LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Cape Egmont Dairy Company, Pungarelm, have just paid out an additional bonus of l'/od per lb, making I'd for last season. The January pay-out was about £SOOO.

Robert Hogg, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Pi. J. IlOgg, of Midhirsf mce with a very serious accident m 3iasterton on Monday, one arm being so badly crushed that amputation was necessary. Nominations closed yesterday for the vacancy on the Borough Council caused by the resignation of Mr. A E. Sykes. Mr. 13, Griffiths was the onb candidato nominated- ana he has beei j duly elected. ' I The Wairarap» Patriotic Soeiet* to donated £4OO to the Y.M.u.a., use tiie Rahotu Ladies' Guild £SO, whieu nas been increased to £BO by a donation from Mr. W. JR. Wright. These, donations are- for the Y.M.C.A. National War Fund, every penny of which goes to ease the lot of the lighting man.

A pretty general drop both in milk and tests jocurred all down the coast, and the question why the tests ghould go so low is puzzling many farmers. One explanation is that 'as the cows are getting so fat, the butter-fat Is not going into the bucket. When a young Native "woman" was before the Wellington court a day or two ago on a charge of having insufficient lawful means of support, ''she" was convicted and ordered to bo kept separate from the othev prisoners. The person gave "her'' ■ name as Margaret Hagara, a nd strenuously objected to being undressed. When means were adopted to ensure that Hagara would conform with the regulations it was discovered that the prisoner was a male masquerading as a female. At the meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board yesterday, a letter was reecived from the Ngamotu Seaside Improvement 'Sp.ciety, stating that they desired to erect iwenty new wharcs on the Deach ai Moturou, -utt asiqng that unaer tnese circumstances the lioard define to iet turtl'er sections until the Society .<au pegged out the sections that would be occupied hy thp propospd wharw. •/**•<■*■ discussion it was decided to leave toe matter over until next meeting wnen a jonfltyence will hp nelii with the oocieij, in the meantime tne wUr continue to let sections applied for.

The necessity providing suitable accommodation at Wtfi '?Jcw Plymouth goods-shed for the examination of goods under bond has been felt for a long time, but the efforts of the Climber of Commerce have been fruitless up to the present. At the meeting of the Harbor Board yesterday a lettei was received from tho Chamber ot Commerce stating that the Railway Department had stated that the Harbor Bosmi-Jtis wharfinger, part'j responsible for providing "lie accommodation required, and the Chamber, would be glad if the Board could see its way to deal with the matter. It was .decided to approach the General Manager of Railways to have the accommodation provided." The Waitara and New Plymouth Boy Scouts struck bad weather for their first two days' camp, but' they are camped in a locality that gives them protection from the weather, and their tents are weather-proof, find'-. ,-Scoutmaster Milne and Adjutant Ctook. +.hev marched to Saxton's bush in Thursday and pitched camp before trie rain came 011. The boys are enjoying themselves immensely. Friends have sent in good supplies of fruit, vegetables, etc., and the boys are wanting for nothing. They will lie in camp for another week. On Sunday the camp will bo open ito visitors, and at -.30 there will be a church service, to which all frienda of scouts are invited.

A Press Association message sent from London on December 22 last stated that the. High Commissioner had said that "nine-tenths of the parcels of comforts for Xcw Zealand soldiers were not properly addressed, and had been returned to the High Commissioner's office, London.'' The Minister of Defence cabled immediately this telegram was published asking if it was correct. He has received the following reply: ''January 17. With reference to your telegram, my statement was quite the reverse. 1 said that the addresses of 90 per cent, of the parcels could he read. Since that day," lie added, ''packages are arriving from Jigypt not well addressed." At its last annual meeting the Bell Block Dairy Company decided to make milk testing a charge against the company. and not against the individual supplier. This has had the effect of considerably increasing the scope of the Testing Association, and over 1000 cows that are supplying the factory are undergoing the test. One supplier, who has been testing for years, is thoroughly

satisfied with the benefits to be derived therefrom, as he has by judicious culling raised his average output from 20011) to 3001b of butter. At the prices now ruling for buttor-fnt, that means an increase of over ffl per cow.

Sec nui' auction columns to-day for particular* of auction sales of furniture to 1) ( > lipid by Webster tiros, next week. The dales arc Wednesday next, foot of Molesworth street, and Thursday M t Waitara, lioth sales, at -1 o'clock.

