DISTRICT NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1917, Page 3

DISTRICT NEWS.

LEPPERTON. * (From Our Own Correspondent.) Messrs Tuhnhull and Pon, Hie wellknown dairy Nhor-.horn breeders of Sentry Hill, have recently made a valuable addition to their herd by the purchase of the splendid yearling bull, Prince Ruddington, bred by Mr. W. Taylor, of Te Awamutn, who describes the animal as one of the best he has bred. Our new dairy factory is almost completed, and, it is expected, will be in full operation very shortly. "Willie" Roberts will,hardly know what to do with himself in such a tine, up-to-date structure, after the years he has spent in the bid dug-out on the banks of the Wiaongona, which was dignified by the title of the Loppsrton Dairy Factory. On Friday week last Mr. Cowland, of Huirangi, had the misfortune to have his house, together with contents, destroyed by tire. Mr. Cowland is a heavy loser, there being only £IOO of insurance. I hear his neighbors are showing practical sympathy by ''passing the hat" round per medium of a subscription list. Inspector Ballantyne inspected the local school yesterday, and apparently the pupils made a commendable showing, as our dominie, Mr. Brown, is wearing a seraphic smile to-day. The sixth standard pupils all passed, Eaton Roberts and Owen Body being awarded certificates of proficiency, and Vera Williamson, of competency. PU-KEauATIU. (From Our Own Correspondent). The weather for last week or so has been good. Most farmers are well forward with their work in preparing for autumn and winter feed. Crass has come away very fairly, and most- of the herds are now in full milk. While -some herds are well up to the average of 'other seasons, others, for no apparent reason, will not reach the average of previous years, and the cows arc showing a tendency to run to beef. Last Friday about one hundred settlers and friends of Privates J. and F. Rowc assembled at the Pnkengahu schoollnuso to spend a, social evening, ma:kc a presentation, and bid farewell to our two most highly respected settlers, who ar-' n.w on their final leave before departure to the front. Mr. Xcil Brown, in a few well-chosen words, presented each soldier with a wristlet watch, the gift of their many friends. After both recipients had suitably responded, all their friends heartily ' sang i"For they are jolly good fellows." The wish of all is that the war will soon be over, and the departing soldiers restored to their dear ones and again following their peaceful pursuits in our midst. From recent advices from TTawke's P>ay and N'apicr side, I hear the Meat Trust is out to secure the output of mother-fed weaners at. fancy prices for the. next few years. Tt seems marvellous that the recent commission prae-. tically said the Trust had no hold in New Zealand, anil when one member was

going to discuss a certain works, one of the leading Ministers interjected with: "If you deal with my private affairs, I will deal with yours," and the critic closed down suddenly. There was a good pvof.t in grain speculation a few years ago, hut for those m the swim, unless something is done to prevent it, the meat trade will beat the grain trade hollowin the way of boodle! The profiteering commission also said there hod been no profiteering, yet,-when war broke out, we read of one merchant raising all his hardware 15 por cent, a few days .after, and another making si profit of £20,000 |on a shipment of galvanised iron, by simply reshipping from Port Ahuriri to 'Wellington, and recently another firm in Wellington (with a German name), by some means not open to others, got 500 tons of galvanised iron, and thereby having a monopoly, advanced tha price to over .CIOO per ton. To he nearer homo in profiteering, T got. a, pot, of jam, made last'season, and it had advanced fourpencc over the week before. The only inference We can draw is that charity in human nature, whether in private life or collectively as in a commission, is very frail, and money tall:s all'languages.