LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 305, 21 June 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Opunake Railway Commission has concluded its inquiry and sent in its report, which will shortly be forwarded to the Governor. Mr. Shrimpton, Government telephone engineer, is in New Plymouth. His business has to do with the general overhaul and extension of the telephone system. A much-needed improvement to the access to Marsland Hill from Brougham street is ahout to he undertaken by the local municipality, the borough engineer having been instructed in the matter.

A sitting of the Magistrate's Court was held yesterday, before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M. A fine of £5 was inflicted on H. F. Callaghan for laving procured liquor during the currency of a prohibition order. Charles Riley, the man who obtained the liquor for him, was fined £2. A charge of a breach of a prohibition order was also preferred against David Crozier. He was fined £2. A" road race to Bell Block and back, a distance of eight miles, was held yesterday afternoon under the auspices of the Rovers Cycle Club. The starting point was the Red House Hotel. The first competitor to return was May (4min handicap), who cut the race out in 26 minutes. H. Lobb (3min) and Tapp (3min) were second and third, respectively. Only about two lengths separated the first two men. It is the intention of the club to hold a race next month from New Plymouth to Inglewood and back, over a distance of 30 miles. At a meeting of dairy company delegates, lately held at Waitara to consider the question of manufacturing casein, it was resolved to refer the matter back to the various dairy companies interested in the project, and at the monthly meeting of directors of the Tikorangi Co-operative Dairy Company, held on Wednesday, the matter was, therefore, further discussed, and after careful deliberation it was resolved unanimously "That in reference to the proposed manufacture of casein the directors are of the opinion that, before proceeding further, it is advisable to await the report of the Government officer, Mr. Petersen, who is now investigating the matter in Europe, and consequently they do not feel called on to convene a meeting of shareholders at present.

A King Country correspondent writes to the Manawatu Standard:—lt is only when one travels through the back country that one finds out what our settlers have to contend with. For some six months of the year the wives and children can't get out to see their friends and do their shopping. Let me give one or two hard facts in connection with our conditions. Take the case of such a family as I recently mentioned. A man with his wife and 11 children would use 10'Olbs of flour per week, half a sack of potatoes, and half a bag of sugar, and, say, lOOlbs of miscellaneous goods, including meat—altogether about 2501b». This is a big tax on farmers who have to pack things from 22 to 27 miles, each lOOlbs costing him 7s or Bs. This amounts to 17s fld for freight alone—about Is 3<l a head for the whole family. This shows that the hackbloek farmer has something more to pay than land rents, and town residents should have some consideration for them when they put forth their claims for roads. ' The Liberal majority trembled in the balance on Friday of last week at Cheviot, while the member for the district, Mr. G. W. Forbes, and the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. W. D, S. Macdonald) were under fire in an unexpectedly vigorous explosion in a railway cutting. The Minister, when driving past the cutting, stopped in order to see the class of work the men were engaged on. The two members and district engineer penetrated close to the face, leaving the ministerial conveyance, containing Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Isitt and others, a safe distance away on the road. The workmen were trying a new type of blasting explosive, and the fuse was lighted just as the Minister arrived. The old hands halted about three chains away, with the nonchalant assurance that the blast would have a range of only about a chain. But the upheaval that followed darkened the air with flying chunks of hard blue papa rock, and the paTty precipitately bolted. There was a moment's suspense as the debris rained down, and then a sigh of relief; there were no casualties. Everybody got a sprinkling of the clay, and the Minister got a severe blow on the heel from a big hard lump, but he was not lamed by it. The healthfulnoss of apples is retained in RUSSETTA CIDER, for it is made from specially picked fruit and pure cane sugar. Tn the morning it forms an exhilarating drink; at noon 'tis a delightful beverage, and at eventide a bracer. All hotels and stores. 3 '

A line of 135 lambs, off turnips, was [ sold recently from the Cheviot district J to a freezing company for 19s Gd each. > There is a good deal of building going on in Hawera just now. The value of permits issued by the borough engineer for the past month amounted to £5055. A hermit sheep recently caught on the Mako Mako station, Tokomaru Bay, had a fleece weighing 471b. Two locks of the fleece measured respectively 21in and 19in. A female teacher (says the Marlborough Express) whose appointment to a school in the Marlborough Sounds was approved by the Education Board last week, is a full-blooded Maori. The Salvation Army in New Zealand, formerly under Australia, is now independent, so far as the management of its own affairs is concerned, and Comraiisioner Richards is at its head. There was recently a pathetic case before the Waipawa Charitable Aid Board (says the Dannevirke Evening News). A woman with several children was found trying to sell her bed shortly prior to her confinement to raise a small sum for her subsistence rather than apply for j charitable aid.

