LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 77, 27 April 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

J he. Mayor of limaru (Mr. James Craig..-. M.P..1, ha* a wheat .arm at Kingsdown, and last week he sold his «op ot 0000 bushels at 4s lid, delivered in imaru. This is believed to be a record price ia the Dominion this year, 1 roteel us from our friends! V lady approached a local druggist a few days ago in search of a box of •■Rough on >«ts. the man of drugs dragged form the poisons register and inquiredAamer Address? Yes, and what do win require this poison for, mailanic';' ' "li, replied the lady, •• I want it lor a friend," and tile chemist made a rush for the telephone to ring „p the police. . Speaking at the Central School mceti"S last night Rev. F. G. Kvans said niai llic system of conducting liihlereadmg in the school before comment™* the tasks of the day was provin« very satisfactory. The one unsatisfactory feature was that many parents who had signed the requisition asking the committee to arrange for tile clergy to ati (end at the school were not sending their children regularly. 'J.'he latest school howler! The comic j opera liip Van Winkle, recently played ni Xew Plymouth, made a deep impression upon the mind of a small boy attending a local school, anil when the lady teacher inquired of a lower (lass the meaning of the sombre initials R.1.1'., this little spark of genius ex-' i-ilodly raised a grimy paw and faltered, "Rip \au Winkle, miss:" And then the play-hour hell rang violently. Tlere is every likelihood thai arrangements will be completed in a fewdays for a running match over 440 yards between 1). Sanson (who defeated Trcnibalh at Invei'cargill last week) and M. Ward, (he well-known local pod. The conditions are £SO a bide. th 0 race to eventuate in Xew Plymouth in six „ce|;s or two months' time. The necessary local backing is already assured, and Sanson has expressed his willingness to negotiate.

JSW'iie: The Ccnlrnl School. Tiinc present century, Lo wit, lust nHit's meeting' of housi-holders. Tlie householders wore discussing their grieva ice* One gentleman was glad to sec a member <>i tiic Kilui-alion Hoard present, and lie hoped to see more of tlu-iii tliere next year. lAiiolhcr speaker followed. || ( . was more pleased still, and lie hoped tee gentleman had his ears prickeii up so tli.it Hie ideas of the householders would lie brought before the Jioard. A.id so they went on. until at last Mr. .1. l.'rant i|iiictly informed tlie meeting Hint Mr. i). 11. .McDonald, to whom -they -were referring, was not now a member' of the Hoard at all. Xo one apologised.

Th,. financial year for the brandies of tile Xew Zealand fanners' I'ninn ended on Mirth .'lO last, and the secretary of the Taranaki Executive is now rcceivhi" the returns. To date seventeen branches have submitted their returns, showing an aggregate membership of lion. This number does not represent the full strength of the province, as some branches have yet to"forward their returns. Originally there were 3!) branches in Taranaki. but (here are not so many now. The executive has ap- j pointed iU secretary (Air. J. fl. Kimi j organiser for the provinee. and it is I hoped that before long some of the now fallen branches will b, ; resuscitated.

Tlie men's welted bonis now showing at the Melbourne are marvellous value for (he price of 10/0. Compared with values elsewhere fhev show a saving of at least e< a pair. The leather used, box calf, glace kid, and willow calf are all whilst the soles are solid, varying in thickness from a quarter to n hnf-inch. Special window displays of these goods are now being shown.—

The Sydney-Vancouver despatch of liw Mareli 10th arrived in London on the night of the 21st inst.

Factory butter is selling for lOd and lid a pound in Wellington. In New Plymouth the price is Is 2d. ft is proposed to reduce tb e price !I>i irm ila 5' Ist next.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Egmont Lodge, 1.0.0. F., was held last evening, llro. R. A. Newton, X.G., presiding. There was a good attendance of members and visiting members. One lady candidate was initiated and accorded musical honors of the Order. It was decided to hold a euchre party and dance at an early date. It does not seem to be generally known (says tho New Zealand Times) that at Hie present time the Government has stopped granting assistance to male immigrants unless they can prove conclusively that tliey are farming people. T i guard against deception the High Commissioner's office in London always insists upon tile production of two references from reputable persons showin.'. that the applicant has had actual expeionce on the land.

