LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18073, 11 January 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. D. R. Hall, the recalled AgentGeneral. arrived in Sydney yesterday by the Orsova. It is stated he will possibly seek legal redress for breach of contract. Passengers by the Main Trunk expresses from 'Auckland yesterdayhad a very fine view of Ruapehu, while so clear was the air that Egmont, with its snow-cap, seemed to be quite a nearby neighbour. It is expetced that the Chautauqua session in Wanganui will open about the middle of next month. A preliminary step will be taken at the Borough Chambers at 4 o’clock this afternoon, when the guarantors will meet to make important arrangements.

An accident with strong corrosive acids used in curing hides resulted in the admission of a man named M. Seatonby, of Hunterville, to the Public Hospital on Saturday last. Seatonby was not wearing the customary high protective leggings, and was very badly burned about the legs. His condition is improving.

Traffic on the Main Trunk trains continues to be very heavy. On Sunday night the first express was completely “booked tip” when it. left Auckland, and the relief mail, which departed halt an hour later, and which was quite as long as the first, had ver£ few seats not bearing the inscription “reserved.”

In order that”the..list. of names to be placed on the Waitotara County War Memorial may be as complete as possible, the County Council is inviting relatives and friends of deseased soldiers to send in all possible particulars. An advertisement to this affect appears in another column.

“Herewith please find receipts for November and December grants. As the pension is increased by ten shillings per week, as from December Ist, I think it now unnecessary for you to make me any further allowance. I would be glad if you would convey to your committee my deepest thanks and appreciation of their kindness to me during my long illness.” Letter received at yesterday’s meeting of the Patriotic Association from a grateful assisted soldier.

“I am glad that the Government which, notwithstanding what some people say, is the only true workingman’s Government we have ever had, did not increase workers’ railway fares to any appreciable degree when it. was found necessary to raise fares,” said the Hon. C./ J. Parr at New Lynn last week, “and that ought to stand to Mr. Massey’s credit for a long time. I claim sofne credit for having spoken strongly on the false policy of making it difficult for workers to live in suburban districts,” continued Mr. Parr. “The present worker’s ticket at 2s 6d a week is not only reasonable, but extremely moderate; cheaper in fact than car-fare to Ponsonby or Remuera. I merely call attention to the fact because sometimes what the Government does for the working man is conveniently forgotten.” A strange accident happened to a young lady while she was riding a horse across a bridge at Invercargill a few days ago. When a part of the bridge had been passed in safety the hind feet of the horse suddenly disappeared through the planking and the animal continued to disappear until it occupied a precarious position of suspension between the river and the bridge. Fortunately, the rider was able to dismount, and, together with the horse, she became the centre of attraction for a large number of picnickers who quickly gathered from all directions. The problem of freeing the horse was not a difficult one, and someone write quickly despatched for an axe.' A few strokes were sufficient to cut through the planks and free the animal, which, after swimming a little way down stream, made its way up the bank. The horse received a nasty gash across the forehead, and several cuts on its hindquarters.

The High Commissioner cabled from London on the 7tb :—"The official price of gold' to-day is £5 13s 3d per oz. on shipments to America.” A cable, from Rome states that D'Annunzio has decided to stay at Fiumo as a private citizen. He will probably be elected as Chief of the State.

The Fire Brigade extinguished a grass lire at the Queen's Park school'at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The Brigade received another call just after midnight, the cause being a grass fire and the location Ingestre Street, near s the railway line. Still another call, for the same cause, came at 12.28, the fire being in the tramway viaduct, Guyton Street.

A grass fire, which was supposed to have been lit- by some hoys on the foreshore, threatened trouble in the vicinity of the Dublin Street Bridge yesterday, and was extinguished with difficulty by some passers-by The danger of lighting fires during the present spell of dry weather cannot lie pointed out too forcibly.

A meeting of the Wanganni-Wai-totara Patriotic Association was held [ yesterday forenoon. Present —Messrs T. B. Williams (chairman), N. Meuli, W. A. Collins, R. Hughes, W. W. Hedges, J. Ball, J. H. Burnet, Russell, and W. A. Veitch, M.P. A quantity of important business, in the shape of loans, grants, etc., was transacted. A Christchurch girl, writing from Japan, speaks plainly as to the unwisdom of girls going over there from New Zealand to earn their own I living. She went herself a good deal I from the spirit of adventure, she says, and was not at all sorry to have ; had the experience. Shorthand-j typists could command excellent I ■wages—she herself was getting what ' represented ££> per week in English money—but the extremely high cost . of living made sav.ng almost impossible. She was managing to put away a little, but it meant that she did sternly without any luxuries whatever. Amusements such as are common to this country are very uncommon in Japan, and the price of a seat at moving pictures is approximately four shillings. There are manifold disadvantages of climate, conditions, etc., which made her think that £2 per week in New Zealand is better worth having than £5 per week in Japan. The Eketahuna Express says: Pigraisers are at present in a state of perturbation over prospective bacon prices, some of them being distinctly pessimistic, to the extent of forecasting prices at 4d in the near future. It is understood that finance plays an important part, in the proceedings, 1 particularly when factories hold large stocks of the cured article. It is suggested that in these cases the merchants might come to the rescue and finance for their requirements. The feasibility of this, however, is doubtful, for at the moment merchants have their energies and resources pretty fully occupied. The ' probabilities are that the number of factories, by quick turnovers, will save the situation. Bacon is needed. and as long as it remains at steak price level, there will be a continuous market for it. A gentleman connected with the industry informs 1 us that in his opinion this season (Prices should not legitimately fall below 7d or Bd. ; Australian files report that the Sydney scheme of safety zones has been wonderfully successful. Such is the verdict of Superintendent Brack, of the traffic branch of the Police Department. These zones, establish|ed by the branch not long since at : tramway stopping-places in the ithickly peopled parts of Sydney, are (areas through which vehicle traffic |is not allowed to pass, and in which, [therefore, travellers awating the arrival of trams may stand in security. Superintendent Brack stated recently that the scheme not. only gave ample protection to the pedestrian, but. (greatly facilitated the movements of vehicles, as they had formerly in most cases to be brought to a standstill, but were now able to pass the areas at normal speed. Not one casualty had come under his notice as having occurred in the zones. Superintendent Brack and the Tramway Department have almost completed arrangements for the establishment of many more similar zones throughout the city early in the New Year.

