LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 320, 9 July 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Xormanby settler lost a couple of cows just prior to holding a clearing sale one day last week. They had been stolen. Entries will close on Saturday night for the second road race which will be held by the Rover Cycle Club, on Thursday week. The race will be to Insjlewood and back. A new home for the aged poor has just been completed at Timaru. The building, which is of brick, occupies a sunny location and will provide accommodation for fifty inmates. It cost £4200.

Westport is in the proud position of giving the cheapest gas supply in the Dominion. The cost there is 4s 2d per 1000 ft. The Auckland Gas Company comes next with a rate of 4s 3d, and Dunedin and Wanganui both charge ss. The Greymouth and Invercargill Corporations supply gas at the same rato as Lyttelton, which is 5s lOd. On the whole the findings and the recommendations of the Opunake Railway Commissioners are sensible arid businesslike, and open up highly encouraging prospects of industrial development, closer settlement, and more production, with a substantial reduction in the burdens which now have to be borne by land and produce in the maintenance of roads and the cost of carriage.—Hawcra Star.

During June 97 cows. 74 bullocks, 7 calves, 044 sheep, 20 lambs, and 120 pigs were slaughtered at the New Plymouth abattoirs for local consumption. Compared with the corresponding month of Imt year, the figures represent an increase of 9 sheep and 18 lambs, and a decrease of 14 cattle and 17 pigs.' Three animals were condemned during the month, and the fees for that period amounted to £135 os 3d, an increase of £lO 18s.

General Lew Wallace, whose dramatised "Ben Hur" was produced in New Plymouth last night, was an Indiana lawycr,who did good service in the Civil Waf, and was promoted brigadier-gencTal at the siege of Fort Donelson. He was conspicuous for gallantry at Shiloli. and. though defeated in the battle of Monocacy, he saved both Cincinnati and Washington from being captured by the Confederate forces under General Jubal Early. After the war he -was made United States Minister at Constantinople. A Stratford business man will remember the performance of "Ben Hur" for a few days at all events. He was bringing a party of friends in to view the performance, and when near Inglewood the headlights of liis car refused to shine as brilliantly as they should have done. On arrival at Inglewood he pulled up to remedy the deficiency, but whilst attending to the carbide receptacle there was an explosion and a flare, with the result that his face got slightly singed. Fortunately, however, his eyes escaped, and after very slight attention he was able to proceed on Ms journey. A tribute, and an unusual one, was paid the New Zealand newspapers by the Rev. Geo. Burlinghame, of San Francisco, on Saturday. In conversation with an Auckland Herald representative Mr. Burlinghame said: "It is a great pleasure to me to find your newspapers adopting that quiet, sober tone—quiet, I mean, in comparison with the Californian press. Although I am a patriotic American, I think that the yellow press methods of our newspapers are not good for the people, and their influence has been surprisingly bad. From the little I have seen of your newspapers"—and Mr. Burlinghame showed a big bundle under his arm—"l am convinced that they cannot be anything but a power for good, and they must have a great influence over the people." At a recent meeting of the directorate of the Waverley Co-operative Dairy Company, the chairman (Captain Johnston) gave some exceedingly interesting, and, to dairymen, important figures, • showing the benefit to be derived by manufacturing cheese instead of butter. With butter at llVsd per lb f.o.b. New Zealand, or 118s Gd per cwt. f.o.b. London, co-operative factories could pay nmpliers 11 5-8 d per lb. for butter-fat. ,v ith cheese at 08s per cwt. f.o.b. London, allowing fls. per cwt for freight from Vow Zealand to London—not price 50s f .'i.b. Wellington—factories, after allowW for working expenses, e{ •., could pay ' 1.75(1 per lb. for butter-fat. Tf whey Gutter is made an additional .!>sd could !"• mid. bringing the price nor pound of V-tter-fat to 1(1.30 d. TVr fi is, ihero?"i'(., a difference in favor <u cheese of 'i.CTod per lb.

