LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8181, 14 August 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Auckland-San Francisco despatch of the 11th July arrived m London on the 11th inst.

Melbourne-Brmdisi despatch, 11th July, arrived London on the afternoon of the 12th inst.

It is statel that offers of lid per pound has failed so far to induce the Eltham Dairy Company to sell. Speaking to a South Island correspondent of the " Farmers Union Advocato," the Hon. B. McNab declared that one of his first acts would bo to establish a dairy school. Mr Hooker, borough foreman, has received instructions to report fully on the very unsatisfactory reports received from residents concerning the watertables and drainage on Deyou road in the west end of the borough.

When the New Plymouth railway deviation has been completed, further application will be made by the Borough Council to have Molesworlhstrcet continued from its Kawau-street terminus to Brougham-street, in order to relieve Devon-street of considerable heavy trallic from the railway goods shed.

The New Plymouth Lodge of Oddfellows were the guests of the local Druids on Monday evening, when a most pleasant evening was spent in playing euchre and cribbnge. The Druids came out victorious, winning 27 games, aud the visitors 25. Refreshments were handed round, and a pleasant evening brought to a close by the exchanging ot clieors. At the conclusion of the annual meeting of shareholders of the Eltham Dairy Company, held at Eltham on Saturday, Mr J. Carter proposed the following resolution, which was curried unanimously : That this meeting of farmers strongly protests against any proposal to diver! the Eltham-Opunake railway from live original surveyed route. The borough engineer reported to the Borough Council on Monday that Egmonl street is not provided with water-mains sufficient for lire purposes. There is a 3-inch mam in the street. The existing mains are a 10-inch main in Devon street, 8-inch main in St. Aubyii street, and a 3-inch in.iin from Queen street to the Pantechnicon. The matter is in the hands of the works committee.

It will be learned with regret (says the "North Otago Times") that the Kidtangata coal mine has been closed down altogether, for an indefinite time : it is believed the mine is on fire. No coal from this sourco can possibly be furthcoming for at least two months, and. possibly longer. From anotker source we learn that it is intended to Hood the miue. [The Kaitangata mine i;, next to the West Coast mines, probably the largest coal producer in the colony, and finds employment fjr several hundred mcn.'l Mr If, Rowan, Inspector of Dairies, visited Inglewood tlio other day and found by investigation that the milk supplied by some of the vend ts to the O'nenil public had been somewhat thinned by the copious ad lition of quantities oF Tarauaki's most consistent product—rain-water. Several samples were taken, and forwarded to the Chiof Choraist for analysis. Should the report bear out Mr Rowan's suspicions, the milkmen will be prosecuted. There are one or two milk-cnrts in New Plymouth that ought to be freshened up a little before the inspector drops on them. As we all know, milk is a rapid absorbent, and all carts, cans, measures, and other utensils should be kept scrupulously clean. Generally they are, but there are exceptions, even in tho milk supply business.

Mr R. Cock and Mr AV. J. Perm, of Xeiv Plymouth, who have been on a trip through the South Sea Islands, returning liy way of Sydney, Melbourne, and the Bluff, spent a few Hours in Timaru, yesterday afternoon, (says the Timaru " Herald" of Thursday last). They spoak highly of the Island trip, though Mr Penu said he was not altogether sorry to see the last of the natives. Amongst other celebrities whom they met was King George of Tonga, who accorded them an audience in style. Both the visitors arc interested in municipal and harbor matters (Mr R. Cock has been Mayor of New Plymouth and chairman ot the Taranaki Harbor Board on several occasions.) The town clerk and the secretaiy of the Harbor Board gave them a good deal of useful information about Timaru and they travelled up to Olinstcliureli last night with Mr Craigie who ex : pectcd to hear something about the electric lighting installed in New Plymouth during Mr Cock's term of

office, When stammerers meet, without eiihcr knowing of the other's impediment, there is generally some fun. Comedy led almost to tragedy the other day on a road-making contract close to town. Two men, unknown to one another, arrived on the job on Monday morning, and started work only a few yards apart. Bill, a tall, well set-up colonial, soon stopped to light his pipe, and pulling away at the fragrant fumes, remarked to his neighbor " D-d-d don't yer s-s-s----moke, m-mate ?" Jack, who from his childhood up had been bully-ragged and mocked on account of a serious impediment in his speech, wondered how the oilier fellow knew of his shortcomings, for of course he jumped to the conclusion that this was merely another torment. "Who are yon g-g-g-ctti'n' ii-a-at, eh?" he retorted, spluttering and red-faced. Bill, also suspecting a mocker, replied heatedly, " V-y-you do th-that again a-a-a-and Til h-h-hit you one on the j-j-j-aw." Then the fun commenced. The dialogue freshened, as both simultaneously made accusalions and repelled insinuations. Thei'i! could only be one ending. The interchange of spluttered compliments led to an exchange of blows, and there was no more work for one of them that day. At sunrise he was en route for foreign parts. True bill.

