Local and General.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 March 1913, Page 2

Local and General.

The- slock track across the Taraiua ranges, from Eketahuna to the Gladstone road, forms the subject of a letter received by the Levin Chamber of Commerce from the (secretary to the Eketa]iun.ii Chamber of Commerce. The letter suggests that the best possible road that could be formed to give connection with Levin and Ekekihuna would be, by way of Hukanui, a locality which •• about six miles north of TCkotnhuna. It is suggested that the Public Works Department he approached with n view to obtaining a re-survey of this part of the mountains. This matter will come before the Levin Chrmi'hov of Commevco at its next mooting, for discussion. The Levin "Br.-ii-s Bnnd is to plav in the recroalion ground to-morrow, at 2.30 p.m. A collection will be taken ii|> for the instrument fond.

To-nigh t\s programme of pictures lor the Kind's Theatre. Levin. \s said (o lie of marked excellence. Dramatic subjects are -well illustrated, find there will be .shown also various comic imd scenic "films. Mr ■). Gilt's, .sciii-.. ul" Ohau. has leased his I'iirin to Mr J. Crow,'and intends leaving about tlio middle of (his month for a trip to the Old Country. .Mr Oik* will bring his sister hack with him. and they will again settle iat Olinn. Constable. Satherlcy. Inspector <. f Weights .and Measures for the ITorowhenua County, lias practically completed his tour of inspection. fn almost every ca.se. weights. et<- . wen? up t othc standard re<|uired. Otaki M-ail. The Her. fl. 0. Compton will preach at Koputaroa for the last t-imo on Sunday next. The collections on Sunday next, in tlie. Anglican Churches, will be devoted to the work of the Meliiuesiaii Missions. A concert is to be given in Arapacpao Hall next Tuesday evening in aid of Die finances of the hall. The piograinine will be a notable one, and some further particulars regarding it; will be found in Monday'is Chronicle. Philip Jackson, a manufacturer of New York, known as the. "Petticoat King." was arrested on .January :), charged with the embezzlement of 1100.000. He was recently at the head of a flourishing factory, but declared in Court that his company had failed owing to the fashion for the ''hobble" .skirt .since women no longer wore petticoats. JJe i* hel I in bail of £10,000.

I'/xtraeluin papaveris is the euphemistic description of ia. tlecoction I i'fiin |)oppy lii.'ads, and it has been eoining into the country without attracting the attention from the Revenue Collector that opium does. Now the ex tract um has been pounced upon, and from it will be extracted duty of 4s per pound. The reason is that as prepared, according to the British Pharmacopoeia, it approximates in its properties to opium in a degree that, renders it liable to \a per pound duty.

Tllc post master of Bournemouth. .Mr Liugridge said at tlio annual dinner to his .staff that .some yearts ago a high official at St. .Martin's le Grand, iiuding a certain task i.oo ->ti f 1' to tackle, avoided it by waiting the following footnote to the document, under consideration: "''Lot the proper oliickil deal with this in the proper wny." Thus it w.as passed on. .I/or yeai'b the paper has been preserved in the archives at headipiartors.

The solidified petroleum which .ship-owners propose using a.s a substitute for coal on .steamships, ; s claimed to give two and a half times a.s much hejit a.s the winio weight of <'oal. It is burned (says Popular Science Sil'ting.s) like any solid fiici is dust-less, loavoK'iio ash ; and in squ.'iied lilocks it packs very closely

-a fact that, with tlio high heating pmver. greatly increases the vessel's rango. Tlio crude oil if? solidified by boiling, and adding stearic aeid and alcoholic solution of -sodn.

Mv Will Thorne, who noted as bugId- in a procession of taxi-mb strikers at Acton recently, served as a bugler in tlio Scots Guards in the Egyptian campaign of 1881-5. He saw General Stewart shot down and mortally wounded. Ho was in the square which tho Dervishes' rushed and broke, and ho sounded the rail which resulted in the rally of "the square and tho repul.se of the enomy. Tt -was during this time that a Dervish wounded him with a, spear. '1 thought my face was off' at the time." he said in conversation, adding that he killed tho man who wounded him. /

The dark lantern, or bulls-eye, traditionally associated with tho police force is doomed—at least (says the Auckland Herald) that ia tho belief, of many members of tho force in Now Zealand. It is pointed out that the lantern is cumbersome, out-of-date, and, particularly in tho Auckland district, is uncomfortably hot to carry. This latter objection i; put forward as one of tho principal arguments against the use of lanterns, while in addition, it is stated that tho lanterns frequently got out of order and, becoming smoky, form an excellent danger signal to the burglar with the keen nose. The adoption of electric torches, wh'oh, could be stowed away comfortably like the baton, is considered essential.

Mrs Glassford, of Ilnakara, sold ia line of heifer weanere in tho paddock lately to a Taranaki dealer for £'o os. This shows that for good stock thore is always iii demand. Sirs Olassford has gone in always for herd testing, and has sold her calves to the .same man for years, which proves that he must Imvo heen thoroughly satisfied.

Some willow branches and rubbish which -were blocking tho Holcio creek, near Mrs McDonald's, have been taken away. Aβ a result tho ford is at least eighteen inches lower. An old Maori eel pa has also been taken out of tho stream, amf thus further egress will bo afforded for the water. This work has been badly needed for a long time as the water above the ford has been running very sluggishly, while just below (lie ford is a fall of several feet.

. Mr J. JR. Md)on.ald has planted thousands of pines and bluegums on various parts of his property, for shelter. The trees have all been planted on sandy ground, and .ire growing remarkably well. He hopes (o have i\. frrest of them in a fewyears' time. v ln one place they were planted on drifting sand, and now the Kami lias been stopped, and there is a good bed of grass there. "Why not plant them on all the drifts?

On Monday evening. '3rd March. the annual general meeting of the r.i'vin Y.M.C.A. will bo held. Tin whole of the members are urged f<. attend and to nominate new mem-