LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A shop for £8 10s is the bargain that fell to Mr 11. Peterson at New Plymouth yesterday, his purchase being the shop in Currie Street, until recently occupied by Cook and Lister. A condition of the sale is that the shop is removed within a week.

Visitors to th 9 New Plymouth Observatory for the year January 1 to December 31, 1922, as recorded in the visitors’ book, numbered 1296. During this period the observatory was closed for six weeks while alterations were being made.

Some persons with little appreciation of the propriety of things, have been making a disgusting use of the tram shelters in New Plymouth. It is to be hoped that in common fairness to the travelling public and to the tramway authorities, the persons concerned will cease these practices. The 'monument which is being erected at the White Cliffs by the officials of the Waitara and Whiteley Methodist Churches to mark the spot where the Rev. John Whiteley met his death at the hands of some rebel Natives, i* nearing completion. A special unveiling ceremony is being arranged to take place at an early date, at which the president of the conference, the Rev. C. H. Laws, D.D., will officiate.

Mr T. M. Wilford corrects a passage reported from his speech at New Plymouth, which, he states, did not represent the position as he intended to convey it. The passage should read as follows: The executive of the Liberal Party had met, and it’s decisions would be submitted to the. party for considera-. tion. It would be unfair to make public, what the executive intended to submit to the party until every member had had an opportunity of considering the proposals. To go to gaol sober and come out drunk was not so uncommon in the ’sixties as it is to-day when, more often than not, the opposite rule applies. It is on record, however, that such a happening took place in New Plymouth in the early days when the institution of correction was standing in Devon on the site now occupied by Webster Bros.’ auction mart. Adjoining the. lock-up was a wine and spirit merchant’s shop, and one night, so the story goes, some friends of the prisoners determined to take some liquid refreshment to their pals who had been put in gaol for the night for some offence. Provisioning themselves with something calculated to dispel the cold discomforts of the gaol, the party of friends approached the entrance to the gaok How to open the locked door was a -problem which was quickly solved. The key-hole was as large as a man’s finger, and into this the stem of a long clay pipe, then in fashion, was inserted and the lock was turned. In crept the friends, and what followed may best be left to the imagination. Suffice it to say that next morning some very inebriated prisoners were found by the gaoler but he was an understanding soul and the men were duly liberated. It is told of the same gaoler that he used to allow some of the prisoners to return to their wives and families on Sundays, provided they guaranteed to appear at the lock-up at 7 o’clock next morning. Pleasing to relate, the men invariably justified the trust reposed in them though the experiment is not likely to be given a trial nowadays.

The New Plymouth Caledonian Society will celebrate the anniversary of Robert Burns, Scotland’s national bard, at a dinner to be held in the Workers’ Social Hall on January 25. The Pipe Band will play several selections,, whilst the appearance of several Scotsmen wearing the kilts will be an added attraction. Songs, recitations and dancing will be features of the evening.

' It is .reported that two Wairoa residents have come into a fortune and have left for Australia in connection therewith.

There was rather an embarrassing, moment for a young man at the railway station the other morning, k just prior to the departure of the Otira expi ess (remarks the Grey River Argus). He was conversing with friends on the crowded platform when suddenly there fell to the platform a towel bearing the brand of r. local hotel. There was a moment’s silence, followed by laughter when the young man explained that the towel had been lying on the bed at the hotel, covered by the overcoat, and he had unknowingly picked it up.

In a case heard at Hamilton this week, in which a man was charged with breaking and entering and theft, it was stated that accused had been found in a chemist’s shop at four o’clock in the morning helping himself to morphia. From a statement accused made to the police it appeared that the mar, who suffered severely from shell-shock upon his return from the front about five years ago, and who had been an inmate of military hospitals practically ever since, had been accustomed to having morphia injected into him at regular intervals. He was discharged from hospital a short time, ago, and not being able to sleep lie arose, and in his search for his accustomed drug he broke into the chemist’s shop. Accused was remanded.

The kea bird, which is regarded, by many as a deadly enemy of sheep and lambs, is not so regarded by everyone. These birds were at one time fairly common in the Msunt Cook district, but they have been shot down considerably. A few were seen by the members of the Tararua Tramping Club during their visit *o the Hermitage. They are verv amusing birds at times, for they will slide down the snowy roofs on their tails, striking some most laughable and ridiculous attitudes. Although they have such an evil reputation, the guides at Mount Cook, who have been acquainted with them for years, cannot call to mind ever having seen them attack a sheep or lamb, and they with others are disposed to regard this belief with a great deal of suspicion, in spite of the fact that rewards are offered for the destruction of the birds.

