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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, 21 January 1908, Page 4

The ‘‘Rangitikei Advocate” will not be issued on Wednesday next, Anniversary Day. It is stated that on a Wairarapa station no less than 1000 deer have been killed within a month. They are becoming a great pest, and settlers, to protect their holdings, are slaughtering them wholesale. Mr H. G, Gordon, who was advertised to take part in the Haydn Beck concert on Thursday evening has through unavoidable indisposition been replaced by Mr Bert Anderson of Wanganui who has a fine basso voice. A notable catch was made on Friday at the mouth of the Henui river. New Plymouth, when a monster stingaree was beached. The stranger covered a floor space, of fully four square feet, and was about twelve inches through the thickest part of the body. Those members of Royal Rifles who have not yet obtained the necessary equipment for the field day manoeuvres to-morrow may do so on application to the Drill Shed this evening at 8 o’clock. The corps will entrain at Pukepapa at 9 a.m.

The statement that three women, three children and thirty men were cut off by a fire near Makotuku is incorrect. Everyone got away without the slightest difficulty, after burying their furniture in a trench. It is reported that the saws and belts were saved at Gammau’s mill, which was destroyed, but Gamman Bros, lose sixty thousand feet of sawn timber, the mill, machinery and buildings. An interesting point in connection with the bowling tournament at Auckland, noted by a Masterton Club representative, was that “driving” was never indulged in by the firstclass men. ‘ ‘ There were players at the tournament,” he said to a Wairarapa Daily Times reporter, “who could bowl a needle over (so expert were they), but the “driving” game was invariably preferred. Where the second rate bowlers took to “drives” the result was almost always disastrous to their chances.

An Auckland bowler writes to the press complaining that the game of bowls has been chosen and the greens invaded by such a very large army of young men players—men who, in the natural course of events as followed out by the older generations of men when they were 'young, should be qualifying themselves for distinction in other and. more suitable branches of athletics. A minimum age limit in bowling is 'suggested, unless a candidate is physically unfit to follow up cricket, football, rowing, and other kindred games.

The black shag has been under the ban of Christchurch Acclimatisation Society for some years, ou the ground of his frequent destruction of young trout, aud there has been a price on his head. At its last meeting the society was asked by Mr E. F. Stead to remove the disqualification of the bird. Mr Stead urged that"shags really did far less damage than eels, and were fast disappearing. The society decided that as the rivers very well stocked—some of them even overstocked —with trout, tlte destruction of the shag was no longer necessary, and his sentence was cancelled.

Mr Bolt, business manager of Taieri aud Peninsula Dairy Factory, who has recently visited England, reports strongly against the proposal to open retail shops for the sale of New Zealand butter aud cheese. “New Zealand butter as such” ho says “is not known to the retail trade in England. Butter at the present time is sold at Home as ‘best butter,’ irrespective of where it is made. ’'’ Not only is this so, but Mr Bolt is convinced that all butter is manipulated after arriving in London. At one establishment where he friendly terms with the manager Mr Bolt saw New Zealand butter being taken out of boxes for mixing with other butter. He endeavoured to ascertain how the .butter was handled, but they would not let him into that part of the secret. ’ ’

One of the grievances of the Rotorua native is that all the native fish are falling victims to the trout. Their favourite kouia (the fresh water crayfish) is s’haiing the fate'of the other native fish and the Maoris are loud aud bitter in their complaints against the ravages of the voracious trout. The grievance is not palliated in the eyes of the natives by their prohibition from catching trout without a license. One native, who caught two or three trout at the beginning of the season, were fined for the act, although the fish were taken from a creek the land ou both sides of which was owned by him. “Where does the Treaty of Waitangi come in?” the wondering native asks.

