LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 29 July 1929, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A donation of £lO 10s to the earthquake relief fund was made by the Cape Egmont Dairy Company on Saturday. Each with a red badge on his forehead, two senior footballers, Cooper of the Waitara team and Corney, Inge wood, staggered off the field aim in arm after a head-on collision in the Rug iv Union match at Inglewood on Saturday. Neither was seriously injured.

If a person is killed or injured by a motorist who remains undiscovered, no insurance can be claimed by the injured party or his relatives, as the regulations governing third party risk under the compulsory motor vehicle insurance scheme stands at present.

The sea leopard which was found on the beach in Evans Bay recently is making good progress in the Wellington Zoo, and already a big improvement is no iceable in its condition. _ It has shown no sign of injury or sickness, and 1. taking a little food. “At the present time the Railway Department is fighting against th® competition of motor traffic,” said ._i. • Healy at the farewell to Mr. HF. Ma’ams at New Plymouth on Saturday night. “Although in the old days we got civility, to-day we are getting tiie essence of civility;*

The catching alight of- a five-seatei motor-car owned by Newton King, Ltd., necessitated cell to the New Plymouth Fire Brigade to Currie Street shortly before six o’clock on Saturday night. The outbreak, which, was stated to be due to a faulty switeh, was subdued before much damitao was done

The football match between Opunake and Okaiawa drew a record crowd of spectators to Opunake on Saturday. The gate takings were a little in excess of £4O. It was estimated there were over 1000 present. Many of these were visitors from other districts, but it is certain that practically the whole of the male population of Opunake attended.

Shipping of dairy produce from North Taranaki had been very punctual during Hie past season, remarked Mr. M. Fleming, chairman of directors, at the annual meeting of shareholders of the Cape Egmont Dairy Company on Saturday. With the exception of two, or at least three, shipments, all the produce had been shipped by direct steamer from New Plymouth. No doubt suppliers would be gratified that their produce could be shipped direct from their own harbour, he added.

The new bridge over the Katikara stream on the Main South Road is completed. Stripped of the boxing it. presents an aspect, of solidity. It will, however, be some time beiore it is available for traffic, as the approaches on both sides have yet to be completed and the present weather is not conducive to the carrying out of earthwork. When completed, however, the result will mean the very considerable easily of what has been for many years the worst gradient on the road. Good progress is also being made with the construction of the bridge over the Stony River, which is taking the form of an arch. When completed the road will be straightened, removing another element of danger from the coastal road.

The efforts being made to provide Pungarehu with a public hall commensurate with the importance of the district were explained by Mr. W. Corbett, chairman of the Hall Committee, to the shareholders .of the Cape Egmont Dairy Company on Saturday. .He pointed out that with the co-operation of residents a considerable sum had been raised, and he asked suppliers to give further assistance by rearing a calf each and presenting it to the committee, to be sold later in aid of the hall funds. It was hoped io have the hall erected in readiness for the next annual meeting. The proposal appeared to meet a sympathetic hearing.

Opossum trapping on the Egmont National Park reserves is keeping between 40 and 50 men in fairly constant employment this winter, and is contributing in a fairly substantial measure to the relief of unemployment during the slack season. It is anticipated tliat when the season - ends on August 31, the total trappings for the season will exceed those of last season, but the individual returns wiil probably show a decrease. More men are engaged this season, over a wider area of country. The constant wet weather has made working conditions for the trappers very dreary and unpleasant.

According to a statement made by Archbishop Averill at ihe annual meeting of the Mothers’ Union, there are not so many Bible-in-schools sympathisers in the House of Representatives this Parliament as last, and in the circumstances it had been considered inadvisable to introduce the Bible in Schools Bill. There would be a meeting in Wellington next month of tiie Bible in .Schools League, said the Archbishop, when a policy would be drawn up for the future. It was no use trying to .force a Bill through Parliament with a hostile majority. The League had no objection to the Nelson system*, but could sanction nothing that did not include the backblocks children, who had not the same opportunities of religious instruction as the children in the town*. A system- fair and helpful to all was necessary.

