LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 144, 27 September 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

"We dk>n't know what the committee wants yet," said the chairman of the Fitzroy meeting last night. "Neither will they," replied Mr. Old, "even after they've met. That's my experience of these committees."

Mr. A. Winter, of Egmont Village, w®s veiy successful'last year with his ensilage, and yesterday morning he left' a sample of it at our office. Made wholly from grass, the ensilage is very sweet, and l Mn Winter says the cattle are so fond of it as to chase for it.

. An old man of 67 years, who was found working -in a river hed in Ida Valley, Otago, in a starving condition, after escaping from a (benevolent institution, was arrested for vagrancy. He insisted that he could make an honest living for himself. "I was always one to stand'in my own boots," he said, "and every Englishman is supposed to do the same."

W.O.T.U.—The usual monthly meeting of the Women's Christian Temperance Union will be held in tihe Baptist Church, Gill street, on Wednesday next, 28th ftt 2.30 p.m. Executive meet at 2 p.m.—Advt

The number of Maoris and half-castes attending the Government Native schools is 4121., mission schools 231, and public schools 4431

Ten -white Leghorn fowls accompanied Ladv Islington to New Zealand in order to provide the tablo delicacy right from the neat. Tlicy laid 1(10 oggis on the voyage. Tile New York World states that the cost of running tin American Government in ltti'ri—civil list, public works, army, navy, pensions, everything —was less than the expense of the navy alone this rear.

■Says a Hoipe paper: In consequence of the absence in New .Zealand of Lord Islington, the shooting over 4000 acres of the Hartham estate, Wiltshire, is to bo let. Some 350 acres of the estate are wools, and the rest is half arable and half grass. In a recent issue of the Reefton newspaper appeared the following-advertise-ment: "Applications will be received at the Council Chambers, etc., etc., from persons willing to undertake the cleaning of the county officers," Things are becoming mixed on.the coast."

The United, States Treasury is the largest holder of gold in the world, its stock reaching some £220,000,000. As recently as 1895 the United States Treasury only held gold to the value of iSince 1892 the Bank of France's holding of gold has increased fronj £60,000,000't0 £120,000,000.

A marine visitor to Moturoa on Sunday was a very fine seal, 'measuring fully sii-x feet from nose to tail.* Two young men saw him heading for the shore, and assisted him -up the sand, afterwards setting him at liberty,- in compliance with the law, > which jmakes the capturing of seals an expensive sort of sport. The Fitzroy people are exercising their mimda about the Greater New Plymouth scheme. Among other advantages that would accrue to them would be a .better street-lighting scheme. The present lamps serve merely to make tihe darkness inore Visible, and they ill compare witih; the electric lights which extend to the borough boundary.

"The interest, taken in music in the Dominion 'is (highly creditable, and tihe standard maintained is very good," remarked Mr. 0. Shilsky, the Trinity College examiner in New Zealand recently. "I have also noticed 'that there is a decided' taste for good music in this country, which spealcs well for the musical education of the pupils and generally the elevated 'taste of the community." The United States is said to be preeminent as a swine-producing nation, being credited with approximately 50,000,,000 head out of a world supply of less than 130,000y000. Germany ranks second with about 22,000,000,, European Russia to about 1T,000,000, France 7,000, -000, Austria had 5,000,000 in 1000, and Hungary 7,000,000 in 1895. No other country is credited with as many as 5,000,000. .'

The quarterly meeting of the Loyal Egmont. Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U., was 'held last evening, Bro. W. Hooker, N.G., presiding. There was a fair attendance of 1 members iajid visiting members. One candidate was initiated and two proposed for membership,, It was decided to hold another - of the- lodge's popular social evenings at an early diate. Bro. A. Mine was elected Guardian for the ensuing three months, owing to the office becoming vacant. needed badly in the North Otago districts. It is notoriously a ■dlry area (in more ways than one), 'but •this year it 'has been worse than usual. Hue average rainfall over a number ofyears is 2iin., but up to the end of August only life, fell, and August is generally a wet month. The ground .is dlry from the aibsence of moisture, anl a succession of 'high winds has made matters worse. Tihe lot of the farmer in the country afoul the White City is not a happy one just now.

