LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 August 1910, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

TliO Rev. Father O'Meara, parish priest at Feilding, died last Sunday, m the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Auckland. He had been in illhealth for some years past, his heai t being affected.

Messrs Smart and Thome, the New Zealand travelling 'representatives of Messrs R. and W. Davids >11, of Glasgow, .have just completed arrangements for taking the season's supply of I)uter from the Cambridge, Mangatapere and Canterbury Central Dairy factories—three d the principal factories in New Zealand. Mr Thorne is travelling in the Bay of Islands district, and yesterday he was at Mangare.

An important sale of grade Jersey cows is to take place 011 Ist September, at Nikau Nui, Mr Franklyn Webb's lann. Yearlings ami heifers are to be included in the offering and the horses and pigs also will come under the hammer. The quality of Mr Webb's stock Is wellknown, and a big gathering of dairy tamers is certain to attend the saie

Throughout the whole of the Wairarapa the lambing season is now general. .It is rather early yet to make any definite statement'as to percentages, but the indications are that the season will be a good one. Breeders of black-faced lambs aie well satisfied with the results to date.

That there is money in eggs is demonstrated by the fact that the Masterton Egg Circle has paid out £42 to suppliers during the past fortnight. For the past fourteen weeks total payments bave amounted to £204. The .average price paid to members since its inception has been Is 8d per dozen, as agai'ist the local average price of Is ]jd per dozen. A commission of I]d has to be deducted from the Is Bd.

A facetious .remark made bv Mr J. li. Bradnev at a meeting "of the Auckland Harbour Board a fortnight ago was responsible for a display of humour 011 the part of a country resident. Mr B.radncy in moving that the Board's buildings be renovated, said that there svas enough pasture 011 the outside of the building to feet! a sheep. The result was that at .yesterday's meeting of the Board a letter was read from a farmer offering the Board a line of hoggets at lis a head. The Board formally .received the letter.

At a meeting of the Dairy Union suppliers recently held at Woodville, figures were quoted by Mr W. J. Wright, which show what can 1 e done by intelligent farming. Mi Wright milked 12 cowsoll 40 aens The total butter-fat for the twelve months was 36301b5., an average pei cow of 3021 bs. The gross cheques received averaged £13 3s 2d per cow The by-products enabled him to add another £3 10s Gd to his returns making a total of £1G 13s Bd. The milk was supplied to the Dairy Un ion s creamery for butter making.

"For farmers troubled with smalpatches of. Canadian thistle, I c.m recommend the pig as an effective, eraclicator," so Mr \V. T. Soper, of Titiroa, informs the Wyndham Farmer. "I just make a wire netti;ig enclosure," ho continued. "with a pig-barb stretched around on the surface of the particular weed-infest-ed plot, and put a few pips therc/n. I feed sufficient turnips and straw to kee pthe animals in health, and let them root away to their hearts content. Upon examination, I have found thistle roots six feet to eight feet long on the hillsides dragged out, clean—as piggy is partial to a succulent under runner, and follows it persistently to the last, nibble. Of course, this plan wouldn't work o\ cr il big patch of Canadian thistles, unless one had a small army of pigs rt his disposal; but where' there are only small .patches to contend with the result is complete satisfaction."

" Never better.'" This was the reply received by a Feilding Stair representative to a question put to a Kimbolton sheep fanner on Saturday regarding the prospects for the season. The weather has been favourable to growth, and consequently the land is j-eady for the lambs. Ai. stock are in good fettle, and' ,v : tl. a kindly spring, the outlook will be a rosy one for the man on the land.

Among a party of thirty-loin Annmite pirates and malefactors just brought to Marseilles was <. lie of the wives of the Pirate De Tliam who has given the French so much trouble in Indo-Ohina. Co-Ha, a.the woman pirate is called, exercised a dominating influence over the pirate king and his followers, a powei she even preserved throughout tl>. voyage, which the prisoners made in a specially-constructed iron case, built amidships. The other prisoners, on receiving their rations immediately handed them to Co-Ba for distribution, and she laid down iron regulations for the prison.. rs' life on board. Her word was always scrupulously respected. When the prisoners landed it was Co-Ik who marched proudly at their html, taking not the slightest notice ol the crowds who watched, the debarkation of the prisoners on tiheir way to the Tsle de Re, in the Bay of Biscay.

Shadower, the Wiltshire police bloodhound, which is being 1 rained by Police Constable Nilson at his station at Ogbourn, St. George, Marlborough, has (says an exchange) successfully passed a very difficult test. A policeman was instructed to lay a trail, partly on foot pnd partly on bicycle. At the end ol the trail lie placed the. bicycle against a bush and .hid himself in other bushes some distance away. As as Shadower was put 011 the srent he went away at a great p: < c—it is always necessary to be nounted to keep up with the hound when he is tracking— and without a single check ran past the bicycle, of which he took not the slightest totice, straight to the spot >where the policeman was hidden. The performance was the more remarkable as a high wind was blowing at the time.

When the New Zealand Government took over direct control of the railways from the Commissioners, in 1895, the number of passengers vho took advantage of this means of communication was, for the veai ending March 31st, 3,905,000. Today the number is 11,141,000, being an increase of over 7,000,000. 'I he passenger cars in 1895 numbered 498. To-day they number 1140. The train mileage run in 1895 was 3.221,620 miles, whereas at the e»d of Ma rob 1910 it was 7,889,1GG. " I am well satisfied," says the Hon. Mr Millar, in the course of his annual'statement, "that the prosperity manifested b,v the results of last year's working of our lines will « n tinue during the current year, and, notwithstanding the fact' that no Easter holiday traffic will be inchdel in the returns of the year row entered upon, I estimate'the ■•evenue at £3,250,000, and the expenditure at £2,223,275."

