LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 251, 23 April 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Petone milkman has been fined 20s and costs for selling milk below the butter-fat standard.

The area of land opened for selection in New Zealand during the present month comprises M,249 acres. Te lvuiti is to have a Methodist Churoh and the llev. K. iB. Gosnell has been appointed minister in charge.

The banks close at the slightest provocation. To-day they are keeping up the memories of those long-buried saints, George and David.

For having a horse tied up for 13 hours without attention, 'Mr. F. O'B. Loughnan, S.M., at the Otorohanga Court lined a native £7 and costs.

Entries for the dairy section in connection with the Hawera Winter Show closed on Saturday. The entries last year numbered 31, but this year 42 factories have entered in the competition.

The Joll Co-operative factory paid out £9990 for butter-fat last month. This was well ahead of the corresponding month of last year. The milk supplied was 20 per cent, more than during March of last year.

Mr. Thomson, at the Egmont Lodge last evening, said very truly that there was no dignity or privilege which did not impose some corresponding duty on the recipient thereof. This was his word to those who held office in Good Templary or elsewhere. Proceedings at a meeting of the Waimarino County Council at Raetihi, on Saturday last, took on a somewhat lurid tinge and culminated in a physical set-to between one of the councillors and the engineer, in which most of the hitting, appropriately enough, was done by Cr. Punch. The casus belli was the engineer calling the councillor named a "liar." Eventually an understanding was come to.

On Saturday just about midnight n most beautiful meteor was seen in the eastern sky. Unfortunately the night was cloudy. The meteor, therefore, waß seen only as it shot from behind one thick bank of cloud and disappeared Tinder another. Its brightness may be guessed by the fact that for a second or two it lit up all the earth, as though a bright flash of lightning had possession of the sky.—Hawera Star. An intruder, who had been imbibing rather too freely, created a mild diversion at the Fitzroy householders' meeting last night. Stationing himself in a prominent position, he passed some very uncomplimentary remarks upon certain of those present, and the meeting was in danger of being taken charge of by the bibulous gentleman. The latter, after declining to leave and stating that the whole of those present could not shift him, was firmly taken in hand by two staunch men, and forcibly ejected from the building.

A resident of the suburbs of New Plymouth last year had a very poor crop of apples owing to the ravages of the codlin moth. In the spring he carefully sprayed his trees, and this year he, has had a big crop, not one apple being affected by the blight. An Inglewood resident informs us, however, that spraying will not effect a permanent cure of the moth, for it will come the second year whatever spraying is done. He lias a fairly large orchard, which was threatened with destruction by the moth. lie escaped this by following the advice of an American correspondent, who netted in his orchard and allowed fowls to roam about, the ground. As a result he has never seen a sign of the moth since. It appears the fowls devour the grub that does the mischief long before it climbs the trees.

A householder at the West End school last night asked why children should be allowed to attend sehol when some members of tile household were suffering from measles. After some discussion on the matter, during which the Education Act relative to infectious diseases was read, he promptly exclaimed: "Mr Chairman, I have made a mistake; it was mumps I intended to refer to" Laughter.) Mrs. Dowling explained that unless parents notified her of the prevalence of this disease she was not m a position to find out. At a later stage the chairman informed the householder that he had seen the child referred to in the street that very day and she did not look to be suffering from mumps, as there was no bandage around her face. The householder: t 7? iJr-,^ ecause slle 18 taking part in J. C Williamson's play at the Theatre Royal to-night. (Renewed laughter.) Referring to the training of cadets, the report of the Central School Committee last night stated., that in former years the cadet companies of the school "were regarded as quite an important feature of the work, and they were justly proud of the two fine bodies of well-drilled and disciplined lads, known as Nos. 1 and 2 The fault had not been with the local officers but for some reason or other the authorities now appeared to take-no interest in this movement. The committee would have supposed that the importonce of junior cadets as a preparatory training for the terfttorial service would have been fully recognised. Dealing with the scout movement, the report stated that the contral battalion of boy scouts continued to thrive under Messrs Sullivan, Mclsaac and McGahey and parents would agree that the influence of the movement had been a wholesome one. t T' e T e ® k '- V meetin S of the Egmont Lodge 1.0. G.T., was held in theCe room last evening. Owing to so many members bemg at the camp, the aT £ro fVp S P the ■aa Pe PP erel '. Acting C.T. nreBided. After the routine business was concluded a short and entertaining programme was gone through. Bro Thorn son, of Wellington, Grand Counsellor of • \r° rd ™ m New Zealai "J, who arrived tended, but was therefore rather late Z'*7Z e {' gave a most interesting address to the members on the internal Zf l " 8S ° f A the ° rder > and re P orted tlie a . £ p " eral business of the £ fcL i as . b ! in 2 vei 7 satisfactory. P® u ate ' y , tlle Auckland disr™ I , was able to re-arran»e vl Twnplary there in those lodges Brr) C Thn ™ 6omewhat disordered. f™', om& ' on 18 a forcible and humorous i speaker and was listened to most attentively, and as he is fo speak in the hall n Wednesday there is sure to be a good time. The vote of thanks to the speaker was most heartily received and suitably replied to Mr. Thomson visits the 1 rrace of Peace Lodge in Waitara this evening.

