LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 235, 9 February 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Writes our coastal correspondent:— We are suffering from rather a long season of drought, which has not only reduced the milk supply to a serious degree, but has at the same time brought down the butter-fat very considerably. Busll fires are the rule, and smoke is thick and disagreeable. In consequence of the prevalence of typhoid throughout the Gicborne district, especially in several native settlements, the lion. Jas. Carroll (Native Minister) communicated with the UnderSecretary (Mr. Fisher) at Wellington suggesting that he should endeavour to arrange for the appointment of a Cook County sanitary inspector, to act in terms of the Native Councils Act in connection with the inspection and supervision of such matters. He also suggested that a medical officer o| the Department should be sent to investigate the cause of the outbreak.

The Taranaki Guards go into camp at Tc Ilenui for a week, tents to be pitched on Saturday. Lieutenant Boon will be in command. Messrs. Hardwick and Danks' tender of £998 has been accepted for the erection of the Catholic Presbytery at Inglewood. The highest tender was foi £1321.

The Durham School picnic will be held at the breakwater to-morrow, and on the .same day the Bell Block children will journey to the Ngaere Gardens for their annual outing. The revenue of the Patea Harbor Board last year was £3679 (1009, £3420); expenditure, £2313 (1909, £2504). The exports were valued an £577,806 (1909, £500,588).

The Japanese 'Antarctic exploration vessel Kainanmaru, under Lieutenant Shirase, which left Tokio on November 29, arrived at Wellington yesterday afternoon.

The southerly gale that Has been raging with more or less force during the past five days is having a serious effect on the pasturage in Taranaki, particularly at this end. From all parts news comes of a rapid diminution in the milk supplied at the creameries and factories, whilst to make matters worse, fires have broken out in some of the bush parts and are causing anxiety to settlers. Unless the wind drops soon and rain falls, the outlook for dairymen will be none toV) cheerful.

There was a large attendance at th« first day of the Egmont Racing Club's summer meeting yesterday and speculation was brisk. The sum of £IO,BBI was put through the totalisator, compared to £6860 on the first day of last year. Such an increase is interesting, but not altogether unique, as at all the meetings held throughout the Dominion since the passing of the bookmaker a similar state of affairs has been experienced. A full report of the gathering appears on page 7. The Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister for Marine) stated the other day that tenders had been received by the Government from Great Britain for the lease of the Campbell, Auckland, Antipodes and Bounty Islands for sealing purposes. The islands were advertised for lease a year ago, but the tenders were unsatisfactory, and protection was maintained for another twelve months. Since then a very satisfactory tender had been received from Great Britain, and another was on the way out These will be dealt with on his return to Wellington.

"Wanted a motor cycle cheap, or would exchange cottage property."—This advertisement culled from the Bath Herald, England, will give the New Zealander some idea of the value of house property in some of the provincial towns of the Old Country. Another advertisement from the same paper reads: "For sale, house, ten rooms, near Belgrave Crescent. All conveniences, large garden, freehold. Accept £350 or offer." Ridiculous as these advertisements may seem in this country of high property values, there arc many similar advertisements to be found—and Bath is a city with a population of over 60,000. All the dairy factories and creameries that are such a feature of the Taranaki landscape have till quite recently been built of wood, and in many cases have been but make-shifts. The early settlers had not a great faith in the future of the industry, and consequently would not go to any expense that was not absolutely necessary; hence the condition of their buildings. Now, a change has come over the scene, and the industry is "established"; and with it a desire on the part of dairy factory directors to erect more substantial ami permanent buildings. Concrete is the material most favored. Kaupokonui is the latest concern to decide on concrete. The building which the directors contemplate erecting is to be worthy of a company doing the second largest business in the Dominion, and is to be started soon, day labor being employed.

