LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 80, 25 September 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Arbitration Court commences its sittings at New Plymouth this morning. To-day is Dominion Day, and the banks and Government offices will observe a holiday. For evading a payment at a toll-gate an Kit ham settler was fined ;C2. with £•> 10s costs, at the Magistrate's Court. It is stated that a South Cantcrburv farmer recently had to skin I-JIM sheep which had died from starvation owing to lack of feed in the district. The appeal case of Newton King (appellant) v. Dwan Bros, (respondents), an appeal from the decision of Mr. If. S. I'Mtzherbert, S.M., was to have come before the Supreme Court last week, but was settled. The New Plymouth High Schooil boys held a relay race from Waitara to New Plymouth last year, and the event aroused a good deal of interest. The race is to become an annual fixture, and 1 sixty boys (six teams of ten) are now preparing for this year's event, which will be decided in two or three weeks' time. The boys are subscribing top urchase a challenge cup for the event, to be known as the "1911 Boys' Cup." Tha lire bells clanged ouit a call just after nine o'clock last night. Devon street central filled with hundreds of people in a few minutes—and went home again. Enquiries revealed that Mr. J. 0. WAster had noticed a. thick column of smoke rising from the National Bank Chambers, and telephoned Mr. P. P. Corkiil to inquire if lie knew of any reason for the occurrence. Mr. Corkiil thought the circumstance suspicious, and communicated with the fire brigade. In a few minutes the brigade was on the spot, and the water quickly connected up. Meantime, however, it had been found that the smoke was rising from the fireplace in the bank clerk's room. He had been stoking up freely, and the smoke hung about. Many of the fruitgrowers are looking a bit "blue" at present (reports the Motueka correspondent of tlie Colonist), but this is due to continually spraying with Bordeaux mixture, and not from any fear of the future of the fruit markets. Motor pumps are quite plentiful, and the amount of spraying materials used is enormous. One grower alone will use 13cwt of bluestoite this season, and this will cost over £2O, without the expense of mixing and putting it on. Round the Moutere inlet the whole face of the country is changing, and where three years ago there was nothing but gorse and' manuka, now there is a succession of young orchards, varying in extent from eight to twenty acres. In Tasman planting is going on in a much Jargo scale, and if the main road to Nelson is made through this valley the drive from Nelson will in a few years be through a succession of smiling orchards. *Thcre is a great commercial future before these islands, beyond a doubt," said Professor Brown, speaking of the Solomons to a Press reporter. "The islands are splendidly suited for the cultivation of copra on the coast lands, where the soil is black and loamy, and rubber on the lower slopes of the very high ranges of mountains. Copra used to pay handsomely at £l2 10s. Now it fetches £23, and there is a limitless demand for it. The best labor for the copra plantations is recruited from Malaita. They are mountain folk, and work well, while the coast-born natives are lazy, and easily make enough by the sale of cocoanuts (for copra) to keep them in comfort. The old fellows on Malaita seem to recognise that it is not a bad thing to send their sons to work on the plantations, for as soon as they come back at the end of three years the sons' money is divided up among their relatives in a charmingly communistic fashion."

The Ixmdon housewife, writes the London correspondent of the New Zealand Herald, keenly felt the effects ot tho dockers' and transport workers' strike. Butter, cheese, eggs, and bacon increased in price, and general provision dealers were fearing heavy hisses when the mail left. A large dealer explained; "We have got ships in the river now with provisions, which we can't get off— Swedish bacon, New Zealand cheese, Australian ham and bacon. Last Friday was market day, and usually our business on that day totals £4OOO or £.">000. As a matter of fact we sold £25 worth, and that was casks of butter which we happened to have in. Prior to that wo sold' dozens of boxes, which we have not been able to deliver. We have a ship at, the docks now with IdOO boxes of butter and 1500 boxes of cheese on board, and the.v are not being touched. They will keep good, of course, because of tho refrigerating machinery. The strike has caught us just at the wrong time. Tile hot weather makes the keeping of large .stocks impossible, and everyone has been going on from hand to mouth."'

In the course of his opening remarks at the 'Stratford Magistrate's Court. oil Friday morning, in a case'against a settler for allowing cattle to wander on a couuty road, Mr. Malone referred to fhfl defendant as the "'accused'' (remarks the Post/). The S.M. (Mr. Kenrick.) said he would prefer that in such cases the person charged should he referred to as "the defendant." Mr. Malone at once stated that he had no intention of offending defendant. The S.M. digressing, said that in his opinion magistrates should lie given power in dealing with cases of wandering cattle, breaches of liy-laws and similar cases in inllici a line without recording a conviction. As things stood they were practically manufacturing "criminals," as every conviction for riding a bicycle without lights or on a footpath, driving a vehicle withotu lights after dark, or any similar slight misdemeanour was entered in the criminal statistics, thereby probably impressing people that there, was a great deal of clime in the Dominion. He was sure, that if statistics were analysed it would he found that a large proportion of the "criminals'' were guilty of only very mild law-breaking.

