LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 198, 19 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. Watkin Mills, the famous English basso, who brought a concert party to New Zealand a few years ago, made his first appearance upon the London variety stage at the Palace Theatre last month.

A feature at the Moumahaki State Farm is the splendid live fence on each side of the entrance drive. Th# fence is composed of sections of' many different ornamental hedge shrubs, all labelled with their botanic and colloquial names. A new version of the story of Enoch Arden was enacted at Huntingdon, West Virginia, when a man returned after ten years' absence, found his wife was married, congratulated hia successor, and treated the couple trt beer. A Waverley settler has just returned from a visit to. Hawke's Bay. In his opinion the Lincoln breed of sheep is coming to the front again in Hawke's Bay, there being a better demand for them, especially flock sheep, than has b«en the case for yean. A new tomato has been evolved by Mr. G. A. Parr at his Northern Wairoa orchard. It has been obtained from a seedling, and after two years' culture has proved a giant in size and perfect in flavor. It produces fruit weighing » pound and a-hatf, and plants of the variety will this year be marketed. Black and White, the well-known London illustrated weekly periodical, which has been published for more than twentythree years, has just disappeared. It was purchased last month by the Sphere and Tatler, Limited, and has been absorbed in the Sphere, Gisborne has had some fiercely hot days of late. Quite recently the thermometer registered 88 in the shade, which was one degree higher than the hottest day last year. In December, 1909, the thermometer ran as high as 92 at Gisborne, and om January 12, 1908, 94 degrees was registered. For a week at a time in that month 80 degrees waa recorded.

Rheumatism, Gout, Sciatica and Lumbago ire due to the presence of excess IJrie Acid in your #yste*i. How can you hope to cure them by liftiments and embrocations? You must get the poison out of the blood, and RHEUMO mil do it. All chemists ani stores, 2*/fl aid </<• M

The annual Taranaki pravincial conference of the N.Z. Farmers' Union has been fixed to be held at Hawera on May 23. At the meeting of the Moa Road Board on Saturday a formal resolution was passed appointing Thursday as the statutory half-holiday for the Moa Road district.

Some of the country villages can give the bigger towns a start when it comes to raising, money. At the bazaar in aid of its band the other day, Manaia raised £248, the gross proceeds amounting to £320.

On the motion ofMMessrss s Weston and Weston, solicitors, Inglewood, letters of administration in the estate of Mrs. Etnma Gertrude Pratt, deceased, were, on the 12th inst., granted by Mr. Justice Edwards at Auckland.

The municipal baths will be open this evening (weather permitting) for family bathing from 7 to 9 o'clock. Bathers are again reminded that season tickets for the balance of the season have now been reduced to half price.—Advt. A fire at Bell Block on Friday night completely destroyed a six-roomed house and its contents. The house was owned by Mr. C. T. Rundle, of New Plymouth, and occupied by Mr. (George King, who was on a visit to New Plymouth at the time. There was an insurance of £l5O on the house and £IOO on the furniture in the Guardian Office.

Animals either have or acquire strange tastes. It is not unusual for a horse to .drink soapy water, or for a dog to eat lollies, while an elephant will eat anything from a peanut to a. coil of fencing wire. Mr. F. P. Corkill, of New Plymouth, has a dairy cow that demolishes at a meal a couple of buckets of windfall and dead ripe plums, and then wanders around, like Oliver Twist, looking for more. The Kaupokonui Co-operative Dairy Factory Company, Ltd., paid out to its suppliers for the month of January £13,788 9s. The largest individual cheques were £390 12s lid, £360 18s 2d, £357 14s Bd, £27© Is, £252 lis 2d, £223 lis 7d, and £213 is 9d. The amount paid out to Kaponga suppliers was easily Ahead of previous years, the total being £5990. The average test was 3.8. Their cheese grades for the season, up to date, have been uniformly good, averaging 90% to 92%.—Star.

