LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 June 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The statement of receipts and expenditure in connection with the Prince of Wales’ visit to Hawera shows a surplus of £7O. “God’s own country —yes! But the devil’s own roads,” was the terse comment of a South Islander on his first inspection of the Thames Valiev a few days ago.

It is estimated that something like 140,000 poles will be required for electric transmission lines in Wairarapa and the bush districts.

Katana is stated to have received a letter from an Anglican Bishop, who conveyed his greetings, referred to the great good he is doing through God, and offered him the services of one of his clergy in the mission. The letter is that of a man convinced that Ratana has God-given powers. It is stated that Rdtana, the Maori faith-healer, has received invitations tn go to America and to England, sums of £40,000 and £50,000 being mentioned. Katana, however, cannot accept money, nor can he leave his own people. Those people who find pleasure in opening other persons’ letters are to be deprived of this joy. A device has just been patented by which the gummed part of an envelope is perforated in such a. manner thet it will defy the opening of the envelope and rescaling it without leaving a ragged perforation as mute evidence that it has been tampered witii. Last year Wellington City Corporation incurred a. loss -of £2700 on its zoo. The total loss for the past three years is £7OOO. The council is to endeavor to secure legislation enabling it to charge for admission on Sundays.

At Saturday’s meeting the Eltham County Council decided to secede from the Taranaki Progress League. The door taking's at the New Plymouth Winter Show, which concluded on Saturday, were over £42 in excess df those of last year, which constituted a record up to that time. Practically fine weather prevailed throughout, a fact which no doubt was responsible for the big attendances each day. When anomalies m the railway tariff were under discussion at a meeting of the Wanganui Harbor Board on Friday evening, Mr. W. G. Bassett mentioned that on a recent occasion he was charged 14s fid to take some excess luggage from Wanganui to-New Plymouth. To 'bring the same luggage back to Wanganui from New Plymouth the charge was 5s 2d.

When a couple of horses were being rounded' up in a paddock near Belt Road on Saturday night one of the animals broke through a fence adjoining the railway line and. crashed into a passing train. The horse struck the axle box of one of the trucks and was killed.

A sitting of the Arbitration Court will open at New Plymouth this morning. In addition to matters concerning industrial disputes there are some claims under the Workers’ Compensation Act for consideration. Mr. Justice Frazer, who presides, and Messrs; McCullough and Scott (assessors), arrived in New Plymouth on Saturday night. For the use of the children of the locality as a playground, Mrs. C. H. Burgess, of New Plymouth, has acquired a quarter-acre section in Wallace Place, on the northern side of the street. That there will be a Necessity in the town later for open areas for playgrounds is evident, and theZpublic-spirited action displayed in this instance is one of real benefit. A small building is being erected on the section, which it is hoped later to turn into a rest room or shelter, and if found feasible, a small kitchenette may be attached so that it will be possible to make light refreshments there. Flowering and foliage plants will be planted to make the place as picturesque as possible, and the innovation should meet a need felt in that and other localities. Mrs. Burgess also contemplates the provision later on of some equipment in the nature of swings and sandhills for the amusement of children.

A rather amusing incident happened during tlie progress of the Clifton-Okai-awa "match at. Okaiawa on Saturday, when a. mob of sheep that had been grazing on the grounds came tearing up the placing field,, colliding with the players ‘and almost jumping over the ball in their eagerness to reai-li the other end of the paddock. At the particular time Okaiawa were attacking, and it. looked as though the sheep had come to their assistance!

A few shillings spent on the free use of Nazol to protect the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose and throat from coughs, colds and sore throats, etc., is better than hours of suffering. 2

For the position of caretaker at the Athletic Park, the Wellington Rugby Union has received 7'6 applications .

Gerald Griffin, of Taihape, who died in the Otaki police cells on Sunday, is reported to have been worth from £30,000 to £40,000.

The year ended March 31 was a record one for the Government Tourist Bureau in Auckland, over 29,000 tourists passing through.

The well-known beauty spot in the Hutt Valley, know as “Mason’s Gar dens,” was offered a£ auction a few days ago, but failed to reach the reserve. A Rangitikei farmer told a Maha watt Times representative on Tuesday, that iJ the shearers persist in their demand foi 30s per hundred for shearing, co-opera' live methods will be employed by farm' ers for the shearing of their sheep nexl

A parsnip of record size has been unearthed in Napier. The vegetable course is a freak, and measures four feet nine inches in length. It was grown in sandy soil in Napier South. The parsnip itself is of ordinary size, but has a tail four feet in length.