'Many business men (have in the past, it is believed, ibeen in the habit of giving unstamped (receipts to their customera when the amount received has been reduced below £2 by means of a contra amount. At the Oama.ru Magistrate's Court recently a local firm was charged with having committed a breach of the Stamp Act l?y giving such a receipt. The Magistrate held that the contra, was paalt of the payment itself, and should pay stamp duty as well as the cash; therefore, in future,' business men will have to attach a penny stamp to all receipts for over £2, even though they are reduced by a contra. The self-sufficient materialism of the colonial gave Bishop Julius a theme for some pointed remarks at the Anglican Mission meeting in Wellington on Sunday. "We have done everything ourselves" was to interpretation of the average colonial "and there is not irioioh in the world we can't do if we put hand and mind.to it.. What do we want with religion and the parson, and the rest of it? ■ We get along pretty comfortably by our own individual efforts and skill." "There are men and women not thirty yeans old,'" said the Bishop of Ohristchurcdi, "wbd" will give you an answer to every religious problem under 'the sllll. They know everything, and they never read Anything!"

Vendors of iborae-flesh for food in Paris are in a state of excitement, says the correspondent of thq London Daily Telegraph. It appears that tihe demand exceeds the supply, as, although more than 200j000 horses are slaughtered every year in France, there is a cry for even more meat rhe rea3 ° n of tfhe butehensr discontent is that they consider t*he Customs tariff on ihorses imported for food as too high, there .being a uniform charge of £2, per head for these animals up to the age of three, and of £4 per head above .that age. The 'horse-flesh butchers have remonstrated with the government more -than once, without obtaining any concession, and those in Paris have been (holding a large meeting, at which the situation has been warmly discussed. They have decided on closing their establishments if one more appeal to the authorities has no effect. Thev wiMbe satisfied, as a first instalment, with a temporary concession in the mat- £ tarM

A feet which augurs well for a successm dairying season is that the steamer Turakiiia took on Friday from Auckland Sm 7902 ,boxes of bu tter. This, added to 1586 boxes comprising the Auckland shipment by the lonic for Wellington on September 8, makes 9485 boxes for the first month of the season as compared with 4075 boxes for the cor' .responding period of last year (says the New Zealand Serald). On every hand indications are favorable. Pastures are promising, herds are being generally increased, with tfhe additional advantage of greater care being exercised in the selection of proftt-bearins animals, and several new factories will contribute to the output. Further cow-testing is being taken up more vigorously, as at Cambridp, for instance, mhtere the Oowxesting Association • operates over lilOO com It is also highly gratifying to note tlhat factories throughout the provinces are generally going in for pasteujiswg, -which must enhance the value or the butter.

It is reported that the jmrantorf of the Fitzroy Bowling Club"are to b> called upon. '

We stated yesterday that Dominion Day would bo kept as a holiday by the Government oilices and banks. This was Incorrect in so far aa the .banks were ooxh corned. They kept open is usual. r

Beyond a display of bun ring, and tlie inconvenience caused by tin Mosiufl of telephone offices in Hhe country, th.»re was nothing to indicate in X?w Plymouth that yesterday was Dominion Day. Mr. Newton King held his annual spring horse fair in Egmont street yesterday, and about 150 .horses of all clones were offered 'by the auctioneers, Messrs. S. W. Shaw and R. Cottar. Prices were, on the whole, in favor of buyers.

A meeting of the committee set up in connection with the proposal to erect a monument on the beach at MoturOa to mark the landing-place of the early settlers of Taranaki was held on Saturday afternoon. The Mayor was elected chairman, Mr. W. M. Webster treasurer, and Mr. A. L. Humphries secretary. A subscription list was opened in the room and £l2 donated. A general canvass will now ibe made.

An Australian exchange reports a curious case of a steer with two hearts. The annrarl was killed at Mr. Russell's place near Mudgee, and on cutting it up 'Me two hearts were noticed. -Both oiigains were full of blood, and one was situated in front of the other. One measured sin. by 5%in., and was cream colored at the apex; • the other was la<rger, and normal in appearance. Before being killed the animal appeared healthy in every way, and it died hard.

