LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 87, 29 August 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. W. Ferry, or tne wairarapa, nas received an order for Romney sheep ] from the Argentine. The report of the Commission on the '■ Cost of Living has been completed, and ' will 'be forwarded to the Governor probably to-day. A young man in the Masterton dis- ' trict has been earning as much as £5 per week in trapping rabbits this season. The rabbits are sold at Is 4d per pair in Wellington. A Wanganui dairy company pleaded guilty to the magistrate on Monday to offering for sale milk not obtained from a registered dairy. The company was fined £lO, with costs 9a. A dairyman, for selling milk not produced at a registered dairy, was fined £5, with 7s costs, The president of the Taranaki Agricultural Society (Mr. W. Ambury) has received intimation from his Excellence the Governor that he will be pleased to ! meet agriculturalists of the district on Saturday morning, October 5, at New Plymouth, or any other place the Society might select. Mr. Ambury bas replied thanking his Excellency for his generous offer, and the meeting is to be held at. New Plymouth at a place to be decided upon. His Excellency will open the Mt. Egmont Hostelry on Friday, October 4. The Rev. {3. G. Compton, vicar of Levin, has certainly the saving grace of 'humor. "A few days ago his horse fell down a well and tho male populace came along and rescued it with ropes and advice. Writing to the local paper, Mr. Compton thus soliloquises:—"lt seems passing strange that a dumb animal can draw a better congregation of ' men together than its master, but, perchance, were we in such a predicament, we should have no need to ask: Where arc the men? However, "a fellow-feeling makes us wondrous kind!" It was pointed out by the manager at the annual meeting of tho Patea freezing Co. that the coming season would show a very considerable increase in tonnage of dairy produce handled through the works, owing to the fact that every dairy factory south of Stratford, with the exception of Mells Dairy Co., had installed or were in'-the act of installing cheese plants, and that in the Patea and Waverley districts four new cheese factories were being built. This would mean an increased tonnage of about 2300 tons to bo handled. A Wellington telegram states that ! pending a determination by the Cabinet \ whether the scheme for the construe- \ tion of the new Parliament Buildings j commenced by the Mackenzie Government is to be continued, or whether j some other plan will be followed, all \ work on the laying out of the foundations has been stopped. Work is still j , . proceeding on the making of the lawn { ! and drives and the widening of Bowen " 1 street, but this will soon be completed. Already many hands have beea dispensed with, and in the near future it is possible that there will be even less activity about the grounds than there is HOW.

At the Ashburton Police Court recently a person who was oftout to go bail for an accused in the amount of £25 asked whether, in the event of accused committing .suicide before the date fixed for his appearance, he would be liable for the amount of the bail. The sergeant of police remarked that that Was the first time he had heard that particular point raised. One of the two justices on the Bench remarked that the person would undoubtedly be liable for accused's appearance in court, although he thought the magistrate would use his discretion in the matter, and probably would not forfeit the full amount of the money. The bail bond was entered into.

'•'Another matter which is engaging my serious attention," saj's the Minister of Railways in his annual statement to Parliament, "is the number of accidents which occur to railway employees, especially shunters. Fortunately, during the last financial year the average of accidents, fatal and otherwise, was lower than usual, but there are still more than I think there should be. I have directed the general manager to look closely into the conditions of shunting, and report as to whether it is possible, either by mechanical means or by a different system of handling the rolling stock, to minimise the danger. On receipt of the report, I hope to be able to tako such steps as will lead to a diminution of these accidents."

On principle, the Education Board yesterday decided to refuse to entertain the request of a lady teacher for leave of absence from September 4 to 16,(inclusive) in order to take part in the ladies' hockey championship tournament in Christclmrch. "This is the fourth consecutive year," wrote the teacher, "when I should have been included' in the Tairanaki team, had it been possible for me to obtain leave of absence,, and it is rather disappointing to have to stand out year after year, particularly when I know that teachers under other ooards have obtained leave on more than one occasion for the same purpose." During a discussion on the application members mentioned that some teachers sometimes

A re-union of the B Company of Territorials will be held at the Brulington on Wednesday evening. The B Company of Territorials, New Plymouth, have been notified that their Morris-tubes will shortly be to hand. A meeting of those interested in the projected formation of a local branch of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Dumb Animals is convened for the Town Hall next Monday at 8 p.m. As an indication of the quantities of southern potatoes being shipped to Australia, it may be stated that the steamer Waitemata, which left Oamaru for Australia last week, took 20,000 'bags, equal to 2000 tons, although the tubers oould all be placed advantageously on local markets. In answer to a request from Mr. James McLeod that tie Government Buildings should be closed in order that the officials should be able to witness the football matches this afternoon, Mr. H. Okey has wired: "The Minister of Internal Affairs is> wiring authority to closo Government Buildings on Thursday afternoon for football matches." A final reminder is given of the North Taranki Hunt Club's annual ball whicn is to be held in the Theatre Royal this evening. Everything that can be done to provide for the comfort of patrons has been carried out by the committee, and arrangements have been made to accommodate the largest attendance that has ever appeared at a similar function in New Plymouth. Suburban streets are not the only places where carts get bogged (says a message from Gisborne). On Saturday afternoon, as a cart loaded with houseblocks was passing the Pogt Office corner from the wharf into Gladstone road, one wheel sank up to the axle. The vehicle was partly unloaded, and with the aid of a jack it was lifted out of the drain on to the road.