Shipowners have, expressed warm appreciation at the excellent work of the police in detecting pillaging on the wharves at Melbourne (says the Argus), Figures prepared by a representative of the oversea shipping companies in Melbourne show that since the present system of police supervision has been in force in Melbourne claims for pillaging have been reduced to a comparatively small amount. From February to October. 1920, when there was no police supervision on the wharves the total quantity of cargo discharged at Melbourne from oversea steamers was 251 000 tons, and the amount of claims for pillaging £26,484. In the corresponding nine months for 1921, 249.000 tons of cargo were landed under police supervision, and the claims for pillaging amounted to £5347. For the nine months from Ist November. 1921, to 31 st of August. 1922, the result was even more satisfactory. Tn this period 400 000 tons of cargo were discharged, while the claims for pillaging amounted to only £3932. It will thus be seen that, while the quantity of cargo discharged from vessels at Melbourne has nearly doubled since tTio present system of police supervision has been introduced, the claims for pillaging have been reduced by more than one-sixth. The average claim for pillage in 1929 before police supervision was 24* 6d a ton; 1921, 5s Id a ton; and 1922, 2s 3d a ton. The percentage reduction in pillage claims for ]O2O and 1921 was 79.26 per cent., and the percentage reduction in 1922, as compared with 1920. 90.65 per cent.

The Commissioner of Taxes draws attention of taxpayers to the notification appearing in to-dav’s issue that the due date of nayment of the income-tax is on Wednesday, February 7, 1923. Additional tax will accrue if the tax is not paid on or before February 28. The demands v. 'll be posted from the office of th t Commissioner of Taxes on or about January 31. 1923. Demands must be presented with all payments. and if a demand has not been received the Commissioner should be communicated with. It should he noted, however, that individuals (not companies) whose surnames commence with the letters C, D, H. I, J. K, Me, N. O„ P. T. W will not receive their demands until later. In these cases a new due date—viz.. March 1, 1923-r-will be fixed under section 127. Additional tax will accrue twenty-one days thereafter.

The merits of the N.Z. Sporting and Dramatic Review stand unquestioned, each issue seeming to eclipse its predecessor in point of quality and interest. With this number is given away a supplement of “Sc ; on.” the New Zealand Cup and Auckland Cup winner, a souvenir that should he appreciated by sporting patrons. Snapshots of main events at the Dargaville Racing Club’s meeting at Ellerslie make an important showing, and another instalment of photographs depicting the Auckland Racing Club’s carnival also appears. Historic interest is attached to a series of views of the French battleship “Jules Michelet” on its arrival in Auckland. The centre pages form a particularly attractive gallery, with its judicious arrangement of shapely girls, social stars, and world-wide celebrities in picturesque poses. A recent dance recital at the Lower Hutt is the subject of a dainty series of portraits. A frontispiece of Lawrence Grosmith, the famous English comedian, strikes a characteristic note, and amongst a large number of other pictures of incomparable standard are the Skiff Championship of Australia, decided on Sydney Harbor, the Great Northern Derby Winner, Enthusiasm, and Ladv Jellicoe. who decorated him with the blue riband, New Zealand and Australian products represented in London, bluejackets from H.M.S. Chatham, and the usual assortment of striking stage and cinema favorites. Our readers are asked to be on the lookout for what is promised as “the greatest bargain sale of the season,” which is scheduled to commence at the Melbourne, Ltd., on Tuesday morning next. Extraordinary reductions have been made all round and as the Melbourne is noted for its regular low prices, patrons of the store may look forward to securing many genuine bargains.

Owing to the indisposition of the Rev. W. J> Elliott, the Rev. E. R. Harries, of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, Wanganui, has kindly consented to officiate at the Whiteley Memorial Church to-morrow evening. The attention of home-seekers is directed to a property sale advertisement appearing in our auction columns under Messrs. Newton King, Limited’s heading. The home is one of six rooms on a good roomy section, and in a splendid locality. It is well worth inspection. Permanent hair waving for ladies can be arranged by Mr Clifford Long, Devon Street, whose advertisement in this issue is of interest to ladies.