LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 224, 10 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Midhirst School picnic will bo held at the East End Reserve on Friday next.

Two hundred and forty-seven calves were killed for export at the New Plymouth Abattoirs last month.

The Creche and Kindergarten Association at Christchurch, took up a street collection on Saturday in aid of the funds, and collected £18(5.

London restaurant managers are protesting against pet dogs being fed at ' table. A correspondent says he saw one woman feed her pet dog from her own fork. The Prime Minister has advised Mr. TL Okey, M.P.. that he proposes to spend a week in Taranaki, probably during April, and that if possible the TTon. W. Fraser, Minister of Public Works, will also make the trip. The Prime Minister has written to Mr. H. Okey, M.P., in reply to his letter regarding the question of preserving the bush on the banks of the Mokau River. Mr. Massey says the matter has not been lost sight of. and as soon- as the finances of the country will permit, the proposal will be further attended to, along with several other cases that are standing over in the meantime.

One hundred and sixteen l cows. 4."> bullocks. 13 calves, filS sheep, 260 lambs and 103 pigs were slaughtered at the Joeal abattoirs last month for tlocal consumption. Compared with the corresponding month of last year these figures show an increase of f} calves, (54 sheep. 45 lambs, and 11 tripes; and a decrease of IS cattle and 24 pigs. Two cows, 2 sheep and 4 pigs were condemned. The Dunedin Star hints at a splitting up in the Union Company's round'intercolonial trip, fast and up-to-date vessels with improved passenger accommodation being provided for the increasing traffic on Cook Strait; a service to Sydney, with Lyttclton or Dunedin as the terminal port; and a somewhat inferior class of vessel being employed in the Melbourne-Bluff run.

Shcep-worri'ing by stray dogs on an extensive scale is reported from Waitotara. It is stated that a couple of "curs" have done a lot of damage in some flocks. Mr. George Mee is reported to have lost over 40 sheep, while Mr. Pearce. Mr. Parsons and others have also suffered. Mr. Andrew McKenzie, it is stated, shot one of the dogs and wounded the other, but the owner or owners of the two brutes have not been disclosed.

The prospects for the Taranaki Agricultural Society's Autumn Show, which opens at New Plymouth on Wednesday, February 26, are most encouraging. The. secretary (Mr. A. Cliff) was busily engaged on Saturday in receiving entries and, although they do not close till next Saturday, no fewer than 300 odd are already to hand. A week before. last year's show only 27 entries had been received. The office of the Society in Mr. W. Bewley's premises, Kgmont street, will be open every evening from 7.30 till 10 o'clock, until the closing night, and in order to facilitate the work of the Society intending competitors arc asked to enter as early as possible. Last year one would have thought that a real Donnybrook was in progress at the Waiwakaiho rifle range, judging by the lacerated nasal organs that adorned the greater proportion of the competitors at the rifle meeting. The loss of cuticle was due to the back-kick of the rifle bringing the aperture sight none too gently against the shooter's proboscis, and this occurring at intervals throughout the day caused considerable damage. Riflemen now evidently know the aperture better, judging from what took place at the meeting last week, although several of the less experienced competitors b.oro evidence of the fray. There is a town, Gartok,. in Tibet, which moves twice every year. For three months of the year it is situated at the place where it is designated on the. .map. During the other nine .months it is not there, at all, but about forty miles further south, at a much lower-altitude. Climatic conditions are the cause of this migratory habit. When the heat grows too intense for comfort, the whole town packs up, and, driving the herds of yak, sheep and goats, moves up to the higher altitude, and the traders from India at once begin to drift in. Trade continues for three months; then, before the severe Tibetan winter begins, t.lie town moves back.

Pheasants prove a veritable pest during the maize-planting season in North Auckland, more particularly in the Mangonui sountry. The first shoots had just appeared above the ground when tin birds descended and promptly uprooted the young plans, devouring the softened seed. Considerable areas were replani ed. with the same result Poisoned wheat and whisky-soaked maize were used as exterminators. The birds that partook of the latter became fairly drunk and quite solemnly pranced around, although retaining sufficient "balance" wherewith to dodge their man captors. At present the same pests are making themselves obnoxious in the potato crops. They scratch out a few tubers, leave the marks of their beaks, and pass on to another row. One farmer soaked a. quantity of maize in rum for two or three days, and then laid it amongst the drills. Tie declared that be did not need to go to the city to see a pantomime, for when the pheasants felt the effects of the rum the fun was fast and furious.

A romance of the sea is reported from Lisbon. A serious mutiny recently occurred in Portuguese waters aboard the German steamer Lotte Menzell. The captain, recently married, brought his young wife, a great beauty, aboard. The first mate, unknown to the husband, had been the girl's former lover, and meeting him again, her old affection returned, and they decided to elope. The mate fomented a mutiny amongst the crew, who as compensation were to receive various valuable cargo. The boat, after the captain had been killed, was to sail for South America, At night a genera! attack was made on the captain, who took refuge in the cabin, and made a brave defence with a pair of revolvers. Seeing (hat resistance was hopeless, he eventually jumped overboard. A volley was fired at the captain, but he escaped in the darkness, and managed to swim ashore. He visited the German Consul, who telegraphed to the German Government. Immediately word was sent to the German cruiser Martha, anchored at Funchal. Madeira, to seize the Menzell. The cruiser soon overtook the living mutineers. but they refused to surrender, and the commander of the cruiser boarded the steamer. The mutineers offered a desperate resistance. Three of them were killed and seven wounded. The remainder were placed in irons.

/ Hie order given by the late Government for tlie purchase of a number of Guernsey cattle for the State Experimental Farms has been cai*ilcd. . The Dominion states that it is estimated that the loss to the country by the closing of the Wellington freezing works for the past twelve days is £150,000.

For the month of January, the amount paid to cheese suppliers by the Eltham Dairy Company was £10,742. The cheeses manufactured numbered 05)82, the average weight being 8311)3, The quantity of butter manufactured in January, was 74!)21b5, and the payment amounted to£2oo. —Argus. The butter boxes manufactured by the ;Egmont Box Company in Janaury numbered 20,604, and the cheese cases 40,100. The figures for he corresponding month last year were as follows:—Butter boxes, 26,81/5; cheese cases, 24,125, showing l a decrease of 010 l butter boxes and an increase, of 24,975 cheese cases. On the occasion of a recent fire in Waverley, the captain of the fire brigade had the manual engine drawn up ,to a well on private property, but a servant of the owner of the well objected to the water being used, and threatened divers means of preventing a recurrence of the operations. The United Fire Brigades' Association advises that a duly appointed brigade, sworn in under the control of the local governing

body, with a fire inspector whose appointment has been gazetted, can commandeer such water as ma}' be needed, and power is also given to destroy any fences or buildings likely to cause the fire to spread.

A great number of . people have been enquiring the reason of the busv appearance of Kgniont street last Saturday, and on enquiring we find that the farmers of the surrounding districts had gathered at the Taranaki Agricultural Society's Office (Mr. Bewley's) to make, enquiry regarding the coming show, and also to enter for same. Mr. Arthur Cliff the secretary, informs us that the office will be open every evening from 7.30 to 10 o'clock, .and as entries close next Saturday, the loth inst.. those who have not already entered for the numerous competitions would greatly assist the clerical staff by doing so as soon as possible. as an extra busy day is expected next Saturday. * ' :