LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

While demolishing some old buildings in New Plymouth recently swarms of rats made their appearance, and several captures, ranging from a couple, up io a dozen rodents were made, A gift of 2% acres, centrally situated at Gonville, has been made by Mr. N. Meuli, in order that the area may be used as a children’s playground.

“You want to remember that it iig not your risk," remarked Mr. A. M. Mowlem S.M. to a. young man who informed him yesterday morning that he had taken the risk of riding a bicycle at night without a light. “The risk lies with the other man who has just as much right to the road as you,” his worship added, “is through your action he might meet with an accident.” The Waimate Witness reports the disappearance of a young man named Aitken from Otakeho on Monday. He was last seen late on Sunday evening, when he said good-bye to some friends. It is stated that he has left a note expressing his intention of doing away with himself. Constable Scannell and a party are watching the beach, and a party of Scouts went out later to assist in the search.

The whole of the debentures for £lO,OOO required for the construction of a hostel for the Masterton High School have now been taken up, says a Masterton paper, the last £3OOO having been taken up by the South British Insurance Company. The position now is that £26,000 ’ has been subscribed locally for the building and equipment of the school and for the building of the hostel.

Good progress with the Awakino Valley road is reported by our Mokau correspondent. Mr. T. M. Ball, engineer of the Public Works Department, visited the road last week, and reports the work there to be progressing very satisfactorily. It is expected that the road will be available for vehicular trafficearly this year, although it will be some time before it will be out of the workmen’s hands. There are about 100 men employed, and they are doing their work well.

Tn connection with the Press Association message which appeared in last Friday’s issue from Te Kuiti, Mr W. T. Jennings makes a contradiction of it. He never stated to any newspaper man that he was not taking action to upset the late Waitoimo election; and there was no authority for such Press Association message being sent from Te Kuiti, as in the local paper of Thursday last. When interviewed on the matter Mr. Jennings said he had nothing to state, as the matter was sub judice.

A scheme is afoot to settle a portion of Matakana Island, near Tauranga, \vith retired English officers. At a meeting of the Tauranga County Council a communication was read from an Auckland firm of surveyors, submitting for approval the plan of the sub-divis-ion of part of Matakana Island. It was stated that ample reserves for recreation and all other public purposes had been made. The council decided that the engineer should visit the locality and, if he is satisfied with the scheme, that the plan be approved. “I think that if your worship spent some time in that country you would change your opinion," remarked counsel in the Magistrate's Court at New Plymouth yesterday morning, when Mr A. M. Mowlem expressed doubt as to the existence of a state of morality in the Mokau district that did not regard the taking of a neighbour's whisky as theft. Counsel assured the Magistrate that there was an understanding over such matters. “All I can. say, then, is that it is indicative of a very low state of morality on the part of the residents,” rejoined his worship. The literature concerning the beauties and attractions of North Taranaki, which was sent for distribution at the the Science Congress in Wellington, was eagerly taken up and perused by the* visiting delegates, especially by those from Australia. No information is yet in hand, however, as to whether any party of the delegatee will be coming to New Plymouth before returning to their homes, but the Tourist League s keeping in close touch with the visitors, and adequate arrangements lor seeing the principle beauty spots and the reception of the visitors will be made as soon as their plans are known. At a meeting of the Taranaki Picture Exhibitors’ Association, the president (Mr. W. P. Kirkwood) stated that after making investigations in New York, Paris and London, he is of opinion that speaking pictures will be a commercial proposition at no distant date, when, besides drama and vaudeville, operas would be produced with all the wealth of colour associated with that class of entertainment. While in London, Mr Kirkwood was in touch with the agent of an inventor who reproduced the voice from the actual film on which the picture was photographed. This is accomplished by photographing the light rays of the voice of the’person speaking or singing, and transferring the result to the edge of the picture film in the shape of different sized small perforations, and thus a perfect synchronisation of the voice with the action of the picture is attained.

