LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 331, 19 June 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Coronation Day will be a special bank holiday. On Saturday morning, at the S.M. Court, Nicholas Albert Maddren, who is under arrest on a charge of arson at Finnerty road on January 23rd last, and who is at present confined in the New Plymouth on remand, was further remanded to appear on the 24th inst. at Eltham.

There is evidently a true municipal spirit in Foxton. Lately the Mayor and nine councillors subscribed £ls each to a fund to erect a coronation hall. One other councillor put in £5 and the town clerk came to light with £lO. The Herald claims it is a Dominion record — we believe it is.

Lord Kitchener has purchased Broome Park estate, a delightful old place amid the Kentish hills, between Canterbury and Folkestone. It will be remembered in connection with the "Ingoidsby Legends." The stately old mansion dates back from 1636, and contains some decorations of an exceedingly rare artistic merit.

_ Business is said to be abnormally dull m Christchurch. The head of one of the largest manufacturing businesses in city affirms that the present is the dullest year he has known for fifteen years. He did not deny that money was plentiful, but there was a feelin'" of uncertainty in the air, the cause of which he could not discern.

Foxton and Shannon are likely to take joint action in obtaining a water supply for both towns. About seven miles from Shannon, up in the hills, at the junction of two streams, there appeared to be a suitable place for a reservoir, from which a satisfactory pressure could be obtained. It was resolved to get an estimate of the probable cost for a reservoir and water supply for both towns.

Nearly every local body is troubled with settlers who surreptitously allow their cattle to graze on the long paddock. occasionally by day, but more often by night, doing damage to the road, and sometimes to an unwary horseman whose steed happens to suddenly come in contact with an animal lying down in the centre of the road. Most local have resolutions dealing with the matter threatening to prosecute the offending owners and to impound the cattle. Owing, however, to the difficulty of obtaining persons to act as rangers, the resolutions are difficult to enforce! At the May meeting of the Moa Road Board the question of wandering cattle and the danger they caused was discussed. when it was pointed out that the Board had a resolution on its books authorising impounding and prosecution. Mr. Chard at once gave notice to move that it be rescinded. At Saturday's meeting, speaking in support, he said that people turned cattle out at night when they could not be impounded, and this was infinitely more dangerous than <iuriii£ tlip (lay. Cuttle might d<una fr c the water-tables, but so did blackberry and fern if left unchecked, and the cattle in keeping this down compensated for any damage they might do. Under the present system, it was people who did not live on the roads that were the greater offenders, and he considered that any settler who paid rates on the road should have the right to graze it, that was, provided there was no objection on the part of any settlers on the road. Mr. Cork ill objected. If they were going to allow grazing on the 'roads, they should farm them and use the money oil the -oad. 'The money they would receive, he felt sure, would not compensate for the nuisance caused. Mr. Corkill also objected, pointing out the damage caused to fences by cattle pushing their heads through in an endeavor to secure some succulent picking within. The motion could not find a seconder, and accordingly lapsed.

Tilings we all know—How to bring up other peoples children, what to do for tne other man» cold, and how to run u newspaper.

A rather remarkable discovery has been made by patient research, viz., thai a bacillus in diseased bees has been found to be of the luU.ure of the bacillus of plague iii human beings.

At the Levin stock sale last week a prominent farmor remarked that he could foresee a great "pinch" in fat stock at an early date, and that this would be the case all along the count.

The Stratford borough ranger was severely assaulted by a mail whom hi! stopped cycling on the footpath. The local paper urge,-) that more sulxitantial penalties bo imposed lor this offence. The recent Fire Brigade ball resulted in a profit of £66 Is 3d, a record. The gross proceeds were £BS 3s Gd, the expenditure amounting to £l9 2s 3d. Mrs. Dockrill and her energetic committee are to be congratulated on the result, which, however, was only made possible by the liberality of the public in donating the supper for both the children and the adult dancers. In few places are the suppers so persistently "begged" as in New Plymouth, but her people "come up smiling" every time, whether directily interested in the function or not.

A fattening farm now leased by the Rotorua Meat Company, near the township of Rotorua, is an example of what can be produced from Tarawera eruption mud. There may be found, on investigation, a few inches of greyish soil, resting on pumice soils. In one paddock of 36 acres fifty head of beef stock are put on occasionally. Whilst the full number is on they can just keep the grass down, but when the number comes down to 30 beasts, the grass begins to get ahead of them. Tarawera eruption mud evidently has splendid fertilising qualities. An English emigrant recently got stranded in Armidale, in Now South Wales, under somewhat remarkable circumstances. Before he left Home he called at an agency for information eoncorning Australia, and wae told that, if he went to a certain district in New South Wales he would get a splendid job at ''bushranging''! On reaching Sydney lie learnt that bush ranging was not exactly a peaceful occupation. Finally, he was sent to Armidale by the Immigration Department to 'be apprenticed to a landholder, who, however, had no need for his services. At length he sought the intervention of the police, who ultimately found him a job on some local works. It is not likely that after his experience he will recommend any former friends or acquaintances to join him in Australia.

Some singular discoveries of buried logs have been made in Auckland. At various depths, ranging from 17 feet to 25 feet below the surface, have been found in the course Of excavations for buildings, trees in an excellent state of preservation. Some of these logs measure as much as two feet in-diameter. Above tliem was a great depth 01 volcanic soil, and the length of time that has elapsed since they were buried would form an interesting subject for speculation by students interested in such matters. In one case a log was lying on what was apparently an old bench, and on account of its dimensions it was found impassible to remove it. There must, have been tremendous volcanic upheavals in the intervening years since those buried lojrs were deposited where they now lie with t-o mainy feet of soil iibovo them.