In tliirt issue will 'lie fount" particulars of a sale of house furniture and effects to be held bv Messrs Webster Bros., on account of Mr. W. I'. Newbery at liis residence, near the Unglisii Church, Waitara, wlion a quantity of good and useful articles will be offered to the public, and eve rythinjj will be sold absolutely without icserve, Air. •Jvewbery's gi«' atid harness will also bfi sold,

dominations of candidates to fill the vacancy on tfe Jtorough Council caused by tlie resignation of Mr. A, K. Sykee, closed at nooa yesterday. Only one nomination—th»t of Mr.' E. Griffithswas received, 33 Mr. Griffiths is accordingly elected.

Tho nolice at Auckland, raided a small Shop iji Hobsoo .Street, and took possession of five fcogsheads and twelve ea»»a of a bottlid beverage sold as hop beer. The load, which weighed about three tons, was removed to the police station. The Bquor will bo analysed, the allegation .Ving that it contains more alcohol than is permitted by law. Mr. A. I!. Gibson acknowledges further donations to the Xew Plymouth Branch of the. British Red Cross Society par Ven. Archdeacon Evans: J. W. Whittle 12s, 'Mrs. Chanev Is, Mrs! Matthews Is, Mr. R. Mackin 2s. (monthly parts), Mrs. G. H. Burgess (Mayoress) 20°: Mrs. J. ». Crookc 21s. Total to date "£5 Ids.

It is reported that three or four farms in the Oaonui district have changed hands at satisfactory figures, the _ new owners in all cases being Xatives. It is also stated that there is a- probability of other farms along the coast, now held under the West Coast Settlements Reserves Act, passing into the hands of Native owners.

The rain which lias fallen during the past day or. two will be of incalculable benefit to Taranki farmers, though possibly a few may not have yot saved their hay. The turnip crop will respond vigorously to the warm moisture, and as large area* of this root have been sown there should be very little shortage of leed this winter.

'John Harris, a resident of Marton Junction, was arrested at Hunterville on Thursday nigfit bv Constable Sweeney charged* with setting fire to a five-roomed dwelling on the latJi inst. He appeared More Mr. Hewitt, ami was remanded for fight days on hail of £4OO and two sureties of £2OO each,—Press Association,!

to a deputation from the nurserymen's Conference at Wellington ■Jjnterday, file -.Prime Minister promised ttfai; tlio Orchards Hill would he placed i'wion. Parliament at the earliest posj iwii'; moment. The Government would m.i interfere with the nurserv trade j it" nurserymen would supply trees And piants to farmers and others at reasonable prices. He profnised to assist the fruit-growing industry in every possible way.

The Rev. John Dawson, president of the .Methodist Church of New Zealand, conducts the special services to-morrow in celebration of the birth of the Rev. Robert Ward, pioneer minister of the Primitive Methodist Church in New Zealand. He will preach in the morning at Fitzroy Ohnrch, which stands upou the spot selected by Mr. Ward for a church in 1814. In the evening lie will preach at Whiteley Memorial Church. A joke is occasionally (alas! very occasionally) manufactured by borou»h councillors (says the Cliristehurch Sun). •'What is a sheep dog?" asked a councillor at the last meeting of the Riccarton Borough Council, apropos of a proposal to let sheep dogs "down lightly" in the matter of tax. "la it a doo that runs after sheep ?" '-Yes." was the reply. "That's mine," responded the curious one; "but," lie added sadlv, ''it got shot for it!"

