LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1932, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

No cases of infectious disease were notified in New Plymouth in June, reported Mr. R. Day to the borough council last night.

Electricity for lighting and heating free of charge up to £1 10s. worth a month is to be available for 'Welcome Lodge, conducted by the Salvation Army, according to a decision of the New Plymouth Borough Council last Hight. The fact that he had received and accepted an offer of the loan of a horse and carb free of charge for a month, and the loan of the harness at a rental of 2s. 6d., was mentioned by one of the boys at a meeting of unemployed boys at New Plymouth yesterday. The horse and its equipment are destined for use in connection with the kindling, wood factory scheme. It was reported to the New Plymouth Borough Council last night that the Taranaki Electric PoWer Shard had issued an originating sumnibhs asking the Supreme Court to interpret the meaning of certain clauses in the Municipal Corporations Act, 1920, affecting the electricity supply to the Inglewood and Waitara Borough Councils. The New Plymouth Borough Council Will be represented at the hearing by counsel. That he had been grabbed by the throat on one occasion when he approached a dog, was a complaint made by the Whangamomona county dog tax collector yesterday in drawing attention to the list of Unregistered dogs handed to the county clerk. He, had tried personally and by letter to collect the fees, arid for the benefit of those collecting next year he asked the council to assist in collecting the fees. The council decided to assist the collector, by prosecuting in cases Where the tax was not paid. The woodwork class for Unemployed boys which is being conducted by Mr. G. H. Gorringe at the New Plymouth Technical School is resulting iff very satisfactory workmanship on the part of the boys, States Mi - . Gorringe. Sonic well-made articles such as letter boxes and ladders have beert turned out, and through the able salesmanship of Ernest Reston, one of the unemployed boys, a good market has been found. The public are to be commended,, adds Mr. Gorringe, for their support of the infant industry. '

Whangamomona yesterday was visited by the heaviest frost experienced this year, arid While the rest of Tarahaki was basking in the warmth of the sub from early morning, Whangamomona was enveloped in a heavy fog until about 1130 a.m., when the sun shone brightly. Motorists returning from Wlutngamomona in the early evening were given some indication of the severity of the frost for sections of the road, especially over the saddle where the siiil had hot readhed, Were covered with a coating of •frost almost like snow. On the recomhiendation of the works committee the New Plymouth Borough Council last night endorsed the request made to the Government by the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture that it should assist settlers to preserve bush of scenic value facing any highway, navigable river or railway by freeing the land concerned and the timber from taxation while the bush is preserved, provided, however, that the consent of the local authority be first obtained. A letter from the institute on the subject was read at the previous meeting of the council.

Regulations governing the focussing of headlights on motor vehicles are to be enforced at New Plymouth. A letter on the subject was received by the borough council last night from the Taranaki Automobile Association. The matter was referred to Inspector Day with instructions to give effect to the regulations. Consideration of the request of the association that steps be taken to have the obstructions to visibility at the junction of the stock route arid Frankley Road rbnioved was deferred. In the meantime the works committee will visit the locality. “Although compared with last year, the figures show there appear to be approximately GOO motor drivers who have not taken out licenses this year, every day we find instances of drivers who, through carelessness or bravado, arc taking a risk,” reported Mr. R. Day, chief inspector, to the New Plymouth Borough Council last night. “When I say risk, I do not mean the risk of prosccutioiij but the risk of accident and the fact that one of th© first considerations of insurance policies is that the driver must be licensed. It is surprising to learn the number of accidents that have happened in the vicinity of New Plymouth to unlicensed drivers during the pa&t few weeks. Drivers who have hot renewed their licenses should bear in mind that they are really not insured and that the saving of five shillings (the cost of a driver’s license) is a very poor investment. Several raids have been made and. it is suggested that the Taranaki inspectors should co-operate to make a raid on the same day, as was recently done in Canterbury.” To-day and following days will be redletter days for bargains at the Melbourne’s Final Clearance Sale. Bargains greater than ever will be obtainable throughout the store. Stocks must be cleared regardless of the cost price to enable the firm to close down at an early date. Its a great, money-saving opportunity for purchasers of reliable drapery and clothing/

The receipts banked to date from the kindling wood factory conducted by unemployed boys in New Plymouth total £l6 14s. Id. A sum of £7 14s. 7d. was disbursed on the first pay day, and another payment will be made to-morrow evening.

