LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 213, 16 February 1915, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Midhirst school picnic takes place at the East End Beach on Thursday. The. Ballance Dairy Company mado record payments to suppliers yesterday, totalling marly £IO,OOO. Some of the individual cheques were, very big, oile amounting to over £ooo.—Press Association.

All naturalised Russians of German anil Austrian extraction between the ages of 20 and 30 who claimed the rights of Russian citizenship must now perform their military duty in the Russian army, .

The wind on Sunday in Wellington developed into a hard gale in the afternoon. A motor-car containing three passengers rounding the corner of Oriental Bay was lifted bodily and carried over the bank, and dropped five- feet. No damagoi was done,

If) is probable that a deputation of the High School Governors, accompanied by the Mayor, will proceed to Wellington this week to interview the Minister relative to th e power of the Board to lease land, which is urgently needed

Dealing with the Opunake railway junction, stated yesterday to have been fixed at Te Roti, the ITawera Star says:—Work of constructing the Opunake line is to be pushed on vigorously. A temporary junction with the main line at Te Boti is to be put in for the conveyance of materials, of which quantities hare already been landed at tho station,

The usual weekly meeting of the Egmont Lodge No. li'2, 1.0. G.T., last night was-presided over by the District Deputy, Bro. G. W. Ilartnell. The programme for the evening was impromptu sucenu's. ntul a verv enjovahle and profitable evening was spent, the snoeclAbeing interspersed with a few -musical items. Sis. Gladys Way contributing a pianoforte solo, and Bro. H. Ricketts a liarp solo.

Nearly the wdiolc of the business at lust night's meeting of the Borough Council was taken in Committee, at, tho Mayor's request. The citizens nrn thus deprived of all knowledge of the matters of importance transacted, as no publicity can be given to the proceedings. It in generally recognised that the public have the right to know what is being done, and especially whether their representatives are protecting their interests.

A chopping match that took place at Gisborne on Friday afternoon between F Wilson (of Tasmania) and J. Amos (of New Zealand), for a purse of £2OO, was tho biggest competition of the kind tliat has been held in New Zealand. Considerable interest was taken in the event), and the contestants gave a fine exhibition. A 15-inch standing white pine block was used F. Wilson chopped in splendid style, and proved an easy winner, completing his task in Imin, 7 3-ssec.

The compositions for road-making were discussed at the meeting of the Patea County Council on Monday. The chairman (Or. Pearce) thought' that tar-senled roads were not very satisfactory, and that the only wap to get satisfactory results was by laving' broken metal mixed with restar. This method was rather expensive, but after three or four experiments which have been practically failures .the Eltham County Council was adopting this method. One or two Councillors were in favor of making an experiment as but on the suggestion of the chairman the engineer was authorised to make au estimate of the cost i> n r yard, the report to be discussed at next meeting.

Lucerne (Switzerland) sol, about milk supply roTorm in an original manner. Tt formed a eomi>Miv composed of 12,000 consumers, all daily milk users, all city people. Shares were Is 8.1 oaeli. After nine years' existence Hie company was able to return a dividend nf seven and a half per cent, to shareholders. Tn a'l article on tlie subject nppearin/r in this month's Agricultum •Tonrn.il. Mr. W. Wright. Xew Zealand Dairy Produce Tnspecctor. London, explains that when tlir eomuaiiv started, its daily turnover was fifiO gallons <*ji' milk. When lie was in Lucerne recently th,, turnover was •2000 gallons a day. The farmer receives S'/.d a gallon for his milk, and this is retailed by the company at Is n gallon. \o sour milk lias ever been delivered l>y any farmer. There are about b"0 suppliers, whose herds range, from six to sixtv cows. All milk has to ke filtered through cotton wool on the farms, Dirty milk is returned after tw.i warnings. Tlie herds supplying mill; nr> submitted to the tuberculin test o ee every six months. Inspectors visit 'lie dairy farms when occasion requires. Vliey arc employed by tho company.

'A witness in the Wellington Magistrate's Court the other day was being sverely cross-examined by a solicitor, and one of the questions put was; "You are not above telling a lie occasionally, are you?" The reply was: "As much above it as you are." Counsel: Oh, (lon't count me. We are notorious. We are not in the race at all." The Court laughed heartily.

A private of the Queen's Westminsters relates that he had to spend t /istmas Day in the trenches, and" not a shot was fired by British or Germans in his neighborhood. "Probably," he adds, "a good many people will not credit that wo left our trenches and went out and met the Germans halfway, shook hands, and exchanged souvenirs. This is an absolute fact. Wo were singing to each other all Christmas Eve."

In replying to the toast of the dairying industry at a function held at Nireaha (Forty-mile Bush) recently. Mr. TJios. Moss stated that while butter was fetching a high price at Home it was not the safe product cheese was. There was no substitute for cheese, like there was for butter. When at Home some time back ho was astounded to find the hold margarine had. It was retailed at Cd per lb, and was found in almost every restaurant, while the working classes ate nothing else with their braad.

Though the Russians arc the dominant race in the Caucasus, the aristocrats of the very mixed population of tiita region are th e Georgians. A people of mysterious antecedents—their race, according to some ethnologists, being older even than the Egyptians—they stand upon a higher plane of civilisation and culture than any of their neighbors. Formerly Georgia was an independent kingdom, and its people, converted to Christianity in the fourth century ,'.iavo never relapsed into the Mohammedanism of the surrounding tribes.

It was explained by tlm petitioner in the Maori divorce suit on Saturday tliat lie did not work He left oH when lie felt inclined. Pressed by counsel for the. defence to explain how lip, spent his spare time, lie stated that he often worked hard in tlig bush, which entitled him to a holiday, which took the form of ploughing at his home near Te Kuiti. This lie found a relief from the bush work, but still lie felt the need of further entertainment, and he confessed a weakness for going into .the township of an evening to "see ' the pictures." The Court wailed, says the New Zealand Times.