Particulars of the burning fatality at Dyerville, when Estell Charlotte, the three-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tucker, of that township, succumbed to injuries received from a burning nightgown, show that Mrs. Tucker had left the child alone in the house while she milked cows, and after a short absence was attracted to the house by the child's screams. On invesigation the 'toother found that the baby's nightgown had by some means caught fire, inflicting such serious injuries that she died about an hour after. . On the occasion of an agricultural show in Taranaki the husband of one of the exhibitors found his wife sitting in tears, with a large first prize ticket lying in front of her, and asked as to the cause of her tears. "I've g-got first prize," she sobbed. "What's wrong? What did you exhibit?" he asked. "Sponge c-cake," was the reply. "Well, first prize for sponge cake is all right," he said soothingly. "But it isn't; just look!" and he read: "First priz? awarded for best specimen of reinforced concrete, suitable for buildings, etc." Then he knew.

The bazaar which was held at Omata last Thursday was a complete success. It was opened by the Rev. A. H. Colvile, who spoke of the good work accomplished in the district. An attractive sports' programme was organised, and an interesting eVent was the old men's racei, which was won by Dr. Home. The weight-guess-ing competition elicited many attempts, and the nearest guesses of the correct weight of the sheep were those of Eva Jackson (lOOlbs) and E. Clemow (991bs). The weight of the animal was 99%1b5, and the afore-mentioned competitors will have to draw to decide the winner. The takings of the bazaar realised about £3O. A more enterprising picture firm than the local Empire probably does not exist in the Dominion. It has given the public views taken by its own experts of the beach and the Taranaki Cup, and it has now on the stocks pictures of the mountain, Pukekura Park and other points of interest in Taranaki, and is negotiating for the taking of a view of the flowing wells at Moturoa. This week the Empire is Breaking out in another direction by putting on Nat. Gould's great sporting drama, <f The Double Event," and arranging for the eminent actor-lecturer, Mr. Alf. Boothman, to describe it each evening. It means a big outlay of money to do this, but the management have shown that it does not consider the financial aspect ,when it comes to entertaining its patrons. Many queer things happen, even on the public trains, of which the world is not made aware. A Christchurch Press reporter was told the tale of a dare-devil act performed on the south express perhaps a fortnight ago. Several men were in a carriage next to the guard's van, and one, at least' of them was not absolutely sober. They discussed various topics and argued on. diverse subjects. At length one of them' declared that he could travel faster than the train—he could do it on account of the "laws of gravity." Before the others were well aware of what was happening he had climbed to the roof of the carriage and from there had commenced a race to the front of the train. He passed over the roofs of seven carriages, and from above peered down at a startled enginedriver. The train was stopped and the man got down, vastly pleased at having clinched his argument. The sequel of the story is not so bright. At his own request the hero is in retreat at the Island of Rotoroa.

MOKE MELBOURNE SUIT TALK.

The majority of men desire to get as much for their money as they possibly can. That is the basis upon which senBible people plan their expenditure. They have to, because it is easier to spend money in this day of "high cost of living" than to earn it. You have probably decided in your own mind that you ought to get a good suit at a reasonable figure without the "frills" that are supposed to give "class," and that you are in the throes of weeding out the different "makes" that do not meet _the ideal you have created about the "kind" and "price" of a suit you want to buy. Then let us advise you not to be misled into paying a fancy price for something, that you could have bought squally well, if not better, from the Melbourne at a very much lower cost. Remember this, that when you buy a Melbourne suit you purchase a guarantee of workmanship and material that invites comparison. Whatever we claim for it it will do—wear well, fit well, and give you all the suit comfort you desire, and plenty of service. But come and see our beautiful array of splendid high-grade suits, all tailor-made and ready to put on. Try one on. Go over its construction in»h by inch. Feel the texture, and notice the finish. Test the cloth and purity of the dyes. Take note of the high grada lining# and the superb cut. Then, roost important of all, note the low prieos, ranging from 49/6 to 65/-, It will be a strange thing indeed if you do not become a purchaser.

DR. SHELDON'S NEW DISCOVERY. Is the most wonderful remedy ever discovered for the cure of Coughs and Colds. It will cure you when all others have failed. Price, Is 03 and 3s. Obtainable eveiyw&ew. . j^s