Of countries for which retail prices statistics are obtainable, New Zealand, with 69 per cent increase on pre-war prices, now ranks third lowest, India (Calcutta) showing 61 per cent, the United States 55 per cent, while Australia in March last showed 81 per cent rise, and the United Kingdom, according to a special cable just received, 132 per cent rise compared With pre-war prices. Mr. J. iK. Hornblow, at a recent meeting of the Palmerston North Hospital Board, pointed out that many of the immigrants, particularly the females, coming to New Zealand were very unfit, physically, and would become a burden upon the State. It was essential that the authorities should be more strict as to the admission to the country of people in such a condition.

A resident in a district not far from Palmerston North, Who was given up by his doctor several years ago as a helpless victim of cancer, and for whom a coflin was actually made after the performance of an operation, is now hale and hearty. He attributes his recovery to the eating of molasses in large quantities. .

The uncommon sight of two ostriches feeding in a paddock is to be seen by travellers on the main road leading into Wanganui. Mr. Cameron, the owner of the birds, originally had a number of them, but only these two have survived the rigours of the climate. The brace, however, appear to be quite healthy, if the rapid manner in which they eat up their food gives any indication. The Rangitikei Advocate says:-—At present the land users are the most hea-vily-taxed class in the community. They not only pay their share of the taxation through the Customs, whose restrictions double the cost of all the supplies they require, but also the special tax on land, and tax on the income from it, and also all the taxes levied for local governing purposes, hospitals and charitable aid, and the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges for the convenience of others as well as for their own. A very few thousand people are paying direct taxes amounting to about fifteen millions a year. “You are asking me to pay you rates to the amount of £40,” wrote a Native landowner to the Matamata County Council, “and. I am asking you a simple question. Is this a law passed for all Maoris to pay rates in this district, including those in the Piako country? Are the Maoris paying rates there? If not, then why should I, this only Maori, paj r rates? I have no right to pay rates unless all other Maoris are paying rates; then I’ll pay, too.” The letter caused a good deal of amusement, but, it being stated that this Native was a wealthy man, and last year his rates had been collected 1 through a solicitor, it was agreed to take this course again this year if necessary. The Pahiatua Herald says:—A thrilling experience befel Messrs. J. Byrne (licensee of the Club Hotel) and E. Brewer, confectioner, when returning from Wellington the other day in the latter’s two-seater. When negotiating Birnie’s Hill, at a very dangerous spot, the engine back-fired and the car careered backwards down the hill. The oc- • cupants had barely time to jump from the car before it crashed through a railing and plunged over the cliff to about 50 feet below. - Mr. Brewer was thrown against the railing and fell over the ‘cliff into some bush several feet below. Neither of the occupants received injury, but the car, which was insured for £2OO, was practically destroyed by fire. “I saw millions of feet of Oregon lumber piled on the jetties in Puget Sound, British Columbia, and acres upon acres of logs on the rivers, which were not being milled because the timber market was glutted,” said Mr. A. J. Smith while discussing his recent tour of Canada and the 'United States with a Manawatu Standard representative. “This timber is particularly adapted for framing in building construction, and if return freights from New Zealand could be guaranteed of wool for instance, it could be landed here at a saleable price. By lifting the duty on this imported timber, the Government would assist materially in conserving our own timber for its own special purposes. Under these conditions Oregon pine could be landed here at 30 dollars a thousand feet.”

In a letter to a Wanganui resident a relative in Scotland paints a doleful picture of the industrial and commercial situation in that country. Several of the large iron and steel works in and around Glasgow, employing tens of thousands of hands, have closed down, aixl soup kitchens are in operation to alleviate the distress. The. present depression is unprecedented in the history of the iron and steel trade in Glasgow. The problem the manufacturers have to face is a most difficult one, as at the present time the foreigner can send his steel to Glasgow at a price much below that of the home manufacturer. So little has the cost of fuel to do with the situation, that one prominent gentleman in the steel trade states that even if the home manufacturers got the coal for nothing, the problem of how to meet foreign competition would still remain unsolved.

Splendid booking for the revue “Bran Pie” (which commences this week) was recorded on Saturday. After the box. plan opened at Collier's there was a keen demand for seats by. theatre-goers, and in view of the numerous applications already in prospective patrons who intend reserving should make early inquiry. Residents of Stratford and district are notified in this issue of a clearing sale of Mr- Gillard’s household furniture and effects, which is being held at his residence, Toko, on Thursday next, under the direction of Mr. T. I. Lamason. The sale commences at 1 o’clock.

For Children’s Hacking Cough. Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. 1