The Hope of F/rmont .luvcnile Lodge of Good Templars' met last night, C.T. liro. J. Alldridge presiding. There wa>

a good attendance <)( iiieiuters. One candidate wiih initiated. The following •were elected officers for the quarter: C.T., Bro. C, Crone; P.C.T., Bro. .1. Alldridge; V.T., Sister D. Eva; Chaplain, Sister T. Connettj Marshal, • Bro. F. Roberts; Deputy-Marshal, Sister G. Powlcv; Treasurer,' Sister 0. Cock; Secretary, Bro. J. ]). Koch; Assistant Sccretar'v, Bro. (!. ilaudley; Financial Secrc-

tar'v, Sister E. Koch; Guard, Bro. L. Lealand; Sentinel, liro. A. Hooker. The New Plymouth Club has decided to commence its series of debates about the second week in .May, the opening debate being upon the question, "Whether or not Sir Joseph Ward should have taken the action he did in undertaking to present a Dreadnought to the Home Government." It is proposed to conduct the debate on Parliamentary lines, based on the Standing Orders of Parliament. His Worship the .Mayor, as president of the club, will preside at the lirst meeting. The leaders and subsequent speakers will be arranged at a meeting to-morrow night. We ar e informed that the club members are tak-

ing up the matter with commendable enthusiasm, and the debating circl,. pro-

mises to be an attractive feature of the club.

The Herald, n new weekly Labour journal published in Wellington, says : ■'Remarkable fluctuations in niembershiu has been experienced by unions in Wellington owing to trade depression, and some of the largest unskilled labour i unions have suffered a considerable loss." '•Formerly the question was: 'Does a man belong to a union '(' now the question seems to be : 'To which union does a man belong 1'" Such was the mainer in which a representatve. of a large company, employing over 100 men, remarked on the difficulty the company nal with its employees and trades' nnio-is. The representative, who was defending a-u enforcement of award case at Wellington, added that the company had no fewer thai nine awards to watch. "We have no desire to evade any of tho awards, your Worship, but it is a tanglefoot," concluded the speaker sadly.

During Mr McLean's visit to the Old Country he took the opportunity, says the Ha'wera Star, of asking a well-known provision merchant what he thought of Sew Zealand dairy produce, and the reply was: "You make the best butter 'in the world!" "Well," asked Mr. McLean, " if we make the best butler how is it that we don't get the liest prices'" "The reason is simply," was the reply, "Denmark and Nurimubv make for'the classes, you make tor tile masses." It appears that at Home the people in good circumstances want a saltless, autly" butter, and they don't mind what price they pay for it. The merchant added that if lie failed to dispose of a consignment of Danish or Noinianbv within a few days he would have to sell it as "stale," whereas the Now Zealand article conUl be put for sk months into the chamber and he would guarantee it to he as good as the day it was stored. Talking of beef and mutton, Mr, McLean was very decided in his opinion that the New Zealand article is incomparably better than the Knglish. He had some good mtilto-.i at Home, but to his taste it was not nearly so good as the Dominion-grown. Mr. J, Grant, of Kawera, has just rcUinreit from a month's trip to Sydney, where he attended the' Royal Agricultural Show and horse fair. .Mr. (irnnt took with him to Sydney some halfuVzcn two-year-olds, which lie dispose!! of. Mr. Grant, in conversation with a Star reporter, said that the show itself was a big success, and perhaps the finest yet held ill New South Wales. Kew Zealand horses were particularly successful at the show, being placed first, seeijnd and third in several of the classes, especially in the classes for aged and three-year-olds. Mr. Grant remarked that the market in Australia, like New Zealand, is greatly' overstocked just now, and consequently the prices ruling were only ordinary. Once a breeder had

taken his horees over it did not pay liiai to bring any back again, owing to the heavy cost in consignment. Mr. ((rant was greatly impressed with the Australian merino sheep. As regards other classes of sheep and cattle he thinks •New Zealand can hold her own. Mr. Grant greatly enjoyed his visit, and his many friends wil be pleased to learn that he lias almost recovered from the effects \pf Ms neeileiit due to a kick from a horse some time ago.