The determination possessed by rats has been instanced in a very marked manner in a new concrete building in New Plymouth. The foundations were well and truly laid in concrete, yet for some time traces of rats inside the building were observed. Careful search was made, and it was found that the rats had burrowed under the building. The next move on the part of the rodents was to gain entrance into the building. In one corner was a trap which could be lifted in case of drain trouble. The sides of the trap were of concrete, an inch in thickness, but the rodents got to work, and gnawed a hole through. The hole was blocked next day with more concrete and broken glass, but by the following morning the rodents had again eaten their way through the concrete. This was repeated fey several days, and not until a concrete wall over three inches thick was put in did the rats give up the task of attempting to

gain entry. The Melbourne, Ltd., are showing some extremely choice little crepe de chine jumpers cut magyar style and exquisitely embroidered. Without a doubt the new blouses and jumpers in 10 and 12 momme white crepe de chine now in stock are the daintiest and best made goods this firm has ever handled. The prices are 21s to 455. Influenza Germs lodge in mouth and nose, Nazol destroys thefii, A .

During 1022 there were 73 bankruptcies in Hawke’s Bay, says the Daily Telegraph, being an increase of 46 over those recorded the previous year. In 1920 the figures were 10.

A monument to the memory of the Australian and New Zealand mounted men who, fought in Egypt and Palestine is to be erected at a spot near the junction of the Suez Canal with the Mediterranean »Sea. The locality has been donated by the Port Said authorities. The monument is to take the form of two mounted troopers, one of the Australian, Light Horse, and the other of the' New Zealand Mounted Rifles, looking out eastward oyer the canal and the Sinai desert. The models are to be Main Body men and horses.

A story is told of a thirsty one who was staying at a country hostelry in Canterbury on the day of the earthquake (says an exchange). He was about to enjoy a long, cool drink when he was horrified to observe that the glass was behaving in quite an extraordinary fashion, while its contents were splashing over the edges. He then observed that the bottles on the shelves were dancing, and when they started to tumble he decided that there was something wrong. Like Mark Twain, he “went away from there,” leaving his glass on the counter.

An enormous eel was caught in the Maitai River, near Almond Tree Flat, by two boys named Hawk and Hobbs. A hook tied to a stick was used, and the boys had an exciting time before the eel was landed. Hobbs hooked it in the tail, and the strength of the fish was so great that it threw the boy into the river. Hawke came to his companion’s assistance, and together they landed their catch after about a fifty yard’s run. The eel turned the scale at 271 b. It was sft long and over 16 inches in girth. It is stated by fishermen that more large eels are caught in the Maitai than in many of the larger rivers in the Dominion.

A petition is being circulated in England asking the Government to give facilities for the introduction of legislation for the suppression of Socialist Sunday Schools. A writer in the London Daily Telegraph furnishes the following illustration of what is happening in the United Kingdom: At the funeral of one of the little girls who attended Walnorth Socialist Sunday School, in January, 1922, a group of her fellow scholars were marshalled round the grave, and the teacher, pointing to the skies, said: Don't look up there, comrades; there is no i God or angels up there.” Then, pointing to the little coffin in the grave, he continued: “Don’t look down there; there are no devils or anything more — 1 it’s all over.”

According to the Wairoa correspondent of the Hawke’s P-ay Herald, there a/e prospects of considerable difficulty;being experienced in inducing shipowners to send Home liners to the new XVaikokopu harbour to load frozen moat. Although no definite statement has been made on the subject, information available tends to point in the direction indicated. Tn the event of the Homo liners cutting out Waikokopu, the effect on the new railway to the port from Wairoa would be very considerable, as one of the chief reasons for the construction of the branch was its necessity for the conveyance of produce from Wairoa to steamers loading at the creek harbour. The Overseas Shipowners’ Committee appears to be very conservative and non-committal on the question at present, and it is hinted that even if the committee agrees to the sending of vessels to Waikokopu the marine insurance people may have a word to say.

“The Japanese menace in California is very real indeed,” remarked Mrs. Cornyns, formerly of Auckland, to a Wanganui paper, when describing som6 of her experiences in that State. She added that it was a very serious question and ope that was growing each year. The Japanese controlled the fruit industry extensively, particularly grape growing. One could go long distances and see nothing but gardens controlled by Japanese. There was a strong feeling among the white people over the yellow menace, and the advice of those she spoke to on this question was to keep them out of New Zealand. They said that the Japanese question was the curse of the State. Patrols for Hawaii and Honolulu were being called for while she was in San Francisco, and it was stipulated that they must be white men. This Island and other American possessions in the Pacific were practically all under the control of the yellow men.

’Webster Bros, advertise particulars of a good clearing sale of house furniture on account of Messrs. Leighton Bros., whose factory has been sold, on Wednesday next. The sale will commence at one o’clock.