LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 February 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

What is considered to b« a record price for lambs for the Dominion for this time of year is that of 30/8 per head received by Mr V. Movniltan, Otago, for a draft of 500 out of a lot of 8»0. The purchaser was Mr A. Mathieson, well known in sheep-breeding circles. The Auckland branch of the Merchant Service Guild will ask the Government to corairasßion a Merchant ship and name it W. 15 Sanders, in memory of the late Lieutenant Sanders, V.C., who was drowned on ft mystery ship during the war.

The Taranaki electrical roll for the forthcoming licensing poll has been printed. It contains 7530 names. A suppliraentary roll will be issued later.

No. 2 bore at Moturoa, which was in eruption early on Saturday morning, continued its activities until 4 am., when it gradually quietened down.

Ratepayers, and those interested in the progress of the Borough of Now Plymouth are reminded of the meeting to he held at tile Soldiers' Club to-night to discuss the proposals of the Borough Council to borrow £IO,OOO for streets and footpaths and £40,000 for electric light and power extension purposes.

The perfect weather yesterday attracted a large crowd to Moturoa in the afternoon to hear the recita] given by the Citizens' Band- It was stated the crowd was the largest that has been seen on the beacli for a very long time. There wag a full hand, the band being also assisted by Mr R. A. Taylor, of Waitara. The music was of the usual high order. The principal items were a couple of excellent marches, "The Machine Gun Guards" (E. Marsehal) and "The Battle of Kureka" (Bulch). Another very enjoyable number was an intermizzo, "The Fireflies Parade" (Rimmer) as was also the trombone solo, "Alice, Where Art Thou," played by Bandsman Handler. A number of wellknown hymn tunes were also played. At the Girls' High School function at New Plymouth on Friday evening, His Honor Mr Justice Chapman said his interest in Taranaki went back to the early days 70 years ago when his father was a judge and had to take Taranaki in his rounjls. It was not then a question of motor-cars and secretaries and typewriters; to reach Taranaki it waji necessary to hire a schooner or to walk. He had often heard his father tell the story of how in 1844 he had set out from Wellington to New Plymouth in a Sydney.schooner, but heavy winds drove them north for eight days, and they could not land at New Plymouth. The only solution was for the judge to landed at the nearest point of land that "fmW he reached, and he wus put ashore at Albatross Point, 23 miles from Kawliai. whence he had to walk with Maoris to carry his basgase and to swim the rivers on the way. On reaching the town he held the sessions and set off to walk back to Wellington. Even then Taramki was known as the garden of New Zealand, and he honed it still kept up its reputation; he saw some of the flowers before him.

The prosperity of Xew Zealand and tlie groat work of the producers during the war period was lurcher emphasised by the Hon W. D. S, MaeDonald, Min. istor for Agriculture, at Feilding Show on Wednesday. He painted out that the producers had not only grown sufficient foodstuffs to meet the" requirements of the country, but they liad produced an exportable surplus representing in value £84,000,000. This was a magnificent achievement to which the great prosperity of the country had been dueNo country had come out of the war better than New Zealand, and in support. of the assertion the Minister stated that after meeting all Obligations there would be a surplus of £11,500,000, which he hoped would form the nucleus of a fund which would be devoted to the relief of taxation.

Mr W. R. Wright, of Rahotu, writes a 9 follows in the Dominion: "Sir,—Notwithstanding a very great decrease in the number of calves reared in Taranaki this season there is a widespread feeling that unless there is a big rise m prices, which is considered unlikely, in view of the slump in young cattle, settlers will not trouble about calves next season, especially where the sharemilking system exists. With milk at 8d to f)y,d per gallon it requires 20s to 30s to start a calf, then there.is meal for four months, so that unless one gets a minimum price of £4 for a five months' weaner, selling his skin is a better investment In January, 1917, I got 91s Gd and 83s for my first draft of weaner steers; last year, on February 2, I got 79s and 83s; and this year (February 1) I sold at OSs and 63a, which leaves me about 32s 6d for owner's share (i.'l'oss), the net amount after milk, meal, and five months grass are deducted, would not provide the proverbial whisky money.'' MAKE YOUR REMOVING PLEASANT, INEXPENSIVE. LISTEN! Employ a firm iexperienced in the work. Then you can depend on being saved all possible trouble, for your things will be handled with the utmost enre. This means a saving, not, only of money, but of worry too. We are furniture-moving experts, and are sura you will be well advised to utilise our services. The New Zealand Express Co, Ltd.

Tha Auckland Herald reports a general brightening up of labor conditions in the city. But there is a strong disinclination to work in Auckland's out-of-the-way places and the important public works now going forward are consequently being retarded by the shortness of labor. Mrs E. W. Cave, of Palmerston, has just heard from her sister in England that two prisoners from their parish («he is the vicar's wife) have returned from Germany. One was tattoed on one cheek with an eagle, on the other a lizard, and pn the forehead tho Kaiser. The sight killed liLa mother. The other was tattoed on the neck, "Gott strafe England!"

A witness at the Supreme Court on Saturday was asked if he agreed with the evidonce of a certain other witness, and replied sharply: "I agree with nobody; I agree with what I say myself." Several other explosive replies were made to the cross-examining counsel, who finally said: "I will let you go. I don't like standing near a powder magazine." What is believed to be a payable deposit of phosphatic rock has been discovered in the neighbourhood of Raglan. Samples have been forwarded to Wellington for analysis.

The men's and women's new trench coats showing at the Melbourne are proving very popular Ladies especially are finding tlie lighter makes extremely useful for motoring. Prices, ladies' coats 58/6 to 89/0, men's trench coats 95/-. A witness in the Supreme Court on Saturday who aaid he had worked at one time on a certain farm which was the subject of the dispute denied ever having grazed cattle on the road. This provoked a smile in court and prompted a remark from Mr. Justice Chapman, to the effect that he always understood that the "long paddook" was regarded as a rent-free paddock. A peculiar accident happened to a boy in Southern Taranaki last week. Wo was cycling along a road, when, losing control of his machine, he was thrown violently against a barbed wire fence, with the result that his neck was severely pierced by some of the barbs, anil he bled profusely. Ho was taken to a hospital, whet;e several stitches were .put in, and the doctor discovered that the jugular vein had had a narrow escape of being severed, in which case the boy, who was only twelve, would in all probability have lost his life. The wounds will take some time to heal.—Exchange.

Mr. Robert Bell (states a Press Association message from Ashburton) has donated to the High School Board £IOOO in New Zealand Government Bonds at 4£ per cent, (yielding £45 per annum), for the purpose of founding agricultural science schohirsh-ps to be awarded to the sons of farm labourers, shepherds, and farmers farming not more than 50 acres in the Ashburton County, one scholarship of £22 10s to be awarded annually, tenabU for two years, and to be known as the John Bell Memorial Scholarship, to perpetuate the memory of his son, who was killed in action.