LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

London advises that mails were dispatched for New Zealand on the 9th September, per Tainui, via Panama. No tenders were received for the erection of houses in New Plymouth under the Government scheme. In view of ,the serious housing shortage that still exists here, it is understood a statement will be made in Parliament this week setting out the Government's intentions. Intimation was received by the New Plymouth Borough Council last night from the gaoler at the New Plymouth Prison to the effect that the Prisoners Department had decided to advance the selling price of broken met*] from 7s to 8s per yard. A special meeting of the Taranaki County Council was held yesterday, Cr. J. S. Comiett (chairman) presiding over a full council. At the outset the chairman stated that the business to be transacted was of such a nature, that he would move it be dealt with in committee, and this was accordingly done. There was another break in the New Plymouth gas service about six o'clock last night, but the supply was available about an hour later. The company is working on hand-to-mouth supplies' of coal, but it was reported last night that sufficient has been borrowed to ensure gas for at least a day or two. Urgent representations were yesterday made to the Government to send coal to New Plymouth for the gas works. "The shortage of sugar is more acute in New Plymouth now than I have ever known it to be before," said a New Plymouth grocer last night. Supplies are practically exhausted, and brown sugar is being purchased where a small quantity of the white article cannot be obtained. It is now about six weeks since sugar was received in New Plymouth from Auckland, and even after the strike is settled some time will elapse before a supply can be received. The opinion that more country people shop in New Plymouth now than ever before was expressed by a New Plymouth grocer in conversation with a Daily News reporter last night, and he attributed the increased volume to the advent of the motor. There appears, he added, to be a great deal of money in circulation at present, and a characteristic of shoppers is to buy whatever they require regardless of price. Though where 20s went before the war only 13s or 14s will go now, there does not appear (according to this grocer) to be any tendency to spend sparsely. Reporting to the usual meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council last night the electrical engineer gave a comparison of the cost of operating the petrol 'bus car compared with tha.t of, the electric vehicle, in regard particular-' ly to fuel lubricants and repairs. As a basis a six-weekly period was taken, and the cost of the petrol vehicle in this time was £B2 3s od, or 0.3 pence per mile run, as against a total for the 1 electric 'bus of £l9 Is 3d, which worked out at 1.78 pence per mile run. According to the monthly report made to the New Plymouth Borough Council by the manager of the abattoirs (Mr. T. J. Reakes), the following stock was slaughtered for consumption during August: 29.calves, 801 sheep, 241 cattle, and 74 pigs. Compared with last August the figures show an increase of 41 cattle, 14 calves, 105 sheep arid 25 pigs. The fees earned, £163 lis 3d, were an increase of £25 on the corresponding period of last year. Yesterday the House of Representatives commenced Monday sittings, and from now to the end of the session Monday, will be a regular sitting day. As far as can be judged, the session is a little more than half-way through, A commencement was made toward the end of June, and the conclusion is expected by about the end of October or the first week in November. Just before Parliament was called together there was a fairly general impression that the ses- j sion would not conclude before Christ- ] mas, but the present indications are that it will end after something over four months of work. Mr. Geo. Dean, associated lecturer with Captain Prank Hurley, arrived in New Plymouth last night in connection with the exhibition of the Shackleton expedition film at New Plymouth. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., wish to draw clients' attention to their Matau sßle, which they are holding at their Matau yards on Friday, 17th hist,, at 1 p.m. Full particulars of entries will be found on page 8 of this issue. The attention of those requiring maicella quilts is drawn to the Melbourne, Ltd.'s, offer of these goods. Prices are particularly keen, and as there is a shortage of quilts Just now buyers are advißed to get in early. Ten-quarter size, 29s lid; twelve-quarter size, 42s fid: better quality, eleven-quarter size, 39s Gd; twelve-quarter size, 455; also all sizes in honeycomb quilts. The Waiwakaiho Horse Fair will be held on Thursday next. Those in search

The unsatisfactory nature of the gas I supply in New Plymouth was again the subject of comment at the meeting of the Borough Council last evening. The matter was introduced by a letter from the Taranaki Chamber, of Commerce asking that stops bo taken to have the supply charged for on its calorific merits.. The borough engineer (Mr. W. H. Cook) remarked that in view of the mixture of coal which was being received at present he doubted whether any gas company in New Zealand would undertake to supply on such a basis. . The Council set up a committee to draft and submit to the Council an amendment to the Plymouth Gas Company Act. With a view of further regulating the control of audiences at theatres and pubv lie halls, the New Plymouth Borough Council last night adopted a recomnien-, dation from the inspector to amend the by-laws making it an offence for persons to crowd' into a theatre or public place contrary to the order of the manage-, ment or the inspector. It was stated by Inspector Day that recently at one entertainment there was some difficulty in keeping out the crowd, although the sale, of tickets had been stopped. Theexisting regulations empowered the pun-, ishment of the management for allowing overcrowding, but there was no provision for dealing with the persons who persisted in trying to make their way in. The Taranaki Agencies, Ltd., agents for the "Harley-Davidson" motor cycles, have just received a telegram • informing them that the Harley-Davidson won the 100-mile, 200-mile, and 300-mile National Championship of Dodge City, and creating a new record; also first and third in the 200-mile National Championship Marion. A stock of these machines is expected here this month. The popularity of "Fairy Wonder" Dry Soap is due not so much to its value as a fuel and labor saver as to its efficiency in making and keeping the clothes a' good color. That is the one thing more than any other that the average housewife takes pride in, and "Fairy" does the trick every time, without the slightest injury either to hands or fabrio.