LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 284, 28 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tea head of cattle were shipped north by the Earawa last night. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning one first-offending inebriate was convicted and discharged by Mr. A. Crooke, S.M. Gillies and Nalder held a successful horse fair in Hawera on Saturday. Draughts sold from £25 to £3O, lighter horses up to £ls, and good hacks 15 guineas; other .sorts from 8 to 1J guineas. One -widow's pension has been granted at New Plymouth during the current month, and one military pension. The latter pension is the first of its kind to be applied for in New Plymouth. Six old age pensions have also been granted during the month. An advertisement in the Lyttelton Times, appropriately signed "Unfortunate," records the loss of £655 in bank notes. The advertiser states that the numbers of the notes are known and promises a substantial reward to any body returning them to the police station.

A ratepayer residing in Dawson street writes complaining of tfhe failure of the Borough Council to enforce the by-law relating to noxious weeds. He refers to the growth of fennel on an empty section adjoining his. Two or three weeks ago the weed was in seed, with the result that he finds it almost an impossibilitv to keep his own property clear of fennel. When the Hirstlands estate at Normanby was sold a couple of years ago some of the prices realised (from £3O to £4O per acre, without buildings) were considered excessive. The sections were cheap compared with those disposed of under the hammer at Hawera on Saturday, some of the sections fetching from £6o' to £69 an acre, without buildings. The land sold, it should be added, is amongst the pick of Taranaki's dairying country.

The third of the series of euchre l parties and dances combined was held in the Robe street hall last evening, under the auspices of the New Plymouth Defence Rifle Club. Sixteen tables, participated in the euchre tournament, prizes being won as follows: Lcudies, Miss M.' George 1, Mrs. Yates 2; gentlemen, Mr. J. Bruce 1. Mr. Roebuck 2. Mr. Bullot officiated as M.C., and the music was supplied by Mrs. George. A dainty supper was provided, and the evening was a complete success.

The Egmont Lodge, 1.0. G.T., met in the lodge room last night, as usual, Bro. G. Hayden, C.T., presiding. Owing to the wet weather the attendance was small. After the usual routine business, a Dutch auction was held, when some enticing matter was- disposed of. Members reported progress in reference to the choir and to the forward movement proposed last week. The reports were regarded as satisfactory, both matters having been taken up with commendable zeal and enthusiasm. After the business proper of the evening had been attended to a merry hour was spent in amusements.

The new North Egmont Mountain House has now been completed. It will not be properly brought into use until the beginning of next season. A caretaker, however, will have charge in the interim, and visitors who bring their own provisions will have the use of the house. At the beginning of the season the controlling body proposes to call applications for the salariedi position of manager, the proposal being to run the house on hotel lines. It is anticipated that this magnificent hostelry, which contains a large number of rooms, will be very largely patronised during the summer months, and greatly add to the attractions of Mt. Egmont as a. tourist resort. It is understood that an attempt is to be made to get His Excellency the Governor to visit the new house subsequent to his opening the Winter Show to-morrow week. In an interview at San Francisco, en route to New Zealand, the Right Hon. James Bryce, Britisli Ambassador at Washington, denied that he was going tc England to take Sir Edward Grey's place as Foreign Secretary in the British Cabinet. "That is rumour and nothlnp more than rumour," he said. "No, I am not going to England; I am going to Australia. It is only a holiday. But I am coming back to America and shall end here. I have grown to like the American people. They are so live, so invigorating, so honest, so pen-souled," Speaking of the recent ocean disaster the Ambassador said: "A more tragic calamity could not have befallen any people. Two great and powerful nations have been thrown into tremendous grief. The English and the Americans are fellow sufferers in a pitiful' catastrophe. This is an occasion for silence, not for ranting and raging about persons. The two nations have lost some of their best and noblest men. The world is weakened." Cabinet has decided to double the number of places to which weather forecasts will be sent, thus bringing the number up to 200. The Meteorological Department now pays £IOOO per annum to the Post Office for telegraphing the forecast, but the increase in the number of stations will not involve a proportionate increase in the cost, as the Post and Telegraph Department is willing to reduce . the rates if the messages are grouped according to districts. When the new system comes into operation, the Government Meteorologist will pre'pare a. special forecast for each group, and these forecasts- mil be more definite and' detailed than the general one now issued. The following are the new stations in the North Island: —Tokomaru Bay, Hangaroa, Waipukurau, Takapau. Ormondville, Cape Palliser, Port Fitzrov. Tryphena, Te Kaha, Te Aroha, Hick's Bay, Manaia, Waverley, Inglewood, Midhirst, Eltham, Wihangamomona, Mangaweka, Halcombe, Bulls, Kimbolton, Shannon, Levin. Eketahuna, Mauriceville, Featherston , MartinboTough, Waiuku, Mokau, Drury, Mercer, Huntly, Tuakau. Morririsville. Taumarunui, Taupo, Ohafcine, Raehiti, Waiouru.

