LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 8, 4 July 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. W. D. Lysnar told a Wellington Post reporter that it is intended to hold a further conference of the New Zealand Producers' Association shortly before Parliament for necessary legislation in the matter of the handling of New Zealand produce in England. Discussing the fish supply with a Southland Times representative the other day, a Bluff merchant said that the consuming power of New Zealand was not sufficient to deal with the supply, and would not be capable of doing so for the next fifty years. Only one or two varieties pay to freeze, and it is impossible to regulate the supply. Hence at times there is a shortage, and fish become dear; at other times there is a glut, and they become cheap. In a big place like Melbourne, for instance, the consumption is correspondingly big, and waste is reduced to a minimum. Although there is always a good supply" of fish in Melbourne, they have no "fish there that cm be compared to Bluff's blue cod.

A correspondent to the Wellington Post writes complaining of the '"tricks of the trade brought into play by certain patent medicine firms in Australia. He cites the case of a young lady—his sister —who received last week an unsolicited package from Sydney in the shape of a consignment of pills. The parcel came in a plain wrapper and the recipient readily paid the Customs duty, assuming that the sender was an aunt in Sydney. She was very annoyed when the pills' were disclosed to view, especially when later the postal authorities informed Jier that correspondence with the firm in question was prohibited. On principle she decided to ask for a refund of ths duty, and this the Customs Department after some trouble, agreed to repay. The young lady is at a loss to know how the medicine company obtained her address, and the correspondent states that his object in ventilating the matter is to put others on their guard.

Some doubt has been expressed concerning the truth of the cabled message that King George, by pressing an electric button in London, laid the corner stone of a building in Newfoundland. But electricity accomplishes many marvels. The King unveiled the Victoria Memorial recently by pressing a button. ]ly fl similar agency the Duke of (,onnnu»ht last July unveiled the Wir Memorial in the Mall, the memorial being electrically connected with St Paul's Cathedral, where, during tne special service held in connection with the ceremony, the Duke touched the switch which sent westward the current which released the wrappings. But the most remarkable ceremony of this nature was performed by the late King Edward in October, 100!), when', by operating a small switch placed in Buckingham Palace, he opened the doors of a newlyerected hospital in Montreal. This one action of King Edward also lit myriads of electric lights in Montreal and'hoisted a I lag on the roof of the hospital. When coughs and colds and chills abound And folks are falling ill all reund, .Tust try a cure that's well renownedWoods' Oeat Peppermint Cure. \oull find its's better than you thought. The very best you ever bought; " and colds will come to

During last month there were shipped north from New Plymouth 11'29 sheep, 190 cattle and '2l horses.

The Taranaki County Council approves of the proposal to hold a conference of the Now Zealand Counties' Association next month, and the county chairman, Mr. J. Brown, has been elected the Council's delegate. A couple of stags might have been seen a few days ago, contentedly browsing within twenty chains of the main road, on the Balfour estate, in the Pahiatua, district. The attraction appeared to be a patch of turnips. During the past month there were 9 marriages, 27 births, and 10 deaths in the district of the New Plymouth registrar, Mr. J. S. S. Medley. For the corresponding period of last year the figures were 9, 23, and 11 respectively. Glass verandahs hampered the work of the fire brigade at a fire in Christchurch a few nights ago. They prevented the firemen from reaching the windows of the upper story, and allowed the flames to spread through the verandahs to the upper floors. The dredge Paritutu has been employed during the last week or so in dredging between the wharf and the breakwater and is now completing tne work. The excavation has been comparatively easy and a berth 21ft deep at low water has been obtained, with about 14ft at the inner berth.

"One naturally has some hesitation in lending law books, and accedes to a would-be borrower's request only with reluctance," said Mr Kettle, S.M.,recently; "and no wonder, for the loss of one book may spoil a set, and a set of the New Zealand Law Rei>orts is worth about £l5O now."

Post offices were opened on the Ist, inst. at Moki road and Ngatoto road under the names of Ngatamiro and Pehu respectively. Mails will ibe exchanged once weekly between the new offices and Uruti. Correspondence should be addressed to Ngatamiro, Clifton County, and Pehu, Clifton County. The Postal Department advises that the Aorangi and the Maitai, performing the San Francisco mail service, will be despatched from Wellington direct to San Francisco in August and September next respectively. The Aorangi will leave on the 25th August, and the Maitai on the 22nd September, both at 5 p.m. The Chief Postmaster, in reply to a letter from the Taranaki County Council, in which the Postal Department is asked to remove certain telegraph poles from a road, asked the Council if it is aware that it has to bear the cost ol such removal. The Council is now awaiting from the Chief Postmaster a statement of his authority for the demand.

There was a smile at the County Council meeting yesterday when the clerk read a footnote to a letter from Mr. A. McLaren Thomson, withdrawing from the election of a councillor for the Hurworth riding. Mr. Thomson wrote: "As my action will save the Council at least £lO. I think it would be only a fair thing for the Council to expend at least that amount on my road." The Council didn't take the hint.

The southerly gale of last week had the effect of badly blocking the railway line at the root of the breakwater. In some places drift sand had accumulated to a depth of over four feet and a: gang of men has been employed since Friday afternoon in clearing tiie tracks. A crane has been fitted up with a Priestman grab and this has been put into use, the sand being put into trucks and dumped some distance away.

Potatoes are much cheaper down South than this time Jast year. It is said that one Southland grower refused an offer of £4 5s a ton on trucks a month ago and that he is now taking £3 17s 6d per ton. .When the drought and the grub ware greatly in evidence round about Oamaru farmers were led to expect great prices for their clean sound tubers, but it would appear that these hopeful anticipations have been doomed to result in disappointment.

A somewhat remarkable journey in Australia has just been completed in a motor car. The route was from Brisbane passing through New South Wales, over the Blue Mountains to Melbourne, and across the desert to Adelaide, and Broken (Hi]] to Curmamilln, (passing within a few miles of the historic spot on Cooper's Creek, where the Burke and Wills expedition perished of thirst and privation. This is the Australian record long-distance touring run in one car, with one set of tyres, and constitutes the event of the year in motoring across the water.

The fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Egmont Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U., was held last evening. Bro. L. Brabant, N.G., presided. There was- a fair attendance of members. Bro. Capper, of the Hot Springs Lodge, paid a visit to the lodge, and was accorded lodge honors. One candidate was initiated and one profor membership. The secretary was instructed to forward a letter of condolence to the relatives of a latelv deceased brother. The Past Officer's jewel that was granted to P.G. Bro. W. Hooker was duly presented bv the Lecture Master. P.P.G.M. G. IT. McGahev. Bro. Hooker thanked the lodge for the honor it had conferred on him. At yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki County Council Mr. G. V. Tate voiced the complaint of a ratepayer in the Waitara West district that stock was being grazed on the roads to a very considerable extent, damaging fences along his frontage. One of the offenders was in the habit of turning his stockon to the road at night, whilst another, who had a large farm and large numbers of stock, had no decent fences to keep them in. The suggestion was made that the Council should co-operate with the Waitara West Koad Board in the appointment of a ranger, but the objection was raised that the ratepayer had his own remedy, for he could impound the stock wandering along his own frontage. But the settlers seemed to want the Council to do all their unpleasant work. They looked on the Council just as the main body of the public looked upon the genera! Government, as a. "jolly good wet nurse to suckle them." The Council decided to approach the road board in the direction indicated.