LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 187, 29 July 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is proposed to charge 5s per cubic yard for Jit. Egmont stone, delivered "on trucks at the crushing station. Tho English mail despatched from Wellington 011 June lDth arrived in London 011 the morning of the 2Uth inst. The Kgmont Electorate Licensed \ ictuallers' Association has resolved:— "That the members of this Association retrain from taking part in politics during t'hu forthcoming general election."

The -Mikado of Japan has recently issued a decree allowing a Japanese woman to lead, if she chooses, a single ifo. Hitherto, if found unmarried after a certain age, a husband was selected- for her by law.

"The lirst millionaire to die in New Zealand will not be a landowner," de clared Mr. C.' A. C. Jtardy, Sl.l\, in his criticism of the Budget. "He will be a merchant, a trader—commonly called a distributor, or a manufacturer."

"Heads 1 win, tails you lose —humbug." This is ill', Hardy's definition -J Socialism. " When a man lias goi sinewy hands, hands ho is not afraid to work with, then 1 will say to him, you arc not a Socialist, 1 will help vou."

A rather rare incident happened on Mr. MacVean's farm at To ltoti the other day. A cow gave birth to three calves. About August last year the Same cow had two calves, titat M to say. she lias had five calves inside ol' 12 months.—liltham Argus.

Q.,Un a contingent left yesterday for Well'iiii:' on either, to support or ooject to the Cpunakc llarbor Hill. Among them wer'e Messrs. McKeown, A. 11. Moore, Guv, Deegan, Ching, Bridge, Fitzgerald, Voullairc, Jas. llurgess, and E. Maxwell.

A new industry—the building of motor cars—has been commenced at Wangaimi. A local linn has just constructed h.]>. motor to the order of Mr. N. Aildrew, and the Chronicle, says the ordinary critic would have no hesitation in pronouncing it to be an imported vehicle.

llctunis presented to Parliament show that the applications made up to June 311 th, 1008, by holders of lease-in-perpetuity for the acquisition of freehold under the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1!)07, numbered UO. No hind for settlement tenants had applied to pay o); or more per cent, off the original value. Speaking at the annual meeting of shareholders of the Midhirst Co-opera-tive Dairy Co. on Monday, says the Post, the chairman, Mr. A. Brown, stated that when in conversation with Mr. C'liddie, Chief Dairy Expert, the latter said lie had often seen llid'liirst butter opened up in London, and that 110 better butler ever left, this Dominion.

The late Mr. >Soddon was fond, in his political campaigns, of demonstrating the necessity, of "keeping the cradb'S full." Certainly I'araparaunui lias not Jorgottcn the advice of that great statesman, for it can boast of being the possessor of three sets of twins—something unique in any township on Ibis coast."

In the iS.M. Court yesterday morning, before .Mr. 11. S. Fitziierbcrt, S.M., judgment by default was entered in the following:—Tal'anaki-Petroleum Co. v. F. (i. Mills, claim ,C 1 (is (id and costs Ss; P. T.ealand v. fl. (libbs, claim El 6s (id, anil costs 3s; Commissioner of Taxes v. J. l.owry. claim :ts Sd, and costs os, A first oll'eiiding drunk was convicted and discharged. Are we getting more intemperate, or is it the result of tlie general prosperity that; New Zealand's consumption, per head, of spirits, wines and beer is going lip! In 190(> the total quantity of spirits consumed in New Zealand worked out at :C1 17s (id for each person in the Dominion: last year the figure mounted to LI IDs 4d. It was the same with wine, lor which Is :i'/.d per head was expended as compared with Is l%d in 1900; and beer, for which tlie IOIKi tot'il was 01/, a, and last year's Kid. Tobacco mounted from' CI 4s (i'4il to ,11 4s lft I ,Ad on the same basis, and cigris. cigarettes, and snuff from !)s to 10s o</ 2 d. One consolation for the advocate of prohibition is that although the consumption of tea per head in 1!M I was only a little over live and threequarter pounds, it ran up to (i.ll pounds ill 1000, and last vear reached neailv 71b.

lilt. FAiniKl!! Do you realise the importance of drenching your cows at cah-ing-timc? Wliv does it pay you (o drench your 1 localise i( makes (hem healthy. Hecause healthy cow; give more mil.'-:. ftecaiwe more milk means more money. T r so Drench becau-;:' il is the lies!. Tt will thoroughly cleanse cows after calving and make milk pure. It will clean-;e the blond an,! system, and prevent milk fever. Tt will tone up ihe diL f e~(ive or^-i'i 1 - and assist to secrete milk. Tt will act as a preventive of nm- ! tagions abortion for (he en.-niii'V year. Read the following:

