LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4490, 18 November 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Yankee has named a pair of carriage horses Cook and Peary, because, he says, they’ve got the pole a’tween them. The showers experienced during the past few day s have proved very acceptable to keepers of kitchen gardens. The gra~s nni field crops also required moisture.

There were 27 deaths from heart disease in the Dominion last month, 16 from phthisis, nine from Bright’s disease, seven from pneumonia, and six from broncho-pneumonia. Mr James King, who has just died at Milverton, Somerset, aged 86—the age at which an elder brother died—leaves three married sisters, aged 98, 94, and 88.

That old-established boarding-house in Whitaker-street, known as Temperance House, has changed hands. Mrs Cricketthas sold out to Mr McChardy, who intends making the House one of the most popular in Te Aroha. The matter of holding a fire brigade demonstration and conference at Thames has been brought under the notice of the Thames Volunteer Fire Brigade, and will be discussed at the next meeting of the Brigade. On Saturday, November 20th, the Druids of No, 10 Distriot, including Thames, Paeroa, Karangahake, Waikino and Waihi, intend holding their gala day and picnic at Te Aroha. Special excursion trains will run from Waihi and Thames to meet the convenience of all concerned.

The Education Department has decided to substitute miniature range shooting for the ordinary range work for the public School Cadets, Where the Fletcher miniature range has been installed a marked improvement in the shooting is already shown. Mr Bradley, a Cheviot farmer, who lost a number of sheep lately, had the cause investigated. It was ascertained that they had been poisoned by eating the weed called crow’s foot. This plant is not unlike a buttercup, but the petals are more spikey, while the leaf is like a crow’s foot. The Dominion received a considerable addition to its population on 2nd November, when 675 passengers landed in Wellington from the lonic. There were 54Q third class, 95 second, and 37 first. Of this number 240 worp assisted immigrants, comprising 53 men, 120 women and 67 children.

Thus the New Plymouth News : “ Can you tell me what time the next train goes to New Plymouth ?” asked a pedestrian at Palmerston of a Government official. “My dear .fellow,” he replied, “ I am a Government official, and as such I am prevented from answering qnestions or giving any information to the public!” Many of the flaxmills about Foxton and Levin are at present stated to be runping night shifts, and within the next two weeks nearly the whe le of the mills will double their ordinary capacity, the millers being anxious to take advantage of the present satisfactory rapge of prices for hemp. As a result of the rush, a considerable number of additional bands are being absorbed. The fibre generally is slated to be turning out in excellent quality, and it is anticipated that the output for the season will be heavier than ever before.

A copy of “ Leaflets to Farmers ” (No. 80) has reached us from the Department of Agriculture. Its contents are from the pen of Mr Gillanders, manager of the Mouuiahaki Experimental Farm, and deal with root crops, The little work is highly instructive, and contains much valuable information in a branch of agriculture which is of special importance to our dairy farmers, any of whom would, no doubt, be willingly supplied with a copy on applfcatjop to the Department at Wellington.

What might have been a very seiious and perhaps fatal accident occurred on Tuesday evening. Mrs Patterson and Mrs Byrne, while returning home in a buggy driven by Mr Jas. Gordon, had (he misfortune to have a capsize, the buggy turning right over and pining its occupants underneath. When the buggy was removed it was found that Mrs Patterson had sustained a fracture of a small foone the shoulder, the others being more or less brujseci and were very lucky to escape without further injury.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Lenihar) has lately been acquiring a number of properties in various parts of bis diocese with the object of providing for the future de/elopments of the Roman Catholic Church in this province. Among the most prominent of these purchases is the old Falls Hotel, Henderson, with 18 acres of Jand attached, the price paid being £l§o7. Sections at Puriri and Hikutaia have also been bought, as well as a two a ere blopk at Morpnsvjlle, Some properties in the city have also been purchased, including a section of 1| acres on Epsom Avenue, between Mt. Eden and Epson}, also u section, 30ft by 63ft, in East street, and adjoining St, Benedict’s Hall. A property of two acres inYermont street, Popsonby, has also been bought, and it is stated that other important purchases are about to be made.

Afcnoon to day a bull will bo sold iu the Public Pound. The residents of Waitoa are reminded that the Eev. A. J. Reed will preach there on Sunday afternoon, and at the conclusion of the service will administer the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The system of rebating 10 per cent, of the rent .payable by Crown tenants on prompt payment will be used for the of helping and encouraging settlers who undertake the burden aud responsibilities of rearing a family of children. It is recognised that it is ono of the first duties of the State to encourage in every possible way this prin- ' cipal duty of citizenship, and I therefore propose that the rebate on prompt payment shall now be made in cases where the settler has four or more children under the age of 16 years.—Budget Speech. Mr W. Brodie, the popular manager of the local branch of the Bank of New Zealand, is at present on a holiday tour in the Commonwealth. By last mail a letter received from Ballarat, where both Mr and Mrs Brodie are spending a few days, states they are having a most enjoyable time. They expect to return to Te Aroha about the end of the present month.