THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 28 March 1919, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Bishop Sprott will visit Levin on Sunday nest, and conduct services there. Tenders for 700 yards of metal, and applications for the position of ranger, eloso with the clerk (Mr Ayrc) of the Oiulu Town Board on Thursday next. The Levin paper reports that Mr If. Burt’s dairy herd of 12 cows averaged £23 per head for the past season. And still the farmers grumble!

Attention is called to a replace advertisement on our first page of this issue, in which Mr AV. M. Clark, tlie enterprising Levin draper, gives some information that will be interesting to “Mail” readers. Mr Clark has an establishment that the district may well be proud of. and visitors to Levin are always cordially welcomed.

We remind our lenders of tlic unreserved clearing sale, to be held on behalf of Mrs Winter, at Manaknu on Monday, when the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. will offer several fmc lines of cows, I'igs, implements, etc., particulars of which are advertised. The sale, which starts at 12 noon, no doubt will be well attended. ■

“Pukehou,” one of the best known siir-cp farms on this coast, situate between Otaki and Mnnakau, will be offered for sale on the 9th of next month. The land comprises 28S acres, most of which is first-class country, and an ideal place for a homestead and farm. A town section, situate in the vicinity of Otaki Railway, will be sold the same day.

Much of the burden of taxation in the Dominion falls on the farmer. Hence the incidence of charitable aid to the poorer among city dwellers has a vital concern for him, and it gives him a .vital and live interest in the health of the city and environs quite outside the moral and humanitarian aspects. May be these things, added to the fact that 90 per cent of the additional taxation imposed as a result of the war has been placed upon the shoulders of the farmers and business men, have made the farmer sit up and take notice of things political as ho never has before. The National Efficiency League numbers in its ranks many of the best and brainiest farmers and business men in the Dominion. They are convinced that Prohibition ■means more efficiency, more production, reduced taxation, reduced cost of living and'less social unrest. There's only one ticket for the farmer on Thursday,. April 10. and that’s the one he's going to vote. Strike out the top line."

A correspondent. “Descendant.” veto recently visited' Paremata and teas struck by the appearance of tlie rains of> a building .on the level stretch at the Plimmerton end of the bridge, has asked what historical interest the rains have. Her question was placed before Mr Elsdon Best, of the Dominion Museum, who stated that the building was erected in 1546 as the barracks for 1 the Imperial troops who landed in that year to garrison the district against hostile natives,, and took part in ihe fighting in the Pahautanui district. The force included one or two companies of the sSth Regiment, and these men remained at the barrac-ks for some time after the. native rising had been quelled, being occupied in connection with the formation of the road to I3orirna. The earthquake of I£4-S damaged • the stone barracks considerably, and i the troops then abandoned the building ias b barracks and camped in tents within the stockade dating the reraninaer of the two or three years they re- ’ mained in the district. A second severe i earihouake in 1*53 destroyed the upper stories, of the building, and now on!* a { bare- tumble-down walls, six or eight feet "in height, remain.

A fortnightly series of dances at To Horo will commence this evening. A heifer is advertised 'as haring strayed on Mr Reynolds’ property «t ; Eangiuru.

The latest addition to the local telephone exchange is the name of the Kahui Co-op. Dairy Co.—No. S 3. A big Red Cross shop will be held at Levin to-morrow, in aid of the Horowkemui County Patriotic Fund.

There is every indication that in the near future the manufacture of sugar-of-milk in the Dominion will form an important industry. “New Zealand Dairyman.”

Strange things hud their way into farmers’ milk cans occasionally, but who would expect to see a stick of blasting gelignite in a milk pail? This actually happened at the Ractihi Dairy Co. ’s works recently. As gelignite “goes off” with concussion it is a case of what might have been. The local Natives are making big preparations to receive the “boys from overseas,” who have done yehman service at the front, and who arc to arrive in New Zealand on sth April. . A dinner will be accorded the Otaki boys, and a social, at which all will bo welcome, will be held in tho evening.

Standard boot proposals are now in the final stages, and the scheme should soon be ready for trying out, according to a statement by Mr W. G. McDonald, of the Board of Trade. The Board, which is now in Auckland, will hold a conference witli boot manufacturers on the subject of the standardisation of boots, aud representatives of the tanners intend to wait upon tho Board regarding the price of leather. This journal has upon many occasions pointed out how progress is hindered in tho Patea district by large holdings. Hundreds of families could be comfortably settled there on good land close to good roads, dairy factories and schools. Mr G. V. Pearce, M.P., it is alleged by Mr Powdrell, Holds about 4000 acres of it. Soldiers who want land must go to the backblocks for it. It would be good for this Dominion if another John McKenzie would arise and fight for “land for the people.”—“Eltliaru Argus.”

It was stated in a sheep worrying case at Feilding that during the summer months, when herding fat- sheep, a local drover received £3O to £32 per month. Examined regarding the values of dogs, an export witness declared that a really good leading dog was worth £2O, and a good forcer (“a quiet worker behind the sheep”) from £l2 to £ls. Counsel retorted that at a sale of sheep dogs in Feilding last Friday the animals brought from £1 10s to £3. “Thou they were not much good,” was the instant reply. A South Island visitor had offered £2O for a Feilding leading dog, was another statement by a witness.

