LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 305, 3 February 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

All Che dairy factory companies in tii,. Manawatu district have received no;; ■ < from the Labor Department to pav their wages fortnightly. It is und-r----stood that the companies in Taranaki pay monthly, and so far they have nm received a similar notice from the Department.

The Dannevirkc News is credibly in-1 formed that two practical and expe-i----enced West Coast miners, who have been prospecting the ranges in the immedia'e vicinity of Dannevirko for the last tTiree months, have discovered n valuable reef, but until they have M. ■ ground secured no other particulars can be made public. A lady writer in the Argus states that a new idea lias been taken up in Melbourne that promises well from initial experiments. This is' the "visiting nurse," who each day attends several patients who cannot afford to hire a nurse for the whole of her time. Such a visitor, by giving "for an hour or two daily that scrupulous care that only a trained nurse can give, lifts a burden of anxiety or responsibility from the shoulders of many a woman already overweighted with work and household worry." ~

The Dunstan Times gives a very doleful account of the effects of the drought that has been experienced in Central Otago this summer. It says it is doubtful if such a prolonged drought has been previously experienced. Since the beginning of August only three inches of rain have fallen, and there has not been one shower copious enough to more than wet the surface of the soil. For the past two months the thermometer has stood at from lOOdeg, to 140deg. in the sun, and this, with the hot, dry northerly wind, has brought the pasture and crops to a sorry plight, the bulk of the latter having dried off instead of ripening.

The building trade in Dunedin at the .present time may fairly be considered brisk, and the large number of big structures in course of erection are providing plenty of work for those engaged in the trade. For instance, while there are 450 tradesmen attached to the Carpenters' and Joiners' Industrial Union, 440 may be considered as in employment. Prospects for the future are also very promising. The exodus of carpenters from New Zealand to Australia, particularly Queensland, which was recently so noticeable, lias now practically ceased. Information to hand shows that the building trade in Melbourne and Sydney is very sound, but evidently the work offering here is sufficient to absorb practically all the labor available.

Property owners in the vicinity are reported to be up in arms against wlr.it they regard as the first step towards establishing a police station at the corner of Devon Line and Roland street, behind the Fitzroy railway station. It is stated that a constable is to be stationed at Fitzroy, with, quarters at the place indicated. While no exception is taken to this, it is generally thought that ere long a police station will be added to the present premises. As a good class of house has been erected ; n that localit}', owners contend that the dumping of a ioek-up beside them will considerably deteriorate the value of their properties. We have no official information that anything of the sort is contemplated, and merely voice the complaint as it reaches lis from an aggrieved householder.

| A young New Zealander proved him self one too many for a gang of Londoi confidence men a few weeks ago (say tii© British Australasian). He wa; strolling through the National Gallery when a stranger, well dressed and mos' affable, got into conversation with lii.n about the pictures, and mentioned in < casual sort of way that he, too, cam< from "down under." The upshot of tin meeting was that the stranger invitee the New Zealander to lunch next day Although he was already suspicious o: the affable one, Mr. Stewart thought Ik would see it through. So he went t< the lunch, and was entertained' with £ Story of how one of the stranger's "pals" was about to go into partnership with a certain well-known Wellingtor ■business man in the purchase of a sheet run for £20,000. "How many acres 'asked Mr. Stewart. "Fifty," replied the stranger. "And how many sheep to the acre will the land carry?" "Oh, about four." "This is most interesting," remarked the New Zealander, who had never heard of a 50-acre sheep run at £20,000. Just then the inevitable •second man arrived with a wonderful story of a horse that was' certain to win at odds of ten to one that afternoon. The New Zealander was invited to put some money on. He said he would go to his hotel for his chequebook and return in an hour, and they arranged to meet again accordingly. Presumably the confidence men kept the appointment, but the New Zealander

('never went back. Thus an impressionist in the Bulletin: The loss of the U.S.S. C'o.'s excursion steamer Waikare in Dusky Sound (M.L.) will be remembered, long after the narrow escape from the dire catastrophe is forgotten, by the story of how the engine-room staff stood by while the broken yessel_ with its bottom torn out fought its mile and a-lialf war to the beach. When the full measure of the disaster was realised the passengers I were sent away in the boats, and "the skipper turned the dying vessel's head , for a ledge beneath the towering cliffs. I Down in the engine-room all the men were at their posts. The clans of the bell "Full speed ahead" struck across the strained nerves like a crash of glass. Those men knew, the fireman knew, every soul below knew how 1 it! 1e [ time there was: in every mind flashed ; a review of the odds that Bookmaker Death was offering, and only the wihl-| est punter would have looked at th'<m. The pump? clamored like the betting ring; the condensers sobbed like 'in hysterical woman where the horses fall in a steeplechase. Steadily the outsider—the sea—crept up and up, and the Waikare fell a war. Tt was liable to ir"' down at til- ;ic.\t hurdle. The low'->r I'vo-i wi'iv out. .-uid the higher onon w-M last Iw.'. At ih- fur:i..w 'lie lrii knee-deep, where blisk-; e'.t'.-l ii'.i'ii wiih wrenched faces drove th" I vi'»=e! on. And now there was onlv half! a M" of that green heavv eoni'=e, I

