LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 183, 1 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Land seekers are much in evidence in the North of Auckland district. The dreaded fly has made its appearance in some of the turnip crops in the Masterton district. During the past season 6000 bales of wool have been transported from the Pelorus Sounds to Wellington. Experts say that there is every likelihood, of the good prices received for frozen meat being maintained. Potato blight is making its appearance in the North Canterbury districts.

A farmer in the neighborhood of Masterton has just dug a potato crop which has yielded twenty-one tons to the acre.

Passengers by a New South Wales train had a rather startling experience. A storm broke over the district, accompanied by heavy thunder and lightning, and all the windows on one side of two carriages were shattered. Mr. W. Lenz, of Masterton, has forwarded 400 hives of bees to the, Taranaki district (says the Age). They are reported to be doing fairly well, although the weather has been against honeymaking. Mr. Lenz has still 1200 hives in the Wairarapa, and these have yielded a good crop of honey this season. It is not generally known that it costs less to entertain the Governor than it does Lady Islington. A Parliamentary return just published shows that the expenses incurred in connection with the reception of Lord Islington were £27 as (id. and the reception of Lady Islington, £lO4.

Some idea of the vast quantities of timber imported into Canterbury is given by the statement that for one month alone, the monthly term ending on December 0 last, no less than 8,(301,800 superficial feet were landed on the wharves at Lvttelton, and most of it came from America ; and was probably Oregon pine.

Yesterday saw the commencement of work on the Tisch Memorial Avenue on the esplanade.

A sum of money, found at the New Plymouth Post Office, can be obtained by application to the Chief Postmaster. The Kaupokonui Dairy Company are making £2B a day out of whey products, etc., that formerly were without value,

The Star says it" is reported that an opera house is to be erected in Feilding, on a site right in the centre of the business portion- of the borough. Mrs. E. Tabor resumes possession of the White Hart Hotel to-day, in succession to Mr. Emeny. Mrs. Tabor has lately been licensee of the Empire Hotel, at Sydney.

•The Taranaki Rifle Associations annual meeting commences at the Waiwakaiho range to-day, and will continue to morrow. Splendid entries have been received from all over Taranaki.

The Stratford School picnic takes place at Moturoa to-day. The day is being observed as a public holiday in Stratford, and practically the whole of the inhabitants are making the journey to the seaside.

Wool buyers have been very active in the country districts during the past couple of weeks, and up to a shilling is reported to have been paid in several instances. Elevenpence will probably be about the average price for the bulk of these sales. \ln most cases the quality of the wool is favorably commented upon by the agents and buyers. It is understood on good authority tliat Mr. Skerret, K.C., has been retained in connection with the effort that is to be made to test the validity of the recent Maori licensing poll, by which it was decided that the liquor is not to be sold to natives in the Horouta district. Unless upset, this decision takes effect a month from the date of declaration, which was made on the 16th ult.

. A sitting of the Waitara S.M. Court was held yesterday, Messrs. Jenkins and Pearce, J.'sP., in the absence of the S.M., presiding. Judgment by default was given in the following cases N. Rowe v. John Dew, claim £3 14s 6d, costs £2 16s; M. A. Govenlock v. Fred. Lovelock, £4 13s 3d, costs £1 7s; W. P. Snell v. Peru Ngapaka, £2 18s, costs £1; M. Jones v. Herman Schultz, £lB Is 4d, costs 15s; E. A. Pepperell y. Nga Mh, £2 ss, costs 14s. Several cases were adjourned, the amounts being outside the jurisdiction of the Justices.—Own correspondent.

The Antarctic regions must present a most unusual spectacle at present; as no less than five expeditions are now journeying South Pole-wise. These are: Captain Scott's and Dr. Mawson's (British), Captain Amundsen (Norwegian), and the Japanese and German expeditions. The first race will be between Scott's and Amundsen's -men, and is probably now in progress, and we can only hope that the braver will be successful and that all wall return in safety to their homes. It should not be so very long now before reports from the Antarctic bring the news of the result of the great race. s -

The wind-up meeting of the Way Benefit Committee was held at the Central Fire Brigade Station last evening. The Mayor (Mr. G. W. Browne) presided, and, according to the balance-sheet submitted by the secretary, £220 Tiad been collected,'and out of that a balance of £l9l 17s 9d remained. This sum it was decided to place in the hands of two trustees (the Mayor and ,Mr. Jas. Clarke), who will invest the money. The. interest derived therefrom will be paid' over to Mrs. Way, who is the widow of the late Fireman. Jas. Way, in weekly instalments.

