LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8119, 25 May 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

During the past Ave years the Napier Borough Council's overdraft has more than doubled, aud now stands at about £10,411.

The nctt overdraft of the Mastorton Borough Council at the present date amounts to £1,597 13s 7d, aud the rates outstanding to £522 15s BJ.

The tender of Mr B. W. Bond has been accepted for tho erection of the Now Plymouth.Technical School. A correspondent asks if there is any special reason why the arc lamp, at tho corner of St. Aubyn and Brougham streets was loft unlighted last night.

No fewer than 187 motor cars and motor cycles have been registered in Christchureh in terms of the Act of last session. This is far in excess of | any other centro in New Zealand.

Messrs E, J, Carthew aid Co., land agents, report having sold Mr Webster's farm at Oakura, containing 100 [acres, to Mr J, Old, of Huirangi

Seals have lately been found in the vicinity of Port Anuria A Napier resident oaptured one of them a few days ago, but released [it on hearing from the Collector of Customs that he was rendering himself liable to a fine of £2O.

A lady resident in tho Bird road school has written to the Taranaki Education Board to the efEeot that " some of tho members of the ooinmit[toe who took office on April 23rd have

done so with the loudly expressed intention of anuoying Miss Stephen, and

—to use thoir .own expression—of " making the place too hot to hold her." The writer considered it " a shame that men should stoop to annoy a bit of a girl."—The letter was allowed to lie on the table, Tho Postal Department has now agreed to allow post cards enclosed in transparent covers, with a part cut out to expose the postage stamp, to pass within New Zealand and to the United Kingdom. The arrangement, however, does not extend to other countries, to which transmission of such cards is still prohibited. The plant which the Government has obtained from Home to manufacture briquettes from the small coal turned out of the State mine at Seddonville will be erected next to the coal staiths at Wcstport. Tenders for its installation will close next week, and it is

hoped to have the factory at work in four or five months. The plant will be able to make 200 tons of briquettes a day. Tke output from tho State colliery at Port Elizabeth is steadily increasing.

It is probable that a substantial portion of tho total expenditure on the New Zealand Exhibition buildings will be mot by charges for spaco in the main buildings recently authorised. Tho extensions aud machinery hall are estimated to cost about £60,000. In (them 800,000 feet of spaco will be available. It will be let at 2s per foot, yielding £30,000.

A W aihi prospector, who in company with others, has been engaged by a syndicate to prospect tho North Island for copper, is said to haye located a well-defined lode in the Ruahinc ranges, which run north and south, between Wellington and Napier. The lode is reported to be over 4ft wide at the surface, and 9ft wide in the low level. The ore contains from II to 33 per cent, of copper, and it is thought that it will prove payable. Private Arthur Humphries made a neat and amusing speech last night when he was presented by Mrs Dockrill with the wedding ring won by him in the recent competition under pain of forfeit of Iho prize if he fails to find a wearer for it in the next twelve months. From the ladies' anxiety to see the members married ho was led to suppose that married men were better fighters than single men, from their greater experience, and ho had been assured by those who know that married men were perforce better schemers, strategists, and tacticians than single men—as became good soldiers.

Tho attendance at tho Taranaki Rifles' annual ball last night was below the average, and not nearly up to expectations, but a very enjoyable ovenmg was spent. The music was supplied by Turner's orchestra. Staff-Captain Weston, Sergeant Lister, Private Humphries were M's.O. We must compliment the ladies' committee on the excellent supper arrangements, and the very pretty decorations. It is expected the ball will land the company in a small deficit.

A useful innovation of wide interest taken up by the Winter Show Committee at Palmerston North is a milktesting competition. The contest is described as follows: Milk-testing competition (Babcock method), open to farmers' sons and daughters, public and high school students. No competitor allowed to take part who is engaged in dairy factory or croamery or in the teaching of dairy work. The competition will bo on the following basis : Sampling, temperatures, strength of acid, acidmeter, adding acid, and mixing, whirling machine, reading test, washing up ghssware, etc. The utensils are provided for competitors. Already interest has stimulated the formation of classes in two dairy districts near i Pelmerston North to assist competitors in gaining efficiency, Professor Benham, of Otago University, write? to tho press as follows: " With reference to the white borer, whose ravages in Otago are creating some interest, the beetle grub is not tho insect that is responsible for all the damage to timber in houses. Indeed, it is probably rare therein, for burrows are so noticeable in a sawn plank that a builder would bo a very dishonest person if lie were to supply such timber for such a purpose. I have had an opportunity of examining wood from a houso infested by the borer, and I am satisfied that the damage is done by the grub of the beetle familiar in the Old Country as the ' death tick,' and to naturalists as Anobium domesticum. It has evidently been imported, and as the beetle breeds rapidly, and lays a considerable number of eggs in the limber, and each egg gives rise in duo time to a grub, a great amount of damage may be done by tho offspring of one pair of these little pests. The beetle is about 3-lGlhs of au inch long and pale golden brown in colour. Its life history is recorded in any good natural history, and is familiar to naturalists. It is the insect that is responsible for worm-eaten furniture, etc., in the old houses of Great Britain, anil the burrows that open on tho surface of the wood are cleverly imitated by melius of a fine bradawl by dealers (i.e., manufacturers) of ' old' furnitnrc, who may be found in certain p-irts of London, aud no doubt other large cities. Its ravages are not limited to our native white pine, though, as this wood is softer than others, il is more frequently attacked,"