LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 68, 16 April 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"What arc the duties of a patron of this Society V" was asked at the Agricultural Society's meeting last night. .Mr. Amlmry might have answered "to send in a good mibstanial donation." for that is usually the role of a patron. But he replied on the instant: "His duties are to barrack for the Society always in every shape and form."

It. is understood that Mr. hdward Saunders, son (if the editor of tlio l.yttclton Times, will go to with Lieutenant Siiacklcton as liis private seerctarv and will assist him in writing a Look- giving the history of the British Antarctic expedition. Mr. Saunders U a member of the literary staff of 1jl:v Lyttclton Times, and has represented that paper in the Parliamentary press gallery for several sessions. At the Agricultural Soeietv's meeting last night Mr. 11. .1. liilhert complained Unit. Taranaki was being neglected by tlovcrnmcnl experts. Oilier" distriet's hail lectures upon fruitgrowing and other industries connected with Hi:' laud. Iml here in Taranaki the cxpcvlo just popped i;i for a day. and left again, without imparling anv information (o fiii.vl.iMly. lie in.-tanc'ed the fruit and orchard Inspector as n, case in point. The |irosid:-,il explained, that tlie onlv lectures given hi'rc of late Had hceu by Mr. J. A. (lilruth mid (Jantain Voung, nl the instance of the Society, and he believed those, lectures hail been very very leuclicial In (lie fanners of the disl:i:-l. and certai.ily to this Society. I'lion .Mr. liilbci'l's motion, seconded ljv Mr. V. Watson, it. was decided to 'nisi met the coininittc;.. of the Society to reipiosl from the Minister of Agricuiture regular anil more frc(|\ient visits from the (lovci'iiincnt experts. ''"<»' Hiraiiii! Cliost Coinolniiw Wood?' Great Pepermiiit Cure, 1/fl «v»d. S/fl.

I Owing to 'the absence of tile instrue- ' tur, no cluss in plumbing will lie held at the Technical School itliis evening. The lloveramcnt have purchased front Jlr. W. J. Freetli, of Urenui, for the Waikato Experimental Farm, a Jersey bull and heifer by Yankee Sweet (imported from tho United States). Yankee, Sweet's dam at present belongs to the herd of the New York Experimental .Station, and on an authenticated record produced !)841bs of buttoy from 14,1841bs of milk at her third calving. It is satisfactory to know that stock bred in this district is considered of such outstanding quality as to be chosen for the experimental farms. The Auckland Herald's Gisborne representative made some inquiries to ascertain; how far the opening of the -Main Trunk railway had all'ceted the hast Coast steamer service, which has the advantage of tlie larger and more commodious intercolonial steamers. With the exception of the (lisborne trade which will be for many years entirely dependent on oversea communication, much the same condition of affairs exists as on the West Coast. The Huddart-I'ar-ker steamer Wimmcra, on Wednccdny, for instance, after landing her (iisborne passengers from Sydney and Auckland, had a total of 14 through passengers aboai'd. As it happened, however, there was an unusually large contingent of Oishorne residents desirous of proceeding south lor the Easter holidays, numbering over 150. In the ordinary course,before the .Main Trunk was open, ••shakedowns" would have been the order of the night's voyage, but berths were available for all. This was not a particular | instance of the diminution of the through East Coast trade, for the previous ship of this line that passed here only had Hi through passengers. The same thing, inreporter learned, applies to the t'nion Company's vessels, the YVaikare from Auckland on a recent trip, having only 13 through saloon passengers. On the other hand, the Kapier-flisborne servie. maintains its healthy proportions, but until matters adjust themselves a litt'o better the establishment of a tri-weekly service on the East Coast seems as far distant as ever.

At the sjwcinl meeting of 'the New Plymouth branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union held on Tuesday, the delegates to the convention held recently 171 Wellington gave their reports. It was shown, that the union had grown throughout the Dominion in the last year, three hundred new members having been added to its ranks. The report* furnished by the superintendents of departments showed that much gdod 'work had been done, namely, in evangelistic, Bible in schools, Sabbath observance, purity, mothers' meetings, work among young people, Maori work, prison work, baekhlocks, work among seamen, peace and arbitration, legal and Parliamentary, good citizenship, scientific temperance instruction, uufevment-

Ed wine, non-alcoholic treatment of disease, hygiene, agricultural shows, flower missions, anti-gambling, thrift, educational meetings, literature, and the Press. Preliminary arrangements were made for Mrs. Katherine Sent Stevenson's visit to New Zealand, which will be the event of the year, to White-Rib-, boners especially. She is expected to arrive, in the Dominion about September, and comes as a W.C.T.U. missionary from the United States. Iter itinerary gives New iPlyinouth two days of her time, and a greater enthusiasm among the unions will be looked for from ihe visit, as she comes with the highest credentials as a speaker and preacher, and has liven in the forefront of union work in America since its inception. The convention could not accept New Plymouth's invitation for next year's gathering, as it was thought

desirable to meet in the South Island. The convention will therefore be held at Invercargill next year.