LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 303, 17 May 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a recent sale in Derbyshire, England, agricultural land averaged £37 las per aero. Many horses do not reach the acme of their powers until they have entered their teens. A thief visited a Falmerston North orchard last week and stole about half a ton of apples. The borough inspector, Mr. Tippins, has been instructed to lay poison for rats along the waterfront. Land, situated at Flaxton, and sold at Eiing'ora on Tuesday, brought £32 10s, £37, and £43 5» per acre. It is understood that a company is being formed in Greytown for tile manufacture of drain pipes from Recfton woods.

Some•• doubt exists as to the date of the next euchre party to be held under the. auspices of the West End Bowling flub. The secretary wishes us to state that the, next of the series is to he held in the West End Gymnasium on Thursday, 2StTi inst.; not to-morrow, the lSty, as is believed by some people.

The Taranaki Jockey Club has decided to subscribe to the movement for allnight telephony in New Plymouth. "I cannot get wages men for love or money," stated a contractor in a letter to the Cook County Council meeting last week.

In England the month of March, which it is important to English farmers should be fine, was very disappointing climatically. The two most recent cases of plague in Auckland were reported from one of the city's big retail establishments, employing about three hundred hands. The new street across the Huatoki, generally known as the Gill Street extension, would be vastly improved in appearance if the footpaths were kerbe'd. Was no provision made for this in the original plan? A reminder is given of the general meeting called by the New Plymouth Employers' Association for this evening to discuss the holiday question. All business people and employers of labor are cordially invited to attend. The repairs authorised to be effected at the Kaihui bridge, Okato, are estimated to cost £33, and the Plymouth road bridge £57 10s. The Hurford road bridge is to be re-crected, with concrete piers, and this work will cost the Omata riding £3OO. It is stated that there is urgent necessity for a rigorous inspection of liaek yards in the central portion of the borough. One in particular that Ims been brought under our notice, should be an infinite source of pleasure to the plague germs should any be shi:<i from Auckland.

A Vogeltown resident bought seven cockerels at auction on Saturday, took them home, and housed them.. Next morning the fowl-cote was empty, but three of the birds with whole pairs of "pins," and one with a lame leg, were wandering about the street. Where the other three went has yet to be explained, but the person who sneaks three at once is a bit of a glutton.

In the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr. H. S. Fi'tzherbert, S.M., judgment was given for plaintiff in the following undefended eases: Westport Coal Company (Mr. HutchenJ v. James Xeilson, claim £0 l!)s 3d and costs £1 ISs fld; Newton King (Mr. Hutclien) v. Tawluvnga Butler, claim £23 10s 9d, and costs £3 0s Cd; .1. W. West (Mr. Wilson) v. William Thomson, claim £2 19s, and costs £1 13s; H. Cocker (Mr. Roy) v. James A. McCallum, claim £4, and costs las; Hallenstcin Bros. (Mr. Hutclien) v. J. A. McCallum, claim £2 12s lOd, and costs las; Westport Coal Co. (Mr. Hutclien) v. U Revel!, claim£l4 lis 7d, and costs £1 10s 6d. What threatens to develop into a serious case occurred near Lochiel on Saturday, says an Invercargill correspondent, when Ranger Friend, of the Southland Acclimatisation Society, tried to seize the bag of a "shootist" in the possession of ducks shot out of season. It is alleged that the. ranger called upon the resident to deliver up the "bag" of six ducks, charging him with having shot them out of season. The request was declined, and the ranger endeavored to seize the bag, but the owner, it is said, used the barrel of the gun with effect. A tussle ensued, and the ranger received assistance upon calling for same. The ranger, who seized the six ducks and the gun, was cut about the hands, and complained of a blow on the body. Captain Young, Government Veterinarian, addressed a very well attended meeting at Tarata on Saturday night, dealing with pasturition and ailments of stock generally. At the conclusion he answered questions, and was accorded a vote of thanks. A settler who was present remarked on the facility with which the farmers can absorb the knowledge sought to be imparted by Captain Young, who steers clear of technical and scientific terms, or, if one should slip out, he soon makes its meaning clear to his hearers. This involves, of course, thinking in the terms used by him in his professional . studies and speaking in the vernacular, a matter of great difficulty, and almost impossible to many people, but seemingly as "simple as falling off a log" to Captain Young, who also has the knack of making his lectures interesting by the introduction of telling illustrations. A good story was told by one. of the speakers at the Home Rule demonstration in the Princess Theatre, Hastings, last week, by way of illustrating one of his arguments. He related how, in a part of Ireland where, motor-cars were detested by the country gentry, ani!| where every effort was made to suppress the innovation, a motorist was hailed before the bench of local magnates charged with furious driving. The defendant proved conclusively that he was going up a steep hill when stopped by the rural constable, that his machine was old and could scarcely negotiate the rise at a crawl, and further that on a good level road it was not capable of even ten miles an hour. These facts being established beyond doubt, the defendant confidently awaited judgment. The bench retired for consultation, and on returning to court dismissed the charge of furious driving, i but fined the motorist £lO, with costs, for loitering!

