LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 April 1927, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To conduct the old-established New Plymouth business of Paul’s Breweries, it is understood a public company is being floated with a capital of £20,000. Travellers by motor-car between New Plymouth and Waitara last evening report that innumerable frogs were to be seen on the asphalt surface, making their j way across the road.

The Newton King wharf at New Plymouth has been almost completed The railway track has been laid down and the. decking is practically finished. All that remains to be done now is the erection of a windscreen.

On the occasion of his seventy-ninth birthday, Mr. Charles Rundle entertained a large number of bowlers at afternoon tea on the New Plymouth Chib green on Tuesday. Mr. Rundle’s health was drunk and appreciative reference was made to his genial disposition and to his long connection with the club. Speaking of commercial education at the Hawera High School old boys’ annual dinner last night, Mr. R. S. Sage said that, in his experience as the D.O.A. for the district, he found that 90 per cent, of the people, who had to file in bankruptcy, would never have had to go through it had they received a sound commercial education.

A young Aucklander, aged 18 years, named Ruel Nicholas de Cassey, claims to have solved the mystery of perpetual motion with a machine which works by its own action and derives its power from the same source. Once started, he declares, it will never stop unless part of the mechanism breaks. It requires no fuel and has no springs. The prices of admission to cinemas in Sydney, stated Mr. Harry Waters, Christchurch cinema manager, on his return from a trip to Australia, were much higher than in New Zealand and, strange to say, the programmes submitted in the majority of cases consisted of only one feature. In New Zealand, and particularly in Christchurch, it was the rule to give two features, and the admission charges were lower. The New Plymouth Public Hospital was again visited by the Director-Gen-eral of Health (Dr. T. H. A. Valintine) yesterday. Among the matters he discussed with the board members were suggestions for increased accommodation at the nurses’ home, annexes for tubercular cases, additional X-ray equipment and the provision of side wards for serious cases. Dr. Valintine intimated that he would have to confer with the superintendent (Dr. J. M. Clarke), who is now in the South Island, before he could give a decision. Writing to a friend in Taifaape, Mr. Hird, M.A., an old Manaia boy, who is on a visit to America, has this to say with regard to Honolulu! "I had my first eperience in Honolulu of being an alien, also of prohibition. They searched us when we went ashore, felt our pockets to see if we had any flasks. We had not been ashore long before a taximan offered to get us some bootleg stuff. Home-brew is made everywhere, and I believe it is 'chain lightning’ to drink. I would be afraid to touch ft.”

An interesting phase of motor transport operations in the backblocks is that many truck drivers are dispensing with cabs on their machines (says the Wanganui Chronicle). It has been found that on narrow roads vision Is impaired by the sides of the super-structure, which limitation has been the direct cause of several accidents. Rather than risk crashes into gorges, careful lorrydrivers are now enduring the discomfort which exposure to wind and weather involves.

Remarkable skill, considering his handicap, has been shown by a returned soldier, Mr. J. P. Ireland (of Te Rapa, Frankton), in the manufacture of an improved egg crate, which is "now on view at the Commercial Travellers’ Club. Intricate wire-working was necessary to hinge the lid securely and properly, while craftsmanship above the ordinary was needed to fit the shallow trays snugly one into the other. Prominent poultrymen from all over New Zealand and Government poultry experts have praised the crate for its line design and finish.

“Our country cannot become great on butter and cheese alone,” said Mr. W. M. Page at the annual dinner of the Wellington master builders the other evening. “No country ean become great without paying some attention to the arts; and the first art to which a country should pay attention is building. It is an art of which builders and architects should work synonymously. We live, work, and die in our buildings; and before a country can aspire to greatness it must pay attention to its architecture.”

On Sunday evening last, the choir of the Fitzroy Methodist Church rendered Maunders’ Sacred Cantata (Olivet to Calvary) at the close of the evening service. There was a large congregation and a full choir of about 30 voices. The chorus work was splendidly done, and reflected much credit on the conductor, Mr. H. C. Gatland. Miss E. Perrott, who took the soprano solos, rendered them clearly and with marked expression. Mr. W. L. Hay was at his best in the tenor solos, and Mr. A. J. McLeary sang the baritone solos splendidly, the interpretation being very fine. The organ was very capably presided over by Mr. Holden, the church organist. The millions who cannot be at Canberra on May 9 will still be able to follow all that happens at the chief ceremonies if they will listen-in, says an Australian writer. The central postal administration is especially adapting main trunk telephone lines between Canberra and Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. These will be linked with local broadcasting stations. From the moment that the Duke and Duchess of York reach the dais in front of the main entrance of Parliament, House their movements will be chronicled by a skilled announcer and the Duke’s speech and all the other speeches in the two chambers and at the official luncheon will be clearly transmitted. It will therefore be possible to sit at home or in the office and hear everything that goes forward. An event that cannot fail to interest the dressy women of New Plymouth, is the Showroom display of Autumn Models at Besley’s. They include Costumes, Coats, Frocks, Furs, and Felt Hats. As regards style they are faultless. In price they are wonderfully moderate. When the buying of the 22 McGrucr’s branches is bulked together, they are able to make Special Purchases through their own London Office, and thia last week has seen some exceptional values come into New Zealand on their behalf

During the final clean up after their great sale, Messrs. C. C. Ward, Ltd., the Busy Cash Drapers, New Plymouth, find that they are still overstocked in some fines. For the next week these lines will be offered at greatly reduced prices to effect a speedy clearance.