LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Eight degrees of frost were registered in Hamilton on Saturday. Living in New Zealand is 20 per cent, cheaper than in Australia at the present time, is the opinion, of an Australian who has recently taken up his residence in the Dominion. The management committee of the Dominion Group Herd-Testing Federation and the secretaries are to hold a joint conference at New Plymouth this morning for a general discussion of matters relating to the movement. The secretary of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, New Plymouth, has received the sum of £5 from an anonymous donor, with a covering letter signed “Sympathiser,” asking that the money be spent in the relief of distress in the board’s district. A tribute to the Press of New Zealand for the support it had given the movement was paid by Mr. Dynec Fulton, president of the Dominion Group Herd-Testing Federation, at the annual meeting yesterday. There was not a paper that did not support the movement, he said. As business men those in control of the papers realised, its importance. “He could have got his number plates a month before the day of closing,” remarked Senior-Sergeant Stark at the Napier Police Court on Monday when a defendant was charged with having driven a motor car without number plates. “All, yes,” replied the magistrate, “but I think most motorists are like myself and do not get their number plates until they have to.” Motorists complain that the Wellington City Council is allowing sandwich men to parade the principal streets of the city at all hours. It is said that some of the sandwichboards aro nearly 4 feet wide, and consequently much space on the crowded streets is occupied by these men. The matter may be taken up by tlie Wellington Automobile Club at its next meeting. “I want to say that you are meeting in just tho most beautiful little town,” said the chairman (Mr. Dynes Fulton) in welcoming the delegates to the annual meeting of the Dominion Group Herd Testing Association at New Plymouth yesterday. He was sure that when they returned to their homes in a few days they would carry away very pleasant recollections of this most delightful place. Although it is mid-winter Julian’s Lake at Pihama is practically dry, there being but a small amount of water in the centre. This lake is usually full of water all the year, but during last summer it dried completely and has not filled with this winter’s rains. The sub-soil in many parts of South Taranaki is said, to be becoming drier each year and recently mapy wells have either gone dry completely or shown signs of exhaustion. Six vessels aggregating 27,668 tons gross are scheduled, to be at the port of New Plymouth to-morrow. The liner lonic with a gross topnage of 12,352 tons, which is due in the morning, is, with the Tamaroa, the largest vessel to visit the port. The Ruahine, a liner of 10,758 tons, is also due. With an Australian cargo the Gabriella is also due in the morning. In addition three coastal vessels will 'be working the port. The Kaimanawa (2416 tons) is scheduled to arrive in the morning, the John (343 tons) will arrive to-night, and the motor-vessel Hauturu (296 tons) may arrive late to-night or early to-morrow morning. In the course of an address to members of the Economic Society in Dunedin the Hon. Downie Stewart said that if New Zealand could have enlarged and developed her carrying trade in the Pacific on terms that enabled her to compete successfully with foreign nations she would have drawn to herself a great and splendid revenue as England did in the Atlantic and the seas of the Old World. To an onlooker, however, it appeared as if she was slowly being driven out of the deep sea trade and being forced back on to the narrow confines of her own eoast. A Palmerston North electrician while working on the wiring of a building being erected in the city had a fortunate escape from serious injury, if not from death, on Tuesday morning, states the Manawatu Times. Engaged at the top of a step-ladder, he steadied himself by holding on to a water pipe and at the same time came in contact with a wire carrying 230 volts. Unable to let go, he had sufficient presence of mind to kick the ladder from under himself, The weight of his body thus broke the contact and he fell to the floor. After a period of insensibility a badly scared electrician was able to resume work.

