LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The collection of the agricultural statistics will be commenced by the police within the next week. It would be an assistance to Qie officers engaged in the work if farmers would have ready the figures regarding crops, stock, and other farm data.

Among the business to be brought before the meeting of the Inglewood County Council to-morrow is the following notice of motion by Cr. J. B. Simpson: “That the resolution passed at the meeting of the council held on January 11, relative to the dismissal of the clerk, be rescinded, and that his application for an increase of salary be reconsidered.” The film censor (Mr. William Joliffe) informed a New Zealand Times representative that during his four and a half years’ work he had examined no less than nineteen million feet of pictures-, and of that amount half a million had been inspected in January of this year. “That,” he stated, “constitutes a record, except when I was working under pressure night and day.” The disease known as clover leaf spot has made its appearance in the Queenstown district, states the Otago Daily Times. A sample of affected lucerne has been sent to the Instructor of Agriculture (Mr. R. B. Bennett). The disease usually makes its appearance when the plain has grown to the height of one foot. At first it takes the form of minute black spots on the leaf: then they turn yellow and the spores burst and spread the infection The quality of the hay is seriously affected, and the disease, unless counteracted, goes through the whole crop. Farmers are advised to cut the crop frequently as soon as they observe the dissg-es in it.

“You don’t get ‘guineas’ until you I reach the professional stage,” said Mr. - F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Lower Hutt I court, when a male witness (a mechanic) ; mentioned a certain number of guineas 1 as the amounts to which he claimed to be entitled for “costs and expenditure.” Quite a number of small sawmills are beginning to cut timber in South Westland, according to the Grey River Argus, and most of them are milling totara, as well as rimn, miro, and silver pine. In all there must be nearly a dozen mills, large and small, southward of Ross at the present 'time. More labor is offering for harvest • operations in Canterbury than has been the case for a number of years, although, according to labor agents, the ' proportion of second-class men is high . (states the Sun). The current rate for stooking, forking, and general harvest work is 2s per hour. , Up to the middle of last month it was estimated that the killing of lambs at the \ avion freezing works in Australia did not exceed 400,000 head in addition to which a few thousand sheep were slaughtered. The killing season opens , much earlier than in New Zealand and the low percentage of slinghtered animals is looked upon as serious. A poor ! season is anticipated, and it is abundanti ly evident that the country is much . understocked.

The patient suffering from “alastrim,” supposed to be a form of mild smallpox, who was removed from the steamer Waiwera at Auckland and isolated at the quarantine hospital on Motuihi Island, continues to improve. No infection has developed among the crew of the vessel. It will be some days yet before the results of their vaccination will be ascertained.

Mr. W. P. Gauvain (late chief engineer Waihi Co.) is paying a visit to Waihi. Whilst in England Mr. Gauvain tested two large pumping sets manufactured to his designs for the 'Waihi Co. Each of these sets is capable of raising 1000 gallons of water per minute to a height of 1350 feet in one lift, and each will be driven by a 620 h.p. electric motor. The pumps are of the turbine type, and are the biggest in Australasia.

The estate of the late Mr. William Wood, of Christchurch, merchant, who died on January 15th, has been sWorn for purposes of probate at under £280,000. 1 The testator has made a bequest of £lOOO to Christ’s College, and another of £250 to the Girls’ FrieX’ly Society at Christchurch. Both bequests are. free of death duties, and are unconditional. Mr Wood was a pupil of Christ’s College from 1871 to 1874. The executors are Messrs. B. B. Wood, son of the testator, and C. C. M. Ollivier.

Whether wild pigs roamed the. socalled streets of Dunedin 60 years ago is not clear, but the evidence exhumed, as it were, from the depths of Bond Street, would go to prove that they did (says the Otago Daily Times). A boar’s lower jaw, with two perfectly sound tusks 2£in. long, and a double row of teeth from which one tooth was missing, was discovered by the men engaged in excavating work in Bond Street recently. They consider that the jaw, which as stated is in a remarkable state of preservation, has lain deep down in the earth for tijo past GO years.

A complaint that the Government was taking practically the whole of the output of Westport coal, and leaving local bodies, which required that class of coal for steaming purposes, “in the lurch”, was voiced at Saturday’s meeting of the Hawera County Council by the chairman (Mr. J. B. Murdoch). Mr. Murdoch said that the work during the previous month had been considerably hampered owing to the difficulty of securing coal, and as a consequence little tarring had been done. The coal supplied for household purposes was of no use to the council, and the Government appeared to take all the Westport coal. However, the position would Shortly ease, as the foreman had prospects of obtaining fresh supplies of steaming coal.

“Mining is gradually giving place to the pastoral industry,” said Mr. R. Darrow, a Thames resident, who is visiting Wellington, to a New Zealand Times reporter. “The low levels on the goldfields are not being worked at present, and the lack of capital for such a costly undertaking as pumping, to keep the low levels free from water, has caused operations to be confined to the upper levels. In some of the claims important prospecting and development work is in progress, and the prospects are said to be favorable. But on the Hauraki Plains, where there are now thousands of high-grade quality milch cows, the output of butter-fat is daily /increasing, and the future appears to bo bright indeed. A comprehensive scheme of public experiments, involving the expenditure of many thousands of pounds, has been passed by the public, and as soon as the tightness in tfie market has passed and the money is available, a great impetus will be given to the whole district.”

The arrangement made by the Government for an attempt to revive- trade between New Zealand and South America was the subject of a statement by the Minister of Agriculture (Hun. W. Nosworthy). “The position,” said the Minister, “is that the Shaw, Sa.vili and Albion Company will arrange for a steamer to call at Monte Video and to carry fruit and live stock, if suffic'en; inducement offers. The steamer be ready to leave New Zealand early in March, and as her travelling via South America depends upon the amount of fruit and live stock offering, it is necessary that intending shippers get in their applications for space as promptly as possible. Applications for fruit space may be made to the Department of Agriculture. Wellington, or to the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation, and for stock to the. Department of Agriculture. The rates of freight quoted by the shipping company are 8s 2d per case for fruit and £2l per head for sheep. March is not the suitable month for shipping breeding stock to South America, but it suits the fruit trade, hence this announcement is made in order that sheep breeders may take advantage of the opportunity if they are able to make arrangements to meet the difficulty existing consequent upon the period of the year.” Mr. J G. Griffin advertises in this issue that he has. secured large orders for Canadian cement. The direct shipment from Canada to New Plymouth appears assured, and importers are urged to communicate with Mr, Griffin without delay. Create an atmosphere of Nazol about you, so that you constantly inhale it about 10 drops on the chest of the pyjama jacket at night or on the singlet in the morning protects you against infectious germs. It is undoubtedly good for Coughs, Colds, Sore Throats, etc.