LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 327, 14 June 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Supreme Court sessions at New Plymoutk open next Tuesday before Mr. Justice Edwards.

The private box lobby at the chief post office will in future be closed at midnight instead of 11 p.m. A sailing vessel, about ten miles off the shore, was sighted last evening from the breakwater. The barque Margit is about 100 days out from Liverpool to New Plymouth, and it is probable that the vessel sighted last evening is this vessel.

Replying to a correspondent, the Oarnaru Mail states:—Restoration, as well as continuance votes will count against national prohibition; but, if a three-fifths majority of votes are cast for national prohibition, neither restoration nor continuance will take effect in a district, though the requisite majority may be polled in that district in its favor.

The Minister of Railways, in replying yesterday afternoon to a deputation from the Borough Council in reference to Leach street, said that the Department would not give away a single foot of land to any local body. The Department, he continued, had to pay through the nose for anything obtained from local bodies, and they would be met in the same spirit, Mr. Millar adding that tit-for-tat was fair play.

A small consignment of New Zealand ducks which was sent Home to a dealer in London with other frozen produce arrived in good order. The firm to whom the ducks were consigned express the opinion that there appears to be no reason why poultry farmers should notpay more attention to the industry, and more particularly to the rearing of ducks for export. He says that the average of the consignment is up to tlmt of the English duck, and when ready for the table is similar to that of the Home bird. The quality is reliable and the birds realised the standard price of frozen produce, viz., a little over 0s per pair, which should pay alright. "l'ut liiiri out, put him out!" This was what greeted a remark by Mr. Archie Hooker at the Horticultural Society's meeting last night that he haa been connected with the society for about twenty years and that there had been very little change, even the ladies' committee was practically the same as when he first joined the society. That . was when the laugh came, and the cries for his expulsion. Mr. Hooker was making the point that it was time the committee made some fresh move to make the show iinore attractive, and different from what it lmd been. Why not have sub-committees at work in the country districts? Messrs. Gibson and Allen insisted that the show was improving year by year, and that there was no need to go outside the borough of New Plymouth to make it still better.

There arc some exceptionally moan sneak thieves in New Plymouth, and some instances of this have come under notice. For some weeks past an elderly man, apparently a very pattern ot' industry, has been cutting firewood in tlie Recreation Grounds. It is worth noting that when the Hoard announced this was available there was no rush of appliean ts, so that it seemed that there was no demand for the firewood. The demand came later, when this old gentleman started operations, and it was then found that the demand was for cut-up firewood. The neat little heaps of blocks, all ready for the stove, had an unfailing attraction for some person or persons unknown. These people must have been grown up, too, for the log of wood weighing nearly half a hundredweight, which had been tied across the wood-heap, was lifted; ofT, blocks stolen, and this big log put in their place. Yesterday the thieves went further, and stole tile old man's lunch from his bag. Now, firewood thieves are apt to have their stoves and fireplaces damaged, because they can't be expected to know in which log the gunpowder has been placed. Thieves, please note!

The hapnv davs we spend in health Seem all to." 1 , soon to slide awav. Then fi>nies a time "hen each of us Must, to conn' il!ni'«-s 1«. p. prey. And as an illness oft be<rins With cruel eo'i'.'h. or chill, or cold: It's best to take Woods' Peppermint Cure, A drug that's worth its weight in gold." 20

(Last month the rainfall was 5.43 inches as against 8.26 inches in May, \ 1010. Rain fell on twelve days, whilst in I May of last year it fell on twenty-cne 11 Jays-

During the hearing of a case in the Supreme (Jourt at Auckland a young man of .twenty-three—brought up in Hamilton—was a witness. He said he had won medals for running and boxing, but could neither read nor write. There was a good attend.')nee at the Guards' orderly room last night, when the adjourned meeting was held in connection with the formation of the Taranaki Guards' Defence Hille Club. Mr. liuchana-n presided. The secretary reported that an application form signed liy 4S members had been forwarded to the Defence Department. A set of rules for the management of the club was adopted, but the election or officers was held over until notification has been re.ceived truit the services of tne club have been accepted. The subscription wi.. oe: Active members 7s <kl, honorary members ss.