\V-.<V'p|i, novr lov Wpro nt ' t i lo (j i'li-l iVatli wjis hoMincf out his hand to rolled. The vessel's hocl dropped. Imt 110 desperate wretch fisrlitinor. all hir armpit in water, to drive 1 lie life in'.>! the ship's lungs for another instant, ' turned his face to where the sealing In 1 - 1 ders ran up to comparative .safety. Ir, was the Grand Gamble. Even as the water spal niion the upper fires, the hell 1 tore the st ; flin<» air and said ' The Wnikare laid her nose on a slantinc *• rock—it had heaton the sea by a nose. <

The Fire Brigade was called out last niglu fur a rubbish fire in Devon street east.

It is expected that about sixty war veterans from Taranaki will travel to Wellington on the occasion of th.2 visit of Lord Kitchener.

The executive committee of the Ea-t End male bathers' committee will comprise Messrs W. 11. Fletcher (lion, secretary), I'. Flanagan, (_'. Hammond, 11. Moon aml A. Kivell.

The Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Railway*, told a reporter at Napier on Tuesday night that the revised ra'iway tinu'-taole, if possible, would come into operation on March 1. There were three Irish clerics on -'le platform at the Bible Society meeting last night. They had the platform all to themselves, but as the Rev. Osborne said, they managed to keep the pea '. 1 . His colleagues were the Revs. Wilkinson and Laird. Although Peggy 'McGurk. of Carriekmorc, County Tyrone, has reached llie wonderful age of 10!) years, she still act* ( as caretaker of the local courthouse and I dispensary. The King the other day | sent her £2 and a letter wishing hei lengthened days. Messrs C. E. Bake r and Co. have just completed a very handsome altar, in rimu, for the Waitara Anglican Chureii. The height is 3ft Gin, length Oft, an I depth 3ft. The front comprises th panels in Gothic tracery, the centre one hearing the monogram "1.11.5." The altar is a fine piece of workmanship, r»j fleeting the greatest credit on the firm. | Mr. Geo. Moverley executed the carving. | Tlie Xew Plymouth depot of the British and Foreign Bible Society has been established for nine years. During tint time there have been sold 12S0 volumes of the Holy Scriptures, the receipts be--1 ing £SB life Id. The average number soid per annum was 143, and the val le £!) 17s 4d. Sales in 1005 were IS3 volumes, of a value of £l2 Gs. The numi ber fell in 1007 to 132, but increased , last year to the record number of 221 and the receipts were £lB Ids 3d, which ; 'was the largest amount received in any one year, and more money was remitted to headquarters than in any previous year. Speaking to a Christchurch Press representative, Dr. De Renzi, who has

. recently returned to New Zealand after a five years' sojourn in India, said tliat ever since the Russo-Japanese war there 'lms grown up a feeling of bitter hostility to England and the English people on the part of the native races of India. They exulted in the thought of an 'Asiatic nation having beaten the big European bear, a:ul argued that what the Japanese had done against Russia they could do against England if only they were united. That was the feeling and hope that bad given rise to tlv; seditions and conspiracies in India of which so mueli had been heard lately. In connection with the Barry-Arnst match on the Zambesi, "Victor." in the Wanganui Herald, says:—"Arrangements have been made for two matches between Barry and Arnst, one on the Zambesi and then another on the Thames. S'o tar as the Arast-Whelch match is concerned, Arnst was evidently under the impression that the Zambezi match was not for the world's championship, and he had made, arrangements ,to meet Whek-h prior to learning tint j the Englishman was desirous that the | title should be at stake. However, it is i scarcely likely that the decision of the I English champion and life friends as 'o | Arnst only being aceeptable for the | Zambesi match will deter the world's | champion from going on with his match i with Whelcli. nor is he likely to forego , a match with Pearec after he ha< m-t , the Akaroa man if the opportunity pre--1 .splits itself, ns he is very confident of his ability to beat both men." I Kennerley Rumford boxed the ears' of ■a newspaper man because the latter had •the temerity to adversely criticise the .singing of Clara Butt, the magnificent; i but a gentleman of the name of R. I Furmer, who dwells in the cow country of Taranaki, believes in getting more 'solid satisfaction for anything of that •kind. R. Farmer, it. appears, was kind enough to sing some alleged comic songs at a s'chool concert in I'nglewood, and the, local paper seems to have bee'n unkind enough to say nasty things aboiK R. Farmer's chanting of the said alleged comic songs. Whereupon R. Farmer waxed indignant, and eauscd a writ to be issued against the paper claiming , £2OO for alleged libel, and the case comes oIT at the next sittings of the Supreme Court at New Plymouth. Fur- j thcrmorc, R. Farmer is' bringing Mr. j Skerrett, K.C.. nil the way from Wellington to conduct his ease. If R. , Farmer's example proves infectious there | should be lively times ahead for news- i 'paper critics, says the Auckland Ob- ! Server. < |