LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8138, 21 June 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The railway goods sheds close at noon to-day. The market for young cattle is said to giye some signs of improvement. The news will be welcomed by farmers. There arc persistent reports that the country away to the east of Stratford is to be prospected for petroleum. Several cottages for workmen are now in course of erection at Waipukti station, tho junction of the Mount Egmont branch to the main railway system.

"By jove, if they hadn't gone out I'd have hit them dead with a mallet and given them something to remember for the rest of their lives." —A delicious bull perpetrated by a South Taranaki restaurant keeper.

His Honor Mr Justice Edwards (in Chambers), on Wednesday, on the motion of Mr Samuel (instructed by Mr Halliwcll), made an order in the estate of John Winks, late of Hawera, referring to the Registrar for investigation and report, the claim of the executors, Messrs 'lonks, White and Death, for commission or percentage for their services.

"He is a man of ordinary intelligence, even if he is a policeman." Thus Justice Edwards yesterday. His Honor went on to assure the twelve " good men and true" that he had found few policemen who would willingly give evidence that was not true. Some were given to exaggeration, not out of intent to damage a man, but because of the peculiarity of the constitution of their minds, which were unable to grasp the true proportion of things. The entries for the Poultry Socioty's show on the 29th and 30th have been extended till Friday at 5 p.m., to allow all late entries to come forward. An exhibition of plucking and dressing poultry will be given during tho show by an expert. This should create keen interest amongst the public, as there is a lot to be learnt by amateurs in this direction, The usual monster art union and cake will be again run at tho show.

The Stratford Parliamentary Union is desirous of arranging a debate with the JNew Plymouth Literary and Debating Society, the contest to be held at Stratford. The " Parliament" is said to be fairly strong this session, and tackles some heavy material. The yew Plymouth Society, if a debate is arranged, can depend on meeting some fluent speakers, and on being royally treated.

It is reported that a representative of a Wellington syndicate, accompanied by an American gentleman of considerable experience in petroleum-bearing country, made a trip " round the mountain," and the latter gentleman became fully convinced that Taranaki is but one vast oil-field, there being, in his opinion, just as good indications in many other localities as at Moturoa. He considers the" lay of the country " very similar to that known as Kockfeller's. Acting on his advice, the Wellington agent has secured boring rights over a large extent of country

" lioud and borrow spoons" is generally tlic order of the day at a picnic, but it is hardly conceivable tUat sucli a system could exist year after year in the distribution of Bibles to jurymen in the Supremo Court. Yet this is so. There arc not sufficient copies of tho Holy Scriptures to "go round" the Grand Jury, who are sworn with one Bible between two jurors. When it comes to swearing in the Common Jurors, nearly lifty in number, each Bible has to do for four men. The effectiveness of the oaths is not thereby affected, of course, but the scarcity of the Scriptures seems to cause no little inconvenience.

The Premier's dca'h (remarks the " Southern Standard") removes the necessity that has hitherto existed for keeping secret the fact that his death was almost hourly expected about two years ago. None but his closest personal and political friends knew at the time that his life hung by a thread. For a day or two the happenings of the world about him were a blank, an acute attack of cerebral paralysis completely depriving him of his mental faculties. He left in tho Government steamer for a trip round tho lighthouses, in order to provide tho change that was his only hope of life, and also to keep his condition from becoming public, but his personal friends scarcely expected to see him back agaiu alive. His marvellous recovery on this occasion is only auothor instance of the wonderful vitality of the man.

Has sorrow thy young days shaded Y Or hast thou a cold in thy head ? Thy tonsils, aro they out of order? Thy nose, is ihe tin of it red? If these be thy symptoms, I charge thee All nostrums inferior abjure. There is but one remedy for th;o, And that's Wood's Great Peppermint Cure,

Tlie conference of the Farmers' Union Council, which was fixed for

July, will, owing to the probability of Parliament not meeting for business until August, be posponed till that month.

"I mny say, as mailman, I shall have to stop unless something is done to the track soon, as I am afraid of losing my horse and also getting lost myself." A I wail from a back-blocks settler to the Patea County Council. Oil Saturday, Messrs Bcwley and Griffiths will sell some really good furniture, absolutely without reserve, and as there are soma choice lots, persons iu want of good furniture should not miss this opportunity, Piano buyers in particular should be on hand to secure the "Victor" piano, which is specially built to stand heat and damp.

