LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 267, 1 April 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Stratford School Committee has decided to build a glass-house as an aid. to the study of plant life. It is expected to cost between £GO and £7O. A resident of Springston South, about I 18 miles from v...iistclmrch, has just threshed a 10-aere paddock of partridge peas which returned 83 bushels per acre. A rarity in the way of a white kiwi was killed in the Okoke district last week. It was forwarded to Mr. Smith, curator of Pukekura Park, who is having the unique specimen stuffed.

At the W.C.T.U. function ou Thure-I day evening, a vote of thanks was] passed to Mrs. Hislop, who journeyed from Dunedin especially to train the performers who took part in the grand Spectacular display. The Hon. T. Mackenzie expressed the opinion yesterday that he would like to see some of the wilder kind of deer recently imported by the Government liberated on Mt. Egmont. He thought they would thrive excellently there. The Hon. T. Mackenzie was very much impressed with his visit to Mt. Egmont. So much so, in fact, that he cxpressea regret at his inability to spare a week from his official dutie o . so as to become more familiar with the beauties of the mountain.

It is stated that a southern retail butcher has offered a Hawke's Bay grower 32s per 1001b for beef for delivery in July. This works out at practically 4d per 11), so the price to the consumer would be about !)d and 8d per lb for choice cuts.

A leading medical paper, the Hospital, denounces the cold bath in which the ice has first to be broken. It is affirmed that it serves no useful purpose, and when its use is not followed by an immediate reaction it is positively dangerous, and a moderately tepid bath on a winter's morning is far more beneficial and wholesome.

At the veterans' re-union on Thursday evening, it was the intention of Mr. 0. Oxenhain (a member of the committee) to propose a vote of thanks to those who had so liberally contributed refreshments, also to Messrs. Collier and Co. for the loan of piano, and Mr. J. C. Morey for operating thereon, but the matter was overlooked.

The attention of the public is directed to a special district order by Colonel E. W. C. Chaytor, O.C. the Wellington military district. The advertisement indicates the boundaries of Wellington, Hawke's Bay and Taranaki for the purposes of the territorial scheme, and gives the names of the officers in charge of each group to simplify enlistment of men. Another district order is in reference to exemptions from military service.

"Stratford" writes: ''l am sorry those in charge of the arrangements for the re-union of the old colonials and the ceremony in connection with the unveiling of the obelisk did not arrange for a special train from the country, for in Stratford alone there was quite* a large number who would have been very glad to participate. My purpose in writing is to suggest that on next Anniversary Bay suitable train arrangements for us country people to go into town should be made."

A correspondent who sought the reason why Wellington's labor journal had not commented on the settlement in the Patea dispute, is answered thus in the last issue of the Weekly Herald: "What would our correspondent have us do? Snivel at our own folly m submitting to arbitration, or howl at an arbitrator in whom we have had even confidence? We must confess to some disappointment at the result, but there does not seem to be any warrant for making a parade of our chagrin. In the query at the foot of 3lr. O'Dea's letter, the whole position is s\numed up in a sentence: If we believe that we can obtain better results by a strike than by arbitration, then by ail means let us strike. But so soon as we submit to arbitration, then let us accent the result as it is given." In conversation with a Palmerston Standard representative, in reference to the dairy factory workers dispute, Air J. Robertson, secretary of the Taranaki Dairy Factory Employees' Union, stated that the reason the Union was remaining unregistered under the Act was that three years ago the union was working under much better conditions than at present. The award then in force was the outcome of an agreement between the union and the employers, and on the expiry of that award, the union, which was not in a very strong position, again asked the employers for .a conference, but on this occasion they found tliav they had to fight the Employers' Federation, and the result was that thev had to accept the award then in force in the Wellington district, which is the award they are at present working under. A new award had been granted to the Wellington district, but the attempts to get any improvement of conditions through the Arbitration Court had been so unsatisfactory that the Taranaki men had decided not to go there with their grievances. They are in the hope that by retaining the power to strike (which is punishable to men under the Arbitration Court), if need be, thev will be enabled to secure better terms from their employers. Negotiations have been proceeding for some time with a view to arranging a mutual conference at Stratford between the parties, which the union has asked for. The matter is at present being considered by the employers.

