LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 31 October 1911, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"That the Maori is assimilating (himself more /i.nd more to European customs," said a. prominent "business man of Levin to a. Chronicle reporter yesterday, ''is obvious. Take their tanks'as a. case in point. Once they were little less than orgies that lasted for some days. I have boon mudli 1 struck with, tho change, for Hip better which has taken plneo lately. Tliere was a hig tangi not ninny weeks ago. Maoris assembled in large numbers -and speeches wore delivered; but there was a most pleasing absence of drink. .In iacfc, the taiigi looked more like an ordinary European funeral. Before tb'reo o'clock five men bad left to attend to their work on the land, and in the evening the tent was closed. The fact is tlve 'Maori is becoming more industrious, and as time passes this change will become more and more marked." "1 tip the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie as tihe next High Commissioner. He i.s the best man tho Government could get, and I don't think he would object to the position. 1. have. j no inside information, but tbat is my honest, opinion." —A prophecy by Mr A. \V. R.-utiherford during bis remarks to the executive of ilio Canterbury 'branch, of the Fanners' Union. A Jad named Colin Goddes died at Burapine (N.-S.W.) from tho effects of lockjaw, caused in a simple I ■manlier. Ho was descending from an orange tree, .and ho slippe<l and the thorn ran into his body. The tlk>rn was removed, but tho lad suffered considerable pain. His parents were unable to detect the cause. After a couple of months his condition became alarming, and a medical man was sent for. a distance of over 'M) miles. Before his arrival, lockjaw set in, .and be was unable to afford relief. Tho child died soon in tier. Interesting experiments o-n (lie possibility of suspending life .for a definite, period are being carried out by Professor Pietet. at Geneva. In one case be froze live fish in ice lo a tcmperat'iio of Udeg. Fnhr. below zero, and thro months later gradually incited thk ice and. brought the fi>■(!i. hack to their natural live state, lie also kept a dog frozen for an ho'ir at a. temperature of "liOde.g. helow the freezing point without fatal results. A sum of CIOOO for the purchase of "Home Savings Banks'' isone of the items on the Supplementary Estimates which Parliament 'adopted last week. A sum of £'500 is set j down for purchase nf railway tickets for members of ride clubs attending rifle meetings. Subsidies to local bodies, from the Consolidated Fund, ore set down at Ci'fl.OflO. On acT'omit of Knpi.ti F.sland CoOO i.s «!{>j ■d:;wn for the purchase of sheap, CIOO for grassing and. fencing, and CI OO for the formation of tracks. Tl'f 1 next mc'.'tino- of the Levin Lnkf Domain Vn ;\\\\ \v\\] bc> investod with special interi'st. :is :i repnrj wiU tben lie presented in cormeeiinn with the v\<\{ tn the !nke and the TTokio ri'"er on >:ifnrdnv bv Messrs P.. R. Gnrdmer. P. Bartiu.lomew. and Henero Ranit'i. The stream i-: badly blockofl with willow (refs. The ele.firim; nwu.v of ihe reeds nud other growth shmild f-icilit'ilo the outflow of the water from the l.ii;e. the waters of which wcro ln-1;] to h:\vo cnn-idonbly in recent years. This would appear to he fho fact from tlie i fs'i.iior.y |h;if foi'th^oniif!^.

