LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1928, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An epidemic of sickness among dogs, which has killed off a great many, especially in the Mangorei Riding, was reported by the inspector (Mr. R. Aroa) to the Taranaki Council yesterday. Waiteika School, in the Opunake coast district, opened this year with a roll of 31 pupils. As the school-room is only 16 feet by 14J feet, giving an average of 7.5 square feet per pupil instead of the regulation 12 square feet, application is to be made to the Department for additions.

In regard to the funds being opened throughout New Zealand for the relief of the widows of the late Tasman fliers, Capt. Hood and Lieut. Moncrieff, the New Plymouth Borough Council resolved last night to ask the newspapers to open subscription lists, and to kee-> a subscription list open at the municipal offices.

All officers and men of H.M.6. Dunedin in uniform are to be given free passes on the trams and buses and to the municipal baths when the warship visits New Plymouth this month. Owing to the congestion that would otherwise occur, it is proposed to close the Breakwater Road to motor traffic, from Pioneer Hoad onwards, when necessary during the warship’s stay at New Plymouth.

J. Cleaver, an employee of the New’ Plymouth Post Office, was rescued from danger of drowning at the post office picnic on the banks < f the Urenui River during the week end. Although not a swimmer he essayed to cross the river, and in raid-stream found himself in difficulties. 11. Haggerty, r. fellow employee, swam out to his assistance and was soon followed by J. Abram, of New Plymouth, who had been trained in life-saving, and who, with considerable difficulty owing to the mud, brought Cleaver ashore. Within a few minutes Cleaver recovered. Particulars of train arrangemnts and of issue of cheap excursion tickets in connection with the New Plymouth Races, are advertised in this issue. Probably the most important announcement for Shopping Week, from a man’s point of view, is Besley’s great suit offer. It is a rare opportunity to get a high class suit made to your measure at a price that is being asked riu- a box suit.

Yesterday was the 88th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi, by which the Maoris of New Zealand ceded to the Queen of England all their rights of sovereignty.. The Premier of New Zealand and Sir Maui Pomaro spoke on the importance of the treaty from the Wellington broadcasting station last night. Every penny of the 1926-27 ■ rates in New /Plymouth, amounting to. £48,313 14s, has been collected. It is understood that New Plymouth, in having collected all its rates from 1918 to 1927, is in a unique position. Of the rates for the year ending March 31, 1928, only £924 8s 3d remain outstanding at the present time.

Referring to the use of whey in breadmaking an Eltham correspondent writes:—“l am seventy seven years of age. In my girlhood days my mother, during the cheese making period (about six month of the year) always mixed her bread with whey in preference to water, considering after a trial that the bread was both sweeter and whiter.

In speaking to a representative of the Manawatu Standard regarding the gathering which took place at the Ratana pa in connection with the dedication of the Ratana Temple, a native visitor from Wanganui stated that the Methodist ministers now stationed at the Maori settlement had taken over the health and education administration of the pa. He thought the idea was a good one, for he understood that the authorities at Ratana were haphazard in their education and health methods, and it did not do to neglect the education of Maori children to-day.

Through the brakes failing, portion of a goods train, comprising 22 trucks laden with coal, and a guard’s van, ran back over 300yds at the Pukekohe railway station about 7.55 on Friday evening, and crashed through the end of the siding at the south end of the Pukekohe railway yards. The guard’s van was completely wrecked and the three trucks next to it were derailed. One of the trucks fouled the main line, forcing it about six inches out of place and breaking two sleepers. The limited express from Auckland was delayed for 40 minutes while repairs were being effected, and the ordinary Main Trunk Express was delayed for 20 minutes.

The fact that many motors visiting the New Plymouth cemetery travel at between 20 and 20 miles an hour, instead of the regulation pace of four miles an hour, was brought before the notice of the Borough Council last night by the sexton. He felt that before long there was certain to be an accident. A great many people were visiting the cemetery at the present time, he said, but the local motorists were the ones who were giving the most trouble. The council agreed that the necessity for regulating the traffic had become an urgent one, and the matter was referred to the Work’s Committee.

“It seems to me that everything grows so well here,” said Mr. W. R. Morris, the English car manufacturer in New Plymouth yesterday morning. He was referring to the pungas and nikaus, which had greatly impressed him, as had the beauty spots in New Plymouth, particularly Pukekura Park and “Brooklands” (the late Mr. Newton King’s gardens). They were indeed a revelation. No doubt the climate helped but when he saw what had been done in New Zealand in a comparatively short period he was sure that its people had considerable industry and energy. This was particularly apparent in connection with the harbour, which was a great achievement, and again in the reading system, which was much better than he had been led to believe it was.

That the period of depression in New Zealand is reflected in the conservative attitude of farmers in regard to the condition of their lands in the vicinity of Masterton, at least, was remarked upon by a citizen closely allied with farming interests (states the Dominion). He said that while touring the district by car he could not help but notice how scrub-cutting, fencing, and rabbiting operations had been suspended on various farm properties, particularly in the Castlepoint district, in order to curtail expenditure. The result was that some farm lands appeared to be in a neglected state, but .this would, ‘no doubt, be altered during the present year, when trade conditions improved and farmers were prepared to spend more upon the class of work mentioned.

The state of the Maori War Memorial on Marsland Hill was the subject of a letter received by the New Plymouth Borough Council last night from Lieut. E. M. Bolt, R.A. In inspecting the very fine memorial, said Lieut. Bolt, he was very surprised to see the state into which some of the lettering had been allowed to lapse. Mre especially, he should like to point out, as a member of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, that in the list of Imperial Corps which served in the campaign the word “Royal” in Royal Artillery was almost indecipherable. The black filling had, probably by the effects •of the weather, completely disapneared. He did not know whether funds were available for the upkeep of the memorial, but if not, he would be willing to defray the cost of a mason’s services for the replacing of the lettering of the names of the Imperial Corps on the northern tablet. The council resolved to accept Mr. Bolt’s offer with thanks. “In England with our traffic if we left our roads untarred for a fortnight they would go to pieces,” said Mr. W. R. Morris, the car- manufacturer at New Plymouth yesterday, in stressing the need for permanently surfacing all roads as they were made or repaired. New Zealand had done a good deal in the matter of roads in the short period of her settlement, but there was scope for much more to be done, and he hoped they would see to it that when main roads were remetalled they were tarred at onee. It was the only way of eoping with the motor traffic. Mr. C. E. Bellringer, M.P., in referring to the matter later, mentioned that the Government was alive to the situation, and last year had ini] sed a tax on netrol to provide a sum of three-quarters of a million sterling for road improvement. In some quarters it was thought the tax of 4d per gall n was heavier than the occasion called for, but the Government considered it was much better to. provide money sufficient to make a complete job whilst about it.

The New Plymouth Post Office clock will be stopped all day to-day for overhaul and repair. Mr. Ernest Wilson, of Auckland, factory representative of Spear and Jackson Ltd., and Joseph Rodgers and Sons Ltd., both of Sheffield, England, is visiting New Plymouth on business.

Some rare values in drapery ire being offered for thia week-end by Messrs. C. C. Ward, LttL, the busy Taranaki Drapers, New Plymouth, Eltham, and Hawera. These are just a few of the tpany lines you can save on if you buy Jour draperv needs at these busy storea.l