LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 97, 2 August 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. Newton King has received the following cable from Sydney re hides: "Unchanged." In the Supreme Court, on the motion of Mr. Quilliam (Govett and Quilliam)| probate of the will of the late Midhael | Casey has been granted to Sarah Casey,, the executrix named in the will. The State Guaranteed Advances Board; has provisionally approved the Taranaki Count}' Council's application for a loan | of £6440 for re-construction of bridges within the Moa riding. The cliairman of the Taranaki County Council, together with Councillors Tate.j Allanson, Anderson, and Carter will visit, the Omata and Okato ridings or the; county to-dav to enquire into variousj wi-tters. " J T!i<. Horticultural Society has derided; to lsul--l !'::• i (itu':;o ;_';'.r.U'7i ;,..•;,;:! Llih ■■•i-;'.v. ' A eumlitio:) will be; Unit W.nmts in tlii* d'-i". !nv vdi'.rii.iV i'iiz<--i ;'.*.' very Vili"V:i], must

rue South Taranaki Winter Show committee have started a skating rink, which was successfully opened on Saturday evening in the produce hall of the bug building. The enterprise of the committee deserves the fullest success. The Rev. E. Allanson, as representing the Tai.uuki County Council, will approach the Harbor Board with a view of ascertaining whether the rocks dredged up from the harbor bottom can be obtained by the council for use on the roads. The Eliot road loan has been passed by the Treasury. The Hurwoun riding account \.ill thus be relieved of a debit of sou., .ling in the neighbourhood of £IOOO . . as the debentures signed by the w.-uimaa and treasurer of the county i;....ucil has been ruturned to the Treasury. Mr. iM. J. Jones, the eouutj loienian at Tariki, reported to the council yesterday that when he and Mr. J. Frecu.-i.! were taking up a wooden culvert near Tariki on Monday last the sides ' collapsed and buried both of them up to the necks. The foreman was not much ' hurt, but Freeman was likely to be laid up for about three weeks. The usual fortnightly meeting of the ■ Loyal Egmont Lodge, 1.0.0.F.M.U., was ■ held last evening, Bro. W. -Hooker, N.G., t presiding There was an unusually large i attendance of members. One lady canddi date was initiated, and three young men ■ were proposed for membership. A letter ' of recommendation was granted to a r member who had left the district. Two I visiting members from Tasmania were I I present, and were accorded the honors b of the Order. i _

The values in horseflesh showed a marked difference at a recent sale in Hawera (says the Star). One- animal sold at £4O 19s, whilst another cnaiiged ownership at one shilling. Needless to remark the latter was purchased for dog's meat, whereas the former is ex-

pected' to prove a serviceable stud mare. At the same sale another horse sold at 7s <3d, «ne brought 15s, and four sold at £1 each. Surely these low-priced steeds were not of the type King Richard IH. had l an mind when he called for: "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse. ; '

Some -remarkable figures illustrative of the value of gum lands were given by Mr. Stallworthy in the House of Representatives the other, night. Mr. G. W. S. Patterson had, said Mr. Stallworthy, recently visited Parenga (near the 'North Gape), and calculated that on 30,000 acres there 1000 gumdiggers were making an average of £IOO a year. To earn £IOO a year from sheep, one would required 200 sheep, or 200,0110 sheep to produce what WOO gumdiggers were earning. This was an average of over six ' sheep to each of the 30,000 acres Mr. Patterson calculated. Mr. Stallworthy challenged anyone to say that land that would carry six sheep to the acre was not good land. The social evening promoted by the Loyal Egmont Lodge, 1.0.0.F.M.U., was very largely attended, and an excellent musical programme was rendered, and judging by the applause, was thoroughly appreciated. The items were: Pianoforte solo, Sister Elsie Bennett; song, Mr. I Asher; song, Sister Ainsworth; recitation, Bro. Hilderj duet, Misses Gilbert; song, Miss Eea; step dance, Bro. L. D. Mclvor, accompanied by Bro. McDonald on the bagpipes; song, Mr. Lee; duet, Misses Gilbert; song, Bro. Ainsworth; highland fling, Bro. McDonald, song, Master Gilbert; hornpipe, Bro. L. D. Mclvor; song, Miss Rea; song, Mr. Asher; recitation, Bro. Hilder; bagpipe ■selection, Bro. McDonald; pianoforte solo, Miss Lewis. Light refreshments were then handed around, and a very pleasant evening concluded with a short dance. Miss Lewis kindly played most of the accompaniments during the evening. . A marvellous escape from a fearful death occurred at Mount Buffalo (Victoria) last week. Austin Gregory, aged about twenty-three years, was spending a holiday at the Government Hospice at Buffalo. Gregory was- descending the gorge, intent on taking snapshots of the scenery, when he slipped and fell, rolling and falling. His downward progress was not stayed until he had reached nearly 1000 ft. An immediate search was made for Gregory, by 'his friends, but no traces of 'him .could be seen, and the police were communicated with. .The police at once left for the Eurobin Falls with a party of civilians, expecting to find Gregory's mangled corpse. It was then ascertained, however, that when he recovered consciousness after his sensational experience, Gregory had staggered and crawled along the foot of the gorge until he reached the house of the Buffalo care- [ taker, fearfully cut about the face and body, and with clothes in tatters. He was conveyed to a private hospital, at Bright. It is believed that, no bones are broken, and no very serious results are feared.

