LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 16, 13 July 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is reported that owing to the too frequent private "calls" by telephone on members of the Crown Lands office staff, in its various branches, the public are to be informed by degrees that the staff is engaged during office hours on departmental business only. The management of the Roslyn mills have advertised that all hands who have taken part in the strike will be paid of! on Saturday morning. It was hoped that a satisfactory adjustment had been contrived and that the girls would resume work, but 'they declined to start, on the ground that their demands had not been satisfied.

The court officials waited long yesterday for the parties in the action Raill v. the Deputy Assignee at Dannevirke, but they waited in vain. By dint of much telephoning it was discovered that the case, which had been fixed for 2.15 p.m., was not to come on till Friday. Surely the clerk of the court might have been notified.

A curious accident is reported by tlio Picton paper. A young man named A. W. Barker was dancing a schottisehe, when his right leg sudenly gave way, and he fell to the floor. When carried out by his companions it was found that both bones below the knee had completely snapped. He was conveyed from Waitaria to tne Picton Hospital.

Mr. W. Hoskin, of Bell Block, ( whose family have been consistent believers in and breeders of Shorthorn cattle for years past, has landed a pedigree yearling Shorthorn bull, bred mi the Mental Hospital's farm at Sunn, side, Christchurch. His dam is a very heavy milker, and he is by the imported dairy Shorthorn bull, Carpet Prince, whose sire has been a great prize-taker at dairy shows in the Old Country.

Two boy cyclists were brought to earth promptly in Devon street yesterday. They were riding in opposite directions, and whilst one looked where. ■ he was going the other wasn't going where he was looking. The wide-awake boy yelled "look out," but the other little elmp looked wrong again, and the cycles colided. Neither boy was hurt, hut one of the bikes was badly bent. As was perhaps right and proper the machine thftt suffered was the one ridden by the "absent-minded beggar." The East End Bathing Reserve Committee and the New 'Plymouth Swimming Club have decided .to work conjointly in raising a guarantee of £HO to secure a visit froni the Manly Surf Club (Sydney) in December. Ten members of the club, including Cecil Healy, the famous swimmer, will visit New Zealand, giving exhibitions of surf-sliding, life-saving, etc., and will bring their own gears The party will stay in New Plymouth for two. days, and give two exhibitions at the East End Reserve.

Proceeding from an allegation that a number of Chinese traders, who stock both fruit and groceries, conduct a trade in groceries at hours when the white trader is compelled to have his premises closed, a large number of grocers are petitioning the Wellington City Council to fix a universal closing hour for those engaged in selling groceries. If six o'clock weTe fixed by the Council, Chinese fruiterers and grocers would be unable to sell groceries after that hour. To take effect, the petition must contain the names of a majority of those engaged in the trade. The Boundaries Commission, which is to decide how the Parliamentary electorates are to be altered in view of.the increase in population, is to he called together by Sir .Tames Carroll (Minister in charge of the matter) on July 1"). Two vacancies have to be filled on the Commission—those of Messrs. Weston and Quick, who have retired. The Commission, when they meet, will consider their line of future procedure. It is understood that, the Survey Department has ready the map which it has been preparing for the Commission. This map shows in full detail the old electoral boundaries, and the present population in each.

A Tasmanian resident claims to have invented a concrete machine that will revolutionise house-building. He has erected a 22-roomed up-to-date hotel on Flinders Island, of reinforced concrete, at the rate of 500 lineal Ift courses a day, and only six men are employed on the job. The whole of the concrete work, 23ft high, was completed in '23 days, the outer and inner wall being erected simultaneously. In addition, another 22-roomed hotel has been erfcted in Linda. an<l only three men were employed on the job. The inventor (Mr. David Morgan, of Launeeston) claims that he will revolutionise the building trade by his economies of time anil money.

The result of .(he imposition of heavy inheritance taxes by tile State of New York has Ix-cn the withdrawal from the State of a sum approximating £80,000,<K>O in a few months. The banks report that deposit boxes rented by millionaires for the K-uwtody of their securities are being emptied by the seore. The inllnx of British capital for investment in the I nited States in order .to avoid home taxes lias stopped, and one bank recently shipped abroad £4,000.000 in securities which it had been holding for foreign investors . The publication of these facts has initiated a strong revulsion against the law. whic'h has been considered a remedy for swollen fortunes. In adopting it. New \ork "went the limit." only exempting inheritances of £IOOO or less, and imposing a tax in certain cases of one-fourth on estates of £-200,000 or more. It was estimated tlmifc the law would add .£ 1,0W),()()() to tlu> State income, but, the e Treasurer now reports Unit it lias the opposite effect. \\ omen's Crusade. A meeting for women So lie -held in the Baptist. Church on Friday afternoon at 2.30, when Mrs. Johnson, of Wellington, will give an aiidTess explaining the aims and working of the Women's Crusade movement. All women interested in the Temperance vause heartily invited.—Advt.

