LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14583, 4 February 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Courtesy costs nothing, hut is a valuable stepping stone to success. Out. of 3500 notices sent by the Napier Borough Council to burgesses who did not vote at the last election, 2500 have been returned through the dead letter office. “I don’t think that the rentals derived by Hie Maoris from the leases in To Kuili represent more than a 1 per rent investment,” said Mr Finlay at the Chamber of Commerce meeting at Te Kuiti. At the big sale now 'amning at Hooker and Kingston’s special prices have been attached to all goods in Ihe.ir furnishing department. You will find you can save considerably in carpets, rugs, blinds, table covers, curtains, and oil over requirements for the home. The firm, having full stocks of all sizes in all-wool blankets, arc quoting special sale prices in these goods during Hie sale. This is the store whore you ran really save.— Hooker and Kingston. Ltd., The Big, Busy Drapers.*

At the present time the Dunedin City Council consists of 19 members, including the .Mayor. From the date of the municipal elections in April nexl the number of councillors will be 12. When the list of applications for drivers’ licenses came up for consideration before the Hamilton Borougn Council, hast night, one, by a driver who was fined at the last sitting of (lie Court for assaulting 'a f.raffle, inspector, was debated, and finally referred bach to the Legal and Finance Committee. "We badly need a few optimists in this .town.” remarked Mr W. A. \eilch. M.P., at a social gathering in Wanganui. "We have, bjo many pessimists,” he added, ‘‘although what I here is for them to be pessimistic about goodness only knows, for 1 can’t see anything.” (.hi the motion of Cr. Lafferty, the Borough Electrical Engineer was instructed, last night, to prepare a return of the number of electricity consumers in the borough at present being supplied on the flat rate. Cr. Lafferty , suggested that there were a number of irregularities being practised in regard to electricity by consumers at the present time. Yesterday a writ for £2OOO damages was served on Mr .1. E. Harnill, proprietor of Ih n King Country Chronicle, on behalf of Mr I’. Mora, clerk to the Wnitmno County Council, in connection with recent leader comments on Mr Mora’s purchase of the county .farm. The case will be heard at the March sittings of the Supreme Court in Hamilton. Use of the Canadian bathing costume, made in two pieces, is to lie, compulsory on the Takapuna (Auckland) beaches from February 7, when the new by-law of the Borough Council in regard to sea bathing comes into operation. Hitherto neck-to-knee clothing 1 lias been sumcicnt for swimmers on the Milford and Takapuna beaches. W’illi reference lo the complaints by the, Cambridge mail contractor that a certain Hamilton taxi-driver had on several occasions "beaten” him for his I hooked passengers to Cambridge by lolling them that lie, .Hie contractor) was overloaded. Hie driver in ques- j lion wrote to tho Hamilton Council, ■ last night, denying the charge, and attributing Hie allegations to professional jealousy. The letter was merely received.

The recent rise in the price of tobacco leaves one body of men cold. It is the Board of Governors of Hie New Zealand Instilufe. Hut of seven members present at the opening day of the conference, not one was a smoker. "We are the most, of men J have ever met,” said the president (Professor Easlerlield). after having asked if there were any smokers, with a view, probably, of giving permission for indulgence in smoking while discussing the science subjects touched on. The importation of pedigree Berkshire pigs into New Zealand from England lias, strange to say, entirely ceased for some years. Probably Hie late war partly accounted for ” Unit stale of affairs. Mr IL GhillrotL of Franktoii, yesterday received ex s.s. NAaikouaili a splendid nine-monllis-old boar bred by G. W. Layley, of Basingstoke, England; also a. tine breeding sow, about a year older Ilian the boar, and bred by Mrs .lervois, of Abingdon, both animals being from great prize winning slock. They have undergone the necessary I G days in quarantine he fore being forwarded lo Frankton. Acute shortage, of nil has resulted in almost frenzied development of all possible Californian fields during the past year. There were nearly 800 wells startl'd last year in comparison with slightly over GOO in 191',). The number of rigs in operation now is the greatest since 1912, and more development is held in check only by a short • age of casings and oilier drilling mall rial. Not only is prospecting being poshed on to the limit of materials, but many of the wells now producing are being deepened lo increase, if possible, their output. Over 800 wells have been deepened or re-drilled during the past nine months in hopes that a deeper strata of oil will result in increased production. i,

