LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 272, 24 April 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

'Mr. Walter Little kaa donated a valuable cup for competition by the Taranaki Plumpton Coursing Club. The Maiterton premises of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company were entered last night ■ and a few pounds were stolen from the safe. On Tuesday night a private residence was entered ami some keys and money stolen.

If, as has been suggested, the proposed co-operative freezing works are to be erected as near to the New Plymouth harbor as a suitable site can oe obtained, this district cannot be other than well served, and farmers all round would find ithat witn up-to-date works, suitably situated, and directed by intelligent men on business lines, the additional profits accruing to me shareholderfarmers would not only show a handsome return for capital invested, but would very soon return to the suppliers the total outlay as well.—lnglewood Record,

At the last meeting of the Patea Harbor Board a letter was read from Mr. J. A. Mac Donald with regard to the ■harbor improvement scheme as follows: —''l have now spent nine days examining and considering the conditions that prevail at this port. The following recommendations inter alia will be embodied in my report:—Carry up both breakwaters considerably above high water mark, and extend both to seaward, in a direction that will be shown on the plans. .Purchase a reliable combined bucket and ladder suction dredge and as soon as the breakwaters are sufficiently advanced to give .the necessary protection, push on with dredging tne entrance ehannel and river up to the bridge. Remove the present guide pier and straighten the channel at this place. Canada's recently developed trade with New Zealand is leading some of the Canadian newspapers to introspection, The Toronto Globe, for example, says in a recent issue: ''For some time past New Zealand has been more or less steadily exporting to Canada butter and fresh meat. The former is done up in boxes, and the latter is sent in bulk, in cold storage; beef in quarters, mutton and veal in carcases. It has been officially announced from Ottawa that there are now on the way from New Zealand to Vancouver 20,000 boxes of butter, over 1300 quarters of beef, nd over 2800 carcases of mutton and veal. The duty paid on these provisions will amount to 40,000d01, which will be passed on to the Canadian consumers &b part of the high cost of living. This is a commercial phenomenon, which, if susceptible of explanation, should be explained. New Zealand is a small country agriculturally and Canada is an enormously large one. New Zealand is away at the other side of the world from Canada, and therefore food to be sold to Canadians must have been transported from 7000 to 10,000 miles, according to itp ultimate destination here. Tiie problem for solution is how the New Zealand farmer can compete successfully with the Canadian farmer in the face of such a distance in transportation and a considerable Customs duty besides. This is a matter on which the High Cost of living Commission should he able to shod helpful light. Two alternative explanations suggest themselves: either the Canadian farmer is less skilled and less versatile than his New Zealand competitor, or the physical character of Canada is. so much less favourable than that of Now Zealand that he is hopelessly handicapped in the competition. Neither of theso alternatives is at all pleasant to contemplate in view of the statements constantly circulated about Canada with its untold millions of wild land not merely untitled, but unoccupied. The Canadian consumer is certainly not to blame, because he will always, and should always, buy his food as cheaply as he can get it, irrespective of the place of production." An important sale oi winter goods will commence at the Melbourne tomorrow morning. Advantageous purtehases/ of memls warm apparel and hosiery enable the firm to ouer genuine savings right at the beginning of the season. The sale bill is eirculated with to-day's issue, anil ie a veritable budget of bargains.

Loud rolls the drum, with a rum-tum-tum, The bugles blare, but our hoy's not there; He is home in bed

With an aching head. He did not parade (By the 'flu' delayed),

Big musters assure With Woods" Peppermint Cure. U

The matron of the new Plymouth Hospital desires to acknowledge, with thanks, a donation of vegetables from St. Bride's Church, Barrett road.

Mr. J. JO. Wilson will address a meeting of electors at Moturoa at 7 p.m. this evening, returning to tne Good Templar Jlaii at 8.15 p.m., where he will address a meeting of town electors. Yesterday was St. George's Day. The hanks and Government buildings were closed, and the flag at the Post Office fluttered gaily. Otherwise the holiday wa,< not observed in New Plymouth. On the motion of Mr. Gorett (Oovett and Quilliam), probate of the will of the late Isaac Surrey lias been granted by the Supreme Court to Messrs. Jt. C. and A. 1'". Sunc ', the excL-utors named in the will.

