorial Church on Sunday evening on the question, "Can Spiritualism help us?" The service is the special monthly one for tho people. The praise will be led by an augmented choir and orchestra under the leadership of Mr R. Laurie Cooper. Jackson's "Tc Deum" and Mozart's "Gloria" will be rendered. '■' When Storms Around are Sweeping" is the part allotted to the male choir, while Mr. Cooper and Mr. W. Okey will sing, "Watchman, what of the Night" as a duet. A brief musical service will precede the service proper at 0.45. As the numbers who attend these services grow larger and ret larger, those who desire good seats should be there early. There will be a collection on behalf of the church funds. To-morrow (Sunday) afternoon, the Citizens Band are announced to play at the residence and grounds of Mr. W. J. Honeyfield, Moturoa. Programmes will be supplied to contributors to the collection, which is to jro to the bandsmen's Christmas fund. The trams will stop at tho gates, and the grounds are well worthy of a visit, while the musical items have been specially selected.

All records have been smashed by the Melbourne's great salvage sale just opened. Never in the history of the business iimvo so many useful bargains been of[fered and the public have not been slow <%a akqw their at>»«qi»tion,