LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7925, 14 September 1905, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Local glowers have been invited, through the President, to exhibit at the Stratford Horticultural Society's Show on the 13rd insl. They are enthusiastic over football in Wairarapa. The final for the ,iunicr championship was played recent ly between JlarUnborough ami Tuhirangi, and a considerable sum of money changed hands over tho result. U.ne enthusiastic slipperier of the Martinborough team offered a mounted deer's head, valued at £5, to thu first player who crossed the opponent 's line, fcut a Tuhirangi barrncker went one better, and offered as special inducement to his "boys" a free gift of "an acre of land" ! The Tuhiraitg'is won the day, and a young schoolmaster, named Bradstock gained the land title.

Tobacco-growing promises to develop into a large State industry in t<he Tr;ainsvaal. Lecturing at Bar'bcrton, on the subject of tobacco, culture before members of the Tc Kaap Agriculture Society recently, Mr Altenroxel, manager of the Government tobacco farm at Zoutpansbcl'g, announced that the Government had decided to establish a to j bacco division of the Agricultural Department, and to obtain the services of experts in the growing of tobacco, also to establish a commercial bureau to introduce Transvaal leaf on the European markets. Mr Altenroxel declared that the Barberton district is capable of producing the highest glade ol cigar leaf that could ibe grown in South Africa, also the finest light pipe tobaccos.

At the Government poultry farm at Milton the department has two pens of fifty birds each, one of light breeds 'and the other Jtovy. The cost of fettling these works out at a little'under a penny a, head per week. It is proposed next year to carry out these feeding tests on a much larger scale. Eggs are now being graded and s'.'tit into cool store in large numbers at both Dunedin and Auckland. I here are in'quirivs for shipments to South Africa, where, it is believed, there is a good field ftr the New Zealand output. The Department of Agriculture has received from England the two po. tato-spraying machines which it ordered in view cf the probaibility ol disease nppenring in the crops again this season. Each is capable of spray ng thirty-five acres a day. The machines will probably be fitted up this week. The l'uniwhakau Dairy Company has sold its first year's output at IOJd. This is regarded as a very good price for a company entering the market for the first time.

At the Health Congress in London one 'speaker said, churches are the best places for the dissemination of the germs of infectious disease. There is no ventilation in the average church. He accounted for the statement that pepple do not go to churrh so much now as a few years ago from the fact that they do not like falling o(T to sleep at "sermontime, ' and thej- consequently stop away. This sleepiness is not'due to the sermons ? No ; it is due to the slow poison brought about by rebreathing the air over and over,and it is about sermon-time when it is mostly felt.

It having been definitely ascertained that the smallpox suspect at Shannon was not suffering from that disease, he hag been released from observation. Mr I). D. Hyde, the Government Poultry Expert, states that the birds in the egg-laying competition at Blenheim have exceeded the output for a given time at any similar competitions south of the line. Mr L. F. Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, will visit the West Coast at an early date tc superintend the enlargement, of the hatchery at Ivanieri Lake for the reception of the next consignment of whitefish ova from America. A representative of the Winton Record was recently, shown a curiosity in the shape of a young rabbit that had evidently been born with only two logs—the forelegs. The youngj bunn.v was fat and in good condition.

Government veterinarians have Iboeu told ofl to investigate two outbreak amongst stock in the South Island. A contractor at Milton lost three horses in one-day from a disease he could not understand, and several others wore affected. At Rakala it Is a peculiar mortality amongst the sheep that has attracted attention. A gang of men under the direction of an ollicer of the Public Works Department is engaged in getting the Trertlham ride raugc in order for the opening of the shooting season on the 30th inst. The number of targets Is to be increased. Rules and regulations for the guidance of telegraph officers were rc-is-sued on Friday as a supplement to the New Zealand Gazette. They comprise eighty-five printed pages and cover most things connected with telegraphy, from code prefixes to bichromate Iccals and cheap telegrams forwarded by members of the General Assembly. The concluding pages contain specinx*ns of handwriting approved by the Department. The samples UI-.I beautiful models of ealigrapli.v, nhd the information vouchsafed therein is unexceptional, though obvious. For instance: "The most common' way of employing animal pmv<*r i* jn drawing or cnirvjpc: a load, an/1 it is clear that' if "this load In* incivnar*l tho speed with which it is carried must bo diminished."

The boycott fever in China Is thus ; descriljiHt by Captain Stringer, an exXew Zealandcr. who is at present in \ Singapore ; Kuropean hcusewife dismissed her "ivas/njijan'' on account of his unsatisfactory work, ait'd refused to pay him. She told Jiur "•boy ' to secure another "wanhmnii" . hut at the end of the week he had not. succeeded, and declared that, no " washman," could be found. " \o can come," he said. "Jlan say you catchee washman chop, chop, and out yru go."- The "hoy" in v.ura was dismissed. find «hcn,.tho lady returned from her morning's .shopping she found that he had taken thu whole of her / with him—cofik, coolie, helj>ers, ami the rest. The ""US" was empty. In desperation tiio family was nnwclred off to a wighljouriny restaurant to lunch,ami there W~,e husband ordered quite an elaborate miMl to console hi? spouse for her domestic worries. f)«t tfts "boy" who took the order never returned, and when the husband, after waiting half an hour, made enquiries About the lunch,> he found that the cool; had bwml nothing about it. The family was, in shprt, boycotted by the assistants at the restaurant just as it had lh!en boycotted in its own house. 11l the end it got the lunch. }lut it was served so lyaVily and with such bad grace thai the . position could not do misunderstood. The housewife went home, paid the "washman," reinstated the "boy,"recalled the coo!;, .sent for the rest of the helps, and by t illin time the establishment was running smoothly Again. Chinese unionism is simply irKsisUblfe I ' <

