GENERAL NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 174, 27 August 1909, Page 1

GENERAL NEWS

Some time ago (says the Asliburioi Guardian) a local cadet placed a nou in a sack of oats that was being shippei to England. It was addressed "i'o Wium It May Concern,'' and the Jinder w<i• asked to give liits opinion of Xew Zea lands oiler of a Dreadnought, and t. say w'iiether he thought ii would b. accepted In" the JJritish Government. T this iioto a reply has now been receive; from Bristol as follows:-—"As to tl'S Dreadnought, the oiler* are now uiuU" the consideration of the British Gover;i ment, which wil. ; 1 think, accept boti New Zealand's and While writing 1 will. it i may, tlia.- ji mere ar.- anywtiere in' tne euu, nies go-ahead nentleimn who can wrilt articles likely to he.p to a natlol ahead, instead of keeping it at the poin of lifiy-yrars-agu, tell ithem .to scm them lo be read in the House of Com moils. Then, perhaps, we shall not nee. lo depend on our colonies, who •are mor. on tht alert than Old Jv.iglamL We "haw been sleeping, and now we need rou->

The ;l<?iUli oi Mr. J. Maunder, of Hold lika. hriug*. to mind the old days of tli' Coa<t wle.-n ill' l and JSullivai. gang. tin* Tioiorions bushrangers, wen levying on .ill whom they met (states the (ircymoutli correspondent of r< Christchun.li paper). Mr. Maunder wsi» the last man who spoke to Ueorge Dob Hon, whom (he gang murdered in Tni* take for a bank manager supposed by them to be returning from a gold-buying expedition. It seems that the Jate Mr. Maunder was "stuck up" by the waiting bushrangers, and when they found thai they had got hold of the wrong man it was proposed to do awav with him, Burgess remarking tliat "dead men tell no tales." ftulLivati, however, objected, on the ground that Mr. Maunder was a poor old miner, -mid they had enough murders' on their hands already, and he was allowed to go on his way. After walking a short distance, Mr. Maunder met the unfortunate man Dnbson. lip told him to look out, as he had been stuck up by the Burgess gang. Dohson laughed, and said they would do him no hurt, as he had nothing on him worth taking, ami pursued his way. Mr. Maunder shortly after hoard the shot which killed the poor follow, but he could do nothing. AM they got was' some few shilling-" from their victim. Mr. Maunder 'had a remarkable escape. as at tie time he Ipul upwards of 200 sovereign ill a belt strapped round his body. A resilient of Uicljmoiul, Nelson (Mr. \V. 11. May), who has returned from a tour of Kugland, Scotland and France, told a reporter that he spent r.nne time in finding out the tricks of the meat trade. He found that after the shipments had been cut up by syndicates and companies. New Zealand lamb was marked in the retail at from 10d to Is 'M per 11), ranged on hook*not far From Argentine mutton, which were marked down to 2d per lb. In few instances did lie find Xew Zealand lanii, and mutton sold as such. The retailer* I sold it a- home-grown Canterbury lamb or mutton, the Canterbury meat being the JwgH.slt Canterbury. i:i one shoj Mr. Mav obs-erved otic °r two carcase?of New Zealand mutton, the plumpnM of which made it unmistakable. b-.;l the tags had been remove.!, and tie means of identification seemed los-i The Mjop i}s>if-taut \yav assuring Mv May it was entirely home-led. etc., nnr the visitor was praising its lino (piali'y. when he suddenly detected the remaim of a ticket wlt'li the letters the beginning of the word ''lslington." and then he interviewed the owner of the shop ami explained matter-. Mr. May hold* the opinion that the Domiu'on

grower* of lamb ami mutton shoitld retail shops fur a time as the best remedy for bringing the New Zealand meat before the British public, "and,'' added Mr. May. "I think the High Commissioner is of oninion that sonu energetic steps should be taken."