WINTER TOPCOATS. AT THE MELBOURNE. There is 110 store in Taranaki so well able to supply coats of quality at such low prices as the Melbourne. If one but pauses to think, the reasons are obvious. In a nutshell, the secret of such low prices is buying for spot cash and selling for spot cash. It is apparent that a firm like the Melbourne Clothing Company, operating four busy cash stores in Taranaki, are distributors and buyers of greater magnitude than any other similar organisation; hence it would be a strange thing indeed if the huge cash discounts earned, the concessions granted for taking large parcels, and the wonderful "jobs" secured through the potent agency of "ready cash" did not allow this famous firm to undersell all competitors. And they do undersell. Here are prices that are so much below those ruling elsewhere for similar goods that people wonder and ask how it is done. Splendid dark grey raincoats, well tailored and dressy, 29/6. Handsome hydrotites, priced everywhere at 50/-, for 37/6. Splendid warm tweed overcoats, hard wearing vet dressy, 35/-. Nobby overcoats, the "Super Dreadnought," made of fine lustrous cravenetted grey worsted, splendidly tailored and finished, 30/6. Best quality Burberry coats, 40/6. Dozens of other lines, of course— Advt.

A Masterton paper announces an increase of 25 per cent in the birth rate in that town for the quarter over the same period last year. The increase is regarded as another proof of the efficacy of no-license!

A Wairarapa orcluudist has taken 300 lb of apples from a small Stunner pippin tree this season. This works out at £3 15s, and, taking ;ui average of 100 trees to the acre, would mean a return per acre of £375.

A most uiiusu I sight for this particular season of tli > year was witnessed in the western district last Monday (says the- Invercargill Xcws), when a farmer was taking a binder into a paddock to cut a crop of oats, which was as green as grass.

Inebriate institutions at Rotoroa and Pakatoa are evidently greatly in demand, and in the case of the former the authorities have asked that no further committals lie made, as there are 106 inmates in the institution, which was designed to provide accommodation for 100. Pakatoa is also fully taxed.

A Wairarapa farmer lias this year secured a return of £lB per head from his cows and £3 per head from his pigs. This (says a local paper) is a record which will require beating This record will be exceeded by many of the South Taranaki fanners who are getting from Is 3d to Is 4d for their butterfat.

Mr. Ernest Short, president o'f the Feilding A. and P. Association, and a prominent Romney Marsh breeder, "of Feilding, lias received a letter from a large and influential stock buyer of the Argentine, urging the necessity of something being done to induce the shipping companies to lower the freights on Xew Zealand stud stock. There were big marekts for stud rams and bulls, the writer said, but the excessive freights prevented other than the very wealthy importing Xew Zealand stock." Speaking to a pressman in Christchurch, Major-General Godlev mentioned the anniversary of the relief of the siege of Mafekiilg, and added: 1- I had the honor of being associated- with General Baden-Powell in that siege, and we all know the great work he did to keep up the spirits of the garrison, by his wonderful resourcefulness keeping all cheerful. Even then he was organising the boys. We had a beys' messenger organisation. They carried despatches and correspondence from headquarters on Sundays. when the Boers would refrain from shelling. He used to go to the native village and play -with the kiddies there, making mud forts and playing Boer and Briton."

That the Auckland province is rapidly increasing its output of butter is evidenced by figures supplied by Mr. IT. E. Paccy, general malinger of the New Zealand Dairy Association. In reviewing the present position of the company, Mr. Pacey drew attention to the fact that tiie Dairy Association was now the third largest butter manufacturing concern in the entire world, and that this year its output of butter would exceed 4000 tons, whereas three years since the output was only 1713 tons per annum, thus showing ail increase of about 2400 tons for three years, of which rather more than 7QO has been gained during the season which is now closing. The belief is expressed by Mr. Pacey that the supply to liis company during the next three years would show at least as great an increase as during the years which have just passed.

The heavy downpour of rain about tea time, followed by very uncertain weather throughout the Evening, seriously interfered with the meeting ar ranged in St. Mary's Hall in the interests of the British and Foreign Bible Society. However, a moderate number of those interested gathered to listen to am interesting address by the Rev. F. H. Spencer, the society's New Zealand representative, dealing with the work of the society in many different parts of the world. The Philippines, North Borneo, Japan, China. India (with special reference to the Mahometans) and the Jews, Zulus and Central Africans were dealt with in succession, showing the marvellous manner in which seemingly insuperable obstacles have been overcome, and millions of copies of the Scriptures sold to people hitherto in absolute heathenism. The speaker pointed out the dependence of missionary societies of all denominations upon this society for translations of Holv Scripture into the languages of the various peoples among whom they work. He also gave some very striking evidences of the assistance rendered to New Zealand churches directly and indirectly bv the British and Foreign Bible Socictv The cOiair was taken by the Rev. A. H. Colvile, and the opening exercises were conducted by the Rev. John Wilkinson Apologies weTe handed in from the Revs Burton, Roseveare and Hales, who were debarred from attending by other engagements. Archdeacon Evans was akr, present. A very interesting and instructive meeting was closed by the singing of a hymn and the pronouncing of the Benediction.

If sufficient stfdents are forthcoming classes in dressmaking will be commenced at the New Plymouth Technical College on Saturday mornings. Instruction will be given from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. These hours should especially suit those coming in from the country. The second term of the New Plymouth Technical College was inaugurated last evening, when a number of new students were enrolled. In a number of the classes the pupils are at work with the preparation of several attractive exhibits for the Winter Show.