LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8049, 14 February 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mushrooms arc reported to bo plentiful in some parts of the Taranaki province just now. Tho Nelson Harbor Board will not borrow further for improvement works till it has utilised £9OOO of its savings. Mr Arthur Carr, manager of the Government poultry farm at Milton, states that there will be 1000 young birds available for sale at the farm nest mouth, This is the largest number this farm has yet been able to put on the market.

Among the immigrants from the Old Country who arrived at Auckland by the Ayrshire last week is a lady of seventy-nine years. She is a native of Shetland Islands. The old lady and her children and grandchildren, who accompany her, have decided to make Auckland their future home.

To give a small idea of the condition of the roads in the Taihape district, caused by the recent heavy rains, we believe that there are no less than eight team loads of goods for the cooperative works held fast in the mud at the To Mohau junction. It is expected that it will be some days before a clearance will be effected.—" News."

m "Why the All Blacks TriumphedThe Secret of Our Success," is the title of a book which the Loudon "Daily Mail" is publishing, the author being the captain of the New Zealand team of footballers (Mr Gallaher). The book, which will contain the "Daily Mail's " story of the tour, is expected in New Zealand about a week before the team reaches Auckland.

With reference to the rcpor''•:",scarcity of farm hands iu the Oama l district, and the suggestion that th', has been brought about by the drafting of men to Government co-operatiw works, the Labor Department informs the "Wellington Post" that the number of men sent to co-operative works since last, November is only thirty-seven.

The Secretary of the Hawera Bacon Company Limited, replying to a statement which appeared in our loeal columns on Monday respecting the position of the bacon companies in the province, assures us that our information, so far as his company is concerned, is in error. Needless to say, we are pleased to have that assurance, and only hope that the Hawera Company is as succcssul and profitable as iuferred.

At the New Plymouth Theatre doors last evening. Interval time. Patron hands a pass to a small boy. Latter looks at. the card, and rushes up to the adult: "Say, mister, have you got three more; ' Cos I have three mates at the door!" Amazement? Yes; a fair sample of the young colonial check Mr Ayson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, has returned from America with a large shipment of lish spawn for New Zealand, including 500,00:1 chiuook salmon eggs, two million while lish eggs, one million herring eggs from Lake Erie, 10.0UO landlocked salmon eggs, from Green Lake, and 50,000 Lake trout from Northvillc, Michigan, These cost about £BOO. Owing to defective packing, none of the Lake Erie herring eggs survived the voyage. Representatives of District Chambers of Coimuercc held a conference at PalmciXon North on Tuesday morning on the subject of lack of communication under the present conditio. .;. The opinion was expressed, and ;■ proved by all present, that no effective and permanent reform can be ins '.- tilted unless the Government purcha.e the Manawatu Railway. It was urged that if that were do-ie passengers could reach Wellington from Napier quicker by way of Palnierston than via Wairarapa, besides which the immense e-;-peusC of haulage over the Rimuta'.a would be avoided

The potato blight lias been so severe throughout the province this sens, n that the Maoris will have a particuhHy " hungry " time of it during next winter. Hitherto, as everyone knows, the staple food of the natives during the win'er has been potatoes. What the Maoris' 01 use as a substitute next winter is• ' '-\- cull to guess. They are certainly i,o lacking in thrift to put by any of th.-'r rent money for the purpose Neither will they be able to earn me ii money during that part of the year : s there is little en 1 no demand for the r labor during that time. A meeting of the Kaiinata branch of the Farmers' Union was held on Mi- iday evening, the occasion being i i • visit of Mr J, Elwin, provincial ore •

iser. Mr Hurlely was in the eland there was a fair ntlcnda-' Minutes of hist meeting were read r confirmed, and correspondence do, i ■ with. Mr Elwiii gave an interest! ig address, dealing Willi the work of the Union, the passing of legislation in the interests of the fanners, etc. A vote of thinks was accorded Mr Elwiii for his address. Very few persons acquit themselves nobly in their maiden speech. At » wedding feast recently the bridegroom was called upon, as usual, to respond to the given toast, in spite of the fact that he had previously pleaded to be excused, Blushing to the roots of his hair, he rose to his feet. He intended to imply tliat he was unprepared for speech - making, but unfortunately placed his hand ni»ou the bride's shoulder, nud looked down at her as he stammered out his opening (and concluding words: "This—cr— thing has been thrust upon inc." In Borneo there is said to he a plant which is known as the clock plant, and which in a rough sort of way registers the time of day. It has leaves of two sizes, one of which acts in the capacity of a minute hand, which keeps moving until four o'clock p.m., and the other keeps going until morning. The larger leaves act us the hour hand. .Starling in a position when all the leaves lie close to the stem, with the points hanging down, they rise gradually until they (urn toward the top, and then they , drop to (heir former position. Tl.takcs , the smaller leaves about one minute to i