A Sydney cablegram states that the Margaret Cooper theatrical company arc passengers by the Moana. The map of the proposed Opunake railway shows the routo to be about ft mile to a mile and a half from Opunake.

The social in aid of the Circular Rbad Race is to be held at West End to-night, not at Westown, as previously announced.

The Palmerston Chamber of Commerce received 215 replies from other chambers and local bodies, etc.. to its circular resolution approving of Mr. Myers' attitude on compulsory service. One hundred and ninety-three endorsed the Palmerston Chamber's view, 22 passed no resolution and none passed any resolution against compulsory train-

According to advioe received by the Borough Council from the Department of Internal Affairs, the petition favoring the inclusion of St. Aubyn and part of the. Moturoa district in' the New Plymouth borough was gazetted last week. After the expiration of a month—the statutory time—the necessary steps will be taken to have the petition given effect to.

One of the stage kinds at the performance of "Ben Hur" last night received rather a severe shock. He picked up an innocent-looking piece of wire with the intention of removing it out of the way. It happened, however, to be a live electric wire and resented 'his familiarity, with the result that he was temporarily put out of action. Fortunately the charge was not a particularly heavy one, and,he recovered 6ome time afterwards. Last night the Borough Council adopted the following recommendation of the Tramways Committee:—That the Deputy-Mayor (Cr. Clarke; be appointed the Council's representative to proceed to Sydney at the expense of the Edison Beach Company, in accordance with their invitation, to view the Beach car in operation, and report to the Council upon the advisability of installing similar cars in New Plymouth; also that the town clerk be authorised to proceed to Sydney at the expense of the Council at the same time and for the same purpose, the time occupied by the journey to be accepted in lieu of tlie month's holiday now due to him. During the progress of the Stratford Borough Council meeting last night the electric light suddenly went out. The Council did not adjourn, but proceeded with its business, and the unfortunate I pressmen had to work by match-light. ! The Mayor, during the darkness, snid that this was the fifth time during the I past fortnight that the light had failed, ! and while it might be excusable for it to go out once or twice, he would move now that the syndicate be written to, drawing its attention \o the inadequate service given to the consumers of the light in the borough. The motion was seconded by Cr. King, who is a director of-the company. He said that it was getting too much altogether. Ho also mentioned that the light was not availablefor some time on Sunday night. The motion was carried.

At tlio- Baptist Church. Dill street, last night, a farewell social was tendered to Mr. W. T. Coad, who has been transferred to the staff of the Blenheim Post Office. His long connection with the church locally, for a period of over twenty years, was not allowed to pass without suitable recognition. The social was arranged at a moment's notice on account of Mr. Coad's hasty transfer, but it was nevertheless largely attended by members of the congregation and friends. The Rev. F. Hales presided and a pleasant hour was spent with speech, song, and story, in which the Junior Christian Endeavor took a prominent part, and among others who assisted was Miss> Jessie Cocker, a visitor from Hamilton. Mr. Coad was made the recipient of -a number of useful books by thte Junior Christian Endeavor, and a silver mounted tray of cutlery from the adherents of the church. A pleasant social evening was spent, not the least pleasing feature of which was the dainty refreshments served. . . The matter of recommending the Municipal Conference to substantially increase hotel license fees was before the Borough Council last night. The subject was again broached bv C'r. J. Clarke, who suggested that in the case of large towns the fee should be increased from £4O to, say, £3OO. According to Cr. Ambury, it seemed to be an outrageous advance for a town of, say, the size of New Plymouth, to which Cr. Clarke rejoined that the fees co.nld be fixed on a sliding scale. Cr. Kibhv thought the proposal was out of the province of the Council, while Cr. Jackson thought the suggestion too drastic. Another councillor suggested that the whole question should be ventilated by the Municipal Conference. Cr. Clarke readily agreed to this proposal, and consented, on Cr. Stockcr's suggestion, that no amount should be named. "We have," remarked Cr. Mannix, "enough troubles of our own already." It was, said Cr. Morey, -a matter between hotel owners and licensees. In disagreeing with this contention, Cr. Clarke spoke of the huge unearned increment which should be shared by borough councils. Ho recalled how 'fifte-en years ago twenty-two hotels were closed in Dunedin. £BOO being lost to that city. This was a distinct injustice. It did not reduce drunkenness; therefore, seeing that the same amount of liquor was sold—other hotels doing increased business—the remaining licenses should be correspondingly increased, so ns to make up the deficiency. Look at the loss the Wellington City Council sustained owing to the carrying of no-license at Newtown. In order to bring matters to a head, he moved that the Council favor sn increase provided it wa9 accompanied by a Fair Rent Bill and the abolition of good-wills, and that the Gisborne Council—which body originally asked the Council for an expression of opinion —be informed that the Council intended to bring the matter under the notice of the Municipal Conference. This was lost by seven votes to five, and, after further discussion, it was decided, on the motion of Cr. Jackson, that the matter be brought before the Conference with a view to investigation.

