MISCELLANEOUS.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 4 February 1920, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

In the Sydney “Daily Telegraph” Of 23rd January last appeared Ihos news item: —“The new retail rates for Australian manufactured tobacco came into forca yesterday. Neither cigars, cigarettes, nor imported manufactured tobaccos are increased in price. ” This foots makes interesting reading for New Zealand smokers, who are now paying an extra three-halfpence an ounce for tobacco.

An old building on the hill side near Awahuri, which was recently demolished, was many years ago the site of a mysterious whisky still, the location of which baffled the police for a long time. Located in a cellar, access to which could oniv bo gained by lifting the hearth stone, the still worked overtime for about two years. The fumes wore disposed of by a pipe leading tip throagh the kitchen chimney, in which a good fire hid all trace until it was cleverly located by the late Constable Tuohy,

A Taranaki correspondent of the “Doininion” writes to point out the grave danger arising from the general practice of killing calves. He states that between 30,000 and 40,000 calves have been killed in the Waikato this spring, whilo the report of one Taranaki firm "alone stated that, for the November sale, 5100 calfskins were catalogued, and the stock inspectors estimate the killings in Taranaki at 40 per cent. So many freezing works are now operating (many of them overlapping one another), that the slaughter Of calves is suicidal, for in two or three years beef will bo unobtainable.

Eggs, as every housewife knows, are an important and expensive constituent in many kinds of cake, and substitutes are used in the form of egg powders and pulp, especially in commercial pastry cookery. In flic interests of their business the Poultry Breeders’ Association has agitated for the prohibition of the importation of egg pulp, but delegates at the Master Bakers’ Conference at Wellington last week took the opposite stand. They contended that evidence showed that the imported egg pulp was produced under proper sanitary conditions, and that it was a pure and wholesome article. It was pointed out that sufficient eggs were not being produced in the Dominion, and if the importation were stopped the price" of eggs would be forced up to an unreasonable extent, which would be against the interests of the public, as well as of the pastrycook. It was resolved to place the pastrycooks’ side of the question before Parliament and the Board of Trade.

The welcome announcement has been made in Christchurch that the price of meat in that city has been reduced a penny a pound. This (says the Christchurch “Star”) is the outcomo of an agreement come to by tho master butchers at Addington sale yards, and it is warranted by the present prices of stock. During the period when stock values ruled so high, said a prominent butcher, Is per pound was being paid for mutton on the market, and the best parts were ultimately retailed in the shops at the same price. “Forequarters of mutton,” continued the master butcher, “are a drag with us just now, and necks and breasts are hard to sell. People don’t want stews. Shins of beef, too, are not only easy trading—as the term has it, they are neglected. The majority of people to-day all want the best cut they don't want the cheaper meat.”

The Colonial Sugar Company has notified Mr W. Bottrell, chairman of the Christchurch Advisory Committee of the Board of Trade, that it has been unable to allot any sugar for Canterbury by the Mokoia. which is now on the way south from Auckland, and that no further supplies may be looked for until the Mono-.vai takes a cargo south this week, the vessel being duQ at Lyttelton about next Saturday. In these circumstances Mr Bottrell strongly urges storekeepers and householders to husband their supplies. Mr A. D. Ford. Mayor of Riccarton, who has just returned from a trip to Australia, stated to a “Press” representative in Christchurch that the sugar shortage on the other side was even more acute than it was in New Zealand. The shortage was particularly apparent in Sydney, where in many hotels all that could be supplied was brown sugar. Speaking of merchandise generally, Mr Ford said that stocks were being held very light, and some-merchants were-not inclined to quote at all" for export.

Net fishing is a favourite pastime at Paekakariki just now, and some very “fine hauls of sole, flounder, kahuwai, cod, groper, moki and king fish have been made during the past few weeks. There are two parties who go out, and /when they are operating the beach is lined with spectators, many of whom, being from the country, have never seen fishing of this kind carried on before. When the nets arc being hauled in all hands, young and old, g ive a hand, and there is great excitement j among the smaller fry when the con- j tents of the net are emptied on to the j sands. There is a lot of luck about f fisMng. though, or as a local spori who was visiting the beach on Sunday re- } marked, “it is more uncertain than j picking winners.” This particular s sport was induced io take a hand at I the game, and after hearing the tales j of the marvellous catches that had j been made, expected to see a cart load of fish brought ashore, but when the j net was drawn in all he could see was i a few undesized sole, a couple of very ' small kah'uwai and an oil drum. ;