The Daily News TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8045, 6 February 1906, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5.

Colonial mails which left Melbourne' via Naples on the 3rd of January, arrived in Loudon 011 the afternoon of February dtli. A Christchureh hotclkeeper says lie is prepared to erect an hotel in the Ex-

iiiuitioa grounds, to couhiiu 300 to 500 SCHOOL EXCURSIONS. XiS^'Slf' 0 TiiK object lesson afforded by the huge incursion of country schoolchildren into New Plymouth, on Thursday last, is 0110 that should not bo lost on the people ol' this town, suid every ellbrfc 011 their part should he strained to encourage the i-epnt.i----tinn, at regular intervals, of similar events. It is not our purpose here to seek to divine the reason for the rejection, by numbers of country people, of any suggestion that New Plymouth is by virtue of its seniority, its size, and general importance—the leading town of the province. Assuredly, however, such a feeling does, to no inappreciable extent, exist in the province. Where such expressions are the outcome of parochial loyalty they are commendable, and where they are the result of misconception or ignorance of New Plymouth generally they are pardonable, but none the less disastrous to the prestige of this town in the eyes of the younger generation of the country districts. Anything that can be done, therefore, that will lead to the enlightenment of our country friends as to the

Siucc tlie advent of I lie New Zealand football team to Ureal Britain, any team in the Old Country lliut receives a bad beating is said to suffer from "Zealaiidicilis."

I'ending the award of Ihe Compensation Court respecting the value of land taken for tlie Oakura deviation, Mr Morris has agreed with (lie County Council to tlie work proceeding on condition thai (he Council creels fences to ensure the safety of his stock and crops.

The recent downpour of ram will have a good effect on the grass throughout the district. The season has been a forward one, and most of the grasses have seeded, The rain will have the offect of spurting on the grass for the autumn and winter seasons, a great contrast lo the condition of 'liings obtaining last autumn. Iu some parts of the province pasture is so plentiful that seeoud crops of hay aud ensilage are to be taken.

importance of New Plymouth, and especially of the capabilities of the harbor, the facilities for shipping, and the scientific handling of their produce—in all of which tlioy are vitally interested—is commendable, and worthy of every encouragement we, as townspeople, can extend. To hundreds of people who visited the breakwater on Thursday, we venture to believe, the actual position of a Hairs as there revealed to them constituted an eye-opener, and the impression made, on the younger minds especially, will have been ingrained beyond all efiacement. In all probability there will be several large incursions of school-children from the country districts this summer, and it is to bo hoped the public-spirited men of the town will readily co-operate to amuse and instruct the holiday-makers, as they did 011 the occasion of the very successful outing 011 Thursday.

Guardians ot children should waru the youngsters against getting too near to train crossings on the streets as the trains come iu and out of town. At one of these crossings 011 a recent train, lvulf-a-dozen youngsters were very close to the carriages, and one little chap of live summers was running his hand along the carriages. The wonder was that the lad did not gel under the wheels. Accidents of the kind are easily enough caused. They are also easily enough averted, and a word of warning to the children to be careful should he given. A largely attended meeting of the Recreation Sports Ground Ladies' Coniintitee was held ill the Town Hall 011 Monday night, Mrs Doekrill presiding. Arrangements for the managing of the various booths at the forthcoming Garden Party were completed, the various sections of the committee now having their own special work to attend to. it was decided lo afford a further attraction in the form of a gipsy tent, where everyone will have the opportunity of anticipating the future.

