GENERAL NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 63, 3 August 1914, Page 7

GENERAL NEWS

The Hon. W. F. C. Carncross, speaking in the Legislative Council recently, said ho had not a paiticlc of faith in the department as far as the administering of scenic reserves was concerned. He instanced the action of the department in lifting the reservation from a forest reserve in the Inglewood district, one of the choicest scenic, spots of Taranaki, so that is might be sold. Some members, recognising the grievous wrong that was being done, secured the postponement of the propositi, otherwise this beautiful' spot would have been sacrificed and they would only have had another farm of a hundred acres. The department might understand matters of settlement, but it sacrificed all ideas of beauty and the importance of scenic, reserves. He would put a question later to know what was being done with that reserve.

Some details of interest concerning the pumice lands of the North Island thermal district, which were deait with in a series of articles in the Post several months ago, are given in the Farmers' Union advocate just published. The Advocate states that while during the past few years thousands of acres have been opened up and improved, there are yet vast areas over which the Native title has been extinguished still awaiting development by enterprising farmers. "From the Waiotapn district during the past year," continues the Advocate, "fully" 3000 fat lambs, and probably over 3000 fat sheep, besides a consideraMo number of fat cattle, have been sold. The lambs have averaged from 361b to ovct 37b in weight, and have realised 5d per lb when shorn. The stock of various kinds have been fattened largely on pasture, but in. some cases have had the assistance of root crops." A peculiar accident occurred at Gilgandra (N.S.W.) one day last week, when Alfred Heiler went to the racecourse accompanied by a lad named Neates, to try a couple of horses. The horse that Neates was riding became unmanageable, and Beiler, seeing the lad'a predicament, rode up to him. He stood up in the stirrups, but no sooner had he done so than one of his legs snapped below the knee. He immediately fell from the horse, and was picked up and brought to town for medical treatment. Heiler is thought to hold the world's record as far as broken limbs are concerned. His total up to the present is only a couple short of forty,. Bones have been broken in all sorts of ways, >:ven while dancing. The leg which was broken recently was broken a little higher up while waltzing. Heiler has a son, seven years of age, who has had bones broken on six. occasions. Every morning last week William Storer, a recent arrival froiu England, who was staying at the Hotel Dudley, Bathurst, made anxious enquiries regarding a remittance which he expected from London. None came. As he was. without means, Storer became very depressed, and on Monday morning he was found dead in bed, having committed suicide by taking cyanide of potassium. He left a note stating that he was tired cd of life. Since then tlrrce letters have arrived from England addressed to the dead man. A few days before his death Storer stated that he expected a remittance of £7OO from his sister in London, and one of the letters is supposed to contain the money. It arrived two days too late to save his life. Fate was all against Storer, because that week's English mail was delivered in Bathurst later than usual. The letters will eventually be returned to the senders.