LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 282, 1 May 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In the Magistrate's Court ycsterd.iy, Mr. A. Crooke. S.M., gfanted a land agent's licens« to Mr. A. M. T. Jones, of New l'lymouth.

The Government lias granted a £IO,OOO subsidy for the development of the Fiery Cross, Hopeful, and Welcome mine group at Boatmen's, Reefton. Invercargill ratepayers on Wednesday carried loans of £IO,OOO for electric light extension, and £85,000 for gas works extension l»y big majorities. When dealing with the qoestion of the settlement of g'um lands, the Prime Minister stated at Waipu laet week that rather than see land lying idle he would favor giving it to accredited settlers for nothing on the old homestead system. "The country might do worse than return to this Bystem," added Mr Massey. and the remark was applauded. The commercial writer in one of the Wellington papers says: "There are persistent rumors that tfct fceef trust has obtained a footing in Now Zealand, and : it is stated that a South Island Business has been a«qnirod. The heef trust operates very quietly, with never any i noise, consequently it'is jn96 possible that tlie persistent ronton aw eorrcct. The l"n«lish representative of the beef trust was in New Zealand a very short time 1 ago, and it is not bcffevcil that he was here merely to gaze with flight on Jfcw Zealand scenery,"

The voting on the decorated tables at the Horticultural .Society's chrysanthemum show yesterday resulted, as follows:—Miss Matthews 07, 1; Miss Btwley 59, 2; Miss Frethey, 34 3.

At a special meeting of the Borough Council, held yesterday, at which the Mayor (Mr. G.'W. Browne) presided the legal position arising out oi the illness of tho newly-elected Mayor, Mr, J. B. Wilson, was discussed, the opinion of tho Borough solicitor being read. It was decided that the Council should visit the hospital on Wednesday next, whea Mr. Wilson will sign the prescribed declaration.

Mme. Jan. Kubelik, wife of the famous violinist, on March 11, entertained her [iii'-eiit and former husbands, and her former husband's present wife at tea at the Kiiz Carlton Hotel, New York. The party included Jan. Kubelik, Count Czaky, from whom Mme. Kubelik was divorced before she married the violinist, and the second Countess Czaky, whom the Count married after separating from Mme. Kubelik. Several weeks previously she entertained Kubelik and Count Czaky in the same way. The Cambridge paper says: For some time past a certain section of graziers in the Waikato have favored the selling of fat stock by live weight, in a similar manner to what is being done in other parts of the world. Latterly, however, a number are advocating going a step further and selling on the hooks to the •butchers, much the same as is done with the meat for export. It is claimed that the meat should reach the public in better order than at present, and that distributors should al3o do a more satisfactory business.

Disturbances at public meetings call to mind a story told by Mr. "Tom'' Bracken of the early Victorian days. Larry Burke was standing for a goldfields seat, and had addressed a meeting of the electors. When he had finished speaking, the chairman politely asked if any elector would like to ask the candidate a qestion. In response a bald-headed man said that he would like to ask Mr Larry Burke—he got no further. A stick came down on his head from behind. Then the chairman again arose and blandly enquired: "Would any other gentleman like to ask the candidate a question." All the spirit of i nquisitiveness appeared to have evaporated, and there was nothing left to be done but to pa3s the artificially created vote of thanks and confidence and retire to the tavern at the eoraer.

The sale of Australian lottery tickets known as the "Wight Hour IJay Lottery," led to the conviction of a young man in the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday, but fortunately for him he was able to establish the fact that he was ignorant of any otlcnce, so much so that he had openly exposed the tickets for sale in his shop window. The secretary of the body which was running tinlottery had sent him the tickets for sale, had informed him that the proceeds were to be devoted towards the hospitals of Victoria, and he therefore thought he was doing good by selling tiiem. All he got out of it was two tickets for every book *f tickets he sold. Detcctive-Sergt. Boddam state! that lie believed tlw? lottery was genuine, and that the proceeds were devoted to charity in Victoria. Defendant had evidently erred in ignorance. Of course the sale of lottery tickets was a breicli of tho Gaming Act. The would-be philanthropist was alarmed when the Magistrate pointed out that he had made himself liable to a fine of £'2oo, Lut relieved when he was convicted without fine.

