LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Eltham Dairy f Co.’s Association has now/ a membership of over 50, testing over 2000 cows.

The Paloona sailed from Dunedin for Melbourne yesterday afternoon with the Kaikorai Band on board. This band is competing in the Ballarat contest, to be held at the end of this month.—Press Assn.

According to the New Zealand Herald’s Taupo correspondent, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu were active on Friday, the former erupting dense '’volumes of black ashes, and the latter emitting clouds of steam, with a decided “shot” at 6 p.m.

It has been reported in Napier that i seagulls are causing the death of many iambs on the southern sid# of the Waipawa River, near Tikokino. One farmer is said to have lost many young lambs as a result of depredations of the sea scavenger.

The death of some heifers after dipping operations at Te Puke aroused much uneasiness. Tests were made yesterday by experts, in the presence of farmers, when 15 cows were put through the dip satisfactorily, and convinced the spectators that the deaths last week were due to other causes.

Prompt action on the part of Driver Hodge, on the Wellington—New Plymouth mail train, in applying the brake and almost bringing the train to a standstill averted an accident yesterday evening as the train was nearing Eltham. The engine just missed a motor lorry, the driver of which foolishly attempted to cross the line in front of the approaching train, and the sharp look-out and prompt, action of the engine-driver averted a serious collision. There are signs that a start is about to be made with plate-laying on the Te Roti-Opunake railway. Formation work has been done for a considerable distance for some time, but the work of laying the rails has not been possible owing to the bridge ovej’ the Waiongongoro being in course of erection. This bridge has been completed, and considerable ‘quantities of rails are now being stacked at Te Roti in readiness for laying. The rails arrived at New Plymouth from Australia by the Kurow, and a further shipment is expected shortly by the Whangape. Various inquiries in connection with light railways were made I y the Prime Minister while he was in England. Several local bodies approached the Government with a view to having facilities affoided them for obtaining material at a cheap rate to enable them to open up and assist the settlement of outlying country districts. Mr. Massey stated in Auckland that he had communicated with leading engineering and railway construction firms and arranged for the fullest information and quotations to be supplied to him. This had not reached him when he left, and when available it would be forwarded to those interested.

The pedigree Jersey cattle sale conducted by Newton King, Ltd., on behalf of the North Taranaki Jersey breeders at New Plymouth was concluded yesterday. For the two days a total of 118 lots were offered, and brought an average, price of about £5B 17s. The bes' price on Tuesday was 220 guineas, and yesterday the highest figure was 130 guineas. The total amount of the purchases was 8226 guineas. Twenty lots, including young stock, were offered on behalf of Mr. C. Goulter, of Blenheim, and averaged £64, the total for the twenty being 1280 guineas. The best price was 160 guineas. The grand total for the two days’ sale was 8226 guineas, of which the first day was responsible for 5096 guineas. The aggregate yesterday was 3130 guineas. There was considerable activity at the port of New Plymouth yesterday, four vessels arirving during the day, including the forty-sixth liner to visit. the port, the C. and D. steamer Port Lyttelton. The other three vessels were the Kahika, from Lyttelton, with general cargo; the Waverley, with frozen meat for transhipment to the Port Lyttelton; and the Government 'steamer Hinexnoa, which anchored outside and landed a lighthouse-keeper for the Cape Egmont lighthouse and a quantity of stores. The Corinna and the Rama, both from southern ports, with general cargo, are due to arrive to-day, with the Karam u to follow on Saturday, while the auxiliary scow Kahi may arrive from Patea at any time. The provision of berthing space at the port during the next few days will present a difficult problem. A ballot for seven sections, aggregating 1566 acres of second-class land, was held l&st week by the Auckland Land Board. The ballot was an open one, but preference was given to landless applicants who had children dependent on them, oi’ who, within the last five years, had applied for land at least twice unsuccessfully, to applicants who had served beyond New Zealand as members of the Expeditionary Force, and to persons who were engaged on military service beyond the Dominion, provided they were bona fide residents of New Zealand immediately prior to the war. There were very few applications, no one at all ap.plying for a section of 512 acres in the Waitoa Survey District, and for one of 436 acres in the Hiarataunga Survey District, while for a section of 199 acres in the Rotoiti Survey District there was only one applicant, and he was successful in the ballot for another section.

A new avenue for New Zealand trade with the Old Country was suggested to a Manawatu Times’ reporter by Mr. D. Buchanan, of Tiakitahuna. Mr. Buchanan mentioned that a tremendous trade is done in Great Britain to-day in salted beef and mutton, which has entirely overridden the demand for tinned meats, which the people will not now eat. As much as 3s to 3s 6d per lb was obtainable for beef hams. Pressed veal and tongue, the ingredients of which were seldom used in this country, were selling at Home for 5s per lb. It was the same with bacon, for which there was a big demand. “Half the population at the present time are living on that kind of stuff,” remarked Mr. Buchanan, “and I see no reason why we should not have a share of that tremendous trade.” Mr. Buchanan argued that by sending our meat across that way, it would mean a very large decrease in freight rates, as the' cooked meats would be considerably lighter than the heavier carcases, and the loss in weight would easily be compensated for by the increased price received and the saving in. freight. Mr. Buchanan considered that this was another matter which should have been, and could be, gone into by the AgentGeneral’s staff in London. It was a trade which it would be worth the while of the Government here to give assistance to, with the idea of building up a. big business. On no,<?;e 8 of this sisue the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., Stratford branch, advertise entries for their annual bull fair, to be held in their Stratford saleyards on Monday next, the 10th instant. The unusually dry winter means you’ll surelj' need Garden Hose early this season. North British Rubber Hose docs inot- kink; outlasts all others