LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 203, 7 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To take kiwis out of New Zealand, without special permission, is unlawful. 'For riding his motor cycle at a speed dangerous to himself and passers-by, a young man was fined 10s and costs" at Levin. Mr. Mark Cohen, editor of the Dunedin Star, applies the name of "wowser" to the anti-militarist; because, bo says, wowser" is a fitting name for a "person who is of little use to himself, and of no use to the country in which he lives." It was only seventeen years ago that Siberia began to export butter; now there are 300 dairies at work, with 500 butter factories, and the total export, according to latest figures, amounted to 56,000 tons, of which about half is sent to Great Britain. At its meeting yesterday, the Taranaki County Council endorsed the resolution of the New Plymouth Harbor Board, aiming at securing fuller representation of local bodies at the forthcoming conference in Wellington in connection with the Local' Government Bill. "Some people say Ministers travel too much," said the Hon. 11. G. Ell. "That is quite a mistake. If there is going to be satisfactory administration it Is essential that Ministers shall not be tied to their table-legs. They must go among the people if they are to know the wants of the various localities." Some indication of the large number of young New Zealanders who go Home to study medicine is afforded by the fact that the names of New Zealanders in the pass lists at Edinburgh alone thus year occupy nearly half a column in the Christchurch Press. No wonder the profession is overcrowded. Thirteen S'ons, all under the age of six, is the unique family record of Mrs. Frank Scott, of Kansas. The six oldest are triplet sets. The first three are five and a-half years old, the others a year younger. The next two are three, the next pair two, while the three babies are two months old. All of their names begin with "A." Twenty young deer were brought into Carterton on Tuesday by Messrs Shaw and Cole's lorries. Fifteen came from the Maungarakis and five from Longbush. Some of them are to be released at Totara Flat, in the Tararuas (Mr. Sayers' property) and others are being forwarded to Mongonui, north of Auckland.—News. At a meeting of the Maketawa factory picnic committee last week, the secretary reported that there was a credit balance of £6 18s. This was considered highly satisfactory. The committee decided to donate £2 2s to the Titanic relief fund, and this amount will be forwarded through the Mayor of Inglewood. Mr. G. W. Bennett. One of the Wellington schools is disinfected daily by the sprinkling of the floors each afternoon with lysol or Jeyes' fluid. To this, the committee believe, that the school's freedom from epidemics or serious sickness is due, and they recommend the continuance of the system to the consideration of the householders and the future comm/ttees. The cost amounted only to £1 2s for eight months. A copy of the Local Government Bill received short shrift at the hands of the Taranaki County Council yesterday. In response to the chairman's inquiry whether they desired to hold a special meeting to consider the proposed measure, councillors replied in the negative. "It is," remarked the chairman, "a wonderful production." "A fearful and wonderful production," added Cr. McAllum, and the council passed on to other business. A writer in London Opinion has no corner in his heart for the suffragette. He says: "Boadicea was a daring Amazon, yet I question whether she had the most queenly of regal qualities—the capacity of knowing how to fry eggs and bacon to a turn. Joan •of Arc possessed desperate nerve, yet do I prefer a darling bit of appealing femininity who promises to kiss you if you buy her a new hat." Certainly, we think, too, remarks a contemporary, that a woman who has no knowledge of her duties is not accomplished, be she ever so manly. That a considerable portion of the King Country is 1 coal-bearing has been known for many years, and the Mokau mines are turning out coal of splendid quality (says the King Country Chronicle). Quite a number of seams are known to exist in the country lying between To Kuiti and Ohura. Mr. G. Elliott, on a recent visit to the district, obtained a number of samples of coal from Mr. A. Barnett's property at Waiewhena. The coal is hard and bright and burns well. In years to come there is ample evidence that this locality will become noted for its coal exports. Who writes the worst "hand" of any living author ? Mr. Cunningham Graham would probably be well in the running. His "copy" is the despair of printers. On one occasion Mr. Graham wrote it letter for publication in one of the newspapers. When printed, the letter exhibited some marked divergences from the original. Mr. Graham was moved to remonstrate in a subsequent issue, and, with it, the following comment: "If in future Mr. Graham will sit in a chair when writing, and not on horseback, and use a pen instead of the candle snuffers, we think we may be able to do him justice." A Wellington firm has been advised that there is a strong demand for scheelite. Already the Wakamarina mine, Marlborough, has sent five tons of this mineral to London. From scheelite tungstic acid is derived, and is used in hardening steel and for metallic filament lamps. It ranges from £9O to £l2O per ton, accprding to the market, and the demand is increasing. It is hoped that the scheelite at the Wakamarina will develop and become an exceedingly profitable product, quite apart from the gold won at the mine. The scheelite is found associated with gold in the quartz. Fifty men will shortly be working at the Wakamarina.