Mr John Outred, who is 73 years of

age, informs the Palmerston Times that in consequenoe of the refusal of the Waikouaiti Licensing Committee to grant him a lioense in l'espeot to tho Waianakarua Hotel he is practical ly penniless, and will be compelled to apply for the old-age pension, Air Outrod sustained a loss of £7OO owing to the loss of his license at Hampden three years ago,

As the late Premier's funeral will now start at 2 instead of 2,30 p.m. on Thursday, 21st inst, all Post and Telegraph offices will be olosed on Thursday from 2.m, to 3.30 p.in,

Flourishing business in the meat export industry is reported by the Timaru " Post." During the past fortnight the average number of sheep killed per day has been 4500. Fiftytwo butchers have been kept employed on the slaughtering work.

America still appears to be energetic in buying up New Zealand pelts. Out at Petone tho other day, a " Post" reporter saw a large number of sheepskins treated by the Gear Company, " They are all going to America," remarked the manager of the fell-mon-gery department. " America takes tho pelts, and returns them in the form of fancy leathers." John D. Rockefeller and his groce r have had a tilt over the telophone concerning the price of oil. The grocer charged the magnate 14 cents a gallon for kerosene oil, Rockefeller called him up and said it was too high. " Oh, no, Mr Rockefeller," returned the grocer. " Your company makes me pay 13 cents a gallon, and I couldn't sell it for that and keep the store open, could,lP" The oil king thought for a moment, and then rang off. A Chicago jury has awarded Ruth Bostrum, a ten year old blind girl, the sum of £SOOO as damages for injuries sustained through receiving an electric shock. She was paralysed while walking near an electric wire owned by the Union Traction Company. The jury accepted the theory advanced in sup. port of the girl's case that it is not necessary to touch a highly charged wire m order to receive a shock. It was stated by some of the experts that a shock might be received by a person wh i was fully 4ft distant from a "live" ffi e.

There are at tlio present time 5087 men employed unco-operative railway works throughout the colony, 2144 of whom are employed on the North Island Main Trunk line, 797 on the various sections oE the Midland Railway, 243 on the Otago Central, 214 on the Holiitika-Koss line, 247 on the Blenhcim-Waiuara line, and 334 on the Helensvillc North line. The number of men engaged in work on Government co-operative road works is 3249, the Wang'anui district employing 505, Wellington distriet 389, and Taranaki district 397.

A welcome social was given in tho Queen street schoolroom on Tuesday night to the Rev. Doherty, who is appointed to the New Plymouth station. Mr Upton was in the chair. Revs. Nixon and White, Messrs Upton and C. E. Bellringer spoke words of welcome. The following musical programme was rendered : —Piano duet, Messrs lloskin and Golding; song, Miss Loesch; cornet solo, Mr W. Upton; song, Mr Dc la Haye; violin solo, Mr Jenkinson ; song, Miss Murray j song, Mrs Rich; recitation, Mr Thompson; vocal duet. Misses Guildford ; recitation, Master Milton Scott. Miss Cook and Mr Golding played the accompaniments. Refreshments were handed round, and a most enjoyable evoning was spont.

Fact is sometiraos stranger than fiction, says the Otago " Daily Times." In the year 1878 a fairly well-to-do married man and his wife had a little disagreement, and lie left liis liome and family of four or five sons and daughters. Ho was lieard of for two years, and then came a rumour of his death. The wife advertised extensively for him, but got no reply. Twelve years later she married. Her second husband lived for about six years, and then passed away. Kecently one of her sons, who is married and has a family, removed to another part of New Zealand, and in a small township heard of an eldorly man bearing his own name. He called on him out of curiosity, and found he was his own father. He immediately telegraphed to his mother, who at onco left home and travelled to see her first husband. The result is a reconciliation, the wife disposing of her Southland property and proceeding to end her days with her first love.