CURRENT ( 051 ME NT. l'lu&i'U Bulow, iii reply to lien' licbol, the Socialist leader in the Keichstag, on December Tltb, declared : " Tlmt we are pursuing 110 aggressive plans against Great Britain [ have said a hundred times. 1 have said a hundred times that it is nonsense to father such schemes on lis. The journal ' Vouwaei ts 1 stated, when the British licet was visiting the Baltic, that Germany was on the point of declaring war against Great Britain at the end of last year. That is a lie. The only point which is not clear is by what mysterious events the crisis has been accelerated. That the cause is to be sought in a violent collision between the Emperor William and King Edward, as has been ats ji'ted, is ait idiotic lie. (Loud and prolonged laughter.) [ decline most categorically, as the leader of German policy, that it is untrue that we have cherished aggressive plans; it is untrue that we have ever been on the point of declaring war on England ; it is untrue that a mobilisation last winter was contemplated. It is unfeuie that we have ever irritated or provoked Great Britain. The 1 Magdeburgisehe Zeitung' stated that Germany wants nothing tor her own development except the same amount of elbow-room as other peoples enjoy; and the Emperor writes on the margin of the article : ' Quite right.' He said the same, word for word, to- day, to the King of Denmark. By world-policy we mean that we demand the same consideration in the matter of commerce, industry, and navigation as all other countries. We want to attack nobody, but we want to be so strong that we can repulse every attack from abroad with honor."

A serious accident was narrowly averted in Devon street shortly before S last night, "Mrs R. B. Sinclair and Miss Sinclair were waiting in a phtuton near Xiuhiiu & Co.'s premises, when a lad named S, Loveridgc. who was riding a bicycle, dashed into the horse. The animal plunged, smashing the bike to pieces, and commenced to bolt down the hill, fortunately being pulled up before any damage was done. The lad Loveridge fell clear, but subsequent)- fainted and was carried to Mr Hall's chemist shop, where he is employed. He soon rallied, ami beyond a shock is none the worse for his experience.

At the Tai'.innki County Council meeting oil Monday considerable time was occupied in arranging with Mr F. •I. Morris as to terms for the carrying of stouc over the property at Oakura. It was eventually decided that the Council should pay Morris live pence per yard for all stone carted from the bench over l|is laud, tile arrangement to hold good for three years The Council also agreed to pay him £lO towards the cost of fencing oil' of a certain portion of his land, anil for compensation for damage caused to a lield of turnips. This arrangement, besides being satisfactory to all parties, is much less costly to the Council than the original proposal to take land for a road under the Public Works Act.

The official estimate of the population of the colony on December 81st last, according to statistics appearing in the Gazette, is 937,892, comprising ■190,858 males and 441,098 females. These figures, however, include a Maori population set down at 18,143, together with 12,292 inhabitants of the Cook and other Pacific islands. The estimated population within our shores (excluding Maoris) was, therelore, 882,407 on the date mentioned, an increase of 21,918 in 12 months.' The increase was made up of an excess of births over deaths amounting to 15,(ill), and an excess of arrivals over departures to the extent of 9802. The birth rate for the colony in 1905 was 27.21 per 1000 of meaii population (the highest-on record), and the death rate 9.2(i. The deaths (8059) were fewer by 28 than the number registered in 1001, The number of marriages (excluding those contracted between Maoris) solemnised in 1905 is estimated at 7231, or 8.8 per 1000 of the mean population. This is a record.

