LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 77, 17 August 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Wellington telegram states that the police have discovered no traces yet of the two prisoners who escaped from Point Halswell on Wednesday. The New Plymouth Harbor Board yesterday passed a resolution in terms of the motion recently carried by the Taranaki County Coiiineil, urging the Government to immediately proceed with the work preliminary to the construction of the Moturoa—Te Roti railway. There will be an opportunity to renew acquaintance on Sunday afternoon at the New Plymouth Brotherhood meeting, at 3 o'clock, when the Rev. (* H. Garland, .Methodist theological Institute toutor of Auckland, and for some time minister at the Whiteley Memorial Church, will address the meeting. Mr. Garland is a .powerful speaker, very interesting to listen to, and his subject, "To thine own self be true," ought to draw a record crowd. Added to this is to be a trio by Messrs. Veale, Ambury, and Henrichs, whilst Mr., F. P. Corkill is to be chairman. The musical arrangements are, as usual, in the hands "of Messrs. Perry and Carbines. The 1 best means of raising funds to defray expenses, (roughly .estimated at £300) of installing electric light in the new North Egihont Mountain hostelry were discussed by a meeting of ladies in tlie Town Hall last evening, over which, the Mayor (Mr. G. W. Browne) presided. The* was also present. _ Those present formed themselves into a committee, of,which Mrs. Browne was appointed chairwoman, to decide upon the programme to be carried out. It was decided to approach the proprietors of the local picture theatres with a view to enlisting their services. A suggestion that a floral fete and garden party should be held in Pukekura Park was enthusiastically received. The meeting decided to ask Mrs. Doekrill to act as honorary secretary and treasurer of the movement. ;

In a speech at the High School this I Week,, the Principal (Mr Moyes) rei marked that since coming to New PlyI mouth one thing ,that had struck him I very forcibly was the indifferent attiI tilde jof the people towards educational matters. He ventured to'assert that not • one in fifty—in fact, not one in a hun- | dred— of the people of New Plymouth J could tell the difference between- a junior university., scholarship .and a Taranaki scholarship, which was the greatest asset that school possessed. After outlining the distinction, Mr. Moves said that parents might say that their boys could' not win' a junior university .scholarship. The reason was because they were not -prepared to send the children to school until they were old enough. A..perusal of the scholarship lists Would .show that the. majority of the successful candidates had reached the age of 18 years-'t'hey had been expecting their children to, gain .-scholar-ships-when t;hey were 10 or 17. He had no hesitation in saying that pupils of _that school could and would win scholarships provided the parents were prer pared to send them, to school until they J were eighteen.

The fourth meeting of the Now Plymouth Brotherhood Literary and Debating Society was held ]ast->evening in the Good. Templar Hall. There was a fair attendance of members. The subject for debate was "That a system of leasehold- Jand tenure would be more beneficial to New Zealand than a system of freehold land tenure." The motion was moved by' Mr. \v. J. Smith, seconded by Mr. \V. Collis, and opposed by .Mr. W. Forbes, whose seconder was Mr. L. Okey. Mr. Smith, in his opening remarks, quoted legal opinion to the effect that thtre was no freehold/ The opinions.of several famous men were also quoted. Mr. Forbes, during the course, of a forcible .speech,'stated that the .freehold was the only solution of the laud problem in New Zealand. The feeling in favor of freehold was growing stronger. Mr. W. Collis criticised several of the points raised, and referred to the aggregation of land as .being an argument against freehold. Mr. S. Okey entered a plea for the small farmer, and backed up Mr. Forbes by contrasting the two systems. Several other members spoke when the question was thrown open for discussion. Mr. H. B. Reid opposed the motion, and regarded the question of populating the Dominion as one dependent on a. better system of land tenure than the present one. Mr. TT. Cocker favored the leasehold, and referred to the -freehold system as encouraging land aggregation. Mr. Maunder also spoke strongly for the leasehold, stating that, though once a freeholder, he had finally become convinced that the system was inferior to that of leasehold. On being put to the meeting, the motion was defeated by five votes. The team to debate this question against Stratford on August 20 will probably be selected during the coming week. Amongst your many flutterings in the market world to-day. don't neglect the great shoe sale at MeFwon Bros. Their wonderful stock of new and down-to-the-minute footworn- is something worth while. .Something-very choice.

The Rev. Alfred North, for many years pastor of the Ponsonhy Baptist Church, and now organiser of the Baptist Missionary Society, will preach at the Baptist Church to-morrow morning and evening.

The services at the AVhiteley Memorial Church to-morrow will be conducted by the Rev. C. 11. (iarland, a former minister in this town and now principal of the Theological College. Remuera. Auckland. Mr. Harland's morning subject will be, "Communications from the spirit world," and in the evening he will preach upon "The Verdict of Nature on a Free Salvation."