The New Plymouth municipal electric; lighting committee has received instructions to continue the streetlighting system into Vogeltown, An information lias been laid agamst an Inglewcol settle: on a charge of having sold in a public saloyard calves which had not been inoculated against blackleg. The case will be held on, Thursday. It is hoped that the public trill attend in large numbers the. concert to 'je given at St. Mary' Hall to-night, in aid of raising initial funds for the Western Park bazaar. A splendid programme is advertised, and the price of admission will be repaid an hundredfold.

The Borough Council last night, without discussion, unanimously adopted Cr. Fred Bellnnser's motion that all tho town street lighting be kept going till daylight. This will be a de-! eided convenience and safeguard, which there is no doubt will be fully appro-' cuted by the ratepayers. The indication of tho hopefulness of New Plymouth is shown by the fact during the past few weeks three new firms of auctioneers have started operations. It is worthy of note that when

it had a population of only 2000. New Plymouth supported three auctioneering linns. Up till lately it only had

We find that in our report of the Inglewood oil prospects in Saturday's issue, we mentioned Mr Alexander's name as chairman of tho Inglewood Oil Boring and Prospecting Co, Mr Alexander, however, I ells us that Mr Henry Brown is chairman of the company, the former gentleman having licen appointed acting - chairman on

account of Mr Brown's frequent absence on his private business.

n.e nrst pinch of the railway deviation came up at the New .Plymouth Borough Council meeting last night. A letter from the Town Clerk's office showed that the Railway Department had obtained a list of the borough rates due to July 31st on the properties taken by the Government for railway works. The land, as Government land, is exempt from rates, and tho Council is going to impress on the Department that the rate is not divisible, and they will be expected to pay the full year's dues. In future the revenue from the properties will be lost to the Council.

A remarkable discovery of a frog sealed in a block of bluestono was made last week at Auckland by a workman who had occasion to shape an irregular piece of metal. One blow of the hammer split off a long slab and liberated the frog, which sprang from a small cavity from which it could not possibly have been released without outsido interference, but in which it had evidently been supplied with air and light. Its color was normal, and its eyea apparently efficient. The frog was handed to the museum. It is presumed that the frog reached the cavity in the stone as an ovam, and grow two big to leave by way of honeycomb holes.

The stray dog nuisance seems to have set the dog tax collector a-think-ing. There are several collarless dogs about tlie town just now, and it appears to Mr Tippins that the best method of collecting the fees in these cases will be to erect a stray dog depot so that they may be confined. The suggestion came before the New Plymouth Borough Council on Monday night, and the matter was referred to the Works Committee.

There were killed at the abattoirs during July 298 head of cattle, 17 calves, 581 sheep, and 103 pigs. The fees totalled £l3l Its, and rents £3 5s Gd Eight cattle were condemned by the inspector for tuberculosis, one for emaciation, and four for advanced pregnancy. One sheep had to be destroyed on account of supperative pleurisy, and two pigs for tuberculosis. There were 107 cows killed for oxport, 15 oxon, 7 bulls, and 5 calves. Every class of stock showed an increase over the the July figures. More cattle had been slaughtered during July than in any other month since the municipal abattoir was opened. At the annuil meeting of the Eltham Dairy Company it was unanimously resolved that it be a recommendation to the directors to nuke enquiry as to the position of the company in relation to tho Moluroa Freezing Works with a view to considering the question of shipping at Patea. The mover pointed out that some local dairy factories hai effected a saving by shipping through Patea rather than Moturoa, where the extra charge of 2s per ton for railage made a big difference. A shareholder stated that he understood the company lost £lll on railway charges by shipping at New Plymouth.—This is a matter that should occupy the attention of the Chamber of Oornm.'rco at the earliest possible moment, with a view to having some reduction made in the unreasonable charges on the port railway.

The well - known eyesight and spectacle specialist, Mr A. Green, D.5.A.0., of Auckland, is now on a visit to New Plymouth, and miy be consulted daily from 31st August at the consulting room in Messrs Bewley and Griffiths' premises, Devon street. M> Green needs no introduction to this district, where there are many people who can gratefully point to him as having given them renewed sight. Anyone who is suffering from defective vision, and who require the nso of spectacles, cannot do better than call at mice upon Mr Green, who has come fully prepared to deal with any stage or kind of eye trouble. Siiffe.-ers would do well to remember that where the eye requires atteutiou delay is dangorous, and that an opportunity does not often occur of consulting a first-class specialist, If yon have the faintest suspicion that your eyes are not just right, thai your glasses don't suit your sight, if you have to hold a newspaper further from you than you should, or you cannot see at a distance, or if you suiter froai headaches, painful bloodshot eyes, inlhuucd eyelids, crossed eyes, etc., then do not go to the average optician or spectacle seller, as he is unable to distinguish between optical defects and diseases, but consult a good eyesight specialist, who will thoroughly examine your eyes and give you good glasses, which will improve and strenghthen the sight. The optic nerves will secure rest, headaches will thus be prevented, and there will he an absence of dizziness.—Advt.