General Items.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 247, 16 February 1906, Page 2

General Items.

‘ : f er 1 L! '■ l u ca ' ■ be donn A ry on-Tryn, '•'l at tbe church Indiana "b ’ ' could tide a fly mill, and as bis widow paid the bet, she remarked : “ William was a kind bus band, but he diun’t know much about flywheels.” A dinner service of pure gold has been manufactured by a Sheffield firm for an Indian rajah. It will be used on the occasion of his entertaining the Prince and Princess of Wales during their visit to India. It is of 18 carat gold, and weighes over 4,000 ounces.

la the dosing event of the horee show at Norfolk, Virginia, Mr. Howard Willetts’s horse Hether Bloom was ( ridden over a barrier 7ft lOin high, thus establishing a record. Mr William Baker, chairman of tbe council of the Baruardo Homes, hns been unanimously chosen to succeed tbc late Dr'Baruardo on the director- ’ ate of tbe homes. Mr Baker is resign- ’ ing a lucrative Chancery practice in ‘ order to take up ths position. ‘ Don’t ask which is Wallace,” says waggish scribe in referring to the ( New Zealand footballers. “If you see a man dash past four Englishman, throw another into touch and when tackled by five more, kick a goal you may be sure that is Waiiace.” Among tbe immigrants from the 011 Country who arrived at Auckland bj 1 the Ayrshire last week is a lady of 1 seventy-nine years. She is a native of 1 Shetland Islands. Tbe old lady and her children and grandchildren, who accompany her, have decided to make Auckland their future home. Overheard on wharf.—Mr B.: Have you seen the summer goods Jonathan Ltd. have just landed ? They are i eimply lovely and the prices are ex- ’ oeedingly low. Mr C. : No. I have 1 only just landed by launch, but I always procure my drapery there. I fitd their goods are always of best quality, the prices are right and a 1 good assortment to pick from Mr 1 B. : Yes . that is so and I advise everybody to inspect before they bay elsewhere.* A novel conpetition for smokers has just been held at Laeken, a suburb of Brussels. Each competitor was provided with a clay pipe (“Pipe en terre”) and one eighth of an ounce of tobacco and the task was to keep this alight as long as possible. Competitors, to the number of 200, came from all parts of Belgium, Antwerp, La Louviere, Charleroi, and other provincal towns being represented. The first prize was won by M. Kos, who is believed to have established a record by making his pipa last for 3 hours 7 minutes. The shortest smoke in the prize list was Mr. Saboo’s 2 hours 8 minutes. One of the competitors explained that the secret of success lay in the method of filling the pipe. The best way to do this, be said, is to pack the tobacco loosely in the lower part of tbe pipe, press it tightly together in the centre, and more freely at the top. Many clubs in Belgium have been training for the com petition for a long time, and the object of the display was to demonstrate that more pleasure and less harm is derived from slow smoking than from puffing away a pipe load in a few minutes. The present system of valuing land for taxation and rating purposes (says the Rangitikei Advocate) is one of the most iniquitous that has ever been devised, and it is only tolerated because certain parties interested in its maintenance. The local bodies, naturally have no objection to values being artificially raised, because this means that while there will be no need to increase the proportion in the £ levied, there will necessarily be a large increase in the total revenue derived. A local body can, therefore, calmly view any increase in the valuation, even if it is a hundred per oeut more than the previous amount. Then, again, the owner who wants to sell has a direct interest in the forcing up of values, and is glad to be fortified by the figures on the rate book if the intending pup. chaser makes enquiries. Even the man who has no immediate intention of selling is rather pleased than otherwise if his land is made to appear of grater value, just as some confess to larger incomes when the taxgatherer is collecting, in order that they may be held in higher esteem on account of their wealth or ability. It is noticeable that every fresh valuation that occurs means a very large increase in values, an increase which is by no means justified, because actual value of tbe land has not been increased.

“ To discontinue advertising,” says John Wanamaker, the millionaire, “ is like taking down your sign. If you want to do business you must let the people know it. Standing advertisements when frequently changed, are batter and cheaper than reading notices. They look more substantial and business like, and inspire confi deuce. I would as soon think of doing business without a clerk as without advertising.” This is advice which all business men would do well to follow, but it must be borne in mind that the advertising medium must be tbe best obtainable. We can confidently say that in consequence of its* large circulation, The Kawhia Settler is one k of the best papers to advertise in.