LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 105, 11 January 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sitting of the' Native Land Court will be commenced in New Plymouth on February 1. About 330 cases are set down for hearing. The entries received at the last Taranaki Agricultural Show produced £230 10s 6d, as against £l3B Is for the previous year. Donations amounted to £147; the previous year they were £55. The senior Civil Service and teachers' C and D annual examination is being held in the New Plymouth Technical College this week. There are about 42 candidates, and Messrs. Ballantyne and Whetter (inspectors) are acting as supervisors. It was incorrectly stated yesterday that tenders for the demolition of the existing publican's booth and the reerection of a new one for Taranaki J'otekey Club would close on February 12. January 12 (to-morrow) is the day for the closing of tenders. At the Masterton baths a few days ago a revolver bullet came whizzing past a woman and several children, and lodged in a piece of woodwork within a few inches of the caretaker. Police investigation revealed that an old man in the vicinity had fired at a bird and the bullet went through the iron fence surrounding the baths. * At two o'clock yesterday afternoon an alarm of fire was raised, emanating from Russell's monumental yards. Some boiling tar had overflowed and caused a blaze. The fire brigade was quickly on the spot, but before it arrived the fire had been extinguished. Soon after the brigade left the station word was received that they were not wanted, but they were then well on their way to the scene of the fire.

There, is nothing like the sound of the fire bell to bring the people into the street. When the alarm was sounded yesterday there were very few people about, but within two minutes there was a scene which would have afforded an opportunity for cinematography. The engine was followed by expresses, cabs, bikes, men, women and boys, all going helter skelter, while people rushed out of shops and gazed up the street. The "chase" was continued for over half a mile, and then word reached the people that the fire was out.

The following letter was read at the meeting of the Taranaki Agricultural Society from Mr. F. J. Johnson, an exhibitor from down the line: "I feel that I have been somewhat lacking in not writing you before in order to show my appreciation and to thank you, your officials, and stewards for the uniform courtesy and kindness to me during my visit to your- late show. From an exhibitor's point of view, I thank you most heartily for the excellent arrangements that were made for the comfort and well-being of stock and exhibitors."

The Mercantile Gazette of New Zealand, in reviewing the prospects of the year 1012, says:—"The Win disturbing feature is the readjustment that must take place between exports and imports. The heavy imports of last year must be liquidated, and a check imposed on fresh imports. Business may be slow, but with care and caution we may hope to get through without much trouble. There may be in some districts a slump in land values, but this will be helpful rather than otherwise, for there is no doubt that the tendency recently has been towards inflation. The conditions are very uncertain, and a good year is just as likely as a bad one."

.At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Sfas. J. S. S. Medley, J.P., convicted a first offending inebriate and discharged him. Selina Kyle was brought before the Bench, charged with being drunk, it being her second offence within six months. She pleaded guilty, and made many excuses for her conduct, one being that the doctor had ordered her to have three glasses of beer a day. SeniorSergeant Haddrell, in stating that she had been arrested by Constable O'Neill, said accused had had a prohibition order against her, and was. apparently celebrating the expiration of it. The Bench said, seeing it was her second offence, he could not let her off, and convicted and fined her ss.

The highest tribute ever paid to the Melbourne rat was that which came recently (writes "Woomera" in the Australasian) from Mr. Donald Melville, M.L.C. He.was talking to a witness in ttte • Legislative' Council '■ about the foundations of the cool stores which the Govewment intends to build near .Victoria Dock. "Do you think the ratft could eat through, itf he asked- -"It" is reinforced concrete, 15 to 18 inches thick! Up in North Queensland they will gravely spin you yarns that the white ants eat iron rails if they are given a little time allowance, but they go shy on rat yarns. I have heard ant stories and fish stories, but I see that the rat story is going to beat them all. At a committee meeting of the Taranaki Agricultural Society, it was decided to recommend to the general meeting that after next year the society dispense with the spring show and substitute an autumn show, and make it a three clays' fixture. The committee also recommended that, providing financial arrangements could be made, a building be erected on two sections at the western end of St. Germain's Square, having a frontage of 67ft 6in and a depth of 200 ft, with offices for the society and other rooms, and leaving a clear wooden floor 85ft by 185 ft. The total cost of the building'is not to exceed £2OOO, and immediate steps are to be taken to erect the building. It was decided to canvass for donations towards the project. It was stated that arrangements had been made to let the building for three months following after the next winter show, and also for Ave or six months of the following year. Accounts amounting to £249 were passed for payment. The sum of £3 3s was voted to the Jockey Club for assistance rendered by the custodian of the racecourse. IT IS THE REvSOLVF to obtain th« GENUINE EUCALYPTI EXTRACT which will procure for you a remedy of sterling value and will protect you from having your health injured-by one of the many crude oils and so-called "Extracts" which are passed off by un- I scrupulous dealers as "just as good," J and which are, according to authentic testimony, very deprexstng to the heart.' The GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT is absolutely non-injurious, and brings instantaneous relief in headaches, fevers, colds, bronchial and gastric affections, and its great antiseptic powers protect from future infection. Wounds, ulcers, burns, spraTns, are healed without infl*nmation. SANDER'S EXTRACT is endorsed by the highost Medical Authorities, and is unique in its effect; purity, reliability and safety are its distinguishable qualities. Therefore, get th« RENU7NE SANDER EXTRACT; insist, if von h*ve to, but jjet it, and derhv the benefit. ' ■■"""?." ; . Tf'ipr

