LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 162, 3 August 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On Sunday Dr. Walker drove to the North Eginoat mountain house in his motor car. Mr. Newton King has received the following cable from his Sydney agent re hides:—"Firmer." The Agricultural Society's committee meets this evening, when the winter show and other matters of importance will be discussed. The Waitara Freezing Works will close down for the season on Thursday. The work of extending the buildings will be proceeded with without delay. As a special means of clearing the church debts, the young men connected with the Stratford Wesleyan Church organised a banquet, which, with promises since given, realised £441.

The Mayor has given notice to move at next meeting of the Borough Council lliat the water rate outside the borough be Is 4d in the £ .on the rateable value, as against Is Id at present. The Poultry Society's committee met last night. A trial balance-sheet was submitted by the secretary. It was decided to pay all of this year's accounts in full before tackling previous years' legacies of debt. His Worship the Mayor has giv.".. notice to move at next meeting of U New Plymouth Borough Council thai the resolutions authorising the extension of Gill street through Messrs Nolan and Newman's property be rescinded in order to re-open the whole question for further discussion.

A South Taranaki factory manager informed us the other day that this milking season will be at least three weeks ahead of _ previous years'. Already cows are coming into profit very fast and creameries that had closed down for mid-wiut r are now preparing to commence operations again.

Enormous Hocks of shags are now to be seen fishing in the New River, Southland (says the News); a resident of Little Bush on Saturday morning counting a Hock of no less than ninety. He sugjes ;.s lliat town sportsmen would be conferring a great boon on anglers and others interested in acclimatisation matters if they would come and thin them out a bit instead of wasting time vainly looking for the wily ducks. At a meeting of the Recreation Grounds Board last nig- , upon the 1110- | tion of Mr. Hughes, it was decided that, with the curator's consent, that gentleman's services be placed at the disposal of the president of the Beautifying Association or of the Borough Council in advising as to the beautifying of the esplanades or borough reserves.—lt was pointed out subsequently that such an arrangement was already in existence. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Eginont Lodge, 1t.0.0.K., MX., was held last evening, Bro. A. Duller presiding. There was a large attendance of members and visiting members, and four female and one male candidates were initiated into the Order. Musical honors were accorded to the newlyinitiated members and the lecture-mas-ter, I.P.G.M. McGakey, conferred degrees on several members entitled to leceive them.

It is not often that large mobs of cattle are to be seen in Taranaki nowadays. The close settlement brought about by dairying is against this. On Saturday, however, a mob of about 800 cattle, nearly all dairy cows, were driven along the Nominally road, near Hawera. The animals were the property of Mr. J. J. Patterson, Manaia, who is perhaps the largest dairy farmer in the province. In negotiating the Waingongoro bridge one of the cows became jambed, andj, leaping /over the side rail, was drowned. The County Council decided .yesterday to divide the Omata riding into two ridings. The Omata riding of the future will be that area comprised in the present Barrett, Omata and Hurford load districts, and the remaining portion of the county from there to the Puniho riding will be a separate riding, comprising the Oakura, Tataraimaka, Okato, and Werekino road districts. Objection to the boundaries was raised by Cr. Andrews, who threatened that the new riding would merge all its road districts into a new county. Mr. R. 0. Hughes is one of the most strenuous opponents of vandalism and so-called vandalism. At the conclusion of the Recreation Grounds meeting last night, he had something to say aliout the action of the authorities in ordering Ihe removal of the big pines on Mnrsland Hill. Mr. Cock sought to placate the objector by foretelling the beauties of the pohutukawas which would soo.i

be grown in the place of the pines. "Vf<" said Mr. Hughes, with some warmth,'"and then some other silly fool will come along and cut them down, too."

