LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 117, 3 October 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In the Magistrate's Court yesterday, one first offending inebriate was fined ss. The Australian mails, -ex-Manuka, at Wellington, will arrive : here this afternoon. - '

The saw-milling industry in the South Island is very active, and in many cases the sawmillers are unable to secure labour- _ ..... A necent visitor to the Moumaibaki State Farm, referring to the Ayrshire cows on the farm, says they have proved good producers.

'.'The last bid" £l2 3s each-- was eli-cited"for-a pen of five fat bullocks at the Opunake sale yards. "Twelve guineas each ifi wanted" said the auctioneer.

Houses of the bungalow pattern are now in' great request in Christchurch. People of the Cathedral City cultivate a new fad about once in every twenty-four-hours. A united prayer meeting in the Presbyterian Church last evening was addressed by Mr. Norris King, of the China Island Mission, an interview with whom is published! in another column. In various parts _of- the South Island anglers pepor-t that fish are very scarce, and attribute the scarcity to the fact that a large number of fish have been netted .by .fishermen during the past season. , ' , -. '

The track from the radius line to the Mountain Hosterry, .-will be closed for vehicular traffic from 10.30 to 12 o'clock on Friday, on the occasion of the Governor's visit. Rooms can be booked at the Mountain House after October 4. The follbiv'ing are among the' deceased persons' estates certified for stamp duty during September:—Tamnaki: James Bayly, £15,049. Edmund James Morgan £0991, Hugh John Richmond £I9OO, George Turner £ISOO, Aaron Askew £720. A grand benefit entertainment is to be given in the Theatre Royal on Monday next in aid- of -Bandsman Robertson, who suffered severe loss by a fire on Sunday last. Tire Garrison Band and the pick of our local amateurs will assist, and an elaborate programme is being arranged, the details of whicli will be announced later.

A well-known Taranaki resident, who was about to make a trip to Auckland, and had.sourc shopping to do, thought he would first of all test the' local establishments for quality and prices. Not only did he find that the New Plymouth goods were as good in quality as in Auckland, but the prices compared most favourably. In fact, he found himself money in pocket by shopping in his own town.

At a London theatre recently a row of the dress circle was reserved, for a remarkable family party. A Mrs. Cornfield, a native of Orkney, but now residing in Lincolnshire, attended with her 21 sons, eight of whoih are in the army. This will remind students of Scottish domestic history of that lady of rank who in the time of James the Fourth had a family of thirty-four sons, many of whom had been born as twins.

Miss Jessie Cocker, of New Plymouth, met with considerable success at the Hamilton Spring Musical Festival. She secured first prize in the mezzo soprano solo ("a Request"), for which she was awarded a gold medal. In the course of his remarks on her rendition of the piece. -the judge referred to (her fine interpretation, and clear pronouneiation and enunciation. The blending of her register was excellent. Speaking in another connectiwa, tfcie judge said that Miss Cocker would, with careful training, make a very good singer. A meeting of ladies interested in Mrs. Godley's prize fund scheme to provide shooting competition prizes for the Senior Cadets throughout the Dominion was 'held in the Municipal Buildings yesterday afternoon, at the instance'of'the Mayoress (Mrs. G. W. Browne). A letter was Tead from Mrs. Godley in answer to questions hy the Mayoress as to the scope of the movement. In it the writer stated that her hope was to obtain money enough to provide a cup or trophy for every Senior Cadet Corps in the Dominion, to be called the "Lil||m Challenge Prize." The cup would be held from year to year by the best shot in each company. If funds would permit, an aggregate cup for the Dominion would also bo shot for. Under the pro posal. in and about New Plvmouth, there would be six cups. Mrs. Gorlley also was being warmly supported. The' meeting was addressed by the Mayor, who regretted that parents had not turned up in larger numbers and displayed the same enthuisasm current in other parts of the Dominion. He emphasised) that it was to the Senior Cadets that we must look for our future citizen soldier*. Marksmanship was, therefore, deserving of every encouragement. Any ladies desirous of assisting in the movement are asked to communicate with the Mayoress.

Boxing is at present very popular in Auckland. At a recent tournament held in the northern city 2000 persons paid for admission.

"There are men who look upon a boy as.an asset, and therefore send him to work as soon as possible, but they arc inflicting a wrong," said Mr. Archibald, in the course of a lecture at Auckland. He explained that although a boy might, be fully grown at 17 or 18 years of age, he had only 65 per cent, of the strength he would attain at 21 years of age, and by being given a man's work had his proper development arrested. "I think that the time will come," he added, "when we will keep our boys at school until they are at least 10 years old."

Writing from London under date of August 22, Mr. Len. E, Bassett, of Wanganui, says:—"There is quite an Australian boom on here just now. The papers are busy discussing it. Large shipments of emigrants are leaving, while sufficient boats are not available for those who wish to go. Hawkers are selling maps of Australia in the streets. The Commonwealth have an immense sign on their fine building site in the Strand, on which is'painted a daily message, which is read by hundreds of thousands dailv. Their State window displays in the" city are a great feature, and a' splendid advertisement. As we look round for evidence of New Zealand's existence) we see—nothing! Poor New Zealand, why this thusness? Echo answers, why ?" With the .exception of the four who chose to take £4OO in a lump,' the Australian cricketers who went to England will, receive only £l9O each (says the Sydney Sun). 'That is, of course, over and above expenses, and means about £5 a week in addition to railway and steamship fares and hotel bills. Starvation wages! When cricketers come back you will easily pick them ,out from the other passengers on the steamships. Boots busted. Ragged old hats, -with greasy brims. Elbows showing through the coat sleeves. Pants, frayed. Chins unshaved. Faces gaunt, and frames famished. As soon as they land they will make-a bee-line for the Domain to mark off benches for the night. The occurrence of this catastrophe 'calls for.Government intervention, to prevent it from being repeated in the future. An American correspondent, writing to a friend in Wanganui, says:—Things are booming in business circles in Pittsburg. Common labor it seems nearly impossible to got. This seems in defiance of Presidential year. Politics seem the all-absorbing topic. In this section Roosevelt seems the favorite. Taft is the most disliked man that ever occupied the White House. The way he got the nomination in Chicago was some of the most crooked work that was ever pulled off. Federal office-holders were used right and left. In every place possible there was a contest. The National Committee, composed of office-holders, decided in Taft's favor. However, in November we are going to give Taft "a trip up Salt river." He will never occupy the White House again. What with the Democrats and the Socialists, the Prohibitionists, the Republicans, and the new Progressive Party of Col. Roosevelt, there will be something doing every minute.

"There is more speculating in land than there is in scrip in this country af the present time,"' remarked a wellknown officer of the Agricultural Department to the Auckland Star recently. "Farmers as a whole are not vastly interested in the weather or in the price of farm produce. They are just waiting for what they can get for their land. Buying and selling of land is going on to a tremendous extent, and a big percentage of those who buy only do so with a view to' further trafficking. So it is that we find land in Taranaki on which the bush was felled 30.years ago, and on which nothing has since been done except the laying of occasional fresh pasturage, selling for £SO and £OO an acre. land sold for £2O per acre in Auckland 18 montl)3 ago is re-selling to-day for £3O. The only explanation that offers.is that the first owner must have sold it for £lO less - than its value, and anyone who knows anything about the position realises that-, that is not possible in every case where a marked advance in price has taken place. There is no doubt that land'trading is being carried on to the detriment of legitimate farming."