There is reason to believe that there is too much truth in what Mr J. G. Wilson told the recent conference at Woodville, viz., that the dairy farmer does not, as a rule, show as much advance in his work as might be expected. For instance, the dairy farmer knows, or should know, that testing his herd might, in the course of a year or two, increase his yield by perhaps as much as 25 per cent. But how few take the trouble to do it? The dairy farmer also should know, hy past experience, that he ought to provide summer and winter feed for liis cows, but how many still continue to rely almost solely upon grass.—Exchange.

The grass grubs are playing havoc in certain (but happily, limited) areas in this district, says the Okaiawa correspondent of the Hawera Stiir. I have seen one paddock which is aimost bare of grass owing to their depredations. Although the area affected is not great bo far, there is no telling what it may be in the future. In a recent issue of the Star it was stated that ploughing was the only known remedy, but the experience locally is that even ploughing is not effective. A local settler broke up a paddock which had only been laid down in grass for a couple of years, owing to the prevalence of the pest. He cropped it with turnips and oats, and then grassed it down again. That was only a year ago, and now the grub is as bad as ever. I recently heard of a South Island farmer who fallowed his land for three years in an endeavor to get rid of the pest, but without success. I was recently discussing the mat-1 ter with a Taranaki farmer, and he suggested rolling the land with a heavy I roller as a possible remedy. | The usual monthly sitting of the 1 Magistrate's Court was held yesterday morning before Mr. H. S. Fitzhcrbert, S.M., for civil business. The following cases were decided by default:—James McNeill (Mr. Hutchen) v. A. Ross, claim 15s lOd and 7s costs; E. Dingle (Mr. Hutchen) v. F. S. Drury, claim £7 Is Dd, and costs £1 Gs 6d; Webster Bros. (Mr. Standish) v. J. Adams, claim £7 18s 3d, and costs tl 3s Od; New ZeaI land Express Co. (Mr. Nicholson) v. J. j W. Ward, claim £1 15s, and costs ss; Joseph Manson (Mr. Johnstone) v. T. Conroy. claim £3 10s fid, and costs 10s; John Avery, Ltd. (Mr. C. H. Weston) v. Geo. Bishop, claim £3O 13s "d, ! and costs £2 14s. In the judgment j summons, A.B.C. Boot Co. (Mr. Hutchen) I v. Thos. Duffin. eighteenpence remained of the debt and fls costs An order j was made in the absence of the debtor , for payment of 10s (Id forthwith, in de- ' fault three days' imprisonment. In the judgment summons case of James McNeill (Mr. Ilutchen) v. Arthur Hall, there was no appearance of debtor, and an order was made for payment of £lB Is 2d within fourteen days, in default fourteen days' imprisonment. J A good many years ago. in the war time, the various companies raised in New Zealand and Australia to fight the Maoris, received land grants in Waikato, of one aere in a township and fifty acres outside it. Many a town acre was sold for a bottle of rnm, and many a one placed as a stake at a game of euchre, t.hc other stake being half a. sovereign. The market value ot a fifty acre land grant was £5. Just then the Thames gold field broke out, and most of the military settlers deserted their land for I the diggings, realising whatever they J could get. Among those who "stuck to" i their land was a very "hard ease," a . heavy drinker, and he negotiated the sale of his' freehold for an annuity of

£1 a week, the purchaser not thinking he would long survive owing to his dissipated habits. The agreement was duly and legally completed, and then the "hard ease" turned over a now leaf

