LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4491, 20 November 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waitoa Drainage Board meet to-day. Baine and Co., have seed potatoes for sale. The Government contemplate purchasing two suitable steamers to ply between Wel’ington and Lyttleton, to connect with the railway service of the North and South Island. All that remains to make the Mangaiti picr : c cn Wednesday next a success is fine weather, and we trust the young people w 'll not be disappointed in this. A telegram received from Wellington is to the effect that the daily mail service to Manawaru, Shaftesbury, and Gordon will be continued, and that Messrs Johnson and Gwillim’s tender has been accepted for the of the mails.

The excellent programme arranged for the Te Aroha District Presbyterian annual soiree and concert, which takes place in the Public Hall on Tuesday next, 23rd inst., should attract a crowd. The programme, which is of a varied nature, is one of the best submitted to a Te Aroha audience for a long time past. The soiree takes place at 6 and the concert at 8 p m. Prior to their departure from Pahiatua for Te Aroha Mr and Mrs W. Norrell were entertained by their fellow-towns-people* Mr Norrell was presented with a purse of sovereigns, Mrs Norrell with a handsome travelling rug, and Miss Norrell with a gold brooch. All the speakers expressed the keenest regret that Mr Norrell had decided tj leave the district, and gratefully acknowledged his services to the town and district. There is only one Chinaman at Preservation Inlet. He first went round to fish for the freezer that was established there, and when the business closed he started fossicking, an occupation he has followed for 2 years. He is 71 years of age, and once was the possessor of a substantial sum of money but lost it, so he says, through the dishonest actions of a mate. His age renders him unfit for hard work, but he is able to find enough gold to supply the bare necessities of life.

; We have received the rules of the ' Secondary Schools of New Zealand • shooting competition for the current year. The object of the competition is ' to foster shooting in the Secondary ' Schools of the Domirron, and to enable i each school to measure its streugth against the other schools all over New ' Zealand. Last year 16 out of 21 schools took part, including every important school in which shooting is made part of the outdoor work. As showing the improvement made in marksmanship due to this competition it is interesting to note that in 1905 nine schools competed and the average value of each shot was 1.1, while last year with sixteen Competing teams the average was 3.6. In 1900 the best at 200 and 500 yards was 53, last year no less than 53 boys beat this score, two making 66 out of a possible 70. The local High School cadets are eligible to compete. Dr. O’Dea, Roman Catholic Bishop of Galway, on the occasion of his triennial yisitation to the Craughwell district of the country, danopnepd the murder of Constable Goldyick and warned the peo • pie of the misfortunes associated with secret societies. He did not say that the murder had been committed by any person in the parish itself, because he believed that the district was a good one. It could not be deried, however, that the ciime took placje within the precincts of the parish. A Hne, ipnocent, Carbolic youth had been taken away unprepared' to nr'eet bis God, and the b!9°4 of the murdered man would cry to Heaven for vengeance. Ho did rtot know if there were secret societies in the parish, but if there were he wished to point out that such societies were entirely opposed to the Div.ne precept* Secret societies would not dilvulge any of their principals fO a non member—not even to a priest. The aims and objects if such organisations were bad, otherwise there would not be so much secrecy about them- People had approached him, not in Craughwell, but a long distance away, in reference tq these secret societies, and some of them had told him that if thpy ceased to be members they were afraid that they would be murdered. His ad r ; vice to such people, as well as to all others who had the misfortune to be associated with secret societies, was not . to attend their meetings.

Messrs Blythe Bros, of Coromandel lost a valuable young horse, on Sunday morning. The animal was apparently hale and working well on Friday last, but on Saturday appeared to be out of cohdition, and expired early on Sundry morning A post-moifcein showc 1 the death to be caused by bots, thousands being found insieje the animal’s stomach. A portion ojf the stomach, literacy coatpd with bots has been preserved in spirits of wine, apd after being in the jar for 24 hours teome of tne pesfg jvere st :1 l very much alive. Parts of the stomach had beep, perforated by the bots, so that it is little wonder the pnimal succumbed.

It is an utter impos-ibility for any factory manager to make high-class butter unless the suppliers send only the best milk, free fro ji taint of any sort, to the factory. Th 3 Directors of the Te Aroha District Co.-op., Ltd., who hive all along worked hard for the Company they represent, are bringing this matter forcibly bafore their shareholders. The Directors are circularising the suppliers, impressing upon them the desk-ability of aerating the milk ; also requesting that milk stands under trees be made impervious to rain. This is indeed a wise course to pursue, in order to keep up the excellent reputation gained by the Co.-op for the quality of its output During the past few years the amount of butter made has steadily increased. For the month of October cheques amounting to £3,724 Gs 5s were paid out; against £2,769 18s 6d for the corresponding period last year. The quantity of butter made during October amounted to 48| tons.

Mr J. C. Allen, Annadale, Piako, has a few tons of oaten chaff for sale.