LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 390, 16 May 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Land and Income Tax Department gives notice that returns of income must be furnished not later than Ist June.

M. Bompard, a salesman in the handkerchief department of one of the great Paris stores, won the £20,000 prize in the recently-drawn State lottery. There are at the present time three policemen of the Manawatu district coniined to their beds owing to ailments caused by the rough work of the Powelka chase.

The Employers' Association has called a meeting for to-night of those interested in an exhibit of local industries for the Taranaki Agricultural winter show. The meeting will be held in Messrs. Webster and McKellar's ollices, at l.uj p.m.

There will apparently be plenty of work for the bushfeller in the Wairarapa and Forty-mile Bush districts this winter. Several 1000-acre blocks of bush are to be felled, while innumerable area? from fifty acres upwards are to oe put to the axe.

Special commemorative services were hell in the various New Plymouth churches yesterday, and sermons were preached dealing with the life and influence of His late Majesty King Edward. The Volunteers and Boy Scouts attended in uniform, and the several services were most impressive. Notice is gazetted that native pigeons may he taken or killed, but not sold, by any Maori or half-caste Maori in the counties of Taupo East and West and comprised within a line running parallel to and twenty miles distant from the margin of Lake Taupo, from May 1-ith until July 31st next. A sentry while on duty near London was bitten by a valuable retriever., and drove his bayonet into the dog. Its owner sued him in the county court for its value, and the evidence given showed that the soldier had not been badly bitten, after all. "Why did you not knock the dog with the butt end of your rifle!'' asked the judge. The court rocked with laughter when the sentry replied: "Why didn't he bite me. with his tail?"

One sympathises with Mr. Knyvett as an impulsive and amiable young man 'with many good intentions (writes Frank Morton, of Auckland), but there is no getting over the fact that he was dismissed from the Defence Force for a flagrant met of insubordination, for conduct utterly subversive of good discipline. His dismissal was, therefore, righteous and necessary. All the ladies in the world, with all the collecting-boxes you can think of, could not do away with those simple facts. Mr. H. Okey, M.P., has received the following letter from Sir Joseph Ward: "1 have to inform you that Mr. T. W. Mace, postmaster and mail-carrier at Koru, has tendered his resignation from the 15th instant. Xo person can be found to take over the office, and unless ■a. successor offers, the office will have to be closed. The salary .paid is £2O per annum, including cost of conveying the mail. Perhaps you can nominate a suitable person as postmaster to enable the postal facilities to be continued for the benefit of the settlers."

"There is a good deal of red tape about the Education Department," said Mr. A. C. Eardy, M.P., at the meeting of the Education Board in Christchureh. "and some day it,will get in the throats of the officials and choke them. It is present in almost every instruction that comes to the Board, and in every regulation that is issued by the Department." Mr. Hardy ought to get a glimpse of some of the 'private secretaries to Ministers when they are dealing with poor wretches looking for employment. Fifty representatives of local bodies of Wellington and district waited on the Prime Minister on Friday foist, urginsrl the necessity of promptly erecting .in adequate central railway station in Wellington. Sir Jo-eph Ward said he quite recognised the need for a new station. The. expenditure, necessary to provide an Adequate but not ornate building for Wellington, with yards and goods sheds, ■was estimated at between £300,000 and £400.0(10. Tn a plan now under consideration the estimate was £215,000. The station could not be gone on with until the reclamation now proceeding was well advanced and until the requirements of the duplicated Hutt line were ascertained. Probably within the next few months the public would know definitely what was going to be done.

The jerboa, « Soudan quadruped, resembling the kangaroo rat. ha? an ingenious method of providing itself with moisture during the long dry season. The jerboa is found in considerable numbers in places miles and miles away from any water or even dew. After the scantv rains a small wild melon, of bitter taste, but full of juice, flourishes in the desert. The jerboa, as soon as the melon is ripe, bites off the stem and proceeds to dig away the sand under the melon, so that it gradually sinks below the level of the ground. The wind soon covers it with six to eight inches of sand, which protects it from the scorching sun and from drying up. When all other moisture has evaporated the jerboa «oes to his larder of melons, and lives on the juice of these till the rains come. One jerboa will bury as manv ■:!« forty melons to last him'through' the dry season. A number of letters have recently appeared in various newspaper* severely criticising the management of the Moiimahaka State Farm'; also a synopsis of experiments in the New Zealand Farmer. Tho letters, have been signed ''T. ('!. Xieoll." "Cowsppanker," "Advanced Agriculturist," ''K. Dahv' "Waverlevite." "Anti-Humbug," and "R. L. Johnston." Some of the letters were sent to the Kit ham Argus, but the editor, being suspicious as to their genuineness, set enquiries afoot, and discovered that all the letters were written bv the same person, who has signed a written confession, which is now in the hands of the manager fl f the Moumahaka Farm. A departmental enquiry is probable, and interesting disclosures are anticipated. The author of Hie letters who is employed at the farm, is believed to have been a disappointed asnirant to the position rendered vacant in- Mr. ("inlanders' resignation of the managership.

A stalwart athlete of Hav. Snvs "all other x>ills are child's play, T/ixo-Tonic Pills alone fini'ds up muscle and bone Tn j> most unmistakable war." LAXO-TONTC PILLf?, 10V„d and Is (W.— Obtainable at Bullock and Johnston's.

, The- Hawvra Acclimatisation Society contemplate ottering so nnicli each for hawks' and slings' heads.

The Luliqr party are asking the unions •fo get together '£loo,ooo to start a Labor evening paper in Sydney. Scarlet fever is rather prevalent in AuckhiuJ. an.l over forty patients are now. under treatment at the Hospital. It is understood that Hell's factory is about to ('.!■'•_'•> : >: .lie manufacture of wood matches at Newtown, Wellington.

A han<Uome bequest to the Auckland Hospital of £l4Bl has been provided for in the will of the late .Mr. .Saul MeDermott. of Auckland.

At Stratford on Saturday Alexander R. Hrown was :'.;:od Ctt, with co.sts and witnesses' expenses totalling £2 13s, for shooting a pheasant out of season. He explained that he had borrowed a gun to shoot a hawk, and that he shot a pheasant in mistake. The Magistrate pointed out that the maximum fim» «a* £2O, but that under the circumstance* he -would make the fine light. The .prow of the war canoe of the famous Maori lighting chief Te Rauparaha, which has been ii> Auckland district for some time past, has licen purchased by the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie, on behalf of the Tourist Department. This tine specimen of Maori carving is in an excellent state of preservation, and it is altogether a l.ne specimen of the Native carver's art.

The Hawera Acclimatisation Society a few weeks ago decided to otter a reward of £lO to anyone securing a conviction against anyone for shooting during the close season which is being observed in the society's district this year. It has come under the notice of the society that notwithstanding the warning given "a large number of native and imported birds are being destroyed. In all probability the reward will be increased to £2o.—Star.

Despite the. rumored shortage of dairy cattle in Taranaki. considerable quantities of stock continue to be exported from the province (says the Dominion). At the .last Hutt sale a couple of truckloads of Taranaki heifers were offered, a truck-load \va,s put up at the previous sale, and it is stated that another lot is coming down for the next sale. A shipment of dairy stock from Taranaki to Canterbury, where numerous new dairy factories aTe projected, is also contemplated, and will probably take place shortlv.

Curious interest, connected with the King's death, attaches to a paragraph in the Church Chronicle of Ist April (according to one of the Post's correspondents). "The festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary is coincident this year 'with the fast of Good Friday," stated the Chronicle. "Therefore, according to old British custom, the former would give way to the latter. In mediaeval timei these holy days coming together were taken to indicate ill-fortune." An ancient couplet ran:—

"When our Lord falls in our lady's lap England will meet with great misJiap."

Tn his cross-examination of Mr. E. W. Dinnie, finger-print expert of the detective force, in the Wellington Supremo Court on Friday, Mr. A. L. Herdman mentioned that he had read some remarks of Sir John Madden, Chief Justice of Victoria, on the subject some time ago. Sir John Madden had warned a jury to he careful of such evidence, as it toad not been absolutely proved that two persons could not. make the same prints. His Honor the Chief Justice said that it did not matter what any Judge hid said on the question. If a Chief Justice were to make a statement of a

scientific nature it bore absolutely no Viilne unless ne went into the witnessbox -mil was cross-examined. Mr. Herdman read from a book by one Oliver Crrmwell, in which it was stated that a ca.se was known in which the same marks had been made uy two person* Mr. Dinnie immediate])' showed that lie kncv still more about the ease, and from i fil-3 produced proof that the marks had been m»ade by the same person under different names and at different places. The "authority" had used hi- statement on an erroneous newspaper paragraph.

Mr*. Jack Holland, who resides at Cauhmlio. had a. terrible experience recently. She had been in S'liepparton at the sales, and was driving home alone in a waggonette with a, pair of horses. One of these was a young animal. This animal played up and started bur-king in the harness when about eight miles out. Mrs. Holland was not returning hv her u-uial mad, and did not know the track well. About 0 p.m. the vehicle struck a stump. She was thrown Out and rendered unconscious. When she recovered the moon was very high. She lay in a dazed state for some time, and then tried to attract attention by cooeeing. but s'he concluded that the hour was too late, and started to make for the house of a farmer named Quilans, some distance away. Being unable to walk 'without support she struggled along holding on to a fence, and' resting at times through exhaustion. After a two hours' journey she reached Quinlans at T a.m. She wia.s then conveyed to a private hospital, where she was found to be sutiering. Her right ear was almost torn off, her chest and right shoulder were badly crashed, and her left foot was seriously injured. Her condition is very serious. Melbourne item.

"We're going up to show the Auckland people how to buy Jerseys," remarked one of the big contingent of Tarnnaki Jersey breeds and fanciers who went north the other night to attend sales of purebred Jersey stock in the Auckland district. And apparently they did something of the kind, securing most of the high-priced stock at Mr. Day's sale at Tamahere on Wednesday, and Mr. McLennan's sale at Papakura on Thursday. Mr. C. Clarke bought a heifer for M 4 guineas, a .pretty little animal sired by Dr. Jim out of Buttercup, a cow which won several championships for Mr. F. Cornwall. Mr. S. W. Shaw conducted Mr. Day's sale on Wednesday as arranged when the sales were undertaken by the New Zealand Loan afid Mercantile Agency Company, and it was also decided that the latter firm's auctioneer should sell Mr. McLennan's. But Mr. MeLennan was so struck with the successful manner in which Mr. Shaw wielded the hammer, and his knowledge of the buyers, that he asked that the same auctioneer should act for him. It was a distinct compliment to Mr. Shaw, who returned it by securing 114 guineas for one heifer, 62 guineas, 50 guineas and 48 guineas for three other animals. Taranaki seems to know how to- sell Jerseys, as well as how to buy them.

stuhrorx as a mule. k bad ooiisrh is more stubborn than a mule, and, if the right method is not used, it i< more difficult to conquer. Dr. Sheldon'* Xew Discovery for Ooughs and Colds conquers the most stubborn rases. It is a safe and certain remedy for Mticlss, colds, and all lun« trouble*. Small dose. Pleasant to take. Every bottle guaranteed. Obtainable everywhere. For Tnffr.pn'a tnlra Wood** Great Pepttt* mtatOw Never falls. \/9»V%