A fraud, which was as despicable a 9 it wa« ingenious, was brought to light by Constable Connell, of Clinton, on Monday (says the Dunedin Times). The constable had his suspicious aroused us to the methods of a young man, a Tisitor to the district, employed to earn a living, and, watching him closely, the constable caught him red-handed. According to the story unfolded by the constable next morning in the local courthouse, the young man, named Ernest Frederick Lehondort, has been engaged for some time in exploiting the gullibility of the public. His scheme was to purchase for lid a bar of common soap, and cut it into very small pieces. These were wrapped in piece of yellow paper, which bore the printed legend, "guaranteed to remove grease spots, tar, paint ,etc.," after a high-sounding title. Each piece was then placed in a box and retailed at lid from door to door by tin enterprising "manufacturer." The piece of soap of about 31bs weight yielded patent spot-remover to the value of £.'> 12s. Several thousands of labels and boxes were found in the possession of the young man, who, it was stated, had done a lucrative trade in Canterbury and the North Island. It was also ascertained by tlit! constable that Lehondorf was wanted by several hotel proprietors whom he had left lamenting the nonpayment of accounts for board and lodging. The following new books have been received at the Carnegie Library:"Annals and Memoirs of the Court of Peking," liy Backhouse and BUrih "Literary Duties" (3 vols.),W. Bagshot; "My Life," August Bebel; "Volcanoes," Prof. Bonney; 'Sir Kobert Hart," Juliet Bredon; "Latin America," F. GarciaCalderon; "The Life of Florence Nightingale" (2 vols.), K. T. Cook; "The liepublic of Plato," Davics and Vaughan; "Panama," A. Edwards; "South Africa To-day," H. H. F.yfe; "Earth Sculpture," Prof. Geikie; "The Birth and Growth of Worlds," A. H. Green; "The Microscope," Jabez Hogg; "Essays on Mediaeval Literature," W. E. Kci'; "Modern Chili," W. B. Koebel; "History of English Literature," Andrew Lang; "Egypt in Transition," Sidney Low; "The Dynamics of Living Matter," Jacques Loeb; "Electricity," >Magnus Maclean; "The Story of the Panama Canal," Lindsay Marshall; "The Wonderful House that Jack Has," C. K. Millard; "Burke," John Morley;* "Friendly Germany. Why Not?" Lady Phillips; "English Farming, Past and Present," R. E. Prother; "River Development." Prof. Russell; "Blackstick Papers," Ladv Ritchie; "Betting and Gambling," B. S. Rowntree; "Garden Cities in Theory and Practice" (2 vols), A. K. Bennett; "Plays for Puritans," and "Plays, Pleasant and Unpleasant," Bernard Shaw; "Principles and Methods of Taxation," G. Armitage-Smitli; "Haydn's Dictionary of Dates," Ben.j. Vincent; "Climate," Ilobt. D. .Ward; "The Conflict of Colour," Putnam Weale; "The Wars of the South Sea Savage," R. W. Wiiliamson; "The Great Company" (2 vols.), Millson Beckles; "Through Siberia," Wright and Digby; "The Year's Mind." anonymous; the Odd Farmhouse," anonymous; Complete Works" (12 vols.), William ohftkeapearc; "The liarmaworth Al'as aud Gazetteer." /

Little .Turk Horner sat siek in a corner, A»coiigliing mi(l rubbing bis cyos, While Oranny was waiting and watching liim taking ° A doae fit to poison the fliea. | Twas a drangnt of her own, and far best left nlonc, Which she ninde lier youns; viclim endure— 0, the silly old lniiffi to brew worthless home stuff When there's Woods' Great PepperHiint Cure, ' 12

The Wanganui Freezing Company proposes to spend £IO,OOO in extending the works at CaatlficlifL

