LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 107, 29 September 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

BTidanco ss to the cost of building* at tho p'rosenit timo as compared with tho past was given by Mr J. fc>. Kwam, architect, in the Wellington Assessment, Court la*!, week. .Mr Swan said that from 1905-8 to IWO-14 the cost of brick buildini's had incroajwd by from 10 per cent, to 41 per cent., and tihat between l!K)(i and ilf 11 the cost of wooden buildings had increased by from 21) per cent, to :25 per cent, Tho decision of the Government to temporarily suspend all assisted passage;, has not bad any u:iio.>'ard effect upon the farmers of the Auckland district says the iHar. The Auckland branch of tho Fanners' Union has found that the experience of tho past few weeks hai shown tho »tej> taken to be a wise one, for it haa enabled the local farmers to absorb & good ihv.l of the surplus labor in tho -towns. The expe.riem e "test." an"lied to thy applicants for work haa not boon a Tory severe one, while the farmers liavo found that a big percenta®o of tho men who have fallen out of employment in Auckland originally came 'from the country districts, and are fairly well qualified to undertake farm work.

At the Magialrate'ij Court yeeterdav, before Mr. A. C'rooke, S.M., John Sharpe was charged with iaving robbed "Win. J one*, a oontTaetor of lnglewood, of an overcoat -valued at 10s, a hat valued at '2s, an aluminium watch and chain, valued at 30s, and 3% in money, end with oominittini personal violence at tho tinne of the robbery. DetectiveSergeant Boddftm applied for a remand, until Thiursday, aud this was granted. It appears that the robbery took place at the aootuod's house whither he had taken prosecutor who understood from accused that it was a boarding house. After being robbed, prosecutor deems to have teen thrust into the street.

•SeVv'i ui letters y/ddrejJiied 1 Vi^F." lie at this oii'ico.

ihe oll'ttuu lvport of the sinking of (lie three British cruisct* in the i\oiln Sea appeals on pago 6.

At the rgu.w imvting of the lloturoa Lodge, U.H.0.U., kuj, night, there wa.s a. fair attendance, Ail). Bro. W. Morris presiding. On: new nieu.b.;r tt. s initiiited, and several are being added to tho lodge strength on clearances,. The Kgmont Lodge, No. 112, 1.0.vx.T., Ilehl its w.AVIy meeting last evciing in line Good Templar iiaii, when iwo lrienda wero uui.aw.d into vbo Oi«lur. A q'lKwtiou-bnx, interspersed with musical items, provided tlie evening's progianune.

■We are pleased io report that a local firm has decided to pta on. a. motor twig lor lobular service between New Ply. mouth and the .Mountain House. Trips will be made on Th-uinsdays, Saturuats and Sundays, and the rales should bo wi'Uii.n the reach of al*. The BCTYtce will probably be commenced in tlie < uurse of a couple of weeks.

la these .times of uncertainly tho average, man will look, twice at his money before paying iVve or six guineas for a now suit of clothes white the Melbourne is adoring beautifully tailored suits of very finest fabrics for Sfts (id, Gos and (IDs Ckl. These suits will give entire satisfaction in lit, style and finish.

-Mr 11. T. Twiss, for gome yoana Grown lands ranger in Taranaki, is now manager of the To-.Mala vim-yards, Haw'kcfs Jia*-. Air Twiss had considerable practical experience in viticulture arid winemaking in California conn: years *tgo. The Te 'Mata vineyards- at present cover about 5 am«, and will probufcy ibe largely extended. The output is bonie 15,000 gallons a year, and thoro axe about 100,OUO gallons in the <valß, none of tho w.ino ,boins> marketed until it .is six .years old. The industry is growing, and it ia confidently asserted ov connoiat'tfurs that much of the Australian wine now toeing sold in Now Zeaiar.d "will shortly be displaced by the product of the Dominion. The excellence of tie wines has been attested on many occasions, and there is evidently' a iitg future for the industry in tlawke's H'liy and other districts suitable for the cuit.vation of tho grape vine.. The outputs of the Now Zealand im'tler and cheese factories are*exipectcd to be e.Ycentionaily heavy this season owing to continued fine' Weather, although rain id badly needed i the North Inland (savs the Wellington iPosl). Sales have lieen made of South Island cheese w;» to ner pound of til ehec.se made tor the season, this price'being for the chc-cso-on the fueka at or near the factories. Taranaki cheese-makers will gene-ally consign their produeo to London und take the risk of tho market, which ia expected to !be. very :good. A fine nmrl<ef for New Zealand tout tor is expected t'- bo offered by Canada thi« sea-sont. There is likely to be a iheavy contribution of New Zealand butter to both Canada and the United -States. As high as Is per nound for butter is asked toy many factories, who are indifferent- as to whether they Bell or consign.

