LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 34, 3 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is estimated that the funeral of the late Mr, T. E. Taylor in Christchurch was witnessed by 50,000 people. Some of the settlers in the back parts of the province are complaining of the shortage of Labor at present. Efficient bushfellers {fre difficult to obtain, and more difficult to keep. Pigeons in the country inland of Ureti are reported to be unusually numerous this winter. Owing to the difficulties of communication, the "sports," fortunately, have not yet got to work there. There lias been a big run on eleagnus trees in New Plymouth this year. Some of the nurserymen have been cleared right out. The tree thrives well in North Taranaki, and f6r hedges it is hard to beat. There is a growing demand for goats in Northern Taranaki at the present time, especially those having an Angora strain. As much as three guineas has been paid, though tlvo average price is much lower. The goats are found very useful in keeping down weeds and blackberry. The Wanganui Chronicle: The death is reported of the well-known octogenarian chief, Mahutu, whose artistically tatooed features were well known in the northern districts. A big tangi is in progress. He was the last of the flghtin" chiefs who went through the war. He fought in many engagements in Taranaki. A farmer within easy distance of New Plymouth lias kept a tally of the sheepworrying dogs that he and his men have shot. Up to date they number sixtythree. Only two were registered, and the owners were traced and compelled to pay for the damage done. From this it would seem that during the past few years there must have been a large number of collariess. canines straying about, the environs of the town. Word has been received from Melbourne that Mr P.- A. Bremer, the wellknown South Taranaki breeder, privately disposed of his celebrated Clydesdale sire, Lord Erskine, which bad a very successful run In the show rings of the North and South Islands, to a South Australian buyer. The Hon. G. D. Ormond also sold his draught stallion Bonny Glen, the price being 600 guineas, the highest price reached at the Melbourne sales. An architect in the Empire City was showing his client over a new biiildin" that was being taken over from the con & tractors. At the conclusion the tour of inspection, the owner remarked, "You are quite satisfied I'm getting a real good job." "Oh, perfectly," replied the architect. 'Well, now that I have gone over the place with you, I hope you won't mind going over with me, and I will show you that I am getting anything but a real good job." As a result the contractors and their staff wore there for another five weeks.

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Irish Nationalist Home Rule funds will receive £ S>s<)o as New Zealand's contribution. There are rumors current of an impending strike of Southland sawmill workers. The ibox plan for the "Jack and the Beanstalk" pantomime opens at Collier's this morning at eight o'clock. ; Jn connection with the special train which loaves at 5.30 this evening for Hawera, a connecting train will leave Lopperton Junction at G. 5 p.m. for Waitara. Two ladies were waiting at Collier's at 12.30 this morning for the opening of the box plans for the pantomime. Later they were joined by others. It is to be hoped they secured good seats. ! They deserved to. j First-class eating potatoes are being I retailed from door to door in Masterton by natives at 12s fld per sack (states the Wairarapa Age). Asked why he had entered the retail business, one of the natives said: "My friend, he like tlve money to go to the pictures." Passengers who arrived in Sydney last J week from the New Hebrides state that i Ambrym volcano is very active. At night the illumination is very picturesque. The crater, it is reported, has broken out in a fresh place. The detonations are very distinct, and can be heard from 10 to 15 miles away. Rabbits are said to be increasing at an alarming rate in North Canterbury and in the Aghburton district. The increase is said to be. due mainly to the fact that the river-beds are getting thickly covered w?th gorse and broom, thus affording ideal sanctuaries for the pest. A man, who representing himself as the captain of a Canadian steamer, is alleged to have defrauded a local hotelkeeper, was arrested by the Auckland police the other day, upon information supplied 'by Detective-Sergeant Boddani. The accused man was staying at one of the leading hotels, and was arrested there. He is to be brought ibefore the 1 court at Marton on a similar charge, ' afterwards coming on here. ; The influx of visiting cyclists for the big Round the Mountain cycle race 'has commenced, the first of the competitors, accompanied by his trainer, arriving in town yesterday. Competitors and trainers will now