LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15979, 22 November 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A London cable states that Lord Haig has decided to retire. The matron of the Wanganui Hospital wishes to acknowledge with thanks a gift of toys and eggs from Betty and Aisla Hoes. The Admiralty has agreed to remit the sentences imposed following the mutiny on the battleship Australia aa from December 20th. A London cable states that Professor - Turner says that Krustein’s discovery ■ must be tested to the fullest with better instruments.

A committee of the Astronomical Society will discuss a more elaborate observation in 1922, in Westralia, Christmas Island and elsewhere.

“When a young man says ‘not to my knowledge,’ he is generally lying,” re- £ parked Mr Bailey, S.M., in reproving / a witness in the New Plymouth Court. Bennct Barter Williams, charged at the Wellington Magistrate’s Court with negligently driving a motor-car so as to cause the death of Mrs Mabel Black, was committed for trial. The Japanese Government has prohibited the export of cottons with _ » view to checking soaring prices, which are now 360 per cent, above pre-war prices.

In connection with the war gratuities, up to the 15th inst., the total payments amounted to .£1,204,323. The number of applications received up to the date mentioned was 73,067, of which 19,313 have been paid. The South Wales Miners’ Federation has decided to ballot on the question ot a strike to resist income tax under the £250 minimum. Twenty-five trimmers summoned at Cardiff for non-pay-ment of the tax furnished returns showing incomes of £7OO a year. The Land Purchase Board has acquired from Mr George Rutherford the Wsßtohi Peaks Estate, Medbury, North Canterbury, for a soldiers’ settlement. The property comprises 9000 acres pastoral land, and the work of subdivision will be put iu hand at once. Circulars containing particulars in connection with the Housing Act are at present being circulated locally, and the local agent, the Inspector of factories, already reports that he has received many inquiries from .those in need of a homeA recent issue of the Sydney Sun, .GaW Trith the wheat losses in AratraHa, states that the total loss of wheat, and from damage to wheat, amounted to £3,389,000, and holders of 1916-17 wheat script had already been ov <*P® ild £608,000 when allowance was mate tor .dockages.

He Government Anti-Dumping Kli, introduced in the House of Commons, appoints a trade regulations committee, which will regulate importations with a view of preventing dumping and safeenarding key industries affected by depreciation of foreign currency. The committee has power to authorise ana grant credits and undertake insurance for the purpose of re-establishing overseas trade. An Auckland firm of wholesale chemists has received the following cable message from their suppliers in ney : “The Hew Zealand Government have instructed steamship companies not to accept any cargo except foodstuffs. This will be a serious matter for the -trade (says the Aucklaud Star), as large quantities of chemicals and patent medicines especially reach Auckland after being transhipped at Sydney. Germany is evidently not the crushed nation, commercially, that she is popularly supposed to be, but is making a strong effort to capture the world s trade. A Hamilton firm, Messrs J. E. Hammond and Co., received a lengthy list printed in German, French, and English from a German firm by this .week’s mail. The firm’s knowledge of geography, however, is not complete, as the address reads; “Hamilton, hew Zealand, Australia.” . A London cable states that West End shopkeepers assert that there is record Christmas shopping The great stores are already crowded, as in December in other years. Fifty pounds is given for oi/jate hand-bags, and 240 guineas for dressing bags. There are remarkable displays of costly underclothing. Two hundred guineas is the price for fur coats. No one seems to know where the money comes from, but shopkeepers surmise that war profiteers, who hitherto invested their earnings, are now allowing their wives to spend, and the wear and tear of war are being replenished.

Wo understand that the organisation of the Wanganui District Development League is proceeding apace, and it is hoped to shortly send out an organiser to bring local bodies in the district into line, bnt owirg to the elections intervening it is not expected that this ■will be done until early in the new year. In the meantime the promoters of "the local league hope that local bodies will refrain from joining other leagues, hut 'will join up with their own district league. Funds for the purpose of serding out an organiser are coming in steadily, and this work will be undertaken early in the New Tear. Trout fishing continues poor in South Canterbury rivers (pays the Timaru Herald). Generally speaking, only jam all fish are being caught, and comparatively few, even of these. There was a good run of “silveriee” and herring at the mouth of the Eangitata River last week, and a few trout, weighing up to four and five pounds, were caught. As a fishing river little is heard of the Opuha, hut a few nice trout have been taken out of it this year. One angler got a basket there which included a six and an eightpounder. The Opuha is not a popular river in which to fish by reason probably of the frequency with which rocks and gorse are met with on it. It does not fall to the lot of the average sportsman at the conclusion of a good day’s racing to return to his home to find an intimation in a letter thrust under his door that ,£SOOO awaits his pleasure and acceptance in Tasmania. Such was the good fortune of a Christchurch resident during carnival week. He had previously “consulted” Tattersails in the Melbourne Cup, • and on Tuesday last, returning to his suburban home, found the pleasant little “surprise packet” waiting for him. Contrary to the usual procedure in cases o a like kind, the winner did not immediately set out to have a good time, bnt continued soberly and steadily at his daily occupation, not even informing his employer of his “windfall.” It was not until later that the facts of the case became known.

Discussing the housing problem fins morning with a “Herald" representative, a business man expressed the opin-ion-that the Government was not doing all it could to relieve the demand for houses, more houses, and still more houses. Proceeding, the business man referred to the numerous business premises which were being built all over the Dominion, including Wanganlu. He .considered that these could be very well done without for the time being, and expressed the opinion that the Government would but be doing its duty if it stopped the construction of busiBeas premises and devoted all the energy »nd attention of builders npon building houses until the demand was satisfied. On account of the activity of the building trade in erecting business premises , and buildings of a like nature, it is a ijfecalt matter to get houses built.