Almost all the butter factories have sold their output for the season, or made arrangements for consigning on satisfactory terms. The prices received are about a penny in advance of last year's and constitute almost a record. Tho reason for the high prices received is that there has tofeen a dry season in Europe, and conseq'uontlji a 'ishortojg l !! is aim'ticipa'ted. The Russian season has closed, but, although the war is now over, practically none of the Russian butter is | available for the European market. Freight handlers asc seeking a conference in Chicago with 22 railway companies n order to ask for a ten pel' cent, advance,

'A' cable message stales that Burgess made another unsuccessful attempt to swim the English Channel on Tuesday. According to a message from London there is a great revival in the Scottish steel trade, owing to large Japanese, Italian and colomial orders. A Christchuech press mesEagc stales that Mr Lichfield, manager of the Bank of New Zeiland at Christchuich, emphatically denies that any teller of the Bank of New Zealand had seen a cheque Clearing on the voucher, and says he is ready to confront Willis with the whole staff, each one. of whom will deny ever stating to a prominent busioess man that tli<| cheque had been seen or that any business man had ever asked for information of the kind, A petition signed by ten medical men and others was forwarded from Invercargill to the Governor on Wednesday, praying for commutation of Swan's sentence. The petitioners do 1 not certify that Swan is insane, hut

'believe that there is a douMi on the point, and the condemned man should have the benefit of it. The Dunedin Star has, telegraphs the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times, paid' in £25 in satisfaction of 'costs, in connection with Mr Taylor's action for libel. It is understood that Mr Taylor will not accept the amount, but will proceed with the action. The proposal to erect tho Stratford Hospital in the Domain is meeting with strong opposition. A public meeting is to bo held on the question.

On Tuesday evening the sudden death took place at her residence, Lemon Street, of Mrs Jenkins, wife of Mr W. | Jenkins. The deceased lady, who was 34 years of age and leaves a husband and young family of three, was taken ill while visiting Adjutant and Mrs IV.ckens. Despite medical aid, the deceased succumbed to -the seizure, suffering from a stroke and tin- bursting of a blood vessel oil the brain. The funeral is appointed for 2.;!0 this afternoon. The majority of the Taranaki representative "soccer" team have returned from their visit to Auckland, where they were very hospitably treated. The good form they displayed was rather a surprise to the Northerners. "Soccer" players arc pieasid to l'earn thai Foreshaw, who captniiK-d the New Zealand team on their Australian trip, has decided to reside in New Plymouth.

The Manapouri's passengers passed close to the volcano in Savaii, which is still active,, and witnessed a brilliant spectacle at night. It is estimated) that the volcano has ejected millions of tons. The crater is about seven miles inland. A large stream of lava flows down the side of the mountain, completely filling the gully, but it has not reached the sea. So far there has been no loss of life. The Borough Council invites tenders for grazing oit part of the Racecourse Reserve.

Messrs ltewley and Griffiths have for sale seed and table potatoes of reliable quality. On Saturday, 30th inst., Messrs Bewley and Griffiths will sell by auction a section on the Mangorei Road, containing over 20 acres. A first dividend in tho estates of J. T. White and J. McCullum is now payable.

The High School re-opens on Monday. A quantity of steel piping suitable for gas pipes is for sule. The annual meeting of the Now Plymouth Cricket Club is to be [ held at the Town Hall oil Tuesday I evening. This afternoon {Mr Newton King will hold an unreserved clearing sale on account of Mrs Hcslop on the property, near Smart Road railway station. At St. Joseph's schoolroom on Tuesday evening another of the series l or socials (iin aid of the Christmas Bazaar funds was successfully held. The euchre tournament prizes were secured by Mrs J. Smith and Mr BleWman. It is proposed to hold a long-night social in a fortnitiht 1 s 1 time. 6 A final reminder is given of th« lukapa social this evening at the .Theatre Itayal. Everything points to a successful gathering. The weather conditions at present give pro mise for a fine night, Messrs A. It. Ktandish and E. L Humphries will aet as M.C.'s. Dancing will commence at 8 p.m. sharo.

The public are notified that the Japanese Fete to have been held at Wbiteley Hall this evening lias been postponed to the 28th inst. The cuteitainment is an effort by church friends in aid of the Salvation Army self-denial and missionary funds.* Messrs Gilmour ami Pat tie have been appointed agents for the Australian Widows - ' Fund Life Assurance Society, Ltd., for New Plymouth.* To"day Morey and Son are showing a most charming lot of summer muslins prints, delaines, voiles, taf* tctas,.,Mouses, trimmed and untrim-, med hats, costumes (tweed and lin#H Cleam serge and light tweeds (s-ilk lined), cream and black ® sk "' t3 > belts, fichus, collars and tapes and jackets suitable for elderly S« V hat raust kootla sell. The show is well worthy and we advise all to

irnilr H 8 ! 8 0,1 the look °Ut fur barin Clock!? , r ? n ' M of tlle kind r a Ches ' i e « cll «y. solid silouaHtv? ? ,ce , tro ' )latefl goods of high uml V r y tT ln " kc "' lna J' be see,J- Pur,i er'3. next railway OS *"V?. "f'on Street, J\ew Plyc'nses left"'? careful) y-0»ly a few aies left of very f inc American 8-dav striking clocks at 12s fid each."