LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 216, 31 January 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To-day is the last day of the public school vacation. Schools throughout Taranaki win resume on Monday. The Rarawa took away for Auckland last night among her other cargo 3(5 rams and a pedigree Tlolstein cow and calf, shipped by Mr. Newton King. The High Commissioner, the Hon. T. Mackenzie, is advertising iti England for twenty-live trained nurses for mental hospitals in New Zealand.

Baron Modigliano. of Florence, left £1,020,000 to' his three nephews "as consolation for the well-deserved disdain with which I have always treated them during my life." It was estimated that the commercial travellers of wholesale, houses in YVanganui were worth from CT2OO to £ISOO per annum to the Railway Department. A dog, belonging to an Otaki resident, on Monday afternoon sprang at a child and inserted its teeth in the girl's flesh. So enraged was the owner that lie immediately shot the animal. The llawera Borough Council has again lixed on Wednesday as the statutory half-holiday for the ensuing year, the Mayor (Mr. Gillies) remarking that until such time as Saturday was ■made compulsory in Taranaki, Hawera should keep to Wednesday. To date the amount placed to the credit of the fund on behalf of Clyde Redshaw, the Waikato boy who had both hands cut off bv a railway train, amounts to £1403 12s Gil. Nearly £IOO has still to come in. The money is deposited in the Post Oilier: Savings Bank.

Mutton birds in countless numbers are to be seen at the mouth of the Aparima river at the present time, driving the sardines shorewards (says the Southland Times). These small fish become stranded on the beach, and are eagerly sought after by residents and visitors alike, as they are considered a great delicacy. Messrs Lister, Clarke, Porte, Howie, Fraser, TTalse and Barnes journeyed out by motor to the Mokau yesterday to inspect the Mokau,block. The journey occupied 3'/ 2 hours, and the roads were found, to be in excellent condition. Today they will be taken for a run up the river by motor launch. Yesterday at Barrett's Lagoon, Barrett Road, a very enjoyable picnic was held by tlie South Road Methodist Sunday School. There was a good attendance. During the day the children were amused by games and races, the prizes for which were exceptionally valuable. Great thanks are due to Mr. Honeyfield for his kindness in lending his property for the use of the Sunday School. "We have not yet learned to appreciate the glory of our own country," said the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. David McLaren) during his address at the opening of the Overseas Club's, conference. He had seen a good deal of New Zealand, and it was a country worth living for and worth fighting for, and they should encourage national and Imperial sentiment as much as thev could.

A writer in the Taihape Daily Times, remarking on the Rev. Mr. Hanby's account of the horse buried in a hole in the Ohura road, says: "There is nothing extraordinary about the incident, as there used to be one portion of the Ohura road between Toko and Strathmore where not one, hut a great many, horses and bullocks were engufed in the mud, and left to gradually sink beneath it."

There is very little unemployment in Christchurch at present. There is, indeed, a shortage of men for positions vacant in the country districts. At this time of the year farmers are all anxious to securo- hands for general farm work, and the Labor Department is unable to keep up with the demand. Now that the holidays are over, work in all trades has been resumed, and building is particularly brisk. Many dairy farmers in North Canterbury are providing themselves with their own cream separators, instead of sending their milk to the creameries. Several farmers on being questioned gave the following reasons for this: First, the return was from 20 to 25 per cent, greater, and those who made their own butter reported an increase of from three to four pounds a week from' each' cow. Secondly, they were able to get better milk for their calves, and thereby there was much less trouble.

Referring to the scarcity of agricultural laborers and the evident intention of the Government to,grapple with the difficulty, the New Zealand Farmers' Union Advocate, in its la.st issue, says: "The farmer is just as much opposed to flooding the Dominion with hordes of emigrants of all sorts and conditions to swell the ranks of the unemployed as is the labor leader, but lie is anxious to see a steady stream of selected emigrants arriving, which can be speedily absorbed in rural pursuits, and which must result in greatly increasing the. production and wealth-creating power of the soil." A sad occurrence is reported from Petone. Miss Lilian Smith, aged 20 years, from Napier, who was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Head, of Petone, died suddenly on Thursday evening last. The young lady went to Petone the previous week, and on the Monday contracted enteric fever. Two doctors were called in, and everything possible was done for the sufferer, but she gradually got worse. The young lady was the" daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Smith, of Napier. Another sad circumstance was that the father of the deceased died suddenly on the previous Monday at Napier. 'The late Miss Smith was to have been married shortly. A general meeting of members of the N T ew Plymouth Life-Saving and Surf Club was held last night, there being a large attendance. Mr. T. Whittle presiding in the absence of Mr. W .T. Jennings, who is visitig the Oluira. It was decided that active members must pass a proficiency test bv swimming 100 yards with the breast stroke, and then at once 50 yards without using the hands. Those attempting the proficiency test are to attend at the bath* from 4.30 p.m. on Saturday or 10 a.m. on Sunday. The two reels ordered were shipped from Sydney on Wednesday and are expected' to arrive in New Plymouth on Tuesday. One will be placed in a shed at the East End beach and one will be temporarily lodged in one of the whares at the West End. Donding a shed being built. The Canadian costume was adopted for patrolling the beach, the tunic to be detachable when necessary to enter the water. Amber and black were adopted as the club's colours, and it was resolved that only proficiency members should be entitled to wear the club's monogram, VP.5.71.0., U p on their costume.