YOU SHOULD BEAR IN MIND That by using the Commercial Eucalyptus Oil. which is now bought up at Od per Ih. weight and bottle, and, on account of the large profits, pushed, you I are exposing yourself to all the dangers to which the use of turpentine will expose you—irritation of kidneys, intestinal tract and mucous memnranes. By insisting on the GENUINE SANDER EUCALYPTI EXTRACT you not only avoid these pitfalls, but you have a stimulating, safe and effective medicament, the result of a specialdmd careful manufacture. Remember: SANDER'S EXTRACT embodies the result of 50 years' experience and of special study, and it does what is promised; iv cures and hon.ls without injuring the constitution, aa the oils on the market frequently do. Therefore, protect youmlf by rejecting other brands. .

Residents of Akitio (East <Joa*>f.) have guaranteed £3OO per annum for three vein's, for a doctor to live ;it I'ongaroa, with t.lio right of private pi actio.-. Some five years ago two-boxes of butter (in lil) pats) were placed in cold storage in Wellington. When the butter was removed the other <lay it was found' to he thoroughly sound, of good quality and excellent llavor, tile period that has elapsed not causing the slightest deterioration. The two ix)xe« of butter were placed on the market anil sold at ruling price:-!. The Scpteml.-r i-Mic nf i ins Journal of the Department of Agriculture is a particularly good number. it. includes an illustrated article on plant-breeding by the Minister or Agriculture, and a number of timely articles mi current, problems liy the .experts of tin: Department. The notrti on developing industries continue a feature of the Journal. One of the most- instructive articles is the annual review of the work of the model cow-testing fi-ssO'iations t ,i the Department. There are articles by tlx; Department;'-. -<t!l\cers on da mid, club-root in turnips, ■ir.iij,' plants, strangles and inllue-nza, e nt-agious manmiitis, mortality of t-loc o.n mangels, side-bone, the soya bean, .lit* grass grub, co-opcrative mai/.e iwpe iinints. vaginal catarrh of cattle, mil European ineutniarkets, ct(. Writing ot the Budget. tin; Southland Times remarks; Of espcii;:! interest are the proposals dealing with co-operative banks «nd, family settlements. We are sorry to ne'e that a farmers' representative has sought to cast lidicule on the co-operative hank proposal. The experience of other countries has shown that the scheme is thoroughly sound, and that it is capable of conferring large benefits upon the farming community. Not much is known about co-operative banks in New Zealand, out the fact that there are 12.000 banks of the kind in Germany, and that 950 of <>m type keep no less a sum than £100,000,000 in circulation speaks for itself. 'Farmers know that only security which is Aauy value under the present 'bankinfHystcm is (he (security of i broad acres,Wd when they understand that characttHindustry, and skill will be taken into Mount by the co-operative banks they fvll realise the possibilities of these institutions. Cautious management and caljifill discrimination are necessary, I>ut given these factors the cooperative bank* should be a success, and should prove an effective aid in land settlement. . r

As a further preparation for the possibility of a naval war in tbc North Sea, the German Government is utrengthcning the fortifications of Helgoland. The island is to made as far as possible impregnable. -.Hitherto its defences have been under t!ie command of a captain of the engineiring corps, who has received his intrue.tions from Cushavcn, near the mouth of the Kibe. This arrangement is now superseded, find in future there will Ik; jiii indepemk'jit e.ommand, with greatly increased organisation, on the island itself. The Berlin press states that the fortification of Heligoland has been quietly ii propm* i'tvr years past, and that the iiland is now provided not only with the; most modtun and complete defensive works and appliances, but also willi the finest and most destructive artillery t'-hat the world can produce. The naval and military authorities have preserved the strictest secrecy regarding the work that n.is been conducted on the iiland. and eveiy inch of the l'oek devoted to fortilieni.ii>;] or other military purpo-r. is hidden behind a high fence. In nrder to prevent prying even the ercv : ce- of tiiis (ei;t,,- have been carefully closed.

Apropos of tlu comments-etvbleU recent] v—made by Hen Bebel iit the Socialist Congress regarding Germany's gold reserve against war consisting of only the £8,000,000 in the Julius Tower, it may lie explained, that in the Julius Tower at Spandau, Germany. in old-fasli-ioned war chests, litis lain £t>,ooo,ooo foi more than thirty years, a tribute from France at the end of t.lie Franco-Prus-sian war. It is what is known as the Imperial military reserve fund, and is intended to defray tlie first expenses of n campaign, and to be sent !o the various army headquarters (for daily use in ease war should break out. In such case it is calculated this money in the Julius Tower would last the army until a regular treasury appropriation coukl l>e made in due form, is the seat of tinlast of Germany's l.lreat inland forts. The .Julius Tower is lin the venire of the Spandau .fortitieatioi,|, ami the fort is always well garrisoned. The < i.jvernmenl maintains an infantry rifie school and ainmtition, ride and artillery works there.