'''M'avcrlev."A. T„ Svkcs. I '"Dear Sir.- e have dn m-lrd 7.">() cows this 5-asou with Pvkcs's Dven-'li, and consider they are healthier I his ve-ir than last. The.- in.' ;■!-:> mill-in:; lieller this year than last, not withstanding the .shortness of grass. "Yours Irulv. '•XTCITOf.SfW UTWK.'' T T se oulv Svkes's Drench, because if is the best. "Price Is fid packet, or !f!s liy the dozen. Better lmy it by tlie dozen, Write for Booklet. 2

In t'he courße of the excavations at the rear of the -New I'ly mouth' gaol a sciiin of clay lias been met with that seems • likely • to be good brick-makjingt clay. Some bricks of it have been made, and thotse are to be forwarded to Wi\iturn for a trial burning.

We are informed that iUr. A. ltooker, truant inspector, has taken the necessary preliminary steps under the Justices of t'he Peace Act in the appleal. against the recent decision of Messrs. li. Cock and CJ. Tisch, Justices, in the rase against a local resident for failing to send regularly to school a child alleged to be living in his home. l>'or our part, says the Spectator, we do not believe in the abolition of the rod, perceiving, as we do, that human nature is not remtirkuuly different from the days in whicli Solomon denounced the false kindness of indulgent parents. The fact that a boy may be tlog- | ged in the great English public schools is, in our opinion, one of the most valI liable privileges the well-to-do classes

have retained for themselves. Tlie programme of tlie Xew Zealand Axemen's Carnival to be held at Christmas oilers prize money amounting to £33 l—a record for the Association. A new item is a New Zealand championship for chopping 12in standing" blocks. 'lt has been decided to apply to the Australasian Axemen's Association for permission to hold at Elthain the world s championship con-

tests in 2ft standing chopping and 2ft single-handed sawing. The Axemen's Cup ( €140) contest again appears on the programme. Although there are to be few stopping places for the Main Trunk trains, the express will pick up and set down the mails at non-stopping stations. The method of doing this has been explained by Mr. T. Honayne, the General Manager for liailwavs. He says the Queensland system will probably be put into operation for picking up the mails. A projecting apparatus or mail " catchers" will be attached to the sides of vans; the mail bags will be hung oil spechl stands beside the line, and from those stands the u catchers" will pick them

up, in much the same way as Die tablet is picked up by the engine. In reganl to depositing the mails without stopping, the Queensland system is simply to throw the mails out from the train. Of course parcels containing fragile articles could hot be sent on these mail trains', but would have to so on the stopping trains.

In view of the rumored or threatening strike of coalminers, in Xew Zealand, the annual report of the inspecting engineer of coal-mines, just, issued, is particularly interesting. It shows that the output of coal for last year in the Dominion amounted to l,83i;009 tons, consisting of 1,184,211 bituininop. and semi-bituminous, 515,707 toils , brown coal, 108,941 tons lignite, and 22,000 tons pitch coal. As compared with the preceding year Mere was an increase of 101,413 tons. The largest individaul output was from the Denniston mine (313,005 tons). At Millcrton it was 297,754 tons, at Kaitangata 101,818, at Huntly 102,04(i. There was a total of 3010 men, employed, as compared with 31102 in the previous year. Prior to 1878 the output of coal had been 700,031 tons. In that year it was 102,218 tons, and has gradually increased until it •is now 1,830,009 tons.

i]r. llerrics is io be congratulated in having inspired the Pacing Conference to take the initiative in the matter of the reduction o[ totalisator permits (says tho Wellington Times). There is too much racing for the Dominion; too mnu.v mushroom clubs; too many people 1 raining and ruling horses who might be profitably engaged in useful avocations; too many settlors and citizens neglecting their businesses to attend meetings; too many parasites travelling from course to* course in pursuit of illicit gain; too many short-winded sprinters being raised ami raced; 100 much money being lavished 011 buildings lying wa?tc 011 racecourses from one year's end to the other'; too many "bookies" ami their satellites whose occupations would lie gone if there were fewer opportunities for gambling. If the Pacing Conference does not take tlie matter no and deal with it iliscriminately, reformerg will force the, hands of Parliament, who will deal with it indiscriminately. TlAi we shall have abolition (which is foolish and unnecessary) instead of regulation (which is prudent and essential |. The committee which has been calLl upon to determine the issue is face to face with a distasteful task, but we know them well enough to believe tint they will discharge their functions with discretion as well as with courage. A gentleman not unconnected wiui the administration of our labor laws considers that he has placed his finger upon the Key to the present seething discontent existing amongst the employers of labor and tile employees of the Dominion. Talking to a "Xews" reporter yesterday, lie remarked: "There is never an important meeting' of employers or of trades unionists to consider labor matters without the Press being represented with a view of publishing the discussions and disseminating tho information right through the colony. That's what causes discontent." It should be remembered, 011 the other hand that the presence of reporters has much to do with the moderation of a speaker's tone. Without the "eliiel among them taking notes/' folk are apt to let their tongues bcyouu control, and nasty things are said that cannot be unsaid. Then a garbled account of the meeting is disseminated by word of mouth, and tne harm arising in that way is infinitely worse than the cll'ect of an unbiassed newspaper report of the proceedings. Had this paper made use of an opportunity? some few months ago to report a speech made by the agitator who "organised" the local Drivers' Union there would probably have been less of the discontent that our castigator lays such stress upon. It was one of those apeeches which it is safe to say would never have been made had the Press representatives occupied their 'accustomed Scat in the Town Hall, the building in which that particular meeting was "held.