"If the toll-gates have done nothing else they have stirred up a feeling in the 'Omata riding that has never existed before, namely, that the ratepayers at tliis end of the riding should be represented on the Council," said the county chairman yesterday in welcoming Rev. K. Allanson to the Council table as the Omata riding representative. In acknowledging the chairman's welcome, Cr. Allanson explained that he was "quite a new chum," but he reckoned he would not be long in "getting into the run of things," when he lioped to bo of some use to the Council and the ratepayers.

There is a section of the Omata riding ratepayers who believe that one of the Omata foremen can do nothing aright. The county chairman announced at yesterday's meeting that he had been over Foreman l!:i ■•/< length, and found the road in excellent order, with the exception of that portion just beyond the imrough boundary, and it was the Council's fault, and not the foreman's that that was not as good as it might be, the Council having decided not to make any great expenditure on tliw road pending the settlement of the St. „Vil>yn township petition either one way or |||c other.

A Masterton fanner who recently returned from a visit to Denmark, in conversation with a Wairarapa Times re porter, staled that in that country all the factories he visited were worked on (he co-operative .system. He could not deny tliat more attention to cleanliness in the delivery and treatment of milk was exercised by the Dun-i.-h people than one is accustomed to wit Tic.--.!. in New Zealand, although in this country a high standard in these particulars is reached. Where the Danish people differ from our farmers lies in the close attention which they give to .small details that are overlooked by many an average dairyman. In the Danish factories, too, care is taken that when purity is secured iu one place germs shall not be allowed to lurk unnoticed in parts that might easily escape notice when work is hurried. The precautions of the operatives, combined with the diligence of the suppliers in respect to the cleaning of utensils and the healthfiilness of al| surroundings, is probably the most promjnent factor in securing for Denmark the foremost place in the world's butter market

What the country most urgently requires for its well-being to-day is a new political party. Ifr, Hogg lias suggested the. formation of a Jaml and labor league, and is apparently about to throw in his lot with the official labor cause. Anyone who lias watched- the course of Australian polities under the three-party system will realise that it is not by means of the introduction of a Labor section holding the balance of pou-er that our political house is to be j put if, order. A Labor majority is not likely to /ippear. in Xew Zealand for many a long day, and a Labor minority would simply mean the keeping in office of » corrupt Liberalism for the purpow of sneezing it. Mr. Massey may kmflaps hope that his hour is about to come. JSut Vr. Massey and his party have never had any real grip of New Zealand. A very fair proportion of th» people who have voted Opposition have clone so not for any love of Massoyjsm but .because, little as they liked the Opposition, they liked thc'Ciovernmeut •'cry much less. The country is Liberal at heart. We hay,, a big lot of won; to do in pushing Xew Zealand ahead, but at the present moment in our political life there is m instrument lry which the work may be done, —The Citizen, '

"T shall never be healthy," said Leah. "S( lift' and nonsense," said Ma; <'the idea. For your ills which seem chronic, You'll find pills Laxo-Tonic, A never failing and safe panacea " LAM) TONIC PILLS. 10>/ 2 d and Is OdBullock and Johnston, Agents New Plymouth, , , , I i

The body of George Bollond, drowned in the Waingongoro river, near Hawera, on 20th July, was discovered in the breakers at the mouth of the river on Saturday. The death is reported from Auckland of John Burke O'Brien, a well-known figure in most of the police courts ot the Dominion. Death followed an unsuccessful operation. The man who at the expense of his cwn time helps another man to success (says an American paper), who at the expense of his own pleasure does another a service, who at the cost of his own vanity helps an old woman across the street or to a seat in a car—such a man is far more generous than he who gives away millions of dollars that he does not need.

A smart sale is reported by a Wellington auctioneer. While testing in his olliee a gramophone which had been deposited for sale, he was rung up from Masterton. The ringer-up asked who was singing, and was informed that it was a gramophone. "How much do you want for it?" came the query. "Four pounds ten!" was the answer. "All light—l'll take it," said the Masterton man.

