LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 95, 12 October 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is reported that £IOOO was ofl'eral and refused for ten feet of frontage to Broadway, Stratford, qu'ite recently.

A Masterton resident lost a £1 note in his yard some months back. On Wednesday last he was surprised, on pulling to pieces a bird's ne-t, to find the note intact.

"Stratford is without a doubt going to be one of the largest inland centres of population in the North Island."— A remark by Mr. McCluggngc at Stratford on Tuesday night. The Waikato Independent has been purchased by a company coinpaising Cambridge residents. Mr. (.!. Rwmer. formerly of Kaikoura and Pahiatua, is filling the editorial chair. A candidate for political honors was addressing the electors the other night. He paused, took a long, long pull at the tumblerful of transparent liquid on the talble, and announced amid laughter, "Now we come to that much discussed matter of the liquor traffic;" Representations have been made to the Government that amendments in the existing bankruptcy laws in various directions are desirable. The Hon. J. A. Millar stated in the House of Representatives that the matter is under consideration, but there will not be time to deal wit it this session.

Addressing the Hutt electors, ."..candidate remarked: "I notice some of you women are here without your husbands. When you go home say: 'Daddy, give him a chance; give Ricluiixl Short a chance.' (Laughter). And I notice some of you men here without your wives. It's funny how men like to go about of a night without their wives. Now, when you go home to-night, you say: T\ T »w mummy—(roars of laughter)—give Biek a chance!' (Applause). Give me one Parliament, and if I am no goodi at the end of three years, crush me like a banana." (Loud laughter).

The Defence Rifle Club held a euchre party and dance on Tuesday night in the Brougham street hall, when there was a large attendance. Four ladies tied for the first prize with 14 games, and in the play-off Mrs. Murphy won, with 'Mrs. Norris second. Mr. Robinson won the gentlemen's prize, whilst seven tied for second place, Mr. Keating winning in the play-off. The floor was in good order for the dance which followed, and was greatly enjoyed by those present. Miss K. Bennett -supplied the music.

A local business man bad occasion to be at the New Plymouth station early on Monday morning, and picked up a pocket-book containing a cheque book and a sum of money in notes amounting to £53. He put his name and address as finder inside the book, and handed the same to the authorities, who a little later restored it to its owner. The finder has been awaiting a letter of acknowledgment from the owner, who must have been overjoyed to discover tluat his property had fallen into howest hands; but so far he has waited in vain.

A travelling salesman died very mhldienly in Western. Australia. Mis relatives telegraphed a ilorist to ir.uk-e a wreath; the gibbon to 'be extra wide, with the inscription, '"Best in peace" on both sides, and, if there were room, they were to add: "We sliall meet in Heaven." The florist was out of town at the lime, so the new assistant carried out the work. Tt was a startling floral piece which was sent to the funeral, the ribbon being extra wide, and bearing the following inscription): "Rest in on both sides, and if there is room, we sliall meet in Heaven."

It hits been estimated that to -rebuild the pyramid of Cheops under modern eondition an expenditure of £20,0Wt,000 would be necessary and the laljor of <M,OOO men for two years required, it has been calculated that the work really required the services of 100,000 m:en for 30 years. The .pyramid occupies a space of 12% ■acres and is 740 ft high and confiiins about 143,315,000 cubic yard* of stone and granite. The material alone represents an item of £7,200,000, while the labor would increase tliLs.amount by £14,400,000. To this, mast be added £6,000,000 for tools, transportation, and similar items.

A Calcutta correspondent report* "a truly horrible incident" which Mel an English lady. Her ''butler" was in the habit of calling loudly beneath her window every evening about 7. His cry suggested that he was calling either the cattle or the chickens home; but though she had neither, the lady for some time took no notice. Until one evening, having the curiosity to look, s-he was horrified to see the butler, like a dusky pied piper, surrounded by a troop of rats! There were quite fifty of them, from the big bandicotes to small muskrats, all being fed on the remains of hei soup, meat and other bits. In a plague country this was an amusement that was speedily ended.