All effort is neiii/; made t<, form a town crickc!-, club for Levin, ;m<l a. mcotinir of kniojhts of ilio willow is to ho hi'ld .ill the London .Studio on Kriday evening :it 8.IT), to consider Hie proposal. Mr \\. S. Horn yesterday diV,ou.<-sod the matter with a Chronicle rpjiortpr. "There art , , ' said ]\1 r I lorn ' ; (|in'ip ;; number of persons anxious lo I'onn a club, and F don't sec why one should not lie got together. There are o number of enthusiasts in flic town who are l'pndy to push th,t matter forward. One tiling m its favour is (he fact thai the siibscripiion would I)P a nominal oiip. , ' A . well-known ''stiirnppr ,, w.!hi was ]iTt.»soni romarkpil that 11 Is was too much I'm , the ordinary person to pay, ami if a subscription (if ."s or 7* '!'! were there sl'.-jiild In- a I;!! , :: , membership. Trade tlin- :.uhout tin , Horowhonua county i>, r!;iII at t : he present tinip, Manakan .storeki;><">;vs aro complaining of the lack o|' lysines;, and t\ num.lior of Levin tradesmen' Yesterday were remarking on the slackness of things. The clo-.sing month liris boon one of tin 1 quietest for a 1 oll <> time past. With the a'vent of I'm or weather tliere is a likelihood of a large increase in business nt many of the .shops. While busimv-s----nien are eomplaini'M_r of absence of trade, the Levin carrier;-; arp exceptionally busy, as a. result of-the •strike on tlip coastal l)o«ts. One man yesterday said to a Chronicle reporter, f: W<? are for once reaping a- harvest. J oivly hope it will Inst anotiiior six months, and I'll retire." The , gonrls tbat are customarily .shipped to I''oxton aro now ibeino; <1;>•spaiclied from WeHiiwton hf rail, lipnce tlio carriers' harvest. lliey have lahonr troubles in Japan, just as they have them el.spU'hoi'o. This, says a. Sydney journal, is what .surprised Mr ',]'.' Yi. Sandy on his recent tour of that Empire. The artisans have- very strong guilds, which are extremely insitent not only on preference That is, a carpenter from Nagasaki, for instajice, is not welcomed, in Yokoliama; All treaty for labour is done with the guilds. A contractor at Xa,gas-aki desiring to erect a house, .sends to the guild a request to bo furnished with thirty carpenters. If ho finds that tlio ■work is not progressing sufficiently fast 'he asks for more men from the guild, wiliic'h .more than likely wil; reply: "Oh, no; yon have 'quite j sufficient. Then perhaps tlio contractor iasks the guild at Yokoman , to fiirn.kli him with ten carponfcerr,. The request is complied with, and j the men coir.e: but they do not I «wk. The Xiagasaki wop-kmen> j down tools, and there is a battle which invariably ends with the intruding workmen boing defeated. All wages are not paid to the artisans, but to tilio guild. Since the war, and due to the tarns imposed by reason of military and naval expenditure, the increa.se in tlio cost of living ha.s heon as ninoh as 50 per cent. Naturally the workers ■d'emand more pay, and they have obtained it. The wages are still mounting, and it h noticing unusual for fi master to be met with a ! demand for still further increases of 5 or ID per cent a day.

Horowhenujv County Council meets next Saturday, at Levin. This will be the last meeting of the council before the elections of new members takes place. At Messrs Swainson ami Bevan's flaxmill, Manakau. there has just boon installer: all the latest madhinery. It is now one of the most up-to-date mills on the coast. The machinery will be in full working order at an early {late A big tangi is*being beld at O'hau in connection with the death of the. chief Moihi, who suddenly passed 'away on Friday at the age of 00. He was a much respected native in the general estimation of both European and Maori. The members of the Lake .Domain j Board who had a trip to the Hokio river "on Saturday, inspected the sculling boats which have just been built by -Mr Xcviu, awl they expressed hig'h appreciation of the workmanship, and regret that such up-to-date boats had not been aecjiiired for the benefit of the. athletes of the town. Good luv-wlway is lieing made with the erection oi' the cheese factory at Maivakau, which is situated close to the railway station. It is likely that it will lie opened in mid-Xny-omber. I'hc new factory will take the place vA the old creamery, and it will be erected on up-to-date lines. Farmers, it is stated, will get more money for butter-fat by something like 2(1 a lb through the manufacture of "hecso The following is the Bev. 1). C. .Bates' weather forecast: —Present indications are for a falling barometer in the. .southern districts and elsewhere alter 2-1. hours. Fair and warm weather will probably prevail except on tho West Coast and southernmost districts of tho South Island, where showery weather is to be expected. Westerly •breezes generally, and hanging to northerly and increasing .strong to gale shortly southwari of Xew Plymouth and (.'•astlepoint. A low pressure is due. to pass in f !>e south about Thursday.

