LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 331, 5 March 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Minister for Public Works informed a AVellington deputation on Thursday that the furniture for the Governor's new home was to be made in the Dominion, not imported from England, as was rumored. The following produce was exported from Patea during February, 1010:—Butter, 3515cwt, valued at £17.221; cheese, 20,178cwt, value £5(1,499; beef, frozen, 1287 carcases, 3Glcwt. value £033; tallow, 10 tons, £240; wool, greasy, 42,7841b, value £1425. The Scarlet Troubadours gave their second concert in the Theatre Royul last evening to a large and enthusiastic audience. The performance was equally as good as the previous evening's—-„-and that is saying a good deal—and ;was enjoyed by everyone present. If the troupe ever return to \ew Plymouth they are sure to meet with a cordial reception. Tn the annual report of the district officers of the New Plymouth Oddfellows' district appears' the following: — "The admission of females into male lodges has been attended with considerable success. The Loyal Stratford I.odgs holds pride of place with seventeen lady members. On the occasion of our visit to the lodge there was a splendid attendance,' the ladies being present in full force. We. venture to say that the most pronounced opponent to the admission of women into our lodges would, if he had been present with us, have greatly modified his views."

To-day is the anniversary of tlie commenceinent of the Taranaki war. W. S. Robertson, of Stratford, has deposited £25 with the sporting editor of -the New Zealand Times foj- n wrestling •match with Joe Gardiner. A Duiiedin message says that a project is being mooted for the entertainment of Lord Plunket at a banquet by the citizens on the occasion of his Excellency's farewell visit to that city. A deputation of ratepayers 1 will wait on Mr. Fred. Bellringer at 10 o'clock this morning to ask him to allow himself to be nominated for a seat on the New Plymouth Hospital and Charitable Aid Board at the forthcoming election. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., have received Hie following cablegram from their London house under date 2nd instant: —'"Wool —Tlie market for merinos has an upward tendency. Crossbreds' very firm.' Katipo again. A camping party at Little Raupo Bay, six miles from Little Akaloa, Banks' Peninsula, recently found a colony of strange and conspicuous spiders, says the Akaroa Mail. Their suspicions were aroused in regard lo the creatures' character, and some specimens were caught and sent to Dr. Chilton, of Canterbury College, who identified the spiders ITs members of the dread katipo species. Dr. Findlay informed a Napier reporter that a list of the new Justices of the Peace, supplementary to the main list, was now before Cabinet, and he hoped to get it through the various stages in the next few weeks'. 'I think,'' he added, "that when the appointments contained in the supplementary list are made the requirements of New Zealand with regard to Justices will be adequately served." The Equitable Building Society held a meeting in the Town Hall last night. An appropriation in the No. 1 group was balloted for, and was secured by Mrs'. E. Rendell, of Waitara road. An appropriation in No. 2 group was secured by Mr. W. J. Lile, of Inglewoocl. Each is entitled to £3OO. An appropriation in No. 1 group was sold by tender, the price being £SO 10s. There was a good attendance of members, and Mr. F. P. Cork-ill presided. Boring for shale is to be commenced shortly at urepuki (says the Southland Times). During his visit to the western township last week representations were made to Mr. J. C. Thomson. M.P., to .the effect that before any expenditure is Incurred by private enterprise in prospecting io r shale deposits, Dr. Bell, of the State Geological Department, should be asked to furnish a report on the shale field. Mi 1 . Thomson said he would ask the Minister of Mines to accede to the request.

In the Pukearuhe district is' to be found some of the finest grazing land in Taranaki. There's an. up-to-date cheese factory, and there are several pedigree herds of cattle. \et things are not happy. Tiie Pukearuhe people are alleged not to be a happy family, and the daily family gathering of farmers at the cheese factory is reported to be a brisk affair sometimes. The other morning a settler got angry and struck another with a great empty milk-can! The Xew Plyniouth-Onehunga steamer service is regaining much of the traffic it carried prior to the opening .of the Main Trunk railway . People are not in love with the long train journey. Indeed, it is the exception to find a person who will make the trip a second time. With the steamer fares low and the railway fares high it is only a matter of time when the steamer service will be patronised to an extent warranting the reinstatement of the old daily service. Referring to the walking contests at the N.Z.A.A.A. meeting at Auckland, -the Herald says:—"The" walks were the most unsatisfactory events of the day, and many keen sports consider they were the only blot on the gathering. Kerr, CashriTan, Rogers, Bennett and Morrison commenced in the three miles by walking in : faultless stiyle, hut Wilson never 'locked' from the time he got on the track, and carried his head too far forward to pass the recent style. Kerr's and Cashman's leg action'was straighter than Wilson's, who walked throughout with bent knees. It was not surprising that Kerr relaxed a little in the last mile. It is the irony of fate for Kerr, who has lost championships through keen judging before ho adopted a faultless style, to be beaten by a loose style. Cashman retired in the three mile at six laps, but finished third in the mile. One of the Auckland representatives, Bennett, has recently arrived from England, and is said to be the ex : N"orth England champion. He. is big in condition, but shows a nice style."