A Federal bounty is being sought for the establishment of a new ind;i>tiy in Australia, that of extracting tin anid steel from tin clippings. With the development of the meat ami fruit canning industries in Australia the quantity of tin clippings exported to Germany has grown to 3300 tons a vear, and it is <lesireil by a syndicate to establish a factory m Sydney for their treatment. Recently Mr. W. Stallman. representing those interested, told the Minister of Customs that a bounty would materially assist in the establishment of the factory. He suggested £2 per ton on material used. Mr. Tudor asked that particulars as to the capital involved, the number of employees required, and the wages to be paid should -be went to him.

A peculiar happening is rcportdl from Smith Canterbury. A farmer, "noted for being a most kind and humane man," bought covers for his cows in the autumn so that they would feel "nice and warm in the winter months." AYlien feed began to get scarce, the fanner in question put the cows in a field where there was a straw-stack, and as much grass as anywhere else on the farm. Unfortunately, says the author of the paragraph, he could not notice their condition, and on getting oJV their covers a. week ago he found the wretched beasts were reiluwl literally to skin and hone. Since then two have died, and the others "may stagger «ver it." The "most kind and humane man" would have done himself and the cows a service if he had taken the -trouble to remove the covers occasionally.

Parnell is a place of more than usual interest just now. In his election address the other evening, Mr. K. <!. B. Moss said that It was, he believed, the oldest single electorate in New Zealand, and certainly the most ancient .suburban single electorate. It was gazetted over SO years ago, and the first election was !i0 years ago last January, when the Hon. Reader Wood defeated Tlveo. Ileale. The voting would not. nowadays, seem heavy, as the successful candidate polled oniy 88 votes to Mr. Heale's .34. "Mr. Moss summed up the history of l'arnell in there words: Three members in 45 Years, and in the whole of the 50 years no sitting member was ever defeated, l'arnell was held by Mr. Moss' father for the Grey and Ballancc party for 12 years, and by Mr. Lawry for the Ballance, Seddon and Ward party for 2,1 years.