The Vacuum Oil Company, of Wellington, are considering the matter of establishing a store at Waitara. the idea is to obtain a site on the river bank; and not far from the railway line, so that the goods may be landed from the steamer into the store, thence railed to various parts of Taranaki. l'he company's representative yesterday interviewed Mr. .Stubbs (chairman'.of the Harbour Board) on the matter.—Exchange. A plea for the construction of the Opunake railway was made by Mr. Dive during the debate on the Financial Statement on Friday evening. Mr. Dive said the last of three trial surveys of the line had been made about two years ago, but nothing had" been done to give effect to the surv.ey. The settlers took up land some years ago on the specific understanding that the line would be put through. The settlers had submitted a scheme under which they were prepared to guarantee the interest on the money expended in constructing the line* or they were prepared to try and find the money themselves, but the Government would not allow them to do either. It seemed to him the Government were' acting a dog-in-the-manger policy.

MEN'S 25/- WELTED BOOTS FOR 8/3 LESS. The Melbourne is the only firm selling boots of established reputation at such a moderate price. We COULD have fixed the price of this boot at 25s—and found a ready market. We COULD have pocketed 8s 3d extra profit on each pair. But we didn't. That is why this boot is for the man who has 25s* to spend on his footwear—yet who is willing to save 8s 3d. You pay nothing nothing for the Melbourne reputation—nor for the Melburne knowledge and experience. Yet they mean much to you, for "Melbourne* has always been a by-word for greatest boot quality. And the price nf Hik Melbourne welted boot need-; rm mru,m<?Jit. Of co'uv-e, oilier hooi.i n\:i\, he m good :is tl'e M.-'.lvuir.i" ! s. r.ii'r.' i'.icir; prices are <,?r, of proportion to their valne— pvic!) out of propmiiou :n i.'u-y are over ICk rd. You owe if to vonr,;^f

In tlio event of the Recreation) Grounds Board deciding to arrange some function in aid of the funds, Uie co-oper-| ation of the Eccreation Sports Ground committee will be sought, and the pro ijoeds divided. In order to beautify tliu surroundings of the Federal capital site, tlio Commonwealth Minister of Home Affairs proposes to plant forests at suitable points on the vast plain which stretches out for milea square in this uninviting re-j gion. For a start 1,000,000 trees are to be planted, and the idea of the Minister' is to give a practical demonstration of' the value of afforestation. I The sheep wliich founded the Austra-j Han merino flocks (the finest wool sheepi the world has seen) came orignally from; the Royal flocks of iSpain. The original New Zealand sheep were merinos from ; Australia. It is curious, therefore (re- ; marks the Manawatu Times), to learn that Mr. George E. Allen, of "Tipua," Cinreville, received an order for four stud! r.omney sheep to be despatched to a I farmer in the south of Spain. The sheep will consist of two rams and Jwo ewes.j The sale was the result of a photograph: and samples of wool sent to Spain some months ago. Local Government Board statistics • show that at the end of April, ft of lan estimated population of 3.".. .'('Q [ there were 789,008 paupers in re■■■ pi u: relief in England and Wales. Thi> <m\ of the highest figures on recor,,, .; ,:n; ; been exceeded only in April of l; two preceding years and in the fon ;.:ir> ' from 1870. Indoor paupers iivo■.lured ' 275,571, and outdoor paupers ,'.::] 137, ' giving a ratio per 1000 inhabitants of 7.7 1 in the first case and 14.4 for outdoor paupers. In London the paupers numbered

121,749, a ratio of 25.2 per 1000 inhabit ants, andl though this ratio has many times been exceeded since 1870, the total has been larger only in 1870, 1871, 19U8 and 1909. The greater number of the paupers were in receipt of indoor relief, this class totalling 79,291. ' i

