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Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16614, 9 December 1919, Page 2

On the motion of Mr. Quilliam, probate of the will of the late Mrs. Margaret Eleanor Guild has been granted by the Supremo Court to Mr. William Thomas Guild, the executor therein named. It is understood that there has been some dissatisfaction lately among local plumbers with regard to the wages question and that they downed tools this morning, their demand being a minimum or 3s Cd per hour. Your secret for that dazzling shine on your shoes, Miss Pretty Maid? “ ‘Keep Smiling’ Boot Polish, sir,” she said.*

The overseas mail which arrived on Monday evening was a record for Taranaki and comprised 90 bags. For selling milk deficient in butterfat two Auckland milk vendors were on Monday fined £'2o and £3O respectively. The Taranaki portion of a large overseas mail, which was brought to Auckland from Sydney by the Dutch steamer Van Cloon, arrived by tho mail train on Monday night. It consisted of English, Eastern, and Australian mails. Cable congestion, consequent on delays, is seriously affecting the supply of press news. At present the bulk of this is four or five days in arrear. Present indications point to further congestion. There were no deliveries, either by tho Eastern or the Pacific routes on Monday. A concert is being held in the Good Templar iiall to-nignt to raise funds to provide touts for the St. Mary’s Troop of Boy Scouts, the full programme of which appears in this At the interval Major Sandfortl will present prizes to the lads of the Cub Patrol, who won the patrol competition, also a medal to the best ad round scout in the troop.

It is said that all the timber mills in the Southland district are gradually getting back to pre-war conditions, and the railways will soon be hard pushed to lilt the timber; in lact, even now the department cannot carrv it away in sulnr-ient quantities to keep the mills ciear. The demand far exceeds tho supply, and orders are being refused daily.

Prospecting is commencing to go ahead in the Waihi dUtrict, and licenses were ncentiy granted covering areas in the vicinity of the Mailu Beach. Further along the coast similar operations will shortly be in full swing. During tlie past two no less than IS!) applications have been dealt with at the Warden's Court for mining privileges alone, as against 88 for tho last Decomber quarter.

Tlie New Plymouth Borough Council on .Monday night passed the necessary resolution authorising the raising of a £10,00(1 loan for building houses for their employees. Tho rate of interest is fixed at 41 jjer cent, per annum and the period of the loan is for 36i years. A rate of Jd in tho £ is to bo pledged as security for the loan, but it is not expectcd'lhat the rate will.ever ho struck, •as tho scheme is to he made self-support-ing.

Tho anxiety which was caused in Auckland by "tho sudden disappearance of a well-known auctioneer, Mr. Louis Lewis, was allayed on Monday evening when the missing citizen was found by tho waterfront police. Mr. Lewis disappeared from his homo just a week ago and inquiries failed to elicit anything definite as to his whereabouts. He has been wandering about during tho past few days,, and wdicu found showed signs of mental depression, believed to have been occasioned by sunstroke.

In responding to th > welcome extended to him by the borough council on Monday night, Councillor Sykes said there was no doubt that tho eyes of all lecal bodies in Now Zealand were on Now Plymouth at the present timo in consequence of the departure recently made by Die appointment of a general manager. In tho appointment of Mr. Bellringer to this position, ho believed tho council had the best man for tho position that could be obtained in Now Zealand and so far as he was concerned ho intended to give him all tho support he possibly could. Sir Joseph Ward, says the Press, has been telling a Southland audience that “there wore many men in tho Reform Party ns bad as the Bolsheviks—ho did not moan as far as murder was concerned.” He ought not, however, to have left, it at that. Surely we are entitled to know which arc tho men among Mr. .Massey’s supporters who would emulate Lenin and Trotsky—in everything, of course, except murder. The more we read of Sir Joseph's utterances the less wo wonder that ho should keep his best things for tho townships of Awnrua. His latest style might not quite suit city audiences.

With a view to popularising the municipal baths, the New Plymouth Borough Council has adopted several recommendations made by Mr. Day, in whose department tho baths have been placed. Chief among these are the following;—That the chairman confer with tho Kawaroa Park Committee with reference to tho use of tho baths on gala days. That season tickets be presented annually to scholars of tho following Stale schools who have learned to swim tae previous year, Central 6; West End 5; Fitzroy 3. That a conference be held with the Tramways Committee with a view to evolving some scheme whereby inclusive tickets for entrance to tho baths and travelling on the tramcars at reduced fares may be used between the hours of 0 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. daily.

High School Old Girls who have been selling tickets for the concert organised by the R.S.A. in aid of Mr. A. W. Jenkins are asked to leave ticket money and unsold tickets at Collier’s during tho week. Chyistmas shows of gift handkerchiefs aro being made by all The Melbourne, Limited, stores. Tire stocks this year have been very well selected by the linn’s Homo buyer, consequently customers may roly on obtaining the very latest goods at moderate prices.* Of course there must be some inducement to bring so many customers to our store. ’Watch pur advertisements and you will get an idea of the values wo offer. We have just opened a. nice selection of gentlemen’s leather slippers in tan and black, suitable for Christmas gifts.—Regal Shoo Store, next door to Everybody’s Picture Theatre.*

The New Plymouth Borough Council has fixed the dog tax for the ensuing year at 2s 6d for sheep and cattle dogs, and 10s (or 7s 6d of paid before March 31 next) for all other dogs. At an auction sale of Manaia town properties on Saturday last quartersere sections sold at prices ranging from £76 to £147. Apparently an anticipation of the advent of the railway. The committee of the East End Bathing Reserve acknowledge with thanks donations towards the improvement of the reserve from tho following gentlemen: Messrs. L. A. Nolan £1 Is, Jas. Corrigall £1 Is, S. Hooper £1 la, A. S. Brooker £1 Is. When the New Plymouth Borough Council was discussing the question of the dog tax for the ensuing year, Councillor Sykes, said he would like to see the fee for “ratters” fixed at 2s 6d tho same as for sheep and cattle dogs, box terriers would help considerably to keep down the number of rats, but when people had to pay tho increased fee of 10s it was no encouragement to them to keep a terrier. Councillor Hayden expressed the opinion that the borough might well make a determined effort to exterm ante rats, which appeared to be very numerous in some parts of the town. There is a big shortage of labour in New Plymouth uud ioca. bodies are experiencing great difficulty in obtain.ng tlie necessary number of men to carry out the works they have on hand. A further difficulty local bodies and other employers are mot with is that of housing accommodat.on. In this connection it was pointed oat at the Borough Council meeting on Monday night that quite a number of men from outside districts were prepared to accept employment with the borough provided accommodation was guaranteed them. The council discussed various proposals including one that an effort be made to purchase a number or huts from the Defence Department, but eventually it was agreed that Councillor Sykes go into the question of ways and means of providing accommodation on the dormitory principle with common dining rooms.