LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 2, 3 June 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

During the past financial year the Wellington city revenue showed a surplus of £14,892 over expenditure. The ordinary expenses of an ordinary working man's household are stated to amount to £2 10s a week in Sydney. The mutton-bird season, which has just been concluded in the southern islands, has been one of the most successful on record.

The Empire Pietures are running a matinee, commencing at 2.30 this afternoon, when an all star programme will be submitted.

The directors of the Masterton Dairy Company have decided to purchase a motor conveyance for the collection of cream next season.

A sharp shock of earthquake, preceded by a low rumbling noise, was felt at Pahiatua, says a Press Association message, at 4.50 yesterday. A slight shock was also felt on Sunday, shortly after 11 a.m.

Ail incentive to poultry breeders to persevere in their efforts to breed l good fowls was provided on Saturday at Websters' Auction mart, when 140 brown .leghorns, bred by Mr. T,. Boulton, averaged 1 10s each. The local branch! of the Deeds Office commenced yesterday the proceeds of removal to the new offices opposite the Taranaki County Chambers, the transition period being estimated at a week or so.

A blopk of land at Tariki, recently purchased by the Government, ip to be opened for selection on renewable lease ■some tiine this month.' The area is considerably over 700 acres, the land being considered very fair dairying country. For the month of May, 40 births, 14 deaths, and 7 marriages were registered by J;he New Plymouth Registrar (Mr. J. S. S. Medley). The figures for the corresponding month of last year were: Births 25, deaths 12, and marriages 5. The provisional directors of the Farmers' Co-operative Society of New Zealand met in Hawera on Saturday, when the prospectus, memorandum and articles of association were finally approved of. Thirty-two signatures were affixed to the prospectus. It was decided to register of the society at once, and have the prospectus printed and circulated throughout the whole district. The usual weekly meeting of the Egmont Lodge; No. 112, 1.0. G.T., was held in the Good Templar Lodgeroom last night. The session was opened bv the C.T An apology was received from the Guard, Bro. Cottan, for his absence. Bro. C. Arnold was installed as Marshall of the lodge. Bro. Pcpperell reported that the debate, "Smokers v. Non-smok-ers." for Monday, June 10, was well under way, and that members could look forward to a very interesting evening's entertainment. The programme for the evening was a Dpteh auction, the proceeds going to the lodge fund. The auction not filling up the whole of the evening, the spare time was spent in a few parlor games.

The canteen rights for the Oringi training camp were sold to a speculative caterer for £250. This and other .unavoidable items of expenditure involved him in a total outlay of some £6OO, which, had all to be recouped out of profits on sales to our citizen soldiers. The inevitable consequence was that exorbitant prices were charged for refreshments and miscellaneous article sojd at t':e canteen. It is clear and beyond that the young men who attend camps are in every sense serving tlic'r country, and consequently we regai il it as highly improper that the country which is being so served shoulil make a profit at their expense. Why should anybody be charged a pretaium for the right to cater for Territorials if this involves abnormal prices for everything the Territorials require to purchase?— New Zealand Times.

Three Yale (U.S.A.) University profeasors, Messrs. Petrunkovicli, Cameron, and Woodruff, gave tests recently at New Haven, Connecticut, to "Jasper," an English brindle terrier two years and three months old, and owned by a man named Taylor, who is visiting "different colleges to let professors of psychology test the animal's mental qualities. Professor Petrunkovicli gave a two-hours' test to "Jasper," and then said he was the most wonderful dog he had ever seen. The professor ordered the dog to walk up the stairs, stop in the middle, and stand on his hind feet. Up the stairs walked the animal, and directly in the middle of the staircase he stopped and .placed his fore paws on the banister rail. Professor Woodruff went into a dark room, while the owner of the dog =at in the parlor some few doors away with the dog. Taylor then told the dog to go into the room in which Professor Woodruff was. and take a handkerchief out of the professor's pocket. The dog immediately hounded away and did as he was bidden. Other tests put to the animal were equally as hard. He Was told to find a jardiniere, which lie did immediately. In quick succession he was told to knock oyer a waste basket, open a door, and pick up a pencil, all of which he performed immediately after the command. The Patea County Council has for a very long time been endeavoring to secure legislation which will allow Councils to enforce judgment on native landowners, wig) have neglected to pay their rates. Yesterday a letter was received from the secretary of this body (Mr. E. C. Horner) by the Taranaki County Council, notifying that a deputation would wait oil the Minister of Native Affairs in Wellington. The writer added that should the Council decide to Bend a delegate, it would be necessary to wire the Royal Oak so as to. secure a room, it being advisable that delegates should stay at the same hotel. The letter was met with the comment "Twelve and six a day!" In giving his opinion that the deputation would only be a waste of money, since nothing satisfactory could lie got from the Minister, the Cluiirmnn said he thought it would be far better let the Counties' Conference move ih this matter. Representatives from such a body would carry more weight, and would be likely to influence the Government towards settling what was admitwith many Counties a burning question. A motion was passed expressing this view, and 1 informing the Patea County Council that the local Council regretted it could not fall in line with lueir proposal, though the Council was "•nvise in sympathy with their endeavour*. YOU SHOULD BE DETERMINED in rejecting the worthless and frequently injurious counterfeits which nre sametimes pushed for the sake of greater gain as "just as good" as the OEXITING SANDER & SONS' VOLATILE EFCALYPTI EXTRACT. Be not derived.SANDER'S EXTRACT is recognise by the highest medical authorities as possessing unique stimulating, henlin? and antiseptic powers. The preparnlion of SANDER'S EXTRACT from ,the pure selected leaves, and the refinement by special processes, give it curative virtues peculiarly its own. Therefore, be nut' misled. Demand and insist upon the GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT, and you will derive the benefit that thousands have reaped from it before. When ill you should not depress yourself more by the common, bulky and nauseating eucalyptus oils and so-called "extracts." What you want is quality and reliability in small dose; and this vou find only in SANDER'S EXTRACT.

