LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

It was reported yesterday that there is a probability of an appeal being made to the Court of Appeal concerning the judgment of Mr. Justice Salmond in the Rowe will case.

At a meeting of shareholders in No. 3 Group of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth last evening, the two appropriations of £250 each offered by tender were disposed of for the sum of £-110 each.

“There are 96 pupils being promoted this year to be upper school,” said Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., at the Central echool infants’ prize-giving yesterday. Twelve had been promoted during the year to Standard 11., and six more were now going into the same standard.

A motor accident occurred at Okato yesterday, when a car driven by Mr. J. Brophy failed to negotiate the sharp corner near the hall and skidded to the side of the road, where it capsized. The occupants, Mr, Brophy and two ladies, were not injured, but the car was sometvhat damaged. The sub-committee of the New Plymouth War Memorial Committee, which was set up to consider tenders for the erection of the cenotaph, met yesterday, when ten tenders were submitted. It was decided to call the full committee together to-night to make the final decision.

“We hope to see great improvements made at the school next year,” said the chairman of the Vogeltown School Committee (Mr. V. Griffiths) at the annual prize-giving ceremony last night. A new room is to be added, and a grant has been made enabling the committee to erect concrete gateposts and a gate at the entrance. Two acres of adjoining land are to be secured for a playground, and the committee has purchased a piano for the school. “I must apologise on behalf of the committee for the delay in the improvements in the school playground,” said Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., at the Central infants’ school prize-giving yesterday. “As soon as the holidays commence, however, a gang of men will be set,to work on the school grounds.” The committee hoped to finish the work in the holidays, and the beginning of the new year should see swings, glides, see-saws and sand-pits ready for the children.

“'With the growth of New Plymouth, Pukekura Park will become a larger asset than it has been in the past,” said Mr. C. E. Bellringer last night during the discussion on the carnival being launched for funds for the Park Board's works. He prophesied that the day would come when the Borough Council would have to set up a reserves department and look after the parks and reserves in the town. In the meantime, however, the citizens would have to do the work.

An appeal for funds for the Christmas Tree for the children in the New Plymouth hospital will be made to-day, when Mr. H. 8. Alpe will walk from Uruti to New Plymouth. Mr. Alpe writes: “The Mayor of Wnitara is arranging for the collection in Waitara, and whatever is collected will be forwarded to Mr. Holden by the Mayor. I shall try to put up a record. I now hold the record of 3V> miles in 7 hours and 15 minutes. I am to arrive in New Plymouth at 7.30 p.m., concluding my walk at the Post Office, where the collection will be made.”

The East End Reserve acknowledge the following donations:—Mr. T. C. List £1 Is, Mr. JV. C. Wjston £1 Is.

“This kind of filing will have to be stopped,” said Mr. H. R. Cattley, J.P., in the court at New Plymouth yesterday when lining William Taylor £3 with costs 7s for driving his motor-car past a stantionary tram-car in Devon Street on the near side. Mr. R. Day ( borough inspector) said that a number of little girls who were seeking to board the tram had a narrow escape. His attention to the occurrence was drawn by the noise of the defendant’s horn, and he saw the girls running in all directions. Mr. Day asked that an example should be made of defendant, as such offences frequently occurred. The maximum penalty under the by-law, lie added, was £2O.

Speaking at Manaia on Wednesday, Mr. A. Lees (chairman of the Taranaki Education Board) said he was pleased to see the increased interest taken by the public in the work of the schools. Taranaki, he said, stood third in the Dominion in attendances of children, only Otago and Wellington being ahead. Taranaki had much more backbloeks area than any other. In proficiency passes, too, Taranaki .stood second, Auckland being first with 82 per cent, and Taranaki close up with 7'5 per cent. He referred to the difficulty of relieving teachers, and said that Taranaki at times had no less than 42 of these teachers. Last year, owing to extraordinary causes, some schools had to be closed.

A report in the Now Zealand Herald concerning the Te Kuiti excursion to Mokau contains the following: “There is a serious aspect to the improvement of the southern outlet where the interests of the port and trade of Auckland are concerned. Last summer one man sent through between 16,000 and 17,000 fat bullocks from the King Country to the south, .and about 40,000 sheep were sent overland in the same direction. It was confidently asserted on Sunday that with the building of the bridge over the Mokau, a tremendous amount of wool, and probably a large portion of the butter made in the districts adjacent to the new road would be taken o' erland to New Plymouth by motortrucks, this being made economically possible by back loadings of benzine, s?&.g, iron and bulk goods landed at the Taranaki, port. It is known that the Taranaki leaders of commerce are very keen on securing this additional trade.” It is perhaps not generally known that it is an offence under the New Plymouth borough by-laws to allow the borough water to pass through a garden hose without the user holding the hose by hand. To draw attention to the by-law two residents of Fitzroy, Oswald E. Flyger and Harry Martin, were charged in the court yesterday morning with offences of this nature. Itt was stated in evidence that the hoses had been made to rest on garden forks while- the water was allowed to play on the defendants’ gardens. The borough inspector (Mr. R. Day) drew attention to the publicity that had been given to the shortage of water in the town reservoir, and the request that had been made for economy in using the available supply. Fines of 10s each, with 7s costs, were imposed by the presiding justices, Messrs. H. R. Cattley and T. Furlong. Particulars of T. Lamason’s Christmas sale are inserted in this issue.

The Eltham Orphanage Boys’ Band will arrive in New Plymouth this morning and will during the day help by their music and song to bring some joy and gladness into the lives of all. As mentioned yesterday, the collection will be taken up in aid of the Christmas Cheer. The thought of the moment, “What shall I give?” is best answered by looking up Amesbury’s extensive list for Xmas presents on page six.

You desire to make a sensible gift—preferably in personal wear. See the nice range of fancy goods and showroom novelties at Morey’s, Devon Street.

The New Plymouth Sports Committee, with the kind assistance of a number of our leading musicians, have arranged a first-class musical programme for the open air concert to be held in Pukekura Park on Christmas night. A staging, which will be roofed over with a sounding board, is being erected on the Poet’s Bridge for the performers, so that the voices should carry across the waters of the lake and be distinctly heard in all parts of the ground. It will be remembered that the sports committee held a concert in the park a few weeks ago, which was very successful, and by the complete arrangements that have been made for the function on Christmas night this concert should be equally successful. The full programme will appear in to-morrow’s issue. All the schools in the district, including those in the country, were circularised last week by the secretary of the East End Reserve Committee, in reference to the gala day to be held on New Year’s Day. The headmaster of each school was written to in this connection. and -asked to use his best endeavours to have his school represented by a team in the tug-of-war between primary schools to take place on the first of January. Several schools have intimated their intention of taking part. For the convenience of country residents the train will stop at the reserve on the day on all up and down runs.