LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14255, 5 January 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The taste for emotion may become a dangerous taste. —Sydney Smith. Business generally was resumed in Hamilton this morning after the Christ- ! mas and New Year'holidays. The members of the New South Wales State ■Orchestra arrived at Auckland by the Maheno yesterday. A Press Association cablegram from I Pekin announces the death of the. exPresident Feng-Kuo-Chang. Visitors to Wellington during the holidays could not but'be struck by the number of intoxicated women seen in the streets. The N.Z. Shipping Company and the Shaw Saville Company are willing to resume regular callings in Hobart if sufficient cargo is offering. Hamilton ratepayers are reminded that if they desire to escape the 10 per cent penalty on their rates, it will be necessary t 0 pay them not later than to-morrow. Exceptionally heavy rain fell in Hamilton tins morning. The downpour, while perhaps interfering a little with harvesting and hay making operations in this district, was not unwelcome. "All they do is to take the microbes off the floor and put them on the wall, where they have a better jumping-ot'l place," said a delegate to the Teachers' Institute at Wellington, when describing the rather casual methods employed in the cleaning of schools. Overheard in Wellington the other d a y:—Wellingtonian, just back from a trip to the Vvaikato: "Hamilton is the place in which to make money. I feel tempted to dispose of. my interests here and settle in that town. Hamilton, it is very apparent, has a great future before it." Hamiltonians who returned from the South on Saturday report that the trains were crowded. The first express was packed when it left Wellington, and at every station travellers eager to get home were unable to get aboard, and were compelled to await later trains. It is hoped that the serious shortage of houses in Wellington will be considerably easier this time next year, A \\ ellington resident states that private building, and building operations by both the municipal authority and tho Government, would go ahead in the New Year, and that at least 450 _new houses would be constructed within a radius of 10 miles of the city. Visitors to the South during the holidays report that harvesting is in full swing between Hamilton and Wellington. The crops appear to be excellent, both-in yield and quality. An unusual feature " was the variation in the growths, fields of oats which were quite j green being seen next to those which were in the stook. Hamiltonian residents who spent their holidays and Auckland report that the .two cities were densely crowded,, and it was .almost impossible to secure accommodation.- As usual, the prices' of everything, were raised, and business peoplu and board-ing-house keepers must have reaped a golden harvest. The Presbyterian Bible Class Conference was held .at Timar.u last week. Nearly 900 delegates attended. Ministers were present from various parts of the Dominion, The delegates were given a civic reception. Business relating to young men's and young women's organisations were discussed, and lectures on church work were delivered, ' The two express trains which came through from Auckland last evening were taxed to their fullest capacity with holiday travellers returning to their various .districts. There was a tremendous .crowd on the Auckland station, and the large number who did not have reserved seats had a long and tedious wait until their betters, in tnis eoiiueetion', were .served. However, ...o.i was found for all in the end, the second express being a very lengthy one .of 16 coaches. Holders of annual licenses under the Haoiiiiton Borough by-laws are reminded that the fees for the current year are now payable at the Town Clerk's office. Drivers of cab and stage carriages, and owners of vehicles affected thereby, axe .Required to make approved application for the issue of licenses prior to .the meeting of the Council on Wednesday, January 14. Dog owners will '.also he wise to note that if they register their animals prior to the 31st inst. .they will thereby save 2s, par collar. '" Our Mamaku correspondent writes:— The weather prevailing ..over the last few weeks has been as desirable .from the farmers' viewpoint as from that of the holiday-maker. Bright days and haymaking operations have been invariably followed .at night during the last week by .drenching showers, pushing the crops ahead, keeping the roads fairly dust free, .and the water supply is less diminished this year than might be expected after the unusually dry season just passed. Mr W. Canny, of .Baltimara Station, Queensland, who is at present in Broken Hill, reached .Hergott three weeks ago with J 350 head of cattle, out of 912 with wlhich ihe left Burketown, on the Carpentaria Gulf. The journey of 1100 miles took 15 months. On one stage, Jor three successive weeks he had only wiry ;bad water to depend upon. He is the only man to do this trip during the present drought, but he says that he will never again attempt it.