The Wanganui Chronicle understands that a case of supposed anthrax has occurred in the Taiaape district, the sufferer, a man about 23 years at age, being at present an inmate of 1 'r. Boyd's private hospital. .. t .. "

Four nominations have been received for the "Queen Of Inglewood" contest, viz.—Miss Hawke (the Fire Brigade candidate), Miss Irene Death, (Country Girl), Miss Matilda Fabiah (United Friendly Societies), and Miss Cera M. Nesbitt (Egmont Village and Sports). For the most part, tho country divisions at the Takapau camp have excellent horses, and this fact has bee* more than once favorably commented om during the progress of tho camp (gays a correspondent. The men take a considerable prido in keeping up the appearance of their regiments in this respect, and will make a good showing before Sir lan Hamilton on Tuesday next, when the combined mounted'force, 1400 strong, will parade before setting out for the field operations. A plan of action is now being drawn up for these manoeuvres. It is on a very ambitious scale, but it will naturally not be disclosed before operations commence.

The Americans have, in declaring war on Mexico, undertaken a very big task, and one that may be ye*y costly. The silver market is bound to immediately feel the effects of fte situation, because Mexico is the main source ol supply of the white metal. The pric« of silver is bound tq rise, and this will beneficially affect Canada and to some extent Australia and New Zealand. But the war may also adversely inluente the money market. It is not u»likely that the United States will he ebliged to place ait least 250,000 men i*' the field and maintain them in the theatre of war for a considerable time. If this happens, the cost will, of course, tun into many millions, which the United States Government will toe obliged to borrow. If gold is wanted, the* London will be exploited, so that there is a plain probability of the money market being affected.

A breezy altercation occurred between a young man prosecuted f»r riding an unlighted cycle after dark, aM. Mr. B. Tippins, the zealous by-law iSpf of the borough, in the Magistrate's OoSri yesterday. Defendant pleaded fuilty, but answered that the Inspector was "cutting it rather fine," as hp hail only ridden a few yards without a light, and that only because he had the lamp :n his hand, remedying a slight delect. When the Inspector accosted him the light was actually burning. This M'. Tippins vigorously denied, rounding off his argument with the assertion that "ll the defendant had had a light on big cycle he would not hare been here." This convincing logic smacks somewhat of that of the proverbial county Magts. trate, who asked: "If you are not guilty, why are you here?" But as tho defendant had pleaded guilty, he was lined.

At the present time, when parents are seeking the cause of infantile paralysis, 't would be well for them to hear the opinions of some of the leading doctors and a great daily of London' on the folding cars now so much in use. They describe them as "death traps" or "murderous machines." The tender infant is placed so low to the ground, and receives dust and dirt—the droppings of horses and dogs ground into power, containing thousands of microbes, being blown into the children's mouth while it smvefs from the cold, biting winds that lie enough to kill it. One of the leading papers asks:—'Would the parents oare to ride in a vehicle so low to the ground? The answer most emphatically is .No. Then why put tho baby that cannot speak for itself into one! Our advice is, get a comfortable go-cart pram, and you will be free from many worries ovai your child, it will thrive better, be healthier and live to be a blessing to yon. "Says a writer in a northern paper:— This season there are flowing into Canterbury thousands of owes from other parts of the dominion—from the North Island, Southland and the Chathams. As a rule, North Island ewes are not very well spoken of in Canterbury, it being stated that they have to be Kent for a season before tiiey give like good results. Southland s*p, though not equal to the Canterburygrown, find ready sale, and it must pay to send them to Canterbury, in spite of the fact tliat Southland itself has a shortage in its Hocks. The influx of these sheep into Canterbury shows, in my opinion, that grain-growing is Hivintr place to fat lamb products, And yet there is opt wonder that filch is the tendency. Both wool and mutton ftre on such a good footing as regards prices and prospects that farmers ar» finding that it pays them just as well, if not better, to grow rape and turnips, instead of wheat and oats. Another strong factor in favour of sheep is the fact that they give loss work and worry than grain, and these are important items nowadays, when labour is in such an unsettled condition.