LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 89, 23 July 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Eltham intends to go in for a sub- 1 stantial, new and up-to-date town hall, library and municipal offices, onu a special loan of £BOOO is being raised' far the work. | At the recent winter show at Hawera' a prize was presented for the exhibitor! gaining the most points in the cookery division of the Home Industries section. The prize has been divided between Mrs.i J. H. Sheppard, of New Plymouth, .ind Mrs. F. Walker, of Hawera.

In a case heard at Balclutha a wit-j ness stated that five persons—two girls j and three young men—could easily milk a herd of sixty dairy cows. Another! witness held that seven persons—a man! and his wife, two girls and three boys—! could handle 88 to 100 cows. A Wairarapa farmer believes that much disappointment could often be avoided in regard to unsatisfactory crops j if more attention were paid to cleaning and grading the seed to a uniform size.

Continual grading, he states, does a lot towards a general improvement in quality and a heavier yield. The gate takings at the Hawera Win-' ter Show amounted to £044. In the prospectus issued, upon which shares were first taken up (says the Star), the estimated receipts from this source were £350, so that the original expectations in this respect were greatly exceeded. At its last show, Waikato's "gate" was £570.

Arrangements are being made to immediately erect two copper wires between Wellington and Auckland for telegraph purposes by a new route on the Main Trunk railway line, whien is much shorter than the existing routes. These wires will be used during certain hours for telephone purposes between the two cities. I

In the course of his denunciation of the bookmaker the other day. Sir J. G. Ward is reportsd to have read a police inspector's report stating that 70 per cent, of the bookmakers were composed of men with a more or le?s shady past, and had graduated as "crooks" and spielers, and lind dishonestly acquired the money with which they started bookmaking.

The Chamber of Commerce meeting which was to have been held ; last night to discuss the gambling question was cancelled The first lamb of the season was offered yesfcv-day at Mr. H. T. Joll's Meat Bazaar. Tlit* lambs were grown on Mr. F. Salwa/s form' at Bell Block, and u '*?je a eM<U$ t* district. Residents in localities where roads are unmetalled are' just about tired of the present spell of w?t weather. Everyone is, no doubt; but tl'e mud-road people have the first call on the supply of growls. In our report of the prize list of the Poultry Show the name of G. A. Oorney erroneously appears as having secured first honors in the class for Pekin Bantams, The winner e| the prize m this class, wa» Mm 0, Corney, " The Cadei Officers' School Of Jnstruction was continued last night, Colonel Malone lecturing on "Reconnaisance." The Defence Cadet Corps recently formed at the High School sent a fair number of officers and non-coms, to the lecture. School teachers are very dissatisfied with the classification marks awarded by the Education Board's inspector, claiming that percentages have been kept far too low. A special meeting of the Taranaki branch of the Teaciiers' Institute will probably bo 'held to deal with the matter. J • j

A young man working for a settler in the Wairoa district suffered a heavy loss J in a peculiar way recently. He had fed his dogs and left them tied up in the usual manner. In half an hour he visited them and found two or them, valued at £2O, quite dead, and the third was only saved with difficulty. The poor animals had been attacked by a swarm of j bees and stung to death. A resident of Invercargill who (says the Southland Times) had the other day lost a much-prized dog, paid a visit to the Fanciers' Club show. There, on taking a turn round the dog section, he was surprised and delighted to come across! his lost dog, sitting amongst the pugs and bearing a first prize ticket. Investigation showed 'that the pug had been found in the street by a boy, who entered the stray dog in the show and won ai prize of a guinea. The owner gets the dog and the prize card, the club has had the entry, and the boy gets the guinea, and all parties appeared to be satisfied.

The Druids met the East End Card, Club on Wednesday evening, the game .ending in a draw. The following are the scores:—Cribbage: W. Schultz and G. Dickman (7) v. F. Allen and O. Cooke (7); W. Knott and W. Bruce (3) v. S. Jackson and Hopkins (12); G. Blancnard and E. Lee (5) v. Jenkinson and E. Lowe (7); W. Groombridge and E. Beale (8) v. G. Rampton and G. Maine (6); totals, Druids 23, East £nd 32. Euchre: J. Harvey and W. King (4) v. W. Ellis and R. Kibby (8); L. Wells and Martin (9) v. W. Dockrill and J. Boulton (2); W. Drinkwater aad Beard (8) v. W. McKoy and R. Colson (2); D. Murphy and C. Dixon (5) v. F. Whittle and B. Allen 5; totals, Druids 26, East 17. Grand totals: Druids 49, East End 49. i

A figure in white attracted the attention of a policeman at Enmore, near Sydney, about 11.30 one Sunday night (says a recent issue of the Sydney Morning Herald). It wa9 a lady, and the constable saw that she was walking in her sleep. He had heard it was best not to disturb sleep-walkers, and quietly followed. She was in front of St. George's Hall, when a tram rattled past and she awoke. With a startled scream the lady rushed aimlessly across King street, apparently for the first time realising how hard were the wooden blocks on her bare feet. She was stayed by one of her own sex, who succeeded in quietening her. The policeman borrowed a cloak from a tramway conductor, and, wearing this, the lady was taken to her home. She lived at Marrickville, half a mile away, yet her absence had not been noticed.

The baby show which was held in the Drill Hall on Thursday was Mr. J. H. Hobbs' own special department. He fought for it, and was so persistent that the Poultry Society's Committee at last allowed him a free hand, at the same time figuratively washing their hands of the affair, and laughing quietly at the idea. He laughs best, however, who laughs last, and on this occasion the man who laughed last was the secretary. Nothing but the baby show could have brought the crowd on that miserable afternoon. The manner in which Mr. Hobbs worked the whole affair, "battling" for special prizes and canvassing for entries, was responsible for its success. He's a hard-working secretary—ready to do three men's work sooner than see anything left undone—and the Society was lucky in having him to extricate it from a very un-' savory financial position, the legacy of the shows of two or three years ago. With another year like the present, and with Mr. Hobbs' hand on the secretarial tiller, the Taranaki Poultry Society will be able to hdid its head above water once more. <