LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 217, 19 October 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The cost of dismantling the old Oakura bridge was £10.) 10>. Mr. Newton King lias received the following cable fromi his Svdnev agent re hides-. "Market excited." Mails for the United Kingdom and Untinent (via Brindisi) despatched on September 10th, arrived in London on the lotli inst. "

The Moa Dairy Co. (Inglcwood) deemed yesterday to consign half tlii'ir season's output through Messrs Mil's and Sparrow (K firilliths and Co., New | Acnland agents). The other half will ■ be consigned through Lonsdale's. | T'>e Taranaki Acclimatisation Society has now imported 00,000 trout fry this season From the Hawern Society. * The lust instalment was for the liiglcwooJ ponds, mid comprised 10.000 fob, not 44,000, as stated in yesterday's issue. Mr. D. McAllum. secretary to the Acclimatisation Society, lias arranged for Ihe construction of trout-rearing ponds on Mr. Pcliiam's property at Warea, the latter gentleman having kindly undertaken to care for the fish, either 10,000 or 20,00(1, according to the space available.

A South Taranaki farmer was surprised to find in his paddock the other day an opossum. The little marsupial was lying dead at the foot of an electric ight pole and had doubtless been killed by coming in contact with the "live" wires. Several years ago a few opossums were liberated in some native bush in the locality, and the fact of finding the animal as stated above proves that they have not died out. A start will be made shortly with the provision of a reliable water' supply at the North Eginont Mountain House. The water i« to be tatocn from the roof "f the building to an underground reservoir, whence it will be lifted hv means »f a windmill to tanks supplying the house ami cottage with water for domes, tic requirements, ns well as the stables and horse troughs. The water supply, or rather the want of it. has been a serious inconvenience at this popular »e----sort for a long time past. Telegrams in cypher to Russia are not accepted. In Turkey .proper there are not a million Turks. Last, year 74,»t0 families migrated from Russia to Bmm.

The Pahiatua paper, in an effort to say some complimentary things about a departing townsman, mentions that ho has been connected with several local institutions and that three of these ate defunct!'

At tie recent ballot for the directors j of the new meat freezing company in Wairarapn a rather funny incident wis noticed. The Age printed the ballot papers, and as usual had put the imprint on. Quite a number of farmers filled out the voting paper, and then opposite the imprint (Age) inserted their own agel Notwithstanding that 1000 houses were erected in Auckland last year, and that more are now springing up like mushrooms in almost every suburb, houses for letting purposes are scar.'ir than ever. "People simply can't get houses," said a prominent land agent, speaking to an Auckland newspaper representative recently.

"Hard times" would seem to have •'petered out," judging by the dearth of applicants at the local hospital and charitable aid office. At present there are only six people on the list of •«- cipients of relief, and the actual casa paid out per week is 255, besides which \ two families arc being provided with cottages. This is an exceptionally light list, even for Taranaki. I The upsetting of the coach carrying Mr. Howard Vernon's theatrical company on the punt at Nine Mile, on the Westport-licefton road, last year cost the Itoads Department a prcttv penny for damages, etc.—£l4Bo Ills, no less. .Mr. Vernon received £SOO, Miss Vance ,£34fl, Mrs. Howard .£'23l, Mr. .lolin Howard £SO, and there were other amounts paid. Mr. Howard Vernon is now on a visit to England—at New Zealand's expense. Mr. J. S. Skinner, the Calgary (Western Canada) delegate to the Imperi.il Chambers of Commerce Congress, states that for so long as he can remember the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian Parliament has been paid an extra salary on account of his position, about equal to that of a Cabinet Minister. In contradistinction to the attitude adopted in Australia and Now Zealand, the Leader of the Opposition in Canada was regarded as a personage of no, inconsiderable importance in the affairs of the State.

The Egmont Lodgf, No. 112, 1.0. G.T., held its weekly meeting in St. Mary's Hall last night. C.T. Bro. G. W. Hartnell presided over a good attendance of members. A pleasant evening was spenc, the following contributing items: Pianoforte solo, Sis. B. Legg; recitation, Sis. E. White; dialogue, four members of the Lodge; song, Mr Collins (encore); pianoforte solo, Mr. Hoslrin; speech, Bro. J. C. Legg; song, Sis Pederson. Refreshments were handed round. Mrs, Moverley played the accompaniments. One new member was initiated.

The usual meeting of the Hope of Egmont Juvenile Temple, No. 28, 1.0.6.1'., was held in. St. Mary's Hall last night. The Temple was opened by C.T. Sis. I. Connett, who presided. The brothers won the banner for the best attendance and behaviour for the week. The programme fqr the evening was a recitation competition for sisters under 11 years of age, Sis. Gladys Waldock being the winner. Sis. Frcna Waldock was A hearty vote of thanKs was accorded Sis. Street for presenting the two prizes for the, competition.