At a meeting of unemployed boys at New Plymouth yesterday it was stated that three boys had interviewed Mr. A. L. Moore, director of the technical department of the New Plymouth Boys’ High School, with reference to the offer of the technical masters at the school to conduct free classes for unemployed boys, and 11 more intended to do so. “All receipts are to be for a fund for the relief of distress at New Plymouth,” said a lettei' from Taranaki Amusements, Ltd., asking the Borough Council last night for permission to hold picture entertainments at Everybody’s and the Regent Theatres on Sunday night. Permission was granted to hold the entertainment at 8.15 p.m. The council gave the Mayor authority to deal with similar applications in the future. Whole-hearted endorsement of the borough council’s policy in connection with the proposal to form a marine parade from the Breakwater to Fitzroy was received by the council last night from the Fitzroy Ratepayers’ Association. It was not often, said Cr. T. P. Anderson, that the council received such gratifying support. Another councillor said, With a smile, that the association had some requests to make in a second letter to the council.

“Very reasonable,” was the opinion of councillors at the meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council last night when the chief traffic inspector, Mr. JR. Day, explained the methods of the inspectors in examining licenses. At the recent examination approximately 60 people who had not their licenses with them were given time to produce them later, either at th© borough council offices dr at the nearest county office. The licenses were produced with little delay, said the inspector.

One of the problems affecting farmers in North Taranaki was the difference in the price of butter on the British and New Zealand markets, said Mr. H.. E. Blyde, in urging the need for organisation of North Taranaki dairy companies at a meeting at New Plymouth yesterday. The lower-priced butter on the local market Was the result Of cutthroat competition on the part of sortie dairy factories. Wellington suppliers had recently formed a pool to prevent cut-throat competition, and they in Taratiaki should do the same.

Hurtling through the fence of Mr. Henry Billing’s property in Carringtort Road, New Plymouth, a milk float owned by Messrs. Bannister and Dore burst into flatties and was extensively burned early yesterday morning. The van was coming down Victoria Road and turning into Carrington Road at th© hairpin bend when the wheels struck the curb, swinging the car round and sending it through the fence With the front part of the car hanging down a sft. bank. The car burst into flames, which were extinguished with a hose. Mr. Bannister, who was driving the car, was uninjured.

“The unemployed boys’ bicycle delivery service is apparently not very well known in the town at present, or its remarkably cheap service Would have been more freely availed of before now,” said Adjutant Green at a meeting of unemployed. boys at New Plymouth, yesterday. The speaker pointed out that by phoning “Welcome Lodge” residents could have messages and parcels up to 71b. in weight delivered for Id., up to 141 b. 2d., up to 281 b. 3d., and up to 56 lb., 4d. It was decided to have 500 cards printed for distribution to householders, dtawing attention to the cheap rate of delivery..

With the object of bringing to_ the notice Of the authorities the expenditure with which local bodies were burdened, the Lower . Hutt Borough Council wrote "to the. NeW Plymouth Borough Council asking for a return of the insurance paid for belief workers. The New Plymouth council last night decided to supply the figures, but to intimate that the council felt that as local bodies received some benefit from "relief labour they should pay something towards the cost, and that the fact that local bodies Were required to pay the insurance induced them to insist "upon productive or useful works being undertaken. The recent feat of Verity, the Yorkshire bowler, in taking ten wickets for ten runs, brought to light the fact that Mr. A. E. Wood, New Plymouth, possesses a ball which in two matches has taken ten wickets for no runs. Pitlying for the Gloucester Cricket Club in 1908, Mr. Wood took four Wickets with foflr consecutive balls. The ball was immediately withdrawn from play and was presented to Mr. Wood with an engraved silver shield mounted on it. After Mr. Wood came to New Zealand he took off the shield. In 1915 Mr. Wood was playing fob the Kia Kaha. Cbicket Club, Gisborne, and there Was difficulty over the provision of tfalls. In the second innings of bnfe match the opponents provided the ball for their own bowlers, but When they went in to bat they refused to allow the Kia Kaha bowlers the use of the ball. Mr. Wood then used his presentation ball and took six Wickets for no runs. The opposition had required only 33 runs to win, but they were dismissed for 42. Now the ball is mounted with two inscribed silver shields.

The question whether the rent of native land was subject to the statutory 20 per cent, reduction would now appear to have been decided in the affirmative. Some weeks ago Judge Gilfedder, of the Native Land Court, decided in a judgment that rent of native land was not subjected to the 20 per cent, reduction for the reason that a 1931 enactment gave power to the .Maori Land Board on the application of tenants to reduce native bents. The Native Trustee concurred in this View and stated that the 20 per cent, reduction did not apply. On the other hand, most legal practitioners in the North Taranaki district havb insisted that the 20 per cent, reduction does apply to Native freehold land and have hiade this deduction when paying rent, thus causing some dissatisfaction among the natives. Apparently the Native Trustee has now decided that there is a statutory reduction, as a North Taranaki solicitor has received. a letter from him in regard to a certain tenant that he is “entitled to the 20. per cent, deduction in rent from April. 1 last.”