How many persons 'asks a London paper) would not hail with delight the discovery of a safe, pleasant, and easily procurable remedy for indigestion ? Such a remedy is recommended in the correspondence columns of the " Lancet " by no less an authority than Dr. Francis T. Bond. " The indigestion must be a very hopeless one," says Dr. Bond, " wluch will not yield to a diet of a small cup of warm milk to which has been added a teaspoonful of rum, followed by a plain biscuit or two and some very mild cheese, paradoxical as this combination may seem," The marriage of rum and milk, according to the doctor, like all well assorted unions, brings out the good qualities of both parties to the alliance, and, taken wisely and not too well, he is of opinion that they form a happy combination of stimulant and nutriment much superior to many widely-advertised pick-me-ups. The following is a copy ot a letter sent by the New Plymouth High School Board ot Governors to the Hon. HallJones, Acting-PremierThe Board of Governors of the New Plymouth High School desires to express its profound sense of sorrow at the irreparable loss wliich has befallen the Empire, and this colony in particular, by Hie sudden death of the Bight Hon. K. J. Seddon, Premier of New Zealand, and Minister of Education, who during his long and distinguished career ever displayed tho deepest interest in the welfare of the children of tho colony. The Board expresses its appreciation of his life work, extends to the widow and family heartfelt sympathy in this, their hour of trial and allliction, aud appoints Messrs Edward Dockrill and Daniel Berry, members of the .Board, lo represent the Governors at the funeral of the deceased statesman.—N. K. MacDiahmid, Chairman."

THE CAUSE OF RHEUMATISM Exposure to cold and damp is the chief cause of rheumatism. Through cold and damp the skin fails to throw off perspiration, and thus the poisonous uric acid cannot pass from the body, This soon accumulates, and then usually attacks one of the jaints. When thoroughly developed, the slightest movement gives agony. Whether in the preliminary or advanced stages, Rlioumo will quickly cure rheumatism. It neutralises and drives out tho acid accumulations, and gives speedy and permanent relief Your chemist or grocer sells it at '2s 6d and 4s Od a bottle. Try it. liven the average pipe smoker lisa an affection for his pipes With ' G.B.D.s" such as J. Avery has on offer, there is no fear of a short life for a pet pipe. This special selection includes every shape, witli vulcanite and amber mouthpieeos, Tho namo guarantees quality, Casos shown in new pilol pallor, breast-pocket cases, ' and all othors. The briars aro plain or imounted. J. Avery's pipe display is 1 m overy smoker should see.~Aevi,

" They don't hit it together, but I they hit each other instead!" A remark by Mr Justice Edwards nt New Plymouth yesterday, iu the course of hearing of a divorce case.

Yesterday some stray canines got amongst Messrs Sole Bros, flock of slieop at the abattoir grounds, killing one ftnd badly injnring others. Elsewhere the firm notify that they have laid poison on the place for marauding dogs.

The mail train on Wednesday morning conveyed a very large number of Taranaki people to Wellington to attend the funeral of the late Premier. At every station, tho train was joined by representatives of local bodies, and others acting in a private oapacity.

It is stated in Stratford that Mr J D. Morison, the well known auctioneer and land agent in that town, and a member for many years of the Stratford School Commit tee, will be a candidate at the forthcoming Education Board election.

In tho course of the hearing of a divorce case at New Plymouth yestorday, it transpired that petitioner when she married was a widow, with ten children living, whilst the man she wed had a batch of sevon, The heads of the household lived together for a year, after which they parted, " never again to meet," the husband quarrelling with her over her making her will in favor of her own ten.

At the Supreme Court yesterday, His Honor Mr Justice Edwards, in summing up in the arson case, remarked that when a witness entered the box she appoared unwilling to " kiss tho book." This was only a small circumstance, he added, but, at the same time, it was peculiar, as peoplo were under the impression that unless they were sworn on the Bible, it did not matter much what they stated in the box. The young lady in the box had not kissed the Book, he said, until he specially told her to do so. It has been found that owing to the postponement of the concert and euchre party, in aid of the Recreation Ground, from Thursday till Friday, tint a number of tho performers are unable to attend. It has therefore been decided to cancel tho concert portion of the programme and hold the euchre tournament only. Valuable prizes are to be given and there will no doubt bo a lag attendance. Full particular appear in the advertising mlumns.

The late Mr Seddon, when last on the Northern Wairoa, a few month ago, landed at one of the timber ports. On that river a little girl was presented to him, and the girl who introduced her said, " She wants to see Dick." " Oh, do you, do you, my dear ?" said Mr Seddon, smiling kiudly, as was his wont to little ones. " Well, I'm glad to see you, my dear, and, no doubt, when you get a little older you will have learned to say Mr Seddon," There was a painful silence at the rebuke to the gentleman who had pushed the child forward.

