LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 274, 10 April 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Insects in the Opunake district have been very troublesome of late. The local paper states that wet weather is wanted to drown the insects, fleas particularly. ; Faulkner, the South African cricketer, after inspecting the Bamawin irregation settlement, expressed his intention of returning to Victoria and settling at Bamawin. The llorowhenua County Council has decided that it would take no action in the election of harbor board members, as a protest against the new, cumbersome and expensive system of election. The Hawera Star states that Mr. M. J. Goodson's estate of 000 acres, situate near the Ilawera dairy factory on the Glover road, will shortly be subdivided and placed on the market in suitable Iris. Plans for the proposed new Gisborne hospital, submitted by the architects, Messrs. Atkins and Bacon, have been approved. It is anticipated that the total cost of the buildings, grounds, furnishings, etc., will be close on £OO,OOO. That land on the Waimate Plains, South Taranaki, is not receding in price is shown by the fact that three sections at Inaha were recently sold at £OO an acre. The sections comprised one of 18 acres, one of 50 acres, and the other of 80 acres. How old is Pelorus Jack? According to an account given by Kepa Henri Whiro, of Pelorus Sound, he is credited with 275 years. He has been escorting steamers near the French Pass for over twenty years, but he lias probably been known to the pakehas for half a century. A pair of fantails found their way into St. Mary's Church yesterday morning, flitted about the building, and whistled to the accompaniment of the organ and choir, apparently quite contented. They also whistled and chirped during the sermon, and, needless to say, all attention was not riveted on the preacher. Referring to the recent lire, the Opunake Times says Mr. Henty, who has an insurance of £BOO on the stock, considers his loss will be close on £7OO above the insurance. The owner of the premises (Mrs. Pettigrew) will be a heavy loser if £4OO is all the insurance held. The Loan and Mercantile is also a loser. Thomas Matthewson, a Methven farmer, was charged at Ashburton with having failed to provide sufficient and adequate accommodation for employees on his farm. The Magistrate made an order for the erection of buildings in accordance with the inspector's demands, and allowed three months for the execution of the order. The Opunake Town Board is considering the question of water and drainage, and haa accepted Mr. Climie's terms of £25 for a report. Speakers at the Board meeting, however, thought a scheme would coat at least £ 10,000, and that as the necessary rate would come to about 2d in the £, they were not hopeful of the ratepayers giving the necessary authority.

The Maori of the old school was a tough customer, and took a lot of killing. There is a veteran native at Mokau, enjoying the best of health, who was perforated with bullets no fewer than four times. The last bullet caught him in the jaw during the fighting at Weraroa redoubt. It is related that he extracted the lead, rammed it into his gun, and promptly shot a white soldier! The unusual sight of flies stopping a 1 four-horse waggon was seen on the road between Oakura and Okato recently (says the Opunake paper). They were so thick that the driver of the vehicle had to pull up to brush the flies off his face and light his pipe. The insects clustered round butter and cheese crates in thousands. In fact, every vehicle or object passing between Okato and Oakura carried a large quantity of insects, which were similar in appearance to the turnip fly. Bernard McMasters, licensee of the Toko Hotel, appeared at the Stratfora Magistrate's Court on Friday charged with having, on February 17th, at the Toko Hotel, supplied liquor to Lionel W. Kirkby, be being apparently under the age of twenty-one. He was similarly charged with respect to John Welsh. Mr. Spence appeared for defendant, and entered a plea of guilty. Sergeant Cullen was given permission to withdraw the information regarding Welsh. He stated that the two offences happened at the same time. Two similar charges were laid against the barmaid, one of which was withdrawn, Mr. Spence entering a plea of guilty. The Magistrate said that, looking at the lads, certainly they could be taken for twenty-one. The girl would be fined forty shillings. McMasters was not present at the time the offence occurred, and he would be fined ten shillings. He (the S.M.) desired licensees to recollect that if they went away from their premises they should leave somebody in charge who would be responsible for the conduct of the house, in the matter of supplying youths and other matters.

