LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 168, 25 October 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Says James Douglas in London Opinion: "J look forward to the day when an empty larder Mill he brought within the reach of every rich man and when hunger will no longer be beyond the means of the millionaire." Xew York financiers predict the bitterest struggle that has taken place for rears when the oil interests of Texas headed by Mn John Gates, begin operations against the Standard Oil Company. Ihe Texan syndicate has established 33 stations in the East, and it will short!v open a distributing station at Brooklyn where lower-priced oil is sold. * ' Already a few strawberries are comin* to hand from across the harbor, says the Auckland Herald, bringing wholesa e prices of ,1 S to l s 4d pe°r lib box and rehul pnees of Is Od to ls 8d per lib box. There have not been many, but it is a beginning, and the beginning come* about three weeks earlier than it did last year. Most Americans have heard of Xew f v 'u'.l more Pai ' tie "' :u ' l ' v s ' nce the ro>al welcome received by the American fleet while in Xew Zealand; but one man the other day showed how little he knew when he said (says Mr. r.'eomc \ : o| ;: ii, » k «- »*« * »»«■% i,„t as you H t0 a do not I ~t )l( »ame as the natives" t; Y<> " Fn'li ? "'I 3 /, " tHe ~e° l )le tllcl ' e spenlc i/ 1 the natives are taiHit "it in the State schools; thev also have ni tive colleges, doctors, lawyers, etc., sunply milk to dairy factories, and do "oneral work." ''Well, T glless you h a better class of natives than we Imve" said the man from the States.

Gardeners are anxiously looking for a goocl downpour of rain. Amongst the list of applications lodged for patents appears that of Mr. W. -Burgess, of Hawera, for a new earmark. All protectionists agree that free-trade is ruining Britain. How Britain is racing to ruin is shown by the fact that she has a sum of £2,500.000,000 invested abroad. The agonising stupidity of the British race is a theme lor scorn the world over. Intending exhibitors in butter factory classes at the Taranaki Agricultural Society's show are reminded that entries close to-day. Mr. J. B. Mason, of Wellington, who has been visiting Britain, mentioned to a Post reporter "that many folk in England, who '• would not touch frozen meat," were in reality in the habit of eating Canterbury mutton under the impression that it had been grown on English downs. The English flesher is aparently not fond of giving a helping word.

A rather remarkable sight "sas notice-1 able at the Breakwater yesterday while the men were engaged iu blasting some of the rocks which have been located alongside the wharf. The sea was very choppy, and after each explosion a thick coating of oil appeared on the surface of the water, calming it to a remarkable extent, the sea outside the area affected being very rough while the oilcovered water was almost like glass. To ascertain definitely if the cost of living has increased, or whether it is merely that there is greater love for luxury, the Labor Department has sent out books to various trades unions, to be handed to members, ,who are asked to keep accounts. One union has returned the books saying it will not undertake the task. As the information is confidential, and the books need not be signed, the humiliation to trades unionists does not seem to be overwhelming. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Egrnont Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U., was held last evening, Bro. W. Hooker, N.G., presiding. There was a good attendance of Three candidates were initiated. A, committee consisting of the lodge officers, P.G. C'. A. Matheson and the sisters of the lodge were appointed to confer with the Excelsior Lodge and make necessary arrangements to celebrate the centenary of the Order. The auditors' report and balance-sheet for the quarter ending September 28 were read and adopted.

At a Taranaki debating society the other evening the subject under discussion was: "Is co-operation a failure?" A 10-year-old boy got on his legs, ana made the following speech, which, for neatness and to the* point, will be'hard to beat: "Co-operation cannot be a failure because co-operation is unity, and unity is strength." The University of New Zealand examinations for degrees, senior and Tinline scholarships, honors in arts, law and science, certificates of proficiency, and admission to the legal profession will be commenced in St. Andrew's Schoolroom, Rev. S. S. Osborne actinj, as # supervisor, on November 7. There are eleven candidates locally, nine foi law and two for arts.

Dredging operations at the harbor have been placed under the control oi Mr. Henderson, superintendent of works, as from the 10th inst. The Paritutu wil< be kept at work steadily on the inshore dredging, except when blasting has to be resorted to, and will dredge out the deep water berth towards the outer end of the wharf in the intervals. The Thomas King will be kept at work for some time removing drift sand from inside the breakwater. The gross proceeds from the New Plymouth Fire Brigade's recent ball in the Theatre Royal amounted to £B4 8s 3d. The expenses totalled £l9 (is Od, leaving a net balance of £O3 Is (Id. This is a record return for these functions, and the brigade, rightly considering that much of the success of the ball was due to the hard work done by Mrs. Dockrill and her committee ladies, are very grateful to them for their .willing services. The town clerk (Mr. Bellringer) is in receipt of the following letter from the Fire Board, being the report of Superintendent Bellringer on the condition ol Whiteley Church: "I have inspected the means of egress from the .Whiteley Church, and found the stairs are far from satisfactory. The angles are extremely dangerous, and the "unfortunate position will be that it will cost a considerable sum to bring them to anything like a state of safety. The exit doors to Liardet street should be all made to open outwards. When this is completed and no obstructions are allowed in the aisles the risk will be considerably reduced."

The burning question of a Greater New Plymouth was considered by the Fitzrov Town Board last night. It will be seen from our report,'wliich appears on the eighth page, that an animated discussion preceded the deliberation of the question by the Board in committee. This part of the proceedings was even more interesting from a personal point of view that the prologue. The resolution objecting to the merging of the Board into Greater New Plymouth was dealt with in committee and a copy handed to the press. When, however, the meeting had been declared closed bv the chairman, it was discovered that the resolution had not been put in open meeting, and at least one member refused to return to the room and resume. Chagrin does not express the looks of some of the members of the "opposition."

Mr. G. H. Herbert, late county engineer for Patea, whose services were dispensed with at the last meeting of the Council, in a letter to the local Press, says: '"This is only the third month ii#| this enviable position, so verilv the Council has_ earned a reputation' for beina swift, if not reasonable or intelligent. Tn their generosity tliev «ave me an office but not table or chair. Tam an engineer, but am expected to he a surfaceman, and it was suggested that I should carry n shovd round with me to attend to any little 10b that might turn up. One thin? f'ey forgot. and that was that I should cany round with me a road grader and scoop.

At the annual meeting of the Tapperton Dairy Co. on Friday evening Mr. W. Crowe, chairman of directors, "who had leturned only a day or two previously from the Old Country, was greeted with a round of applause as he entered the meeting. During the evening he gave some interesting information '""concerning his travels and the handling of the conv pan\ s lmtter in Enirlaml. He had called on Mr. Collett, head of the firm of Colctt and Co.. which handled the butter r - a ' Kl learned from that gentlemnlitf f!u "' aS , de]i S h ted with the qua lit} of the produce. Mr. Crowe expressed the great pleasure he felt at H"' 1 " 1 ;-'; ° n !"l "*"™. that the company fir®, again consigne to that —