LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An Australian mail, consisting of SO bags, reached Auckland by the Tahiti yesterday morning, and the Taranaki portion will be brought by the Rimu today. The Corinthic, due at Wellington from London on Monday, is bringing a large English mail. Mr. Newton, Conciliation Commissioner, will sit on Tuesday, 28th., at the New Plymouth Courthouse to hear the furniture dispute. He will also sit at 2.30 on the 28th to hear the dispute between the Tramway Employees' Union and the Borough Council. A protest against the proposal to sever rifle clubs from the defence system and place them in a separate category, was made by members of the New I,'lymouth Rifle Club at the annual meeting last evening. Advice was received from Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., stating, that tlie conference 'between the Minister of Defence and the Rifle Association with reference to the retention of Rifle Clubs; under the defence system, will take place next Tuesday. The C. and D. liner Port Piire, which is the largest steamer to berth at New Plymouth, has attracted a good deal of interest, and there should be many visitors to the vessel during the week end. The Port Pirie is expected to sail for Wellington on Tuesday, and she will leave Wellington about October 5 for 'London, via Australian ports and Capetown. The Ivaponga School Committee's Queen Carnival competition, promoted by Kaponga residents to improve their school and its surroundings, produced the sum of £249 3s. The results'of the competition are:—Sports candidate (Miss Ruby Foster), 22,022 votes; Newton King Ltd.'s candidate (Miss Maude Guy) 13,083; the Shops' candidate (Miss Arline Waugh), 10,8G9; Factory candidate (Miss Doris Hislop) 6S9G; and the Fanners' candidate (Miss Clarice Litchwark) 6077. Wanganui is still having considerable trouble with the production of electricity, and the engines recently purchased from the Napier City Council are being rushed into position like badly needed reinforcements going to the front line. A Wanganui business man adopted a novel means of advising his customers the other day that his premises would not be open that afternoon. The following notice appeared in the window: "Owing to 'sugar' shortage, this shop will be closed in order to allow the staff to manufacture same at the racecourse." —Herald. The Salvation Army is about to launch its annual Self-Dcnial Appeal. The Army's success has been duo largely to great yearly effort to raise funds to carry on its work of mercy and benevolence. The large increase in the amount collected from year to year indicates the increasing support of the public. This is .one of the. best testimonials that a work of this character can receive. The Salvation Army, in its varied activities, which are world-wide, meets a great need, and the careful administration of its funds commends the appeal to every_ section of the community. Donations in aid of the Army's work will,be gratefully received by the officer in charge, or any of the authorised collectors. They deserve a generous response.

The thirteenth anniversary of the proclamation of New Zealand as a Dominion falls to-morrow, but the holiday in connection with the occasion will be observed 011 Monday. Formerly the holiday was observed on September 2(i, but during recent years it has been observed. on the fourth Monday in September.

The penalty of popularity.—When Sir Keith Smith was' in Australia after his historic flight from England, he received a number of letters from strangers, ranging from a request from a seven-year-old boy to be taken up in tiie Vimy machine, to several proposals of marriage. Two of the latter came from New Zealand.

A visit to New Plymouth will be paid by Mrs. P. McHugh, who has recently been appointed to a post under the Health Department, and whp is to\iring the North Island in the interests of the department with the object of meeting and conferring with women's organisations on the subject of social hygiene. The Mayor (Mr. Jas. Clarke) has been notified that Mrs. McHugh will be glad to meet women at the Soldiers' Club at 2.30 p.m. on Tues'day. Eighty-live applications for soldiers' loans were dealt with at the monthly meeting of the Taranaki Land Board this week. Nine loans for house properties, and six for building grants, were recommended, four for house properties were refused, and two were deferred in each class- For farms, ten loans were recommended, eight refused, and seven deferred, while other loans recommended were three for clearing mortgages, and twenty-eight for stock, one loan for stock being deferred. The amount of £20,000 collected in New Zealand by Mr, Israel Cohen for the Palestine restoration fundi waa su ' 3 ' scribed as follows:—Auckland, £3050; Christchurch, £1330. Masterton, £7sli; Palmeiston North, £4OO. The Jewisn populations in these places are:—Auckland, 600; Wjellington, 70O; Dunedin, 150; Christchurch, 100; Palmerston North, 30; Masterton, 10. An Otprohanga correspondent writes to the Auckland Star stating that a farmer took up some '2700 acres of bush land in that neighbourhood just 17 months ago. To-day he has over 2000 acres in grass and is pasturing some 2000 sheep and nearly 100 head of cattle, besides 20 hordes. He is already' sending regular consignments of fat sheep to the freezing works, and hopes to turn over 6000 by Christmas. -

