LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 246, 7 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

By the last American mail letters were received by the Commonwealth Minister for External Affairs from a number of Canadians asking for particulars regarding the twenty-six free farms which have bene made available for selection on the Daly river, Northern Territory. As the date for the reception of applications has expired, it is intended to send details concerning the twenty other farms which are now being thrown open in the vicinity of the Batchelor Demonstration Farm. Preference will, however, be given to Australian applicants. An elderly man of medium "r.rid and a plateglass window in a vacant shop in Willis street, Wellington. <•'•:'•■ :h> (.ally component purls in a little drama, about ten o'clock on Saturday night (says the Dominion). The man had spent a few moments in solemn thoughtfulnoss in front of the pane, then his demeanor became dramatically threatening, and striding quickly forward, with an case that would have done credit to a footballer, he sent a heavily-hooted foot crashing through the large shining surface. He wore a something-attempted-!<omcthing-done air as he stood scanning I'lis masterpiece a few paces awav. A constable, who had stolen silently up. then completed the dramatis personae in :Vhe street scene, and planting a heavy hand on the shoulder of the star performer, the two moved silently away into the night. Thus far the affair has been a story without words, but doubtless at the change of venue there will be something said, and many of the crowd who were left gaping open-mouth-ed on -Saturday night will be interested, io know what that something is.

Owing to exceptionally heavy pressure m our space a quantity of telegraphic md local matter is unavoidably held jver. The Rarawa oil her trip to Auckland last night took 120 boxes oI butter, and 25 crates of cheese. She also shipped two racehorses. According to a London cablegram appearing in the Sydney Sun, '"a report issued in connection with the working of the Rhodes Scholarship shows that a large proportion of the students go into educational and legal careers, while the remainder take up diplomacy, religion. commerce, mining, engineering, journalism, agriculture and forestry, in "thai, order. The Australian students exhibit a preference for the medical science, and on the athletic side of university life a.re particularly prominent at foot ha II and cricket." A Waikato correspondent writes: —■ "Domestics are very scare. There are, wcry few to be had, and of these the percentage of eapables is not at all high, irhile if you get a good one she is sure, to be married and oil' a. few months later. In a town of nearly GOO souls tliere is not a laundry or washerwoman. The result, though pathetic, is rather ludicrous. The local lawyer tends a lvealthy client in his front oiliee. retires to the washtub in the back premises, and Ihe bachelor parson is to be seen in the pulpit on Sunday and among the soapsuds on Monday. ft is a case of 'do yoiir own washing or go dirty.' The postmaster, too, has been at hi- wits' ond to find a 'scrub-lady' for the ollice iloor, although he is offering double the usual wages. Two New Zealand homing pigeons have jast finished an interesting journey (says the Dominion). When the New Zealand Shipping Company's mail steamer Ruahine was 350 miles out from Wellington, homeward bound, on November 17 of last year, the deck winchman, James Spiers, noticed two pigeons flying overhead. They wsre being rapidly overhauled by two big albatrosses, and the race was a «ock'\ one. Soon, however, the two land '.airds began to tire, and in a short space of time both of them fell on the deck exhausted, but free from their pursuers. Mr. Spiers, who had been waiting for the inevitable to happen, secured the birds, and has kept them since. When the Ruahine arrived at Wellington from London on Tuesday a reporter saw the birds in. a cage looking none the worse for their 20,000 mile journey. On examination, it was seen that there was a ring round a leg of each bird, and one was marked W. 1011 No. 12!) and the other N.P. 1910 No. 107. Yesterday some 1400 happy excursionists. comprising the children attending the schools attached to the Moa Schools Association, and a big percentage of their parents and elder brothers and sisters, spent a joyous day at the beach at Motoiroa. The schools represented were Inglewood, Durham. Dudley, Lincoln, Waiongona and Tariki, and the special train conveying them arrived at about 10 a.m. On arrival at the beac-h. where arrangements for their material comfort in the shape of billy boilin?. etc., had been made by the Seaside Improvement Committee,' a big proportion oi the happy throng were soon disportin* in the briny. The day was an ideal one. In the afternoon races and games kept, the youngsters busy, their wants being attended to by a zealous committee, who for the day had but one object—to make the children happy. In this they succeeded, judging by the happy faces and the regretful looks when entraining time it 5 p.m. drew nigh. The four donkeys vrere a source of endless delight, and they made innumerable journeys up and down the sands, laden with joyous youngsters. Regret was expressed by many that arrangements could not he made to take the children out for a short voyage on the T'arawa, many of them not having experienced the delights of a sea trip.