LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 162, 18 October 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Messrs. <T. Sole, A. Goldwater, 11. li. Yaughan ;i.al the Rev. and Mrs. Kemptliorne were amongst the passengers per s.s. Rannva last night for Auckland. Tliere were eight members of the Taranaki Guards on parade last night, and the lieutenants comprised 2~t per cent, of these. The llilles mustered about 40 strong. Part of the earth required for the filling at the Powderham street culvert will probably be taken from Fulford street, along the base of Marsland Hill. This will bring about the lowering of this section of the street by about six feet. People still continue to march straight up and down the face of Marsland Hill, totally disregarding the new and easj paths, and preferring to walk through the soft clay, 'which soon, tills their boots. But any discomfort will be suffered by some rather than stick to the authorised road.

Ten teams of High School boys, each of five members, will compete in a relay race from Waitara to New Plymouth on Thursday next. The race will start at 3.15 from Waitara. Each bov will run his mile and hand' over the fiag he carries to a member of his team. Messrs. Ryder and Lints have the preparations in hand, and, as may be believed, the boys are keen. So are the men. The leaders of the five teams are Clarke, Xorris, Little. Grant and Lusk.

'•Men and women the world over," said Mr. 11 0. Warnes at the opening of the Petone Tennis Club recently, "betray the sport they follow. You win tell slioofeists b\- the unmistakeable squint of their left eye; cricketers by the crescent-like curve "of one leg; bowlers by the elevated position of their left shoulder; footballers by their premature stoop and slightly extended hands; and tennis players by the somewhat limp appearance of an arm—right or left as the case may be."

A young man named McLoughlin, who lives" with Mr. J. J. Elwin, received a nasty fall from his bicycle on Sunday near Bell Block. The forks of his machine snapped, and he fell so heavily to the roaxl that he was rendered unconscious, and when he proceeded to walk off with his bicycle he was still dazed. In this condition he was picked up and brought into town, and attended to by Dr. Fookes. It is probable that he will carry the marks of facial disfigurement for life.

Weddell and Co., in their circular dated September 2, say:—The Unilea States Board of Agriculture in its crop report published on August 12 state that the* area under hay this .year is 739,000 acres less than 1908, and the condition of the hay crop, taking the number 100 to represent the average, was this year only 83, against 87 last year and 92 the year before. This steady decline has caused a rise in the price, which for 1908 was 9.79 dollars per ton, then rose to 10.50 last year, and is now 11.71. Butter has risen, too, and for the three years on August 1 was 22 cents, 27 cents, and 28 cents, respectively, while cheese was 11V2 cents, 14y 2 cents and 14% cents in the corresponding years.

A question having been raised as to where the Veterans' decoration should be worn, Captain Black, secretary of the local Veterans' Association, wrote to the general secretary on the matter, and received the following reply:—"With regard to wearing the Veterans' medal, all military decorations should be worn on the left breast. This decoration is granted only because service has been proved, and allowing members of the Association to wear it shows that they are members and veterans of the Empire who took part in guarding and extending the prestige and glory of our native land, Great Britain." He adds that the head of the Veterans' Association was the late King Edward himself, and that His Excellency the Governor is president.