To supervise the trials of th© New Plymouth Harbour Board’s new pilot launch “Pilot,” which has been built by Mr. L. C. Coulthard, Onehupga, the harbourmaster, Captain o. F. Mclntyre, and the engineer, Mr. G. W. B, Lowson, visited Auckland yesterday. The boat was launched on Friday and trials were held during the week-end which gave the impression that the craft should be suitable for work in a heavy sea. Equipped with a 30 h.p. engine, the vessel is designed to do eight knots. During the trials a speed of eight and a-half knots was reached. B is 36ft long and has a beam of 9ft 6jn. The engine room is forward and the steering gear and controls amidships, while the cockpit is of generous dimensions. The vessel is copper sheathed. No mast will be fitted, but a stanchion will be erected forward to carry a light. > Th© pleasure derived from, listening to the programmes broadcast from station 2YB New Plymouth by those who through blindness or other disability ar© prevented from attending public en* tertainments, was evidenced by a letter received by the North Taranaki Radio Society from a New Plymouth resident Who is both blind and crippled, “I am writing to express our regrets at not being able to be present,” said the letter, which was read at the annual meeting last night, “and to congratulate you on the wonderful work done by your society and the staff pf 2YB. We have enjoyed practically all the sessions during the past year. We should also like to suggest the advisability of getting in touch with all new set-holders both ‘over the air l and, where possible, with personal interviews, telling them the necessity for beboming members of the society, as I was speaking recently to a new set holder who had not even heard there was such a society in New Plymouth.” Lissaman’s Mammitis Paint. Our repeat orders show that our mammitis paint is very satisfactory. Try a bottle. Send to S, Lissaman, Box 63A, Kaponga.* How to save time, worry, bootleather and a happy feeling, by saving money. There are 22 ways of doing this. See McGruer’s advertisement and walk through our Store and pick up these snips. These wonderful bargains at the Melbourne’s sale are creating a furore. Men’s Manawatu all wool knitted socks 9d pair. Winter weight “Wearwell” wool and cotton undershirts 5s lid. English saddle trousers Ils 9d. Best quality Mosgiel fawn worsted underpants now 17s 6d, reduced from 22s 6d. (Men’s ipeton© tweed overcoat© 29s

Registrations on the Stratford unemployed list have decreased during the last seven weeks. On May 1 registrations totalled 250, and on June 20 the number was 217. That people who have owned motorcars for some time find it very inconvenient to get along without them is indicated, sayp the Christchurch Times, by the fact that in quite a number of cases motorists who had decided not to use their cars during the winter because of the expense have since had them relicensed. When asked to estimate the speed of his motor-cycle at th© time of a fatal street accident, a witness at an Auckland inquest on Monday afternoon said he was travelling at between 12 and 15 miles an hour. “That seems to be the conventional speed for all motor-cycles,” remarked the coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. With so much unemployment in the Dominion, many people have been wondering, gays the Auckland Star, if they can claim exemption from income tax for assistance given to relatives during th© time they are out of work. One Aucklander took the trouble to question the Commissioner of Taxes on the point, and he has been informed that money paid to support unemployed relatives may not be deducted for income tax purposes. With the exception of one day—Friday —the gate takings at the Manawatu A. and P. Association’s National Dairy 'Show fell below those of last year. The takings at the whole show amounted to £1262 4s 6d, compared with £1571 3s 9d for the winter show of 1930 and £1896 4s 7d for the winter show of 1929. The takings this year show a drop of £3OB 19s 3d on last year’s takings, and £634 Os Id compared with tho takings of 1929. Surprise at the Auckland Acclimatisation Society’s suggestion to stock. with trout Lake Pupuke, Takapuna, w’hich is the scource of a water supply, was expressed by Dr, H. Chesson, medical officer of health. Dr. Chesson said it was doubtless intende’d to make the lake a fishing ground and the Department of Health would strongly oppose any attempt to endanger the health of the community. The department and the North Shore Boroughs Water Board had been endeavouring for many years to save the lake from possible pollution. Thus building had been prohibited within the area, boating, fishing and bathing had been banned and the rights of adjacent property owners restricted. Comparing the present position of the dairy industry with it© position in the past, Mr. W. Whittaker, of Palmerston North, who was at one time secretary of the Waverley dairy factory, stated during a visit to Pahiatua that 30 years ago suppliers received 2Jd per gallon for their milk. A price of 87s or 90s a cwt was considered somewhere near the top mark for butter. The Waverley company usually received about per lb for its butter without recourse. Mr. Whittaker recalled that in its first year’s operations this company showed a loss of £7OO and this deficiency was made up by deductions from suppliers’ cheques during the next six months.