go through this performance, and the longer loaves just about an hour. Tlic Keerealion Sports Ground Committee is lo be congratulated on the splendid programme they have drawn u|i for the delectation of the public ;;|, the monster Garden Party to be held in the licrrealion Grounds on Weouesday next, under the patronage c" His Excellency the Governor. The children's grand march in costume, and the display by the Taraniiki Kifle;. should prove highly interesting. Tli. swimming sports, in which a numbe. 1 of diverting novelties are to be introduced, will, without doubt, bo not the least enjoyable portion of the proceeding*. Numerous other novelties have been arranged for, and afternoon tea and refreshment booths and lollic stalls provided. Given line weather, a very considerable sum should beneltel by the committee toward the groind

, improvement fund. For reliable boots and shoes of nil sorts al bedrock prices go loDockrillV. Devon Street Central, who lias- earne! flic reputation for tins last 25 years . f selling the above class of boots at t' ( lowest prices. Postal orders always receive extra attention, as I guarantrto give every satisfaction in til ami style,-Ai)vi : . M EDIT JiKWAKDKI) BY COURT OF JUSTICtf. The acknowledged good qualities and s iccess of Sasokk ano Sons' Kucai.yiti X'l'iiact liavc brought out. many imi- [ tat ions, and otic; case was just tried'in the Supreme Court of Victoria, before ]\U Honor Chief Justice Sir J. Madden, K.C. M.U., etc. His honor, in giving judgment, saiu that whenever an article is commended I the public by reason Of its good quality, etc., it is not permissive to imitate any of its features. Restraining the imitators perpetually from doing so, he ordered them to pay all osts.

We publi h this to afford the people a'i opportunity of protecting themselves, and of securing what is proved beyond all doubt by skilled witnesses at the Supreme Court of Victoria, and by many authorities during the last 31 years to be preparat ion of genuine merit, viz. : The Genuine Sanded & Sons Pew; Volatile Eucalypti IixTIIACI. i

Irish blight is playing havoc with' the potato crops in the Hastings district. A telegram from Timaru slat.'s that the potato blight has become manifest in all directions around (hat district within the last few days. A Napier wire states that His Excellency the Governor has leased Mr Sydney Johnston's residence at Oruawharo, Takapau, for three months and will probably reside there for the remainder of the lishiiiK season.

The dowusUirs portion of the Theatre w.:s overtaxed to accommodate the audie.:ee at Czerny's opening performai on Tuesday night, and the police interfered to stop the sale of tickets for that portion of the house. The company makes its final appearance this evening.

On Monday afternoun nn elderly woman of respectable appearance was charged at the Wellington City Police Cmrl with the theft of three yards of silk, valued at Is lid, the properly of Sidney Kirkealdie. Detective Uroberg stated that accused took the silk from Kirkealdie and Stains. She had always been a most respectable person. She had a grown-up family. It was hard to know what to do in such circumstances. DrMcArthur said he could not let the offence pass; but he would not scud the woman to the Terrace. She would be detained in the police cells for six hours.

Prices at the Stratford sheep fair yesterday were distinctly good, and anything with wool on it was readily cleared. Sheep which a few years ago. commanded only " boiling down" prices, low bring huge figures. It is really •jndcrfiil how the stock markets .'actuate in this regard. Only a couple of seasons ago cattle, especially young stuff, were readily sold at payable prices. Now, no matter how good a line of yearlings or 2-year-olds may be, they cannot be got rid of except at i-riccs which do not pay the farmer for his trouble iu rearing them.

At the annual meeting of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, to be held, on the 20th hist., two notices of motion will be discussed. One, by Mr Maxwell, reads, " That before any further work in connection with the extension of the Breakwater is done, the wharf be completed by extending the straight face of the ucw work to the outer end of the main wharf, so as to give an .unbroken straight face for mooring from the Breakwater to (he outer end." The other, by the Chairman, Mr J. B. Council, reads:—"That the Breakwater extension be outinued as long as funds are available."

