LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 181, 4 September 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A syndicate of Chinamen has leased 000 .acres of land for ibanana-growin» in " Queensland a It is stated that a well-known reeldent of Jiketahuna is installing a , wirc . Ims telegraphy plant. The correspondent who supplied the local ra Thursday morning's news re the Central School fete, says lie was in error in toting that Mrs. Doekrill offered to take the presidency of the ladies' committee," as it was only after considerable pressure that she consented to take the chair. ''lndignant Mother" writes complaining of the trsatment recently received by a lady—a comparative stranger in New Plymouth—at a private maternity home in this town. It is aliened that the distressed woman had previously arranged to be received at the home, to which she was urgently taken s'ome days ago in the early hours of the morning. Our correspondent states that admission was then refused, on the ground that the patient had not taken up her quarters according to appointment. Fortunately, a lady who was ■ with the patient was able, after about | an hour's searching, to find another iiomc: about four o'elook in the moiling, iv.heie sh- wis takon m by tlie nurse/at cpn&ldeuiMe personal (neon ;

Miss Maud Allan, wlhose "Satom*" dances caused a great sensation in London last season, lias been engaged for a series of performances iu America at a fee of £-25,000.

'There is too great a tendency for fanners to value their wool at so much per pound instead of at so much per sheep and per aere."—Mr. J. T. Cahill, at the wool-classing demonstration at Wanganui.

"Tnrannki is one of ilhe solidcst plaCis .1 have .passed through." This rem:uki was made by Mr. G. ir. F. Ivollcston, British Board of Trade Commissioner for New Zealand, at the Chamber of Commerce' meeting fast evening. Says the Maaawatu Daily Times: "Hans Mortensen in the witness-box ra the Supreme Court on Saturday stated that it was a very common practice in butter factories to buy up old butter from the shops, mix it with the fresh butter, and sell it. He alleged that thia was not considered to be a swindling practice." While the Governor was looking through the kitchen of the Orphans' Home, Auckland, the other day, he was struck by the accent of a girl palpably now to the colonics. ''And where do you come from!" queried his Excellency, "from Armagh," quoth the girl. '"Well, well, the Irish are everywhere. You can't escape them," laughed the (Jovtrnor.

At the Omui'lkm' of Commerce meeting last evening it was mcinlioiicd that since the new tariff for railage of goo is from Moturoa lo Hie itovm had been in force the revenue from this ewetion had shown u considerable shrinkage, at testing that the conmuercia! public wete reaping benefit from the remissions.'

The London Globe notes the remarkable and pleasing fact that during the year 1908 "not a single passenger was killed from accidents to British trains, rolling stock, or permanent way," and considers that this justifies the boast of a railway director some yeaTs ago that the safest place in the world was a firstclass carriage on a British railway. Oniy 45 passengers were injured during the same year.

Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.P., fears that the present administration is not pushing on the settlement of the people on lie land as rapidly as it might do. Speaking at a deputation which waited on the ■Minister in Christchurch, he said that ■with a Liberal Government it should not be necessary to ask for it; the Government should settle small men on the land bees-use it was a Liberal Government, and it should be so anxious to promote settlement as to need no urging. It is stated that the Government has given an order for five hundred telephone transmitters of a new kind invented 'by Mr, M. Moloney, a member of the mechanical staff of the Telegraph Department at Ohrisfcehurch. By this new transmitter long-distance telephoning is much improved—a conversation has been carried on between Ohriatchurch and Napier via Auckland. It caci be attached to the ordinary telephone, and only costs half-a-crown. Mr. Maloney will take his invention to England. A leading Glasgow newspaper of 10th July remarks: "The departures from Glasgow and the West of Scotland to New Zealand exceed those for Austral'a, there being practically no comparison in that respect. The two steamers sailing this week taking these parties were the Ofcway (the Orient line new twin-screw) and the New Zealand Shipping Company's popular steamer Paparoa. So great is the rush to these two colonies at this time that already advices have been issued to stop booking in the steerage for some of the August-September sailings."

Turnips may be had for the feeding off in many places this year (says the Clutha Leader), and even then the sheep or cattle do not seem to be forthcoming. The large area under turnips, tlie good crops, the mild winter, and the| low prices ruling for mutton are causes which have led to the supply so far outreaching the demand. On a farm near Beaumont last week we saw a large area of tturnips 'being ploughed in to make ready for wheat; and we heard of another farmer who was prepared to give 100 acres of fine turnips to any person Who would "bring the sheep alojg and eat them off.

•The Otago Daily Times has been shown a sample of attiehokc .potatoes grown I>y Mr. John Mucptason, of Totara, that have averaged considerably more than 30 ton- to tho acre. The prolilimcas of the plant is shown in the fast that each of two heads had over 80 tubers, the combined weight of which exceeded 5U11). ft may be regarded a* somewhat surprising that there is not a greater demand fur this class of vegetahle for human consumption. Artichokes are greatly esteemed as an article of food by many people, and, given tlu demand for thein, an abundant supply could be counted upon at modest prices.

Still iwe tan go from homo and bring hack Home strange news about out own country. Jn an article written for a London paper on where the Britisher might go to make a new home, Mr. G. 11.:.(1.r.50n writes: "New Zealand, the ■climate ot which closely resembles our own, is granting assisted passages to fanners and farm laborers provided they have nut less .than .Via capital. There are no free grants of land in New Zealand, but ground can be purchased freehold at about £2 an acre. There is absolutely no opening for mechanics." Freehold at £2 an acre! Such liberality is refreshing! Mr. Henderson says the Ward Government is throwing whole junks of our earth at immigrants without the option of leasehold. What a rush there will be for those £2-per-acfe' freeholds!