A system of road making, which i* described as likely to last 100 years, is being adopted by the Marylehone Borough Council in the repaying of Oxford street. The old foundations have been cleared, and the concrete to a depth of ;:bout 18in. is being put down. On this \voocl-3n blocks with one coating of creosote and two of tar are foicing fitted. In Marylebone the old wooden blocks are being sold to the poor of the district as firewood. The new blocks are costing 27s per 1000, which Is an enormous increase on the previous price.

Hamilton justly prides itself upon the good work being done by the Beautifying Society in improving, the natural beauties of the town, but it is not alone in its efforts in this direction. Local residents who went South during the holidays found the Square in Palmers ton North looking exceptionally well, great work having been done in making it beautiful. At Masterton, too* much work has been done in beautifying the town. _ From the station an avenue of magnificent trees loads to the town. In the fine park, just now gay with lovely summer floTrers and bubbling fountains, the municipality has provided boats on the artificial lake, as well as bowling greens, tennis courts, and a cricket oval. Masterton is doing something which might well be copied by Hamilton; it is reserving playing fields in different localities for the children. The value of those aa the town grows will bo enormous.

Extensive displays of all holiday apparel and Christmas gifts are now being made at Hooker and Kingston's. Specially good values are showing this season in fancy handkerchiefs, nicely boxed, which form a suitable and serviceable gift for all. Take the opportunity of shopping early, and get the very best attention and pick of the goods.—Hooker and Kingston, Ltd., "The House of Satisfaction," where you get the cash discount of 3d back m oc fid discount in 10s. 9d in 15s. and so on.*

A. new geyser appeared atWhakare- I warewa, and played on Friday night ( and afternoon. Its height was from j 15ft to 20ft. It is situated near the Pohutu geyser. A keen demand continues for town and country properties, and during the past month many sales have been effected at good prices in the Taranaki district. One of the latest sales is a farm about four miles from the town, which, it is stated, has been sold at £4O an acre. A number of pneumonic cases presenting the same clinical features as those experienced during the influenza epidemic, but not so severe, are being received at the Christchurch Hospital. Dr. Fox, superintendent of the hospital, denies a report that there were a large number of cases of pneumonic, and at present the number of pneumonic patients was not nearly as great as was the case six or eight weeks ago. The death rate was not heavy. There is .scarcely any article of consumption that has not increased enormously in price since the war (says the New Zealand Times), and whisky is no exception. A brand that before the war could be purchased at_6s 9d per gallon, in bond, now costs 455. Nevertheless people still manage to get their "drop of the cratur" when they feel inclined ' that way. Port wine has increased from 4os to 95s per gallon. Through the clemency of the Crown, Arthur Patrick McGuire, a prisoner at Lyttelton gaol, who in the ordinary course would have been detained in prison for a considerable period, was released on New Year's Day as a free man. This act of grace nn the part of the authorities was uui) which is thoroughly deserved, McGuire having gone to the assistance of a warder, when assaulted by a desperate prisoner named Warden, and prevented Warden's escape. Mr James Coats, who died reoently, was a man of considerable benevolenos and humour. Before the days of ths old age pensions he'arranged to give various elderly inhabitants Of his native town, Paisley, 10s a week each. One day an officious busybody reported to Mr Coats' that he had seen one of his pensioners having a drop of the "auld kirk," as they whimsically oall it in Scotland, in a public-house. "What!" said the redoubtable James, "on ten shillings a week? It can't be done, John," he said to his almoner. "See that the auld man has fifteen in future." A statement regarding the effect of the adverse exchange rates on remits for salaries to New Zealand church missionaries in India and China was made by Professor Hewitson, of Knox College, at the annual conference of the Presbyterian Bible Class Union at Timaru. He stated that the present rates required 70 per cent more for salaries in India, and 150 per cent more in China, the value of the sovereign having decreased from 15 to 9 rupees in the former country, and from 10 Chinese dollars to 4 in the latter country. To maintain the present salaries £7OOO a year more was needed, and every effort should be made to raise the emergency fund to £IO,OOO. The speaker urged delegates to make the situation known when they returned to their districts.