LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 May 1910, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An eclipse of the sun is taking placo to-day, but it is not apparent in these parts, though at Hobart, Tasmania, a. total oclipse is being experienced. It will be observable, as a partial eel ipse, at Perth (West. Australia), Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney.

There is one embryo Australian soldier who will probably never be lax in his uniform dressing again. A cadet had a button of his tunic undone. Lord Kitchener, without a word, buttoned it and passed on.

"Like a rubber boom," remarked a district farmer, in reference to the chantfc of ownership of district farms to a "Haweru Star" reporter. He mentioned the sale of a Manaia farm at £60 an acre as the most recent to como under his notice. Ho was among several others who hoarded the mail train at Hawera to have a cruise round- other districts wberc land is lower-priced.

Awakened by the cries of their two-months-old infant, which occupied ia cot next to their bed, Mr and Mrs Harrison, of Patutahi, Gisborne, saw a huge rat decamping. Further investigation showed tlmt tho rat had been biting the child. There were several marks about its face, and there was a wound about the size of a five-shilling piece on the child's 'head, \vTiere the rat had been nibbling.

In regard to the tar produced at the Levin gas works, the position is that up to the present it is too new for giving the best results if used in footpath construction, but there is no doubt that ere long it will be found as suitable for asphalting as the Palmerston tar is which is now being brought into the town. The volatile, hydrocarbons are being taken out of it by the air, and although this is a. much slower process Itlian that of boiling would be, it certainly is a much less expensive one.

Foxton is to be the seat of an .experiment in a large way fraught with interest to the whole dominion. The ''Taranaki Herald" states til Kit the New Zealand Fibro and By-pro-ducts Company is spending * some £'10,000 011 manipulating flax fibre and its by-products, and manufacturing them into marketable articles. Mr W. Earnshaw, ex-M.H.R., is the consulting engineer of the company, and niacinnery necessary for the operations is now being erected. An artesian well has been sunk, and a splendid flow of water obtained very snitaible for the purpose required. The flax is not paddocked at all, but cleansed and dried inside the works, and the result is a pure white fibre of the very best quality.

Giving evidence 011 his own behalf in a noxious weeds case at the Wyndham Court Mr J. D. Shepperd, who appeared in the role of defendant, raised a smile (says the Southland "Times")that was infectious bv his allusion to the visit to his farm ot inspector Whyborn. "When this gentleman came," thus alluding to the Inspector, "he had his coat off, and was perspiring freely after his stiff jog through tbe Crown land next to my place. lat first took him to be the man whom T had engaged to cut my thistles—lie looked for all the world like such a man. When he told me that he was the blooming Inspector himself, T could hardly believe it. He was the first Inspector T had seen with his coat off."

It is quite a costly affair to become a Knight of the Garter, and those honoured by the Order find that it entails the spending of a large sum of money. The new knight has to buy the whole of the insignia personally, with the .exception of the ribbon and the actual garter itself. Two thousand pounds is said to be the least that the star can be obtained for though many cost considerably more. The Kaiser, for instance, had his star of the garter made of such well-matched diamonds that £20,000 would hardly cover the outlay. The young King of Portugal, honoured by the bestowal of the Order during bis visit to London, purchased very fine gems for his star.

The annual report of the Wanganui gas works states that the profit for tlie year was £2801, after payment of working expenses, interest, nml sinking fund, in spite of the fact that several items which were formerly paid out of loan money were purchased out of revenue. These involved an outlay of £1328. in addition to which 10 per cent increase in wages amounted to £235. The business during the year showed inn increase of per cent. During the year six miles of mains were laid, andi another mile 'Was already in hand, while another work to be started sbortlv is the gasworks wharf with an overhead aerial tramway to convey coal from the ship's hold direct to the works, which are about 200 yards from the river.

Aii amusing example of Maori justice, as administered by the '' koinmiititee'' appointed to look after the maimers and morals of residents ol 1 native settlements, was released at the Thames Magistrate's Court (reports ■the Thames "Star")- A middleaged man had "married" a girl of seventeen years, and in his absence a youthful suitor had appeared on the scene. The latter person was " warned off," but he persisted in pressing his presumably unwelcome attentions. An appeal was made to the Maori Committee, with -this astounding result: They found that the young man had erred in trespassing, but that t'lie damsel had al-::> committed an error of judgment in asking him to tea. Th'ey therefore imposed no fine or punishment upon the youthful pair; ibut inflicted a fine of £2 10s and costs 011 the absent husband! Counsel asked jokingly if solicitor's fee was not included, but the witness failed to see the point. He said, however, that lie had paid the fine "under protest." His "Worship queried: "Where did the money go?" "Witness replied t'lrn't he did not know, ibut lie saw the chairman of the committee (who was in Court) smile in a manner too sweet for words. Letters similar to the following arrive daily:— Shannon, April 11, 1910 Mr F. C. E emington, Levin,j Dear Please send me two bottles of Remington's Liqnoruv Cough Cure ait. once, and omi«r\— 1 Yours, etc. . Price, Is 6d and 2s 6d pw bottle.

Owing to the death of King Edward. the final heat of the sculling match on the Parramatfca, New South Wales, was postponed 011 Saturday.

Mr R. Q. Makin, Levin, has been invited to act as one of the judges at the Hawke's Bay Kemtel Club show, to be held at Napier 011 .July 11 and 12, 1910.

Mr W. G. Vickers, the Wellington Meat Export Company's representative in Horowhenua County, Ji as transferred his headquarters from Manakau to Shannon, as he has come to the conclusion that Shannon will be the most central town for the district, he covers. He is having his new home connected with the telephone, and his postal address will be box 2, Shannon.

At this season of the year, when everyone is liable more or less to suffer with chapped hands, such a remedy as " Benzoma Cream " will be found invaluable. Obtainable only from C. S. Keedwcll's Pharmacy in jars. Is fid each.—Advt.