(there were no prohibition orders in

those ilavs) and became soTier and respectable. Finally he passed away, having enjoyed his annuity for over a quarter of a century. The purchaser paid a pretty stiff price for his nftv acres if interest and compound interest are taken into account. "Fifty-one" thus discourses in the Stratford Post on a visit to the Taranaki Show and the associations of the locality:—f was reminded of by-gone days. On entering the hall door my eye caught the words on the corner of the building. "Kawau street," and this made me think of the time—before the wnr, mind you—when on this spot stood a great Maori pa. The beach immediately in front would be dotted with canoes, and plentiful hauls of fish would be brought in to replenish the larder, as well as having a surplus for sale. The savoury shark was hung out. to dry on poles, and when sullicient.ly ripe the pale faces were wont to give the spot a wide berth. Who in those days hasn't seen Maori women along the banks of the lliiatoki with baskets of potatoes, cleaning tlieni for a meal ? The method of so doing was original. They would place a little sand with the potatoes, take hold of both handles of the basket with the hands, and with one loot among the potatoes stamp vigorously until the jackets were perfectly clean; if now. the skin would be peeled oft'. The Drill Hall stands on a historic spot—T don't, know what spot, isn't historic in Taranaki—for when hostilities commenced tlie Maoris 'in the Kawau pa (who professed loyalty to the Queen) were served out with muskets and ammunition to do battle against the "rebels." Xext morning not a Maori was to be seen; they had gone over bag and baggage to the other side. Ilow it was done so quietly remains a mystery to this day.

YOU SHOULD BEAR IN MIND That Dy 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 to which t.he use of turpentine will expose you—irritation of kidneys, intestinal tract and mucous membranes. By insisting on the GENUINE SANDER EUCALYPTI EXTRACT you hot only avoid these pitfalls, hut you have a stinir ulating, 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 injuring the constitution, as the oils on the market frequently do. Therefore, protect yourself by rejecting other hrMui*.

It is reported from New York that, a sensation has been caused by the announcement that a woman mimed Annie Geshcllsi, aged 30, an Austrian by birth, lias been an inmate of a hospital at Morris Plains, New Jersey, for the past 05 days without bavin# taken any nourishment whatever throughout that period, with the exception of four glasses of milk and the juice from half an orange. These facts are tvell authenticated, and the doctors at the hospital are completely mystilien. The woman herself, who is very weak, declares the angels have fed her.

"! have come to the conclusion that there are two landlords in this country that ought to be. taxed very heavily. One of them is the State and the other the Maori." This is the opinion of Mr. C. H. Ensor, a Canterbury farmer, who has been spending a holiday in the North Island. Mr. Ensor continued to justify his remarks by saying that the two landlords he had quoted were holding, in the North Island, the largest amount of undeveloped land he had ever seen, and that land was getting overrun with weeds and rabbits. The worst feature of it was that the land was lying idte and creating no wealth at all. There were millions of acres of such land in the Rotorua and Waikato districts that could be brought into cultivation, and some of it was splendid soil, as proved by a few isolated patches that had been ■ cultivated.

Dr. Walter Saise, in an address before the members of the Central Asian Society in London, gave an account of hi> experiences on a recent visit to Afghanistan, undertaken at the invitation of the Ameer. In Afghanistan, he nid,. they were already local justice. The Ameer, he understood, reserved to himself the right to pronounce the sentence in the case of habitual offenders. He was told at one place that there were SOO prisoners awaiting sentence. They were brought before the Ameer, who sat at his desk, pen in hand, heard the list of the prisoners' convictions, and then ordered their punishment. The Afghans received their sentences with great stoicism. He only saw one instance of despair, and that was when some men were condemned to "the well." Here they were placed to live and die amongst the skeletons and corpses of previous prisoners. On that occasion the men threw themselves on the ground and asked as a favor to be hanged. Another form oi punishment was to be placed in a cage erected on a pole by the mountain-side, and there left to starve. On one occasion he witnessed the seizure of a number of weavers at their looms, who were taken to repair the roads. It was a I serious offence not to repair the roads. [ This was at one time a. felony in England. Sometimes the roads went right through cemeteries, and bones could be | seen sticking up on either side.