"That fifty years will sec Canada the centre of the Empire was the view expressed by Mr. John R. Dougall, the eminent Free Trade journalist and proprietor of the Montreal Daily Witness." says the Westminster Gazette. "Canada," said Mr. Dougall, "is every day revealing new natural wealth. Not only can the prairies give us supplies of wheat yet unbounded, but Northern Alberta is, I am told, enormously supplied with coal. So that our prairies bid fair to rival in opulence that astonishment of the whole earth, the prairie land drained by the Mississippi and its tributaries, which is easily capable of supporting the whole population of Europe. Britain, with her scattered interests and risks, can never be in search of strife with any Power, and the consolidation of the strength of the English-speaking people would be a step towards the general compact which must soon -ollow. As the centre of such a fellowship Canada would be truly great, as well as (what does not always go with greatness) peaceful and happy." A peculiar case of temporary loss of memory was related in the Magistrate's Court at Lower llutt on Monday. In answer to a charge of having used obscene language a solicitor pleaded on behalf of his client that the accused's mind was an absolute blank as to what had taken place on the occasion in question. He would, however, enter a plea of guilty. The defendant was a respectable and conscientious man, but was unfortunately subject to epileptic seizures, which had the effect of leaving his mind for some time after their occurrence in a confused and unsettled state. References as to the man's character were produced, while a certificate was handed in by a medical man confirming what had been stated in regard to the defendant's liability to epileptic fits and consequent loss of memory. In dismissing the case, Dr. McArthur, S.M., remarked that evidently the defendant was not responsible for his actions on the occasion of the alleged offence. The Court, he added, sympathised with him. '

It is not necessary not go outside Taranaki for instances.of the pernicious effects of the "Deadwood Dick" type of reading. A youth in one of the Taranaki country districts who is addicted tf. reading every book of this nature that he can beg, borrow, or obtain by anv means, on Sunday night left the parental roof. He wa.s not seen until yesterday morning, when his father observed him sneaking about the neighborhood with a pea-rifle in his hands. On seeing his father, the lad ran away and concealed himself under n heap of timber. His retreat was discovered bv two neighbors, and he was compelled to come out, hue he left his rifle behind. His captors unearthed it, and found that it was loaded. He also had with him a supply of cartridges, a knife, and other paraphernalia, whilst the pockets of his overcoat were bulging out with his favorite reading matter. He volunteered the information that he had slept under hedges, etc., in the day time and had prowled about fishing, etc., at nighttime. His commissariat had been commandeered from carrot and turnip patches. He was taken to a settler's house, provided with food, bedding, etc.. and locked in a room securely, as it was thought. Some time Inter it was discovered that he had utilised the window as a means of escape and once again disappeared. It is stated that this is not by any means his first escapade.

The immunity of the Waihi mine is hard to realist'. There are over eighty miles of workings underground—long enough to reach from Wellington to Longburn-and there are something like 2000 workmen on the company's books.

The Taranaki Itilles camp at the Waiwakaiho will be o])en for inspection this afternoon. The 1 titles will be glad to welcome their friends, and afternoon tea will be provided. A 'bus will run to and from the range during the afternoon. A Dunedin financier .speaks optimistically of the .soundness of the southern city. He says there is any amount of money available for investment. The plentitude of spare cash is considered to be solid proof of the soundness 01 the community. The season at Reeiton for dairying has been exceptionally good. Dairying country is being taken up everywhere possible, and farming interests, hitherto much neglected, are fast rising into notice. One dairy factory lias more than doubled its output this year over that of last, and settlers are greatly encouraged. The Dunnevirki' Advocate states that a prospector who has been working in the Nelson and Motueka districts for a Danuevirko resident, has found some line gold-bearing reefs on Mount Arthur. Assays made by the Government Assayer from quartz taken at random on the reefs go -from £"> to £0 to the ton, while selected samples assay as high as £•24 to the ton.

The foolishness of the people of Auckland in allowing their tramways to slip into the hands of a private syndicate was the subject of caustic criticism by Mr T. E. Taylor, M.P.," at his meeting at Christchurch on Wednesday evening. The amount of profit taken Out of Auckland yearly by that one private enterprise is about £40,000. "I think I would create," he said, '' a series of publiclyowned luxuries that would make the people stare." It is claimed that the finger-print system is so scientifically perfect that 099 cases out of every thousand are absolutely trustworthy. But theie is no rule that does not admit of an exception, and one turned up in a London police court on December 21. A man was charged with attempting to commit a felony. The police proved, by means of their infallible system, that the prisoner had been sentenced to three months' "hard" for a previous sentence, yet he was able to show beyond the shadow of doubt that on the date alleged he was on service with his regiment I Of course, he was discharged.