A New Plymouth butcher advertising in (he Taranaki Herald of January 25, 1871, quoted beef from Id to alq per lb, mutton 2Li to id, lamb from 3MI to -id, pork from Ml to -ifei, veal from 4Jd to sd, steaks sd, chops sd, cutlets Od. About the same time a tailor wn - advertising his willingness to make in gentlemen’s own materials at the following rates: Sac coats from 12s. trousers from ss, vests from -is 6d. parties to lind their own trimmings. Not only are Hie finger-prints of every human being different, but the position of tiie bones of the fingers, ru.ii also Hie shapes of the nails, are a'so different. Dr. Bee I ere utilises this fact in his new method of identifying criminals, which consists in making an X-ray photograph of the hand, showing the bones and the finger-nails. Tim (h gers arc soaked in an opaque salt. by means of which all the lines and marks are clearly shown. Five law lords, including the Lord Chancellor, sal recently in the House of Lords to define the precise meaning of t.nc word "punctual” (says the London papers of December Ist). It was ilm appeal of The Maclaine of Loehhuie i against the judgment which held that j Sir Stephen Gaily and Lady Gaily we: 1 '- I entitled to call up bonds for £38,000. One of the conditions of the bonds was I that if interest were punctually paid it c bonds should not he called up until Malininas, 1921. A quarterly payment ot interest, payable on August 1, 1918, was not paid until seven days later. Sir Stephen and Lady Gaily claimed that this was not punctual payment in the terms of the contract, and (hat they were cut i I toil to demand payment of (lie principal sums. In dismissing Hie appeal, the Court held that Hie word "punctual" connoted an added stress, and not a relaxation of the duty of payment on a particular date. Lord Atkinson said no one would he altogether disposed to admire the course taken by Sir Stephen.

The question of constructing a number of silent policemen, for regulating the Ira Hie at busy junctions, was again mentioned at a meeting of Ihe Hamilton Borough Council, last night, this time by Gr. J. E. Tidd, who understood that a number had been constructed at Mawera, with highly satisfactory results. The speaker suggested that the Town Clerk should write for details to the Ilawera j Borough Council. Hamilton could very well do with a silent policeman at the Ward street corner, where [here was a good deal of traffic. Gr. Barton said Gr. Tidd had taken the words out of his mouth, as he was just about to suggest the same thing. Cr. Harp said he once lived in Hawera, and he was quite sure that even if silent poljee - men were a success there, they would not he here, as Ihe traffic here was far greater than In Ilawera. One of Ihese monuments in Ward street would, he was sure, be a great hindrance to traffic. It was derided to write to Hawera as suggested. Mr 11. Grocolt, F.S.M.C. London). F.S.O. (England), Eyesight Specialist, who has just returned to Hamilton from London after graduating for his English degrees as Fellow of the Institute of Ophthalmic Opticians of England, recommences practice on Monday next, at his-'rooms, Manning's Main Pharmacy, Victoria street.* 1

»■ Tiie, first Marathon of the seaso: - conducted by the Hamilton Amateu f Alhletic Club will lake place to-mor t (row afternoon. There are over 2 entries. The race. will start fror r Tamahere at 3.30, and will finish a Steele Park gates shortly after • ! o'clock. Messrs Thornton, Valentine, am f Stewart, Government dairy product graders, who Ip-day inspected am ifstcfi quantities of butter am cheese, belonging to the Nev Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company i in store at, Horotiu, arc very satisfice with Hie quality, winch they considci superior to that of last season. A fisherman on Hie W’hareama River (North W'airarapa )' a few days ago caught a salmon trout in ids net. The fish weighed about 81b, and was put back into the waiter by the fisherman. This is believed to be one of the first salmon of the kind to be found in any river in the Wellington province. There are no rivers along the East Coast stocked with salmon trout. The Hamilton Fire Brigade received a call at nine o’clock last evening. Their ’services were required at Frankton, whore gorsc in the railway reserve, near the Scouts’ Hall, had caught lire. The area was fairly extensive, and it was nearly two hours before Hie services of the brigade | could be dispensed with in safety. Estimates arc being prepared of the cost‘of reticulating the Wairarapa witu hydro-electricity, and a loan proposal will probably bo submitted to the ratepayers at an early date. The Minister for Public Works Hon. ,1. G. Coates) has assured Hie Wairarapa Board that as the Waiohine scheme has been abandoned a supply of power will be forthcoming from Mangahao. The Hamilton Municipal Band, which will leave fur Hie Dannevirke Brass Band contest on Friday next, will give i a concert on Ferry Bank, on Sunday afternoon. Tiie Hand will play all ttio j contest music, and as they have tho [ full contesting complement, il should I prove worth while attending. A colI lection will be taken to help defray the expenses of the trip. As this will be the first' contest the Band lias atj tended since its inception it is to be 1 hoped tiie donations will be generous. •lust hack from Germany, a London merchant says that the better class people there arc giving themselves up io orgies of drink anq gambling. They argue that if the Allies are to have their ne ney they may as well “have a good time first.” On the other hand, he s es, the Belgians have settled down lo work even harder than before the war, and an. 1 likely to achieve enormous success in the foreign markets, especially in steel outputs. During his remarks at the opening ceremony of (jneen J s Park School, Wanganui, the Minister of Education stated that put of the 200, (too children attending the primary schools of the Dominion, fully 190,0ut) required dental treatment and wen nut getting it. The parents must know what that meant to the health of the children. It was necessary that they should have good health in order lo have sound minds and strong frames in order to tackle Hie problems of life, and that was one of the rea ,ons why he was -wing fi have this d mlal treatment. A London eurresp indent, writing on December 10, reports that Mr Alexander Crabb, New Zeal mcl Produce Commissioner in London, left in the previous week for New York, where he would represent the interests of the New Zealand Government and the freezing companies concerned at ttie official survey of meat slocks sold h> He- Imperial Government to American ilrnis, who have made certain claims in regard to quality and grading. Having Hie confidence of the Ministry ot I Mr Grabh was to assist so far as possible in settling any claims that may he allowed. While in tho Stales lie will also, make some inquiries regarding the wool situation. The generation of current by the New Plymouth Borough Gouncil hydroelectric works has developed in a record manner during the past few months. I lie electrical engineer (Mr IL H- Bartley) staled lo a Daily News reporter that the power consumption at present was 25 per cent, in excess : f any previous period, and he knew of no other load factor in New Zealand which was as high as that at the New Plymouth station. Since November 21 the load factor lias been GG.3 per cent., and the nearest to this figure was (hat ■ t Lake Coleridge, which lie understood was from 52 lo 55 per cent. Mr Bartley also stated that applications for ■ghting and power connections are still I'Mig received in large numbers. A characteristic example of British 'engineering resource in an emergency ms recently come to light. At a British .vaterworks a sudden flood on a river li rea toned to swamp the filters. There vas no lime to make elaborate prei.'UMfioiis to meet the emergency, so the \ ’ngineer scoured the highways and i.vways for anybody who would lend a ■ and. He raided a brickyard for Hie mdcrials to build up a protecting dam. 1 neh by inch the wall rose while the vMers crept higher and higher; and ] Hor many hours of acute anxiety the Hod began to subside and the situs- * ion was saved. Had these steps not j ■fen taken there would probably have ’ ■een an epidemic of typhoid among lany thousands of people. A Carterton business man some j nontlis ago sent an indent order to inglaiid for £JSO worth of goods re- c Hlii’i■ fI in his business. About, a week ( go tie received word that the goods i verc being sent on from Wellington. < le had paid for the goods on arrival j ; n Wellington, and when lie opened [ hem up at his premises im was s sfounded to find the case had been p ampered with and only £(10 worth emained. He has not yet seen Hie r epresenl a live who look Ids order, and s s far as he ran gather the goods were idler stolen on tiie journey or before j, ’aving England. The practice of j deving from cargoes of goods is he- v Mining quite common, and although v ie shipping companies employ special q gents to try and detect Hie practice, v 'ey have nol so far been whojly sue- , cssfut. -

