LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1929, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The annual conference of the New Zealand Master Bakers and Pastrycooks Will take place in New Plymouth next February, With the object of enlarging the Warea public hall to meet the social needs of the district, the hall committee and the tug-of-war committee have decided to combine their efforts.

About 100 candidates from New Plymouth and district have been sitting for the senior national scholarship, PublicService entrance and intermediate examinations this week. The junior national scholarship examination begins next Thursday. The bad effect of the time-payment system on the auctioneering world was stressed in the Supreme Court by a witness (an auctioneer), who said that the class of person who used to go to an auction sale for cheap furniture now put down a few shillings a week and bought new furniture instead,

A consignment of 27,000 boxes of butter and 15,000 crates of cheese is being shipped by the Commonwealth and Dominion motor-vessel Port Hobart at New Plymouth. It is considered to be one of the largest shipments of dairy produce taken from the port direct. During the war 29,000 boxes of butter were once taken by the Paparoa, and at another time the Port Pirie lifted 90,000 freight carcases of meat.

The grant of £950 for the county on wild pigs’ snopts in the district of which Palmerston North is the centre has almost been exhausted. Since the first payment in the third week in October no’ less than 17,000 snouts have been certified to by field officers of the Forestry and Agricultural Departments, and this number at a shilling per snout represents £B5O.

Amateur Sherlock Holmeses frequently come to grief, even though they may be in the New Zealand Police Force. In this connection there is a good story going the rounds of the journalists of Wellington (says the Dominion). One of the pressmen at the aero pageant was challenged to produce his authority by a policeman. He pulled out his pocketbook —which happened to be a Royal Air Force one —in which he carried his official card. The constable noticed the crown and outstretched wings on the blue cover, and laid his heavy hand upon the scribe. “Come on,” he said, “no reporter would have one of those.” “The great peril of peace,” said the Rev. W. Lawson Marsh, in an address at St. Paul’s Church, Devonport, Auckland, “is indifference, that moral and spiritual inertia which comes from unthinking carelessness or dull absorption in the pursuit of daily necessities oi pleasures. When the people will not be> stir themselves to think, to learn, tc enforce plain moral demands, then it always happens that sinister forces combine to exploit them regardless of consequence.” The speaker added that the first necessity of to-day was the creation of a new mind, for not until men and women thought in terms of the whole race would the peace of the world be secure.

“Is this a Communist settlement?” asked Mr. J. 11. Salmon, S.M., in the Wanganui Court the other - day, of a solicitor who was questioning a native inhabitant of Rafana with a view to ascertaining whether the Maori could liquidate a debt. It was stated that, like others, the native worked for Ratana and ■ received nothing over and above his keep. “All I can say is that he is a fool,” said the magistrate. “He should be paid for his labour, and if he is not paid, I am not going to allow him to defeat his creditors.” An order was made for the payment of the debt by instalments, the magistrate remarking, as a parting shot, that the debtor could “get it out of Ratana.” The wearing of gowns by students was a subject for discussion at the meeting of the Auckland University College Council. A recommendation from the Professorial Board suggested that students should be asked to wear gowns while attending lectures. “The Students’ Association wishes the wearing of gowns to be made compulsory,” Professor Maxwell Walker said. “They want to follow the traditions of the old British universities, but they wish to withhold the privilege of wearing gowns from the first-year students in their first term. However, we considered that the question of expense would preclude us from making the wearing of gowns compulsory.” The recommendation of the board was adopted. “Any girl who has a position in Dunedin should be thankful, and should withstand the superficial attractions of life in Melbourne,” states a business woman who has returned to Dunedin after a lengthy residence in Australia. Employment in the big stores was uncongenial, and poorly paid, and the shopwalkers were autocratic, Dismissals were made on the slightest cause, and the wages were further reduced by the “docking” of fines for such paltry offences as talking to a customer after making a sale. Thousands were out of work. An advertisement for a junior saleswoman attracted a queue of half a mile in Little Collins street one morning, the first applicant taking up her position in the doorway at 6 o’clock.

Excellent conuterfeit half-crowns and florins are at present in circulation in Christchurch. They are not easily discernible from genuine coins, and when mixed with other coins are easily passed. A warning has been issued by Mr. J, Mac-Gibbon, manager of the Bank of New Zealand, to business people to be careful in accepting silver coins, and to examine any apparently new silver closely. The half-crowns are dated 1919, and the florins 1920. The halfcrowns are a good deal lighter than the genuine coins for the genuine 1919 halfcrown was the last to have the full weight of silver in it. Coins minted after that date are slightly lighter than those minted previously. The mill-, ing on the edge of the coins is not good, but before this can be detected the coins have to be individually examined. Interest in a picture of the children that is made io-day, grows as they grow. If you will call at our Studio we will show you interesting Children’s Pictures at surprisingly low prices. Oakley’s Studio, Kash Building (upstairs), Devon Street, New Plymouth. 1. The matron of the New Plymouth hospital acknowledges the following gifts: Sweets, Westown Church Hall fete; flowers, Mr. Ivon Watkins; books, anonymous, Victoria League; books for children’s ward, Mrs. Mander.

Time now to join the happy crowds at the beaches surfing in the rollers or Lanning in the sun. The sea calls you, but you mu«?t be appropriately apparelled, and the Melbourne’s the place for your outfit. Costumes, cape, sunshades, beach robes, beach towels, all gay and colourful,, at right nricee.