In its description of the visit to the working of the Waihi mine by Lord Islington and the visiting engineers from Australia to Auckland the Auckland Star says: Just as we were about to once more negotiate the breakneck ladder we were .stopped by another party coming up, and the head of his Excellency appeared in the narrow opening. One might have been pardoned had one not recognised him, for his disguise was most complete. With slouch hat, ancient clothes, and collar turned up, he looked like the villain trying to escape in the fourth act of Bland Holt's plays, and Captain Maitland, who is usually most neat, was wearing an equally "fetching" costume, the feature being a doubtful pair of unmentionables with frayed ends, and a tricky little dungaree coat, cut a la Eton jacket. His Excellency must be in good form—they say he plays an excellent game of cricket—for he came up out of the pass though to the manner born. As one of the miners put it, "He shinned up good 0 !" The Minister of Agriculture and Messrs. Dunlop and Keith (Scottish Commissioners) with other visitors, were entertained at a smoke social by the Feilding A. and P. Association on Tuesday night. Previously the distinguished visitors were taken in motors through the district by the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Dunlop was greatly struck with the prosperity of the district and the appearance of tne stock. They visited Mr. Ernest Short's stud farm, where Mr. Dunlop inspected the draughts, Herefords, and Romneys. At the social the Minister congratulated the associa- J tion on the successful show, and gave special mention to the fat lamb exhibits, which were the best ever got together.' On general matters he defended the policy of the Government in borrowing and tlie expenditure of borrowed money. He claimed that the Dominion had never been more prosperous than at present. The outlook for wool was excellent, and for meat most encouraging. Mr. Dunlop, in a telling speech, referred to the Dominion as one of the best places in the world for a young man to come to. He congratulated the district on its splendid stock. Mr. King, of the firm of Mitchell and King, of Sydney (formerly of Wellington), has returned after a few weeks' absence on the other side to wind up his business affairs in the city. In the course of conversation with a Dominion representative, Mr. King stated that the building trade was most certainly very busy in Sydney. Sydney was undergoing the process of oeing rebuilt, and big buildings were supplanting small ones in every direction. There would be a lot more building to be done immediately in connection with the widening of Oxford street. Many of the old buildings on the side to be altered are already down, and these will have to be replaced on the new alignment as soon as possible. ''The trouble," said Mr. King, "is to get men. There is plenty of building, but not enough men—no skilled tradesman could go to Sydney at the present time without being snapped up. Mnsons are particularly scarce, owi.ig to the number of buildings that are being bunt in Sydney sandstone. When it is to stop I could not say, but this year is likely to be every bit as busy as last. Not only is the shortage of tradesmen acute in Sydney —is the same all over Australia—Queensland, Xew South Wales, Victoria and South Australia—so you can guess they are enjoying pretty good times ovor there."

TAILORED SUITS AT 40/6 TO 05/AT THE MELBOURNE.

No store in any town in Taranaki ever showed at one time such a collection as now graces our clothing section. The entire display is bewildering—nearly 200 suits are here to charm you, and at each price we offer you more than your money's worth in style and quality. There never was a season so indulgent to color and combinations of color, so rich in numberless shades and tints, so wonderfully lavish in new and exquisite materials, so helpful and suggestive in the development of a suit for the modern man of taste and discernment. The prices (the lowest we have ever quoted) are made possible because of our heavy buying and direct importations. The qualities are guaranteed. The goods come from the most famous mills in the world. Further introduction is unnccessary. The appearance of the suits talks forcibly for us. If you're a prospective suit buyer don't let anything prevent you from seeing the Melbourne's remarkably fine collection—Advt. A RELIABLE REMEDY. Rexona ,is a reliable remedy for all eruptions and irritations of the skin, eczema, pimples, sores, chilblains, chapped hands, sciatica, itching or bleeding piles, cuts, burns, bruises, scalds, bad legs, stins-s of insects, and nil kinds of inflammation. Rexona is sold only in triangular po' at Is fld and 3s. Obtainable at Bullock ;•■•" Johnston's.