LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nine applicants for work enquired at the New Plymouth braiUch of the Labour Department during the week ended on Monday. They were: Five laboarera, ome. blacklsmiUi, on© fitter, one motor mechanic and one gardener.

Infectious diseases notified in Taranaki during the week ended on Monday were: —Taranaki: Diphtheria, 7 (10); puerperal fever, 1 (0). Stratford: Pneumonia, 1 (’I). Hawera: Diphtheria, 4 (3) j tuberculosis, 1 (0). An unbroken record of 43 years as a director of a company is one achieved by few, but for such a tern has Mr. R. Cock been a director of the New Plymouth Sash and Door 00. In returning thanks for hi« re-election at the annual meeting of the company, Mr. Cock recalled that he had been elected a provisional dtretetor in 1881, since which date he has held office continuously. “My main impression of New Zealanders is one of sturdiness. The headquarters of your .boys during th© war were next door to my own college. I noticed that they were not so long as the Australians, but they were sturdier, and one who looked at them felt he could leave his reputation and that of hie country safely in. their hands,” said Professor Adams in th© course of a speech (reports the Manawatu Evening Standard).

The following motion was passed at a recent meeting of the New Zealand Automobile Union:—“That in view of the uncertainty which prevails regarding the question of dazzling headlights, and pending th© introduction of some suitable device, the union refrains from passing any ruling compelling di-mining or otherwise, as it is recognised that action depended entirely on circumstances, as in many cases dimming would, in the opinion of the union, constitute a great danger.” The encouragement of infant prodigies is not viewed favourably by Mr. J. H. Hopkins, judge of elocution at the Wellington competitions. Commenting on Saturday on the girls’ recitation in character, he said that th© winner was to< young—a tiny tot, in fact, and ought not to be engaged in competitions. 7le was not in favour of children being entered too young in competitions; they should be given longer to mature. There was & tendency on the part of some parents to overwork promising children.

Last week-end members of the Hawera Acclimatisation Society commenced their annual liberation of fry and yearlings. No fewer than 88,000 fry were turned out in the rivers crossing the Sheet Road, while 32,000 rainbow fry were liberated in dams round about Manaia and 150 yearlings in a dam at Okaiawa. All the rivjpra visited looked very well, and everything pointed to a good season, providing the weather remains right.

“When Mr. Stagpole was appointed librarian of the Inglewood Institute in ISIS he was paid 5s a week for his services, which not cnly included the ordinary duties of a librarian but also the cleaning ent of the building. In addition he had to find his own firewood foi heating purposes. The next librarian was paid 3s a week during the summer months and 5s in the winter, and he, too, was obliged to find his own fuel.” These remarks were made by Mr. H Trimble on the occasion of the opening of the new library buildings at Inglewood on Monday night. The commission, appointed by His E.xjcellency the Governor "General, eonfiifting of Mr. John Cook, Commissioner ot Crown Lands, and Mr. Oswald Gardner, District Valuer, have presented their report on the petition of certain ratepayers in the Normanby Town Board district, who asked to be excluded from the town district and included in the Hawera dourity. The commission advised that the prayer of the petitioners be not granted, on the ground that were the area to be excluded, which was petitioned for, the town district could not ibe carried on.

“Perhaps moat of you don’t know’ that if you find a stoat or weasel ia your chicken-run you have to take your hat off to him, and write to t|ie Minister for a permit to kill him, which might come to hand three months later, by which time the stoat or weasel has left,” said Mr. E. F. Stead, at a meeting of the North Canterbury Acclima[tieation Society last week. He was (moving a remit to the forthcoming coni fcrence of societies, asking the Government to remove th© , protection on hawks, stoats, and weasels except in rabbit-infested areas.

Inquests were held in New Zealand in 1923 in 589 cases in which death was attributed to accident; in the previous year, there were 515 accidental deaths. Cases of drowning numbered 177, as against 136. Deaths iby crushing were 192, which was 26 more than in 1€22. For last year, the Government Statistician has given detailed figures of the deaths by emshing, his return showing that more persons were killed iu railway accidents than in other transport accidents. Details are as follow: —Railways, 72, automobiles 64, horsed vehicles IS, tramways 13, landslides, etc., 4, other crushing 21, total 192 There were 15 murders last year, the same, number as in 1922. Suicide was the verdict in 143 cases, as compared with 164 in 1922. Whether due to accident or prompted by a grim sense of humour, the picture titles placed on the hoarding near the police station and courthouse at Taihape have often attracted attention because of their connection with current events. During the Moghan trial the hoarding lrt>re the title of “The Man They Could Not Haug,” and recently those who passed the hoarding to enter the courthouse during the hearing of the case arising out of a recent raid under the Gaming Act were amused to see the title of another picture, “The Acquittal.” The section on whicQi the hoarding is placed has now been sold, and the hoarding will soon have to be removed on account of building operations. The hoarding now bears the title “The Glorious Fool,” and future events only will decide whether the title is prophetic or merely accidental

Webster Bros, advertise the sale by auction on account of the D.O.A. in the 93tate of Mr. A. Thompson, late jeweller, Inglewood, of all his stock-in-trade. The sale will commence at 2.30 p.m. on Friday next.

Webster Bros, are selling a quantity of good dry timber well suited for sheds, etc., on Friday, on the site of their new building. 200 sheets of iron also will be sold at 11.30 a.m.

The public are only beginning to realise what a valuable asset the New Plymouth Savings Bank is to the town and district. All surplus funds are invested locally. Deposit your savings in this bank, Iso that they will be used to develop the district. —Advt.