LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 254, 6 March 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

! The application for a contribution towards sending a team of cyclists and athletes to the Festival of Empire has been declined by Cabinet.

The trustees of tjie late Mr. G. (1. Stead and Mr. W. G. Stead liave sold the bal- 1 ance of the Ivereni property, Hawke's Bay, namely, 0000 acres freehold and 5000 acres leasehold, and stock and plant to Mr. It. M. Turnbull, Unnlmrn and Wanaka stations, Otago. Maori hoys are being attracted by the scout movement. A letter has beon received by Mr. H. Stabbing, of Auckland, from the master of a native school at' Rawhiti, Bay of Islands, stating that lie is forming a patrol amongst the Ma®ri boys, and it is also possible that a troop of girl scouts will be formed. In his report to the Government on typhoid amongst the Maoris, Dr. Wi Repa, M.8., condemns in (Strong terms the existence and practice of "white; quacks," and also of tohungaism amongst' the natives. "The most that medical men and sanitary science can do," he adds, "is to indicate them as a menace to the Maori public health."

A correspondent signing himself "A much-travelled New Zealander" writes drawing attention to the inconspicuous nature of the postal boxes at the local post office. He says he had to walk right round the building before lie was able to find the aperture, lie concludes: "Posting a letter at this office at nighttime'. presents to a stranger a Chinese puzzje."

Lord Warwick told a story regarding himsblf at a prize distribution at Strat-ford-on-Avon recently. Alluding to the accidents of birth, he said that some years ago, when he was connected with the Warwickshire Yeomanry, and drilling his men on the common, a man in very poor circumstances and indifferent health came up and said: "Good morning, colonel; I know you very well, my lord." The peer answered that he did not remember the man, whereupon the latter rejoined, "My lord, I am the baby that you were vaccinated from." "So that," added the earl, "perhaps the blood of one of the poorest of my fellow-citizens is coursing through my veins at the present moment."

Cabinet decided on Friday not to take the census of the Dominion together' with electoral registration. As the outcome of a full inquiry, it was found that an attempt to take both together would mean delay in obtaining the census returns. It is important that they should be completed by April 2. Greater expedition in obtaining both would be secured by keeping them separate. In regard to agricultural statistics, separate forms are to be furnished. The electoral register cannot, be completed until the boundaries of the various electoral districts have been fixed, and that is dependent upon the completion of the census returns upon which the Representation Commissioners' report is compiled. A sensation was caused at New York on Christmas Eve, when two Customs officers visited the residtyice of Mrs. Havenmeyer, widow of the "sugar king," and seized a magnificent Strad violin, valued at £BOOO, which, it is alleged, was smuggled into the United States by the lady's husband many years ago. She declared that the instrument had been in her possession for many years, and she presumed that duty was paid on it according to the scale then in force. On the advice of" her lawyer, she pleaded the Statute of Limitations, but it was of no avail, and the Customs officials marched off with the treasure. A similar experience befel Boris Hambourg in New York. He took his 'cello without declaring at the Customs. Officials sought him in his hotel, and took possession of the instrument, which was released when he. entered into bonds amounting to £4OOO. '

Mr. T. E. Taylor, says the Auckland Star, has already declared that ha intends to throw in his lot wholly or partially with the Labor party in New Zealand politics, his Toasons being, to use his own words, that he hopes more from the new and active force of Labor than from the "palsied hands of the other two parties. A Star representative met him in Auckland on Wednesday morning, and asked him to discuss politics and his own positioji in the party struggles of the future, but Mr. Taylor had nothing to say. "I don't want to say anything on the subject—not for publication, at any rate," he said. " I have no authority to speak for the party, and f am not sure that I should be wise to speak on my own account. There are so many, sectional strifes and jarring interests just now. The little differences are all slowly working themselves out, and the party is becoming slowly united into the nucleus of a powerful organisation. I hope the internal troubles will all be settled, and I prefer to refrain from saying anything which may disturb the peaca afresh."

