LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A gazette extraordinary, issued yesterday, dissolves Parliament, which had been prorogued.—Press Association. “Ask me something easy,” was the reply of a bankrupt drover at New Plymouth yesterday, to the Deputy Official Assignee’s question as to why a hotelkeeper had kept him for nearly a year without receiving payment of his board. The committee appointed by the shareholders of the Taranaki Farmers’ 'Meat Company met the directors yesterday morning, when the whole position was again fully considered. No definite decision was arrived at, and a further meeting is to be held later on. The price of basic slag, mentioned in yesterday’s issue as being reduced to £4 17s 6d main ports, is wholesale, not retail, and deliveries in January, not in May-June. The retail price now quoted for use next May-June is £5 12s 6d, which is £3 cheaper than the last quotations. At Rahotu on Tuesday night, where Mr. Ha-wken bad a 'very large meeting, in answer to a question, ho stated that while he supported Prohibition, he was •strongly opposed to it coming into operation for six ’or eight years yet, until its effects in America are absolutely proved, If it secures efficiency there we must have efficiency here, but it must be proved first. The handsome memorial at Rahotu school gates in the shape of a large arch, will be unveiled -on Sunday, 16th inst., by Colonel Weston, assisted by Archdeacon Evans and Mr. O. Hawken, M.P. The arch ■will be surmounted by a crown, a handsome work of art, now in Messrs. Purser's window. It has been donated by Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Wright, Rahotu, made by Messrs. Koch and Dea land, and gilded by Messrs. Darby and Hanan.

A pleasant hour was provided for members of the territorial's in headquarters company, at New Plymouth last night, when, at the conclusion of drill, a party of entertainers rendered an enjoyable programme under the auspices of toe Community Club. Those contributing items were Mrs. W .Brodie, Misses Viva Johns, Alison Greig and Annie White, Messrs. C. Webster, A. Brodie, Basil Hartman and A. Teeling. The programme was keenly appreciated by the territorially, Lieutenant L. W. Andrews, V.C., afterwards conveying thanks to the performers, and at his call, three cheers were accorded the visitors. Afterwards, the latpes of the Community Club dispensed supper. Last night’s function concluded the club’s activities for the year. Mr. W. A. Hewitt, of Stratford, received a letter by a recent mail from Mr Alfred Respinger, formerly of Douglas, but now farming in Hampshire, England, who reports that New Zealand butter cannot be purchased (letter dated October 1) at less than 2s per lb, and that sheep fetched up to £6 to £7; fat lambs £4 to £5; bullocks £4O to £5O; good porker pigs £5 to £6; eggs 3s per dozen. He considers that if English farmers worked as hard as New Zealanders have to 4°> farming in England would pay well, but the English farmer as a rule employs a lot of labor, and will do no work himself, and consequently a lot of them are on the rocks. The produce from the soil, such as potatoes, fruit, and such products, are almost given away, as prices are very low. while the season has been very wet and cold. The eligibility of persons of native descent for enrolment on the general electors roll was made cl* r at the New Plymouth court yesterday, when Mr. S. Jackson, an interpreter, stated that he had been told by a canvasser that any native with European blood in his veins was eligible for the general role. He had disputed this view by saying that he believed that only those who wore half-caste or less, and who w'ere living European fashion could go on the roll. An authoritative ruling was given by Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., who stated that that phase of the matter did not enter into the question. The law on the point was that anyone with more Maori blood than half-caste was not eligible for the general roll, while, if an application for enrolment was challenged, the onus lay on the applicant of proving his eligibility. During his recent visit to Broken Hill as the guest of the Silverton Tramway Company directors, 'Sir John Monash said that when he and General Curry, of Canada, were in the thick of the fighting, and the. Australians were winning, the London papers used to ask, “Why do these amateurs gain sufeh successes?” As a matter of fact, continued Sir John Monash, he was not an amateur, and had had over 30 years’ experience as a soldier. 'Speaking of the demobilisation, he said (reports the Sydney Sun) that he did not take credit for the fact that all Australian soldiers who wanted to return home were clear of England within eight months. It was .everybody’s job, and it was because the Digger gave such sensible support ‘that it was eo successfully carried out. Tents for the temporary billeting of the Australians in England could not be given, and then the French had no spare railways. The- Australians were not backward. Railway lines were found, trucks were stolen, trains were manned by Australian drivers and firemen, and that was ‘how the job was carried out. It was on that occasion that he realised that if he told the Australian soldiers the whys and wherefores of everything he could rely on their assistance and co-operation. “The most interesting experiment in dieting on a large scale that has ever been undertaken was carried out 'in. 'Denmark during the war,” said Dr. Stout, in a lecture at Wellington recently. “When the blockade came into effect in February, 1917. a critical position in regard to food developed. Before the war Denmark imported half of her grain supply, and in 1917 her crop was poor. Two Danish professors were called upon to cope with the situation, and they came to the conclusion that .sufficient nourishment could easily be procured if the newer principles of nutrition were followed and bill of fare made up principally of milk and vegetables. Extensive experiments had been carried out to show that man could live hcalthilv on the very restricted diet, provided the necessary vitamines were supplied. Men had lived half a year on whole wheat bread or rye broad and margarine alone. When the same persons tried to live upon white bread and margarine they became so weak after three weeks that they ■ could hardly WJilk”

Sir Ernest Rutherford announced last year his belief that electricity was not fluid but atomic, and next year, at Liverpool, it is expected that he will tell the world more about his favorite radium.

The enormous handicap placed upon New Zealand producers caused by the present rates of freight, railway, and wharf charges, storage and expenses at London docks, is well exemplified by an -account recently presented to an Otago grower who shipped 200 bales of wool to London. The charges exceeded £7OO, and totalled between £4OO and £5OO more than the same shipment would have cost in the year before the war. A farmer estimates that six rabbits will eat as much grass as a sheep. Mr. A. C. McDonald, Government rabbiter, of Te Kuiti, computes that there are 4,000.000 rabbits on the farms adjoining Trooper’s Road, and that by February these will have increased to 16,000,000. This means a loss of grazing to over 21 million sheep, which would produce in wool and mutton an enormous sum. It surely behoves every farmer to play his part to the full to keep the pest in check if not eradicate it altogether.

One outstanding instance of Mr. Massey’s right to lead might be given (said Mr. T. D. Burnett, Reform candidate for Temuka, in the course of his opening campaign speech). The Main Body of the Expeditionary Force had embarked in transports lying in Wellington Harbor when word came through that German cruisers had appeared north of New Zealand, off Tahiti, and in the absence of a proper escort, the Prime Minister refused to permit the Main Body men to proceed. (Hear, hear.) Lord Liverpool, as Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty’s forces in New Zealand, insisted that they should go; strong influential pressure was brought to bear from Home, and Mr. Massey was called hurriedly to Government House, when Lord Liverpool insisted on his prerogative as Commander-in-Chief. The Prime Minister asked for one hour. Why? To write out his resignation. The upshot of it was that the transports were not allowed to sail, and the Main Body disembarked until an adequate number of cruisers had been provided as escort. (Applause.) Inglewood farmers should note that Messrs. Borthwick, Ltd., will be receives pigs at their Inglewood yards tomorrow. Prices are advertised. The Farmers’ Co-op. are offering at their Glover Road yards to-morrow u, /small herd of extra choice dairy cows in full milk on account of Mr. F. Wilson. They are an exceptionally fine herd, and dairymen who are in need of really first-class cows to complete their herd would be well advised to attefad this sale. Particulars are advertised elsewhere.