LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 106, 20 September 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Seagulls are said to be very destructive to lambs on stations on the east coast south from Porangahau (says the Dannevirke paper).

Yesterday a. man named John Campbell was arrested by Constable O'Neill on a charge of theft of a bicycle and various sundries. He will be brought up before the Court this morning. Herrings are still being beached by the thousands with every tide in the vicinity of Picton (states the Press). In some of the shallow parts the beaches are white with carcases.

"A trip to the Pacific Islands" forms the title of a lecture to be given to-night b.y Mr. Murdoch Eraser 'in connection with the Brotherhood Literarv and Debating Society in the lower hall of the Good Templar Building. With such an interesting subject, a good attendance is assured. The meeting commences'at 7.30 sharp, and everywie interested is invited to be present. An Auckland grocer, when asked for a reason for the advance in the price of tea which has been going on latelv, informed a Star reporter that he attributed it a good deal to the fact that some of the Customs restrictions in Russia had been lifted, with the result that the poor classes in the land of the Czar were buying tea more extensively. As the sequel, far larger quantities of the article were being poured into Russia than was the case previously, and the other markets wore suffering in consequence.

In urging members at last night's meeting of the local branch of the Political Reform League to organise, the Government organiser (Mr. Lindegreen) remarked: "In New Plymouth to°u arc up against a very stiff proposition, or rather you will be at next election. The. United Labour Party are making special efforts to win this seat. You may not be a ware of this, but I am. They reckon that the Taranaki electorate is a good thing for them. Organise, and the next election will result in Mr.Okey still representing this district." In Victoria it is the custom, when a person is admitted to a hospital suffering from the effects of a wound believed to be self-inllicted with suicidal intent, for a constable to stand or sit at the bedside and watch over Mm until his recovery. Something like a record in this vigilance of the police was established at the Melbourne Hospital. Since May 10 the police have been kepping an eye on Frederick Kyle, a cook, who on that date was brought in from Werribee with his throat cut, Kyle was making hut little progress towards recovery, but at the end of August the matter came before the notice of Chief Commisisoner O'Oallaglian, and the police vigil promptly ended.

'■Our of the chief objects, of anv Ministry should 1) t .." remarked 1-iie' Pvrsidcnt (Mr. Tt. ('. Hughes) at. the aimual meeting of the local branch of the lieform League, "to inspire and maintain confidence in New Zealand as a field for the investment of capital. Everything, therefore, that can tend to reduce to a minimum the friction between capital and labour is to be encouraged. Nothing is more sensitive than the money market! May I illustrate tins: When in London m lHO:?. during Mr. Scddon's regime. I wn< asked l,y a New Plymouth business mm to try to influence, the flow of English capital towards this country, monev being then very scarce here. '[ called on several companies but, although I was treated courteously. [ found it a hopeless task. Tn some eases the mere mention of New Zealand seemed to irritate. an impression having got abroad that the tendency of New' Zealand legislation was oppressive to capital."

A cablegram from Sydney announces that K. Modlin, a well-known New Zealand accountant has accepted the managing directorship of the Australian Guarantee Corporation. Mr. Charles M. Berkeley, Touring Manager for J. 0. Williamson, Ltd., arrived from Wangamii last evening to make arrangements for the appearance here of The Sinbad the Sailor Pantomime Company.

The young woman who holds a diploma in domestic, economy will be of infinitely greater value to the State that the girl who has a teacher's or even a nurse's certificate, (says the Masterton Age). She will be equipped for the more serious and more noble avocations of life, and will be able to take her place—her proper place —as mistress of a household. In the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Thomas Mytton, an old-age pensioner, greatly enfeebled with age, sued his brother (William Mytton) for the sum of £2!) Lis, representing arrears alleged to be due to him on a maintenance order made in 1903. Mr. C. H. Weston . appeared for the defendant, who applied for a cancellation or an amendment of the order. Counsel suggested, and his Worship agreed,,that the case should be adjourned for a month, in order to allow complainant's evidence to be taken I in Nelson.

A whale without an ounce of oil in its carcase is surely a curiosity. The crewof the New Zealand Whaling Company's Rakiura relate that a whale 80ft long, rather bedraggled looking, but of fair size, was brought in by one of the company's vessels to Russell to be boiled dowi. The customary cutting-up process was gone thrdugh, and the parts put into the boilers. But not an ounce of oil could be obtained, and it turned out that the whale had marks on it which suggested that it had been shot on a previous occasion, and that it was suffering from some form of 'blood poisoning, which rendered its flesh and fat useless.

The building trade throughout, New Zealand is still feeling the effect of the recent dockers' strike at Home. , Orders for steel and iron girders, frames, etc;, in connection with the erection of numerous large buildings in -various parts of the Dominion were sent to the Old Country months ago, but owing to the direct steamers being delayed by the trouble amongts the waterside workers in London and other big ports, the material has not come to hand. Building operations, particularly in Wellington, are being much retarded on that account, and several large contracts cannot in consequence be completed in the allotted times.

"The French Government is trying to civilise the Tahitian by teaching 'dim French," says Mr. -Edmund Mitchell, who has arrived in Wellington from Tahiti. "I think they are on the wrong track altogether, for the simple reason that their contact with outsiders is with those wbo speak English. On the other hand, they have the steamers, papers and magazines from Australia and New Zealand, and on the other hand from Bau Francisco, and the shortest cut to civilisation would be to teach the natives English. The place is, of course, a French colony, and pride of colonisation dictates a schooling in French, but environment is dead against that cownse."

One of the pathways of British adventure has been closed by the extinction under the new scheme of South African defence, of the hardy old corps of •frontiersmen, the Cape Mounted Rifles. 11 is merged now in the constabulary force, under the control of the Union Government, and in future the British Islands will not be its recruitig ground. Some young men of moving minds will regret the loss of the opportunities it offered; many middle-aged men of different classes will bear of itu abolition with a sigh; Its military history is for the most part a record of minor affairs, though of whatever bij,' fighting there has been in South Africa it lias had its full share. But it has made a man of many a young .fellow whose best qualities did not develop 1 under the conditions of life at home. Its varied duties and the vast spaces in which it operated called for independence and initiative and responsibility, as well as courage, discipline, and endurance. It offered to young Englishmen who had outrun the constable or kicked over the traces at home the opportunity of making a fresh start in dife. To' some extent, it was like the Legion Elmngere with the advantages of the British flag and the British language. The bulk of its recruits had no past to forget. They joined the Cape Mounted Hides because the life of the open veldt with horse and 3'ille attracted them, but there were not a few weavers of the blue uniform in the old days who had borne at home belter known names than those under which they enlisted.