King Country Chronicle Wednesday, June 1, 1910 LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 264, 1 June 1910, Page 2

King Country Chronicle Wednesday, June 1, 1910 LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A practice by members of the ladies' hockey club will take place to-morrow and Friday on the ground recently laid out across the swing bridge. A meeting of householders for electing a school committee for the ensuing year will be held on Monday next at 7 p.m., at the schoolroom. Mr C. B. Lever notifies the abrival of a consignment of hama from the Eltham Bacon Factory. The quality of this factory's goods is unexcelled, and householders wanting a choice ham or side of bacon should pay Mr Lever's auction rooms a visit. We are indebted to Mr T. E. Foy for the following record of the rainfall for the month of May at Te Kuiti: — 9tb, .28 inches; 10th, .08; 11th, .30; 12th, .06; 13th, .01; 14th, .75; 15th, .47; 16th, .75; 17th, .29; 26th, 0.9; 28th, .09; 29th, .06; 31st, 49 in; total, 3.69 inches on 13 days.

Major Lusk was unanimously elected president of the Auckland provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union on Friday last. Mr James Boddie was elected a member of the executive.

In the race for the sculling championship of Australia on Saturday, Pearce defeated Hagn«y, the ex cycling champion, by twenty lengths. Hagney, it will be remembered, challenged Webb, after the big sculling handicap on the Wanganui river. Two prisoners have escaped from the Whakarewarewa prison camp near Rotorua. One, Rees Nicholson, was serving a sentence of three years for arson at Taumarunui, the other, Arthur George Hellerman, 17 years of age, was serving three years for breaking and entering at Te Kuiti. The Minister of Railways has replied to hi 3 Worship the Mayor (Mr J. Boddie) that he regrets he cannot break his journey at Te Kuiti, but will be prepared to meet the Borough Council "at the railway station on his way through and discuss matters in connection with station requirements, stock yards, etc. Mr McLymont, of Pio Pio, had an unfortunate accident last week. He had been leading a young horse round the paddock, when, < the animal bolted, pulling Mr McLymont to the ground and dislocating his ankle. Dr Fullerton was called on Sunday, and cased it in plaster of Paris. The sufferer is now progressing nicely. Mr W. T. Jennings, M P., had an interview with the Railway Department during his visit to Wellington and made representations about the cattle yards at Te Kuiti station. He is to be furnished with a report on the matter. Mr Jennings asked for the removal of the cattle yards, even if the bigger proposals contemplated could not be carried out at once. For the best and most comprehensive collection of agricultural, dairy and pastoral produce, and manufactured articles produced or made on the exhibitor's farm, the Walkato Winter Show Association offers the substantial prizes of £2O, £lO and £5. It is hoped that competition in this class will tend to demonstrate the productiveness of Wailcato lands, and the skill of the farmers.

The Government has secured the Tapuae-Hounuku Block, of several thousand acres, which it is proposed to throw open for selection early next autumn. Mr Carroll has completed the road survey of the Taumatatotara Block, and his scheme has been approved by the department. This excellent block, comprising some 11,000 odd acres, has been almost wholly acquired by the Crown, and will be thrown open shortly. On Monday last week Mrs W. Noble, who for the past 26 years has been a resident of Stratford, passed away, at the age of 73. The deceased was widely known and respected and leaves a family of three—Mr James Noble (Hamilton), Mr W. Noble (Masterton), and Mrs Hitchcock (Te Kuiti). Mr W. Noble, who survives his wife, is now in his 85th year, and will have much sympathy In his bereavement. The interment took place last Wednesday afternoon atSlratford. Mr Jennings went into the matter of the erection of the Mapara bridge during his recent visit to Wellington. The Minister of Public Works said he would be prepared to allow a bonus to the successful contractor, if the bridge were erected in time for the next milking season, and would also have a report made in connection with the erection of a smaller bridge nearer Pio Pin. School and postal matters were also gone into and will be reported on later.

The "Imperial pioneers" are getting a warm reception at the-meetings they are addressing at Home. This is from the Shoreditch meeting report: —Mr Tom Brooks (a local chimney sweep, and a member of the local guardians, standing on a chair): "If Mr Balfour is going to let Canadian corn come in free, what benefit will it be to the British farmer?" Mr Mulloy (the Canadian pioneer), vaguely: "General prosperity and lessening of taxation." Mr Brooks: "Then what about Chamberlain's statement that he would put a 10 per cent, tax on'the food of the people to help the colonies?" (No reply audible). An amusing instance of evasion of the extra railway freight on imported timber by a backblocks farmer was brought under the notice of the Farmers' Union Provincial Conference at Christchurch. The farmer imported some timber for hurdles, and was informed by the railway authorities that he would have to pay freight and ahalf to get it sent to his district. He protested, but as he got no satisfaction, he resolved to go another way to work. He had the timber made into hurdles in town, and the timber in this manufactured form was sent on to him. The hurdles took up three trucks, while the unmanufactured timber would only have' occupied one. The farmer, however, got his hurdles at half freight less than he would have had to pay for the timber in its original state.

The special fruit industry number of the "New Zealand Farmer," has just reached us, and presents a most attractive range of practical articles on this interesting occupation. The illustrations fairly make one's mouth water. Why is it that huge fields of raspberries, strawberries, peaches, pears and apples are cultivated in other parts of New Zealand, and so little of the fruit reaches Te Kuiti or the King Country? It is true strawberry baskets are made at Otorohanga, but we want something more than that. The cover of this special number gives a beautiful reproduction of a basket of strawberries. It is about as close as we, in these remote inland parts, get to that attractive fruit. The development of such bodies as the Waitemata Fruitgrowers' Co-operative Society, the annual meetingof which is reported in the number under review, will probably do much in the direction of distributing fruit rapidly in the season to all parts of the island. This number of the "Farmer" is a credit to printer, publisher and editor, and should be in the hands of all who take the slightest interest in the welfare and growth;of one of our most promising industries.