Victorian dairymen last year received over £500,000 more for their exported produce than in the previous year. Of the six and a-half million persons who voted at the last general election in Great Britain, 41,740 were unable to read.

Up to last week there had not been a fine day in Dunedin for seventy-eight days—nothing but cold winds and driving sleet and rain.

. Mr. llazelton, M.P., one of the Irish envoys, stated in Victoria recently that the present delegation in Australia had already collected £2.1,000.

Large quantities of cheese are being forwarded from Hawera to Patea daily for shipment to the Home markets. On Monday nearly 500 crates were sent awy.\'.

A man who broke open the public pound at Gisbornc and rescued several horses, was fined a total sum, including costs, of £6. His Worship pointed out that the maximum penalty was £SO. A cook at Biarritz has just found a lotte'ry ticket, which had been in her possession since 1898, the existence of which she had completely forgotten, and which won a prize of £BOOO last year. Three hundred and fifty motor cars were registered in the Auckland provincial district during 1911. On January 1, 1011, the number of motor cars registered for the district was 227. Now it is 577.

Australia has cows enough to give each man, woman and child in the island continent three apiece; while the Argentine can do ever better—there are live cattle to each inhabitant in the big South American Republic. The dairy produce exported from Patea for the month of Deeember (says the Press) amounted approximately to 17,000 cases of cheese and 7000 boxes of butter. The November exports amounted to 20,000 cases of cheese and 8000 boxes of butter. v

Considerable surprise appeared on a business man's face at Whangarei the other morning when a Maori who had made a few purchases coolly tendered a cheque for £SOO in payment. Needless to say, the till and shopkeeper's pockets failed to produce the requisite change. While drunk and behaving in a disorderly manner on the Takapuna (Auckland) beach, a young man named Thomas Doherty threw his brother William, who was trying to quieten him, to the ground, with the result that William's leg was broken. Thomas was taken to the police cells and William to the hospital. "Chinaman's luck" is proverbial, remarks the Wyndham Herald. It was at the Invercargill races, .and John asked someone what would be a good thing to back. Someone suggested Queen's Prize. John took two tickets, and went back to his mentor, who asked what he had done. John telling him that he had taken two on that rank outsider. ' The man, to fool John further, said that he had not taken enough; so John promptly took three more. After the race he collected his dividend—£los 2s (id. Surely he had the laugh on the joker. At Kerang, Victoria, a painfully suddin death took place on the morning of Friday, December 22, when Miss Catherine Adair succumbed to a sudden attack of internal hemorrhage. Hiss Adair, who was a fine, strong-looking young woman, was in the best of health and spirits on Thursday evening, and had been making preparations for her marriage, which was to have taken place on Saturday, the 2Srd. The coroner, Ma- Bartold, P.M. after hearing the result of the post-mor-ten. examination, decided that an inquest was unnecessary. The body was taken by train to Pyramid Hill, ttai there Intel red on the day which had been fixed for her nuptiali. A London merchant states in a letter to a Dunedin Business man (says the Star) that there is at Home a growing demand for Xew Zealand timber, especially kauri and white pine. There is also an enormous demand for white pine in Australia. During the past twelve months there has been a considerable increase in the price paid for that timber by Melbourne merchants. A year ago the f.o.b. price for white pine for shipment to Australia ranged from 6s to 7s per 100 superficial feet, whereas the rates now are from 8s (id to 9s (Id for the same quantity. It is said that it is now more difficult to obtain white pme m New Zealand at low cost, owin« to the necessity of going far into the back country for it.

Between forty and fifty men are at present employed opening out the ends of the tunnel between Lake Coleridge and the Rakaia river, preparatory to the initiation of the Lake Coleridge water-power scheme. The Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. McKenzie) recently informed a Post reporter that the tunnel will be about 7000 ft. lon«. From the lake to the riverbed there ?s a fall of about 500 ft; The power-house will be built near the river., Tenders were called for cutting the tunnel some time ago, but the only one received was considered too high, and fresh applications will now be invited. The distance from ChristehTurch fd ''the''site' of the power-house is, roughly, seventy miles. Tenders are also to be called shortly for all the machinery required. The Minister anticipates that the work may be completed in eighteen months. Mr. McKenzie is confident that there will be no difficulty in transmitting power as far as Timaru.