Tlio New Plymouth Sash and Door Co. has landing 250 tons of cement and lime direct from the works of the Portland Cement Co., of Auckland. The cement is the popular Crown brand, for which the company are pole agents, for the Taranaki district. The frrowin<r demand for this brand of cement has caused the company to make provision for lanrc> consignments. The shipment which lias arrived is the largest that has been landed at New Plymouth*

.Measles are wore prevalent in Sydney just now than for years past. The ■mortality is heavy. According to Mr. Wilson, member for Taumarunui, live stock travelling south of Palmer.stou North are compelled to remain in trucks for part of three days. Says the Birmingham-Post:—"One of Fry's earliest scoring strokes was made to long-leg, a ball from Nour.sc being skilfully played between the legs of the batsman—a genuine old-fashioned leg glide—from one of Pegler's deliveries." The man who can play, two bowlers at once, between the legs of both batsmen is the man for our money. '

During Mr. C. P. Skerrett's address to the jury in a slander action in the Supreme Court in Wellington, the crowd in the hack of the court laughed outright on several occasions, "if you want a hearty laugh," said His Honor Mr. Justice Edwards, "you must go to a place where you pay at the door. J will not have this place turned into a theatre." Mr. E. Maxwell, while speaking at the Taranaki executive meeting of the New Zealand Farmers' Union on Thursday, said the present party in power 'were there as a result of the freehold vote, jn consequence of the work of the union. Ho could conscientiously say that the Government-—irrespective of political parties—was in office through the labors of the 'union—a wonderful achievement. j —Hawera Star. j Te Kuiti is described by the Dunedin I Star as being "a mushroom township I with a mixed .lot of residents—lawyers, I land-grabbers, commission agents 'and I boarding-house keepers forming the | backbone of the population. The chief industry is said to .be a peculiar kind of pigeon-plucking, consisting' of carving up Maori leases and disposing of the goodwill. A person enquiring for land finds himself no.t in a wasp's nest, but an eagle's." A German merchant named Ilinkil, resident in Moscow', has bequeathed his fortune, amounting to .-£500,000, to his employees. Through the dead man's munificence, several dozen clerks,, bookkeepers, packers, porters and doorkeepers suddenly, find themselves raised, to affluence and partnership in- a well-estab-lished and lucrative business. All members of the staff who have worked with the testator for at least five years share in the bequest. Their portions arc to ' be reckoned on the basis of the first anj nual iwage multiplied by the number of { years they have been .in his service, j Those who have worked for the firm less j than five years receive a joint sum' of j £IO,OOO, which is to be divided according jto wages and length of service. The j staff have decided to organise the busi- ? ness inherited by them into a joint, stock j company, , They have also decided to J erect a handsome tombstone over the I benefactor's grave, to build an asylum > bearing his name, and to continue con- | tributing to various charities which the merchant supported during his life-time. j A .J'.ieniieim correspondent writes to the editor of the New Zealand Tiniea as follows:—Carter's trustees, who hold Hillersden and Wither runs, consisting of about 170,000 acres, met last Friday week and have placed both properties t under offer to the Government on very , easy terms. It is understood that the j trustees are willing to take Government i debentures in payment. Hillersden run

carries 45,000 sheep and could be greatly improved, and there is at least 12,000 acres of good flat land facing the main road.; The Wither run is only two mile* from TJlenheim', and would make an ideal I Mock to be settled as a fruit farm, as it is sheltered and lies well to the north. The present 'Government's imaginary land ;tax will not benefit settlement in Marlborough,'as, for instance, say' Carter's trustees have over 50,000 sheep, cutting, say. 71b per head of wool, one. penny per lb rise in-wool would give them aii increased revenue of £ISOO per year. Apart from toie assured rise in wool, all they liave to do "is to improve their Hock, thus getting a larger yield of wool, or to improve the carrying capacity of their property, and the'land tax is 'paid many times over. The present land taxwill have to be doubled before it wjll have any effect on the large estates here. The sheep returns for the Dominion, which have been presented to Parliament, reveal a shortage of over half a million, but this /act does not appear to have caused any great surprise, because it was feared that the decrease would have -been.much larger. It is attributed to the shortage of nearly 200.000 breeding ewes last season, as- compared with the preceding season,, and the consequent smaller lamb crop was still further reduced by the percentage being less than that of the previous year. The short- > age in breeding ewes is the most serious feature of the situation. There were considerable losses of. ewes last winter and spring, owing to shortage of feed, and tiie numbers exported this season were exceptionally large. It may be expected, therefore, that the prices of breeding ewes, which are already high, will remain so throughout the \ ear. This should encourage breeders to retain more of the best ewe lambs for breeding purposes, and so increase the ewe flocks. The decreases this year are shown to be 335,730 in the South Island, and 1(10 2(14' in the North Island. • The only districts showing increases are Auckland 13 557 and Otago 10,090, thus indicating that it is in. the principal exporting districts that the decreases have taken place.