''The canal scheme/' said the Hon. A. Millar at Lyttelton on Thursday, "was a mad-headed proposal. Some time ago a prominent engineer told me that it was his opinion t/hat it was nothing but suicidal for anyone to depart from a harbor like Lyttelton. that iiad such splendid opportunities for increasing its berthage. It appears nothing but folly to spend a large amount of money on a harbor like this and then be asked to turn it into a duck-pond or a model vaclit course. My opinion is that the object of me canal agitation is to get the Railway Department to lower the rates on the Lyttelton-Christ-ehurch line, and also to provide better facilities in regard to the tunnel." "I hope," concluded the Minister, "to see the trains from Christchurch to Lyttelton running by the power of electricity within the next two years. Before I enter into private life I will be only too pleased to do anything that will help to develop your port. Take my advice, and keep the port up-to-date, so that von will be able to cope with tbe growing demands of shipping."

APRIL BLANKET SALE. Quantities, varieties and values for this sale at the Melbourne are beyond any attempt to compete with it. We don't tell trade secrets, but we don't mind letting customers know that, for various good and sufficient reasons, we obtained unusually low prves cti the blankets bought for this sale. Stool, up for winter. Nothing talks like price Here are figures. You'll not buy like this later! White blankets, single-bed size, 0s Od pair; double-bed size, 17s (id pair. Heavy blue-grey blankets, singlebed, 8s 9d pair; three-quarter size, 12s fid pair. All-pure-wool N.Z. blankets, three-quarter-bed size, 17s fid pair; <'u!l double-bed size, 21s pair. Fine white Boslyn blankets, long fibre N.Z. wool assorted borders, good heavy weight three-quarter size, 19s fid; full double bed size, 24s Gd. High-grade blankets superfine merino long, staple wool, snowy white, beautiful soft finish, with uncom nfon border, full double-tied 'lm. £7« ''l; extra large size, 32s fld. Above pr'i-es for this sale only. We reserve right or limiting quantities Advt.

There is quite an epidemic of influenza about New Plymouth just now. A peculiar feature of the illness is that it is accompanied by a mild type of rheumatism.

At the Land Board meeting yesterday, it was decided to supply seed to several settlers who lost their grass in the recent bush fires, the settlers to make payment by promissory notes extending over a period. Invcrcargill is shortly to poetess an hotel of unusual and imposing appearance. The new structure will be erected upon the site of the old l'rince of Wales Hotel, which was recently demolished after an existence of half a century. The new building will possess four stories, in addition to a cellar, and will have a frontage of (ifift. and a depth of 105 ft. Brick and ferro-concrete will be used in the construction, and the cost is mentioned as being from £IO.OOO to £12,000. It will be the largest hotel in Southland.

Stock are realising high prices in the Argentine, and they are making big weights, too. In a letter to a resident of Wairarapa, his correspondent, who is now manager of a big ranch in the Argentine, says:—"We have had rather a dry year, but stock has done well in the whole. I have just sold a thousand bullocks at £lO each—not a bad price for a big lot. During last year wc sent ten bullocks to the show, and they made £SO each, and five of them weighed 195011). each live weight—not bad for 3'/ 2 -year-olds, grass fed."

The directors of the Patea Steam Ship Company have decided to add another steamer to their fleet for the Pa tea-Wellington service. The Press understands that the new boat when completed will be 108 ft in length by 20ft beam, fitted with every up-to-date appliance for the rapid handling of cargo, and also with complete Lindo refrigerating machinery thoroughly insulated. The boat will be capable of carrying 3000 carcases of mntton or 1000 quarters of beef, or 4000 boxes of butter, or 1500 crates of cheese. Discussing the Hon. Roderick McKenzie's flying through the toll-gate near Manaia in a motor-car without paying toll, the Wellington Dominion says:—"The Minister's action, if correctly reported, was most improper from every point of view, and, if guilty, he should be punished even more severely than any ordinary citizen would be punished. He may not like toll-gates any more than lots of other people; but so long as they exist it is at least incumbent on him to pay the toll required, even if he may not feel that he owes some duty to the high office which he adorns."

The New Zealand Times of Saturday, in discussing the census returns, states that the figures to hand show an increase in population during the past five years of 82,192 in the North Island, and 43,379 in the South Island, or a total of 125.571. The Official Year Book for 1910 shows that the total number of births registered in the Dominion for the four years ending 1909 was 101,710. The birth-rate for 1910 may safely be put down at 27,000. On the figures to hand, it would appear, therefore, that over the five years the natural increase more than accounts for the accretion in population.

Cow-testing was touched upon at Captain Young's lecture at Tama on Saturday night, and the question ol breeding from grade cows which have given satisfactory returns of butter-fat was discussed. The opinion was expressed by the lecturer, either during his address, or at the less formal discussion which followed, that the average farmer of to-day had no time to experiment too much in breeding. He must make up his mind which breed he will depend on. Then, having selected the best cows in his herd, either by means of "the Babcock tester or by the more primitive but still satisfactory test of setting the milk for cream, he should use the finest bull procurable of the breed ho has decided on, getting one with proved butter-fat qualities. After having this head of the herd for two seasons, he should be got rid of, and another procured of the same breed and of the same strain, if possible, taking carc, of course, that there shall be no in-breeding. The process being repeated with the heifers, the best being saved, the farmer will soon have a milking herd, not exactly purebred, but still of a pronounced type with good blood predominant. To breed from grade cattle, unless some such system is adopted, would be to court trouble and failure.