LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 207, 6 October 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. M. Wvbniirnc lias won the senior i-hainpinii.-diip of the Wavcrley Golf Club and Mr. \V. White the junior honors, The l'atea Hospital Bazaar proceeds, from the latest returns published, total (J503 8s Id. There are a few small sums yet to come ill. Owing to the inelcinent weather last evening the' meeting of the general committee of the Taranaki Agricultural Society was adjourned. The committee will meet oil Monday evening next at 8 o'clock. On .Monday the senior scholars of the llawera District High School were treated to an interesting and instructive lecture on the early history of Taranaki by Mr. H. D. Skinner, a sou of Mr. W. 11. Skinner, of Xew Plymouth. Banking institutions in the South island are calling upon dairy TV-ton-companies to create sinking funds. This has been decided on because some factories go on year after year without reducing their liabilities.

The Customs revenue for the port of Paten ill Scptenil er amounted to C 548 lis 1,1. Exports were of a total value of C7S2O. The principal exports were: Butter, 721cwt. (valued at .C 3535); cheese, 1013cw(. (C2K3(i); and wool. greasy, 33.4701b ( 11)78). Opossums are reported to lie very numerous in the Cairn Bush, between Clinton and Malaura, ami it has been suggested to the Otago Acclimatisation Society oy its ranger that it should coneider the advisability of making an open season for shooting them. The executive is to report on the matter. A meeting of the Seaside Improvement Committee was held last evening, when preliminary arrangements were made for the season's' festivities on the beach. Within the past two or three weeks the esplanade lias been repaired and is in splendid order. The committee lias in view flic advisability of erecting more permanent buildings, on the camping ground.

A dailv mail service is to be established between Masterton'and Kaituna, the Government having granted the request of the settlers in the latter district in this respect. It is understood that a motor cycle is to be supplied to the letter currier taking the mail. This is the first instance in New Zealand in which the mails will be delivered by motor cycle.

Last week samples of metal from "the Ohingaiti and Sentry Hill quarries arrived in llawera for llawera County Council. On Saturday the members of the Council inspected the material, considering it to lie infinitely superior to tlie mountain stone. Opinions, however,

were divided as to wliich of the two | samples were the better, but members j were in agreement that either would make a good road.—Star. The £2OOO allocated to New Zealand out of the Pan-Anglican thank-offering of £210,000 will be distributed in equal sums in the dioceses of Auckland, Duucdin, and Wellington for religious rdnt.fr tion, savs the secretary in a statement issued recently. The sum of .-£104,000 has now been finally awarded to diocese throughout the world, ami it is hoped that by 31st December, 1009, the whole, thank-ofl'eriug may have been allocated. When his fortune was swept away >.v the Melbourne land boom. Sir Thomas Bent, though past middle age, went into the country and took work on a dairy farm, and in three years found his feet financially. It. was because of his suc-

cess in the dairying business that he afterwards caused great amusement by gravely taking off his Jiat to a cow. In ilue time his old constituency sent him hack to Parliament, and four years later he was Premier.

"Notwithstanding the tightness of the money market." savs the Minister for Railways (Hoik J. Millar), "the railway icveniie has kept up wonderfully w/l. The returns for the past five months of this year show a satisfactory increase over the corresponding five months of the previous year. The increase in revenue reaches C 153.000, while the increase in expenditure has only been C 73.000. bo that we liave a net profit of £70,000 over and above the previous year."

Two young men, anxious for home comforts al a reasonable rate, advertised in the Wellington Post their particular necessity. The result is probably a record, as no fewer than 103 replies were received, each advancing certain virtues that should entitle the writ:')' io 1i,,. most favorable notice. Subsequently the advertisers spent a considerable lime in judging the '■exhibits" of the lmndred and three who arc anxious, or at least willing, to make young m.>n feel at .home.

The retrenchment scheme of the Government is (says the Wellington Post) threatening the precincts of Parliament. The idea appears to be that the cost of Parliamentary procedure has been unduly inflated by the number of hands employed in various capacities. For instance, last year there were some two dozen messengers and twelve orderlies, besides eight men patrolling the grounds to see.Hint no one set fire to the building or picked the flowers. These numbers are to lie reduced.

Testimony to tbe water-divining abilities of the Rev. IT. Mason was given at a meeting of the Auckland Farmers' I'leezing Company on Thursday. The chairman of the company explained that there, was a shortage of water at the .Southdown vorks, and the directors engaged tbe Rev. Mr. Mason, who. said tne chairman, "spotted two really „ood springs one of which gives a'flow of 0000 gallons per hour and the other about 10,000 gallons per hour. The sinking of the wells cost us a good deal of money, but (he results were well worfh it." i

There groivj in the York Peninsula, the northern point of Queensland, what according to Mr. A. Meston, formeily protector of aborigines of Nortaern Queensland, should rank as one of Jf a . lure's most wonderful productions (savs the Sydney Daily Telegraph). "There is one tree" he said, "out of which the ■ nalives nmke wonicrahs, that is ben lit iul to look at. Tint its baric, ,voo n , haves rruil. nnd floors are deadly poi.' son Its peculiar property is that it absolutely destroys th ( , op (j c non .„ a|v , one bean ol it mixed in your food would make you totally blind. ]„ f a , t , that i the way jealous gi, lfi deal with eaci'i other. A splinter from that tree nee Is about (he si „ m . treatment as snakelute.

