GENERAL NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 244, 20 November 1909, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS

If the wool crop this season should be twenty per cent, greater than that of last year, as some people expect, and the advance in prices revealed at the Napier sale should be repeated at all sales of the season (says the Dominion), New Zealand will receive '£2,000,000 more for her wool than she got last vear. Our return last year was about '.17,500,000. A young South Canterbury farmer, who has for some years past been working in secret in an endeavor to perfect a Hying machine, considers that ho has now nearly reached the goal at which lie is aiming. He intends to make a trial flight with his airship at an early date. The framework of the ship is of bamboo, the wings all of calico, and the propelling power is a 24 horse-power motor. The inventor is Mr. Richard l'earse, of Waitohi. The Duncdin Star, which is a Government organ, trusts "that this is the Inst occasion on which we shall be constrained to animadvert uponTJic failure of the New Zealand Government lo recommend another distinguished Duncdin citizen to the Sovereign's notice We refer, of course, to Mr. Justice Williams, the doyen of the Australasian Bench, who, liy the way, is about to celebrate the jubilee of his admission to the English liar. We tell Sir Josepli Ward plainly that the persistent n.-1 action of Hie Government in this matter provokes sharp and unpleasantly suggestive criticism from one end of the Dominion lo the other."

It will possibly be interesting to those who followed tin* controversy over the alleged production of apports by Bailey, the medium, to know that lie presented two nests, in one of which were some eggs, to the Wangnnui museum, stating that thry were' habitats of Australian birds, ilr. CI. li. .Mar riner. the curator, forwarded (hem to an authority on Australian birds, who reports that, in the lirsl instance, the egg- and nest are not those of the •.'nine bird, fine nest is very like that of the white, fronted nun. while the eggs arc those of the crested wodgehill. As to the second nest, the expert stales that it is merely a bundle of eocoannt fibre, anil lines not appear to have oeen used as a nest at all.

Another draft (if seventy horses loft Fcilding last week for Wellington, to lie there shipped to Australia by Messrs. Hoult ami Sous, of Aorangi. This makes a total of 13S horses thai the firm has sent over Tusman Sea. in rerent months. Mr. Thomas Hovtlt, who has gone in charge again, says that he dill fairly well with previous drafts, lml, he is feeling dubious this 1 time owing 10 the slate of the coal strike, --However.'' he added, "I must take the horses away, for the local market, which has been dull for horses for eighteen months, is still that way.'' The animals, which are a picked lot of draught-., half-draughts, harness horses, and ponies, but mostly on the heavy side, w.-rc gathered in Taranaki, Manuwatu, and the Wairavapa.— Star. A disgraceful scene was witnessed in I'eel street, Ciisbornc, (he other day. when a wofnan was observed punching a man. It was an ungloved affair, and was not conlined to a single round. Again and again the woman returned to the charge, and launched nut at the object of her attack, occasionally deal-i mg him a kick. The man showed remarkable self-restraint. Occasionally he defended his face, mostly the object of the female's' blows, but refrained from retaliation. In one instance be held the woman's 'hands in self-protection, and for it a spectator dealt him a 'blow that j almost sent him sprawling to the ground. I'rged 0:1, seemingly by several individuals, the woman repeated her onslaughts upon the man. Several spectators who attempted to prevent the continuance of the scene formed a ring round the participants, and attempt-' eil lo persuade the woman to desist,but j whe broke through (heir guard, and) ivith her ringed fist inflicted a -wound | near the man's eve. The arrival of the! police and the arrest of the woman brought (he unseemly display to a sudden termination. As a sequel to I,'o 1 Hair (he woman was lined Ills, with :os(s. at the Police Court, Sergeant Hut-' ton explaining that the, whole thing' could be put down as a drunken brawl,;