During the month of March there were slaughtered at the local abattoirs 113 cows, 5S bullocks, 7 calves, alii) sheep, 181 lamb?, 131 pigs, 10 suckers, and 142 tripes were cleaned for local consumption. Compared with March of last year this shows an increase of 15 lambs and 10 suckers, and a decrease of 4 cattle, 2 sheep, 15 pigs, and !) tripes. Two cows, two bullocks, one sheep and five pigs were condemned. For export 7 cows four bulls, and four pigs were slaughtered. The fees for the month amounted to £l2B 18s 9d. During the year ending March 31, 1170 cows. 814 bullocks, 7fi calves, 2H07 pigs, 0902 sheep, and 15(51 lambs—a total of 12,050 cattle, large anct small—were slaughtered to supply the needs of New Plymouth people. This showed mi increase of '298 bullocks, 133 pigs, and 570 sheep, and a decrease of 324 cows, 54 calves, and 150 lambs, the net increase being 528. Seventeen hundred and ten tripes, five calves' heads, and IS ox heels were cleaned, making a total of 1733, an increase of eight. There were slaughtered, for export, seven cows, four bulls, and 45 pigs. In all. 110 animals were condemned, of wiheh 01 were pigs. 33 «attle, and nine sheep. Compared with the previous year, this showed a decrease of '4O. During the year the total fees were Clsll 15s lid, an increase of £O7 10s Od, and to this had also to be added £47 10s royalty on--1900 yards of metal. YOU SHOULD BEAR IN MIND That by using the Commercial 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 ts which the use of turpentine will expose yon—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 manufacture. Remember: SANDER'S EXTRACT embodies the result of 50 years' experience and of special study, and it does wlurt is promised; it cures and heals withaut injuring the constitution, as the oils o* the market frequently do. Therefore, protect yourself by rejecting other brands.

An exchange gives the total weight of the New Zealand national debt if in sovereigns. The standard weight of a sovereign is 123.274 grains, and the national debt at March 31, 1910, was £74,-800,04-5. The total weight of New Zealands' huge burden in gold would therefore be 801 tons 7cwt OOlbs troy, For running down a Chinese hawker by driving his cart against him, and upsetting his stock-in-trade and spoiling it, a man named George Cullen was lined by the Wanganui Magistrate £2, witfuses' expenses 14s, interpreter's fee 10a (id, and was also ordered to pay 30s compensation to the Chinaman. On Wednesday last, a Norwegian named Alexander Green dropped dead on Mr. A, Kelly's property a few miles up the Mokau river. An inquest was held before Mr. S. W. Nicholls, J.P., the evidence of Dr. Claridge showing that the cause of death was heart failure. A verdict to this effect was returned. "We eat too much sugar," declared Dr. Thacker in an address at Christchurch. "A tremendous amount of sugar is sold in this city, and if Sir Joseph Ward would put 6d per lb on the price of it he would do a good thing for New Zealand. Two-thirds of the shops in Christchurch sell sugar in some form or other, and in beer sugar does as much harm as alcohol." A lady who resides in an Auckland goKifields town sent one of her dresses to the wash last week. After it had been taken out of the copper she recollected that she had placed a £5 bank-note in one of the pockets. The note was recovered and dried, and it was then found that, the number and some of the coloring remained. It is understood that the bank which issued the note will honor it. "Personally, I don't want to go to heaven if one of the conditions of my getting there is that I should drink," said Mr. L. M. Isitt at a smoke concert given by the Canterbury Cricket Association at Christihurch the other evening; "and, furthermore, I notice that the man who talks most about wishing to get to heaven gets out of the road of a motorcar with the same rapidity as the greatest worldly sinner." How electricity is revolutionising methods of locomotion may be guaged from the fact that at Liverpool recently 18 steam locomotive's and nearly one hundred carriages that once diif* excellent service on the now electrified Mersey railway, were put up for auction, but without eliciting a single offer. The engines were specially built for steep gradients, and w<*re powerful and heavy rather than fast. They appeared strong and fit enough for any required strain, but no one appeared to have any need for them. A gentleman who recently toured the South and the lower part of the North Island was struck with the greenness and freshness of the country between New Plymouth and Mokau, which just now is looking uncommonly well. "They tell me," he sSid. "that you also have had a dry spell up here, but the present appearance of your country docs' not give one that impression. I am satisfied that TaranakS fs lucky, When other parts of tile Dominion tire in the throes of a drought, tffd Mter-fat province wears a bigger smile than ever, and puts up fresh records." A sud domestic tragedy is reported from Gowar. midway between Castlemaine and Jlaldon, Victoria. .Mrs. Jas. Tafbot, wife of a young farmer, attempted to poison her six-weeks-old child with a dose of lysol, but the prompt attendance of Dr. Woolley, from C'astlemainc, saved the child's life. Taking possession of the lysol, the doctor put it in his hag, which lie left in the bedroom while he went to another room to give instructions as to the care of the infant. During his absence, Mrs. Talbot returned to the bedroom, opened the bag, secured the bottle of lysol, and drank a portion of its contents, dying an hour later. In connection with the photographic classes at the. New Plymouth Technical' College it has been decided to move in the direction of forming a camera club, to be called the College Camera Club. Regular field- days are to be arranged on the following lines: Seascape photography oh one day, on another day landscape, etc. The plates will be developed and instruction given therein if required. ,M.ost amateurs know how to take photographs, but. comparatively few understand how to compose a picture. The field days will be of great assistance in this respect. Those interested in photography—and there should be many in a' district affording such wealth of opportunity for pictorial subjects—should make a point of teing present to-night at 7 p.m. Writing on February 17, the London correspondent of the Sydney Morning ITerald says: "All the market circulars and the trade journals contain grumbling allusions to fishy New Zealand butter, especially marked during the last month—the last three boats in particular have been faulty. Not only fishy, but close to the danger zone as to moisture; expert men here state that this excess of water in the butter goes far to cause the unpleasant taint called, in lieu of a more exact term, 'fishiness,' sardine flavor. Some of the best brands are affected, and the distinguishing feature is the irregularity of the trouble. A brand will be fishy in one vessel, and free by the next, and so on. New Zealand butter has been practicaHy tabooed in the north of England, where a fancy butter is demanded lately, and the spurt in Danish up there is explained by this. The trade papers state that Victorian butter is likely to be dearer than New Zealand shortly if this fisliiness is found to continue, and suggest that the New Zealand Government should look into the matter in order to check the high percentage of water, which causes the butter to go fishy, and discourages buyers over here."