The book-liend is simply an angel alongside the photograph enlargement canvasser. One of the latter class had an experience in New Plymouth the other evening that should make him more careful in future.in his displays of "bluff"' and brow-beating. To explain tlie incident it is necessary to go Intel? about a year to the date upon which a young wife ordered an enlarged copy ol a photograph of-lier mother. The other day file agent arrived at the house witli the picture, but the lad}" had moved, with her husband, to Wellington. The present occupant of the house referred him to one of the addressee's relatives' neiir bv, ami tlie agent tried hard to persuade this lady to take delivery on behalf of his customer. 'l'wo or three calls at the house proved fruitless. Then (he relative telegraphed to Wellington for instructions and received a reply not to take delivery under any conditions wtiawci, uie contract being to deliver the picture to the customer. A couple of nights later the agent called again but this time lie ivas not alone, lie introduced his companion as a representative of a legal I

■firm in the town, and threatened legal proceedings unless the picture was accepted. The lady of tile house asked and was informed by the ."lawyer man" that he had just come from Auckland to join the (inn of Blank and Blank. The agent: "Perhaps you don't know

thc firm';" The lady answered ihat she did, very well. Then tlie agent talked "big," and again mentioned the legal firm, with intent no doubt to frighten the lady into submission. "Ob, yes," she said; "I know the firm. My son's a clerk in their oilieo." And they stood

not upon the order of their going, but they went. Warning-is given that tlic agent i-- trying the accomplice or witness trick to frighten people into taking pictures that they :ire not satisfied with and decline to accept. The ruse is thin, but it may deceive some people. There are many residents anxiously awaiting the arrival of the picture people' with photographs which were entrusted to tliem . for copying. Is it l really worth the worry, when the enlargements can tic done better and just as cheaply by local firms? Here is a lesson in local patriotism.

The "Messiah," which was given in His Majesty's Theatre, C'hristchurch, last night, in further celebration of the opening of the city organ, attracted an enormous attendance (says a Priss message), and so many failed to seeuve admission that the Organ Committee Jfcided to have tlie oratorio repeated next I'ridny. Tile soloists were Mr. Charles Saunders and Miss Clara llohson, of London, and Mr. ,1. Pruuse, uf Wellington, and Miss Buckinan, of Xew Plymouth.

Whilst not for a moment questioning the honesty ol some of the residents in the lower portion of Vogeltown, the contractor for tlie erection of a house stales that he is still unable to account for the disappearance or to trace the present whereabouts of his soldering kit, pieces of timber, and so on. Another builder finds the atmosphere of this suburb has a very destructive effect upon timber. On Saturday his car])enters left 75-squared studs' in a neat stack upon the- ground. Before Holiday morning four of them had van- | ished into thin air.

Tlie Secretary for Marine has forwarded to the Xew Plymouth Harbor ' ISoard detailed . information concerning the system of signalling by means of submarine, bells. The way in which this is accomplished is that a bell is struck under water, and ttie sound is received on board ship by means of a microphone attached to each side of the ship under water and wires being led to the chart-room on the bridge. The sounds can be heard without the microphone by going down into the hold l of the ship, the advantage of this system is that the sounds are transmitted I through water, and are not affected by wind or any other atmospheric conditions so that the sounds arc heard just as'well against t'lie wind as with it, and whereas with the best siren now the sound can only be relied upon for about two miles, the bell can be heard sevm miles, and is, so far as experiments have gone, unaffected by tidal currents, waves, or other noises. This is, as might be expected, looking to the relative velocities of sound and'wind ill air compared with the. velocities of sound in water and water currents and the fact that water is an incompressible fluid. It. has been observed, however, that there are sound shadows produced by rocks and shoals just as in air, and probably the shadows are even sharper than in the case of sounds in air. The signals have been applied and are in use on light-vessels, on buoys, and on tripods submerged off a land station. The cost of the installation, however, is Jjeavy, and the New Plymouth Board has decided to "bide a wee."