In theory, Sir Robert Stout's idea that the country should have the most efficient teadhers is admirable, for it is to the country that we must look for results. But the Dominion must be prepared for at least double expenditure on education before such a suggestion can; ibe considered, and we doubt very much if we have yet become sufficiently progressive to sanction this Ajcreased outlay upon equipping our youto people to face life confidently. {Suthlaad Aewa. ™

A rumor is being circulated that there is no clause in. the defence rjjulations authorising the officer comm&Aing the district to place Captain Mill of the Guards, under arrest for failw to attend parades of his This is incorrect, for the regulations Aire very definite on the point. lOaptakSlills' accuse for non-attendance yaJrfor private reasons." This was uwnciont for the authorities. One officer Slave the ( written excuse that he attend* the performanpe of "Aladdin." TheSfcuae was satisfactory. The social customs of New Guinea 'are different to most countries, esmckjlv as regards dinner invitations. Mrr Schtencker, a New Guinea Missionary, sayathat wihen it is desired! to call the Natives to a feast, pieces of string/tied in knots according to the number of days to elapse before the feast commences, are sent to various villages. The guest who receives one of these strings at oiwß realises its import, and by counting tbe knots knows when he should attend! A» eaah day passes he unties one of <4w knots, ainid so keeps his calendar Tip to date.

Admirers of.Daviid livirastOM All war the world will in 1913 celebrate the centenary of (has birth. Livingstone, before he took his doctor's degree, was p etudient of tha Charing Gross Londlon, and an endeavpur is to be made to restore the hospital to its former measure of usefulness—which it las. hardly reached for . several years owing to the look of 'funds—as a memorial to him. A David Livingstone Centenary Million Shilling Fund is to be opened, with the object of reopening the wards (containing 87 beds), whi<Jh have had t* be closed.

The effects of the recent depression are shown in the tables relating to bankruptcy contained in the Year Book! for 1510. It appears that the total number of petitions in 1(909 was 471, whilst ti» amount of debts proved was £250,017, and the amount paid in dividends *H preferential claims Waa . £44,110. For the previous year the number of banJfrupitcies was 406, the amount of debts proved being £199,009, and the dividend* and preferential claims represented JM?,800. In 1007 the figures were 350 bumruptcies, £,158,663 debts, and £4&» paid in dividends and preferential On Thiuraday last, in the Afbiinrtknr Court at Wellington, Mr. Juatiw ftjk heard an application by Mr. J. C. Moateflore, of New Plymouth, for seobrHy for 'Jua costs in an action brought agunst him by Mra. Burke for compematjHF% respect of her husband's death flKfft acddan«t HillinFebrwrjaE The application was baaed 'on nHal grounds, the principal one being deceased whs «ot domiciled inXewjC land at the date of the accidents JSfcr hearing oatmeal, Mr. Justice SiflCw dered security <to be given, with Meets to increase 'the amount if evidence to, ibe taken in Victoria on commission. Mr. Shatter Weston (instructed by Messrs. Weston and Weston, New Plymouth) appeared for Mr. Montefiore, and Mr. Levi (Wdlford and Levi) for Mw. Burke. '

'The Opunake Transport Company's ehar-a-'banc for the New Flymouth-<ino-nake mail and passenger service, arrived in New Plymouth on Sunday night new motor ooaeh ia a big improvement on the cars hitherto in use, an& hue ttw * merit of having constructed sraially for the company's needs. It isone of the Arrol-Johnstone cars, canopied, nicely upholstered in red, capable oiW rying twenty passengers and of developing a speed 6f from 18 to 20 miles an (hour. With four cylinders, and. machinery to produce 28-30 horsepower,"tW <nt should succeed in the traffic for wMA it is designed. The coach was driven through to New Plymouth from WeiImgton. The journey was started on, Saturday morning at 10 o'clock, and Bulla was retohied at 7.30 .that niflht Sunday's travelling was fro® 6.30 am. to 8 p.m., when the vehicle arrived here. It _attract<>d a good ideal of attention in: a trial run in Devon street yesterday. Th w New J >lynioua * Liederkraorus art the New Plymouth Liedertafel, who. for :tihe production of the "ElijaUi" in December next, are communing with the following soloists with a view to. engaging t.h«m for the respective parts in this oratoriosMrs. Maud (Feilding), soprano; Mre. C. Robinson (Stratford), contmlto;. Messrs. Hutohins (Hawera), tenor: and' J. W. Ryan (Auckland), bass. Mr*. Kobinson, whip has assisted at the locat soraetaes' previous concerts, and Mr., Jack Ryan, formerly resident here, are both warm favorites with New Hymoutlh concert audiences. Mrs. Maui who has recently taken up her rea&feooe in Feilding, is said to be,the possessor of a fine rich soprano voice. Mr. Hutohms, of Hawera, has just returned from Home, where he has been studying un- * m ? Btere - Both- Mrs. Maud ajKj iMir. Hutchins been '"igflartfl nv soloists in ,the "Elijah," to be produoed in Feilding shortly under Mr.' Httold brother of Ur. G.