''One m alter which onega.ged my attention," said Inspector Wyllie. reporting m the. Soutliland Kducation Board on the work of the. r>unils in tf!ie woodwork classes .at tlio Technical School, "was tlio inability of lads from tlio upper classes of sonic of our schools to use an ordinary foot-rnle with ease or oven approximate accuracy. It is clear tiliiat a good many teachers take it for granted that when their pupils lnve learned the necessary tables they are fully equipped «for praclioal measuring ivork. They would have been sadly undeceived had they been present •at the demonstration T attended and seen the fiiile attempts of their pupils to perform the siniple-fcai: of measurement ro(|i;i.'e(l <if them.'' An amusing story is told of a- '">ationt in a mental institution who laboured uiriei t>!ie (h-lusion that he had discovered t.lw> elixir of life. Mis custom was to make a mixture of garden soil and water, and then asked permission to leave- the institution for a lew hours. When lie returned from the little outings it was noticed that he always had some money. This puzzled the anthori<i;'S much. Accordingly they sot a wal'-h, and discovered the discoverer of ihe elixir of l;le doing a roaring trad'. , with tlie snnp public. Copies of the prize essays upon the aims and achievements ol : tlie Karmors' Union, and for which the Taranaki Provincial Executive awarded prizes some- time ago. are ■in .miod demand amongst other branches of tilio Union, and .some 1000 copies have already been disposed of. In this connection it may be mentioned that the. "Wellington executive recently pass-ed the following resolution : ''That tlhe best thanks of Liu- executive be forwarded to the Taranaki executive for promoting the , prize essay competition, and we'fully appreciate the oll'orr.s made in ihix dircctioii to enlighten t<!rt* farmers a.s to wliat the, l"nion lias done.' .

One of the greatest finds of the Historical .Manuscripts Commission turning over old documents stored in ancient mansions rewarded their visit to WcKilaton Hall, the residence of the present Lord .Midletoii (writes Sir Henry Lucy in the Sydney .Morning Herald). The musty papers flash light on the social habits of 'ICngland in Tudor times and earlier, lii a. hook of household accounts strictly Kept through the year 1 ;*> 13, Iherc- is a list of prices that will cruise to water the- month of the thrifty housekeeper of to-day, fleece were sold for fourpenee apiece. You might ibnve choice of wookcoc.k chicken, or a whole lamb, "the price for each being one penny. Sheep ran up as high as one -md eigtbtpeiice. A row wilh her calf brought 18>. Drin ic was as cheap as meat.. .Malmsey wine (spell in the account .Malms,") was to be had at tihe price of Is -Id per gallon. .Sack fetched a shilling for the same quantity, and ehret- eightpence. Ale and stout have, at this date, no ])lace in the lii.useiholtl rollar or its accounts. It has several times been suggested by medical men and others interested in the physical development of the rare that the figures taken in connection witill th» examination of Ten itnrial recruits ought tr> he carefully collated and preserved. They point out thai the examination, in-c-liidin'.?. a.s it docs, such a large number of young men :;t various ages, will afford a unique opportunity of .securing reliable figures from which important anc! interesting lessons may be drawn respecting the nhy.si!|iio of New Zealander.s. The matter was mentioned in the House of l?cpro?entntives at the end of last week by Dr. Te Rnngihiroa, who. speaking .is a medical man, urged the wisdom of utilising the present opportunity. The. Hon. J. A. Millar, .Minister in charge, of til lie. Defence Kstimatps, assured the House that it was intended to keep a. record of ail physical measurements taken by the examining officers, ami to have- them properly tabulated. l?y this means the physical standard of young Xew Zealand—height, weight, chest -development, and so on—could bo accurately determined.

According to the Review of tlie Hiver P-lnto, there is no .slackening in llio determination of tlio American Beef Trust to capture the meat trad' 1 of t'l'.i , Argentine. Tho organisation in cjiiostion lias just acquired the .saladero at the Cerro, .Monte Video, for the sum of £20,000. A short time ago it purchased the Cibils saladero. The trust now owns tiro La Blanea and the .above-mentioned which, are to he converted into modern freezing works. Now that foreign control of the meat industry of Argentina is only a matter of time, otiher native enterprises are attracting tho attention of American capitalists. Jt is -stated that the Tobacco r J'rust> of America and London is negotiating for the formation of a. trust of tobacco and cigarette manufactiirers in Argentina. The trust Jims a capita! of 0,000,000 dollars avialable for this object. In Huonos Ayres ilicro are sixteen important factories, and of these eleven have "accepted the conditions, which is Mf cash and half- shares.