be arriving in 'batches for a few days, as moat of the eighty riders from beyond New Plymouth have intimated their intention of spending not less than a week here to familiarise themselves with the route. "I should like to speak freely on this question," remarked an Eketahuna borough councillor, when a certain subject was under discussion, "that is provided the Press will not report me." "You want us, then, to gag the Press," retorted the Mayor. "No, not exactly that," replied the Councillor, "as I would' gain my object by moving that the Council go into committee. However, 1 will not say what I was going to." ■ The opening of a four nights' season by the Plimmer-Denniston Company in Baliarat last week was marked by an l excited rush to gain admittance to witi ness the performance of "Nobody's ! Daughter." Half an hour before the ) play began a crowd blocked the street, and when the door was opened there 1 was a wild rush. Three women were knocked down, and several fainted in the crush. Hatpins were used by the women in order to save themselves from the : crowd, and the police had some difficulty in restoring order. Fortunately nobody was injured. It is persistently rumored that a railway spy is still staying in Timaru, and travelling on the expresses on the section and on branch line trains in the district. It is believed, however, that j no officer has so far been caught in the net which is supposed the authoriI ties have set. Last week a Timafu [ Herald reporter asked the Hon. J. A. ! Millar, Minister for Railways, if he I would make any statement about the alleged espionage, and received the reply, "I will make no statement to any newspaper, but will have something to say on the floor of the House." Vegetables of all kinds are abnormally scarce and dear in Melbourne at present. Cabbages are phenomena'lly I dear, and last week prices were realised which were considerably in excess of values ever before recorded, rates ruling as high as los per dozen —ls 3d each. At the corresponding date twelve months ago, prices ranged from eighteen-pence to i two shillings per dozen. Cauliflowers which last winter were offered in abundance in Melbourne at from eighteenpence to half-a-crown a dozen, realised up to seven shillings, and almost all other kinds of vegetables advanced in proportion. The present outlook promises no early reduction in rates, and a veritable vegetable famine is predicted within the next few weeks. In Australia just now potatoes seem to be as costly as fruit in New Zealand. It is reported that in Western Australia good qaulity potatoes fetch up to , £+o per ton, the cause of the abnormal increase being a famine and drastice restrictions against the entry of tubers from the eastern States. It is interestin gto recall that during a potato famine in Western Australia some ten years ago potatoes sold at 3d each (so they say). In Melbourne and Sydney at present potatoes realise £7 and £lO per ton respectively, whilst locally they do not find a ready sale at £3 per ton. Many fanners have still got their yields in pits, and it is thought that a heavy loss will be experienced. Several merchants appear to think that an effort should bo . made to liave removed Australia's obj jections to New Zealand potatoes. They maintain that several thousand tons of well-graded, clean potatoes could be sent j to Australia if the restrictions were reI moved. 1 "The labor difficulty is killing this country," said the owner of a. sheep run to a News representative recently. "I know of any amount of sheep farmers who are only half working their places because of the inability to get good men at reasonable wages. Take my own ease. I could very easily put on twelvo men from now to the burning season, but 'once bitten, twice shy.' Last year I had a good patch of country felled ready for the burn, clearing and grassing. I knew some chaps who had just finished a road contract. I saw them and told them I could give them work for a few months. They replied that they knew I must have labor, and their terms were 2s an hour and found! But I was not. having any, and, after a lot of bother, got a I couple of men whom I paid Is (i<l an I hour without keep, and, between the three of us, working long hours, we got through the job. But I don't want to repent the experience. The trouble is the working men of this country are too well off, and don't know what'is a fair i thing. There must come a time when they will alter their tune and be amenI able to reason." THE REASON SO MANY EMPLOY US To do their forwarding work is because we always give our clients the best service we can. This is invariably prompt, i reliable, reasonably-priced. Tliis sen-ice retains old customers, brings new ones, and accounts for our development into j the biggest and best carrying company | south of the line.—N.Z. Express Com- j ' pany, Ltd.—Advt. I