LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 128, 28 June 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Alt ' bc ™ re «'iv«l that Mr. Alfred mils opera, "A Moorish Maid" lb to be produced in London in October. Tt is understood tliat Colonel Davics' report on defence will not be made public owing to its serious nature, and will be kept for the use of the Cabinet only. TJio matter of planting trees in the streets of Eltluim will be considerel at a public meeting which the Mayor has been empowered by the Borough Council to convene. Owing to the failure of the hons':lioldws to elect school committees a couple of months ago, it was necessary to hold second meetings in some centres. At lluiakanm thv result was a ( *ahi nnsuccessful. . At Mohakau only two attended: and; they will probably be appointed commissioners—Messrs'. James Stockley and \Y. K, Jonas. The Purangi elected Messrs. A. H. Bariii>£t"'fihnirinan), W. Dowmaii, H. jf. Silk, I'. J, Webb and F. W. Pennington. We have Just received a new stocK (lf invitation and wedding cards and ball programmes.—News" Job Printing De[mctment —Advfc. *>f.

A company is being formed at Wai-i 1 roa, Ilawke's Bay, to supply the town with electric light. Seven hundred thousand pounds were spent upon new buildings in Auckland city and the surrounding boroughs last year, over £200,000 being on the city proper. The Tangoio estate, Hawke's Bay, and the Orari Gorge property, Canterbury, comprising between 8000 and 9000 acres each, will be opened for selection early in March next. It is stated that the Union Steamship Company has Ordered from Great Britain a new high-pressure turbine engine for the express steamer Maori, which carries mails and passengers oetween Wellington and Lyttelton. An. epidemic of jaundice amongst the children of several households in Warkwortli and Dome Valley, Auckland, has' caused some perturbation. One theory has been advanced that it is a form of influenza.

A pathetic incident is recorded by the Marlborough Express. Mr. Geo. Boyc?, of Blenheim, who recently went home to Scotland for the purpose of seeing his aged mother once more, arrived at Colyton, his' old home, just a day too late, as his mother died the day before. "New Zealand girls are far too accomplished, and N'env Zealand is a most undesirable place to live in," was the lather surprising. remark made to the representative of a Thames newspaper. Another plaintive wail was to the effect that social distinction would soon ceaae to exist in New Zealand. A well-known farmer in the Wairarapa district is planting between 300 and 400 trees for shelter and shade purposes this season. He has made a practice of planting a certain number of trees every year and considers that he has been amply repaid in the Shelter and shade thus afforded his stock. So

far as sheep are concerned, he states, shade in the summer is of much more importance than shelter in the winter. A White Paper issued on April 28th shows that the total amount of Great Britain's deadweight debt on April Ist was £702,087,807, compared with £711,475,805 at the same date last year. The gross amount of debt redeemed in tho year IDOS-9 was £8,787, 009. The total amount of other capital liabilities on April Ist was £51,433,412, compared ■with £702,320,051 on April Ist, 1008. ■The net decrease on aggregate gross liabilities last year was £8,204,742. The Hutt Valley Tramway Board has been in communication with Mr. T. A. Edison regarding a new invention that gentleman was placing on tho market. At a recent meeting of the Board, the following letter was received from th'e secretary of Mr. Edison's laboratory:— "Yours of February 19 regarding storage batteries received. Tile battery will be on the American market some time probably next summer, but it will be some time before it will be put on the New Zealand market."

Tho next meeting of the Borough Council promises to be talkative. Councillor Bellringer has given notice of the following motion: "That in the event of any loan being raised by the borough an assurance be given to the ratepayers that the lute of interest will not exceed 5 pel' cent., and that no debentures will be sold for less than £9B per £100." Following up the discussion it last meeting, Councillor Watlcins has given notice to move: "That the whole of the workmen in the borough engineer's department be placed on the casual list, and that the question of employing .or dispensing with the services of men in his department be left entirely in the hands of the borough engineer."

Mr. W. Acton-Adams writes as follows from London, under date May lltli, to tile Ciiristcliurch "Press":—Dining last night at Prince's Gardens, London, I was discussing New Zealand affairs with Lieutenant-Colonel King, lately appointed adjutant for the Territorial District of Wales. Referring to the offer of New Zealand to contribute a Dreadnought to the British Navy, he said that having some money to invest lately, and to show his appreciation of this offer, he instructed his broker to buy New Zealand stocks. The broker wrote back that he had received similar instructions from three other clients, each giving tile same reason, and that, in consequence, New Zealand stocks had risen in value. ■

The merits of cash trading were touched upon at the Ettliam Borough Council's meeting on Friday night, reports the Argus. A motion was submitted by Councillor Hill, seconded by Councillor ■Stunners, that ill future the Council should accept no orders given by men in its employ to tradesmen. Tile Mayor thought that if ev-r it became necessary to engage outside men it would be hard on them if they were hard up and could not get an order to keep tliem going when they arrived. '• Eltham is becoming a cash town, and it will soon bo difficult to get credit on orders or anything .else," H'c|plicd Councillor Hill, who anacd that Kltliam is looked npon as the cash town ot the province. The motion was carried. 1 Tile Acting-Prime Minister, Hon. J. Carroll, speaking to the natives at Omahu, said:—The Maori of to-day must understand what his obligations ore, what ho owes to himself and to the country. The day for taking ,i negative stand against all forward movements has gone by. lie must work with the pakcha henceforth as one people—cull from him what is good, copy from him what is practicable. Though the Maori is not so well equipped as the pakcha in the race and struggle, yet lie is not landless; he has something to start with. He has an asset, and upon himself rests his own success anil his betterment. He not allow his land to lie idle—he must make it productive. He must share with the pakcha the burdens of State. If he cannot use his land, or will not, then tho land will be better in other

people's hands. The State cannot allow and will not allow any portion of its land, whether owned by Maoris or any other people, to remain unproductive. The Maoris require to be thrifty, to save whatever they make, and to peg out claims for their posterity. I have every confidence in the future, said Mr. Carroll, if the Maoris will act as one, ami realise that whatever glory eur country may achieve, whatever hfigh standard the people of this country may raise themselves to, whatever power may manifest in the future, they are part and parcel in its making, and part and parcel in its sharing. J'or Chronic Cfhest Complaints, Woods' Qreat Peppermint Cure, la 6d and 2s 6d.