LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 4, 5 June 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Recently the Melbourne' Harbor Trust Commissioners offered a reward of £5 for information leading to the conviction of cargo broacliers. Up to a week ago the sum of £4O had been paid away in satisfaction of the claims of informers.

"There are two ways of arriving at the value of land," said Mr. Brandou, cross-examining the Departmental valuer at the Assessment Court in Wellington. "There are all sorts of ways," said the valuer. "I am speaking of the sensible method," replied Mr. Brandon. "I have nothing to do with that," was the startling reply. "I am bound by the Valuation of Land Act." "The Court might make a note of that," suggested Mr. Brandon.

Liabilities amounting to over £750,000 were reported in the Loudon Bankruptcy Court recently in the case of Alfred Stuart, of Old Jewry, whose public examination was adjourned owing to accounts not having been filed. The assets, the Official Receiver said, did not appear to be more than £2OO or £3OO. He attributed his failure to liabilities on guarantees and advances made to him on oil shares, and to inability to recover money due to him.

Madame Cassignol, the wife of the well-known international billiard player, was electrocuted in her bath on May 24 at St. Cloud (says a delayed cable from .Paris). She touched n button controlling the electric light while she was in the bath, from which the water was running. A circuit was formed, and a tremendous current passed through her body, killing her instantly. Her arm s was found charred to a cinder. The blackened hand was stijl pressed to the electric button, showing how the accident had occurred. A remarkable confession lias been made by one (irange, an ex-British Army man, who surrendered himself to the police at Vancouver recently. (Irange was formerly a sergeant in an English regiment. Ilis story is that 2!) years ago, while in London, he strangled his infant son, .whose advent into the world at the time was not welcome. The wretched man declares that in his travels since be left Kn»'lai)d lie lias visited India and the Orient, but that wherever he went he was haunted by his dreadful crime.

The man who likes medimil'Strength tobacco should try a pipe or two 'of -MILD DKRIiV. ll's tip top. In'tins or There's nothing to equal it. G

Entries for children's pets at the Win* ter Show will be received until to-morrow evening. Entry in this class is free.

The Minister of Public Works has informed Mr. C. K. Wilson, M.P. for Taurnarunui, in reply to the latter'n letter re a punt to ferry settlers across tho Awakino River, that he is obtaining a report from the Resident Road Knffhuw.f regarding the application.

The practical examinations this year at the Royal Academy of Music will be conducted by .Mr. K. tie G. English, who has not previously visited New Zealand., Mr. English is a musician of long experience, his first appointment dating from IHWJ, and his appointment as examiner from 11)03. Since then he has conducted, examinations on behalf of the Boatd in all parts of England, Australia, and South Africa, and his appointment to New Zealand this year may certainly be viewed with satisfaction.

In Taranaki's hinterland there are some fine specimens of the "poaka." In the country around the Tangarakau Gorge a "tusker" recently put up a great fight before he was "bagged." He wa» a big boar, evidently about ten years old. Seven dogs took part in the hunt, and Ave of them carry a severe rip or two* as a reminder of their experience. Five bullets j were pumped into him before the old pig could be approached. The skin over the shoulders was over an inch in thickness. Wild dogs, which are fairly thick in the locality, had evidently had many a tustle with the boar, as the hitter's ears were entirely chewed off. Although the pig was in poor condition, he scaled over 5001bs.

Wellington grocers, who recently, formed an Association, intend to kick against the record high prices now charged for bift'on, says the correspondent of the Lyttelton Times. At a recent meeting the question was discussed and several members expressed the opinion that, in view of the price paid by the factories,, viz., 4%d per lb, the price charged to the retailers, Is per lb, was unwarranted and that there was also no justification for the recent rise of 2d per lb by the wholesalers. It was eventually decided that the matter should be exhaustively gone into at the next meeting of the Association and members expressed the hope that, as the result of this meeting, the public would be enabled to purchase bacon at a lower figure than at present. A rudder with a doorway into its interior -is a feature of the mammoth Cunard liner Aquitania, so soon to be launched. The rudder has just been placed in position, and is so huge that a doorway has been constructed in the lower pari to admit workmen, so that they can remove the pin which connects the rudder to the ship. This pin is 4ft in length, and bigger than the heaviest projectile made for modern artillery. A special appliance had to be constructed in the ship to lift it into position. When delivered at the builder's yard the rudder was in three parts. After they had been connected, and laid upon the ground, the i distance that had to be walked to pass . ! round the complete rudder was 100 feet.

There are in circulation in the Dominion a number of drapers' catalogues, got up in the finest style of printers' art. But they are printed in England, though equally good work could be done by the printers in the main cities of the Dominion. Seeing that some of the drapers < we have in our mind's eye have made colossal fortunes by their trade in the Dominion it seems a bit mean on their part to send their work to England. But such is "commercialism"—pinch up your soul until it is small enough to go into a nut-shell and subordinate every action in life to the saving of £ s. d. People are evidently willing to risk the danger of getting rich and the camel and the .. needle's eye business does not give them much work;.—Eltliam Argus.

An American writer sees in the impending economic changes in the United States the wholesome spectacle of the reversal of the drift of population from the country to the city. He declares that "the census of 1920 will be the first for more than a generation to show a diminishing rate of city growth and an increase of rural population." The' reason for the present condition is that "the protective tariff has made manufacturing excessively profitable, and the country has been drained of its youth." The reduction of the tariff is looked to as a means of salvation, for by withdrawing the premium from manufacturing it will stimulate a real "back-to-the-farm" move- , ment of large proportions and healthy significance. Speaking at the blessing of a new Roman Catholic Church in New South Wales, Archbishop Kelly said that trade unionists should work for the general good of the community. They should not try to lift themselves up by pulling others down. On the other hand, capitalists should not try to exalt themselves by taking the life-blood out of labor. "I stand," said Archbishop Kelly, "with i labor and the worker against all oppression. Workers would be depraved if they followed badly-governed unions. Suppose the case of a corn merchant, who sought to develop his business, and saw the prospect of a good haul by chartering a ship. Ordinarily it would ; take five or six days to load the ship. I Some of the workers delayed the loading by demanding, say, 2s 0d a day extra, with the strike alternative. If the demand is refused the merchant is a heavy loser, and if it is conceded what will become of the extra pay? Will the women or the family get iti No! It will be spent in public-houses." That was Archbishop Kelly's experience of what had happened in Ireland.