DISTRICT PARS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 8, 14 December 1906, Page 2

DISTRICT PARS.

The District Traffic Manager of Railways announces that holiday excursion tickets in connection with the Christmas and New Year holidays will be issued as from the 17th instant to 2nd January, available to return up to the 16th February next. The English cricket team, to tour New Zealand, arrived Auckland on Sunday last and proceeded to Rotorua on Monday morning. The first match of the tour is to be played at Auckland on December 14th, 15th, and 17th. The Dunedin Evening Star is responsible for the statement that Auckland, Wellington, and New Plymouth will each receive an additional member as a result of the readjustment of the electoral boundaries. A contributor sends the following item to a contemporary:—"Skim milk as a fertiliser for crops is interresting many farmers abroad, several of whom declare that astonishing results have come from its use. In the vicinity of one farm a dairy had a lot of skim milk that could not be used. Two farmers took the milk and poured it on their lands as an experiment. One emptied seventy-five cans and another one hundred and fifty cans. Remarkable results have been obtained. Their grass is now seven times as vigorous as onadjoiningfields where the milk was not used, but which were covered with commercial fertilisers.

In a recent message from Wellington, Mr T. W. Kirk, head of the biology and horticultural divisions of the Department of Agriculture, stales that the prospects of the potato crop for this year are good. The blight has made its appearance in a number of places, but the dry weather has T prevented it from spreading exten- * sively. The disease is dependent on excessive humidity, but Mr Kirk gives utterance to the warning that it is not safe to neglect spraying, as, should a lengthened spell of wet weather ensue, the result might even yet be disastrous to unsprayed crops. A painful accident happened at Te Kuiti to one of Mr J. Seymour's sons on Monday last. The boy, who is only 6 years old, was with a companion who was playing with a fish spear. In spearing imaginary trout, the lad accidently drove the weapon through young Seymour's foot, and an operation had to be undergone before the spear could be extricated. Doctor Brooks administered ehloroforpi and performed the necessary operation, and the lad is now doing well. Word has been received from Mr Jennings, M.H.R., that the Minister for Lands will probably tour the King Country during the latter end of February. Mr Jennings states that the itinerary has not been definitely arranged, but when it is, he will forward the news, so that the public can be apprized of the exact dates through the medium of the Chronicle. Mr Jennings intends accompanying the Minister on the tour.

At the Ngaruawahia races, last week, Mr N. I. Hunt's horses were successful in two events, Powhiri winning the Maiden and Keep Step the Flying Handicap. It is reported that Mr W. Taylor, of Greenhill, has lodged a protest • against the judge's decision at the Waikato show in the class for cow or hcilcr, three years-old, in calf or with calf at foot". The judges gave the prize to the Government Excrimcntal Farm's exhibit. Mr Taylor's objection is based on the score of age. Mr Grcenslade, M.H.R., has received word from Sir Joseph Ward that the Hangatiki - Waitomo telephone extension will be shortly put in hand.

At the Te Kuiti Police Court on Wednesday last, before Mr A.Scholes, J.P , Jerry H. Graham, of Mangapeehi, pleaded guilty to fishing for trout, without a license, and was convicted and lined £2, and costs £l ss. The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce has been notified by the Telegraph Department, that the establishment Of a telephonic communication between Auckland and Hamilton has been authorised, and will be put in hand at once. The Cambridge Chamber of Commerce has been joined by the Hamilton Chamber in an agitation for similar facilities between Combridge and Hamilton and intermediate stations.

During his recent speech at Napier, the Premier stated 1 lint the revenue for the eight months of the present year was £404,000 belter than for the first eight months of the previous year. Last year we had received the enormous sum of £16,000,000 sterling for produce sent out of the colony. The Hon. J. A. Millar, in referring to the Land Bill recently, said he did not think a graduated land tax would answer in compelling large owners to reduce the size of their estates. In order to be effective the tax would require to be so heavy that it would not pay owners to keep surplus land, and they would have to sell large portions of land at once. Two million pounds worth of land would be placed on the market at one time, and the result would be a depreciation in land values all over the colony. It was better to have 10 years in which the land would bcligradually thrown open to the people as provided in the proposed land bill. After making inquiries the Minister for Mines lias informed the Auckland House Painters' Industrial Union of Workers that he is unable to hold out any hope, at present, of granting the Union's request for the acquisition by the State of a coal mine in the Aculcland province, and the establishment of depots in the city, on the ground that the retail prices of locally-pro-duced coal do not appear to be unreasonable.