THE PRICE OF BOOTS. Owing to the recent award, it {is a moral certainty that manufacturers will raise prices, thus passing the added cost on to the public The Melbourne—ever ready to anticipate such a move is heavily stocked with all lines of New Zealand manufacture, and w'ill he able to offer goods at prices in no way influenced by the recent award. Hereunder is published a list of every-day wellknown boots, which you are asked to carefully compare with ruling prices elsewhere. We are confident of the result. Men's stout bluchers, 6/6; men's strong kip shooters, 7/11; youth's strong boots, sizes 1 to 5, 8/11; men's watertights, 14/6; (heavy kip shooters, 12/9; men's medium weight chrome shooters nailed or plain, 13/9; youths' ehoolers, 7/6; children's chrome Balmorals, 6/11, 0/11, 7/6; women's chrome tiro-bar shoes, 5/11; women's felt slippers, carpet soles, 1/-; women's check felt slippers, with fancv buckle, 1/3; women's colored felt slippers, with cord soles, 1/3; women's leather slippers, sewn soles, 3/11; women's chrome slippers, sewn solos, 4/11. The above are all wellknown colonial made lines. No prices as low as the Melbourne's.—Advt. For Chilflmn's V eking Cough at night. Wood's Croat Peppermint Cure-, 1/9, 2/f

At.the hustings one often hears the' cry of "the landed Maori aristocracy."' If the length of genealogical trees couh! for much in the aristocratic sense, morr than one native is entitled to distinction. Last week a News reporter had! a glance at a copy of the pedigre* ol a well-known native family in the New. Plymouth district, which extends, back to something like sixty generation*—ft matter of about 1500 years! The cops is in the hands of Mr. Samuel Jackson, of New Plymouth, and the original is held by a well-known authority of thi»town. Many years ago the "tree" was redated by an old native antiquarian, from whom it was subsequently captured in war. Recently Mr. Jackson had occasion to draw up a genealogical tret in connection with a big native land ca*« at Wellington, in which he represented * number of New Plymouth Maoris. In this case, for the purpose of proring descent, it was necessary for the claimants to put in a pedigree, which dated' some 200, years. Dealing with the points raised by a correspondent, "Curious," in the New*, last week, Cr. J. Olarke (chairman of the Electric Light Committee) told a reporter that the reason why the electri* light was sometimes left burning in t|i» publie streets in broad daylight waa.thn'i it was the best means of testing' the light?. An inspection of the street lights' was frequently made in the day time, in order to discover any defects. The burning lights did not represent any waste in electricity, because if it wa* not used it would, in the day time, only be Tunning to waste. The 'reason why the borough could not at present cope with all the demands made upon its supply of electric light was that until the extensions to the plant were completed, it had as much as it could do to generate suffieient current during the hours of maximum consumption, when the ehops were all alight. As regards the correspondent's suggestion that th» more light burnt by the street lamps the more revenue would accrue to tha electric light department out of tlie street lighting accont, Cr. Clarke nointout that the department merely received a fixed sum (£2 10s) per annum: for each street lamp. Thus, he added, it was immaterial to the department, from a revenue point of view, how much electricity was consumed by the Street lamps.