LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 108, 30 September 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

According to a Wellington engineering expert who recently went over the ground, satisfactory progress is being made with the Otira tunnel works.

At the Opunake Harbor meeting on Wednesday a member of the audience suggested that the Harbor Board should erect a fishery establishment so as to combat the high price of butchers' meat. "In all my travels I hava seen bo part 6f the earth which more resembles the moon than certain iparta of the North Island of New Zealand."—Professor Brown, at a Wellington lecture at Vicj toria College.

A Christcaurch firm lias received a letter from a German merchant, who says: "In common with most other business people, we deeply deplore this terrible war, and should give everything to see it ended quickly." Mr O. H. Tripp informs the Timaru Herald that there aro now two spots on tliomin. The largest iealbout 20,000 imiieg long and 8009 miles broad, with a bridge across tho middle. Two earths could probably go through the largest spot. The dryness of the spring has allowed the threshers in South Canterbury to k>'hs a splendid rum:. One ma/china (says a local paper) is known to have gone through tho "whole season without an interruption, and put through 190,000 'bushcLi of wheat and oats. It is expected there will be two or three weeks' work yet. This is the record for many yews.

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, only two cases were dealt with, judgment by default for the Commissioner of Taxes v. Frederick Andrews, for 3s, and costs 9s, and a judgment order in the case of the Westport Coal Company v. Philip James, who was ordered to pay £l9 13s 5d forthwith, in default, 20 days' imprisonment, tho order to be suspended on his paying £2 every four weeks.

The finest rifle in Europe is the one that Belgium has been using so effectively against the Germans. It is the latest type of automatic, and is the quickest weapon in the world, being capable of firing between thirty and forty rounds a minute. (Also, the muzzle velocity of the bullet is much higher than that of the Lee Enfield or the Mauser. The weapon is known merely as the Belgian Army rifle. The point that this Dominion should note is that Belgium doesn't import this rifle. It is made locally in a Government factory. Donmark is the keenest competitor New Zealand has on the Rome butter market, but in one respect the dairy farmers of the Dominion—or at least of the greater part of it—have a decided advantage over their European rivals if they could only make more use of it, and that is green maize for feeding, or ensilage can be grown to perfection in this country, while it cannot in Denmark. How many of our dairy farmers utilise this advantage to the full extent?- Writing to a Canadian paper, Dr Jas. Robertson says: "One of the laments of Denmark is that they cannot grow Indian corn. If they could they would make money half as fast again as at present." "I was very much impressed with\the improved, conditions existing in the Old Country during my recent visit," remarked the Hon. George Fowlds, in the course of an interview after his returnto Auckland on Friday. "The whole country has a prosperous look, and a tremendous improvement has taken place in the general cleanliness of London since I was there before. In the city a transformation has taken place— I refer to the replacing of the horse by the motor and to the development of the 1 underground tube traffic. Visitors now find that they ca« get about more quickly and more easily in London than in any other city la the world." Even the great principle of co-opera-tion may be upon occasion nullified by blind obedience, says the Dunedin Star. Some members of the Otago Expeditionary Force realised this a few days ago. When preparing for their route march to Brighton they wore told that each man' was to carry his rations, as they were going to camp out for the night. O-bvi-lously, so they thought, this was an occasion for co-operation, so one man carried tho bread, another the butter, a third put up a pot of jam, and so on. When the half was made for tea, they were in a pretty fix, for the men were split up into sections, with the result that the man with tho jam was miles away from his chum with the bread, and the soldier who had the butter could not satisfy himself without fears of bringing on a bilious attack. They will know belter next time.

A meeting of all members and intending rn'Miilx'Tij of tho Taranaki branch of the Liberal and Labor League and others ffitpporling tlio candidature of Mr. 1). ,T. Hughes will be lield to-night at Hi" Town. ill'aJl. Indies are partioulai!v invited to be juosent. R'JjM'T THTKK )T POSSIBLE. "!' didn't think if, possible that audi i n'omlerhil medicine as Chamberlain's "'»u;fh Remeil'. could be purchased at mull a low pviee." says ,\fr J. Burgis, 'tank'}'. Vie. "T wis attacked with >tv»<v,c pains in the chest with difficult ired.thitjr, but nothing f took relieved be rold. TTnTiun' Chamberlain's Cough !«ni.>dy in stork. T thought I would give t * trial and {rot. relief at onec. I give t to aif ehildren and think so highly it it tlaat T would not be without a ■ottle on hand." At all chemists and tores*