LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 June 1926, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There is evidently no dearth of sharemilkens in the province. The other day an Opunake farmer advertised in The News for a sharemilker. The next day he got nineteen replies, and the second day another eleven, and every mail since has been bringing in further applications. Yesterday was a typical mid-winter day, rain falling fairly steadily during the night and in the morning, and fitful showers, accompanied by a cold westerly, in the afternoon. Notwithstanding, there was a good deal of motor traffic bn the main roads of the province. To-day Rotarian E. R. Peacock, of. Melbourne, will speak to members of the New Plymouth Club on international affaire. Mr. Peacock is a journalist who, during the war, represented a number of Australian papers at the Front, and later saw life in its various phases in Germany, Austria, Russia and the Balkans. There were 246 men employed on the Stratford-Main Trunk railway construction Works during April, as compared with 213 during March. On the Opunake line the numbers were 144 and 163 respectively. The number employed on public works throughout the Dominion was 5682 in April and 5383 in March. On a charge of theft, a seaman of the schooner Margaret F. Sterling, who is alleged to have gone through the pockets of clothes in the Breakwater Hotel, was arrested by the New Plymouth police OD Saturday night. He will be brought before the Court this morning, when it is understood the police will ask for a remand.

With regard to a statement in Saturday’s issue that an amateur wireless lis-tener-in had clearly heard the sound of three jrins being dropped, another New Plymouth amateur says that using a threevalve reflex he secured even better results, clearly hearing the intake of the announcer’s breath when 30 feet from the loud speaker. The second korero of the New Plymouth Savage Club was held on Saturday night, when a large number of members of the Hawera hapu were visitors. The Chief Savage (Mr. C. H. Wyatt) presided, but at an early stage of the proceedings the control of the korero was handed to the Chief Savage of the Hawera tribe (Mr. W. S. Gibson), whose braves provided a most excellent evening’s entertainment for the benefit of their hosts.

A large number of Main Trunk mills have accumulated heavy stocks in dressed timber, and it is stated that the usual list prices have been disregarded by millers anxious to relieve themselves of stocks. It is understood that the Timber Millers’ Association has agreed as a temporary measure to the abandonment of list prices in the principal North Island markets until the situation is improved. This action is evidently aimed at imported cedar, which has become a serious competitor of matai for weather boarding. The Mangorei Dairy Co.’s factory, at Lower Mangorei, is being demolished, and all material therefrom wilt be sold on the site by L. A. Nolan and Co., on Thursday, at 1 o’clock.

Rheumo is the greatest medicinal foe known to Rheumatism. 4/6.

“I am usually one of the silent members, but I notice that when some of those who say a lot have sat down, there is really very little they have said.” This remark was the retort vouchsafed byCr. R. J. Knuckey at Saturday's meeting of the Eltham County Council when otliei- members were twitting him on figuring so seldom in press reports of the deliberations of another local body in Eltliam on which he acted as the council’s representative.

The Government was urged, at the meeting of the Dominion Council of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, to give power to county councils to review all arrears of rates owing to them by soldier settlers on the basis that rating should be on a sum not greater than that on which the farm is re-valued, and that it date back to the time from which revaluation takes effect, and that county councils be given power to write off further sums in cases they consider necessitous. The Valuer-General was asked to have all counties containing large soldier settlements revalued as early as possible, with a view to removing existing anomalies. The danger attaching to people- interfering with the electric light installations was pointed out to a Balclutha Free Press representative by a member of the power board staff the other day. The power board man received an urgent call one night recently to the house of a lady who complained that the lights had gone out. On making investigations the electrician discovered that the lady had been trying to make an extension of the cord hanging from the roof, and in doing so had snipped off the cord above the globe, twisted the ends of the wire together, joined them to the piece of extension cord, and wound tape round the juncture. Naturally, when the current was turned on there was a short circuit, the lights refusing to function. Fortunately there were no worse consequences, but the lady concerned was lucky not to have set the house on fire. While one of the Ministerial motor-cars was standing outside the Bowen Street entrance to Parliament House, Wellington, says an exchange, it suddenly broke away down the sloping footway leading to Lambton Quay. Taking a swerve to the right, the car crashed into a post which supports electric light wires, wrenching the post out of position, thus causing some of the wires to snap. The ear was not greatly damaged, only one of the mudguards being dented. It is understood that the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. O. J. Hawken) had intended to proceed to an appointment in the car, but he was not in it at the time. Mr. Hawken’s luck seems to be “out” just now so far as motor-cars are concerned, for during the week-end he was cut about the head, to the extent of requiring several stitches, as the result of a motor-car bumping heavily on a bad piece of road. At the weekly meeting of the Young People’s Club, held in the Baptist Schoolroom on Saturday night, a very interesting address was delivered by Mr. L. M. Moss, on the subject of “Ancient Religions.” He dealt extensively with Buddhism and Confuscianism, also touching briefly on Brahmanism and Mohammedanism. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the speaker. Webster Bros, advertise particulars of the house furniture sale to be held at their new rooms on Thursday next, commencing at 1.30. Several very fine bedroom suites are to be sold; also foui- good axminster carpets. Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (Third and Fourth Groups) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable To-day, June 14, at the Secretary’s Office, Currie Street, from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., from 1 pun. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.—Advt. The Farmers’ Co-op. Organisation Society of N.Z., Ltd., wish to draw the attention of buyers of dairy cows to the fact that we are holding a Clearing Sale of cows, on account of the Estate M. Leydon, at the farm, Tokaora, at 12.30 p.m. To-day. In all we are offering 49 young cows and 8 Jersey I.C. heifers. The cows are all young and due the last week in July and in August. They are mostly second and third calvers, and showing well into the Jersey, and are all in very fair condition. There is also a considerable amount of implements and a fair quantity of household furniture to be offered. We advise anyone in search of good dairy types to attend this sale. Seats can be obtained by ringing the office of the Auctioneers.