LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8161, 20 July 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tho proprietor of the Taihapo and Waimarino News has decided to convert his tri-weekly paper into a penny evening daily. A real of paper toppled off an express and fell through the plate glass window of Mr H. W. Lloyd, Wellington, last Friday, doing damage to the extent of £2OO.

A gentloman interested in oil remarked the other day that if the petroleum industry thrived, Taranaki's prosperity would be built up on a " slippery foundation " —butter and oil. The butter had done much, but the oil would do more.—Exohange.

Inglowood, Oakura, and Pihama dairy companies have sold their incoming season's butter output at very good prices. Inglewood (Moa) is said to have sold at lOfd per lb. to the end of April, and the other three at lo.jd per lb. Figures like these point to a good time for the farmer next year.

The Taranaki Dairymen's Association meeting at Stratford on Thursday, approved of the scheme submitted by Mr W. E. Spencer, Chief Education Inspector in Taranaki, for the establishment of classes for the technical education of dairy factory managers and assistants j and the scheme will be recommended to all dairy companies for their support. A report of the meeting is held over. Mr Gray, the unassuming chief engineer of the Orient liner Ophir, was retainod by the Admiralty with his staff when tho steamer conveyed the Duke of York to the colonies. Mr Frank Bullen remarked that tho Ophir, in Mr Gray's charge, steanic.l 60,000 miles without five minutes dolay for repairs, while tho cruisers accompanying her broke dowu on an average once every tweuty-four hours.

The Maiu Trunk liuo is now complete as far as Jlafcaro i. Tlie st itionbuihlings, goads-sheds, etc.. have been erected, and apparently all tint remains to be dono is the work of inspection by the inspecting iMginecr, and the formal talent nvef os the line by llic* Dep u'tuu'iil: uf Railway.-". When tin's section is opened it wiU brina: Ruauui, Raugisvaea, To K-ipm, and P.ihonui districts, someiliini like -j) settlers, with a easy reach of civilisation,

While zig-zagging across Cook Strait on Sunday in search of the derelict vessel which wns sighted last week by tho steamer 'l'oroa, the Government steamer Hincmoa sighted what appeared to be a capsized yessel, but on closer examination tho object provod to be the carcase of a hump-backed whale, about fiO feet in length. There were hundreds of Capo pigeons, and other sea-birds around the body. The carcaso is estimated to have beon worth quite £l5O to whalers.

An unusual accident formed the subject of a civil action at the Magistrate's Court atTimaru. In April last Mr B. Gillies bought 500 sheep at the Fairlie salcyards, and lett them in the yards till next morning, when they were to he dipped, the secretary of the salevards company, E. H. Barn, undertaking to dip tliem with tho assistance to be sent him. Next morning five of the sheep were dead, and within ten days 16 more had died, as a result of their having eaten dip powder wrappers that had been left lying where the sheep could get at them. The usual practice was to burn these wrappers, but on this occasion they were stored away for the time being, the sheep got at them, and, being hungry, they ate them. Mr Bam admitted that he had been careless in that matter. The stomach of the dead sheep was analysed by Professor Bickerton, who found that it contained arsenic, Mr Gillies claimed the value of the sheep from the Haleysrds Company, who denied liability. Mr Wray, S.M., however, held that it was liable, and gave judgment for tke amount claimed aud costs,