LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 February 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Arbitration Court will sit at New Plymouth towards the end of March. "I have never seen such a young witness,” said Mr. E. D. Moseley, S.M., at Waimate recently, when a little girl, aged three and a-half years, was being brought into the Court to give evidence.

The making of a decision as to whether rhe Mountain House-High School carnival should be postponed on account of the epidemic of infantile paralysis was deferred until next Monday by the executive which met yesterday. Under the principal causes of death for the month of December given in the Abstract of Statistics appear the following: Diseases of the heart 90, cancer 77, tuberculosis 31, apoplexy 31, senility 30, accident 88. The total deaths in the Dominion were 488 compared with 450 for December, 1923.

The Rev. George Jackson, of Auckland, a member of the field staff of the New Zealand Alliance, had a narrow escape on Sunday ‘while motoring from Auckland to Waitara. When about three mileg north of Urenui the kingpin broke, with the result that the car dashed into a bank and was badly damaged. Mr. Jackson escaped without injury. Had the mishap occurred a few minutes sooner, he said, the car would have gone over a cliff.

Th e All Blacks will play matches against teams representing British Columbia and Vancouver (Canada), and it is anticipated that they will play a match against either a Californian or San Francisco team before leaving the Californian port in the Tahiti for New Zealand. Wellington is the port of call in the Dominion for the steamer, and it is- expected that the team will reach New Zealand’s shores during the second week of March.

It is remarkable how a caprice of fashion wdi in very short time impoverish a healthy and necessary industry. An American visitor to Wanganui states that the ' 'shingle” erftze had practically annihilated the hairpin factories. In consequence, thousands of girls, and male workers, too, had had to seek .other avenues of making a livelihood. "Shingling in the States is the rage, and the craze,” said th e visitor.

All that is now left of the Hyderbad which was wrecked 47 years ago nine miles south of the mouth of the Manawatu River, is the huge iron hulk, which is high and dry at low water. After going ashore, the vessel was purchased by the late Mr. Joseph Birchley, of Foxton, and Palmerston North, the sons of whom paid a visit to the wreck a few days ago. The figure head of the vessel, which stands 6ft. high, is to be seen, together with several of her seats, in the Avenue at Foxton.

During the past two or three weeks harvesting operations have been more or less vigorously conducted throughout the Ashburton bounty, with a spell of a few days owing to the wet weather at the opening of last week. Work has been confined mainly to oat threshing and some wheat cutting, with a moderate proportion of threshing seed crops. In many parts oats have yielded well, and crops giving 40 and 50 bushels an acre are plentiful. Some of it is good, but there is a considerable quantity of poor quality oats on account of the bad weather experienced since the Christmas period. A few days ago at th e Maori Kaik, near the Otago Heads, a tragedy was averted by the prompt action of two chauffeurs in the employ of the Postal Department. They were enjoying their holiday near the beach there when they heard children’s screams. It was a small boy struggling thigh-deep in the sea, and apparently in terrible distress, while his companions, child-like, fled from the scene. The two men hastened in, and were horrified to find an octopus gripping the legs of the boy, whom they quickly carried ashore and defaced from the hideous creature :by battering the latter to death. Beyond a fright the boy was unharmed. Particulars appear in this issue of a furniture. sale to be held by Webster Bros, in their new premises in James’ lane, tomorrow (Wednesday), at 1.30 p.m. The furniture is all of modern designs and in good order, and includes a number of nice oak pieces.

At C. C. Ward's this week-end a special clearance of dress fabrics, including fast washing cordonia, in fawn, grey, helio and navy, Tobralco in plain grey; also white ground with neat floral design, light and dark prints, striped crepes and double width striped ginghams and zephyrs. Usual prices, 1/6, 1/9, 1/11 and 2/3. All to be cleared this week-end at 1/- yd., at C. C. Ward’s summer sale.

Did you ever sit down and figure out how much it was possible to save every year by having your soiled suits, costumes, dresses, hats, etc., renovated. We have the most up-to-date plant in Taranaki for doing this class of work. We have been established for 14 years, and still going strong. Has yours been renovated by J. K. Hawkins and Co., Steam Dyers and Dry Cleaners, Devon Street, New Flymouth. Telephone 685. Get busy!

Iris! A superlative Corset at an exceedingly moderate price. Iris Corsets are made by world renowned corsetieres with a perfect understanding of the requirements of every type of figure. A,4k at your draper’s. 4