LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 71, 14 September 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tt is stated that new potatoes are selling in Auckland at (id per lb. This is unusually early, and the reason is au extremely favorable season. Letters of naturalisation have lately been granted to no less than 48 persons. Ordinarily there are about half-a-dozen at a time. People in peculiar positions often aspire to municipal honors in New Zealand, but Gisborne has about carried off the palm, for among the nominations to fill a vacancy on the local Borough Council was that of a Chinese market gardener. A New South Wales farmer has been experimenting successfully in growing lucerne for seed, and has found it a profitable side-line. He took oyer one thousand pounds per acre off his farm, while another had a return of nearly £SOO for 44 bags.

Water diviners are not always infallible. One of them pointed out to a Bunnythorpe settler the exact location where water could be found on his property. Operations were forthwith started," and a pipe has been driven a great distance down, at an expenditure approaching something like C3OO, but up to the present no indications of water have been met with.

The question as to the origin of the name of Christchurch may be regarded as authoritatively settled. In a letter to the editor of the Press, .Lord, l\ilbracken, after referring in congratulatory terms to the jubilee number of the Press, says: ''ln one of your recent numbers which you sent to me, I saw it stated that there was some doubt as to the reason why the town of Christchurch was so called. As to this, my father states plainly in one of his letters that he called the town after his Oxford College, Christ Church, and this fact was well-known to me and to all the family."

A rescue from the surf was made by Mr. Cecil llealy, the champion swimmer, at Manly, a few days ago. A young German went into the water at the southern end of the beach, near the rocks, and apparently ignorant of the risk he was incurring, swam far beyond the line of breakers. When he attempted to return he found that the task was more than he could accomplish, and in despair threw up his hands. Air. llealy ran to the outermost rock, and, diving in, swam to the distressed Gcnuaii, whom he encouraged to maiulain bis presence of mind. When Mr. Mealy had calmed the man's fears lie brought him towards the shore, Hcfr.v.- tho beach was reached the life line wa., nm out, and then quicker progress shore-wards was made. Australians and Xew /"o.l.indcrs are now so numerous in the tivU.y port of Shanghai that they have b..-n able to form an association. One of iheni, ih*. W. S. Andrews, of Xew South Wales, has invited the Premier and his colleagues to extend their patrmiage. to it. The association is stated to h.'ve a prospective membership of over 50. Xew Zealand and each of the Si ales will be represented on the executive committee of the association, the primary object of which is to promote Australasian interests in the East. A helping hand will be extended by members to any compatriot in that part of China who may find himself in need of employment, advice or assistance. Mr. Andrews has been informed, in reply, tint the stated objects of the proposed society commend themselves to the \->w South Wales Government, and ]'? h-ts been asked to furnish Mr. McGowen with any later information at his disposal regarding the movement.

For chronic chest comtil«ints. Wcofla' Greta Peppermint Cure, IMijnd 2| JH,

Mr. B. Tippins lias resigned his appointment a-i general inspector, poundkeeper, etc., uiulea- the Borough Council. Dunno 1 the recent long spell of dry weather" logging-np and 'burning operation* have been in full swing, a most unseasonable work.

The well-known "H.P.." i->g" '* to x,tt erected in liltham, where the linn has purchased a central site and is having premises erected in concrete. Arrangements have been made for the (iarrison Hand to be m attendance at the football match this afternoon, and bandsmen are requested to meet in the sports ground at 2 p.m. sharp. Several dairy companies have agreed to manufacture saltless butter this year. One of the men "in the know" says a lot of this "ill be sent from France to KiHand a.s Normandy rolls. The same wiTtlcmiftn opines that this is going to be ,t great year for the milk-blending firms at Home.

\n Argentine farmer who passed through New '/caknd recently after a tour of the world expressed a distinct leaniiv towards New Zealand stock for stud purpose* in the Argentine, but, he added, the shipping charges to import to the Argentine from New Zealand arc so hi«h as to be almost prohibitive. As far as he was concerned they were prohibitive.

The weekly session of the Prince of Peace, 1.0.G.T.. No. 72, Waitaw, was held in the Foresters' Hall on Tuesday evening, Bro. 0. J. Jfcrrkk. 0.T., in the chair. During the evening two new members were initiated. 1 Bros. Pepperilband White, from Fgmont No. 112, came from New Plymouth. After the usual 'business the lodge .was dosed in due form by the 0.T., after which refreshments were handed round.