Representations for the staging of an exhibition match at New Plymouth by the English Rugby League team now in Australia have not been successful. A letter received at New Plymouth yesterday from the New Zealand Rugby Football League, Auckland, admitted the League had already been approached on the matter, but after full consideration had been given the proposal at a meeting on Thursday it Was found impossible to fall in with the suggestion.. The time allocated to the Englishmen in New Zealand did not permit such a fixture being made. As a matter of fact, Otago, one of the active leagues, had had to be left out of the itinerary, so that a matrii at New Plymouth Would be impracticable. However, the League authorities had formed a propaganda committee, Whose duty would be to keep in toqch with matters relating to the extension of the code. Perhaps on some future occasion, therefore, an endeavour would be made to resuscitate the game in the New Plymouth district, concluded the letter. New Plymouth did have a League team before the Great War and it Undertook a, northern tour with some .measure of success.

Four inquests into the circumstances of motor accidents, each with a fatal termination, which have occurred during the past month, are now pending at Palmerston North, states the Standard.

Recent sales have shown that the demand in the Wanganui district for dairy stock is keen, and all the more so, says the Chronicle, when tested cows come under the hammer. The opening of the dairying season is now in sight, and farmers are looking to filling their herd complements. Feed is scarce for cattle, but is satisfactory in most parts of the district for sheep.

Failure to stop after having struck a dog with his car cost a motorist £9 12s in the Adelaide Traffic Court recently. It was a test case, and the first prosecution of a person who had failed to stop after having struck an animal. The magistrate said the maximum penalty for having failed to stop after an accident was £2O. In this case he would reduce the fine to £5, with £4 12s costs. Arrangements have been made for Lex Macdonald, Dunedin’s boy contralto, to visit Australia in order to have his voice recorded. Probably very few boy singers iff the Dominion have reached such a high standard as Lex Macdonald, and Mr. R. Hudson has interested himself on behalf of the. young artist to such an extent that his linn is defraying all expenses in connection with the visit of the boy and his mother to Australia next month.

•To be driving peacefully and to have the bowl of his pipe blown from the stem, while he was enjoying a smoke, by the bullet of a rifle, was the experience of a motorist from Rotorua one day last week. What the intentions of the armed individual might have been are not known, but the driver did not wait to enquire. He stepped on the accelerator and broke all • speed records for ten miles or so. On investigating he discovered that the bullet had glanced off and lodged in the hood of his car.

Are whitebait fish? According to a statement made at a whitebaiters’ meeting at Hokitika the railway authorities say no. It was pointed out by Mr. A. Cutbush that groper and other fish are railed from Christchurch to Hokitika at about a third of the cost of railage of whitebait to Christchurch. He stated that the railway authorities would not accept whitebait as fresh fish, but as “whitebait.” He moved that the Railways Department be asked to remove such an anomaly, and that whitebait be treated as fresh fish. The motion was carried unanimously. “It is a serious matter for motorists to take intoxicating liquor; every motorist needs all his wits about him in driving these days,” said Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., in the Police Court at Auckland Off Saturday during the hearing of a case against the driver of a lorry. When accused protested that he had hot been drunk, Mr. McKean pointed out that the charge was not “drunkenness,” but “being found in a state of intoxication while in charge of a motor vehicle.” He said a motorist could be convicted of the offence if his judgment in driving had been impaired by the efforts of liquor, even if he was not drunk in the ordinary sense.

To meet the present times Messrs. Duncan and Davies, Ltd., nurserymen, of New Plymouth, have reduced the.price of the inland farmers’ hedge plants (barberry) Bcrberis Vulgaris, 20 per cent. aS from July 20. This firm will allow 10 per cent, additional trees for cash with order, and Will also guarantee 100 per cent, to grow. These trees are alb grown on Ipgh, exposed, somewhat poor land, and being grown and packed by experts cannot help but give satisfaction.

Why buy new clothes when the old ones can be renovated equal to new at the cost of a few shillings? We have been dyeing and cleaning garments for over 20 years. Let us have your soiled or faded suits, costumes, dresses, etc., to renovate and you will be surprised at the result. We also renovate and re-block felt hats.. , Why not have yours don© at J. K. Hawkins and Co., corner Devon arid Liardet Streets, New Plymouth. ’Phone 685. Mrs. Rudkin (Everybody’s) is but Stratford agent.