Whatever one may think of the politics of Sir Joseph Ward, one cannot help admiring his patriotism when abroad. It would have been the easiest thing imaginable for him, on his arrival in' England, to have made the task of Mr. 411e"n in raising a loan for the Dominion somewhat difficult. Instead of doing that, however, he has gone out of his way in an interview with the Financial New*' to state that "New Zealand offers the surest ground in the world for the investment of capital." When he said this he was speaking what is undoubtedly the truth. But it would have been so easy for him not to have said it. His attitude in this matter affords a striking proof of his loyalty to the Dominion if it does nothing else.—Masterton A«c'

The Borough Council notify (hut, on Sunday next the electric supply will be cut off from 0 a.m. to noon. By notice in the Gazette tho Abattoirs Reserve has been added to the Borough, as from February 1. At a parade of A Company New Plymouth Territorials on Wednesday night Major Bellringer presented a 20 years' long service medal to Quarter-master .Sergeant K. P. Lister. Mr. J. IT. FreethevV beautiful grounds at Frankleigh Park held many little folk and their elders yesterday, on the occasion of the annual picnic under the auspices of St. Mary's Sunday School. They enjoyed themselves with sports and games innumerable, and were liberiiilly catered for in the commissariat line. All things considered, che outing was a complete success.

Inspector Bond • of the Taranaki County Council appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday as prosecutor in the case in which Patrick Rail! was charged with having pern»'-tted 20 cows .and one bull to wander on the Plymouth Road, Koru. The peculiar feature of the case was that a County Councillor (Mr. C. Billing) was subpoenaed as a witness for the defence. Raill pleaded guilty, but called evidence in extenuation of his offence, pleading that the road was very rough, and that he was merely driving cattle from the milking sheds to tho paddock. For the prosecution it was stated that Raill had been previously warned for allowing his cattle to graze on the roadside, and that his neighbors had complained about the matter. ■ A fine of 20s and costs 32s was imposed. Mr. J. IT. Quilliam appeared for the Council.

Two by-law cases were brought on in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, at the instance of the Borough Inspector (Mr. B. Tippins). Edward Walsh pleaded guilty to driving horses loose along lower Carrington Road, and was fined 10s and costs 7s. James Haldane made no appearance in answer to a charge of leaving his horse and cart unattended with the wheels unlocked, and was mulcted in a penalty of Ss and costs 7s. The Inspector of Factories proceeded against .Alfred Boon for having employed a boy /under ]f> years of age without' holrlmjr 'a certificate certifying to his fitness. On behalf of Mr. Boon, Mr. A. H. Johnstone explained that he had quite overlooked' this provision of the Factories Act. Upon the inspector approaching him in the matter, the defendant hail obtained the necessary certificate. His Worship 1 took a lenient view of the case, fining Boon 5s with costs 7s.

In most departments work has practically ceased at the f!ear Company's works, Petone. Heavy consignments of potted meats, for local consumption, leave the works at the rate of eight tons a day, but beyond the few hands required for this class of work the preserving department is atia standstill/. In the fellmongery a few hands are employed baling wool and treating pelts, but the end is in sight. A number ef men are engaged making additions to the fellmongery department, and extra labor-saving appliances are being installed in the preserving department. The manure department and engineering staff are fully employed. Some interesting sidelights on popular views on economics were revealed during the general discussion that characterised the conclusion of Mr. T. M. Wilford's address to an audience, mainly of slaughtermen, at Petone last week. "I do not believe that slaughtermen are not men of honor," said Mr. Wilford, in advocating a sliding scale of pay. "If the bottom dropped out of the sheep market, and sheep came down to 7s, they would not stick out for 30s a hundred." "If sheep dropped to 7s we would be a sight better off than we are to-day," exclaimed a critic of high prices. "I think you are quite wrong there," said the member for the district; "whenever vou have low wages, you have a low standard of living. If wages go down, down goes the standard of living." "And we go. too," came a voice. "Then it's vonr, opinion that you were better off when you got lower wages, and prices were lower?" "Oh/no,' r said several. Mr. Wilford referred his audience to' an article in the Bulletin, to show there had been a decided rise in the standard 'of living. "They're not losing so much; that's the reason," was a suggestion to explain the position, and again the jolly slaughtermen laughed heartily. A more serious view was taken by a student of economics from the board, who nrired Mr. Wilford, if he wanted to solve «'ie labor problem, to read the works of Karl Marx.