LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14262, 13 January 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Those who are desirous of building high must begin low. / The Hamilton Borough Council will resume its deliberations after 'the Christmas and New Year vacation tomorrow night. Work in connection with the building trade in Wellington is still being interfered with on account of the shortage of cement. The Soldiers’ Memorial Park on Kowhai Bank is looking exceptionally well just now, the flowers being in full bloom, and the shrubs growing nicely. On Sunday last there -were quite a number of people in the Park, which was the subject of much, admiring comment.

A man was found in a state of nudity on a Wairarapa road recently. He was a hushman, who had earned a cheque for £B2, and had drunk it all except £2. He wag suffering from delirium tremens when found by the police. “We’re all hard up,” remarked the chairman. “Aye, that’s a general complaint with the boards I know," was the retort of a ratepayer who waited on the Kirikiriroa Board yesterday, seeking attention lo the road loading past his property. Hcartv votes of thanks to Messrs H. H. Shaw and H, Kirk for placing their cars at, the disposal of the light railway delegates on their recent tour of the route, were passed by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, last night; also to the people of Kawhia for the hospitable reception of the delegates, and lo Mr G. Parr, for the great part be played in piloting the project. Speaking at the meeting of representatives of Taranaki dairy factories that was held at HawciA, Hr Chapman (.Jolts) stressed the necessity adopt- [ fhg a policy af advertising our produce l op Home markets. New Zealand 1 good footing in tire Old Country, add , considered that the present time would be a good opportunity for advertising on the systematic lines that were adopted by Denmark and countries. He was sure that the on their trip Horne must have noticed the amount of advertising done by n ur foreign competitors. At a meeting of representatives of Hamilton Tennis Clubs, held last evening, a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs Fabling, Farrelly, and Sims, was set up to make further inquiries _ into the proposed scheme for the provision of grass courts on the site of the Chinamen’s gardens in iSosstrcyor street. The proposal is the one which was before the clubs prior to the war when the Domain Boat'd offered Hie site, on which provision can be »*ade for 20 courts. It is for the clubs ts do the financing of the scheme. As is now stronger than ever in the district the need for further accommodation is obvious, and tins consummation of the present scheme will afford rebel in that connection. The sub-committee appointed last evening is (o gather information as to the estimated cost of the scheme, and to approach the Domain Board and the Cricket Association in the matter.

For some lime the members of the Kirikiriroa Road Board have given discussion to (lie question <>t merging the road district with tiie Waikato county. Generally, the members have shown themselves to be in favour of the project. Something like definite action towards placing the mailer before the ratepayers, for tlieir acceptance or otherwise, is now being attained. At yesterday’s meeting the Board resolved to circulate a petition throughout the district with the object of obtaining Urn signatures of those favouring the merging. To carry the scheme into effect it is necessary to obtain the. approval of at least 50 per coal of the ratepayers in the Board’s area. This means! broadly, that-at least 400 signatures will be required before the Board can take tho other' essential steps In complete the merging.

A levin resident who was unable to obtain a passage from England for at least six months signed on a, vessel as a baiter—his old trade—and thus arrived hack in New Zealand.

“Wanganui's population is about 22,000, and there are about 20,000 engineers among them," remarked the chairman at the last meeting of the Harbour Board, when referring to the numerous opinions and statements, which arc in circulation in town. . ‘Tic’s a hard-headed, Scotchman; he’s not likely to let you have it,” was the way in which a ratepayer summed up a neighbour to the Kirikiriroa Hoad Board, on the possibility of getting a helping hand, in the matter of material, towards certain road work in the/#' Board’s district.

“Pm quite prepared to pay rny rates on a fair valuation, hut this puliing out of your pocket for private subscription is no good.” A ratepayer deputationist to the Kirikiriroa Hoad Board gave the answer along these lines to the chairman, when asked yesterday morning if he would iind £25 to meet a similar vote by Hie Board for certain load improvements the ratepayer asked for. The cheek of the Hun has become almost proverbial. A German alien recently complained to the ’ Wellington police that there had been stolen from him a British military overcoat, v.h-i-h. it appeared, he had been in the habit of wearing in public. Asked how it came into Ids possession, he said lie got it from a New Zealand soldier now dead.

A Horsham Downs deputation waited upon the Kirikiriroa Rood Board and asked the Board to display more expedition in giving attention to the roads of the district, for which works spdfcfial loan money, over £2OOO, -is available. It was pointed out by the two speakers to the Board that, with a very minimum fo.ll of min, it was impossible to put heavy ) raffle on the roads, while cars could not be used without the danger of skidding into the water-tables.

The special train from Auckland on Saturday for the Waikato Trotting Club’s meeting carried a large crowd, extra carriages having to be put on at Otahuhu, and it is estimated that by the time' 1 Claudelands was reached there were fully 1000 people on board. On the trip up good time was made, but on the return journey one of the carriages jumped the rails at Mercer during shunting operations, with the result that the train was delayed, the journey to Auckland occupying seven hours, it was a weary crowd which detrained in town at 1 a.m.

