LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 182, 24 July 1900, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A quantity of interesting reading matter will be found on our fourth page. The value of dairy exports for New Zealand last season equalled about nine tons of gold at £4 per ounce. Taranaki's share for the nine months ending May 31st last was 4tons IScwt 901bs. New Zealand's Klonayke is evidently her dairy farms.—Aem Zeala/nd Dairyman. Trains will leave for the Breakwater today, connecting with steamers mentioned below, as f0110w5.45 a.m., Takapuna (from North); 5.45 a.m., Rotoiti (from South) ; 9.30 a.m., Takapuna (for South); 9.30 p.m., Rotoiti (for North). A passenger-car will be attached to the goods train leaving for breakwater about 3 p.m. • It is stated that indications of gold have been found in theAwakino district by an old digger named Allan. He is said to have found a well-defined gold quartz reef, specimens from which have been sent to an analyst, 0 We draw the attention of our readers to the advertisement of the Foresters' "social" in another column. The " social," in which the three Courts combine, is expected to be one of the best held here.

Lastyear Denmark exported 143,700,0001bs of butter, equal to 64,161 tons. Taking this at fair average value, say, at £IOO, per ton, gives us the enormous total of £6,415,100. This great sum of money equals nearly sixtysix and a half tons of virgin gold, taking the value of gold at £4 per ounce. At the Young Men's Literary and Debating Society on Monday evening the Rev. John Nixon delivered his lecture on "Wordsworth " to a very appreciative audience. Mr. W. H. Skinner occupied the chair. After Messrs. Dowle, R. O. Hughes, W. Kerr, and others had spoken, a very hearty , vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer for his very instructive address. On Monday, August 6th, there will be a debate " Is Novel Reading Beneficial J" Mr. J. A. Roberts takes the affirmative, and Mr. R. E. Dowle the negative. To-day promises to be a busy day at the Breakwater. The Takapuna is due from the North and the Rotoiti from the South. The Herald, with a large cargo of coal for the Railway Department, is due in the afternoon, It is stated that there are between 20,000 and 30,000 children in Victoria who are either receiving no education, or about whose education nothing is officially known. A batch of additional truant officers has been appointed to try and alter this state of affairs.

Some time ago a curious story was told of an interview which took place between, Nicholas 11. and Lord Roberts (say* the Liverpool Past). The great English General I asked the Czar when Russia was going to take India. "Never," said the Emperor. "I cannot conceive a greater disaster for Russia than that we should ever make the attempt." "Oh, you cannot expect me to believe that," exclaimed Roberts, "Some day we shall have to fight you there." " No," the Czar is reported to have said; " such a thing is altogether outside our idea«. It would be madness. Look at the immense distances, the enormous difficulties to be encountered; it is impossible." "All the same you will come some day," replied Lord Roberts. Readers of " l'orty*one Years in India," are aware how strongly attached Roberts is to this idea of Russia's invasion, , and how carefully this famous soldier and strategist shaped all things whilo in India repel such an attack. 1 A considerable disturbance has been caused in the meat trade in England, consequent upon the prohibiting by the authorities of the import of live stock from the Argentine, owing to the virulent outbreak of foot and mouth disease amongst the cargoes from that country. Those vesse's which were due to arrive for a few days after the issuing of the prohibition ordered to land their stock, but every care was taken to prevent the spread of the disease. All the animals were isolated, and slaughtering within 36 hours was made compulsory. All oft'al after being disinfected was taken out to sea thrown overboard. It goes without saying that stoppage of Argentine stock, that has so long furnished a valuable and important item of trade, must upset things generally and cause heavy loss to those engaged in the industry. Still, it is an " ill wind" that has helped to harden the London price New Zealand frozen meat. Lord Methuen has sent to Mdlle. de Yillebois-Mareuil a photograph of the marble monument which he has in the Boshof cemetery to her father's memory. Lord Methuen hopes to be able to find the ring which this accomplished soldier was wearing, and to send it to her. The general adds that he was not able to give her father's body interment in a Roman Catholic cemetery, but that the Catholic prayers were said with all solemnity. And then the writer expresses his own and his comrades' sorrow at the death of a late opponent who " preferred to die rather than surrender." President Kruger left many things behind him in his precipitate flight from Poplar Grove. Among them was his portmanteau, which Private George Baillar, 2nd Lincoln, claims to have assisted to loot. His share, he tells a correspondent at home, consisted about a pound of tobacco, a shirt, and " a drop of Hollands gin."

| Says Lloyd's WveUy:—lt is not nice to I have a double, especially when it leads to a respectable bachelor being assaulted in the street, and charged in the presenco of a curious crowd with having deserted a wife and four children. This, however, is what has just happoned to Mr. Arthur Bean, of Blackburn, the son of a prominent tradesman in that town. According to a report the other day he was returning home when a man suddenly set upon him, gave him a | thump or two, and charged him with desert[ing his family. Despite Mr. Bean's proi testations that he was a bachelor his assail- ■ ant persisted that he was the missing husband, i so he allowed himself to be confronted with I the woman and children. To his horror, instead of the mistake being at once owned to, the lady claimed him as her missing husband and his children as their father The confusion in the case of the two Dromios was never more complete. Those making the charge was eventually satisfied that they were mistaken, but not till considerable trouble had been caused. Mr. Bean will I now be able to appreciate the fellings of the gentleman iu tlioanng, who roamed ihe ! world with deadly weapons, seeking "thel fellow that looks like me."

Letters from the Mediterranean station give' particulars of an accident which occurred on May 2 1 ) to Her Majesty's gunboat Hebe, under somewhat singular circumstances. The fleet were manoeuvring at night off Platea in thick weather, and according to the plan of operations the battlesl'ip tan pus and the torpedo depot ship Vulcan were hidden behind an island with a)l lights extinguished whilo the remainder Of the cruisars, torpedo, gunboats, and de. stroycrs had to find them, After the operations had comniencod a thick mist sot in, and a strong wind blew, and up to midnHit no sign of the enemy could be seen, About one o'clock iu Die munjing a searchlight was seen flashing signals of distress, and'it was soon discovered that the Hebe had goi'i'i as'noi- jat l'ontiito island, The Vulcan aiude several attempts to tow heroJf, but she was so fast aground that it was found impo- sible to move her until she had boeti li'-'hluued of her stores,

" Who was Tom Pepper ?" asked one man of another the other day, The latter replied " He was Eupposod to be a Knight of the Long Bow,' liutwhy? "Because,"rejoined the other, "I heai'd a man call another jerson that, and the latter did not seem to appreciate it." When a person is compared to somebody not odious, or purchases a good article, he always appreciates the position. So it is with Sjkes' (Jura Cough. When once taken people always return to it, and also recommend it to friends, All Chemists and Storekeepers,—Advt, i