The Courthouse is still in the hands of the builders and painters. A new "bench" is being installed, and the mi-crobe-catching l>aize curtain which has hitherto screened the judges' and magistrates' boot* from view will probably disappear. If the heavy, dusty hangings also depart, the atmosphere would not be injuriously affected, either, and it might.improve the acoustic properties of the .building.

The following instruction has been issued to all postmasters: When any-post-master has reason to believe that an old-age pensioner has become possessed of sufficient property or income, in excess of the amount of pension granted, or is in receipt of regular employment, or misspends his 'pension in drink, he shall at once report confidentially to the Commissioner at Wellington and refrain from paying further instalments until otherwise instructed. A hint for the force.—At the. Napier Magistrate's Court, Mr. McCarthy, S.M., pointed out that n policeman has no right to stop anyone who is riding a bicycle without lights. The utmost he can do is to .request the law-breaker to ston. Tf he attempts to forcibly stop the offender he may be brought before the Court and charged with assault. A case occurred in Umdon recently where a constable stopped a young lady who was riding a bicycle without light, and the officeT was fined £5 for assault.

"Personally,"' says Ariel in the Dunedin Star, 'I am in favor of waste Maori lands passing into the hands of white men as quickly as possible. The fine Mokiin district' has laid idle from the Creation till now. It is a wilderness interposed between settlement in Auckland and settlement in Taranaki. Speedily it will link the two provinces, instead of dividing the.ni. One or two hundred prosperous farmers, representing a thousand people, will occupy the block. Hitherto it has produced eels and kakas. I rejoice in the change. T anplaud those who bring it a,bout. and don't grudge them a profit."

The Waitara public mostly knows that the clock at the railway station is a few minutes ahead of the Post Office time, and Hie people there set out to catch their train accordingly. But it's a bit awkward for the man who isn't used to these little peculiarities. The other day a man who missed his train .found a disparity of three and a half minutes between the railway station clock and the post office clock.' and he had tried to catch bis train liy the latter. The same trouble, only in an aggravated form, used to cause much cursing at the New Plymouth station, for the station clock Wilis an abomination. The trains are now despatched according to the town clock dial, which robs the late risers of an excuse for 'missinc the mail."

A meeting was hold in the Huirangi Hall last Thursday to elect new member.* for the Huirangi Domain Board. Messrs. Robert Wells, <iilib, Andrews and S. Turnbull, the retiring members, were present.' The funds of the Board showed a credit balance of about £3O. The following were elected as members for the ensuing term: Messrs. S. Tnrnbull. P. H. E. Surrey and 0. J. Herrick. The retiring members' were accorded a hearty vote of thanks for their past services.

street letter boxes in Xew Plymouth have recently been defaced and otherwife damaged by some mischievous person's. Tn one instance, lighted matches had been dropped through the aperture, partially burning letters. Under the Post and Telegraph Act. lflOS, ycry severe penalties are provided for these offences. Anyone placing matches, explosives nr dangerous substances in n letter box is liable to seven years' imprisonment.

The Maori name was too much for the Admiralty (savs a London correspondent, writing on July 2S). There is, to be sure, an H.M.S. Maori in the Xavv. but she appeared discreetly amongst a. shoal of destroyers, which is found convenient and appropriate to name after noxious and warlike tribes in the Empire. When it came to re-naming the battleship Xew Zealand, in order to bestow her name on the Dreadnought which the Dominion is presenting to the Xavv, the question arose as to the apwonriatcness of giviusr another Xew Zialand name tn the ve-sel which po-.sess>s several mementos' n f her Xew Zeabnd association. Sir Joseph Ward sucfgested Raugatira, but since he left Entrland the name has apparently worried the Admiralty, and finally overwhelmed them. Hence we find the ex-Xew Zealand going nuietlv into commission on August as H.M.S. Caledonia. Presumably the gifts she carries will he transferred In the new Dreadnought,

Profits aggregating £-22S.H.in wort drawn last year from nine State enterprises—the Advances to Settlor*, Advances to Worker*. State Kire Insurance, the fiovcrumont sh.ire« in the. Bank of New Zealand, the Public Trust Ofl'ice, the Lands for. Settlement Department, the Cheviot Estate in Cantorlmrv. the National .Endowment. Lands, and the State Oyster Fisheries. In 1000-IO these nine services returned profits amounting' to £160,080. In the case of the Advances to Settlers Office the net. profits showed considerable fluctuation. Tn 180ROfl, the first year far which Ihe figures are snnplied. the amount shown was £12,321. Tn 11)02-03 this, had increased to £34,000, in 11)08-00 to £04.018; in InOO-10 the amount dropped to £41,833, ami in 1010-11 recovered to £00,440. The Lands for ■Settlement flames are equally interesting in 100841!) the amount was £11.537; in 1010-12 it had grown to £,10,80,5; in 1003-04 to £44,(575; in 1004-0.) it receded to £lO,50?; rwnvorinp in to £44,847; and in 1010-11

