LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81871, 22 October 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Opunake ijolcs and commercial news appear 011 the foui'tli page ot this

The first ne\\' potatoes of the season were brought info Timaru last week, having been grown en a farm a few miles south of Timtiru.

The s.s. Karawa was unable to crovs Manukau bar last night until nearly midnight, owing to rough weather there.

Tho typewriting championship of America has been won by a young man who typed 4027 words in 3') uimutes—au averago of 154 words a minute. ■

During the past year the Inglewood Bacon Company paid out to shareholder suppliers £4Ol ios 7d in bonuses, over and above the advertised prices offered to suppliers of pigs,

A cable from New York states that the jury at Findley, Ohio, found the Standard Oil Trust guilty of conspiring to restrain tracfe since July, 1903. Each day's business constitutes an offence punishable by a fine of five thousand dollars and imprisonment. The New Plymouth Borough Council will consider to-night proposals to raise £15,300 for various purposes, including £2300 to purchase Mr W, F. Brookmg's property (sections 694 and (595 and part 693) for Library and Town Hall site, £2OOO for waterworks extension, and £IOOO for completion of drainage system.

The total amount voted for road works in the Taranaki road district last year was £39,846. There was expended during the year £34,790, and there were also liabilities incurred on 31st March last amounting to £7,583. The amount asked for this year is £32,539, tho works to which the money is proposed to be allocated being set out in another column.

"We won't be able to wow grass soon," said a member of the lloa lload Hoard on Saturday, wheD a Gazette notice was read including South African boxlhorn in the second schedule of the Noxious Weeds Act. "Does it spread P" asked another member.

"Spread!" he ejaculated. "Why, you can't even get it to grow ; I wish we could. It makes splendid hedges."

Last year £12,491 out of £20,000 voted as Grants to Education Boards (for school buildings, additions, sites, fencing, furniture, etc) was spent. This year £40,000 appears 011 the estimates for the purpose. Grants for Technical Schools, and Native Schools, for which 110 special provision was made last year, are apportioned respectively on this year's Estimates £25,000 and £6OOO.

Appropriations in tho Equitable Building Society were disposed of by ballot on Friday. Tho drawing for two appropriations of £l5O each in the first group resulted in favour of ticket >O. 530, held by Mr Jl. Brown, ol Inglewood. In the same group a sale by tender realised £25 10/ for each of two £l5O appropriations. Tho £3OO 111 the second group brought £59 by tonder.

The commencement of the " moun tain" traflie has reminded the Moa lioad Board of the damage done to the Kgmout road soutli and Lepper road >outh by Ihe heavily-laden and rauidnuuiing brakes and coaches conveying visitors to the North Egmont Mounlaii. ilouse. As this trallie is of no dire M, perhaps not even indirect, benefit to the tanners and settlers whose roads suffe. tiy it, the Board has decided to again oring the matter before Messrs Jenlings aud Smith, M's. 11.1t., with a new to obtaining assistance from the Jovemment in the maintenance of the road. A couple of years ago the Manaia ro.id, near Ivap.'ngti, received |uite a handsome little cash wiudfaii in this way.

Potato growers in Ouiki district ioive Ijcen much concerned (says the -'Post") over the appearance of whai is generally believed io be the dreaded potato blight. It would appear, however, that their fears are at least premature. Specimens of affected .eaves were submitted to the Government Biologist for examination, and he has forwarded the following reassuring report:—"A careful examination did not show any trace of Irish blight, the death of the tissues being- due 10 frost. Potatoes which have been frosted are in consequence weakened, and thus fall an easy prey to fungoid attack. It is therefore very important that they should be spraye d.''

One of ihe secret processes which has for ages openly defied the world of science is the iron trade of Russia. The secret of making Russan sheetiron is owned by the Government and when a workman eniers the service he bids a last farewell to his fami'v and friends, and whether he lives or dies all trace of him is for ever lost. There have been several desperate attempts <nade to steal or betray the secret, but in every instance it has resulted in the death of the would be traitor. In one case a letter attached to a kite, which was allowed 11 escape, was picked up by some peasants, and, despite their protestations that they were unable to read, they were at once put to death by the guards to whom they delivered the letter. It was afterwards decreed that the guards themselves should pass their lives within the works and tj this day the secret remains as hidden as the philosopher's stone. A feat, which seems unique in vlic way of life-saving, was performet! l>y Norman Wight, the engineer driving the train running from Nominingue to Montreal, on the l.aurentian branch of the Canadian-Pacific railway. About a mile before the train reached St. Jerome, says the Montreal Witness, he saw an object on the track, and when but a bare train's length from it discovered it was a child. He put on the emergency brakes, then, rushing through the front window of the cab, ran along the footboard, clambered down on the pilot, and, holding on to a greasy rod with one hand, he made a sweep with the other, just grabbing the child and pulling her into safety as ihe engine overlook her. In another few seconds lie pulled up with a jerk, and the startled passengers nrhe- 1 out to see the triumphant engineer with a little toi of a girl in his arms, who apparently was not in the least upset bv the occurrence.

Accounts ill the American press of some exceedingly interesting- ulectiieal experiments in forcing the growth of vegetables have apparently given rise to expectation of developments of incalculable value. In a large market garden at Arlington, Massacluistetts not only has the arc lamp b' i'ii, it i- said, employed with -uece.-s in accelerating growth but lami currents have been passed through the beds, with the result that their rate of production has proved to be distinctly more rapid than that of other beds under precisely similar treatment except that the electrical experiment was not applied to them. To eloctricfal stud'nts it is the method of inducing the '■uncut that' will be most interesting, lor it i-- reported that after beating the soil for seme purpose not clearly explained, nothing more is needed than to iink a copper plate at one end of the bed. and a zinc plate at the oilier end. connecting- them above ground by a wire, when a current could be measured varying from 0.4 tuilliampere to 15 miHiainperes.