In the Supreme Court, 01; the motion of Mr. viovett (Govt.tt and Quilliam), probate of the w..i of the late James Brophy has been granted to Mrs. M. firophy, the executrix named in the will.

hi a paragraph in yesterday's issue, the rate struck by the Taranaki Hospital Board for the ensuing year was inadvertently mentioned as being Is in the £ on annual value. It should have been Is in £IOO on capital value. The 1.0. G.T., Egmont Lodge, No. 112, held their annual picnic at the Meeting of the Waters recently, and fine weather with a good attendance resulted in a very enjoyable day's outing. At the meeting held in the lodge room on Monday last, a new member was proposed for initiation, and after the usual business had received attention, C.T. Bro. F. Pepperell provided an entertainment and supper, which was appreciated by a large audience. Home again! The "habitual" who has formed the subject of one or two Press telegrams this' week was returned to the prison reformatory at New Plymouth last night, he! having oroken the terms of his license. A passenger by the train remarks that it \> -uld be' just as kind to sucli a man, clothed in hu prison garb, if his meals were taken to him from the dining car, instead of the .unfortunate having to make the trip through the passenger cars to the diner.

Sir Robert Badem-Powell writes to the Standard with easily pardonable pride, conveying the testimony of Messrs. W. H. Smith and 'Son that their experience proves the Boy Scout training to be "in every way an advantage to the junior members of the staff. The firm lws deputed a member <w the staff to the special duty ot encouraging Scouting among .the 6000 boys employed. And, as further practical evidence of their opinion, Messrs Smith enclose £SOO as a contribution to the fund now being raised for the endowment 01 the movement. Sir Robert Baden-Powell adds that donations to the fund are daily arriving from .arge business houses. That the farm adjacent to the Old Peoples' Home is a profitable institution was evidenced by a. report presented to the annual meeting of the Taranaki Hospital Board by the manager (Mr. Sadler). During the year, tbe' report stated, 13 cows had been milked, supplying the hospital with 6464 gallons of milk at Is per gallon, equal to £.423 Bs, and the Home with 4415 gallons, eqal .to £220 Ins, making a total value of £544 3s. Sixty-three pigs were purchased for £4O ISa, and 49 of these were 3old for £lO4 8s 6d, one died, and 13 were on hand. The Board passed a bearty vote ot thanka to Messrs A'. H. Halcombe, H. B. Lepper, and P. Cornwall for donations of Jersey cattle. Writes a country correspondentsRegarding Hie proposed freezing works and the site, I am afraid they will overlook the best place of all, and that is at the foot of the breakwater, towards the mixing house, which should be given by the Harbor Board for a long term of years, at a nominal rental. It would be a good asset for the harbor, make of sound utility what is a beastly eyesore, interfere with no progress of developing the harbor, reduce handling to a minimum, because by means of a "carry all" method the stuli could go aboard the boat in the quickest manner possible with a big reduction in cost of labor, would allow of good paddock accommodation to the south-west of Par-*ut.i il they wanted it, and with the railway from Opunukc would be .the most central spot, 1 am afraid they'll overlook all theso things.

It is a curious game that these politicians play at. A man whose feelings would be seriously hurt if any one suggested that lie was other than honorable, reputable, truthful citizen, with a sense of justice and fair play, can go on the public platform at the call of his party and prevaricate shamelessly, distort facts impute base motives, and make the moat odious suggestions concerning his opponents, without turning a hair or feeling a twinge of conscience. It is' any wonder that people despair of the future of democracy and speak contemptuously of Parliament and politicins alike? The minds that might very well be occupied in the study of principles, in the operation of economic laws, in the psychological •difficulties of dealing wtih mankind in the mass by means of legislative expedients are turned right away from these things. Instead, we, have pitiable exhibitions of personal feelings and jealousies, party rancour, and bitterness, and an interminable struggle between groups of men to humiliate each other in the eyes of the electors. The wretched and sordid business has only to be continued long enough to destroy democracy, and anyone with eyes to Bee can discern cracks in the foundations already.—Cliiistcliurch Sun.