There are signs of a slump in immigration in Canada. The Canadian agents in Great Britain have doubled their commissions upon domestic servants and agricultural laborers. Instead of accepting £1 per head for securing these immi.grants the agents are demanding £2 per head. Canadian representatives in England are urging an increase of expenditure by the Dominion Government, whose annual outlay is £200,000, but this amount is apart from the huge additional sums expended by land and railway companies. New Zealand venture in the cultivation of rubber bids fair to be successful. The secretary of the Dominion Eubber Company (reportsaDunedin correspondent), the shares of which are held locally, has received advice to the effect that the tapping commenced on the 7th inst., and i the cable, dated ten days later, intimated that the results were "excellent and full of promise." It is understood that the tapping commenced iri a quiet way, but it should soon develop as experience is gained in conducting the operation. The last census showed that eight to nine thousand trees were ready for the process, and others are maturing from day to day.

The supply of Auckland rock oysters has so far been quite equal to the demand. In fact, a week or two ago there were more oysters available than there were customers, and it was found necessary to restrict picking for some days. The beds in the Hauraki Gulf and the Bay of Islands are turning out well, and will, with a small supply from Hokianga, he able to provide for all the public's requirements until the close of the season. The beds in the Kaipara district have not yet recovered from the depletion which they suffered prior to the time when the Marine Department took over the work of picking all rock oysters, and it will he another year before they are fit to be reopened. The Minister of Defence (Hon. A. Myers) has received from Mr. J. McGruther, secretary to the Young Maori Party, a copy of the following resolution passed at the annual conference of the party in Auckland:—"That this conference expresses its pleasure that there have been no cases of Maoris objecting to discharge their duties as citizens under the Defence Act." In his reply to the letter the Minister has stated: ''The cordial relations existing between the Maori and the pakeha of this country have been a matter of special comment on many occasions, and it is gratifying to know that, if the Government is ever called upon to defend its shores, it can be sure of the loyal and whole-hearted co-operation of the Maori race." There was a small but representative gathering of citizens at the Avenue road reserve yesterday afternoon, when a public trial was given of the new Austin reversible road-grader, recently purchased by the Borough Council. The trial was very satisfactory, fully demonstrating the versatile and useful character of the machine, which will mean so much for the up-keep of the New Plymouth streets. The grader can be used alternately as a plough, scoop, and grader, while it is admirably suited for crowning roads. In short, it is capable of forming a road from beginning to enjd. At the outset, it is intended to employ the machine in cleaning the borough streets, many of which are at present in a semi-neglected state. The chief point in favor of the machine is that it is a wonderful labor-saving device. All things considered, it should prove a wise investment for the Council.

When the late Duke of Edinburgh was in New Zealand, in H.M.S. Galatea, in the early 'sixties, there came with him as artist for the expedition the French artist, M. Nicholas Chevalier, who did an immense amount of work in .depicting the various places of interest and natural beauty of the colony, as it was then. When he died his widow presented a collection of sketches to the Government, conditionally on their being publicly displayed. But, owing to the restricted accommodation at the Dominion Museum, this was not possible, and the sketches have been stored in the Wellington Art Gallery. A selection has, however, been made from the sketches (which are ultimately destined for the National Gallery), and they are at present being exhibited at the Parliamentary Library. The subjects include the Southern Alps and Cold Lakes, Wellington and Wanganui in 1868, Upper Rangitikei, the Rimutaka road and Lake Wanaka.

The anti-militarist spirit which has existed among the Lower Hutt senior «&dets has evidently not been subdued. A Post reporter, who attended the Weekly drill last evening, found only one officer present, in charge of some forty youths, the majority of whom were inclined to be troublesome. Eventually the company was dismissed without going through any exercises. The scenes were certainly not of the violent character which used to mark the initial parades of the company. The time for the fallin is 7.30, but no move was made in this direction until a quarter of an hour later, when the order was given. The instructor was- greeted with jeers, and finally the majority of the cadets struggled into two irregular and untidy lines. Practically all were talking, some smoking, and many shouting and hooting. The hooting was evidently directed at the officer, whose subsequent orders were all purposely misconstrued. He had to give up in despair, and after calling the roll, dismissed the parade. It was urged by several who witnessed the fiasco that the Defence Department should see its way to provide more instructors, especially as the nature of the Lower Hutt cadets is known. The boys last night appeared to fully understand the officer's unfortunate position, and to take advantage accordingly.