“It's not much for nvt- ..ai'S’ rale." a member of a deputalinn so expressed it before the Kirikiriroa Roast Board to-day. The chairman remarked that after their money had been expended, Ihe Board often asked ilself what had been done with it. Mr McGregor pointed out Hi;* it was umre readily urntj■staudable when 11 was recalled that the Board had 7Go miles of road to attend to, and only £7OOO to spread over the area. II was further remarked in the general discussion of the upward trend of everything in Hie expenditure line (hat benzine was a very dear item these days, while repairs also cut heavily into Die public body purse. Plainly put, I he life of every “.lohn Bradbury’’ was very much briefer these limes Ilian a few years bark. "Men, too, want bigger wages and do less work," a member of Hie, deputation significantly remarked while Hu's aildisorhing topic, of expenditure was aefore Ihe Board. Ladies should protect themselves from Coughs, Golds, Sore Throats, etc., ay putting about 10 drops of Nazol on i handkerchief and placing it inside a Mouse on the chest. Use Nazol freely n 'this way—it does not injure the nost delicate fabric. 3.

The first practice of the Hamilton Male Choir for the 1021 season will he held in Toorak Chambers on Monday ne.x,t, at 8 p.m. New members will be especially welcomed. "The trouble is for us to get men to do the work; we can’t get them,” was a statement made by Mr W. Henry when/ the Kirikiriroa Road Board was discussing contracting this morning. "Times change, and we with time,” runs an old saw. "Tljesc men who arc doing work now are all looking for ready cash.” remarked the KiriklrlroH Road Board's clerk at to-day’s meeting. Even “promises”„are less alluring than they used to ♦c, it appears. "We don’t want, him silling down on the side of the road, like they do on some of the, jnhs,” remarked a member of a deputation from Kainui. when conversing with Kirikiriroa Bead Board members this morning. Evidently practical experience had caused this ratepayer to arrive at the conviction that the “go-slow” operates in more avenues than coal mines. "We don’t trouble you much, you know. We’re pretty good fellows out that way; we don’t want a great deal.” This phrase was used by the spokesman of a Kainui deputation to the Kirikiriroa Road Board this morning, when seeking improvement to the road in that district. It may have been deserved. One hardly knows whether this acted as a palliative. The fact remains that the deputation scored a monetary vote towards what it sought—improved roads. Some little excitement was occasioned in Somerset Street, yesterday morning, about 11 o'clock, when a bull being taken to Ihc saleyards ran amok, causing a general scalier of the pedestrians in his immediate vicinity. For fully an hour-and a-half the fun waxed fast and furious, half-a-dozen horsemen and some cattle dogs adding to the excitement as they chased the infuriated animal, it was not till nearly 1 o'clock that the bull was securely roped and led away.