The contract 1 for the electrification of the Otira tunnel was signed by Sir Arnold Gridley on Thursday, and the work is to be commenced at an early date. The contract price is £313,000, and the successful tender is that of the English. Electric Company, Ltd., of Kingsborough, London. Sir Arnold Gridley is the managing director of the firm, and lie came out to New Zealand in connection with the contract. Mr. McFarlane, an employee of the English Electric Company, who accompanied Str Arnold Gridley to the Dominion, will be in charge of the work . <

■What is looked upon by the police as a "freak" burglary by an amateur was committed either at a late hour on Thursday night or in the early hoi\rs of yesterday morning, when the shop of Mr. J. K. Hawkins, clothier, New Plymouth, was broken into. Entrance was gained by breaking a pane of gla9s at a back window, and the cash drawer was rifled, but only a few pence rewarded tlie intruder. None of the articles of stock were appropriated. A quantity of blood bespattered on the floor indicated that the intruder had probably cut his hand in smashing the glass. Numerous finger prints were found on the broken pane. The police regard the attempt as being made by one who was quite a novice and probably somewhat intoxicated. Farmers will be interested to hear of a new sparrow trap which is becoming popular in the Ashburton district, says the Lyttelton Times. In the spring of 191S a convalescent soldier took up sparrow-trapping as a pastime, and gradually developed a new type of trap which has turned out to be most successful. In seven weeks he trapped over three thousand sparrows about the farmyard. The trap is the nonmechanical, free-ingress type, and may be described as a horizontal adaptation of the well-known gauze fly-trap. Some important results are revealed by the use of this trap throughout the year. Very few birds enter in during June and July. They begin in August and steadily increase in numbers as the spring comes on. In 1918 and 1919 the best daily catches were made in the. first weeks of November. This is quite contrary to the expectations of farmers, who pin their faith to cold frosty mornings. The food supply of the sparrow seems to seach its minimum about the end of October.

The following are extracts from a letter received from New York by a Dunodin merchant:—"There are many obstacles in the way of doing meat business with New Zealand in spite of the difference in price. The last lot of New Zealand lamb sold here a few weeks ago was bought up by the Globe newspaper.' They advertised it widely in an attempt to break up the trusts. It was sold in the shops at 32 cents! per pound, as against the American lamb at 52 cents. Many of the big butchers would like to sell it, but they are afraid. A representative of a certain, firm told one butcher who said he was going to sell New Zealand lamb that if lie did he would never get another pound of American meat to sell. So, unless the retailers here can be assured of a steady supply, they are up against it. Another thing is the cool storage, which is mostly a monopoly. The Meat Trust people tell the cool storage folk to sell no cool space for imported meat, and that is the end of it. The same applies to butter. Occasional shipments may be made, but it would take a company with plenty of capital to get the business established on a firm, footing." "Fairy Wonder" Dry Soap Powder is just as great a help in the kitchen as in the laundry. Used in the "washingup" water it quickly • dissolves grease and makes silverware shine like new. For scrubbing and cleaning it is invaluable, and a little "Fairy" in your bath is a positive delight. Ask your grocer for it.

Dairymen, Jerseymen ,and others, secure a catalogue at . once of the great sale of Pedigree Jerseys being conducted by Newton King,. Ltd., early in October.

The British Traders' Insurance Co. (Messrs. Honan and Penn, New Plymouth agents), have been successful in securing the insurances of the Inglewood Borough Council. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile draw attention to their Stratford sale on Tuesday, 28th inst., at 12.30 p.m. sharp. Full particulars on page S. The N.Z. Meat Packing and Bacon Co., Ltd., are receiving at Okato on Monday, September 27th, and Moturon an Tuaaday, September