Might l'ev. 'Moiisignor Fowler, a distinguished American"ecclesiastic, will occupy the pulpit in St. Joseph's Church on Sunday evening at Vespers. Wellington and Chrislchurch papers place the '.Vronsignor in the foremost rank of living pulpit orators.—Advt.

The banks in New Plymouth were closed yesterday in . observance of thu anniversary of the province. Te delegates who have been attending the W.C.T.U. conference returned homt yesterday, the southern contingent by the mail train and the northern by the steamer.

Sheep farming is fust becoming a very important factor in the progress of the country to the eastward ox Stratford towards Whangamomuna (says the Stratford Post), and some t'me sheep may be seen on many properties alongside the road.

In responding to the toast of "Par liament" at the veterans' reunion on Thursday night, the Hon. T. Mackenzie remarked that the present Parliament was well up to the average. The members got abused considerably—perhaps they deserved some of it. Their admirers, he thought, piled the praise on too much; whilst those who did not admire them did likewise with the abuse. The true position, he thought, lay half-way between.

An amusing little incident occurred after the unveiling of the obelisk at Moturoa on Thursday. The Rev. F. G. Evans handed a sixpence bearing the date 1841 (the year of the arrival of the first ships at Xew Plymouth) to the Mayor to be handed to the elder of the two ladies who had performed the unveiling ceremony. The old ladies had a little discussion and it transpired that one was about six years older than the other, and Mr. Tisch handed her the sixpence, which the recipient seemed to highly prize. A member of the Legislature came near being obliterated by oil at No. 3 bore on Thursday afternoon. After the gas had been turned on, there was a tremendous explosive sort of noise, and everybody not in the know rushed for a safe spot. The legislator aforementioned got behind a building. After the gas came the oil, and this began running down the corrugated iron roof of tlie shed under which the legislator stood. The legislator looked up, spied the danger, and rushed for a safer spot. Next moment streams of oil began to fail on the spot he had just vacated.

A meeting of creditors in the estate of Thomas Higginson, of Lowgarth, was held at Stratford on Thursday. The amount owing to unsecured creditors was shown as £l5B Is 3d. The only secured creditor was Mr. Newton King, whose claim as £287 12s, the estimated value of the security being £33, , The balance of the claim over the security added to the total of unsecured debt's leaves a deficiency of £387 13s 9d. Bankrupt said his wife had a farm at Lowgarth, and he lived with her. She had been left money by her father some time ago, and had started a' farm irt a small way, It was decided to adjourn the meeting till April 12th, to enable bankrupt's statement to be obtained.

To-morrow night every householder in the British Dominions has the onerous duty of filling in the census paper, which has, or should have, been left at his or her residence ere this. It is a duty which only has to be performed every five years, which naturally does not tend to render it any less difficult. The numerous columns of the schedule, and the entering of the necessary information in each form, presents an intricate problem for many, and the fear of spoiling the only sheet allowed to each householder, who as a rule would like

anything up to half a dozen to practise on, often brings about the very calamity desired to be averted. It is estimated that the work of collecting and tabulating the information gained will occupy the time of a very large staff for about three months. Mr. It. S. Fitzhcrbcrt, S.M., was many years ago captain of the Petone Navals, a corps with a record of notable achievements. He also represented the Hutt constituency from 1884 to 1890. He occupied the vice-chair at the veterans' smoke concert on Thursday night, and, in the course of a very interesting speech, told how his father, Sir William l-'itzherbert, had chartered a small boat