Independent and direct affiliation of the tenuis clubs of the district, u-.-lov a Waikato Association, to the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association will be an aim of the near future. The Waikato was granted this in 19115, but before the constitution and rules of the new Association were prepared the decision, which was granted by one vole, was revoked by the controlling -"-ly of the sport. It was the decision of a meeting of tennis supporters in Hamilton last evening to circularise tire clubs in the district, and obtain their opinion on the subject, prior to a 'meeting of delegates called to give i: -e n-’o-posal final consideration and decision.

‘•Because a man is a relumed soldier il doesn’t say he’s hard up. Some of our wealthiest men went away," remarked the chairman of the Kirikiriroa Road Board at yesterday’s meeting. The Board was at the lime reviewing an application from a returned man inquiring whether or not it was the decision of the Board to remit rates for the holders of areas in a certain soldier settlement. However, Bio Board lias never come to a decision so wide as that, but, like many other public bodies, it has shown, by previous action, to look generously towards returned men so long as it is satisfied that indigent circumstances, sufficient to justify remittance of rate moneys, have been shown.

The engineer to a 1 well-known Waikato public body recently established something akin lo a record in motoring misfortunes. “I had lire punctures in the one night,” he remarked in reporting on the matter to his superiors. The engineer had been called out to traverse some .In lance mto the territory controlled by the Board lo inspect a swamp fire that was raging there. The Fates were, surely, unkind on that occasion, but the engineer met his several little misfortunes ii< philosophical vein. He has since had first-class accommodation placed a-whecl, and trusts his future “run-outs" will be more congenial than the one under notice.

“I think it’s a shame that men who reckon they’ve got brains should raise a loan and allow it to be spent on sand for the roads,” remarked Mr J. McGregor to a Horsham Downs deputation before the Kirikiriroa Road Board. One of the two members of the deputation strongly supported Mr McGregor’s views that solid roads were essential instead of the constantly recurring patching that obtained aT present. To bis mind the succeeding generations would look upon their predecessors at road-making as queer people, surely, going on as they were and reaching nothing permanent. The speaker instance ed the policy of the Old Country where a road, once laid, would last for generations. However, there is soino= thing like compulsion iff ratepayers viewing with some favo u’ the old saw Which says someihing about half a loat being belter than no bread. Metal is practically unprocurable or, if so. the cost is almost a prohibitive figure. Settlers giust have roads. ey?n if incy are satisfactory for a time only and demand recurring attention. That Is the position in which Horsham Downs finds itself, It is to have, according to the decision of the. Board, Immediate sanding of the flats and the grades are to be metalled. When this latter can be done is problematical. It a!i depends on the supply, which is a very uncertain quantity at present.

The Hamilton fish market is very bare of supplies at present. Speaking to a Times reporter on the subject yesterday, a leading fish merchant stated that the immediate prospects for an increase in the catch did not seem 100 bright, lie explained that at the trawling grounds, both at Auckland and Thames, the prevalence of jelly-fish was having a very deleterious effect and keeping (he catches down. Recently considerable, damage had been done to the nets oh several occasions, and those operating' the grounds were, naturally, not disposed to take unnecessary risks of material damage to their equipment, which was an expensive item these times. With a certain prevailing wind at certain seasons'the jelly-fish made their appearance, and positively swamped legitimate operations for taking fish. The present was one of those unfortu-

nate periods when affairs were going ill with the trawler-men, the fish purveyors and the public as a consequence. After this visitation the jelly-fish would disappear, and in all probability it would he some time before they would be present to infiict molestation upon trading to the extent that could rtow’ he attributed to them.

Tor the seaside wo are showing’ a fine range of children’s arid ladies’ bathing suits and caps at special hofdav values. Adi sizes are. stocked, including bathing trunks for the smallo;boys.—Hooker and Kingston, Ltd., tho House of Satisfaction, where you get 3d discount in every 5s spopt, (id off in every 10s, 9d in 15s, and so on. Thin Is the store where your money goes farthest.*

Now that the elections and holiday, are over an organised effort is to bi taken in hand to visit all parts of tin Gisborne district in support of t'e hydro-electric proposals.

One of the applicants for Hie position of engine-dri\ er to the Moa Uo.o! Board forwarded a reference which stated that he was “a fit subject tor examination! ’ ’

It. is rumoured that the Wangaa-i lawyers have recently inrrei.ed U'-'i scale of charges by abmt -V.' per c-nt. We presume this is due lo the ui.-'i v-os v of bring!—Wanganui Herald.

•• You are always drinking sorrow out of a long spoon” was an expression useii by a member of the Wanganui WHarbour Board lo another member, ■ wiici was painting a rather doleful picture.

