LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 214, 8 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

If the weather is suitable, the Central School picnic, postponed from yesterday, will be held to-day, commencing at 3 p.m. Mr. P. E. Debreceny, a Pahiatua bank- i rapt, has just set a noble example by paying *2os in the £ to the creditors in his estate. Proceedings against motor firms in Australia for evasions of duty and other breaches of the Act have yielded to the Customs a total of £14,191. The Raglan paper records the fact that on a recent day a mare, the property of the constable at Kawhia, gave birth to twin foals, hia cow bore two calves, and his wife presented him with twins. Contractors are having great difficulty in finding men in the Akitio county for road work. They are offering 10s a day. The Akitio County Council is spending £30,000 on roads and bridges. The use of twopence-in-the-slot telephones, which were recently introduced in Auckland, is proving so great a success that the Telegraph Department has decided to have several more installed at an early date. "Yes," excitedly exclaimed a witness in the Supreme Court at Invercargill on Saturday morning, "he told me that the man was a blanky liar, and that he was Honor, "it may be true, but it's not evidence." The oat crops are turning out particularly well in the Wairarapa district. One farmer has a crop of 20 acres of Abundance oats, which is it estimated will yield 90 bushels to the acre. Many of the other crops in the district are expected to reach 80 bushels and over. Sir William P. Hartley, jam manufacturer, speaking last month at the twenty-seventh annual profit-sharing at his works, Aintree, Liverpool, said that although he did not claim that profitsharing was a cure for all labor troubles, the spirit of it was an absolute cure. The amount distributed was £5015, the total from the beginning being £60,505. Sir William announced that he had added another £IOOO to the pension fund, to which he has contributed over £7OOO in three years.

The shooting match to have been fired by the Taranaki Veterans yesterday afternoon was postponed on account of the unfavorable weather till Thursday, the 21st inst.

All those interested are reminded that the class for the theory of plumbing will meet to-niglit at the Technical College at 7 p.m. All those who wish to qualify for the City and Guild's examinations should enrol.

Owing to the unfavorable weather the picture entertainment which was to have been held at the East End Reserve had to be postponed until Monday next. The programme will be screened in the Theatre Royal to-night. Last night noted a vast improvement in the lighting of Fitzroy main thoroughfare from Te Henui to the Waiwakaiho, the electric light having been i installed right through and lit for the first time. Fitzroy is now well lighted, and the residents of the suburb thoroughly deserve the benefit, as they were the first to initiate the Greater New Plymouth scheme. Before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., at a sitting of the Magistrate's Court at New Plymouth, John Adams was charged with having entered licensed premises during the currency of a prohibition order (two charges) and with procuring liquor during currency of order (two charges). On the first charge of entering licensed premises he was fined 10s and costs 7s, and was convicted on the second. For procuring liquor he was fined £2 on the first charge, with costs 7s, or in default 14 . days' imprisonment, and convicted on the second charge. H.M.S. Pioneer, which left Lyttelton on Tuesday afternoon to assist in the search for the Himitangi, was stopped in mid-ocean on Wednesday night, and is now returning. She was in touch with the wireless station on the General Post Office, Wellington, all day Wednesday, and as soon as the Gertie's report was received a message was dispatched to Commander Stopford, informing him that there was no need to search further. Soon afterwards a message was received from the commander stating that the Pioneer had turned back, and was making for Lyttelton, where she expected to arrive on Friday morning. The following cases were struck out at ' the Supreme Court yesterday:— Rasmus Anderson v. -f. G. Buchanan, claim of £5Ol for seduction; Quin Bros, v. South Taranaki Winter Show Company; and Bennett and Sutton v. same; Charles Robert Stannard v. Harold Arthur Jones, alleged breach of agreement. In the case 'of John Armstrong and another v. John Martin Laurent, claim for £1133 lis ( 9d damages for alleged fraudulent sale of land, an adjournment was granted until the next Supreme Court sessions. The solicitors to the parties in the case of Llewellyn Davy v. Emma Louisa McGregor, claim for money lent, intimated that the action would be discontinued.

