LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 281, 30 April 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The turnover of the Waitemata Fruitgrowers' Co-operative Society during 11)13 exceeded that of 1912 bv £13.000. " One of Dunedin's most promicnt medical men is reported to have inherited a legacy from a relative. The amount is said to be large. A rather remarkable coincidence is reported, three youths of the same age having been treated at the Greymouth Hospital within the last fortnight for broken elbow joints. The largest mob of fat sheep whic'i has ever arrived at the Waingawa freezing works reached there on Wednesday, There were 6200 sheep, all taken from one station in South Wairarapa. A Masterton resident who visited Wellington last week had to pa 4s for his dinner, 4s for his bed, and 3s fld for his breakfast. On the top of this he gave tho waiter a "tip." He states that he wishes the waiters and waitresses well, but his visits to Wellington will not bs as frequent as in the past. According to Mr E. A. Corliam, a Government surveyor who lircs juat returned from the Northern Territory to Sydney, a man working in the territory deteriorates physically 25 per cent "by hard labor through climatic conditions. This was his experience with axemen when engaged in cutting survey tracks.

A farm of 82% acres at Kaiapoi which was offered at unction cm Saturday last, Vfe passed in at £45 10s pur acre. The address at the Xew Plymouth Brotherhood on Sunday next will be delivered by ilr. L. Jl. Isitt, M.P. for Christchurch North.

The new "Topical Budget'' at the■ empire Picture. Palace contains a Mexican scene in which General Villa and troops figure largely and clearly. The New Plymouth Hospital Board will receive £5 12s (id from the sacred concert given by Mr. Van Ileck on (rood Friday night. . This will carry a subsidy of 24;; iu the £.

An expert from the \\ ellington health office wili visit No-.v Plymouth to-mor-row to iir. -tij.uie tlic state of the St. Auliyu district, iu viiw of the fact that further cases of typhoid lever, to'.ve been reported from that end of the town. "There is such a demand for boy labor that, as soon as a boy obtains his sixth standard leaving certificate he can obtain a position. In fact, instead of boy or girl having to compete against a number of their sex for a position, it is more the reverse—the employers competing for the services of the boys." Such is a statement in the annual report of the technical instructor for the Hawke's Bay district.

The definition of the word "wowser" was referred to by the Rev. W. A. Keay wnen addressing a meeting of Bible-in-. School supporters in Wellington. By some, he said, a "wowser" was meant to infer a goody-goody, a man- who went to church'with his Bible under his arm. He had a different idea of the wor!. He said it was an individual who had worn corns on;his chest through lean: ihg on public-house bars. (Laughter). Californian quail have increased to that extent in the Clevedon (Auckland) district that they constitute a pest. A letter was received at the annual meeting of the local branch of the Farmers' Union from Mr Judd, strongly urging' that, steps be taken to reduce the number of birds, as at their present rate ot increase they were becoming a very serious menace to the fanners. The Union is considering the be3t course to adopt to deal with the pest Local "sports" gathered in large numbers at the Good Templar Hall last night to honor Miss Annie Hsvwke, the sportsmen'B candidate in the recent Oarnival Queen competition. The dance proved highly enjoyable, Mrs. Woods supplying the music and Messrs R. Paul and L. t B. Stohr acting as M.C.'s. Hiss liawkc was presented 'by Mr. G. Tabor, on behalf of the committee, with a very handsome gold wristlet watch as a mark of appreciation of her "sporting" spirit throughout the contest. Mr. A. C. Downs returned thanks on her -benalf.

A practice lias grown up of late years of selling for forward delivery produce which has not even been sown. This system prevails in Victoria, where farmers often sell their wheat before the seed is put into the ground. The practice has lately invaded New Zealand, where it now afreets.the lamb market. It has not been an uncommon thing for sheep-farmers, during the past few seasons, to sell for forward delivery at a given price lambs which would not be born for months after the saje was made. This is bargaining in futures with a vengeance. Yet the practice is growing, for an Ashburton Guardian representative had learned' that a few days ago sale of a farmer's next year's lambs was made at 13s Gd per head—dolivery to be given in January, 1915.

Ail interesting situation follows the election of Mr. J. E. Wilson tis Mayor of New Plymouth, from the fact that that gentleman is at present in the hospital suffering from tvphoid fever He will be unable to assume the office in the ordinary way, and the Borough Council probably will have to visit the hospital in a body to instal him, and that on or before Wednesday next. Ins Municipal Corporations Act provides that the mayor before entering upon his oil ice shall make and sign a declaration provided bv the! Act, in the presence of the Council, and such declaration shall be attested by a councillor and the town clerk. It also provides that the mayor elect shall come into office on the. first Wednesday i n May following his election, and shall continue in office until his successor comes into office. Unless, there ore, Mr. Wilson is able to rrfake t declaration on Wednesday, [Mr. Browne will continue to hold office One of the features of the present llav activities of the Kuakura farm of ! instruction is the work of improvingiaeeJimatised varieties of lucerne to ascertain the best for local conditions, and of securing by- selection and control strains ot greater productivity and constitution (says the Journal of Agricultufr?). it is only a few years since the worl of ascertaining whether lucerne would o ow successfully at Rnakura was underta ;en but the experimentation stage has pissed Lucerne is thriving under the sev ral extreme variations to bo found on the property. Convinced that lucerne vill soon take a prominent place in ' ew Zealand farm economy, the manage] of the farm (Mr Primrose McConnell) ind uie plant-breeding officer (Mr W. h. Gtfeen) are intent on an active camp .ign in selecting and breeding improved t- pes of the plant for New Zealand condition?, and in furthering lucerne-growing am on<* farmers coming under their influence! A -section of the nursery at Rual uva is exclusively devoted to the testini' of the leading varieties of lucerne, as well as to the important work of selec ;inff tor resistance to disease. There ark seventeen plots in all, and sixteen varieties are under observation. There aeighten type-improvement second-year tnals, while twenty-five more trials are in their first year. Many of the tests have been in progress for five years, and valuable work has already been accom-