LOCAL & GENERAL.

Western Star, 16 April 1920, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Mr Parker has taken up his duties at the local Courthouse.

The wholesale price of eggs in Dunedin is now 3/3 per dozen. Miss MacGregor, Matron off the Hospital is at present on holiday. Post and Telegraph officials want an immediate increase of thirty per cent.

It lias been decided to hold a. winter show at Otautau on May 20th and 21st.

The name of tho telephone bureau at Mossbank will after May 1 be Takatimu.

Mr John Grant has been appointed clog registrar for the town district of Nightcaps. During the past year patients’ payments at the Wallace and Fiord Hospital amounted to £905. Agents have been appointed at Wellington for a new shipping, line— Canadian Australian service.

Commencing April Ist, the Post Office pays four per cent, on deposits up to three hundred pounds'. Nearly one male of rails has been laid on the Ohai railway,, and this portion is now ready for ballast.

At the Wallacetown stock sale bullocks sold up to £34 los. The yarding comprised 239 bead of store cattle. There are fifty-one persons in Wallace in receipt of charitable aid, and six are inmates in the State schools. Over half-w-million discarded army boots were sold in America at prices ranging from threepence to sixpence a pair. • , ./

The Otautau branch of St. Andrews’ Scottish Society propose holding a social and donee on Thursday, April 22nd.

Mr T. A. Buckingham has again been nominated to represent the Wallace County on the Bluff Harbour Board.

At Wellington a, grocer was fined 100 for profitoerig. .He sold MelJjns food at 3/6, making a gross profit <>•i 64 per cent.

Messrs J. T. Counsell, H. Mathiceon, T. Muirhead and R. Sim have been elected members of the Waimatuke River Board. The credit balance of the Otautau Saleyards Co. was £126, and the directors recommended the payment of a dividend of ten per cent. progress is being made wicn the railway extension from Tuatapere to Orawia. There are several gangs employed on formation works.

Constable Pont, of Orepuki, has been appointed a member of the Prince of Wales’ bodyguard, and leaves for Auckland this week.

The Otautau River Board wound up the year ended* March last with a credit balance of £27. The public debt of the Board—loans —is £IOOS 12s.

A sample of American administration, Owing to waste, inefficiency, and corruption, the Government lost sixteen millions over its camps cantonments.

It is freely stated that there has been a drop of 25 per cent, in the rabbitskin market prices. As this is the off season in the North Hemisphere buyers are not operating. There is at present a scarcity of trained nurses. The Wallace Hospital Board did not receive any applications to fill a vacancy on the staff, the salary for which is one hundred per annum with board and lodging.

A well-known resident of the Mossburn district declares that it has been the driest season there for forty years. Although considerable rain has fallen on the coastline, there has been little-or no rain up country.

Mr J. T. Howarth, late postman at Riverton, has been promoted to the Auckland office for instruction in telegraphy. He carried out his duties here to the satisfaction of all, and his advancement is' assured. Master William Robertson, of the local post office staff has been promoted to letter . carrier at Otautau. Willie was a most obliging and civil young officer, characteristics which will carry him far in the estimation of the public.

A well-known farmer in this district was made the tempting offer of £35 an acre for his favourably-situated farm of 326 acres. Two years ago l.e purchased the property for £25 an acres—what was then thought a bioprice.

An English cocoa manufacturing firm propose opening, a factory in Tasmania, and Vickers, Ltd., propose to establish shipbuilding works in Victoria, New Zealand should have some inducement for an enterpri si nofirm, surely. °

At a, sitting of the Orepuki Court a. young lad was charged with the theft of bank and postal-notes of the value of £l4. Ho pleaded guilty, and was admitted to probation for one year on condition that he did not enter a billiard room.

It is hardly credible that in parts c<f France the people had never seen a* moving picture until quite recently. In one place where “ The Better ’Ole ” was screened, the people simply became frantic, appreciating to the full the humour of the film/.'

Louise Mack, V.A.D., and war correspondent of the London Times, will give an interesting lecture, illustrated by moving pictures, in More’s Hall tonight. Her anecdotes and vivid descriptions of war scenes in Belgium are of the greatest interest. There are now twepty-eight subscribers to the telephone at "Nightcaps, and the work of erecting a new post office, a, vote for which has been on the Estimates during the past five years, but not spent owing to the war, is to be put in hand at an early date.

Mr J. 13. Kirk, on the Otautau Farmers’ Co-op staff, has accepted a position with Messrs Mathieson and Co., Invercargill. During his residence in, Otautau Mr Kirk has rendered/ good service as conductor o!f the Drum and Fife Band, besides taking an interest in everything for the welfare of the community. At peace with himself, but not out of harmony with the world, a derelict sailed into Otautau, fell into the hands of the police, was conducted before Messrs J. Fisher and W. J. Wesney, J.’sP., who convicted him of inebriety, and sent him for two months to- the Borstal Institute to recuperate on a. second charge of being a’ vagrant and a disorderly person.

A recent visitor from Southland says that farmers between Christchurch and Amberley—where exists some of the best country in New Zealand—are starting to grow linseed instead of wheat, as they are getting £GO per ton for linseed when threshed. There are. however, a few splendid crops of wheat though small in areai, between Kaiapoi and Woodend, some ranging up to 97 bushels per acre.