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday Mr. I-I. S. Fitzherbert, S.M., "gave hfs decision in the case of Edith Salt v. James Salt, a claim jor a maintenance order, the parties being husband and wife. An order was made for the payment of £1 a \\ee\f. A groom named Norman Shogren was charged, at the instance of the Taranaki County Council, with having driven horses along a footpath in Elliott road, Westown. Defendant, who was represented by Mr. Grey, pleaded nor. guilty. Xir. Qnilliam appeared for the Council. The facts in support of the charge were reported last week, hut it was foiftid that the wrong man had been charged. This defendant now admitted that the horses had gone on to the footpath, but had travelled on it for only a short distance. Mr. Grey argued that it must be proved that the defendant actually drove the animals on the path, not merely that they went on to the path whilst he had charge of them. The Magistrate, however, said he must read the section that when a man was driving horses down a street and some went on to the footpath the man had driven them along the footpath. Defendant, was then convicted and fined 10s' and costs £2 2s. "His Worship intimated that he made the fine a light one in this ease, but , that did not mean that lie would do so in future. The custom of driving loose horses Hi tiie way described wns a verv dangerous one. ;ind the owners should devise some better method. It appeared to him that too manv horses' were given to 'one man to drive, and that the stable-keepers should send out more men to drive such large mobs ■of horses. Do not go to the expense of calling in ii doctor when you sprain your ankle. Bathe your foot and ankle in water :,s hot as can he borne and rub in Chamberlain's Pain Balm ireely. Repeat the rubbing several times, and in two rr three days v*>n will lie able to get about and will be 'mite cured in less than a week. Sold by all chemists and storekeepers.

A Taranaki fanner a short time ago bought a couple of thousand acres of gum-pieked land north of Auckland for i'.l an acre. He had half of it ploughed and after growing a crop of turnips upon it he put it in grass. The same land is now worth CS an acre. llotorua boardinglionse-keopevs and others dependent .upon the tourist traffic have had an unprecedently poor season this year. They ascribe the slackness to the tightening of the purse strings of a big proportion of the people who usually take an annual holiday consequent on the depression of last year, the increase in the railway fares', and the action of the Government in levying toll at Whakarewarewa and elsewhere. Unless things take a turn for the better in the winter, there are bad times in store for not a few of ttyj Rbtorua folk. . The Jewish question is now facing the Constitutional Government in Turkey as it never lias done before. Although the admission of Jewish colonists from Russia, the Balkan States, Austria and Persia seems to be sanctioned by constitutional principles, still self-preservation is a motive more potent than equality. The inhabitants of Palestine are beginning to see the reason why Russia has shown such intolerance of the descendants of Abraham. Thousands and tens of thousands of Jewish colonists are already settled on the fairest lands of Palestine. Helped by rich capitalists in Europe, they build comfortable homes and establish flourishing colonies. Large portions of land round Lake Tiberias have been bought up from poor natives and converted into prosperous domains. The Plain of Sharon, between Jaffa and Lydda, is one vast garden, owned and tended by Jewish skill and labour. The Hauran, one of the most fertile wheat districts in the world, is being gradually sold to Jewish syndicates. The Ghor (Valley of the Jordan), which two years ago belonged to Abdul Hamid .who was in communication with Jewish capitalists for its sale when his dethronement took place, is .now being bargained for,, and will soon become Jewish property. To sav that Jaffa and Jerusalem .ire Jewish towns' is only saying the bare truth. Towns like Ramoth-Gilead, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Gaza, where a .few years ago no Jew dared show his face, have now their Jewish quarters and' synagogues. Zionism in Europe has, indeed, been working with a will.