At yesterday's ■silling of the Mn'ns- | < rale's Court, Mr. 11. s. Fit z |,erl,cr|, I .. ~ gave judgment for plaintiff" i„ (|elaiill of defendant in cadi of u„. f o | lowing cases:-*.', licnncirs executors v. Mis. 11. A. Jildcr, claim CI lis (costs 12s): Jlarry Kva v. R. V. l> a (erson Wf) (14 Ss «,i)., x,. w I'lvmouth Harbor Hoard v. Mrs. L. ,f. «:i|inori>, a Is (■>); same v. Moses T. Phillips 7,1 .-j,| (lbs); same v . George Robinson > (is 2d (is); same v. Willi,, Howe, 7s Sd (ss); same v. .lames Rutherford, 7-s 8d (.«)• same y \V. (,', Soniervillc, ISs 7d (ss) \ A. .1. Richards v. A. H. Condon, ~C2 an (l-is). In the judgment summons case ot -Mrs. h If. Shaw v. Albert Lovcridge, a debt of £fl 7s, debtor was ordered to pay the amount in fourteen days, in delimit four weeks' imprisonment.

I Speaking at Eltliam on Hondav evening, llr. G. V. Wake said tlic" Minister for Haihvnvs .had taken up the position that- the Government would not sanction the (Oiistmction of railways which were nut liku.y to be payable, 'the Lawrence-Roxburgh line was a case i" point. He thought this was a courageous attitude on the part of the Government, for it meant the 1os„' ot votes in the ilistricts affected. With regard to tin- Opnnakc line he thought I lie Minister would agree that the district which would lie traversed was second to none in the dominion, and that a line through it would prove payable, fin the occasion of the recent de,p"tal ti«n. of which he (the speaker) was a member, the Viinie Minister admitted that the possibilities of the district were immense, and Hint it was iiot likclv the proposed railway would not pay'well. Sir Joseph Ward also said he intended lo introduce legislation providing for the local guarantee of interest on the cost of construction of district railways, when the Government would lend the money to carry out the work, lie (the speaker) inquired when Hint legislation would be introduced, and Sir Joseph Ward said it was ready. He hoped it ■would conic into operation this session, and that Kgmont would be amongst the drift districts to apply to lie brought under the provisions of the Act. Queen Alexandra is an expert needlewoman, and taught her daughters to cut out their own frocks. The director of a matrimonial agensy says_ the young girls ask only: "Who is lie?" The young widows ask: ''What ie his position!" The old widows: "Where is be!"

The latest insurance is taking risks j on the lives of aviators. A marine insurance company obtained, not long ago, powers to insure "risks in the air," but it is believed that the only business actually done in this lino has been by way of indemnifying agninet claims for damage, done to other people's property by balloons or airships.

A special message to the Auckland Herald states that a trial trip was made at Hamilton on Friday evening of an aeroplane, coii.struclc.l'liy .Messrs. Barnard Bros. The scene was the Claudelands racecourse, and the machine was attached to a motor car, lint the state of the ground did not allow of any I speed being attained. The machine, however, with one man in it, left the ground for a short distance, and the inventors and those connected with them are sanguine of success. In a recent political controversy, i. was stated that the effect of a rise or fall in the price of wool was confined largely to the '""ool kings." A contemporary combats this, saying that last year'* oflicial figures show that out of in,!)!)? flocks in the Dominion, 17,750 were of 2500 sheep and under, whi'e there were 12,000 flocks of less than 500. The wool-growing industry in New Zealand is therefore by no means confined

lo big sheep stations. The Hocks 'nave been increasing since l!105-(i, and judging oy reports <if the present lambing seaso-i from all parts of the country, the stock letunis of 1000-10 should .-how the total -heep at 22,(10(1.0011. wlrcli will easily be ..he largest number ever recorded in (he history of the Dominion.

Messrs. C. E. Major, .1. F. Pease and L. 11. Mr.Upine lately returned from a visit to (be north 'of Auckland. Interviewed by a llawera Star rcprcsratfltive, Mr. Major said".- '''lne impression created by our inspection of the country is of surprise that the mineral, agricultural and pastoral wealth has been so long undeveloped. The climate is good, not by any means tropical, even though oranges nourish in the open; Hie country is well watered by innumerable streams and springs; and the roads, metalled and unuictalled. have not a badly graded chain throughout. So inipressed with the land were we that we propose interviewing some friends with a view of joining us in taking up a large block for subdivision purpose!). One former prominent grazier here rcI quested us to tell his friends to be certain to journey up and see for themselves the solid advantages the Far North has to olfor."

The mayor of a South Island borough is the subject of a rather good story that is going the rounds at present. The gentleman in advance of .Mr. Foster Fraser called on the municipal dignitary nnd mentioned that Mr. Fraser was visiting the city and intended writing a book regarding New Zealand. He also easuallv mentioned that in the cities of Australia visited by Mr. Fraser the hospitality of the city was usually offered to the' noted author. He always declined the proffered compliment, but was' not averse to a mayoral welcome. The delicate hint wa.s not lost upon his Worship, but who was Mr. Fraser? His interviewer attempted to enlighten his Worship, and even the town clerk tried to convey that he had beard of Foster's books, but the municipal dignitary stolidly showed ignorance of Foster, lie had. lie remarked, given a mayoral reception to a lady whom he had subsequently learned lie ought not to have honored, consequently lie was running no risks, and he would communicate later by telephone his desire in the matter. Evidently his Worship's inquiries proved satisfactory for the reception is to be duly given.