A settlor had a rather uncommon experience in the bush behind Whangamoinona lately. He wis travelling on foot, and accepted the offer of a shakedown at a biishfellors' eamp. The men were lamenting the absence of fresh ment. as the porkers were giving them a wide berth. Xext morning, on resumin* his way. the settler's attention was attracted by a solitary pig in a native clearing rooting away very heartily at a mass of fern. ''N'ow," thought he, "here's a chance. I'll get up behind that fellow and hamstring him; then I can easily cut his throat." Drawing a big and very sharp sheath knife ho easily carried out his purpose, but the squealing of the pig brought out a wlioto herd of pigs which were in uie fern close by. The leader, a tremendous boar, charged the settlor, who made a spring at an adjoini'l" stump out of harm's way, but in doing so unfortunately dropped his knife, his sole weapon of defence. The boar made for the stump, which it tried to climo. The settlor, every time the boar got his nose over the edge, kicked it very heartily, but. nothing daunted, the animal again and again returned to tlio charge. All day long this was kept up. and t.lie ''refugee" was thoroughly exhausted. Xot. .so the boar, however, "who seemed practically untirable. As duskwas falling the sound of shots was heard close by, the bushfellers evidently trying to shoot a supper. At this the boar made off, and the settler lost, no time in following his example, linvine had quite enough of the old Captain Cooker's society for all time.

A Water-workers' Union has been> formed in New Plymouth, and application has been made for its registration. About thirty-six members have joined the union, of which Mr. H. C. Bowie hag been appointed secretary. An old boar, which had long since the heyday of usefulness, was recently brought under the auctioneer's hammer at a clearing sale in North Otago, and it was knocked down to ft speculative purchaser for halt-a-crown, the highest bid. It was subsequently sold to a butcher for £6, who prompt!/ converted it into the primest dairy-fed bacon! Burned papa is a good substitute for road metal, and it is surprising more if not used in places where ordinary metal is not available. A portion of the road over Mt. Messenger is metalled with burned papa, and a very good road it makes. Were the whole of the road metalled with the same materia), it would be possible to negotiate the hill in safety in all weathers and in all seasons. As it is now, the papa in wet weather is like so much porridge, and consequently a source of trial to travellers. The road each side of the hill ia in fair order, though heavy in wet weather, but the stretch from Uruti to New Plymouth is in splendid order, and a credit to the county roadmen, k better road for motoring it would be difficult to find in the Dominion. Members of the Equitable Building Society of New, Plymouth (Pint aad Second Groups) are notified tl>»t mibscriptious will be due and payable today (Monday),-«.t the Secretary's Office, Currie street, from 9 a.m. to 12.30, front 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to C p,m.— Advt.