The matter of land settlement came up for discussion at a recent meeting of the Hastings branch of the Xew Zealand Farmers' Union, Jt was stated that there was undoubtedly a demand for land in the district, and one speaker emphasised that land settlement was not progressing as fast as ho could wish in Hawkers Bay. Mr. Lane, the gentleman referred to, said lie was not one who would like to see the largo landholders penalised in'any way, nor did he believe in setting the small farmer against the large farmer, or class against class, but they must think out some scheme for settlement, as the land was there and there was a demand for it. He did not altogether believe in the Land Finance Association scheme, but it had passed into law, and he thought a little pressure should be made to bring its provisions into force. One of the amendments passed last session was that Finance Commisioners be appointed, and as these officials should be available, he suggested that the branch communicate with the Department urging them to complete t'lie list. Under present conditions it was not possible to form a land association, and he instanced the fact that he had 50 or (10 men's names, but they were holding back because they did not know if 7 the Land Purchase Board would approve. Pressure should be brought to bear on the Government to complete the provisions of the Act. It was decided to communicate with the Dominion president asking him to interview the secretary of the. Parliamentary Executive, with a view to urging Sir Joseph Ward and the Minister for Lands to carry out the provisions of the Act. YOD SHOULD BEAR IN MIND

That ay using we uommercial eucalyptus Oil, which is now bought up at 6d 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 you—irritation of kidneys, intestinal tract ami 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 manufacture. Remember: SANDER'S EXTRACT °mbodies tbo result of 60 years' experience and of special study, and it does what is promised; it cures and heals without injuring the constitution, as the oils on the market frequently do. Therefore, protect yourself br rejecting other brands.

Some consternation was caused recently among Southland dairymen when it was reported that 250 cases of cheese had been cortdemned by the Government grader. It appeared later, however, that the cases ' were made of green wood, which caused mould to develop, and the cheese liad to lie dried and re-cased.

! The plucky action of Kate Byrne, a girl sixteen years of age, averted a tragedy ;it the Normal School picnic, j down the Otago Harbor, last week. A ' lad named George .Ylackay was bathing near the picnic ground, and got beyond his depth and sank. Kate iiyrne, coming down from her mother's house, saw the incident, and, fully dressed, swam out, bringing in the unconscious boy, who .■was restored to life after forty minutes' work at resuscitation. The deed is to ;be brought under the notice of the ( Humane Society.

Every visitor to Japan who takes the trouble to enquire concerning agricultural methods in vogue in that country agrees that the most wonderful feature appears to be the smallness of the farm 3 and the inteasenes3' of the cultivation. Three-fourths of the total number of Japanese farmers cultivate holdings not exceeumg 2'/ 2 acres each, while tlrose who cultivate more than 7 l / 2 acres do not exceed three per cent. This unique state of affairs is doubtlessly attributable to the large population and the limited area of the Ir.nd available for their requirements. ■

Mr. James Dnnlop, Scottish Agricultural Commissioner, conversing with a Poverty Hay Herald reporter about his visit to Taranaki, said he found a good deal of dairying going ,on in Taranaki, but it was only eonWencing, and was capable of great improvement. The Riverdale cheese factory was the largest of the kind he had ever seen. Mr. Dunlop described the Moumabaki State Experimental station as an uncommonly wellmanaged farm. The advantages to be derived from cleanliness of weeds was demonstrated very clearly, and as much feed wa9 grown on an acre as the ordinary farmer cotdd grow on five acres. It was a splendidly managed place. The story that a "real live lord" lives in "North Canterbury still lacks definite corroboration (says a Christchurcli correspondent). It is to the effect that a Kaiapoi farmer has come into a title and an estate. He has been the object of a search conducted from London for the past thirty-five years, it is stated, and in the meantime the estate has been in Chancery. The title is a Scotch one, dating back many centuries. A reporter who made enquiries on the subject found that the farmer mentioned was away in the Xorth Island, but the man's wife said that rumor for once had spoken quite truly. Her husband had some records bearing on the maxter, she stated, and was certainlv a lord.

A long sitting of Cabinet was held on Friday night. The following were arrived at:—To subsidise local authorities & £ up to £250 upon amounts expended for coronation celebrations; to offer a bonus of £12,000 for an improved method of treating New Zealand hemp; to send a New Zealand rifle team to Bislcy next year; to remove the headquarters of Wellington military district to Palmerston North; to appoint Messrs. Re?d, M.P., Ronayne, W. Evans, J. Coombe, and* StalWorthy, M.P., a Royal Commission to decide the' future route of the North Auckland railway; to appoint Messrs. Reid (Inspector of Mines), Cochrane, Grace, Dixon, Fulton, and Betts a local commission to inquire into and report upon the sanitation and ventilation of coal mines; that electoral rolls be printed by local printers, instead of by the Government Printing Office, on a scale of prices approved by the Master Printers' Association.