Both the Federal and State Governments of Australia are determined to get rid of the Alsatian dog. State Ministers for Agriculture have agreed- to recommend introduction of legislation ordering destruction or sterilisation of all Alsatians now in Australia. There are already enough Alsatians breeding in the country to furnish a big source of future trouble, and they are unquestionably a grave menace to the sheep industry, despite the denials of Alsatian fanciers, states the Pastoral Review, adding, “There will naturally be the strongest opposition to the wholesale destruction of the breed in Australia, and in any case no dog lover would be particularly keen about it, no matter what views he held on the general question. Sterilisation is the beat remedy, and the sooner the safer.”

The problem before Parliament today was, to deal with the problem of unemployment, said Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., at the gathering of railwaymen in New Plymouth on Saturday night. They could not appreciate the terrible plight of the man with a wife and five or six children who was living from day to day in the hope of obtaining work. He believed that with the co-operation of the three parties a solution would be found before this session was ended. There was a keen desire by those iu Parliament to remove some of the longstanding grievances of the railwaymen, but he asked them to be patient until a solution could be found to the pressing problem of unemployment. The railwaymen’s grievances were well-talked-about in Parliament by men who thoroughly understood the position. Owing to°the peculiar circumstances at present they were prevented from removing the grievances at once, but he was convinced that when the time was opportune they would be cleared up.

Blanket rugs and eiderdown quilts are having, a great run at the Melbourne, Ltd., since prices have been further reduced. The prices speak for themselves. Ashburton blanket rugs, 9/11; Kaiapoi fringed rugs, 13/6; Kaiapoi travelling rugs, 24/11; Petone blanket rugs, 15/11; pure eiderdowns at enormous reductions.

The New Plymouth High School Old Boys’ dance was attended by about 90 couples on Saturday night and a profit of over £5 resulted. Smith’s Melody Four played the music. 'Die dance, held in the High School assembly hall, was controlled by the executive committee of the Old Boys’ Association.

Jersey fanciers are reminded of the unreserved dispersal sale of Mr. J. F. Young’s herd of pedigree Jerseys which is to be conducted by Messrs. Newton King, Ltd., at the homestead, Lincoln Road, Inglewood, to-morrow, full details of which are displayed in our advertising columns of this issue. Catalogues are available from all offices of the auctioneers.

Among the many bargains to be had at Broome’s Corner are men’s holeproof working trousers at 7/11; men’s dark grey suits 37/6; boys’ jerseys in navy, brown and dark grey, sizes l’s to B’s, at 4/6; men’s English saddle tweed trousers at 9/6; men’s odd coats 17/9; men’s odd vests 7/9; boys’ brushed cotton singlets 1/6 to be obtained only at W. H. Broome’s, Taranaki’s finest price store, Devon Street, New Plymouth

The depredations of the bronze beetle in Nelson orchards have caused heavy loss, and the Nelson Fruit Advisory Board has decided that the matter of providing funds to the Cawthron Institute for the control of the pest be left for the consideration of the associations. The board has further resolved: “That the Government be asked to set up an experimental orchard for research work, especially relating to insects such as the bronze beetle and earwig,' and, in view of the urgency of the position, that it take immediate steps to assist the Cawthron Institute financially and otherwise ■ in connection with the investigation.” Considerable quantities of materials wore railed from Picton to Wlmranui last week for the construction' of the unfinished line in the South Main Trunk railway. An important shipment comprised several truck-loads of steel girders for the completion of the bridge across the stream near Wharanui, where the piles have been awaiting the erection of the -superstructure for years. When this bridge is completed, the length of line laid years ago as far as Tirohanga will be available, for use. Thousands of sleepers and large quanvf ballast sidings have also been transtities of rails to be used for the laying ported lately. “The time has gone by in New Zealand when any Government would be. justified in going in for expenditure upon any enterprise on the ground of indirect returns,” declared Professor Murphy, of Victoria College, in an address before the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. It was all right, ho said, in the pioneering stages of the colony to borrow money for developmental works, but the Dominion had advanced to such a stage tliat all future State undertakings should have to stand on a national balance-sheet. If State undertakings did not pay, the burden fell upon the taxpayer. Wintry weather is likely to continue for some time yet, but the problem of how to meet this weather will be solved if you buy now at McGrucr’s Winter Sale. /