took leave of absence for similar purposes without asking leave. Mr. "Mokau" Jones has probably gone through more tribulation in his connection with the Mokau estate than any other man in connection with any other estate in the Dominion. He has presented petitions innumerable to Parliament praying for the hearing and rehearing of his claims to the estate and has taken, his case through all the courts of competent jurisdiction up to the Privy Council, only to be defeated all along the line. He never got any satisfaction and the Privy Council decision seemed to "close the incident." It appears, however, that this is not so. for a new Government has come into power, and all the Parliamentary committees and courts in the Empire are powerless against that power to prevent further consideration of Mr. Jones' claim. It is understood that the Government is contemplating "doing something" for Mr. Jones, recognising that he has suffered much loss in prosecuting his claims. Certain proposals, it ia_ believed, w'll in due course be submitted to Parliament in this direction. Arrangements in connection with the Circular Road Race are well in hand. At a meeting of the committee this weik the clmiman (Mr T M<Uod) re ported tint the euh m hand to dite amounted to £132 16s The pri/cs will be piesentcd it the iheitic Royal on the night of the iacp dining tlu uitu •*il of the scicenmg of i jrogiamme of moMng pKtuics Ihi race will bi st-nted from opposite Mews Burgess and Tnsu's wuphon=p the hciatdi man leanno it 10 o'docl, Missis M< Ltod ind musph wu" ipiiointid number stew rds and Mfssrs Irppws \ndlli onks lf]( phone vf, « „ 1 q 0 < rol lowing motion -nit, < nni 1 1 gudmg 1 piotist Tpceiud fiom a udm in list M ir's 1111 his n 'idtifion for allege dh using the fool pub t Tvi ponga Tint milp s Kofi d < n bun' satisfaoton pmiliiko that the offml il Kaponga wis wioii" m st m r Hi it he 1 )d( on (he foot pill the r miffce will take no fnitliu ad urn mil ill t tin fomnnttop is prppai 1 to i"inn=ilii it« decision if ain e\i<leii« is r t ithaiminj; ' At the dance, thi lodw, the theatre—at anv social function ask for CAMROO DRY'GINGER ALE bv iwv°. Tt is a delightful reminder that IhU f nnous beverage is guaranteed to be prepared from the original Belfast formula. All hotels and stores. 8

A number of Lower Mangorei settlers have petitioned the Taranaki County Council asking it to take immediate steps to form and metaj that portion of the Mangorei road between Junction road and contiguous roads, and so bring it into conformity with the, remainder of the, road, above and below, "making the whole road a most valuable and important highway to the borough of New Plymouth." A deputation from the petitioners will wait upon the council at its aext meeting. :.-, .■; .= ~;-,' :,

There is a fairly heavy charge sheet for this morning's criminal sitting of the Magistrate's Court. The cases include an information under the Defence Act, charging a Territorial with having failed to render personal service. I At a meeting of the Wanganui Agricultural Association yesterday the question of a site for the proposed agricultural college in the North Island was discussed. It was considered that Wanganui offered unrivalled inducements and was a central position. Mournahaki was very favorably commented on. The (lovenmieitt is to lie asked for information 30 thai the. matter can he gone into fully. Tiro Minister of Railways has promised to go into the whole question of free railway passes. This (says the Wellington Times) is as it should he. The privilege has been greatly abused in the past, particularly by the distribution of passes to wealthy and influential people who could well afford to pay their way. There is no reason why any men or set of men should receive passes. A departmental report on the subject would be very interesting. A battleship cruiser costs two millions sterling, and a first-class cruiser one million. An aeroplane, capable, of carrying two persons and spare mechanical parts cost £llOO, so that 1800 aeroplanes could be purchased for the cost ! of one battleship cruiser, and 900 for the cost of one first-class cruiser. This information was furnished to Dr. Maloney I (Victoria) in the Federal House of ReI presentativee by Mr. Roberts, on behalf i of the Minister for Defence.

Another excellent day's work was put in on the Star of Canada last Wednesday. Mr. Mitchell succeeded in carrying out a large amount of dismantling. The refrigerating machinery was made a big impression on by the staff, a number of parts being taken out and marked for packing. Three Wades and the propeller were brought ashore and lightered out to tihe Star of Scotland. Diver Walters made good progress with the salving of. the bullion from the bottom of No. 3 hold. The negotiations which Mr. Hugh Mcintosh, of .Sydney, had been conducting with the Wellington drivers. New Zealand's champion tug-of-war team, have been successfully concluded. A cable message has been sent to Mr. Mcintosh, stating definitely that the terms offered would be accepted, and that the team would compete in the contests at the Stadium Tug-of-War Carnival, which is to commence on September 28. In addition to the prize-money, a side wager of £2OO lias been made between the Australian team and the Xew Zealandcrs. I'Y>r some months past the early morning Press work, especially the late cablegrams, have been reaching us at an unconscionably late hour in view of the recorded limes at .which they are despatched from Wakapuaka. Messages leaving the cable station at about midnight have not been linished at the local office until between 1.30 and 2 a.m. We can quite understand that there are occasions when climatic conditions or congestion of the wires cad be held responsible for the delay, but there is no cxcubo for this irregularity becoming consistent. The fault, naturally, does not att tach to the local office, but it is up to J the department in Wellington to "get j busy" and remedy whatever defect may I be the cause of this quite unnecessary j delay in the early hours of the morning.