Despite the gloomy foreboding of the Victorian Repatriation Department, which twelve months ago wished to stop the manufacture of Anzac hand-woven tweed by returned soldiers, the industry, in the bands of the Returned Soldiers’ League, lias now proved to be a much greater success than was anticipated even by those who had faith in it (says the Age.) What malign influences were at work to induce the department to attempt to close down the factory are not known, but had it not been for the League and a strenuous campaign conducted in the columns of the Age those influences would have had.their way, and many returned soldiers would have been the poorer. At present the factory is working ten looms at high pressure, and its products are being sold in four States. .The men make splendid wages, and have just received a bonus of 10 per cent, on their earnings for eleven months. No less than 732 yards of cloth per week are woven by. the ten looms. The factory is now governed by three directors appointed by the Soldiers’ League, and is independent of the Repatriation Department altogether.

Wide publicity is being given both in the London papers and in the leading provincial journals to the report on New Zealand trade since the armistice, issued by the Department of Overseas Trade, and prepared by Mr. R. W. Dalton. The New Zealand Trade Commissioner remarks concerning the fear in the minds of importers and agents that they are not being treated fairly by British firms in the matter of delivery and are especially emphasised. “Perhaps most valuable portion of Mr. Dalton’s report,” says the Daily Telegraph, “is that in which he advises British exporters on improvements in organising for the New Zealand market, and explains the trading methods in vogue in the Dominion. He finds the greatest need to be in ’a more active personal touch with the market.’ Manufacturers should be in a position to have first-hand knowledge of conditions, and also to have representing them agents whose prime interests it is to sell the goods of particular firms.”

Picture-goers will be interested to hear of the formation of an all-New Zealand company engaged on screen work. The name of the new makers is “The Big Chief” Film Producers. The first film now under way will be one featuring Maori and New Zealand life, the particular object of the producers being to reach the English market. The film is entitled “The Call of the pfcmitive,” a seriocomedy in which a pretty half-caste Maori is shown. Once every year she returns to the kainga, and lives for one day —her birthday—the life and habits of her ancestors. The picture should be interesting.—Exchange.

The operations of the New Zealand Forestry Department have reached a stage where a larger scale staffing is required, and applications are now being invited for a number of appointments. The officers who are to be selected include two conservators of forests at £7OO a year each, one conservator at £6o'o, two experts at £5lO and £470 respectively, and 20 forest rangers at £320 each. The positions ought to be attractive to many young New Zealanders, but it appears likely that for the more responsible officers the Government will have to look abroad. Although it would be an exaggeration to refer to Timaru as the Gretna Green of the Dominion, there has nevertheless been a mild invasion of young couples anxious to join the happy band of benedicts (reports the Herald). Several of these have I been of quite a romantic nature, the I couples having joined lives in spite jof obdurate parents; but the major- , ity of strangers who have lately come to be married have come attracted by the charm of a “migrat- ■ ory” wedding. Under an arnendIment made in the Marriage Law last (session, it is now necessary for only tone of the contracting parties to reside for three days in the district in which a marriage is to take place. Among the many American motor advertising "stunts" the latest is the “hobo” truck. In San Francisco a driver and mechanic arrived recently with a 2-toli truck they had driven across the American cont.nent tor a wager. Travelling without money, watch, or any article of sale value they guaranteed to make the truck earn all expenses for itself and crew and never use it twice lor the same purpose. The undertaking was successfully carried out. The distance covered was some 5000 miles, and according to the log of the trip some of the most important roles the “hobo” truck played were: Carrying a doctor to a birth, and a bride and bridegroom to escape the 'rice-throwers; forming part of a funeral procession; transporting live stock, and groceries; retail delivery and freight hauls; working as a taxing, hauling precious ores, and removing garbage.

Are we on the threshold of a sweeping revolution in the manufacture of dress materials. The question is asked by a Paris correspondent in announcing a French invention—a machine for extracting fibres from the leaves of wild pineapple, the banana, white nettle, and numerous other growths in tropical countries, and using them in place of i hemp and flax, of which the pro- I duction has diminished since the war. in these dajs of dear clothing, says the correspondent, the invention opens out the possib.lity of a wave of cheapness by the introduction of garments woven with these fibres. We are told that the inventor is a great traveller, and lived ! “or a long time in Nicaragua and Brazil. He had watched the natives combing with elementary instruments fibrous plants, and lie set to work to construct a machine to do the business. It is a machine of copper rollers which crush the plants, of small hammers which seat them, and of combs, which do tneir work without breaking the bores. A process oji brushing removes the last vegetable fragments troni the fibres, which are combed -cad bleached by washing. The machine is worked by a motor of two j borse-power, anil in the -course of a .ingle day it can absorb from 35 to ♦ 0 tons of raw material. The best [results are obtained from the wild l pineapples, whose leaves produce \ong fibres, which, after treatment, can be likened sometimes to cotton, sometimes to silk. As yet we do sot hear of any garments having been made from these fibres, and therefore there are no details as to prices. Certainly the cost will determine whether men will be wiling to wear pineapple suits, whether .women will try the. experiment of wearing banana robes, or whether we shall be content to sleep between palm-leaf blankets.