The other day we remarked on the tendency of members of local bodies to keep up a running conversation from their'seats insteads of rising to address the chairman at their meetings. The county councillors were roaming along yesterday in the same old way when they were brought upstanding by the

chairman, who requested members to rise

when they had anything to say. He was sure it would lead to less talking and more progress. "You sit there," he said, '"and chip, chip, chip, and we don't get on very fast." The memlbera took the hint, and business proceeded on more regiular lines. If the chairman would now go one further, and ask members to say .what they have to say in one speech, instead of .speaking half a dozen times on the one subject, the members would get away much earlier, and tho business would be even better conducted. The Eev. Allanson, councillor for the Omata riding of the county, condemned the system of transacting the Council's business yesterday. The Council was discussing a foreman's requisition for metal supplies, and was unable to grant anything like the amount asked for. Cr. Allanson complained that the Council was acting entirely in the dark. No one seemed to know what was required. The Council's affairs, and the expenditure of •its money, were being controlled by a number of laboring men, and he thought that there was no other local body of similar importance that was without some supervisor of its affairs. The chairman said that the foreman knew "as well as any engineer in two boots" what was needed. The foreman asked for GOO yds of metal. He could not get it, and no engineer could give it to him. Cr. Carter suggested that the matter had better be approached by notice of motion. . Some observations on the great commercial progress of Canada uaaa made by Mr. W. A. Beddoe, Trade Commissioner, to an Auckland Herald representative the other day. He said that Canada's policy of immigration was j increasing its population by about 250,-1 000 a year, in addition to the large natu-1 Tal increase of a population that already 1 totalled eight millions. The policy oi. land settlement under which settleTsJ were given 160 acres of land for nothiij.rf ■with a further similar area at a nomjjm! ; 'j purchase rate, if desired, was increasing' the number of settlers at the rate dfj [about 260,000 a year.' "In addition, to; the 12,000,000 acres already under ciilti*' vation, we have some 200 million acres of proved agricultural land, and a futtjlrtr area of 150 million acres susceptible: of cultivation and already partly explored, to say nothing of the vast unexplored country in the north-west territory.', The commercial potentialities of a coun-| try with such natural resources, ho remarked, could scarcely be' measured in figures or words. ! j 'lt seems a pity (says the LonJon Morning Leader) that Lord Kitchener himself should not have thought it worth his while to explain why he has so suddenly resigned the post which he accepted a year ago. Mr. Haldane's answer 1 in

the House of Commons leaves this poifat equally dark. Yet it is surely of some importance. There are two possible explanations of what has occurred. The Government may have themselves desired Lord Kitchener's services for some other post. In that case—which does' not seem very probable—a great deal of unnecessary fuss and mystery is being , made about the'matter which is certainly/' not worth while.. The only other explanation that we can see is that Lord Kitchener's own estimation of his ser-' vices has expanded to such a point that • they threaten to be wasted for lack of V sphere large enough for their employ-1 ment. This would be deplorable, and not the less so in view of the use which the' Opposition evidently intend to make of it. The debate in the Lords showed this clearly enough, and for Lord Kitchener's own sake it is very regrettable. WheiV ther he will prove a more effective stick with which' to beat the Ministry tharf, say, Lord Charles Beresford, may be doubted. The pity is that good lfign should lend themselves to sueh uses.' The wife of a young Timaru..ibenedjct ( is likely to remember the first .story poured into her ears by ner'fosK&tiikViMl appears, says the local Post, that the swain, in order to hasten his union with his beloved, announced his wealth at a fictitious figure. •■• .The- rhmi'mgHimm»-& ranged, but the swain .was Jiot happy.. Sooner or later {hetyiftl&volTOflm^ltipi .eome out. The swain planned Ukrffn. •indofh'i What more, heHHiw WnlHr? >§ould sound more fitting than a tale of ,a daring burglary on the eve of his wedSo^'o^iaaa* the postponement of the wedding, tears, . a generous father-in-law, reconciliation, ami happiness ever after, swallowingjip ( the-'dreadfttl'secret! Thus" <it iyi hour one bleak morning a few days ago 1 ' a local dteteetive was called upon to in-i : vestigato the alleged tkeft of £165 from' Ihe room nf the pominj? hviilp'.irrmm. The "•ilcut-h-hound of the l;i\v." lui\>- t >v»*r. ;it. OM.e h:nl hi < <iii.?|<!i-:oli ■: !;;'::: : "line i'e' ".Mil Avhn .\v,.m i)]\i:i]h; i,',n '-. ; ; rlirvi> i')■■.!■■ lie hr ' been robin',!, f>n \m ? h .>.; tlevt he lui-l 'lost no it(iiii".v; licit he '