The New Plymouth Operatic Society is puting in good work in its rehearsals j of "The Geisha," and this pretty opera' is already assuming good shape. The chorus promises to be one of the features of the performance. Another rehearsal will be held to-night. Mr. James Dunbar, of Christehurch, is on a visit to New Plymouth for the purpose of inspecting the Parapara Co.'s ironsand works at Moturoa, part of which was recently destroyed by fire. He will report to th ■* company. Yesterday he told a News reporter that it was proposed to erect a slightly larger plant. The whole position will be discussed by the directors upon Mr. Dunbar's return to Christehurch. The buildings and plant were insured in the Liverpool and London Co.'s office for £2OOO. Messrs Vickers, Ltd. (England) have produced a new quick-firing gun at their Erith works for use on dirigibles and aeroplanes. The weapon has been taken to the company's Eskmeals range, on the Cumberland coast, where it has been thoroughly and successfully tested. It is of very light construction, is shaped almost like a telescope, and weighs probably not more than a hundredweight. It is easily trained and worked, and is reported to be a weapon which can easily be carried by an aeroplane or airship. Easter is supposed to be a favorite time for matrimonial ventures, and the Hon. 0. Laurenson found this out, if he had not discovered it before, when he passed through the Wanganui <district recently on his way to Taranaki. The train stopped at Aramolio, the junction for Wanganui, and here (states the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times) the Minister found himself surrounded with blushing brides and embarrassed bridegrooms, besides which it snowed confetti upon the newly-married and all their neighbors alike. There were sixteen couples, the. Minister 1 says, and he gives Wanganui the palm for being the most enterprising place with the finest prospects of any town in the Dominion, not even excepting Lyttelton, which is so enlightened in its judgment as to return him to Parliament. Sometimes the Maori displays superior slimness than the pakeha with whom lie comes in contact. At a place called Mangakahia, in the north of Auckland, a contractor who was working a kauri bush on the upper reaches of the river discovered some Maoris digging gum within his sphere of influence. They bad evidently struck a rich patch. He ordered them ■off, and they objected to go. so he went away and returned almost I immediately with all his Imshmcn armed ! with sticks and axes and drove them away, and then blocked the only track that gave access to that particular spot. His idea was to dig the gum himself later on. The Maoris, not to be beaten, cut a track for several miles through the bush and approached the spot covertly from the back, and in a very short time got away with over a ton of good gum. What' those irate bushmen said when they discovered how they had been euchred would scarcely bear repeating. The usual weekly meeting of the Egmont Lodge, 1.0. G.T., was held in the lodge room last evening, C.T. Bro. O. Arnold presiding. The opening service was carefully gone through. The usual business being completed, the new officers, as elected and reported last week, were duly installed. One new member was initiated. For the coming quarter a very neatly got up programme has been printed locally, and any who wish to know what this lodge and also the Juvenile Temple are doing had better ask members for a copy of the programme. Bro. J. C. Legg reported that he had lately visited the Anchor of Hope Lodge, Dannevirke. He found many things in which this lodge might copy them. The reports from the retiring officers showed that the affairs of the lodge are in a healthy condition. The new Chief Templar gave notice of certain improvements in the order 'of business that he proposed introducing with this new quarter. He also intimated that the farewell social to Bro. and Sister Legg would be held on Wednesday next. Numerous invitations have been sent out and a very good gatherI ing is anticipated on Wednesday.