LOCAL AMD GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 302, 14 May 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AMD GENERAL.

The Auckland Harbor Board presented Captain Halsey and the officers of the warship New Zealand with a silver plate service, costing £IOO. It is inscribed, "May, Auckland Harbor." On and after June 1 the Rarawa will revert to her usual winter time-table of two trips a week. She will leave One'hunga every Monday and Thursday and return from New Piymouth every Tuesday and Friday.

The Hawera town clerk has received thirty enquiries from workers with reference to the proposal to erect dwellings in Hawera under the Workers' Dwellings Act, and eleven formal applications have been received. A local resident lias (says the Morrinsville Star) been creating a "corner" in coppers. He paid his rent the other day, and drew from a calico bag the sum of £5 in coppers, weighing 10y 4 lbs. The landlord realised that it was not a legal tender, but in these days of tight money he thought it wise to take even a parcel of brownies.

A Levin farmer lost quite a number of sheep lately. They were poisoned through eating the berries of a weed called night-shade. The unlucky owner says that this is the first time that he has noticed that particular kind of weed on his farm.

It is quite evident that the flood has had little appreciable effect on the rabbits (says the Mataura Ensign), as Saturday was the biggest day that has been experienced at the Mataura works for rabbits for some time past. Over 25,000 were received during the day. and the packers were kept busy until between 4 and 5 a.m. on Sunday. The Oamaru Mail states that a resident of the town recently received a circular posted in Detroit (America), adIressed to "Oamaru, Philippine Islands." Judging from the date of stamping, and the fact that only the Detroit postmarkappears, it would seem that the pamphlet was forwarded direct to its destination, despite its address. Even so far off as America they must know of Oamaru.

Several notable bags have been obtained by sportsmen at duck-shooting in Otago. Two Dunedin sportsmen obtained forty brace in one day, while a small party from Milton bagged fifty brace in two days. It is reported that wild ducks have never been as plentiful in Otago as they have been this year. One man, who is not given to flights of imagination, says that before the shooting season opened Lake Tuakitoto (between Lovell's Flat and Kaitangata) was black with ducks, which, when sent on the wing suddenly by fear, made a noise like the roar of breakers. It appears that the copious rainfall in the autumn brought hundreds of ducks from the wilds to mid-countrv leas, where feed has been plentiful near temporary lagoons. A reporter had a chat with a debt collector' who has had much experience about Christehureb during the past few years. The collector said that at present the great trouble was with what might be called small household accounts. And amongst the worst of these were those of dentists. Some of the dentists did some work, usually ending in the sale of a set of false teeth, on the instalment system. A deposit was collected, and there too often the matter ended. Enquiry showed that no care had been taken in the granting of credit, and that any attempt to force the matter further would be mere foolishness. In this, as in other such affairs, the blame lay as much as, or more, with the creditor than the debtor.

The desertioii of a member of the crew of the New Zealand, and its sequel—particularly its sequel—has caused some diversion amongst the comrades of the central figure in the little comedy during the past few days. The story as related by one of the men on the battleship is that a bluejacket who had decided that Auckland was good enough for hiin obtained, by some unknown means, a "farmer's suit, with bat to match." Garbed in these lie went ashore undetected, and was "adrift" for 52 hours. The idea of deserting then lost its attractions,and somewhat crestfallen the disguised man-o'-warsman returned to the battleship and gave himself up. When using the telephone many people experience annoyance when they fail to receive an immediate reply from the exchange, but at times the fault is entirely their own. For instance, a few nights ago the boarders at a large Auckland boardinghouse were much perturbed because they could obtain no answer from "central." Ultimately, however, it was discovered that some forgetful person had left a pair of eyeglasses resting across both terminals, with the result that a short circuit occurred each time the handle was turned. Xot only did this cut off communication with the exchange, but each time the bell was rung the attendant at the exchange received an extra shock. A hovel outing was enjoyed by Captain Halsey and 15 of his officers last week, when, at the invitation of Mr. X. A. Nathan, they paid a visit to the latter's Helvetia ostrich farm at Pukckohe. His Excellency the Governor (the Earl of Liverpool)-was present, together with the Countess of Liverpool. The visitors were conducted round the farm, where between 500 and 000 birds were seen. They were also afforded the unique opportunity of witnessing the operation of the cutting of the ostriches' feathers. The birds were brought in from the paddock by dogß, and driven into the pens in the shed. Here the feathers were cut, and the birds were driven out of the pens minus their large feathers, and smaller ones being left for future plucking. The process was found very interesting by Mr. Nathan's,guests—Herald. Several sites have already been offered free at Nelson for the solar physics observatory, to be built and equipped by Mr. Cawthron at a cost of from £IO,OOO to £12,000. One of these is on the property of Mr. J. E. Henrys, at Bishops- 1 dale. Another is on the Port Hills, belonging to Mr. F. 11. Richmond. A third is on the ridge of a mountain range within five miles of the town, and belonging to Mr. Joseph Taylor, mining engineer. The site is an area of five acres of freehold at the head of Poor Man's Valley. Mr. Taylor also proposes to give the right of road, half a chain wide, to give access to the site. The situation is on the range dividing Poor Man's Valley from Aniseed and Brook street valleys, and is at an altitude of 2539 feet above the sea, commanding a fine view in all directions, besides being in a most picturesque neighborhood. A party of Palmcrston people who visited tiie scene of the wreck yesterday afternoon found themselves in danger of being lost on the sandhills foi - the night, on the way back to the road. They had become separated into two sections, and as a husband and wife were among those who had parted company, some apprehension was felt in both quarters. A mutual search was begun, and one group came out on the road. They secured motor lamps, and with their aid found the bqlated party among the hillocks, 'i'hev did hot reach Palmerston till about ■:) r'clock. An unenviable experience h-fcl another party, comprising Messrs. M'Artney (Customs officer), Tracey (Customs -clerk), Mellwood (shipping agent), tfld Mounted Constable Barry, all of Wanganui. After having visited the wreck on Saturday, they left at H o'clock in the evening to return to Bulls. They lost their way, and soon found themselves floundering in the ice-cold water of a ilax swamp. Regaining terra firnia' their cries attracted a horseman, who -guided them to the road, where they obtained their horses and proceeded to Bulls, reaching there at 1 o'clock on Friday morning.—Palmerston -Standard.