WONDERFUL VALUES IN MEN'S BOOTS. When the Melbourne Clothing Company inaugurated the system of only one price for till their men's high-grade hoots increased sales were of course anticipated, but the measure of sucoess attained has been so enormous that the firm's buying calculations have for some time been completely upset. For months past no sooner did a shipment arrive than the lot were sold in a few days, and in consequence many customers were disappointed. To ohviate a recurrence of this tronblo the firm has placed exceptionally large orders for their now famous line of lfi/0 boots for men. and shipments will arrive regularly every foiir weeks direct from the manufacturers in Northampton, England. At 10/0 the Melbourne offers a genuine welted boot in box calf, willow calf or glace kid, splendidly made and highly finished, in seven different styles. Tn every case soles are solid, and may bp had in thicknesses varying from % to, % inches. Every pair stamped "welted" and warranted all leather. Come and see this wonderful line, the like of ■which you tttwiot buy elsewhere under

Invitations will ho issued in the course of a day or two for the Park Lawn Tennis Club's annual social on Friday, 21st inst.

An Art Union in connection with the Dominion Show will he drawn on Moday, July 31, sit the Skating Rink, Ilawera.

The Kiiupokonui dairy factory has paid out to suppliers: during its fourteen years' existence no less a sum than over £700,000.

It is reported that His Excellency the Governor will vacate hivs country residence at "Longwood," Featlieraton, at an early date. "I have no time for Kings and Queens who do nothing for the good of their people," jjaid Mr. l'owell last evening; "and if King (ieorge and Queen Mary are only going to India for pleasure it were better they stayed at home."

The agitation that is taking place in different parts of the Dominion for the release of Lionel Terry, the eccentric individual who, in an access of' race antipathy, shot a harmless Chinaman in Wellington some years ago, is not regarded with any favor by the Chinese resident# in Auckland.

The Hawera Star understands that the following sales have taken place lately:—A dairy farm of 90 acres, situated between Eltham and Te Roti, sold at £45 per acre. A 45-acre dairy farm, the property of Mr. Bayliss, situated two miles from the Ilawera post office, was sold at £73 per acre cash. Mr. French, of Manaia,. was the purchaser. Mr. Tom Linn's small farm of 20 acres near Normanby was purchased by Mr. MolTatt, of Cardiff, at £B7 per acre. On arrival at Onehunga from New Plymouth to-morrow (Friday) the Northern Company's steamer Rarawa will discharge cargo, and then leave for Auckland, where sJie will undergo hor annual examination and overhaul. The Union Company's steamer Patcena will arrive on the following day, and on Sunday (July 16) will take up the Rarawn's running until the end of the month. The Rarawa will arrive back at Onehunga on August 2, when she will resume her time-table.

The out-standing feature of business in Dunedin (states the Star) is generally admitted to be a cautious prosperity, misinterpreted by hostile critics as a tendency to retrogression. The feature is noticeable in the land agency business. There is no boom, but there is what is termed a healthy activity in some suburbs, particularly in St. Kilda and St. Clair. The number of houses to be let is at the avera'gc, stage, but no one seems to know what the average is. As far as can be ascertained there are not many habitable houses empty. There arc about 300 odd settlers in and around Ivawhia occupying somewhere about 150,000 acres of land (writes a contributor to the local paper). If a dairy factory and a creamery or two were going in full swing, if it only added £ 1 an acre to the value of the land, it meari.< £150,000 in the pockets of 300 settlers, or £SOO apiece on an average. If they only guarantee 200 cows (vviiich means £2OO, or 10s 8d a man, on an average) it will mean that the factory in Kawhia will be started immediately, and, as over 100 cows are already promised, it reduces the liability to about 0s 8d a settler.

At the coronial enquiry into the circumstances of the death of the man Mackenzie at llawera the other day, the Coroner said on the face of the evidence no one was to blame in the matter; there was no evidence to show anything had been done wrongly, or that anything had been overlooked. The cvfdence disclosed that the deceased was a steady young man. who was competent in his work, and His Worship could only arrive at the conclusion that it was one of those unfortunate accidents which could not be avoided. He returned a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to anyone.—Star.