Remarkable discrepancies are shown in the census figures, when compared with the mere recent canvass of West Ansi tralia, made by the police (says th« Sydney Telegraph). This is the first adequate check that has been applied to the results of the census, and a deficiency is disclosed which is causing the Home Affairs Department to wonder just where it stands in the point of knowledge of Australia's population. The police canvass was conducted under the guidance of the Commonwealth Electoral Department, and was regarded as thoroughly efficient. Yet this is how it turns out:—Census figures of persons over age of 21 years, 167,072; electoral canvass, 151,053; difference, 15,119. The weight as to thoroughness is stated to be all on the side of the police canvass. The position created is remarkable, in that since the Commonwealth is to pay 25s per head of population to the States on the census basis, West Australia may be getting a little more than her fair share. There is going to be an inquiry, It is expected in Melbourne that ear.lv t us, year a report will be presented -by the spocial committee appointed by the municipal conference to draft a scheme for the supply of pure milk to the children of the poor. The committee has already done valuable wo»k, and its conclusions if endorsed b# the general conference, should at any rate, says the Age, provide the basis of a plan to which the Government and the proposed Greater Melbourne Council-could give effect. One of the recommendations is likely to be that the State should purchase and manage a model farm in the country, from which the municipalities would be able to draw the milk for the mothers, to\ whom they will act as suppliers at certain depots established throughout the metropolis. The farm would ibe so managed that the milk would be availthe net cost to the State—interpreting net cost as the sum necessary to meet maintenance expenses and the interest and sinking charges in connection with the capital sunk in the enter-

At Mr. T. H. Groom's shed, fliaturiia, last week, three shearers for the nine hours had a total tally of 754 sheep. The first shearer had 26fi to his credit, the second man 246, and the third' 242. Within the past few days an officer of the Stock Department has .been purchasing in Hawera and other Taranaki districts horses for the Defence Department. Useful active sorts, of the milkcarter type, have been most sought after as .the horses are required for the artit lery branch of the service.

The season for the innoculation of calves has commenced in Taranaki. In the Hawera district the local officers of the Stock Department will be kept busy for the next few months, and already quite a large number of calves have passed through their hands. It is anticipated that about 80,000 calves will be treated in Taranaki this season, an increase of 20.000 over the number in 1910 ■ —■Hawera Star.

A divorce case in which considerable interest is centred has just been disposed of in the .San Francisco courts. The petitioner was Mrs. Minnie Merganthal. It was alleged that Merganthal abandoned his family and squandered most of his fortune, spending as much as £IOO a day on drink. Mrs. Merganthal was granted a divorce, and was awarded £20,000, with alimony at the .rate of £lO a month.

Am important addition has been made, to the cinematograph staff of the Empire Theatre in the engagement of Mr. Brandon Haughton, Olograph expert and camera artist. Mr. Haugnton has just severed his connection with Messrs John Fulka- and Sons, Wellington, where he .produced a number <>f excellent cinematograph films, notable amongst which is the thousand-foot picture "Wellington Day by Day" shown in Whiteley Hall a short time back. It is the intention of the management at the Empire Theatre to secure a number of interesting films of local events each week. A civil case having some, unusual features was before the Wellington Courts Plaintiff was a young man, who claimedthe sum of £BS 10s from his late fiancee. He alleged that some time ago he forwarded a large sum of money to the lady for safe keeping. The money was banked in her name, and all went well until a short time ago when she suddenly married another man. Plaintiff made repeated applications for the money, but there was no response, and he accordingly evoked the aid of the law. Defendant > failed to put in an appearance and judgment was accordingly entered for the amount claimed with costs.

In the suburbs of Sydney there have recently been erected two churches which were built in a day between daylight and' dusk. America has been showing some examples of very• rapid church-building. • Ail instances are eclipsed by the prowess . of the builders away in' Texas, U.S.A., who erected a church in eighit hours. The edifice in question is the Herring Avenue Methodist Church, in the little city of Waco. le| measures 32ft in width and 65ft in length, including the vestibule, and seats 350 people. Work was begun on a vacant site at eight o'clock in ihe morning, an hour was taken for dinner, and the building was finished at five o'clock in the afternoon. Even the foundations, which ar.ei laid in cement, had not been prepared beforehand; grass was still growing upon,the site when the men started work. By 10. o'clock, however, the foundations » were secured and the working force was increased by another 30 nven, making aa army of 40,a1l told. Every man knew what was expected of him, and there was no clash or hindrance. As the 'carpenters finished, so the painters came ' on the scene, and the moment they had ; completed their task they were followed by the electricians and the paperhangers.