LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 204, 7 December 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sum. of £2OO has been allowed to Mr. Michael Quirke, of Pahiatua, as a compassionate allowance for t lie loss of his son, who was shot while in the search for Powelka.

Richard Arnst, the world's champion sculler, is evidently in hick's nay. We understand he has received mi offer to go to America for 40 weeks at CIOO per week. Arnst left for Sydney last Friday to conclude negotiations. With regard to the Premier'-; remark that Mr. Allen had handed a coj-v of the pamphlet attacking him to on*' of his supporters, Dr. Te Rangihiroa explained in the House that he was the number, and it had been handed to him nn the Dunedin train. They had both condemned it, and he was sure that Mr. Allen had not attempted to prejudice hi* mind or the mind of anyone else. He believed that Mr. Allen had not read ii. nr he would not have offered the insuli of handing it over. It is anticipated (reports i!te Otago Daily Times) that the scheme -.i<>'>v being carried out by the Governmeni for the irrigation of the Steward seltW-ment, North Otago, will be completed iilwit the middle of January. The scheme, which comprises a main canal and distributaries of a total length of 70 Diih-s, with the Wait&ki river as the source of supply, will serve to irrigate, about "22,000 acres. It is understood that the Otago Land Board will shortly take steps to have a Water Board set up to control the distribution of the water and main--1 tetin the races, etc.

>Rev. J. Dawson humorously stated last night that probably since the age limit under the Licensing Act has been raised, young men will not continue shaving, but will cultivate a beard, so as to appear fully 21 years of age, and thus have the right to their "glass."

Gillies and Nalder held their Hawera monthly horse fair on Saturday, when eighty-live horses were entered. Draughts commanded £3O 10s, £27 and £18; milk-carters fetched from £l4 10s to £l6, while hacks and harness horses changed ownership at from £8 to £ 12. In the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. H. S. Fitzherbert, ;S.M., judgment for plaintiff by default was given in each of the following civil cases:—S. B. White and Sons (Mr. Nicholson) v. George Self, claim £1 12s lid, costs IDs; Dr. A. E. Walker (Mr. C. H. Weston) v. L. Eraser (of Hawera), £4 lis Gd, (10s); Walter Little (Mr. Johnstone) v. Joseph Fernandy, also known as Joseph Haughton, £lO 9s fid, (£1 10s 6d).

Mr. J. D. Rockefeller gave a bonus of £200,000 to a scientific commission with the object of discovering a cure for the bookworm microbe which is supposed to breed laziness, a common trait in the southern States of America. Widespread amazement (and we should say amusement also) has been caused by the announcement of the Commission that the best remedy is an application of kerosene oil, in which commodity Mr. Rockefeller has amassed such a huge fortune. The entries for the New Plymouth Horticultural Society's show, to be held to-morrow, closed last night. The entries are large, particularly in cut blooms and the decorative classes, which are, of course, the centre of attraction as a rule. The season having been very favorable to the cultivation of flowers, some good blooms should be staged. The vegetable classes are stronger than last year's, and the entry then was, we believe, a record. The potatoes are a very strong class". Cookery entries are good. Altogether a show of unusual excellence is assured.

A Maori with an unenviable thirst repaired to the rear of one of the locai grocer's shops a few days ago, presumably with the intention of getting a drink of water (reports the Hastings Standard). Seeing something in a bottle, looking more tempting than Adam's ale, the native made hold of his prize, and had just placed the bottle to his mouth, when one of the employees of the establishment, who happened to be in the vicinity, noticed that it contained water-glass egg preserver. Without word or warning, he knocked the bottle from the Native's hands, otherwise the results might have been disastrous. In 1902 the population of Greater London was 6,705,770. In 1009 the figures were 7,429,740. This year the estimate is 7,537,196. The annual income of London's charitable agencies is £12,375,616. Marriage statistics show that the London bachelor marries five years earlier than the bachelors <{f Berlin or Paris. The best marrying age for the London girl is twenty-one. More than 6,000 additional tenements have been provided for the working classes during the past twelve months. In a year 32,000 London children are now taught to swim, while more than 7,000,000 free meals are provided for hungry little ones. The Londbtt Fire Brigade have an average of 000 fivecalls a month. The 'gross amount insured against fire in London during 1908 was £1,072,640,212.

We know what the Dutch do from their comparatively poor pastures. We know what the Belgian and French farmers accomplish. This week we had,in Pahnerston a gentleman who'became a warm apostle of intense culture, and he saw a wonderful future before New Zealand through studies made in France, and we were able to show him a couple of acres in Palmerston from which practically one pair of hands—at any rate, one man and his wife—have taken £750 since taking it up 19 months ago, and are now taking at the rate of £SOO a year, and expect to increase it to £750, and even £IOOO per annum. All this by the effect of brains and deep tillage —three feet over all the area and eight over a portion of it. The products are poultry, fruit and vegetables.—Mana,watu Times.