Mr. F. W. Sandford,' who sent a case of comb honey for competition at the Normanby show, complains of the treatment that his exhibit received. It consisted of 12 sections and one half frame of comb honey, enclosed in a glass case, with screwed top. On going to Normanby yesterday to get the exhibit, which he had entered in the Tariki show, he discovered that the half frame had been taken 'out of the case and was missing. It was eventually found by two members of the committee outside on the grass, minus all the honey. The committee expressed regret and offered monetary compensation, which, however, Mr. Sandford did not accept. He does not grudge the intrinsic value of the honey, but the fact that by its loss his exhibit at the winter shows will be marred, if not absolutely spoilt. The whaling industry is very much to the fore in southern waters (states the Bluff correspondent of the Dunedin Star) and Cook's Whangamumu party are hard at it getting to business before the arrival of the Norwegian syndicates. They are whaling in the s.s. Hananui 11,, which has proved herself a first-rate whale-catcher. The Hananui 11. put in here on Satufdav to land last year's catch of whalebone from Campbell Island. This comprised over 3000 pieces, worth up to £1 a piece, being the product of the capture of eight whales. The Hananui 11. reported that owing to thelong spell of bad weather experienced very little work had been accomplished during the last fortnight. She captured a sperm whale off the Solanders, however, and sailed again on Sunday to continue operations. Word was received later at the Bluff from Stewart Island that the Hananui 11. had quickly got to work, and had towed in two large sperm whales to Port William that afternoon. The representatives of the Norwegian syndicate are much interested and are chafing at the delay in the arrival of their vessels. It appears that the New Zealanders are getting well in first. There was an abrupt termination to the hearing of an application for a discharge at the Bankruptcy Court at New Plymouth yesterday afternoon. Applicant was undergoing cross-examination, when his remarks to the opposing counsel caused his Honor (Mr. Justice Sim) to pull him up with a round turn. The applicant still persisted in his conduct, however, with the result that he was again sharply reprimanded by his Honor, who remarked: "Behave yourself, or you will be committed for contempt." At this the man in the box became still more excited, and this led his Honor to inquire, "Is this man drunk?" His solicitor replied in the negative, while the man supplemented this with the following remark: "But his (the speaker's) temper gets the best of him." At this the judge sternly ordered him to stand down, and as the applicant for a discharge was still unable to conduct himself properly, he was, at "his Honor's direction, expelled from the courthouse. In explanation of his client's conduct, the solicitor for the man volunteered this remark: "Your Honor will see that the man is a foreigner," and to this Mr. Justice Sim retorted: "But that is no reason why he should 'not behave himself." His Honor then intimated that the application would be adjourned until the next sitting 'of the court. It is understood that this is the first occasion that the Supreme Court usher (Mr. Fennell) has had to eject anybody from the courthouse.

MELBOURNE CLOTHING COMPANY'S ANNUAL REDUCTION SALE. This great annual event, looked forward to by hundreds of Taranaki people, is now in full swing. Tremendous savings on staple goods are afforded all those who visit these sales, and the sale now on offers greater inducements than ever before. Carefully read this list. It will pay you to come and make heavy purchases. 72in. unbleached sheeting reduced to lid; "Just-Out" boot polish, two tins for 7d; twelve quarter marcella quilts reduced to 12s <3d; 8s lid linen tablecloths reduced to 6/6; indigo print reduced to 5d yard; art needlework reduced to half price; 36in. white calico, 5d yard'; men's Kaiapoi socks, three pairs for 2s 3d; men's worsted trousers reduced to 10s 6d; saddle trousers reduced to 7s lid; children's straw hats half price; men's celluloid collars® 8d each; men's mlue denims, 2s lid pair; men's grey denims, 3s fid pair; men's fancy vests reduced to 4s 6d; boy's chrome balpiorals 8s 6d pair; men's kip watertights reduced to 13s lid; men's chrome shooters reduced to l"2s 6d pair; men's saddle-tweed suits, 355; men's Kaiapoi suits, 27s 9d; men's cashmere socks, three pairs for 2s 6d; Redio cloths, green 6d, yellow, two for 7d; men's flannel undershirts reduced to 2s 3d; pure linen damask reduced to Is 3d yard.—Advt.

