LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 65, 7 September 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A meeting of the Municipal Progressive Association was held last evening, but the business transacted .was ordered not to be reported in the press. The dairy season is now commencing in earnest, and the Corinna will tnkei away the first shipment of butter on the 18th inst. The, consignment will probably amount to about a thousand boxes. The Postul Department advise that mails which left Wellington, via Suez, on .July 2S. reached London on the 2nd inst. ' The Vancouver despatch from Auckland of August 4 reached London on the. 4th inst. The mildness of the season has been exceptionally good for lanfbs this year, and farmers have sustained very few losses. Good percentages of lambs are recorded, and the little "woollies" aro making rapid headway. "I think ive ought to discountenance, as far at) possible, these people who fly through the colony in about twentv-four hours, and then write a book on Xc.w Zealand. I .believe these people do this Dominion a very great deal of harm," | said Mr. A. If. Arnold at the Chamber of Commerce last evening. Three concerts have been held in aid of the Taranaki Agricultural .Society's Agricultural IPall fund, resulting in the j following additions to the fund:—Hui-! rungi, £;>; Frankley Roa<l Settlers Association. .Efl; Beil Block, £22 10s. Concerts are to be held shortly at Egmont Village and Hillsborough. Rain is badly needed in the open country o<f Taranaki. There is little or no growth so far oil much of the rich dairy land of the province. Most of the dairy herds are now coming to profit, hut the amount of milk is small .The herds, owing to the mild season, are in good healthy condition, and should respond well when the grass gets away with a decent start. •Mr. P. S. Whitcombe, secretary to the Taranaki Education Board, has received the following telegram from the Education Department: "Regret that through unavoidable delay in gazetting amended certificate regulations application forms for teachers' examination must still he held back for a few days. The time for receiving applications from teachers is being extended to October 15."

A resident of the east end of the borough complains bitterly of the treatment he lias received at the hands .of sneak thieves. He recently planted a choice lot of pansies, chrysanthemums and oilier flowers. On rising the following morning he found to his utter <lisgnst that some sneak thief lvad purloined all the plants. He now threatens to ".plant" steel-teeth rat traps in his flower garden and to secure a lmll-dog to do sentry work at night. A sheep farmer in Taranaki was surprised to sue a large seagull tackle a live lamb on his if arm the other day. Usually these gulls or gannets feed on any (lead sheep or lambs that may helving around, but it is lint often that the birds will touch the live animals. On the day in question the fanner saw the gull attack a live lamb and before he could get to t;lio spot the bird had torn out an eye and an car oil' the animal. Altogether the bird destroyed three lambs before a charge of shot finished' his career. The bull) show to be held at St. Mary's iTftill to-day promises to be more than usually interesting. Owing to the mildness of the 'season the spring blooms are more forward and in greater abundance than usual. Besides the local exhibits there will be displays bv nurserymen. The show,-which is in aid «f St. Mary's Sunday School funds, will be open from 2 to 9.30 p.m., and the entrance fee is one shilling. A MODERN REMEDY. ' Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery for Coughs and Colds gets to the root of the trouble, and effects a permanent cure. Price, Is Cd and 3s. Obtainable everywhere.

Mr. D. Zim.'ui. managing director ol the Kotuku Oilfields Syndicate and the Consolidated Goldlields of New Zealand, Progress Mines and Blackwater Mines, is on a short visit to New Plymouth. So far the only candidate out against Mr. Taylor for Thames is Mr. T. W. Rhodes, a Liberal Freeholder, who gives a general support to the Government policy with the exception named. , He is now addressing various parts of the electorate. Preparations are being made at Tc Kuiti for a big meeting of natives to be held there on September !). The meeting will be one of the biggest ever held in Te Kuiti since the advent of the white man. Many important matters are to be discussed. Sir James Carroll, the Hon. A. T. Ngata, and other leading members of the Maori race have signified their intention of being present.