LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 127, 20 November 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A settler at Sentry Hill lost a bull last, week by lightning, which apparently iwas attracted by the chains attached to the animal.

An anonymous donor has presented Hastings with a set of Cambridge chimes, which will ring out the hours tunefully from the post office tower.

It is essential that electors should not delay any longer about seeing that their names are on the electoral roll. The writs are issued on Tuesday, November 21, and after G p.m. on that day no further names will be added to the roll.

The Chatham Island correspondent of the Wairarapa age writes:—There died recently at the Chatham Islands an old native woman, named "Haena," over 90 years of age. She came from New Zealand when quite a girl, and witnessed some of the slaughter of the unfortunate Maoris. She has tasted "long pig" more than once, so reports say. Sho was quite energetic up till the time of her death.

The secretary of the Taranaki Agricultural Society has Teccived notice from the Education Board that permission has been granted to all school committees to allow thein to close their schools one day to allow the children to attend the agricultural show. It is to be hoped that the school committees will take advantage of this permit. Excursion trains are running both days, which should suit the children and parents from all along the line. To attend a show of live stock such as will be seen next Wednesday and Thursday should be an education in itself to both parents and children alike, and we trust the trains will be well loaded with both young and old. Questions bulked largely in Mr. G. Laurenson's address at Lyttelton on Tuesday last, and one of them evoked shouts of laughter. It was a query as to whether the member was in favor of penalising boys and girls abroad unattended after 8 p.m. Mr. Laurenson remarked that it was not long since some missionary laws had been repealed in the Islands. One was that no young man should walk out with a young woman after dar knuless he had a lighted torch in his right hand. He was of opinion that if the law were in force in Lyttelton the Sumner road on a fine night would resemble a torch-light procession. This proposal he thought was worthy of consideration.—Lyttelton Times.

Why did New Zealand ship 002.000 lambs last March, as against 371,000 in the previous March? asks the London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times At that time of the year the 'addition of, say, 100,000 carcases to arrivals in London makes a %d per lb difference in the price on the London market. New Zealanders may by referenco verify my assertion that until the news of the March shipments came to hand in London the market was a very good one; New Zealand's action altered this and changed ,<id Jambs to 4 -5-Mid lambs in May. -It has taken practically the whole season for iamb prices to climb up again, and now September shipping —less than half a week's supply—herald the absolute disappearance of New Zealand meat for a period from the most important market in the world! Considering tha.t New Zealanders have in their own hands the remedy for this, the position is all the more regrettable. Slaughterings need not bo, modified. New Zealand's cold stores are, surely, sufficient to hold the one or two hundred thousand sheep that make the difference in values here. Moreover, in New Zealand it costs less than half what it does on this side to hold such stocks of meat in cold storage. If I could add words to increase the efficacy of this counsel. I certainly would; its importance to New Zealanders in hard cash should alone drive it into the heads of nil exporters. What do we 1 find our competitors doing? Argentina now misses not a month in the year in sending forward her lambs. Tt is River Plato lambs. River Plate lambs, from January to_ December at Smithfiold now. and this is doing for that meat as against supplies from tile Dominion what absence of quality leaves undone.

Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (First and Second Groups) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable today (Monday), at the Secretary's office, Ourrie-street. from !) a.m. to 12.30 p.m.. from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.—Advt DOE? IT PAY TO CHECK YOUR BAGGAGE?—YES. There's no doubt about it, none .whatever. Unchecked bagjrapro moans.'trouble, worry arid vU* of );,*» vri%>«t eom pensation. When you check your baggage throuph us you escape all three. We collect it. check it, and deliver it at the other end immediately the train arrives. Costs a trifle for cartage; no j more.—The N.Z. Express Co., Ltd.

It is understood by the Patea County Press that the young man, Jack Burke, who was killed on the railway between Te Awainutu and Onaupo 011 Wednesday last, was a son of .Mrs. M. Burke, of Waverlev,

It is understood that the master painters of Taranaki have been cited to appear before I lie. Conciliation Board at New Plymouth 011 Holiday, November 27, the claim 011 the part of the employees being for higher wages. The railway service between Stratford and New Plymouth might certainly be improved (writes the .Stratford Post]. It i> now .stated that in response to an urgent rci[iii'st for hurry, two truck loads of cheese were last week bustled ■■igh t thro ugh from Stratford ra.lway station to New Plymouth freezing works in 22hrs. (iniin. ;i S-s»ec. This awful speed dangerous.

An extraordinary a Hair occurred on the trip of a couch from Hairini to Te Awaimitu station (writes tho Hamilton correspondent of the Auckland Star). The coach contained two passengers, one a pakeha. and one a Maori. The former, who had a whinkv (lash containing formalin for disinfecting purposes, jokingly handed the Mask to the Maori, inviting him to have a drink, and whilst his head was turned the Maori took two or three mouthful* of a 40 per cent, solution of formalin. The coach at the time was near Dr. Reekie's residence, and the victim was quickly taken there. Within five minutes of the occurrence the doctor had a stomach pump at work. The Maori is now progressing favorably, and is believed to be out of danger, though badly burned internally. Dr. Reekie says lie was just taken in time, and in another ten minutes would have lost his life as the result of a foolish joke.

The London correspondent of tlie New York Evening Times, who is usually well informed with regard to political development.*, says (reports a cable message in tho Sydney Sun) that it is passible that the recent reallotment of portfolios in the British Cabinet is significant of further changes. One interesting report mentioned by the Evening Times' representative is that Mr. Asquith will soon be elevated to the peerage. Tie will then retire from the Premiership, and will, as the report goes, be succeeded by Mr. Lloy<l-f!eorge, present Chancellor, although it is well known that Mr. Winston Churchill would like to get the leadership of the Liberal Party. Mr. Asquith's retirement was predicted lately by a Liberal paper, when the denial that was given to the report was only a half-hearted one. It is further rumored that Lord Haldane, Secretary for War. will shortly replace Lord Loreburn as Lord High Chancellor, and that Sir Kufus Isaacs, AttorfieyGeneral. will succeed Lord Alverstone as Lord Chief Justice.