History tells us that "Nero fiddled While Rome was burning," and Invercargill can claim a citizen who calmly went on bowling while his house was inflames (says the Southland News). The firebell sounded an alarm on Wednesday afternoon during the match between North End and Te Rangi, but this did not disturb the even tenor of the game. Soon a call on the telephone notified one of the players that a dwelling lie owned, and which is let to a tenant, was on fir*. His equanimity was undisturbed. "Sorry I can't come right away, but the fact •is we're playing bowls, and I must finish the game." Having done which, he proceeded to the scene of the fire, and was relieved to And that a "good sa,ve" had been effected in his absence, the damage not exceeding £6O. As an illustration of the "grip" bowls possesses, the incident could not easily be surpassed.

Financiers in London and Berlin are said to be talking seriously over the position of Portugal as a debtor. The little kingdom (which was so quickly transformed into a republic) owes something like £180,000,000, chiefly in the two capitals named. The anxiety of the bondholders therefore is natural. Hitherto Portuguese securities have been a somewhat doubtful investment; but there is no reason why under a business-like Government the new Republic should not set its house in order and allay the anxieties of its creditors. The opinion has been expressed that (as a man in difficulties sells off his horses and carriages) Portugal should dispose of its colonies. The revenue from these possessions seems to be insignificant and the cost of administration considerable, so that there is a certain amount of common-sense in the ritjtcestion. Her island possessions off the West Coast of Africa are of little value; her Indian possessions in the Bombay Presidency of India, on what is known as the Malabar Coast, has some possibilities, and probably Timor Island, in the Malay Peninsula, has still more. There is Macao, near Hongkong, too. of some importance. But unless the Republic can see its way to forthwith increase its profits from these, and especially from its slices of territory in East Africa, Portugal would be well advised to sell. The British and German Governments would probably take over all her possessions at a satisfactory figure. Indeed, all things considered, England would be pretty sure to acquire the bulk of the oversea possessions of Portugal. YOU SHOULD BEAR IN MIND

That by using the Commercial Eucalyptus Oil, which is now bought up at*<sd per lb. weight and bottle, and, on account of the large profits, pushed, you are exposing yourself' to all the dangers to which the use of turpentine will expose irritation of kidneys, intestinal tract and mucous membranes. By insisting on the GENUINE SANDER EUCALYPTI EXTRACT you not only avoid these pitfalls, but you have a stimulating, safe and effective medicament, the result of a special and careful manufaeture.

Remember: SANDER'S EXTRACT embodies the result of 50 years' experience and of special study, and it does what is promised; it cures and heals witiout injuring the constitution, as the oils, on the market frequently do. Therefore, protect yourself by rejecting brands. . ' .;. ;>' \ :j V'

A telegram in thi&issue states, that hotels must close on»Tß6xing Day- '"ss& this affect the licensed hoofh at the T.J.C. races? The secretary of the Garrison Sand wishes to acknowledge receipt of a donation of £1 from Mr. W. Ambury towards the contest fund. The outgoing English mail (via Naples), despatched from Wellington on October 28, arrived in London on the afternoon of the 3rd hist.

The Kansas City Chief of Police has issued a rather drastic order'as follows: "Arrest on view any person throwing paper or other rubbisli on the streets or in vacant lots; any person excavating without a permit; any person tacking' or sticking cards or posters on sidewalks, fences, poles, or in other public places; any person scattering handbills or circulars on sidewalks, porches, yards or private premises or distributing them to passersby; all tean> sters who allow dirt or rubbish to fall from their waggons. Patrolmen are afsjt instructed to notify owners or agentß of vacant property on their beats that weeds must be cut at once and all rubbish removed; to notify owners of abutting property where earth has washed down on to the street or sidewalk to remove the same immediately; cause the immediate removal of manure piles which may be in the alleys." The men at work salving the battleship Montagu, which was wrecked on Lundy Island four years ago, have discovered a Spanish vessel which went down off Lundy in a gale 50 years since. This means a considerable haul for the workmen, as they own, the Cornish Salvage Company which bought the Montagu. They recovered a quantity of anchors, and heavy iron chains from the Spanish wreck, and then shattered the hull with guncotton. There is touch valuable material in the wreck, and the divers will be busy for months with the vessel, which is entirely submerged. The salvage of the battleship has proved a profitable business for the salvors. The salvage men have been taking the sunken giant up piecemeal ever since they bought her for £4OOO. During the first year they cleared about £IO,OOO profit, and 10,000 to 15,000 tons of the sunken ship still lie under the waves. "Thirty-six years ago," said Professor Bickerton in an interview in London, "after having been offered several professorships 1 accepted one in New Zealand, for which I have been everlastingly grateful. The climate is superb, and the view of everything is from a distance, and therefore, you can take a calm look at scientific subjects, both physical and social." Speaking of his old students, Professor Bickerton said how much pleasure it gave him to see that many of them were successful professors in different parts of the world. "Perhaps my most brilliant student was Professor Rutherford, the Nobel scholar, of Radium notability. At the time when he" was honors student in my. laboratory, making his now celebrated researches, he helped me Avith.many of the problems of the theory. He has also written letters to the Board of Governors emphasising the fact that the theory is a valuable contribution to science, and, in his opinion, the only way of explaining the complex phenomenon that"occura at "the birth of «fenew star."