General interest is now being taken, in the forthcoming Hewing Club carnival, to bo held on 30th insfc. The meeting on Tuesday night was well attended, and the ladies have entered into the business with the greatest enthusiasm, promising every assistance to their President (Mrs Gordon). Competitions are already on foot, and the general public will have no reason to complain that they were not given an opportunity to subscribe. At the annual ..meeting of the Wallace Hospital and 0. A. Board, held on Thursday, the Secretary submitted a( statement of the estimated income and expenditure for the ensuing year, and it was resolved to strike a rate of one-tenth of a penny ill the £■ on the rateable value of property in the Wallace County, Riverton Borough, Otautau and Nightcaps Town Boards. In view of the fact that the charitable aid rates in many parts of dominion have been increased by fully fifty per cent, it is satisfactory to note that the levy made by the local Board is the same as in the past few years.—This state, of affairs reflects Credit, on the Board, and will be appreciated by t-'lie ratepayer’s ill general.

Oottou growing in South Africa is making remarkable progress, exports increasing in one year from 70 tons to 700. One nmn made a clear profit of £2lO from four acres, Tho Minister of Internal Affairs has directed that . Anzac Day shall he observed on Sunday, 25th, and that the following day shall not-be ® holiday. Religious services will bo held commemorative of the day. The steamer Westralia from New Zealand ran ashore in a heavy sea at Clarke Island, between Tasmania and the .mainland. She was refloated, and proceeded to Melbourne under her own steam. The vessel is leaking hi No. 3 hold.

The markets for general produce in Loudon are decidedly flat, through buyers holding off consequent on. various difficulties connected with the American and C'outineual exdhang.es. So we are informed (says the Dunedin ‘Star’) "by a leading commercial firm m Dunedin. Messrs Fraser and Co. have on exhibition a sample of Up-to-Date potatoes taken from a crop grown by dir P. Molloy, Thornbury road, which would be hard to beat. Three taken from fife sample weighed 61b, the heaviest being 21b 2oz. The crop is a splendid one. Cigarettes and cigarette tobacco are scarce on the market. Some brands are unprocurable. The demand for cigarettes has quite changed the incidence of smoking. Whereas the pipe was once in the majority, the cigarette habit has now gained ascendency. Numbers of women have become devotees to cigarette smoking in the last few years, Mr J. G. Shepherd, late stationmaster at Nightcaps, in the course cf his remarks -at the farewell tendered to him on Saturday evening, said that there were now 28 telephone connections, and the volume of business of the postal department had greatly increased. There were only three other railway stations in Southland that produced more revenue than Nightcaps, viz., Invercargill, Bluff and Gore, and yet a staff of four was expected to carry out the work.

The Corintliic which arrived in Wellington on Saturday, brought 120 nominated passengers and 30 oversea settlement Imperial soldiers. The Tainiii, which reached New Zealand on April 2, brought 215 nominated l passengers, 35 Imperial ex-soldiers, 120 passengers nominated by the Ministry of Shipping, the War Office, and the Royal Air Force. The Imperial exsoldiers were sent out by the Imperial Government independently of the dominion Government. Other ships are bringing more nominated passengers. Mr Massey states that there are enough, standing immigrants waiting, in England to take up all the available shipping space for the next six months.

The ladies of Thonibury have again taken up the project otf raising funds for the erection of a supper room to the Public Hall. They have at present £55 m hand, and intend giving a couple of entertainments to' form a fund for the holding of a sale of work in about throe months. The first of these will take the form of a euchre party andj dance, and will be hold on 23rd inst. It is estimated that the addition to the hall, a very necessary work, and the painting and repairing df the main building, will cost about £2OO, so one and all are invited to support this voluntary effort. While in Christchurch recently (says the Winton Record), Mr W. NonnUn, a member of the Southland Power Board, 'made a visit of inspection to the Lake Coleridge Hydro-electric plant for the purpose of making himself conversant with matters hydroelectric. He is quite satisfied that while current has been a boon to Canterbury for lighting and power, the Monowai scheme for Southland will be a still greater benefit, owing to the unlimited power available. In Canterbury already the supply is not equal to the demand.

The Government has decided that school children who visit the nearest centres to see the Prince of Wales and cannot (by reason of the* train arrangements) return home the same day, may be granted tickets permitting them to travel to the centre one day, remain there on the following day to see the Prince, and return home on the third day. Only as many children, as can be satisfactorily billeted ❖ill be given tickets, and Jf the rolling stock available is insufficient to carry all such children the number to be taken from each school must be fixed by the Education Board. A discovery of great interest to apple-growers and exporters of potatoes, oranges, and other fruit has been reported (says film Melbourne Argus) to the Federal Department of Customs from Western Australia!. It is claimed that by dipping the fruit in a certain solution, which is harmless, the fruit will be preserved for long periods without the need (for refrigeration. It is stated by the holders of the patent for this™ solution that some cases of apples after being, dipped were placed on a vessel travelling from Western Australia to Singapore as general cargo. They were left in the hold while the vessel was tied up at Singapore, and then brought back to Fremantle. The trip lasted eight weeks. Yet when the fruit was unloaded it was found to bo in the same condition as when it was put on board. The extra cost of dipping, and special packing is quoted at Is «i case.

A choice show of new' and dainty Laces and Embroideries, etc. .These goods are now on sale at prices 25 to 100 per cent, below the manufacturers’ cost to-day. See these specials, Chinese hand-made Laces and Insertions in many new designs, 1 to 5 inches wide, from !Ud to 5/11 yard. A, big selection in Cotton Torchon, Valenciennes, Maltese and Filet Laces and Insertions, from 2-ld to 1/- yard. Dainty Camisole Embroideries iu longcloth, Muslin and Organdi, from 2/11 to 5/6. Embroidery Flouncing, 30 to 42 inches wide, 2/11 to 10/G yard. Embroidery Edgings and Matchings from Sgd to 5/11. Embroidery Medallions, various shapes, fro,mi Id each to 5/11 yard. Baskets of Remnants at quick sale prices. See Fancy Department for lovely display of new goods. 1/- in £ discount on cash sales at H. 6 J. SMITH, Ltd., Progressive Stores, InveWargiU, and Gore.—{Attn.)