While engaged in decorating Paper Buildings, in the Temple, London, a painter fell sixty .-feet owing to the snapping of one. of the "cradle" ropes. Hp fell into some «li<rujbs, and his injuries were only of a trivial nature. A gold-bearing reef of fairly large proportions is reported to have been discovered ,at Feathers ton, within about two miles of the township. Fair samples nave been .secured and assayed, and found to contain very payable stone. It is understood that a syndicate of 'ibout six have taken up the claim, and intend exploiting it. It happened in the main street. The couplo luul been chopping. The wife stumbled, and down fell a basket containing a dozen eggs, hi a moment she undid one of a number of parcels, took out a small slwivcl, and collected the fractured eggs. Hubby walked on, probably wondering in what way they were to be served up later; the spectators sniggered; the spouse walked on sei'eiielv, as if the event were ait cvory-day occurrence. The importation of nwHfs at Chungking. China, last year increased from 31,(103,000 to 334,700,000. Tn many parts of the .province it is customary to ornanuewt the centre of tte roof ridge of a house with an elaborate plaster decoration.—usually in the form of a design embodying the character "fu," meaning happiness. To prevent this being damaged by the depredation of crows, large numbers of needles are stuck point outwards inU the plaster while it is soft. 'A box of rubbish that was standing ip the lift well at the New Zealand Express Company's buildings caught ftrn at aibout '5.40 p.m. yesterday. A traveller in one of the sample rooms noticed the smoke and gaive the alarm, with the result that the brigade was called up and was soon on the scene. Several of the; company's employees, however, quickly removed the box outside, and, applying a small hose, soon extinguished the blaze. The damage done was prac-. tically nil. The Kauipokanui dairy factory is now receiving 4200 gallons of milk per day. Though the whole of the work in connection with the manufacture of cheese and butter is being done in the new building, the factory will not be completed before Christmas. The separation of the whey is proving quite a success, and at the present time "25 boxes of butter a week are being made. The suppliers are very keen on cow-testing, and 3278 cows are now being tested, as against 2000 last year. That Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan would defend his titles as "King of Finance" wa9 made apparent on Wall street on September 27, when he signed the Steel Trust's declaration of defiance of the Government. Mr. Morgan informed his associates that he expected to reassure investors bv the power of his name. He declared that the Steel Corporation is in a better position to resist dissolution than any other combine, and suggested that the chairman of directors should invite the Attorney-General to file a suit immediately. The October issue of "Progress," just l to hand, is a photographic number, and contains several articles of more than passing interest to photographers, both amateur and professional. There are also several valuable hints to the amateur .in the practice of his art. The Astronomical Xotes are particularly good this month, including a very interesting article by Professor Brooks, F.R.G.S., i\R.S., on Eclipses of the Sun, with a full account of the recent expedition to Vavau, illustrated by some line photographs. The engineering section contains an illustrated account of the new Krupp cannon, mounted on motor-cars, for service against airships, and also an account of the recent Aviation Championship Meeting. There is a good deal of architectural and building news, including a picture and plan of a country house. Dr. Malcolm,, in a lecture to flic I Otago Institute at Dunedin on "The Food Value of the Frostfish," said that this fish, like all deep-water fish, had to submit to a tremendous pressure from the water above him. If he rose, the pressure was reduced, and the gasses in his system, released from the pressure, expanded, and the fish became so light that be might not be able to get hack to bis normal depth. In a word, "lie sinks upwards, and cannot recover himself." Another explanation was that the fish was chased ashore, and the information was volunteered in support of this that when found the tail was sometimes eaten, as if some enemy had made a greedy snap at Ms escaping quarry. There were other curious facts elicited—that, for example, the fish is usually washed ashore in a, vertical position, head up and tail down; but none of them explained l the appearance of the fish in frosty weather only. The New South Wales Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Tretle) is in receipt of a report of Mr. J. B. Suttor, Commercial Commissioner in the East, having reference to the harvest prospects in Asia. At present there is almost a rice famine in Japan, and the Japanese Government, viewing the seriousness of the situation, have reduced the duty on imported rice to about half. Any shortage in Japan and China is made good by imports from India, Burma or Java, the Indian rice crop is a regulating factor in regard to prices, from the fact that the average production is equal to about 22,250,000 tons. Word lias been received from India that the monsoon conditions are causing anxiety. Any shortage in India, Japan and China must lead to the consumption of other grains, such as wheat and barley. "India plays an important part in regard to the export of wheat and flour to other countries. The Indian wheat, crop of lftliO-lflll now being handled has - an estimated area of 2!>,oa4,y<im acres, and the crop is estimated at !>,!)O©,SOO tons. Of this, t'h'e exportable surplus is estimated at about ( 1.200,151 tons. MELBOURNE TAILOR-MADE SUITS. The records of the past are eclipsed to-day. The Melbourne habit of looking ahead is at the very apex of justification. The new tailor-made suit at 05s is a challenge in value. It's a prophecy come true. An ideal built around a permanent principle, a supremacy that brooks no argument. Never has a suit been offered for approval with so much confidence. Never a suit created and built e.mbodying so many proven advantages. It's a dominating suit, —a twentieth century masterpiece. Take anyone of tht dozen new models for an instance. Note the new features: the extra full length, the "cut in" at the waist, the new deep lapels, the wide revers, the vest cut a trifle lowr; not the hang and set of the coat, the snug fitting collar; note the new American shoulders; note the absence of the exaggerated padding where the sleeve joins the shoulder; note the new roll collar and the semi-square cut of the coat. Trousers are cut just a trifle fuller than last season, with just that perfect hang and fit over the instep that only a master craftsman can impart. Taken altogether, there is a "unity" of excellence in every detail that interprets every ideal a purchaser can possibly have about a suit, while to own a Melbourne tailor-made suit stamps a man as a. connoisseur of what beauty of design in good fitting clothes really means. Dozens of the newest fabrics to choose from, any one of which the high priced costume tailors would ask you five -guineas and more for.— A#rt. ,

At the in]nml of San Domingo there is a remarkable salt mountain—a mass of cry sta lite salt, nearly four miles long, estimated to contain 00,000,000 tons, and' avid to lie so clear that a medium-sized print can be read through a 1 lock a foot thick.

At Blackball it lias been decided that the publicans throughout Grey electorate he asked 1 to make a reduction in the retail price of beer to fourpenca per pint and threepence per half-pint,. Tt was also decided tliat, should the reply from the publicans be unsatisfactory. a ballot be taken at the mine to tet the feeling in regard to giving a block prohibition vote. A proposal has been made amongst a number of chemists and druggists in Wellington tp form an amalgamated company. The object of the proposed company is to purchase a business in each of the principal streets. If the scheme is earned into effect there will be this Icht drug stores under one bead, and managed bv a directorate consisting of chemists The capital of the proposed company will be £20,000 in £5 shares.