A product which docs not receive the attention it could profitably he given in tlie Taranaki province is clover seed. .ICvery farmer is aware that this seed is most expensive to buy and yet little or miw is locally grown. Mo<l of the seed used in these parts is grown in Canterbury, In that locality the liner pastures, winch contain a good amount of clover, are shut up curly for hay. The crop is cut and made into hay and the pastures again closed up again for a couple of months. Towards the end of March the clover ripens and is cut, gathered and threshed. The crop, after being threshed, can be stacked for standby winter fodder. The good is readily retailed at from 8d to Is per lb. This works out, according to an old farmer who has tried it, at about £lO or £l2 per acre. Not bad profit, considering that the land is only used for Iho purpose for about three months. The ■' Otagp Daily Times " special correspondent with (lie New Zealand football team, in the course of an article written when the team were at Cardiff, says;—" Only 'three to go now' is the ]mss word with many of the men. Many will lie glad to fool the stout planks of a New Zealand steamer bcneiith their feel again. Nu Terini (New Zealand) for ever and always is lite common expression with some. 'Good old New Zealand' is beard often. Home-sickness is apparent, and perhaps a full, well satisfied appetite of football. The team generally are good correspondents, and upon the near departure of each 'Frisco mail devoted plenty of time to writing and posting newspapers re matches. They have heard with great feelings of regret of the destruction of 300 bags per former mail. One wag suggested a !Scoi Chilian's revenge on their defeat at Edinburgh. One unique and unbeaten record the team have—i.e., not having broken a single window during all their long lour. This \pcaks volumes U> those nc!|uainlod with any number of athletes travelling, The Ureal Western Ifailwav agent (:Ar L'rabtreo) assures liie that it is one of the wonders of the team," Recently a horse, a hunter, valued at about 170, died from the eßeels of injuries received through boiling along the beach near Manaia, and crashing among the rocks that girl the shove at intervals all along the coasl. The horse was a niagniliccnt beast, licry-spirilcd, bat hard in (he inoiilh. A young la ly essayed Ihc I ask of giving the animal a " flutter " along Ihc sMiii t For a couple of milesl the cipimc behaved well and seemed to I enjoy the " sli'elch " immensely, Suddenly, however, it seized the bit in its teeth, and made oil', l'-very obstacle on the beach was cleared faultlessly, including some very large boulders. Ncaring a clump of boulders about 1! chains w ide, the rider attempted to pull the horse into the breakers, but without avail. The animal raced straight at the sloue harrier, and leapt into the midst of it, clearing over iiU leet in Ihc mad leap. The rider luckily fell lightly on to a sandy place between two stones, ainlwas not injured. The lioise had his upper lip cut completely llirough for several inches, and also severely injured one of ils hind legs, ft was also strained internally, from which latter in jury it is supposed to have succumbed several days later The animal was owned by i\lr Me Ivor, j manager of Ihc ]\l auaia branch of the Hank of Australasia. j

A peculiar incident, resulting in the death ul' a i-yotil-ultl bull, lnijipencil recently in tlio Waimate JM a ins dis--1 triet. A roup[[.' of men w ore driving the bull along the l'oail. The bovine Mas 1101 very tractable, and after a while, rail into a ditch oil the roadside, where it sullied and refused to budge an inch. After vainly trying to shift Ihe beast with whips and dogs, une of the men dismounted and approached the diteh on foot. This luid the effect ol rousing the bull, ft immediately sprang out of the ditch and darled after the man. A tragedy seemed inevitable, .lust at the lime, however, a man appeared on the opposite side of the road leading a draught stallion. Tile pursued man dashed around the stallion with the bull at his heels, •lust as the bovine passed the entire the latter lashed out viciously with his [hind legs. The horse's hoofs stniel; the bull squarely in the ribs. In the sp..ee of a couple of seconds the infuriated bull was lying heels upward •several yards away on the roadside. Had tlie lior.se not been on the road the man must have been gored aud perhaps killed. The bull died a couple of days later,

Mr Edward Moore, of Bolt ltoad, lias been appointed foreman., for the southern portion of the Oniata Hiding, Four applications were received for the position.

The lii'sl, prosecution in New Plymouth under the (Shop and OlliiT Ad is set down for hearing on Wednesday morning, when Mr Si-anlan, manager of the Melbourne Clothing Company, will lie charged with hiving, 011 Saturday, 'J7th January, kepi one of Ins assistants, Air Edgccumbc. employed alter the closing hour li\>'il by the Act. Mr (juilliam will appear for I lie proseeu--011. The voting man William Henderson, alias .Daniels, alias Piatt, alias Wilson, who was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of being concerned in a housebreaking exploit at Slratford on Thursday, was brought before the l'oliee Court, New Plymoiilli 011 Monday, and remanded for a week to.appear at Stratford.

At the S.M. Com';., New Plymouth, on Friday, Cr F. Stohr was proceeded against by the Borough inspector, under the Borough bye-laws for allowing a horse to stray on Carringtou-road. Mr Stohr admitted the charge, but said that ho considered it" most unfair lo take proceedings in Court after the poundage fees had been paid, and informed the Court that a notice of motion had been given in the Borough Council to rescind the bye-law. The S.M. considered the by-law was a harsh one, but he had to convict, and ordered defendant to pay 3s witness' fee.