o,n Thursday evening t3ie neiw comet was seen in the south-east sky by Mr 1;. A. McDonald, of Halcombe. It is sot a conspicuous object, though it is easily detected without telescopic assistance. Tho present position of the comet is a little to the left cf the bright star Achanar. To find Achanar, draw aa imaginary line straight through the two stars forming the head and feet of the ■Southern Cross, and continue it for some distance to the left. Mark oif about nine times the distance intervening between the two stars of the Cross, and Achanar is reached. Tho brightest star of the Cross is tho one which constitutes ' its feet, and At-hanar is a little brighter. On bile left of Achanar, and higher up, may be seen a faint, misty object, resembling a nebulous Btar. This is ths comet.

"I have been in thirty-two hospitals, and have not done any work for thirteen years," said a man named Ttobcrt Green Verdent, in the Wellington Magistrate's Court on Friday, when charged with being an incorrigible rogue in that he was found bv night without lawful excuse on enclosed premises in Ixiwer Cuba street. "As you see, sir," said Inspector Hendrey, "the man is a cripple. He lias been liring a vagrant's existence, and if he continues as he, has been doing, sleeping out of nights, he will one morning be found dead. There is no one to look after him." Mr Cooper said he would remand accused till Monday to see whether ii« could be, sent to a home. "I would suggest Friday, Your Honor,-'' remarked Inspector Hendrey, "as the man is choekingly dirty and wants bathing badly bofore 'lie comes here again." A remand was granted till Friday. Tho sympathetic nUitnde of Hie United States to Britain in the prenesit war was referred in an appreciative article 'in the London Times on Aiiigu.'.t 8. "It is with profound satisfaction -laat the British peoplo have tal?en noto tiliait the cause in which they are lighting has the sympathy—the virtmlly itiwjua'l-ilieil sympathy—of their American kinsmen," twtid tihe Times. "The United, Mutes Government itself lias, of coarse, proclaimed otucial neutraliity. It ic< UlO only first-daw rower of the Western woi'ld that can maintain an aittiin le of even comparative detachment towards t'he combatants. As such there may be reserved for the President of the Un't- ' ed Statco a ro!c not unlike that assumed b ,r President Roosevelt in the war between Russia and Japan. Mr. Wilson, to whom this moment the symI pathy of the whole British "people is extended in hiis private sorrow, ban indeed already intimated bin willingness j ■' - act in the interests of European jietwe I wliem the occasion may present itacit. | But that time is stilll distant', and (jhe.re j is much stem work to be done before any government is likely to avail ilw.v i of his -uroffcred eer?i««." The Tillies then proceeded to show tha:t Americans had begun to realise how 'undesirable it would be for tbolr interests that Germany shout! be insts'l'lcd in the of Britain, and concluded: "What t!h<*y are now beginning to appreciate ia that the rise of Germany to the power and influence, hitherto enjoyed by us would be a development inimical to American interests in tho Qarilbboan, in South America and in the Pacific, and a iwnace to the position and freedom of tho United Slates as a world power. It new even be Dliat, to a greater extent than t-hcy yet imagine, their ireu tirality depends 'on the ultimate history of Great Britain and heir friends." Tiie monthly meeting of the YSMj.T.U. will bo held on Wednesday next, fiuptember 30, in the Good Temiplar Lodgcro'im, at 3 p.m. The .ev. A. B. Chaupill is to give a ten minutes' talk oi» Women's Franchise. Musical items, e-tc.—Advt).