Mysterious deaths of some draught horses have occurred lately at Takapuna (states the “Auckland Star”), and so far the reason has not transpired. Tho Takapuna Borough Council’s horses, which are stabled at night, have not suffered, but three hired horses left in the paddock died. The Government veterinary officer was called in, and as a result of a postmortem states that ho found traces of irritant poison. Tho horses appear to have staggered about, and then, laid down to die. Analysis of the food failed to disclose any signs of poison, and' as far as is known no deleterious shrubs are growing in the paddock. Will Germany ever recover her industrial position in the world? Mr R. C. Martens, a New York shipping authority, holds the view that it is

very problematical. Germany, formerly one of the largest manufacturing countries in the world, is, Mr Martens contends, not only in a bad stato generally, but is in a specially bad state in view of the fact that she has lost her main sources of raw Material —Alsace and Lorraine. For thin reason, it is contended, it must take Germany a considerable time to recover her industrial position, “if ever she does so.’’ Thus Germany’s shipping losses are not so serioiu to her as they would appear to be on the surface, for it follows that Germany will not require anything like the enormous carrying capacity that she would under ordinary peace conditions.

The alleged shortcomings of the Farmers’ Union, which seem to be as prolific a subject of discussion as, say, noxious weeds in Hamilton, were again before the executive of the Waikato sub-provincial district on Friday afternoon. After several speakers had ven, tilated their grievances, Mr Duxfield said maybe he was an optimist, but he wanted to sound a new note. He .thought the progress made by the Farmers' Union in the Auckland province had been great, largely as a result of the formation of the sub-provin-cial areas. There was particularly teen enthusiasm in the north, where three had been formed. Of course, they were up against the financial problem, and the farmers were a difficult body to or- , ganise. but they ought to be optimistic. In the Auckland district the union had-reac-hc-d a membership no £ touched before.

The latest news of Mr Massey and Sir -Joseph Ward, gathered from othc-r sources .than those ordinarily open to the public, is that both the Ministers are being kept very busy in connection with the Peace Conference. The little misunderstanding in regard to a second delegate from New Zealand was speedily overcome in a way entirely satisfactory to them both, and Sir Joseph Ward’s status in the proceedings is now no less distinguished than that of his chief. It is certain that the Dominion will be represented in London by a resident Minister, an arrangement which, will wake frequent trips Home by other Ministers unnecessary. This, of course,

will he subject to" the approval of Parliament, bur thar is scarcely likely to

he withheld. The signing of peace will be followed quickly by the return or Lett Ministers to yew Zealand. —“Pel* metrics Standard,’/

■ Tho next , sitting of the SAL Court it Otaki will be held on May 2nd.

Palmerston - North on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

The Otaki State School Committee wishes to thank all who helped make Wednesday's picnic the success it proved to be.

• Business at tho S.M. Court at Otaki to-day was disposed of within an hour, no time being lost on the eases heard. Farms still continue to change hands in this district, among the latest being Mr Frank Laugesen’s and Mr Pegg’s, of Waihoanga, both of whom have sold to Messrs Coley and Corrigan.

Summonses have been issued against a number of Shannon residents for failing to deal with pests on their fruit trees. The cases will be heard at the next sitting of the Magistrate’s Court in Levin.

An old couple living at Himatangi, aud whe for years past havo derived the best part of thoir living from beekeeping, had their swarms and hives destroyed by a departmental officer owing to non-compliance with the regulations governing bcc-fanuiug. The Millerton and Granity (West Coast) coalminers struck yesterday, morning. The mines are completely idle. The Millerton correspondent of rhe “Westport Times” alleges that tho men havo had substantial grievances for many months past. Tho cash received for the Wellington Anglican Cathedral fund amounts to £9463, in addition to definite promises of £25,(100 and also £2200 from -the old site for the cathedral. The total to date is £66,663. Plans nro boing submitted to Sir Aston Webb, President of the Royal Academy. A Scotch preacher on Sunday found his congregation going to sloop beforo he had fairly begun. On seeing this he stopped and exclaimed: “Brethren, it’s no fair. Wait till I get a start, and then if I am no’ worth listening tae, gang to sleep. But dinna nod ycr pows before I pet commenced. Gio a buddy a chance.”

The steamer Ooma, now loading at Lyttelton, will take away a cargo of tallow and edible fats, valued approximately at £500,000. This is claimed to be tho world’s record shipment of fat, and tho clearing o.ut of the stores and release of railway trucks is proving a boon to freezing companies and tho Railway Department. Replying to a question whether the peace celebrations would be held on the signiug of the preliminary treaty or on the signing of tho final intcrnatienal pact, tho Acting-Prime Minister said that hs had cabled to England inquiring what tho intention of tho authorities in Britain was, but had not received a reply yet.

The Minister for Defence wishes the public of New Zealand to take notico of the fact that the regulations forbidding the supply of liquor to soldiers on troop trains aro being frequently broken. Sir James Allen points out that this has led to pathetic incidents, and he has issued instructions that tho regulations are to be strictly enforced.

A motor car accident occurred in the Motucka Valley oil Wednesday. A car containing Haxold Oldham, of Blenheim, C. Harris, Pelorus Sound, S. Coote, Eastern Extension Company, and Mrs Harold Oldham, was passing a cart at a portion of the road where the edge is overgrown with blackberries, when tho car went over the edge and overturned. Harris sustained a fractured skull, and was removed to a private hospital in Motueka in a precarious condition.

Readers are reminded of tho public meeting to be held at Brights’ Theatre, Otaki, to-night, when Mrs A. E, Atkinson and Mr Denton, of Wellington, will give addresses on the Prohibition question, dealing more particularly on the efficiency- aspect. Mrs Atkinson is recognised as one of the cleverest and most sane women speakers in Wellington, while Mr Denton ha 3 long been associated with the Prohibition movement, and is a capital, logics! speaker. There should be a good attendance at to-night's meeting, in view of the forthcoming licensing poll on April 10. The same speakers will also give addresses at the Theatre on Sunday and Wednesday evenings, as advertised.

Bootgaaking.T-F. Barrett wishes to notify the public of Otaki and district that he has resumed business as boot and shoemaker. Old and new customers please take notice.. Address: Dunstan Street, Otaki. —Advt. •