Sales of separator butter havo been made at lO'/gd for export. A report has been received by the police thait the Awatuna West store was broken into on Tuesday night. No one lives on the premises, the proprietor being also owner of the store at Awatuna East. So there is nothing to indicate who the perpetrators were.—Argus. Mr. .1. D. -Henry! the oil expert, has just completed a volume on the oilfields of New Zealand, which will be published shortly through Messrs. Bradbury, Agnew and Co. Mr. Henry is strongly »>£ opinion that New Zealand oil will get its tirat great opportunity in London this year.

"I don't care what you say, but England grows her statesmen; she cannot, make them," said the student of English politics to a fellow traveller after dinner in a Taranaki pub. "Just look at the Salisbury's, the Rosebery's, the " then came a husky voice from the corner, a product of the land, "How about the blackberries!"

The Taranaki Garrison Band has been engaged to piny at the Taranaki r. North Island match to be held at Stratford on September 21. The Band will plav before the match, at half-time, and after. The match is now time to start at 3.15 p.m. sharp. The contest is creating a lot of interest, and should prove an exciting one. The Taranaki team is to he further strengthened by the inclusion of two or three new players, who have thrown in their lot with the iNurthe.ni Union game. Notwithstanding the exposures which have been made in Auckland regarding pilfering on the wharves, says the New, Zealand Times, it is rumored that a good deal of illicit procuration of goods goes on- on the Wellington wharves. A reporter was informed on Tuesday that expresses have been seen going off the Queen's Wharf at about four o'clock in the morning, This is said to be contrary 1 to the Harbor Board's regulations, which provide that no cart sliall go on to the wharves before (1 o'eloc-k a.m. Certain men connected with the eavrving 'business in Wellington assert that they are in possession of facts which prove that pilfering in the early hours of the day and at other times is rife. One cart, it is stated, which was driven off the Queen's wharf early one morning contained a good many packages. Some of the geysers at Whakarewarewa have been fairly active during the past few days. Pohntii particularly giving some iiiie displays (says the Hot Likes Chronicle). On Sunday, the 3rd inst., Pohutii and the Prince'of Wales' Feather geysers commenced to erupt at 7.40 p.m., and were in a state of activity for an hour and 15 minutes. On Tuesi day the same geysers were again in owiption at 10.37 a.m., but ceased playing at 11.0 a.m. On the following day they became active at 14.10 a.m., and continued in a state of eruption for an hour and five minutes. On Thursday last the same geysers, Pohutu and the Prince of Wales' Feather, once more lieeame active, and 'gave a line display from j.20 p.m. until (1.38 p.m., during which the former geyser gave a fine exhibition. On Friday the same geysers once more erupted, commencing at 10.35 a.m. and continuing active until 11.20 a.m. Wnikorohihi and Keroru-geysers have also been in a state of eruption during the week at intervals, and Pohutu's cauldron has given some good displays. Papakura geyser has been active continuously throughout the week, and is one of the sijjhts at Whakarevvarewa.

''Many of you," said Sir Joseph Ward nt the letter-carriers' social at Wellington last week, "have not had an experience thaf I have had. I went to bed at 8 o'clock one night at sea, 500 or 70(1 miles away from New Zealand, and nt 11 o'clock was awakened by a steward handing me a telegram which contained an invitation' to a social gathering all those miles away. . . You comment* to realise." the Prime Minister added, "when this sort of thing occurs, that there is nothing of the 'experimental stage- about wireless telegraphy nowadays." He went on to say that during his voyage out to Xew' Zealand the ship was always in communication with some place or some other ship. Every day they had news of the doings of the world. The accuracy of this news was quite extraordinary. Only on one occasion had he had reason to have one. doubtful word repeated. Sir Joseph Ward also alluded to the convenience it was to merchants arranging sales and having to meet urgent orders for seasou's goods to know some days in advance at what exaot time they could expect to obtain their consignments.