Now when the immigration of young women to New Zealand, Canada and Australia is becoming general, it may be of interest to refer to what took place in Virginia, United States, many years ago. When settlement was in its early stages, a certain Sir Edwyn Sandys sent out a whole shipload of buxom damsels to the lonely settlers. They were all maids of good repute, though poor and lowlv born, and they were all married on the day of their arrival to the men of their choice. The damsels were allowed to choose, but were not permitted to remain single. There were nearly one hundred of them, but there were over four hundred bachelors waiting for wives. These wives were in ft sense scjld, for each settler who was lucky enough to secure a wife had to hand over 120]lis of tobacco to the syndicate that shipped them. To-day, the best families in Virginia are proud if they can trace their ancestry back to one of Sir Edwyn Sandys' maids.

As an answer to the charge that the Oovenunent has increased taxation., to the detriment of the people, the Hon. 1?. McKenzie. Acting-Minister of Customs, has had a highly informative return made up to show the real position. What the Libera! Party has done is to shift the incidence of taxation, placing the burden upon shoulders well able to bear it. "Take the Customs tariff from 1887 to 1590," he remarked to a New Zealand Times representative. "There we find the following Customs duties:— Cotton piece poods 20 per cent., kerosene fid per gallon, isalt 10s per ton, rice 4s per cwt.. sugar %d per lb, tea Gd per lb, coffee 3d per lb, fencing wires 2s per cwt., woolsacks 2s (id per dozen, glass 15 per cent, ad valorem, dried fruits 2d per lb, belting and other leather 20 per cent., mustard 2d per lb, oils (id per gallon, paperhangings 15 per cent., spices 2d per lb, sheep-shears 20 per cent., linen •goods 20 per cent. Now all these, articles are on the free list, and if we take the quantity of each imported last year and pre Mime that they are still dutiable, there would have been ,£715.000 collected in duty. So you see that instead of increasing taxation for the masses the (.'ovcnmient lias reduced it by that amount."

Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (First and Second Groups) are notified that subscriptions will he due and payable today (Tuesday), at the Secretary's ofTice, Ourrie-strcot, from 0 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.! from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.—Advt

A Xier Fruit Cake.—Half a pound of flour, live ouiH'i'.s of but tor, a quarter of a pound of sugar, one ounce of citron peel, I wo tablespoonfuls of currants, two tablespoonfuls of currants, two tiililispnoiifuls of sultanas, one fcableKpoonful of stoned raisins, one level teaspoonful of 'baking-powder, two eggs. a quarter of a teaspoonful each of ground cinnamon and ginger, a quarter of a cupful of milk. Heat the butter and sugar to a cream, then add the yolks of the eggs well beaten, sift in the (lour and baking powder, add the fruit, shred the peel and add it, then add the milk, and whites of eggs stiffly beaten, mix gently, pour into a buttered and floured cake tin. Rake in a moderate oven for two hours. This is an excellent enke to serve with "Dragon" brand tea. This* tea is one of the, popular brands on the market, the others being "Eleplinnt," ''Crescent" and "Mikado" blends, ti.her of which will plea.se the palate. The Dragon blend is very rich an' verv economical in the teapot. It i, very strong, and less of the tea must be used, as compared with other teas, to obtain a given amount of liquor. The "Dragon" blend is sold at & 8d per lb., and is obtainable from most grocers in your district—Advl. *■ -v up nza take Woods' Great Pep- ' ure. Never fails. Is 6d »nd £3 Cd. /

IWhen the new contract for the supply, of ten locomotives for the Railway DeApartment is completed, Messrs. Priee IBros. will have built fifty locomotives for the Government.

The first passenger train from Whangamomona arrived at Te Wer& on Saturday morning with twenty-five passengers. This train connected with Saturday's two trains for Stratford, and will also connect with the one o'clock train on Tuesdays.—Post. Foxton Harbor Board has decided to raise a loan of £20,000 to purchase the wharf and dredge the bar and river. It is proposed to secure the interest and sinking fund by a differential rate over Manawatu and Kairanga Counties, and Feilding, Foxton, Levin, and Palmcrston boroughs. Mr. L. M. Isitt, plaintiff in the libel action against K. W. Stewart, secretary ofa Christchurch trade protection association, has returned the damages which he obtained in the recent action in Christchurch, the ground of which wm his inclusion, without justification, in a trade "black-list." Mr. A. S. Adams, who was the counsel for the plaintiff in the case, forwarded a letter on behalf of Mr. Isitt, to the defendant, waiving the right to the £SOO damages awarded him by the jury, reserving only a sum of £ 10 to meet out-of-pocket expenses, and the amount of his costs. The letter states: "This is done as a mere matter of generosity, and contrary to the advice of plaintiff's counsel in this nutter," " At sitting of the S.M. Court was held at Opunake on June 13 before Mr. Fit«herbert, S.M. The Taranaki Education Board Truant Inspector v. Lockley, for failing to send his child to schood. Defendant pleaded not guilty. From evidence taken ft was shown that Mr. Lockley had not obtained an exemption certificate, and His Worship was forced to accept the record of the school register. Fined 2s and costs 2s. Same t. J. Beatson. Pleaded guilty in a similar case, and was fined 2s and costs 2s. Same v. A. J. Porteous. A plea of sickness in the family was not allowed, and defendant was flnad. Same v. H, Waller. Pleaded guilty and was fined. Same v. R. Fleming. Pleaded guilty and was fined. E. H. Jones (Mr. McDavitt) v. Joe Epia, claim £7 Ds 9d, goods supplied. Judgment for amount with costs. J, McDavitt v. Ratana Opa, claim £2 8s Bd. Judgment for amount with costs 6s.