Some months ago the butter experts of the various states of the Commonwealth met in conference in Melbourne and attempted to arrange a uniform method of grading for export. Formerly points were awarded according to different scales in different States, with the result that Australian butter ou the British market was of varying grades. At the last conference a standard scale was arranged. It was agreed that certain qualities in butter were to be awarded certain points, and that in this way uniformity of grading would be accomplished. It has now been found that the experts, even when tied down to a certain extent in regard to their awards, have succeeded in grading differently. A fresh conference lias been called together, when a further effort will be made to standardise the grading, so as to give a uniformity to all Australian butter.

It is now in full swing, the colossal summer sale at the Bon Marche. All classes of summer goods are now being sold at greatly reduced prices and surplus stock is marked down regardless of cost. Messrs Spence & Spence guarantee big savings on all purchases made during the sale.* Shirts that; will wear is what we sell. Heavy bine grandull shirts 2s lid, 8 6d, to 4s 6d, strong flax shirts 2s lid, 3s 3d, 8s 6d. White tennis shirts 2s lid, 3s Gd and 4s Gd, merino under shirt Is lid, 2s Gd, 2s lid, merino underpants 2s Gd, 3s Gd. Wrtie to Neal, Cash Oothier, Folding, and encose cash and sisse of shirts you require, and he will pay the postage.*

A private telegram was received at Feilding yesterday announcing the death of Sergeant Twomey the onetime popular officer in charge of the Feilding. station. He was at Onehunga at the time of his death. The interment will take place at Feilding- ‘‘ Do I love George?’ ’ mused Olara softly, “or is itr simply a sister’s affection that 1 feel for . ” Just then Bobby burst noisily into the room and interrupted her sweet meditations. “Get out of here, you young scamp!” she shouted, and seizing him by the arm she pushed him through tne door. “Ah, no,” she sighed, as she resumed her interrupted train of thought, “my love for George is not a sister’s love. It is sweeter, purer, higher, and holier.”

It is not illegal to drive on the wrong side fo the road. Mr Riddell, S.M., decided so at Wellington last week. He upheld the defence that there was no special by-law to prohibit drivers from using the righthand side. Counsel for the defence quoted decisions of Judges Prendergast and Edwards in support of this view. However, the law does not always ignore the rule of the road. If a collision occurs the man on the wrong side is almost invariably held responsible, and if anyone has to pay damages it is that one. Besides it is safer to .observe the rule.

The British dairyman must look to his laurels, for he is threatened with a very serious competition from Germany in the form of frozen milk, imported in blocks. Instead of measuring out his commodity into jugs or cans, the future milkman will drive round leaving pint or gallon blocks of milk at his customers’ doors. The American Consul at Chemnitz, in a recent report to iiis Government, deals with the many advantages of frozen milk over the liquid article. Apart from the increased facilities of transport, frozen milk, he says, preserves unchanged its original properties for weeks.

The monster picnic promoted by tne Marton Friendly Society’s Committee to bo held at Porewa tomorrow (Anniversary Day) promises to be a big success. An ideal place has been secured on Mr J. Nesbit’s as special railway concessions have been arranged, it is expected a large number of people from Marton and elsewhere will avail themselves of this opportunity for spending an enjoyable day. The Marton Band will supply a programme of music and the committee have arranged quite a programme of attractions and the children will be specially catered for in this respect. The train leaves Marton Juncton at 9.35 and returns from Porewa at 6.30 p.m. Visitors are requested to bring their own refreshments, but hot water will be provided free.

Questioned regarding the shortage of women for factories and domestic work, Mr Miller said :—“I have been going into the matter, and obtaining all the possible information, and this I intend laying before the Cabinet; but Ido not think that the Government have any intention of inaugurating a general immigration policy, though they ; may see the necessity for doing something in the direction of providing more domestic servants. Australia has a definite scheme underway, and it seems to be attracting a good number of domestic servants to the wealth. Steps are being taken privately throughout the Dominion to get girls from Great Britain. Ladies in Napier have imported between thirty and forty girls. People are coming to the Dominion of their own accord,” the Minister added, “and are absorbed as soon as they arrive. ’ ’ A consignment of ladybirds has been received by the Government pomologist (Mr Boucher) from California. Two species have been secured, both native to California. They are both valuable for controlling different species of aphis on general crops, but one in particuar is suited for controlling the woolly aphis, or American blight (as it is sometimes called), on apple trees. This latter class of ladybird unfortunately has not arrived in such large numbers as could have been wished, but arrangements have been vmade for specially breeding them at the Waerenga experimental farm, with a view to their distribution later. The ladybirds not required for special purposes at Waerenga willsbe distributed at once, the intention of the Department being to supply, or send supplies, to every district in the Dominion.

With reference, to the suggestion that the Railway Department should provide a separate carriage for the accommodation of women and children on through trains,* the stationmaster at Auckland told a Herald representative that the experiment had been tried on the DunedinChristchurch express, and it had proved a failure. The carriage was seldom patronised by ladies, who evidently preferred the company of gentlemen. As a consequence, after the ladies’ carriage had been given a trial “for a year or two,” the Department had taken it . off altogether., and it had not beenresumedl There had been next to no inquiry for it since. While occasionally a woman with a family might regard it as a boon, it would never pay the Department to run empty carriages for most of the journeys.’

How difficult it is for man to separate himself from his daily work (says the Sydney Morning Herald), A man of any trade removed however far frcm the place where he is employed, and given absolutely new conditions, will invariably revert to the old. The teacher is an aggravated example, though he enjoys more vacations than the men of any other profession. These cessations of his work should be used to the utmost capacity to take him out of it. Once launched on vacation, the teacher should seek a society where no other teachers are to be found, or, if found, not recognised. During vacation every teacher should become a social leper to every other teacher. Department under-secreta--ries, inspectors, chief and otherwise, syllabuses, and grievances, should be shut out of conversation entirely. Oould every teacher do this, how much better equipped to renew his work he would return. Yet how few attempt such a means of com-plete-mental rest and revivification. If they go touring they go in groups, in parties. There is one in New Zealand to-day; there are many in Tasmania not officially branded, but still teachers. They play cricket together, and talk shop between over and innings. Their summer schools are crowded. The children are the only vacationists. There is an unconscious wisdom in childhood..

The collection amongst memboi of the Seventh Day' Adventists’ Ooi ference at Cambridge produced £315 j Cambridge reports a long spell of the hottest weather experienced fa . many years. Bain is badly needed. Alexander Guthrie, who. had bee remanded for a week for medit treatment, was convicted at Feildii Court this morning of helple* J drunkenness, fie was discharge- ‘ and ordered to pay £1 13s expense.: ‘ Gisborne farmers are dsicussiv the question of infected sheep as or ing to the dry weather they are, > many cases, unable to dip. It i suggested that the Department c Agriculture should deal lightly wl those charged with exposing affect-. ,j sheep for sale. A Taihape telegram states tha= the position in connection with fire, around sawmills is regarded rmuch safer to-day. Although fire are still burning, no serious advance is anticipated unless a strong winsprings up. Reports from Raetil. and Ohakune are also reassuring At the former place a settler lost L house and his season’s wool cl ; Slighter damages also happened. .' Mr P. Ourreen, a well-knov settler of Makiuo, passed aw j shortly after midnight last nig" Deceased, who was 84 years of a* had come into Feilding to consult ; doctor, and put up for the night ; Treveua’s boardinghouse. Short?’after 12 o’clock Mr Trevena heard deceased call out that he was chot ing. He went to his assistance ai. despatched a messenger for Dr Willis, hut life was extinct befor. the doctor arrived. Death result*" from natural causes, and was u unexpected by his medical atten daut, so no inquest will he held. Deceased had resided for more that 30 years"in the Feilding district. A very mild North of Euglai vicar had for some time been dh' pleased with the quality of the mil served him. At length he 'dete mined to remonstrate with his mil* man for supplying such weak stt\£ He began mildly: “I’ve been waii/ ing to see you in regard to tl" quality of milk with which you are serving me.” “Yes, sir!” uneasil., answered the tradesman. “I only wanted to say,” continued the minister, “that I use the milk fordietfC purposes exclusively, and not !►, christening.”

The Mayor of Kolked, aHungarw village, has acted as arbitrator in/ r dispute about the value of a bridIt is the custom in the district L the bridegroom to pay a sum to tyr bride’s parents, and in the case ‘s dispute the parties could not agr£* to the amount. The mayor, a cattle dealer, was called in, av® after inspecting the bride, he 6”* dared that she ..was worth half crown a pound, and that KoetvceiS the bridegroom, who is a well-to-do peasant, must pay at that rate. Tin verdict was accepted by both partier and the bride was weighed, anf found to scale at 861bs. Koefcvot paid £lO 15s, and the weddin® ceremony was performed. ; At the recent meeting in WangaJ nui to settle the half-holiday speaker dealing with the contention of a master baker that, with a Satqr; day half-holiday, the bakers wc. ■ .’ ; have a difficulty in supplying t) customers, he declared that it merely a matter of making arrangements. “How do the do when a holiday falls on a Satu_ a day?” he asked; “why, Christo'* v Day, Good Friday, and Easter Mq* day sometimes fall on The roar of laughter that went j 8 when this statement was made neav.j. blew the roof Off and the perpetran —as generally happens—look; " blankly around in complete inn ..j cence "of his blunder, which dawned on him after two or minutes of hard poll scratching. A general meeting of of the Featherston Fresh Milk Suppi ; Association has been held to the Wellington milk supply (says ti Wairarapa Standard.) It was i ", cided to fix the price of milk at per gallon from April Ist to Septe; ; ber. 30th and at 7d for the rest 'jg the season, delivered at the ton railway station. It was deck' ’ , to adopt the standard of 111 b of m. 1 to a gallon. It is anticipated start on March Ist with a chi-. supply of from 400 to 500 gallon, ,-j The Railway Department has bet; | approached to supply a speck, {q fitted truck for conveying the mi. , to the city. It is expected that t. ~ cost to the suppliers of putting t; sjj" milk through the cooling proo 1 ,ij will be per gallon. The Conciliation Board had a w I '!j ness before them at Waimate w S admitted that he had little talks ' himself. Mr Jones wanted to k :-j; if this was because he liked talki to a sensible person, and the witn admitted that that was so, and ti. a£ he went 'on to relate in a hig -; 8 diverting manner, one of the subje< .‘ s . which lie chatted on with himse. '•* He had, he said, been getting £1 ,'j^ week at one place where he w ‘.j working,®aud he had said to hii ‘.l self: “Now, 20s every week is al< * of money. I wonder if I will ev get a farm of my own, if I will 1 able to pay so much to my ma \ It’s a lot of money, and * a nr j ought to do a lot of woik for it “And,” he concluded proudly, ' was abundantly satisfied with xnyse j and my employer. ” ' A Feilding correspodnent writer “The very generous offer of Mr 1 ; Y. Lethbridge M.H.R. to donate tk land he has offered for a dairy schot *• for the purpose of an experiment** i farm if not required for the fir- • named puts Feilding in the positu • of being able to establish a sort c f training college for young agricultr ! rists that would be more useful t. ’ the farming industry in the distric ? than even the dairy school itself. For with a good technical school ir the town and a committee repre : seutative of both the town ai. ] country population the machiuei required to control such an establisl ment is now in existence. N, would there be any difficulty ia i: eluding dairy instruttion in the sul jects taught. Certainly m would have to be raised to pr< the necessary buildings machi and stock for such a farm school b, . once that was done it should be sel. t supporting and it would be a fair r f quest to make to the Count Councils and other local bodies ;ad joining to provide part of the fund at least to start the undertaking.” When in Palmerston during week don’t fail to. visit the 1 , Marche Arcade (the Square to Gr t; Street), where a magnificent stoc ' latest -goods in fashionable family drapery has just been opt out from the first markets of 1 world. Value and variety obtainable at this leading em of fashion. The firm invito vis t j walk through their premise? i inspect their extensive stock • J” time O. M. ROSS AND GO