, W.C.T.lT.—Meeting on Wednesday, at 2.30, in the Good Templa? Hall. Important business.

The German Imperial Chancellor is studying the question of taxing eats in connection with the defence' burdens. This is the limit. Everything that can be taxed is taxed in Germany for the upkeep of the army, but now comes the navy, which is much more expensivehence the cat tax. If Germany were getting value, it would not bo so badbut who can make sure of that? However, of this we are certain: that those who drink Crescent Blend Tea get full value for their money. Tliey gft a good tea, the best tea on the market.— Advt.

A special telegraphic message states that the Dominion Meteorologist predicts a cyclonic storm and easterly gale, with heapr rain northward of Kawhia and Napier, over the North Island shortly.

Speaking at Eketahuna Mr. J. G. Wilson, president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, stated that the dairy herds of New Zealand could be increased in value by £(>0,000 if a universal system of individual testing were adopted.

The Pelorus Guardian states that a dastardly act of vandalism was perpetrated on Messrs iMeCallum Eros., at Meadowbank, last week. Two valuable draught horses, valued in the aggregate at £IOO, were found to have been poisoned, one being dead when discovered and the other "being in a dying condition.

The Mormon mission, which came to New Zealand about thirty-live years ago, have sent over 300 leaders from Salt Lake City to work among the Maoris, of whom GOOO are now adherents. Lt has established various institutions in the Dominion, and is building a large Maori agricultural college near Hastings, to cost .£IO,OOO, for which 130 acres have heen obtained.

Anglers consider that the present season in the South, owing to its dampness, has been tho worst for fishing for many years. A few good hauls, however, have been made, particularly in the Selwyn (Canterbury), which, surprising to state, has this season been better than it has been for many years. But other rivers have proved very barren of results, particularly the Waimakariri, which has hardly given a bite.

Latest cablegrams from all tea markets report a continued firmness of prices, and there seems to be no possibility of any reduction from the enhanced rates which have been ruling for some ■few months past. On the other hand, it is expected that there will be further advances, for the estimated shortage in China, the output of which represents at least 20 per cent, of the world's production, must considerably affect the London market.

Trapping and poisoning do not appear to have had much effect on the rabbit pest in some parts of the southern lakes district. Driving along the Rees Valley, from Glenorehy to Paradise, the ground seems literally alive with them. They travel in battalions, and some are daring enough to sit around in groups as the coach drives past a few yards away. The bulk, however, move from the open fields, cross the road, and take shelter in the birch bush. The depredations of bunny niusf be a serious thing for landowners in these parts. A tar-spraying machine owned by the Napier Borough Council was tested a few days ago. The tar sprinkler is much the same as an ordinary tar boiler, the only apparent difference being that the tar is forced on to the roadway by means of hot air. The sprinkler covers about five feot of roadway, and attached to the Straker waggon it distributes the tar evenly and economically on the surface of the road. This was covered by washed gravel, and the work was carried out a deal more expeditiously than under tho old system.

In matrimonial annals a record has been achieved by a well-to-do farmer named Sisseln. of Aaron, the capital of tho canton of Argovie (Switzerland),who has just married his "wife" for the fifth time after divorcing her on four separate occasions. Sisseln married another woman during one of the intervals, but divorced her some months after the wedding. The first 'Mme Sisseln returned to her parents, and lived quietly until her former husband came to ask her to re-marry him. The couple, who are still m love with each, and are still youn«, are now on their fifth honeymoon.