Labour members ol Parliament I tiroiiL’hout New Zealand have been informed that a meeting of all Labour members in Now Zealand will be beld in Wellington next Thursday. Itm national executive ol the Labour i»j,:-ty will .meet at the same tune. Some of the matches at present bcniir retailed in .Mas ter ton, says the ‘•Age,” arc a snare and a delusion. They have no right to be sold in a democratic country, for they absolutely refuse to strike. Similar complaints are heard in Hamilton. As the result of an interview which Mr F. Burbush, Repatriation Officer for the Auckland district, had with Mr J. price, chairman of the Matamata Town Board, he has recommended to the Ministerial Board that a local Repatriation Committee be formed for the Matamata district. With the experience of the demand, and prices ruling for eggs during the Christmas and .New Year, a Levin pouilryman stated lo a Chronicle representative that -he would not be surprised lo sec prices-go as high as Ts per dozen during next winter. A new discovery in connection with finger prints, which is expected to have, a remarkable influence upon Court eases, was announced recently by Professor .1 A. Larsen, instructor ol ph.vs oiogv in the University of California. The similarity .of linger prints among members of a family is sufficiently marked to trace, family groups and determine relationships, Larsen says. “W.heif settlers are hard up they’ve got to find the money somewhere,” commented a ratepayer deputationist at the meeting of the Kirikiriroa Road Board. An overdraft up to the limit, and generally no prospects of going on with any large financial outlay not already provided for, as the request of the ratepayer in question really meant, was hardly understandable, apparently, or, at any rate, not appreciable to the ratepayer who divested himself of this “oral drive” at the Board, which could promise him no immediate palliative — in other words, a belter road. * A large number of cases of measles arc reported. The infectious disease is being spread from one family to another through lack of ordinary precautionary measures. Thus, for instance, we are informed that members of families among whom measles have appeared frequent picture shows and dances, and thus carry with them the germs of disease. There appears to Le a necessity to enforce the Government regulations re notification being given to the Health authorities of the outbreak of measles and oilier infectious diseases.

Among the many household articles in short supply at present is crockery, particularly dinner sets. Full dinner sets are practically unobtainable and the prices quoted show fully 11)0 per cent increase on those asked seven months ago. A Wellington res;deal quotes the case of a dinner set he bought last May at £6 6s, for which he would now have to pay £l4. Latest cablegrams from London advise an crease of 140 per cent in the price of. ail crockery, and even at that quotation the goods arc unobtainable. ; An Ashburton grocer recently reports that the warehouses of Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland arc innocent of dinner sets, and one leading t.sris:-

church firm has 150 orders bo-•deco, while it is the proud possessor of only ; two sets, priced at £ls and-£45 each, j A visiter who arrived in Rotorua recently from the Rangitaiki mentioned that new parts of the swamp are rapidly dicing reclaimed as the draining operations are extended. Lagoons arc epn- . sequently drying- up. Jrume of these ■ contain many eels. In cine the Maoris were busy a day or two ago making ;the most of the opportunity by spear- , fig them. The giant of the catch was .4(111, in weight. It was speaied by a .Maori who was unable to hold it, v hereupon two more came to his as- j ;s stance. The second man also drove j is spear -thnough the monster, while, the third proceeded to cut - off its head, j Ref ore this could he done, however, the j eel managed to get a vicious bite on j the Maori’s arm,' leaving marks as if | the man had been attacked by a dog. Four others in the catch wont over •301 b in weight. Now that the route from Rotorua to Gisborne via Opotiki and Motu is more ' widely known it lias increased in popularity with touring motorists. During the holiday season quite a number of cars from the Waikato district have travelled the road, and called at Gisborne. . The route followed in many eases has been from Rotorua to Taupe; thence Napier, Wairoa, Gisborne, b’cdu, Opotiki, and back to Rotorua. tars with travellers from Wellington ana Christchurch have also passed V migli j Gisborne, and one car with tears is j from Christchurch called he:'.-;. A j •motorist, who lias travelled • xtens'voly ; in New Zealand and Australia, said Ilia! .yords failed !rm to express lue buuty j fjof the scenery on Ihe Motu-Opohki toad, and he was surprised that Gisj borne had not advertised throughout New Zealand the valuable lourist asset that was so close at hand. He con- . sidered it the finest stretch of scenery he had ever seen in this country or Australia. The British army was doing something oilier than lighting in the last year of the war. according to the Army Agriculture Committee report made' public lately. II cultivated GCSB acres J of land in the. country occupied -by th e home forces alone, and made a profit of about £lO an acre. In France thousands of acres were cultivated by the soldiers, and vegetables worth no less than £500,000 were produced. By irrigation the army in .Mesopotamia became self-supporting tot far as vegetables were concerned, and tiic grain crop was valued at .£30.000,000. The Salonika army also was busy cultivating Ihe soil back of ils lines, and in addition to harvesting crops worth £OO.OOO saved 52.000 • tons of ships which would otherwise fiave been used to carry supplies to that far-off front. There is every indication of all goods of Japanese manufacture becoming much higher, as -Japan, like other countries is full of labour troubles and unrest. In fact, in many tinea, they are discussing the prohibition of export. This is going to make a huge difference jo the goods on which wc depend solely on receiving from that country. In view of this we arc buying all the Jap. goods we can, and holding for the benefit of our clients. We have probablv enough crepe dressing jackets and kimonos to last us this season and next. These goods are well worth buying now, as the prices have advanced very little at present. Jackets 6s 1 lid, gowns Us fid, to 2ls. These are elaborately .embroidered. —Rail's Drapery Stores.