At the present time Mr. Roosevelt is touring in the West—in circus style—with convoys of reporters and brass bands to lead his carriage in all the Western towns. There is a great deal of sincere enthusiasm shown in welcoming him. for you must not for a single instant (writes an American correspondent) under-estimate the strength of the man or his popularitv with the common people—so called. There are many millions of folk who believe in his absolute "honesty of purpose and of deed. They cling to him with almost idolatrous affection, and it is on these quick swinging trips through the heart of this great -nation that they have full opportunity to give dramatic expression of that affection. (So far Cheyenne and Denver, and a little string of Kansas towns have vied with one another in the enthusiasm of their reception. The West swears by ■Mr. Roosevelt, there is little doubt of that. A scene that would have gladdened the heart of a native of the Home Land was witnessed on Wednesday morning by Mr. Hoskin and some other farmers on the Te Namu road. Mr. Hoskin's dairy ■herd was visibly agitated, and on the owner making a scrutiny he beheld a deer coming from Mr. McHardy's paddock into his own place, taking the fences beautifully without any exertion, never attempting to go through any obstruction, but leaping them with the ease and mood characteristic of these graceful animals. After hopping over the pig pen, and making an inquisitive inspection, it retired to shelter in the plot of native bush. The stock did not like to make an acquaintance, and kept a wide berth. The deer was a young buck, and seemed to have travelled a good distance, judging by the way it was covered with mud splash. Where it came from is hard to say, as we have not heard of any deer having been seen in the forest reserve.—Opunake Times.

An Englishman with means—a retired officer of the Imperial Army—went to Canterbury some time ago looking for land, in order tliat he might settle down there to a quiet country life, with a good library, a few congenial friends, and nothing to do but to superintend operations on his station. After inspecting a number of properties, he confessed that he was delighted with the land, the climate, and the prospects, but 'he said that he was surprised at the free-and-easy relations which existed between masters and men, and which seemed to him, with his English training and his Old World ideas, to be incongruous beyond measure. When he was going over one property, he said to the owner, who had been addressed familiarly by his Christian name bv one of his employees, "Why do you allow your men to speak to you like that? WewoulJ not stand it for a moment in England." "Why," the New Zealander said, in surprise, "that's the best man I have on the station. I would stand anything rather than lose him." The visitor confessed his complete inability to understand that practical view of the position. He left Canterbury without buying any land, and has now leased an estate of about iftoo acres in one of the counties of England.

♦ Sometimes the error that "creeps in" does not do any harm. The error Vtc made in setting down "Dorothy" for tonight indueed fifty people to at once book seats at Collier's. There seems to be no reason to doubt that ''Dorothy" will be hugely successful. A North Otago farmer recently had an exeitintr experience. One of his employees. having lost his mental balance, passed the sentence of death on his employer, and set out with a loaded gun to carry out his murderous intention. Fortunately, the nladman was unable to find his intended victim, so he then took a buggy and drove ofi'. The police were speedily communicated with, fjnd soon tracked dosvn and arrested the madman. Me was pronounced insane, and sent to Sea el iff Asvlum.

■Bishop Averill seems destined to meet with adventures on the iYairoa road. On the occasion of his first visit and his journey to (iisborne overland, he niet a waggon in difficulties and assisted in tiding it over its troubles. On Wednesday while returning to Xapier from Wairoa. the road was barred bv a large, tree which had been blown down, and his Lorship and the coachman had to lift the coach over before the journey could lie resumed. Literally a case of putting his shoulder to the. wheel.

A few days ago an attempt was made by Mr. Yeitcli, of Christchurch. to break a world's record in weight-lifting. The feat, which was performed by an athlete named Romulus in London eighteen year* ago, was as follows: —A barbell weighings ll)!)lbs. raised clean to the shoulders and theii pressed twenty-two times in succession overhead. Mr. Veitch, who weighs only !)st. ISlbs., succeeded in raising the weight twenty-three times. A thoroughly representative gathering of citizens was present at the attempt.

