GENERAL NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 226, 29 October 1909, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

One of the commerce tourists, in remarking to a Chrislcliurch pressman on

the line quality of New Zealand laud, also remarked on the line pric Instead of the cheap land one would ex|)ect to find in a new country, there was not much dill'erence in the prices at Home and in New Zealand, said Jie. The balance sheet of the Ila went Gas Company for the year ended Septemuer 30 shows that the net pnilll lor the year amounted to £80.7 2s lid, and, with the balance brought forward, the amount available for distribution in £I3OO Us (id. An interim dividend at the rate of 4 per cunt., paid In liny last, absorbed £330, and il, is proposed to make a further distribution "I' II per cent., Wihich will absorb £523 17s Oil, making the total dividend for the year 10 per cent., and leaving ,£l4ll lis 2d to ue carried forward.

Itjs understood (states' the Press) that the well-known North Ishvid whaling linn, Messrs, Cook llros., are u'uout to establish a whaling station ou the west coast of Stewart Island at Mason's Hay, which is conveniently situalwl for exploiting Foveaux Strait and the vicinity of the Solandors. In addition to securing oil and baleen, it is" proposed to utilise many of the byproducts. One novel product is to ue "preserved whale beef," to be put up in tins. It is said to lind a ready market in China and Japan at. a penny a pound. It is further contemplated to convert the refuse into fertilising materials.

In a recent issue we referred to the construction of an aeroplane by two Hamilton residents, and an unsuccessful trial which took place. The Argus of Wednesday states that since their last aeroplane flight Messrs. Barnard Bros, have been working bard building another machine, which has just been completed. A trial was held on the Ohaupo road, Hamilton, on Tuesday evening, which was more successful than that held previously. A horse was attached to Uie plane, and at a pace of about

10 miles an hour the machine rose and Jioatcd gracefully along for about 500 yards, alighting' again without mishap. The brothers' are gradually perfecting the machine, and are now of opinion i that when a motor is installed there

will, within reason, be no limit to the flight.

A grateful action is recorded in the Tapanui Courier. Neighbours called on

Mrs, Sutherland at her Glenkenich homestead and handed her a purse of sovereigns. Mr. Grainger, in making tiio presentation, said the noghbora realised the great troubles that had fallen on Mrs. Sutherland in the loss of her two sons. They also "remembered feelingly the many kind acts performed by her. She had been at every neighbor's call; day or night, in time of sickness and distress; and now, that troubles,' ha.t multiplied with her, first by the loss of husband, and then two stalwart sons, Glenkenich pec pie realised that the mother was sore distressed. The littb present was made in recognition of manifold kindnesses, and with the hope that misfortune would not again occur to ber during her lifetime. Giving evidence at the inquest on his son, a boy who died suddenly from acuta pneumonic affection, an Auckland resident said his daughter was sent by her mother for the lodge surgeon, who lived close by, on the Sunday evening at 0.30 o'clock. The doctor, who lived a stone's' throw away, was out, but the child saw bis wife, who asked: "Arc vo-i lodge patients!"' The child replied ''Yes." The lady replied: "The doctor will not be back till 9 a.m., and that will be dispensing hours. Will to-morrow do"' The child, who was a hit flustered, said: "Yes." The lady said the surgeon would call next morning. As a matter of fact, the doctor did not put in an appearance till after midday on Monday, when the lad had been dead five hours. The coroner said he hoped publicity would be given to this statement. It was a most unfortunate circumstance llii't the doctor did not attend.

The depredations of black swans in the Chatham Island* were mentioned at the last meeting of the Canterbury

Acclimatisation Society, when it was stated that they were becoming so numerous that they were killing off the ducks and even flounders'. Mr. G. I'. Whiteside said that he had received a telephone message from the New Zealand Express Company to the effect that a box addressed' to the society bad been received from the Chatham Islands, addressed "for acclimatisation purposes." He had gone to the store, but the box 'hf hail opened happened to be the wrong one, and in it he had found about one hundred s'waiis' eggs, addressed to certain Maoris in Canterbury. There were eight or nine similar boxes, containing in all about 1500 eggs, in addition to sides of bacon and other food, ft appeared that the Maoris of the Cbathams, according to a native custom, exchanged food with Canterbury natives, and he had, accordingly', fold the police that the eggs had better be [inssed. The action of Mr. Whiteside was approved. Are ladies ever likely to make go'icl bowlers V A .correspondent of .the Glasgow News evidently believes they are not, and iie bases this view on observations made in a well-known bowling enclosure of the South Side of tile city, where a tournament open to the fair sex is to be held at an early date. The correspondent expresses' himself as very much disappointed with the way the ladies have taken to the game. When the bowls arc sent off on their journey to the other side of the green (sometimes on the wrong bias), the ladies do not follow them up, balancing themselves on one foot and then another, and striking weird attitudes. They do not shout with exultation on the occasions (very rare) when the' bowl goes near the kitty, or roar instructions to their own side when the bowls (very frequently) arc careering to another part of the green. On the contrary, there is a stiff formality and strung? silence about the proceedings more suggestive of solemn'duty than of pastime, and, moreover, the slightest fall of rain is sufficient to send them in hot haste for the clubhouse.