LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The State Advances Office has granted the Mana‘a Town Board £lO,OOO for the local water and sewerage scheme. Mails which left Wellington on April 28 by t'he Marama, via ’Frisco, arrived at London on June 9.

The voting for the Opunake queen competition stands now as follows: Maori 11,460, Town 756-0, Hibernian 6968.

According to the Mercantile Gazette the New Zealand Tobacco Company has found it necessary to go into liquida-

A taxi-car proprietor stated in the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland on Wednesday that he was not at present making thirty shillings a week.

At Whakatane on a recent evening 'atil) underbolt fell in front of a man and two children, knocking them over, but not injuring them. It is reported that a vote is to be taken in a certain branch of the Public Service in New Zealand on the question of whether there shall be a reduction in wages or a reduction in the number of employees.

On Wednesday evening the Opunake Maoris assembled in the town hall and presented an illuminated address to Mi;. G. M. Cleghorn, in appreciation of his bravery in saving the lives of three Maoris at Oaonui on April 1, and a handsome gold cup, a gold medal, and massive greenstone pendant of some antiquity. A silver-mounted oak inkstand and writing outfit was also presented by the natives to Mrs. Cleghorn.

A man who was found sleeping in the cemetery in Symonds Street, Auckland, and who was charged with being a rogue and a vagabond, said he had been told that many people slept in the cemetery under the Grafton bridge, but that he only found two other people on the night on which he occupied these quarters.

A picture, which may be rightly called a speaking likeness of the late Rev. A. H. Colvile, has been presented anonymously to St. Mary’s Church, New Plymouth, and now hangs in the vestry of the church. Beside it is the portrait of the Rev. Claud Cook, Mr. Colvile’s esteemed young curate, who enlisted as a private in the great war and was killed. On the other walls are the likenesses of the vicars of St. Mary’s who have also died, viz., the Rev. win. Holland and Archdeacon G'ovett.

During the past week an Australian buyer in search of high-quality Jersey stock has been visiting the best known herds in the Manawatu and Taranaki districts with the object 01 purchasing for Australian breeders. Among the herds inspected was that of Mr. R. L. Horn, the well-known MUnakau breeder, and an offer of £5OO was made for a pair of eighteen months’ heifers. The heifers proved to be the pair that have been so successful in the show ring, and the offer was declined, says the local Times.

Yesterday morning Eltham and the district was visited by the hardest white frost yet experienced this year (says the Argus). Before it was dispelled by the sun the heavy frost made the countryside appear much as if there had been a fall of snow. The asphalt roads were very slippery, and several careless drivers say their horses go down on to their knees, while others refused to proceed over parts of the road where the foothold was particularly treacherous. The consignment of electrical equipment, to be used in connection with the three additional tramcars which are being procured by the New Plymouth borough, has been landed in New Zealand and fl portion of sixteen cases has come to hand at New Plymouth. The tramways manager (Mr. R. H. Bartley) has not received any advice of other materials, excepting information to the effect that the truck gear and bodies left the manufacturing works in America on April 30. Cable advice did not state the name of the ship by which the bodies were being despatched.

The suitability of Paritutu stone for harbor works was the subject of a detailed report received by the New Plymouth Harbor Board yesterday from Mr. J. Blair Mason, of Messrs. Blair Mason. Lee, and Owen (consulting engineers). The report reviews the requirements of the board generally, and goes into geological details concerning the stone. Mr. Blair Mason also deals with the question of working Moturoa, and in conclusion emphasises that the working of Paritutu, which is the only available economical source, is necessary for the expeditious carrying on of the development plans. The report is published on page 5 of issue.

At the invitation of the Paritutu Preservation League Dr. Benson, professor of geology at Otago University, is to make a report on the stone in Paritutu, as the league is seeking further information in connection with its campaign to secure the stoppage of the Harbor Board’s quarrying operations. Dr. Benson, who arrived in New Plymouth on Thursday night, met the committee of the league yesterday morning, when the position was explained to him. The Harbor Board’s resident engineer (Mr. Baxter Lawson) was also present by invitation of the committee. Tn the afternoon Dr. Benson paid a visit to Paritutu, being accompanied by Mr. W. 11. Skinner, at the request of the league. The permission of the Harbor “Board to make an inspection had previously been granted. On being communicated with last night Dr. Benson told a Daily News representative that he had nothing to say at present.

During the past fe\V weeks Messrs. Thos. Borthwick and Sons have shipped from their Waitara freezing works 33.400 freight carcases of meat. Of this amount 11,900 carcases were loaded on the Waimate at New Plymouth, whilst’ 21.500 were shipped by the Port Victor, which loaded in the Waitara roadstead. The loading of the Port Victor was carried out in good time. This leaves 7'7,000 freight carcases still in store at the Waitara works, of this allotments have been macle for 15,000 freight earcases to be shipped by the Suffolk and 22,000 by the Peshawar, both of which are to load at New Plymouth this month. This will leave the company with 40,000 carcases in store, and no difficulty is anticipated in getting this cleared before the next season opens.

Residents of Inglewood and district requirin'' jewellery should make an enrly eall at Mr. A. Thompson, jeweller, Maiau Stret, Inglewood, and inspect his varied stock. A special feature is also made of wateli and clock repairing and optical work. The nautical inquiry into the wreck of the launch Turanga at Mokau will be held on Wednesday,. the 22nd inst.. at the New Plymouth wtirthouse<