The apple crop is officially pronounced a promising one in Canterbury this season. Pears are not abundant, neither are plums. The proprietor of the Wairarapa .Standard got a shook the other day. A longstanding account, dating back, in fact, to 1905, was paid, with an extra half-crown added to the cheque by way of interest. The amount of the account was 17s Gd.

The Mataura correspondent of the Southland Times gets off the following good thing:—About ten days ago a bullock being driven down Bridge street marched right in to Mr. Raeside's store. The only inmates at the time were two ladies, who barricaded the middle door until a neighbor came in from the back door and dislodged the intruder. This afternoon a cow entered Mr. Aitken's and then Mr. Sherwood's store, and, on being turned out, went in next door to a tea room!

The Tariki Horticultural Society held its annual show at Tariki in wintry weather yesterday. The show was a decided success, entries showing a great improvement both in quality and quantity over all previous shows. Competition in almost every case was very keen, and the prizes were well distributed. The following were the winners of the points prizes: —Mrs. Stratford (pot plants), Mrs. Arden (cut blooms), W. Jakes (vegetables), J. Hughes (farm produce), Mr. Kilpatrick (fruit), Mrs. Hancock (preserves, pickles, etc.), Mrs. James (bread, cakes, etc.), Mrs. Rudkin (fancy work), F. H. Wilkie (photography). A detailed report will appear in to-mor-row morning's issue.

The Waikato Argus says an interesting incident occurred at the territorial camp at present being held at Annandale, near Morrinsville, on Sunday last. Five socialists arrived on the scene, armed with sheaves of socialistic literature, and wheii requested to leave asserted their right to be present—the unalienable right that the land belongs to the people. The discussion was not longed to any great length. The question of title was disposed® of in a much more expeditious manner than that usually adopted by the Native Land Court ,the guard .was called out, and with fixed bayonets the would-be orators were escorted to the King's highway, where they were at liberty to spout all day, concerning militarism, monarchy and other subjects dear to the Socialist's heart, and no doubt the former came in for special attention. Savs a writer in the Maoriland Worker:—Those who arp opposing the compulsory military service scheme do so because they love their country too well to see it under the heel of liilitarism. Well, many years ago when the various tribes of Maoriland were comparatively in the same state of warlike tension as the various tribes of the world are today, there'was one tribe living on the isolated Chatham Islands. These people were studiously opposed N to military training; in -fact, they looked upon war with horror, and just as the Worker and a few other estimable theorists are today, were ready to proclaim a general strike against it. These glad tidings reached the ears of a section of the Ngatiawa tribe, which went in for military training at Wellington like Old Henry. The Ngatiawas promptly chartered the English brig Rodney and proceeded to make enquiries on the spot. So satisfied were they with the peaceful nature of the islanders that the expedition remained there for two years, and during that time it devoured all but 200 of a population of nearly 2000. The others were saved up for a rainy day. That -was about 75 years ago, but the moral _ of the story isn't showing any sign of old age. In fact, it seems to be as young as ever.—Sydney Bulletin.

In view of a .very general impression that the winter's high prices for butter are caused by a "corner" on the part of large holders, it may*..(writes a London correspondent) be well to quote an authoritative contradiction sent by Messrs Weddel and Co., who say:—"Seldom if ever have more absurd stories been supplied to the newspapers than those now appearing, which 'allege that the 'high prices of butter during the last three months are due to a 'corner' or 'ring' of importers in To'oley street. Every intelligent man in the butter'trade knows that it due solely to the abnormally hot and' dry . weather of last summer. In this country we. have had droughts from time to time, and so have most of the butter-exporting countries of Europe, but there are no previous records of all these countries having a drought at the same time. The excessively hot and dry weather of 1911 extended more or less severely from Omsk, in Western Siberia, right across Europe' to Chicago, a distance of 11,000 miles. The breadth of this calamity varied from 500 to 1000 miles. In Siberia thousands of cows were slaughtered owing, to the want of winter fodder, and the United States Department of Agriculture cially state .that the shortage of bay in that country, comparing 1911 to 1010 amounted to 13,534,000 tons, which is a decrease of 22 per cent. Every country "V Europe is suffering from the hi«h prices." '