At Auckland the strike of labourers continues, and neither sulo shows any intention of "backing down." At Wellington, yesterday, a relatively unimportant strike _ot plasterer; was reported as .having occurred, -though till© men deny; that their cessation of work constitutes a strike. Butter is bringing better prices in' the London market just now than this time last year. In October of last year Danish butter was quoted at li7s, Australian at Ills, and Siberian at 10Is per cwt. This month tho quoted London prices for butter are: Danish 140s, Australian 1295, and Siberian 128s. The new public library is now rapidly nearing completion, and it is expected that a transfer of the books will the made from the rooms in the Commercial Chambers to the new building this week. The internal furnishing of the library is being proceeded with, and is being carried out by Mr W. Palmer, art furnisher, ol Oxford street. Dates of further meetings- to bo addressed by Mr C. A. W. Monckton, the Beform Candidate, appear in to-day's Chronicle. Ho is scheduled to speak at Levin on Thursday of next week, and at Koputaroa on the following evening. Simmon residents are reminded that the Shell Picture Company gives its usual weekly display this evening, in the Dr lids' Hall. The principal film is entitled "Her Child's Honour," and it is spoken of as being intensely dramatic. .Difficult, if not despairing tasks of pronunciation arc occasionally imposed upon local shipping folk by visiting vessels with extraordinary names (says the Argus). Xot long ago a tough problem in this respect was furnished by the Norwegian ship Hafrsfjord, which people made vain and laughable efforts to solve, finally overcoming their difficulty by calling the vessel the name General Roberts, which s'lie bore before 4 changing her nationality. No such "escape," however, was vouchsafed in regard to the steamer Bjornstjerne Bjorson, which arrived in Melbourne recently, this being the only name, -sllie was ever known by. As shipping people- declined even to attempt to pronouncing ths name, nothing remained but to bestow iijjxm her some peculiar title as a substitute for use while she was in' port here. In a discussion Avhich ensued on the subject among wiharf habitues, the suggestion that she was a "Bonser" found general approval, and it was agreed that for ordinary purposes the new arrival should be known by that name.

A .sii rjgos lion of coiivsiderail)le importance co mercantile, firms has boon made in a letter to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, received from .Messrs Lichtonstoin, Arnoldson and Co. They pin ted out that the d.ates iixed in tihe "termsof payment" by various firms, a.s the latest time at which discounts were allowed, varied considerably. The Wholesale Merchants' Association required payment by the 20th. of the month following the sale, .and fho ■saddlers fixed tiie same date. The Hardware Association adopted the UOt'.i of the ensuing month, wliiie the Wholesale Druggists' and tihe Warehousemen's Associations fixed the 10th of the month. The result of this variety was that firms ha<l to be continually on the watch lest they should lose a discount. The writer suggested that the Chamber should use.' ; ts nifliicnce to secure uniformity in tins respect. The proposal was considered a very useful one by the council, and it was decided to forward copies of the letter to the trading .associations affected.

Questioned by a- press representative in Auckland last Keek is to whether there was any truth in ho nmifiiii' tint it was not proposed to continue the training of territorials, up to the age of 2o ; General God ley replied : "The law says that a man must be trained up to the age <>!' twenty-live, and there- is no intention ol altering tlvo law but, subject to the upkeep of the establishment, the regulations contemplate that, after four year's service, wihieh is the minunium time m which the military authorities consider a niaJi can he made efficient, a man may (it he has made himself eliicient during that time), he allowed to go to the Reserve. The effect of thi.s would ho that a. man would then b<; .able to go to the. Reserve at the age of twenty-two instead of twenty-five, thereby .shortening the training by throe , / years. The age must be retained legally at twenty-live, in case it should be necessary to keep men up to that age, as. for instance, in case the population suddenly -decreased or there occurred an outbreak of an epidemic. The population is, fortunately, increasing, and there is, I hope, no feat of an epidemic. 80 the effect will be that those who wish to go to th'c Reserves will he able to do so .after four years' efficient service." This means that the training period of a territorial is reduced nearly ~>o per cent. It consequently behoves all young men who arc not generally in favour of the military scheme to put all their energies into the work at the start, become efficient retire to the reserves, and thus save themselves several years of training. Eggs arc plentiful just now, and tho"shrowd housekeeper can ensure j plenty for winter use by preserving j them , with " Sanovo," the concen- 1 trated waterglass. A shilling tin , makes enough to preserve «. kerosene j tin full with no risk. Obtainable only from C. S. Keedwell's Pharmacy, Oxford street.—Advt. i