The Christehurch Evening News, published the following:— Some four years ago a German commercial traveller Max asking Mr. J. P. Laurenson for an cider, was refused. 110 look this refusal in bad grace, and threatened Mr. Laurenson, saying: "In lf)14 the Kaiser about this prohibition of German goods from behind his German guns." This was heard by Mr. Le Cren and others in the office, and was then laughed at. In Mr. Laurenscr.'s opinion, he said on Wednesday at the Industrial Conference at Christehurch, every German commercial traveller was nothing bub a spy. Mild excitement was caused at Trentham after the Wellington Cup race on Thursday (says the Times), when 6ome flooring boards gave way or\ ft platform of the stairway leading to Ithe top of the main grandstand. A crowd was descending the stairway at the time, but the boards did not collapse entirely, and no one was injured. The boards bad apparently decayed as the result' of a leakage of waiter from a defective pipe, but the supporting beams remained intact. Repairs are to be effected before to-morrow's racing. The price of bread hM been raised in Wellington to 4 ! / 2 d per 21b loaf. At this price bread stood for some considerable time, but when eleven week ago the price of flour had dropped to £ll 10s per ton, the half-penny was deducted. Since the price of flour has risen until it is now from £l3 10a to £l4 f.0.b., and difficult to obtain even at these high prices. Such, at any rate, is the master bakers' statement of the position. The prospects of a reduction in the price of flour are not considered good. It is highly improbable that we shall have more than enough New Zealand wheait for our own requirements, and this means that the price of New Zealand whelt will approximate to the cost of wheat imported from Australia. In view of the fact that ilho Commonwealth Government has sold 200,000 tons of wheat to the British Government at a price of over 5s per bushel f.0.b.. it may be taken that this will be the standard price of Australian wheat for export .this season. 'Australian flour is now quoted in New Zealand at ill! 10s 3d, net demand draft. Recruiting depots were established at the Trentham racecourse on Thursday (says the Dominion), a flag-bedecked tent being sot up in the outside enclosure and on the lawn. They were in charge of Mr. R. Darnell, who was assisted by Mr. Arcus and two s'taff ser-geants-major. Six doctors were in attendance to examine the recruits. The result of Iho day's work was one recruit, who was passed as fit for active service. This small tally was considered satisfactory, in view of the fact that there was not a large number of young men present, apart from the soldiers from Trentham Camp, who were present to the number of several thousands, special general leave having been granted. At the stewards' luncheon, the president) of the club asked nimcbcrs to hand ov>r their binoculars at the end of the meeting for the use of officers of the New Zealand forces.

Tho Melbourne's sale of Japanese anil ••jab" goods is attrarting considerable attention. The pretty kimonos, ten cosies, camisoles, fire screens, etc., are creating a stir anion": the ladies, while tlie men are entered for with sterling bargains in trousers, suits, braces, handkerchief* and shirts. The Now Zealand Loan and Mercaiv tile Agency Company, Ltd., beg to draw the auciition of clients to their Stratford sale, which they are, holdin" on Tuesday next, full particulars of which api'ear in our advertising columns.

Xolice.—A Motor Bus will leave town oit Sunday morning at 10 o'clock for Breakwater, in addition to the usual afternoon 'trips.

An Auckland telegram says that the I ?«° ? , a ,°l T " achw3 ' inference eleot;ed Mr. J Mclutyre (Whangaroa), presl[dent for the ending year. A proposal "at the association should endeavour to become affiliated with the Public Service Association was negatived. A committee iias been f-et up 'to discuss with tho New Zealand Educational Institute the question of afl'iliation with that body. Seventy-six years ago to-day—on the 22nd of .January, IS4o—the first body of immigrants arrived nt Wcl'ingt.-iu from the Old Country It may be mentioned it-hat the liri»t steamer arrived iu New Zealand on the 20tli of January, IH4Q. Judging by the size of the steamers that were engaged in the coastal trade a few years later, the first arrival could n). most have sailed through the funnel of such boats as the ill-fated Lusitauia And yet what the men of the snail craft dared and overcame in them! The invalided soldiers who are to arrive by the Rotnrua early ;n i'e'uruary include a well-known o.v-Hiuvera native, Awatapu Ngaki, who several years ago resided at Taiporohenui and oilier pai, the first native educated at the Hawera State School. Ho went with the main body of the Maoris, enlisting at Auckland. Tapu, as lie was familiarly called, as a youth took a great interest in the South African war, and kept the Maoris at tho pa acquainted with tho news of events whilst that campaign was in progress. The remarkable wheat harvest in Canada last season was referred to by Mr. Adam Watson, who arrived in Auckland by the Makura, en route to Sydney and Melbourne. Mr. Watson stated that after .providing for her own requirements, Canada had 300,000,000 bushel* for export, and the Digger pars or tah Biirplug was being sent to Great Brl-' tain. Yields in tho great wheat belt had averaged between 50 and 00 buslicll. per acre, and the oat crop from 70 to 80 bushels per acre. Sir Francis jPalgrave asserts that With* in memory, at the trial of 0 case at Merioneth <North Wales), when the jury were asked for the verdict, the foreman answered: "My lord, we do nut know who is plaintiff, or who is defendant, but we find for whoever is Mr. Jones' man!" It turned out tha't Mr, Jones had been the successful candidate at a recent election, and the jury had been working in his interest. Another version of a similar story is this. There is a tradition current on the Welsh circuit of the great influence and ability of Mr John Jones, one of the leading counsel. On one occasion, after one of Mr. Jones' felicitous speeches on foehalf of his client in a criminal case, the jury, as soon as the judge had summed up, without waiting .for the officer to take their verdict, called out: ''Mv lord, we are all for John Jones, with costs!'!