of about 27 tons, collected a cargo ill England, and sailed for New Zealand, arriving in 1841. The speaker did not say so, but this incident showed the grit that characterised our early settlers. Sir William Fitzherbert was a notable man among that talented, far-seeing, re-

sourceful and wise body of -men that kid the foundations of the Dominion, a man whose memory will always me associated with courage, integrity, and power. Too much time was taken up with speeches at the veterans' re-union the other evening, and those present got very little chance of hearing any in teresting items of old times from the old chaps themselves. In fact, the onl\ veteran who had an opportunity to lire off any reminiscences was Private Andrews. Referring to the feelings of the emigrants when they arrived here, he instanced the case of a lady who was sitting 011 the beach with a baby. The Maoris surrounded her, and felt the

baby all over. Naturally she was scared, and did not feel altogether re-assured when some settlers who had arrived a few months sooner told her the natives were only curious, never having seen a white colored baby before. The place, too, was infested with rats, which, he said, were nearly as troublesome as the Maoris. One evening, a settler went to sleep with a bread poultice on his foot. When he woke up in the morning, the poultice was gone. The toe- fortunately, was left. As a baby, they had also tried to make a meal of him; but his lusty squealing aroused his mother, who rescued him, but not before they hail eaten sufficient to leave a considerable scar, lie told an amusing story of a couple who went to bed in a'whiire that they had thatched with fern (when suitable material was available), and who, in the middle of the night, had to put up an umbrella to ward off the rain. Some of the hardships they had to put up with in those early (lavs' were evidenced by the fact that on one occasion when the stores had run out, owiiv to the protracted delay of the sailin" ship bringing fresh supplies, they had to go out into the potato field's anil «ig up potatoes they had set for the. next, season's crop. His stories were accompanied by nods and grunts of ap. proval from many of the others present in whom they revived memories of the long ago.

YOU SHOULD BEAR IN MIND Hint by iHinjr the Commercial Eucalyptus Oil. which is now bought up at fid per 1) weurht and bottle, and, on account of the large profits, pushed, you are cxpiMinff yourself to all the 'dangers to which the use of turpentine will' expose voii-irnlation of kidneys, intestinal tract and nuieous membranes. Ry insisting on Hie GEXUTXE S\\DER EUCALYPTI EXTRACT you not onlv avoid these pitfalls, but you have a stimulating safe and effective medicament, the result of a special and careful manufacture. 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 without injuniicr the constitution, as the oils on the market frequently do. Therefore protect yourself bv rejecting other brands. For Chronic Chest Complain*, Woods' (ireat Peppermint Curt, I/O. 2/0.

A number of Chinamen were arrested recently in connection with a gambling den at Oardilf dock*. The total fines amounted to CAW. Over CDS!) und over a hundred Height of lottery tickets were found on the premises. The two prilltipals were each lined £IOO, and the others from £lO up to £SO.

Tlie liftieth anniversary ( ,f Southland was celebrated on Friday of last week. It was Mr. James AYilso'n. m Xew Plymouth, who was engaged liy Mr. Maeandrew, their superintendent, of Otago. to carry down to Invereargill and Riverton the despatches declaring Southland a province r a journey which Mr. Wilson declares he will never forget. Mr. J. ,T. Boyd the other evening forwarded it letter to the Wanganui' Borough Council offering to sell the Aramoho Zoo for £IO,OOO, saying that if the opportunity were not taken he would remove the animals to Auckland. The sum mentioned appeared to settle councillors' minds at once, and it was resolved to inform Mr. Boyd that the Council had no intention of making the purchase.

In lighter vein than the usual items was a paragraph written by a "lame gentleman," in the "agony" column of tlie London Times recently, expressing his thanks to an unknown iady who had given him her seat in a train. A kindness from a woman, he remarked, was "rare in this age of suffragettes." Three days later the lady replied. %She appreciated the thanks, hut confessed that she herself was an ardent worker in the cause of women's sull'rage.