The O.C. No. 1 Taranaki Public School Cadets writes:—l notice in your morning's issue of to-day that the Minister of Education had opened the first miniature rifle range in the Dominion. In justice to my predecessor, Major Dempsey, I have to state that a miniature rifle range has been in existence at the Central School for nearly two years. It was made under ray supervision by the boys of the Central School, and more than once the boys have been entertained by a "shoot" between the

"head" and myself when testing rifles. A remarkable number of "humpback" whales *ere sighted by the steamer Gertie during her search fov the Duco. Some of the schools came comparatively close to the vessel, and they were all bound northward. The "hump-back" is not a very valuable variety for commercial purposes, but among the few whalers to take them arc Messrs Cook, at Whangamumu, near Cape Brett. They capture then with wire nets near the shore. The Gertie also passed several shoals of "black fish," a small variety of cetacean common in New Zealand waters.

The Boy Scouts are soon to develop a new activity (says the London Daily Mail). Their chief scout and founder, Lient.-General Baden-Powell, hopes before long to materialise a plant of sending patrols into the poorer quarters of large, towns to engage in "slum-scout-ing." Discussing this scheme, General Badon-'Fowell said: "If the plan on further consideration proves practicable, the boys would go by patrols into the slums to do 'good turns.' With the consent of the people living there they would help to scrub floors and to clean windows; they would do cooking, and make themselves generally as useful as possible."

The Stratford Post says Mr. J. B. Hine, M.P., has received the followin" further reply from the Hon. the Minister for Justice with regard to local bankruptcy business-.—"With further reference to my letter of the 12th instant I beg to inform you that instructions have been issued to the Registrar of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth to the effect that notices of adjudication in bankruptcy should be sent to the Deputy Assignee nearest to the place in which the bankrupt carried on business, f must regret that any misunderstanding has arisen, but these instructions will prevent the recurrence of the difficulty in future."

Messrs. Atkiu and Bacon, of Wellington, architects, who designed the Wuikato and Waipawa hospitals, will visit New Plymouth and confer with the Hospital Board and the Inspector-General of Hospitals concerning the proposed new hospital for New Plymouth, make a preliminary survey of the site, and supply a sketch plan. The fee payable is 25 guineas. The Board is under no further liability to the firm; any later work will have to be arranged. for. Messrs. Atkins and Bacon were the architects in connection with the erection of the Wanganui, Grcymonth. ami Reefton hospitals, and for the proposed extensions and additions to the Wellington hospital. ° Mr. J. Peate, one of the British Chambers of Commerce delegates, is much impressed with the type of New Zealand manhood and womanhood. It is, he says, the best he has seen in his »fe. Some of the young women he saw I working in the Dunedin woollen mil's were magnificent specimens, and fit "in grace any drawing-room. H.. thoiHit I 'he climate had a refining influence up-! on them. , The New Zealand people appeared to live in accordance with the natural laws of health, and the splendid ' *.vpo was the result. He had seen fathers and mothers with New Zealandhoru sons and daughters superior in point of stature, and in every way to their parents, and finer type's of manHood and womanhood.

Hie Jvgaire factory (says the Eltiiam -Mgu,) is working with full staffs now, and the supply of milk at present is 600 gallons daily better than the same period last year-it was even better than that a few days by 1000 gallons-nn increase mainly attributable to the cows milkin-r earlier than last spring. The facto,? Has installed patent churn agitatojs which are giving c , W y satisfaction. I'our are placed in each vat, and each agitator has two wings which arc continuously revolving and thus causing a uniform churning. This work was previously done by men with rakes, and the agitator is thus an efficient labor-saver besides giving better results. A man "ohm need to push his rake something ike one and a-half hours in each vat ml lie can now be placed ill sonic oth'T branch of the factory. Mr. Robertson, the manager, speaks highly of the agitators, as it allows each vat to be like its neighbor, whereas by hand labor diffcrent men would get various rosims through W ant of expert l;nowlcd«e of how to work the rake in the vats °

The late Uesident Commissioner of the Cook Islands (Colonel Gudgeon), in his leport for the last financial year, points out that during the year there -were 60 charges of drunkenness and bush-be;r drinking heard in the High Court of the Cook Islands, these cases involving Hie appearance of 324 defendants. The report states: "It will be seen that thougn the partial prohibition in force in these islands may have done much towards enforcing sobriety among Europeans, it lias failed to affect the native inhabitants. I have never believed that the natives were large consumers of imported liquor, hut that they manage to attain the same results by means of orange, banana, and pineapple beer is obvious, for no fewer than 324 have Veen punished for this offence during the year, and it is safe to say that twice that number ought to have been punished, but have escaped by the assistance of their friends.. The appointment of a European as chief constable will, •! hope, do much towards the detection of bushbeer makers, but to put a stop to it altogether is impossible. The officer, however, should be able to put a stop to the smuggling of cheap rum made in Tahiti."

> New Jersey State. U.S.A., is constructing a boulevard'along the ocean no less than 126 miles long.

"Shareholder" writes:—"lt is to be regretted those interested most closely in the working of the petroleum wells have seen fit to indulge in a newspaper controversy. Let Mr. Berry bring hi.views before shareholders at the annuil nu'eting, then all and sundry ean judge. I A newspaper controversy ie no good.'''

Tlie New Plymouth amateur theatricals who recently produced "The Magistrate" at the Theatre Royal are now in full rehearsal for "Our boys," a piece of Byron's that had a great run at the London theatres some years ago. "Our Boys" should suit admirably the company which handled "'Die Magistrate" so well. The play will be put on early in December. Messrs Ensther and Fitzh°rbert arc again associated in the stagj management.