LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 151, 5 October 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A recent visitor to the Moumahaki State Farm states that 1400 chicken? have been hatched out there this seam. The gunboat Lapwing, which cost £46,000 twenty years ago, and which has had a lengthy term of service in East Indian waters, has been paid off at Bombay, and is ordered to be placed on the sale list there, not being considered worth the cost of sending Ibacfc to England. "I hope you don't put your big potatoes all at the top of the sack to deceive customers," a parson is reported to have said to a farmer among his flock. "No indeed," was the reply; "folk are getting' so suspicious and cunning that they now open the sack at the bottom, so I put the best Bamples there." Mr. Robert McNab'a exclusion from Parliament is generally supposed to have resulted from a wave of misunderstanding oyer;the dairying regulations, and it would be eminently fitting that the man declined by iMataura should receive reparation at the hands of such an extensive dairying community as Palmers-ton INorth.—lnvercargill News. On Saturday a special general meeting, of shareholders of the Eltham Dairy Company confirmed the resolution which was passed at a shareholders meeting, on September 10 recommending the directors to take steps in conjunction, with other companies to plact the pig industry on a better footing. The Eltham Dairy Company is now making 115 boxes of butter daily, as againsi 100 boxes at the same date last year. A sitting, of the Magistrate's Court was held yesterday. Mr. H. S. Fitzherbert, 5.M., ; presided. Judgment for plaintiff by default was given in eaoh of the following cases.—Hal Goodacre (Mr. D. Hutchen) v. Frank Whaler, claim £lO 3s 5d (costs £.l 10s 6d); David Charteris (Mr. C. H. Weston) v. M. C. Lawson,-£47 10s (£4 14s 6d). Charles Weston, commission agent and land speculator (Mr. Grey) sued David Charteris, land agent (Mr. C. H. Weston), for £lO, amount due on a promissory note. The claim was admitted, but defendant counter-claimed for £l9 Is 9d, balance of commission alleged to be due. Judgment was given for plaintiff on the claim, and defendant was non-suited on the counter-claim. Costs against defendant amounted to £3 lis.

At the meeting of the FranMey Road School Committee, held on Monday night, the following resolution was passed: "That this meeting disapproves of the uncalled for remarks (reported in last Wednesday's News) as .to the shel-ter-shed accommodation at the Frankley Road School, seeing that the children now have three times more shelter than they had a year ago, and in. view of the fact that this accommodation has been no expense to the Education Board, and has cost the committee and residents over £100." The Committee are of the opinion that the pupils at Frankley Road are as well, if not better, provided for than at any other school in the Taranaki district. At the same meeting, very complimentary and appreciative remarks were made about the good workmanship and the many conveniences of the new school building. There were not many citizens present at the meeting convened by Mr. G. Tisch (president of the Garrison Band) to appoint .a committee to assist the Band. Mr. Tisch expressed disappointment at the meagre attendance, particularly considering the fact that the Band was always so willing and ready to assist at all functions, both for charity and otherwise. The Band was composed of young working men, who devoted two or three nighte a week to practice, and it was no£ fair to ask them to spent their time collecting funds. This was where a citizens' committee would be useful. Moreover, the Band required four or five good instrumentalists to complete it, and good men were available if employment could be found for them. He suggested that concerts might be held at Pukekura Park, the Board and Band dividing the proceeds, and also at the East End. The secretary stated that it cost £l6O last year to Tun the band. There were practically io engagements in New Plymouth beyond the icaces. From the discussion that ensued it was evident that the Band is in a precarious position at present, aaid unless the public support it better will probably have to disband. Various ways and means were discussed, and ultimately the meeting was adjourned for a fortnight, when it is hoped that thew? will he much more interest shown

A Masterton bankrupt is paying 20s in the £, which makes two who have performed this feat during the last few months. Another is paying IBs id in the £.' Breeding stations for .horses, and clothing, boot and saddle factories are to be established by the Federal Government in connection with the Commonwealth defence scheme. Recently two Wellington boys, who were employed by ;. well-known shipping firm, weie reported as missing in Sydney. Word has come to hand that one of them, at least, is safe and well, he having communicated with his parents, stat'ng that he was employed on a large sneep station in New South Wales. A Wellington correspondent says that the recommendations of the Police Commission that an increase of pay should be granted to the members of the Police Force has not y.?t been fully considered by the Government. An all-round increase of pay to the Police would involve a material addition to the annual cost of the force. The question will be dealt with as early as possible. A farmer in the Timaru district the other day missed from its usual place in the tooLhouse a piece of railway iron some fifteen pounds in weight, which he used as an anvil. A little later he happened to be passing through the orchard where his new farm hand, an immigrant, fr.om London, was drawing water from a well. The anvil was in the bucket—to make it sink! So said the new chum. The new building to be erected in Dunedm for the Methodist Central Mission will be of novel design, and the first of its kind in the Dominion. The auditorium is to be in the shape of an octagon, capable of seating 1600 per aons. The preacher or speaker will be placed about 30ft. from the wall, and having the people all around him will be able to make himself heard with ease. The policy of the Hawke's Bay County Council in procuring motor cycles for their overseers appears to have been a good one (says the local Herald). The overseers, one of whom has already done some 809 miles on his cycle without the slightest trouble, express themselves as more than satisfied with their new mode of travelling. They state that they can get over the ground quicker and easier than before, and consequently attend to more work. Mr, G. W. Hormann, of Makarewa ('Southland), laid out one bag of po-'j-mr d grain on about five acres of land on a recent afternoon 4, and at 5.30 lW dead sparrows were found, and on the following morning another 50 were dead. Several other farmers in the same district are meeting wtyh similar success. The story of an elopement and its tragic termination was published by the 'Madrid papers on iSaptemlber 27. The central figure in the affair was Professor Movedo, of the Capucine College, who was pursued by the uncle of the young lady with whom he was clearing away, and, being overtaken, committed' suicide rather than face the consequence of his ill-considered act.