An interesting lecliirclle, says the Inangahua Times, on boiling a potato, was delivered by Mr Bhickmore, Governnicnt Pomologist, at an address in Reef ton :—" Bring the water," said Mr Blackmore, " to a boil quickly iiir. an enamel saucepan When' the wa : e* comes to a boil, drop in your peeled potatoes, boil till they are three parts done, pour off the water, then cover the tubers with a serviette folded four-

fold; turn up the comer, then gel the dish hot (too many do not take this trouble, but a cold dish makes a potato sad and sodden) put the potatoes iu it and you will And they will crumble iuto granules only wanliug the gravy to wash it down." The Chamber of Commerce at Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, has written to the Dunedin Chamber asking for information iu reference to gold dredging. The letter contains the following passage : " Your islands have taken the lead a|gold-dredgiug operations. I take th • liberty, on behalf of this Chamber, to address you on this subjoct. ' lis branch of mining has an extensive field in this country, where we possess vast territories bearing alluvial gold. So far our places have been worked extensively by hand labor, but several parties are now contemplating the use of the gold dredge, and have applied to this Chamber for in for-

ination of which we arc not possessed I, therelorc, beg of you to kindly fur nish this Chamber with all data am information on this matter." Th

Mines Department lias forwarded ai the information required.

A meetiug of the executive commit tee of the New Zealand Tractioi

Engine Importers', Owners' and User

Association was held at Christehurcli on Friday evening at the olliees of Messrs Titcaithly and Co., Manchester Street. Mr R. Pilcaithly presided. There was a large amount of business before the meeting, and correspondence was read from owners in Auckland, Taraiiiiki, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, and every district throughout the South Tsland A. collection of bye-laws of loeal bodies obtaining throughout the colony was gone into, and those which are of 100 restrictive a nature will shortly be eitcd to the Minister in ohargo, Tho portion of tho compiled Public Works Act of Inst session which deals with traction engine traffic was discussed at length. It was resolved, on the motion of Air A. H. Anderson, seconded by Mr W. Wood, "That for the future the executive committee of this Association shall meet every week, the business in hand and coming in being too heavy to dispose of at monthly meetings." The Te Tatauhape waterfall, which, it will be jrcmembered, was caused recently by the overflow from LakeTarawera, has uow ceased to exist (says the "Auckland Star"). Mr Seton-Karr, the woll-knoM 11 English explorer, paid » visit to the place where the stream formerly fell over the cliff, and was surprised to find that the fall had dis. appeared, and that the '>ed of the stream at the lop of the cliff was dry. He followed the former course, and half a mile above the cliff found (hat the stream entered a cavern, and ran underground until reaching the cliff which it formerly lumbled over, and there it emerged. The stream is aboiii seven times as great where it emerges as where it enters the cavern, a fact dilhcult to account for. Mr Seton-Karr and h, s guides descended the cliff on the site of the fall, having to cut their way for part of the distance, although they were fortunate in discovering a way down which was practicable for the greater part of the distance. At the bottom Mr Seton-Karr found that i the river welled up m enormous springs i swarming with large eels, Thence it continued its former course to the sea. An opportunity presents itself to "the lady with the purse" to save considerable of the housekeeping monies. In our next issue, Mr C. Carter, o: the People's Grocery Store, will mal." another of his announcements, which are eagerly looked for by those of an economical turn of mind,

Much if the success of any concert, dance, or soiree depends on the nmsi«al portion of the programme. Mr A James, of the Collier and Colonial 1 liuio Company, Devon-street, informs our readers that us director and secretary of the New Plymouth Orchestral Union, he will meet the requirements of nil who may need an orchestra, or pianist of merit.

Any machinery user is utile to a) preciute the fact that the slight es breakdown may eventuate in a serioii mechanical accident, if proper cxperi enced attention is not given at once No matter how trilling or how com '.ilicatcd the trouble with your machin

ery may seem, write for advice and as sjstancc to Okey and Hollo, (li, Tiiriiniiki Foundry, New Plymouth Charges are very reasonable.-Advt. There is a " house of call" 111

Kgmonl street, quite of [he Continental plan. At the Arcadia Cigar S:»re, ai man can enjoy his cigarette o'pipc n a cosy sitting-room, write a

Vlteror two, play his game of chess or ('.-'aughts, and then continue his Imsi-

"::ss. Here, the morning paper, tlje "Daily News," and the Wellington •Times" can he purchased with the early morning smoke, E. Van Delilen, the proprietor, has a smoke to suit anybody. Call in.—Advt. ■ lien who shave themselves should be infor mod of th excellence and smooth-cut-

ting qualities! of the "Kiwi" raaors. Have an even temper, extraordinary keenness of edge, do not vibrate when cutting into an extraordinary heavy beard, and give yon a clean, luxurious shave, even if you'have the touchiest skin. Make me prove those statements. I will change your razor as often as you like until you are satisticd. KIWI is the name. Oct it at J. Avory sj the place for men's sundry uevdu, Devon street,—^bvx