A contributor to the Thames Advertiser says ho frequently comes across some startling statements in Home papers regarding "savage" New Zealand. In some instances the Maori is pictured as a "bewhiskered individual, half pirate, half digger, with red shirt, revolver and lassoo." Listen to this from the pen of one of tlie staff of the British Australasion, apropos of an anti-suffrage meeting at Home: "C was extremely edified to hear that the woman's vote has been a terrible failure in New Zealand, as the Maori women were allowed to sit in Parliament now and their innate savage instincts always come out in a discussion and ended in a free fight!" It is enough to make the ghosts get up and wail! remarks the Bulletin. When the Elingamite was wrecked there was a well-remembered tragedy on a raft. Now a Sydney man who bought that raft has found tins of stores—biscuits, raisins and rum—carefully planted in a hollow.. The goods remained quite sound, though: years have gone since the wreck. And. it was on that raft that men starved todeath, and a stewardess lost her reasom through privation and hunger and drowned herself ! "An impossible story," was Mr. Wetherilt's comment on reading of. the reported discovery. Mr. Wetherilt, says the Auskland Star, is one of the survivors of the Elingamite's raft, and' as he is also Government Inspector of' ships at Auckland," he is in a position to* speak authoritatively on the matter. 'T would stake my life on it," continued Mr. Wetherilt, tnat there were 110 iprovisions of any kind whatsoever on the raft. The practice of provisioning rafts did not' come about until after the Elingamitewreck, which was the direct cause of the precaution being enforced by legislation, and it is only fair to state tlu* Xew Zealand Government was the first to move in the matter. 'Moreover, tk« El infinite's raft was one of an antiquated type even then, when the~V<)visioning of rafts was not thought of." The census of the British Empire takes place next year (writes a London correspondent) and a large staff of officials is already busily employed at the Census Office, Millbank. The extra measures to be taken next year rcsfer to the Crown colonies, and not to the selfgoverning colonies, though all the returns

are eventually forwarded to Millbank for the preparation of a (Blue Book. It has been the practice to conduct an Empire census for some decades past, but ten years ago several of the Crown colonies sent in no returns. British New Guinea, and some of the Pacific Islands, failed to make returns, and it will also be understood that the taking of a census in the West African Crown colonies is very difficult. It is hoped this time, however, that the census will be more thoroughly carried out in the smaller colonies, and with this aim in view the Colonial Office is interesting itself in the matter. New Zealand will be glad to learn that the English officials entertain very high opinions on the census operations in the Dominion. In the method of conducting a census New Zealand has nothing to learn. A eoordinate census of the Empire is impossible, owing to the varying conditions whoeh exist in the different countries. .

The Kaiparoro correspondent of the Wairarapa Age writes:—"As illustrating the hardships undergone by the man who takes up a section of bush land in New Zealand, I may mention the case of two youths 01 eighteen years of age, sons of well-known settlors in this district. One was the fortunate (?) drawer of a bush section in the neighborhood of Ohakune, and he and 'his chum have put in several months felling bush on the said section. The distance of their camp from so-called civilisation was twenty-fiv.e miles—the road a bush track, which had to be traversed on foot, and there was no lerass land to graze a horse at the journey's end. The owner of the section got up one morning and proceeded: to light the camp fire, and his companion,, after waiting some time for his re-appear-ance, went in search of him. He found him, evidently in a faint, lying with one foot in the fire, his boot nearly burnt on, and his foot badly burned. He did all that lay in his power to alleviaffe his companon's sufferings, and then, as there was 110 "medical cheat" in camp be set out for the nearest township to procure aid. He returned from his fifty-mile tramp the next day, with the necessary appliances, and then a few lonely weeks were spent by the invalid and his nurse, waiting for the patient to sufficiently recover to be able to return to civilisation. At last a pack-horse was secured and the young pioneers joyfully turned their faces towards home. Their spirits are, however, undaunted, and they have quite made up their minds to spend next winter in the lonely bush. MEN'S TAILORED SUITS. A VERY SiMART SHOWING.

You always expect something new and different at the Melbourne, and you are never disappointed. Therefore it is not surprising that our showing of men's summer tailored suits is as complete now as if it were late in December. This is characteristic of this store's preparedness. We are showing at 49s 6d to 65s the handsomest assortment of tailormade suits at those prices in Taranafci There is no doubt about this: our supremacy is unquestioned. The variety is infinite. Swagger suits that are made to fit and are the equal of custom-made fire* guinea suits. The fabrics are fine worsteds, coatings and chack vicunas in a variety of colorings beautifully blended snd in good teste. , _ _ ___