LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 137, 1 December 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On June 30 last, the deposits in the savings banks In the Commonwealth amounted to more than £(10,000,000, an increase of £0,000,000 on the previous year. Over 450 thir<l-ck«9 passengers arrived by tho Corinthic yesterday from London. Of these 91 were assisted passengers. There are 14 farm teboreirs. seven farmers and thirty domestic servants. The function at the Fitzroy Town Hall thia afternoon to commemorate the merging of Fitzroy into the New Plymouth .borough will commence at 3.30 p.®. not 3 p.m. A general invitation is given to all Fitzroy residents to be present. At Hawera on Wednesday a native named Tumoana Katu was charged with intent to defraud, by means of a valueless draft for £l4 7s 2d on the Bank of New Zealand, Cyril Murch of sundry articles. The case was remanded, bail, in substantial amounts, being allowed. Mr. C. Carter is of opinion that if the right man were to visit the farming countries of England he could secure largo numbers of the right class of immigrants for New Zealand. lie was surprised to find tho number of people who were anxious to leave the old world and mate a start in this Dominion. In the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr. H. S. Fitzherbert, S.M., Whare Mlalvihi was 'charged! on the information of Inspector Tippins with driving without lights on the Old Hospital rood at 10 p.m. on November 23. Defendant pleaded guilty and was fined 10s and costs 7s. On charges of failing to send children.' to school Benjamin Gil L banks, who did not appear, was fined 2s with costs 7s on each of two charges, and! W. G. Marr was fined 2s without costs.

Shearers are reported to be scarce in tlio Gisbovne district this season, and a local fanner says they are commanding practically their own terms. The men are stated to be declining to work for the award, rates, and are demanding the concessions which they enjoyed the previous season, which are in excess of the award. The award, according to the corespondent's informant, is quite a dead-letter, and farmers are having to make their own terms with the head men of the gangs. On several stations a deadlock occurred for a day or two.

Full particulars as to how widows entitled to receive pensions under the Widows' Pensions Act passed last session may obtain the pension are given in the regulations published in the last 'Gazette. The original pension claim must contain the following particulars: —Xatae of applicant, former name, place and date of birth, date of marriage, date of death of husband, names of children and dates of their birth —of children under 14 years of age who are dependent 011 applicant: also income of applicant. The claim must be delivered to the Registrar of the district in which the applicant resides. Mr. W. J. B. Pa ton. of Sentry Hill, is justly proud of his Jersey bull, Melia Aran's Sultan. He .purchased him as a little fellow at Messrs. Griffiths and Cornwall's dispersal sale three years ago. The bull was placed second as a yearling in a big class at Palmerston North, and first and reserve champion at New Plymouth as a two-year-old, beside® which he has won several second prizes. His progeny has won several' firsts and seconds a® yearlings and two-vear-olds, and haive scored well this season. At Stratford a heifer of his wa» placed second in a big class of seventeen. Thus Media Ann's Sultan is proved to be a bull o.f great potency in producing great cattle. One hears of strange wholesale removals of buildings in America (says the Auckland Herald), but it would be hard to beat the removal that is going on in the Dominion road at the present time. A large building, which is occupied on the ground floor by a dentist, is being moved a short distance away by means of jacks. During the whole of the operations, business by the dentist and storekeeper is going on as usual. The dentist is still drawing and filling teeth, 'whilst the building is moved inch by inch, and customers still go in and out of the shop. By slackening the telephone wires even the telephone service is kept going, and it says much for the, careful way in which the work is being done, that so far not even a jamtin has been displaced from its place on a shelf;

The scene at Mr. J. H. Frethey's beautiful grounds at Framkleigh Park .yesterday afternoon was quite an animated one, for despite the fact that the weather was more in- keeping with winter than summer, fully 300 assembled ait. the gawllen party, held in aid of the Fra nkleigh Par'k Sunday School'. The grounds nre well sheltered, and the crowd found much to enjoy in wandering around and admiring the flowers, which giye evidence of Mr. Frethey's ability as a horticulturist and his love of Nature's l handiwork. There is a magnificent piece of shelter bush adjoining, and this was also much hi demand, for here were the afternoon tea tables, presided over by the ladies of the district. There was also a stall at which various useful articles could be purchased. This was presided over by Mesdames X. Okey and! Gibson, and appeared to do good business, as also did the sweets stall and bran tub. In the course of a chat with Mr. Lonsdale, manager of tire. - State Farm, the other day (writes the Waverley correspondent of the Patea. Press), he mentioned that all the cows at the farm had recently been tested for tuberculosis and all were found to be absolutely free from any trace of this disease. It will be of interest to the farming community to learn that the Ayrshire .bull, Ben Lomond 11., which took the championship at New Plymouth show, is a soil of Ben Lomond 1., bred by Mir. Lonsdale when he had charge of the Ruakura State Farm. Ben Nevis, another son of Bell Lomond 1., is at present head of the splendid herd of Ayrshires at th» Moumohaki Farm, and some of his progeny arc very promising animals. The strain is undoubtedly a good one, awl should give an impetus to Ayrshire breeding in this district. Speaking of Ayrshires, it is interesting to note that at a well known school in Queensland, Ayrshires headed the list of breeds both for milk and butter, beating even Holsteins, Jerseys, and Shorthorns. This may surprise many helinn'crs in the latter breeds who think that the Ayrshire is not a "good all round cow." Have you the spirit of progresslveness, or are you content to jog along in much the same way as did your forefathers? The average dairy fanner is out to make as much money as lie can in as little time as possible; and the Ridd Milking Machine will help hint to accomplish his desire. The patent tapering teat cup is one of the unique features of the Ridd. It enables the machine to get all the milk, is perfectly harmless, and makes the Ridd a real money earner. Mr. P. O'Grady, of Hamilton, writes: — "After using the Ridd Machines for nearly two seasons I am pleased to let you know they are all you claimed them to be. My cows took to the machine from the first. When milking by hand I had to employ three hands, now with the machine I employ one." The Watt's Oil Engine has proved the most economical and reliable power for driving Ridds. Please call or write Newton KJ»g.—AdTt. ..