The demand for Roslyn manufactures such as boy's and. men's high grade clothing, blankets/ rugs, tweeds, worsteds, yarns, unshrinkable flannel, socks, stockings, jerseys, and ladies' and gents' unshrinkable silky underwear, Delta finish, continues with undiminished force throughout New Zealand.—Adrt.

A\ liliam Clements, who was severely scalded in the hulk Ganymede, at Port Chalmers, owing to the safety valve blowing out, died at Duned'in Hospital as the result of injuries.— Press Association.

The brothers Tier were acquitted yesterday, at "Wellington, on tin dlmrge of having stolen the painter Leader's picture from Wellington art gallery.

At the Century Hall on K rid ay ovening at 8 o'clock a meting iiii connection with the .1 Joys' Scout movement will be held. Majoi Tatuni and others will address the meeting. Particulars are advertised.

Mr F. E. Parker has accepted the office of treasurer to the Levin V.M.C.A. The association is holding, to-night, a special evening's eiitortainnient arranged by the ladies of Levin. It is understood tint a surprise packet, will be opened during the evening.

In tilie House of Representati.es, yesterday, Mr Colvin was elecleti Chairman of Committees, by 15 voles to 27. Sir William Steward expressed surprise that the Government had not nominated him, seeing that lie was the oldest member til the party and had held the office j reviously. It was resolved, on t'u Premier's motion, that Government business take precedence on Wednesdays for the remainder of the s ssion. At the evening sitting, Lh. I > nbli<- Debt Extinction Hill Mas debated, and read a second tim? without division.

Few peoplo would expect to discover anything humorous about the prisoner's dock in the Supreme Couit at Chri.stchurch, but a joke- certainly of a very grim kind- has h, en reposing in it for at least fifteen years. On one of the seats in thecorner lies a placard on which is printed a list of trains leaving loi Lyttelton. The placard, which p grimy and cracked with handling and age, was printed at M.AL Prison, Lyttelton. It is the onlv adornment of the dock, and presumably invites t>he atention of pres-im-ers w<hile they are waiting lor a verdict to be returned or a scute ice passed.

Tt is proposed to hold the annual general meeting of the Levin fou ling Club early in September . There was quite a good muster at the Otaki pound on .Monday, when an unclaimed impounded liny main was disposed of by auction, says the Otaki Mail. The poundkeeper, .Mi T/ Kilmistcr, was auctioneer, and though bidding started at a I >\v sum, bids came briskly, until the animal was knocked down lor the sum ol C' 2 12.5, .Air .Morris being thr buyer. This, we believe, is a rccu:! price for the sale of in pounded rnmials, the majority of wln'dli arc sold at a very low figure indeed, not enough to pay for feed as !i rule.

On Tuesday last, at St. .Andrew's Church, Manakau, Mr Stuart Hunt, of Waikanae, was married to Miss Jane Mason, eldest daughter of M,i S S. Mason, of Manakau. Tin bnide was given away by her fathei and looked charming in white. Slu was attended bv two little bridesmaids, Misses Winnie and Hetty Mason, sister an.l niece of the bride, who were dressed in pretty silk frocks to match. The bi'idegrc.cm was attended by Mr Tom Mason as best man. The ceremony was performed by tilie Rev. -J. JO. Jones, ol Waikanae. Aftor the wedding the guests wore entertained at the residence of the bride's father. The Rev. J. M Jones proposed the health of the bride in a very happy speed, and the hr.id'ograoin suitably responded. The happy couple left foi Wellington by the train, where the. will .spend a few days before taking up their residence at ..aikanae.

Captain Xolsson, of t-110 coasla. steamer Wookata, the second cnginoeir, Mr S. Arnold, and the helmsman, Air G. Hudd. nrc at a complete loss to explain the moaning o. envious lights uiliich (hey witnessc.'! as tlie vessel was passing \lthr>rp r.sland on the way to Port Adelaide early the other morning (telegraphed the Adelaide correspondent of (Ik Sydney Morning 'Herald on the III: inst). "Bright lights as 'distinct as ina.stlioa.tl_ lights of a steamer. Inn high up in the air," were olkcpt: by the trio, and a strange thing va: lihat they circled around ilio Wc:.k-.\ ta in a tantalising way. "It, vaiabout 3 o'clock," says Captain \el .sson, "that the man at the whet 1 ! re in a rkod, 'Do you see these li'tlils flying about?' I replied, 'Yes. there are a jrroat many more liirh(<about than I have c\ci' seen here. Just then I saw a mysterious I <jlit off Capo Spencer, which i!Nappo-!r n u as suddenly as it came into view. Presently the helmsman said. Ml, is strange, hut I have seen lights on the port how, then risrht ahead, then on the starboard side.' I

stepped inside the wheelhouse. au l on coming out again saw two lights .just over tlie starboard how, no instance away, but high up. They seemed t-o pass us. Tihov wore as bright as our masthead lights. ;'iid as fav as T could .judge wore 20" oi .'IOO yavtls distant. The lights :appeared to be 10 yards apart, one little above the oilier. I could no make it out. I said to the man at the wheel, 'Did you see tihoni:" lie answered. 'Ves,'they are like German airships flying'aboutl dit. not know what to think. I feel I saw something unusual something which in my 15 years' experience a'l sea 1 have never observed before.