People often wonder why geysers are soaped to make them play. Dr. Bell, in his lecture at the Wellington Training College, explained the reason why. The addition of soap made the boiling water down the pipe of the geyser, bulk for Uilk, lighter than 'before, and the pressure of steam caused by the soapage meeting the heated crust of the earth was then able to force the column of f.oapy fluid up the pipe with a fountain jet into the air. Thus the geyser played. " The way to increase the supply of domestic servants," said Mrs. Neligan, speaking at an ''At Home" given by her at Auckland in connection with the work of the Girls' Friendly Society, "is to propagate an idea of the dignity of domestic work. To cook a dinner really well, or keep a house really clean, is one of the most dignified pieces of work a woman can do," declared Mrs. Neligan. "Many of us do it, and know its dignity, but we want to impress this on the oung girls." Birth marks, some striking' and some very peculiar, frequently appear on children, but it is not often that letters

of the alphabet are plainly distinguishable, still less the letter designating the surname of the family. There is at least

one child, in Wanganui whose parents should have no difficulty in recognising it should ever the circumstances arise whereby its identity should be in doubt. The baby has the" letters "W.N.," the latter being the first letter of the surname of its parents, plainly discernible on its body.

An increasing number of hawks in the country districts has been reported to the council of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. 'Mr. K. Reynolds, of Camtridge, in writing on the subject, states that -when the association paid for hawks' heads it had a good effect, but in about a year after it ceased paying, the hawks were plentiful again, and the writer's son had counted no fewer than forty in a paddock, -while one of his men had seen twenty hovering over a thora fence, in which, on investigation, a cock pheasant was found to be taking refuge. It took place at a private dance given in Wellington last week, and the hostess was a well-known and charming lady. She was very anxious to secure a part-1 ner for one of her guests,' and she asked a gentleman if she might introduce him to a young lady. "Oh, yes," he drawled, affectedly, "trot her out." His remark was overheard by his intended partner, who is known for her native wit as well as her beauty. So when the youth was introduced to her she calmly surveyed him from head to foot, and then quietly said, "Thank you; now trot him 'back, please!" When the lancet condescends to give us a domestic tip it is usually worth noting (says London Truth), in reproducing the recipe in the current issue for getting rid 'of the common housefly. As a disease-carrier the fly has a most unsavory reputation, and wherever he crawls he leaves behind him a trail of micro-organisms. An agent which will not only exterminate but disinfect him is therefore a most desirable discovery. This agent is to be found in formaldehyde, a weak solution of which, two teaspoonfuls in a pint of water, proves thoroughly effective, and, besides being inoffensive, is practically non-poi-sonous to animals and man. Drastic penalties for selling light bread were recently imposed by an English magistrate, Mr. Love, S.M., at the Rurwood Police Court. The baker was (barged on three complaints. One lot of 120 one-pound loaves were alleged to be 48oz deficient, another lot of 242 twopound loaves 518oz short, and a third lot of 30 four-pound loaves 84oz short. Tho defence was that every eare was taken to ensure right weight, hut owing to bad fermentation the bread turned out dry. which made the loaves much lighter. The magistrate imposed fines totalling £162. with costs and inspector's expenses, a fortnight being allowed for payment. The bread seized was ordered to lie distributed among local charities.

There were some' violently personal interludes at the last meeting of the Lyttelton Harbor Hoard between MVP. Taylo,- and Chairman Friedlander. "Do you mean to call me a liar?" yelled the chairman. "Yes. 1 do," said Tommy. '■Will you say that outside?"'demanded the chairman. "I've done it already," snapped Mr. Taylor. In lighter vein was an amusing incident between Mr. Russell, M.P., and the chair. Mr. Friedlander was speaking on the finance of the canal, .lust then the member for Avon was walking back to bis seat from secretary's 'table where he'd been asking a question, when his ears caught the words, "Mr. Russell, if I may call him so"—when lie swung sharply round, and said, "flood gracious, what do you want to call me? llerr Russell?"' A loar of laughter followed, above which was heard Dr. Thacker's strident voice, "Call him llerr Von Russell!"— Spectator.