According to the Marlborough Press, it is likely that the Picton Freezing Works will discontinue working at the end of the present week, on account of the storage chamber being taxed to its utmost holding capacity and there being no signs of a Home steamer arriving in the immediate future. This is much to be regretted, as sheep arc available from all parts in great numbers, and the season promised to be an exceptionally good one for the local works. The closing down of the works, even for a time, will prove a severe loss to the farmers, as all the feed possible will be required for the approaching winter. The following paragraph is from the London Daily Xexvs of December 2ilth last: —Containing a piece of paper, requesting the person who picked it up to communicate with one of four addresses given, a bottle thrown into the sea at Studland, Dorset, on August 18th, 1013, was found at Christchurch, Xew Zealand—over 1*2,000 miles away. Miss S. M. Bishop, of the School House, ParkBtone, and two companions, signed the paper which was inside the bottle. Miss Bishop has just received a letter from Mr. G. IT. Hall, of 104G, Colombo street, Christchurch, New Zealand, stating that h c picked it up, and inquiring as to the authenticity of the signatures. The writer adds: "If the data on the paper is correct, then it has journeyed here at the rate of 36 miles a day, or !'/> niileg per 'hour. At present it is a mystery, and tihe solo topic here."

So in.; time ago a northern journal publinlr.il lukic-liiig iliti'ls (says th.Maithorough topless) ;:i ,c tile distance travelled by a retiring coachman deling his can er; but- 'his record is easily eclipsed by that of Mr George Newman, of Blenheim. .Air Newman lias been en the road regularly six days per wed; for approximately seventeen years, and during that time he states that he haJ travelled 388,121) miles. For six years he coached sixty miles per day down the West Coast, tho number of inibs covered during' that time being 112,080. As driver of the Nelson-Blenheim coach for nine years his daily journey was eighty miles, aggregating 225,3(10 miles; and since the introduction of the motor service two years ago, Mr Newman estimates that he has journeyed 50.080 miles, averaging about eighty miles rer day.

Tho Auckland Star's correspondent with our forces in Egypt writes:—Perhaps the sporting public in New Zealand would be interested to know that racing is a favorite pastime with the natives and Europeans in Egypt. Our fellows have patronised two meetings at Gizeh, half an hour's carriage, drive from the Cairo main square. There the "sport" can see several acres of green grass, and for 25 piastres (ss) he may tread the green on the lawn, and associate with the aristocracy. The aristocracy arc rather hard to define, but briefly they comprise the principal military and civil servants, and the very rich of all nationalities. Thero is a "tote" where "the sport" may back a horse, to win, for a. 1 place, first, second, third. Tickets may he had for 20 piastres or for 100 piastres, ( £1). I'd almost forgotten the ladies' dresses. The ladies on the lawn are for the most part French. Their dresses are the very latest thing from the front, or rather Paris, so we. are told. As one of the boys remarked, the dresses are like the ones they have in IWeUlon's fashion book The horses are all Arabs They are smaller than the New Zealand animals, averaging 15 hands, but very game under the big weights they carry. A 14-hand pony will often carry over lOst. Native jockeys do all the riding except in the races for officers' chargers. As a rule the finishes aiv well fought out. The length of the course, which lias a hill in it just near the post, is a mile and a furlong. There were some excellent dividends at both meetings. Here the racing scribes are allowed to tip the winners, and divi. deads ar u published.

Tlie Orchestral Union's concert at the Kawaroa Park band rotunda on Sunday afternoon was enjoyed by a large gathering of tlie public, and a collection of £5 2s Gd was taken up.

The New Plymouth Citizens' Band journeyed to Okato on Sunday, and gave a concert at tlie Domain on behalf of, tlie Belgian Fund. On the way a couple' of selections were keenly appreciated by' the Oakura. settlers. At Okato a splen-! did lunch was served by Mr. Booker, at the Okato Hotel. There was a large attendance at the Domain in the afternoon, £lo'l4s being taken at the gates. A capital programme of music was contributed, under the eonductorsliip Bandmaster Cummins. At the conclusion of the concert Mr. Booker, on behalf of "the settlers, tendered thanks for theh enjoyable afternoon, Mr. G. W. Browne (president of the Band Committee) responding. At this stage Mr. Roebuck generously offered to carry the bandsmen to and fro if, in the future, any concerts were given for the same purpose. After all expenses have been paid £7 4s iB available for the Belgian 'Fund.

The Waitara Defence Club held a route march to New Plymouth on Sunday, between thirty and forty members parading under the command o* Hon. Captain Johns, 1 The New Plymouth Rifle Defence Club mustered at the Coronation Hall at 9 o'clock, and, under Captain MacDiarmid, Lieutenants Whitcombe and Clarke, and SergeantMajor Collins, marched out to meet the Waitara men at Smart road. After refreshments at the Coronation Ilall, the two companies marched to St. Mary's Church, where a most interesting sermon was preached by Chaplain-Major Evans. After service the Waitara men were the guests of the New Plymouth Rifle Club at dinner at the Terminus Hotel. At 2 o'clock the companies paraded again at the. Post Office and marched to the East End beach. During the afternoon they were provided with afternoon tea. Captain MacDiarmid congratulated the visitors on their -muster and appearance, and Captain Johns, in replying, expressed the hope that a field-day would he arranged to take place midway between the two towns. ■Shortly after 3 o'clock the visitors left on their return march, heing accompanied by the New Plymouth men as far as the Rewa Rewa rifle range, where they opened their ranks to allow the visitors to pass through, cheers being exchanged.