The Otago " Daily Times" states that during the past three or four weeks hemp cargo has been accepted for shipment m London by all the big shipping companies at £2 per ton. which means the substantial reduction of 15s per ton on this class of cargo The reduction gives the impression that a big "cut" has been made in Home freight rates, but local representatives of tho shipping companies since that it is simply part of the usual winter reductions in cargo rates. This may, of course, be true, but iu view of the fact that the Federal-Houlder-Shire liners Ayrshire, Perthshire, and Dorset have departed " full ships " within the past four months, and that the Drayton Grange bids fair to follow suit, tho reduction referred to assumes a somewhat competitive aspect.

home one with a fairly vivid imagination has been having a joke with a shareholder in tho Moturoa Petroleum Company. Not being on the spot, the holder of the scrip has to depend on newspaper reports and on gossip for his knowledge of tho progress of affairs. The other day ho was just able to retain the natural color of his hair when he was told that the pressure in the " Birthday Bore " was only maintained with the greatest difficulty by means of an ingenious underground arrangement of tanks and pumps. Forgetting for the moment the largo quantities of oil that had been run off, and tho willingness of the company's manager to afford all information, he half bolieved tho tale, and made enquiries from a friend in New Plymouth. His fears wero, of course, easily dispelled, and now he is " going to hang on till she goes or bursts."

A romark, which is now recalled as very interesting, if not exactly a prophetic one, was made by the late Mr Seddon to the Hon. J. A. Tole about two and a-half years ago. They met at a garden party, given by the Hon. E. Mitchelson (then Mayor of Auckland), and Mr Tole, in tho course of conversation With Mr Seddon, inquired in a bantering way, " How much longer are you going to rotain office f" Mr Seddon turned to Mrs Seddon, who was standing beside him, and said, " I have told mother that when I am 60 I shall have had enough." At the time of his death Mr Seddon was 60 years of age,

Whatever Australia may do, New Zealand intends to get her produco* grading certificates officially recognised in Great Britain. While in Melbourne tho late Premier of Now Zealand, Mr Seddon, made the following interesting statement on the subjectl am in communication with tlie imperial auin respect to legislation on the subject of certificates protecting tho grading of dairy produce for shipmeat, The Imperial Government has appointed a committee to take evidence on these certificates. We are suggesting that the certificates of our officers should bo aecoptcd, and tfcat the same should apply to Now Zealand flax and other products, so as to ensuro purchases being made on given certificates and to prevent frauds being perpetrated to the detriment of the colonial producer."

Iwo moro bullocks wero condemned by tho inspector at the Mastcrton abattoirs (says tho "Wairarapa Daily Tunes"). Tho matter has been referrcd to the Inspector of Stock, with a viow to tho breeders from whose «tock the infected animals were taken having their herds submitted to examination. As showing the urgent necessity for systematic and competent inspection, it may bo mentioned that, in tho case of one of tho boasts condemned, the inspector says as there was |no trace of tuberculosis on the carcase it would have passed into human consumption under former con- i dibious of slaughtering. Xlic tuber-1 culous growth, however, had spread right through the organs of the animal, and the whole carcase had to be condemned.

In the Coronation yoar, when the National Liberal Club entertainod the Colonial Premiers at dinner, the late Mr beddon was among the guests, and he sat to the right of the late Sir William Ilarcourt. Sir Wilfred Laurier had spoken, and with great effect; Sir Edward Barton followed, but beforo Mr Scddon's turn cam© Sir William Harcourt had a little dig at him on account of what the Liberals of that day considered his unpardonable sin of jingoism. Sir William referred to Mr Scddon's " solution of that hitherto iusolublo problem of perpetual motion of perpetual power, which our distinguished guest from the antipodes has solved by his 10 years' tenure of the ollieo of Premier." There was a great deal of laughter at this little gibe, for much as tho Radicals and Liberals had admired Mr Seddon for his socialistic logisjation, they uover forgavo him for his attitude on the Boer war. His speech on the occasion referred to Jul not do him credit, and it must be recorded that the shu tiling of feet, laughing, und interjections of those present—somo of them now in the British Cabinet—were not what one might have expected from gentlemen entertaining a man who had sound claims to bo considered a eroat personality of tho age, to say nothing of respect duo to him as the representative of a loyal and progressive British colony,