Speaking at the official opening of the boarding establishment in connection with the New Plymouth High School, the Principal (Mr.'Moves) urged the ne(■l'sity of having separate high schools for girls and boys. He explained that hp touched on the question with some diftidencc. and be knew it was hopelos-s to try to convince some people that he had not got a set on the girls. Whilst the girls were in the school they would have every consideration—and they had ;!ll (1 v Ver - v « on sideration in the "past. 'But," he continued, "can you point me out a. single boys' boarding school worthy of the name combined" with a girls' school?" The idea is ridiculous. Mr. Moyes then went (in to sav that wealthy people would not send their boys to schools whore there were girls, and until New Plymouth had separate' institutions their school would not be supported as it should be. Speaking of the future, ho .said that next veaf he hoped to have in the school three courses—classical, agricultural, and commercial. The agricultural course in particular he hoped to see developed more than it had been in the past, and in this connection a large block of land at the rear of the school was shortly to be prepared. He also had. hopes that the board would next year erect and equip an up-to-date dairying laboratory. He felt sure it would be a good thing to develop the agricultural course as much as "ver it was possible. He would not enumerate all the things that he hoped for, and if the school was going to the front the necessary money to' provide most of them, at' any rate, must be found. TO iCRE INDrfiESTTON backache and stomach troubles, it is necessary to take after meals some harmless preparation which will supply the natural digestive fluids which every weak stomach lacks. And the host preparation of this character is Dr. Sheldon's Digestive Tabules. which contain all the natural digostnTits which Nature requires -for prompt digestion. One or two taken after meals will prevent souring, fermentation and acidity, and ensure complete digestion and assimilation. Price Is fid and 2s fid per tin. Obtainable everywhere.

A Wnirarapa native was recently left £I7OO by Ihu death of a relative.' The first purchase (says the Age) was, of, course, a motor ear. Numerous trips to Wellington and other places followed, in company with several friends. The party lived at the rate of £ 1(H) per week, and now our aboriginal friend is looking round for shearing stands. A large framed photograph of the late Jlr. T. E. Taylor. M.P.., presented to Parliament by the Xew Zealand Alliance, was unveiled in the (leneral Assembly Library when the House adjourned at ■i.3o p.m. yesterday. The photograph bears a gold painted tablet: "Mr. T. E. •Taylor. M.P. for nine years and Mayor of Ohristehui'ch, 11)11."' Mr. L. M. Isitt, M.P., made the presentation to the Speaker of the House. The. Speaker said tliat he was pleased to receive the photo. Mr. Taylor had been one of the keenest critics and airiest debaters.

An Auckland lady who has just returned overland from New Plymouth, states that, she was fortunate in getting a splendid view of Tongariro, Huapehu, and the active, volcano Ngauruhoe, as she sat in the train last Friday morning. The three mountains were snow-clad from base to summit, and presented a picture of .natural beaity that she imagines it' would lie difficult to excel, even in Switzerland. So lovely was the landscape in that direction that she nearly made up her mind to break her journey, iii order to obtain a sketch of a scene that she thinks she may never see again Tinder such peculiarly favorable conditions. ~ h .

Tint her an unpleasant experience, which might have been attended with serious result*, recently befel Mr. 'Duncan Kennedy, of "The Devil's Den" (states the Christchurch Press). Having lead of the ease with which it is possible to get over snow country with the aid of skis, Mr. Kennedy manufactured a pair, and started out. unaccompanied, in pursuit of keas, which have been playing great havoc with his (lock during the heavy snows. Unexperienced in this pastime, Mr. Kennedy was soon in difficulties, and on becoming cast in a drift was not able to regain his feet, not having the necessary stick . Some hours latpr two shepherds seeking shelter for the night, and attracted by a dog'e bark, heard Mr. Kennedy's cries for help, ahd released him from his perilous position.

"New Zealand wants domestic servants. Rich country. Fine climate. Good wage's. Work waiting. Fare. £2 16s. New Zealand, the 'Britain of the South,' i« a healthy and wealthy country, a land of prosperity and progress, affording splendid opportunities for advancement in life. The New Zealand Government Labor Bureaux in principal cities assist domestic servants and others in obtaining employment free of charge. Accommodation for domestic servants has been specially reserved>on the s.s. Tongariro, leaving London August 10 next. For full particulars apply to the High Commissioner for New Zealand (Emigration Department), L'l Victoria street. London, S.W." So runs a full page advertisement in the Daily Mirror of recent date. The announcement is .shown in a! frame held.in position by a highly attractive young lady in the attire of a parlormaid.