The following donations have been made to the prize fund of the Taranaki Rifle Association: Egmont Brewery, trophy; Messrs. Sladden and Palmer, J. H. Cock & Co., and J. W. Boon, £1 Is each; Messrs. T. Avery, J. Avery, F.J. Hill, W. F. McAllum, 10s 6d each; Mr. T. Buxton, 10s; Messrs. R. J. Deare, W. Ambury, A. E. Sykes, C. O. Hawke, T. Furlong, L. Hoffmann, Webster Bros., Sole Bros., Harle, Greiner, Webster, Tippins, Bailey, Calkghan, J. C. Morev, F. Moore, Glasgow, Hassell, W. Fraseir, N. Johnson, McDiarmid, Cattley, New Zealand Clothing Factory, 5s each; Messrs. M. Jones, West, Humphries; Brasch Scott 2s 6d each.

Mr. Cowan, the author of "The Adventures of Kimble Bent," lately published by Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd., says that Bent now lives at Taiporohenui (near Hawera), where he works in the food gardens of the Maoris, fishes with them, and builds for them. He is, says Mr. Cowan, "a grey old man, of mild and quiet eye, who might easily be taken for some highly respectable shopkeeper who had spent all his life in city bounds." And yet "he is the sole living eyewitness of the secret Hauhau war rites, the only white man who has 'survived to tell of those terrible deeds in the bush, to tell the story of the last Taranaki war from t'he'inner side—the Maori side." He is now 73, and, says Mr. Cowan, sometimes expresses a wish to reach his homeland again. "But that can never be. He is forever pale, and he will die as lie has lived, a pakeEa -Maori."

More good news for shareholders in the Hawera Dairy Factory is to hand. Mr. G. H. Buckeridge, New Zealand representative for Messrs. Henry A. Pane & Co,, London, has received cabled advice of the sale of another consignment of Hawera cheese-at a price which works out at an average of about 7 1-I6d per lb. The report states that the market is steady, with good business doing. As showing how profitable the present season is proving to Hawera suppliers, Mr. Buckeridge supplies some interesting figures. The output of cheese up to 'he present from the Hawera factory is 50 tons greater than it was in the corresponding period last year. The prices per cwt realised for the various shipments have been greater by the amount stated below than those realised last season—l2s 3d. 13s, 14s 3d for white and 12s 6d for colored, 15s for white and 12« Gd for colored.

BOYS' SCHOOL APPAREL AT THE MELBOURNE. The parent, guardian or schoolboy who wishes to be sure he is not paying too much for his outfit must shop at the Melbourne. There is nothing else for it. A selling supremacy that has survived the last fifteen years will be maintained stronger than ever throughout the year. Prices like the following simply stagger opposition. Boys' braces 3d, boys' celluloid collars with metal buttonholes fid, boys' heavy cashmere stockings with double knees Is fid pair, boys famous "Viwear" hose Is !)d to 2s (id, boys.' black stockings with turnover tops (diamond pattern) 2s (id to 3s fid, bovs' tennis shirts 2s lid, boys' Varsity suits 7s lid, Ss Cd to Its fid; boys' caps. Is; boys' knickers, all-wool and well made, 2s lid to iis lid; pure all-wool saddle tweed knickers, 4s lid to (is lid, verv line value: boys' Kaiapoi Norfolk suits, 13s !)d to 17s fid; boys' natty dark green ketone suits, 14s fid to 18s fid; boys' superior grey tweed suits. Petone . make. 15s fid to 21s; boys' striped tweed and worsted continuation knicker suits, 22s fid to 20s fid; boys' flannels, 2s lid; boys' fine woven singlets, Is lid to 2s lid; boys' oilskins, 8s fid; boys' chrome school boots, sizes 1 to 5, Ss lid; boys' kip shooters, sizes 1 to's. 7s 3d; boys'chrome school boots, sizes 10 to 13, 6s lid. Every line advertised thoroughly dependable and guaranteed to give good service Advt. /