A Gazette extraordinary, issued vet* terday. 'conveheß Parliament tovAa*' 'iTo atC ' 1 °* ÜB ' neßß on ttne 28i at

The Public Service Commissioner expects the new classification of the Civil Service will be available before the end oi the present month.

If the weather is favorable it is sxpected that a start will be made with the erection of the automatic light tower on Karori Rock during the next few days., A Masterton resident, while enjoying an oyster supper on Saturday evening, struck two small pearls in one of the shells. An expert states that the pearls arc of considerable value.

The steamer Kaipara, which left VVaitara roadstead for Wellington on Sunday night, took from the local freezing worKg 4753 quarters beef, 3D30 carcases mutton, 4893 carcases lamb, 1170 sacks frozen sundries, and 84 carcases veal.

A working bee will be held in ths Coronation Hall this afternoon in connection with the Winter Show to be held next week. Membefs are reminded that they can be of great assistance to the society by attending, and also that, afternoon tea will be provided. As showing the need for improving the Waitara river entrance, says ,the< Mail, it may be stated that the towing of barges conveying frozen meat to the Home boat in the roadstead, had to he done last week by Mr. F. RattenburyV oil launch, the steamer Tainui being unable to get across the bar. Has the 11th Regiment, Taranaki Rifles, put up a fresh record for the rest of New Zealand to gaze at? Last flight Lieutenant-Colonel Malone informed a reporter that the attendance liad averaged 98 per cent. This means that 98' out of every 100 men of the regiment have performed the necessary service tobe classed as "efficient."

"I hope your Worship will arrange for the removal of that pom-pom that disfigures the top of Marsland Hill before the visit of Captain Halsey to the spot,"" said a member of the Dreadnought Entertainment Committee last evening.' The - Mayor and others were doubtful if this could be done or that the town would allow the gun to De removed. Despite the duty of £1 per ton, Australian flour is coming into Wellington to compete with the New Zealand article. The Dominion millers complain that theprices for wheat during the past year have been high, compelling them to raise the price of flour, which is quoted to-day for lots in bags at £9 15s Od to £lO ss, a rise of 5s per ton.—Press Association. Some idea of the importance of the salmon packing industry in Alaska may be gathered from figures contained ina letter which a resident of Wellington has just received from his brother inAmerica. The Alaska Packers' Association owns 62 steamers and 20 sailingvessels, and at its various factories last year filled 40,000,000 cans (1,202,770 cases) with'salmon. The company's fleet winters in San Francisco, and starts off" for the north early in April of each year.

The Hon. R. H. Rhodes stated in Auckland yesterday that he had received a report from the guides at the Hermitage stating (>ujdes Thomson and Richmond had sighted nine chamois on the* lower slopes of Mount Wakefield, on the Mount Cook Range, on May I*2. All the animals appeared in fine condition, and one was a half-grown young one. The number sighted (nine) is one more than the number liberated; lienee there is conclusive proof of the animals' brecd-

A remarkable encroachment of sand if reported by the Otago Daily Times. For some yqars, it is stated, the sand drift near the mouth of tliq Catljns river has. been making rapid progress. A large area of pine forest lias been submerged, and the remainder is threatened. Some trees •COft high are completely covered with sand. The farmers in the locality have become alarmed at the constant onward march of the sand, and have asked the Department of Agriculture to take the matter in hand and advise them what to do.

Good progress is being made with the erection of the Inglewood Municipal Hall, which it is expected will be ready for opening the first week in September. The contract for supplying the furnishings has been secured by Mr. L. de Launay's furnishing warehouse. The dress circle will be fitted with beautifully upholstered tip-up chairs, with BiekforiT patent spring seats, the first to be installed in any hall in the Dominion. Bentwood chairs will be utilised for the front of the hall and seats with backs will be fitted at the rear of the building. A New South Wales resident was very much surprised the other day when the Customs authorities demanded £l9 from him before they 1 would hand over a package of water colour sketches executed l)jr a little girl in England. The sketches wore merely childish drawings of no value, and had been sent out in order that the recipient (Mr. W. 11. Lang, of Corowa) might compare them with the artistic efforts of his own little girl, aged 10. There were nineteen sketches in the package, and it appears that the Australian tariff Remands a payment of £1 each, or 25 per cent, on the value, whichever may be the higher, on all oil or wateT colour paintings not produced by an Australian artist or an Australian student abroad. The Department remained unyielding, and Mr. Lang has decided to let them keep the sketches: