Local and General.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 14, 9 February 1906, Page 2

Local and General.

Town Board gives notice of enforcement of dog-tax. It is notified in another column that a branch of the Bank of New South Wales will be opened at Waipawa on Tuesday next. Mackay & Co. sell land at Porangahau to-morrow. Owner wanted for dog found. Macdermott’s Bioscope Company appears at the Town Hall to-night. The entertainment provided is a good one. Notice appears re issue of auctioneer’s license. Mr D. Annand’s new advertisement will appear in next issue. The Governor visits Napier tomorrow, and will unveil the troopers’ memorial. In Baker City, Oregon, a movement was originated to make Miss Alice Roosevelt a wedding gift of £150,000 on the occasion of her marriage to Mr Nicholas Longworth, member of the United States House of Representatives. It was proposed to have subscription lists in every state, and limit individual subscriptions to 10 cents [sdj. The President discouraged the movement, his action was generally approved, and the project was abandoned. Mr C. H. Harris, photographer, took the stalls and a number of other views at the garden fete. Waipukurau Town Board meets on Monday evening next, at 7.30. Mr 11. J. Crysell, who is a cornet player of some repute, kindly assisted the band at the garden fete on Wednesday evening. The conference held on Tuesday between the Town Board and Road Board ended satisfactorily to both bodies, an equitable adjustment of affairs being arrived at. The respective solicitors were instructed to draw up the necessary agreement ; when this is done further particulars of the arrangement will be available. Through his horse falling with him, Mr S. Hunter, Porangahau, had a collar-bone, broken. He came to the hospital for attention. A start has been made with the erection of Mr O’Donoghue’s shop, near the Tavistock Hotel. The Governor opened the Feilding show on Wednesday. It was a great success, and was attended by over 6000 persons. The Town Board and ratepayers are fortunate in securing the services of Mr G. B. Ashley as clerk, that gentleman having had considerable experience in this direction, and therefore being very suitable for the position. Questioned as to the latest reports regarding the International Exhibition at Christchurch, Sir Joseph Ward informed a reporter that the prospects were very bright, so far as he could judge. “We have,” he said, “ decided to engage another man to tour the colony in .}he interests of the Exhibition. The applications for space have been very considerable. From present indications, 1 think we will have a very large number of exhibits from different parts of Australia" and very large display of exhibits from Great Britain and America. The preliminary arrangements are all being satisfactorily conducted, and I am satisfied that the Exhibition will be tbe biggest thing of its kind ever taken place in tbe Australasian colonies.”

A very successful combined settlers’ and school children’s picnic was held at Argyll on Wednesday. Mr Hall, M.H.R., was present and made a speech. A dance took place in the evening.

In sentencing two men at the Supreme Court, Wellington, Sir Robert Stout said: —“ You don’t seem to realise that committing a crime in not an advantage to you. You may escape legal punishment on many occasions when you are not found out and convicted ; but in the end you will always find your way back to the criminal Court. It seems to me a great pity that such men as you are should carry on such a life. If you want —if you desire — any real happiness in life, a different course is plainly open to you. In my opinion, all criminals are fools. You may think yourselves clever ! but you are criminals and fools ! ” At the monthly meeting of the Waipawa County Council, a letter was read from the Waipukurau Town Board, asking for a subsidy towards keeping the county roads intluir town district in repair. It was decided to grant the board £5O ror repairs up to the end of June, 1906; the question as to the future upkeep of the roads to be revived then, if necessary. It was decided to start the road-grader working on the road from Onga Onga to the Tukituki river. Accounts passed for payment amounted to £2637. The next meeting of the council will be held on March 14th. A finance meeting will be held on March 2nd.

The following will represent Waipukurau in a billiard tournament to be played at Waipawa on Wednesday next, commencing at 6 p.m: Messrs G. Pirie, Simpson, Dunbar, Slatford, McGreevy. At the National Potato Show, held in London in November, Mr J. Gemmell was first in the class for the heaviest yield from one root of the variety Moneymaker, having 222 tubers, weighing 431 b in all (writes the Journal of Horticulture) One can hardly credit it, aud Mr Gemmel has to answer many questions. He stated his system of culture to be this : He plants aver-age-sized tubers 6ft apart in mounds of prepared soil, rising l|ft above the ground level. He allows all the eyes (ten in this case) to grow. The shoots are pegged down as they advance, being spread out on all sides ; the mound likewise is added to, and the shoots are earthed over, the fibrous top of a stubble field being used. Mr Gemmell uses potassic and phosphatic fertilisers during growth, and these he mixes himself. Tubers are found as far as 4ft from the parent stem. In the case here recorded they were all of beautiful clean appearance, and of medium size. Moneymaker, however, does not seeem to produce large tubers. The yield at his rate works out at over sixty tons per acre ! Ordinarily growers estimate eighteen to twenty tons per acre is a good yield of any potato. It is expected that the Education Department will shortly grant £250 towards a technical school at Waipawa.

A correspondent thinks that a light ought to be placed at night at Mr O’Donoghue’s new building, to prevent accidents. At a special meeting of the AVaipawa County Council, a special order was made providing for tollgates on various county roads, as part of a system of dealing with the timber traffic. The whole question of this traffic is to be finally dealt with at the next meeting of the council. The chairman reported having represented the council at the Gorge bridge commission. The funeral, on AVednesday, of the late R. Sidwell was largely attended. Three debt cases in which the Patangata County Council, J. J. Bailey, and R. Coneys were plaintiffs were heard at Waipawa yesterday, judgment being given against defendants with costs. T. Ingram was fined £4 and costs 7s for supplying a Maori woman with liquor. A complimentary banquet was tendered to Mr John Studholme, who unsuccessfully contested the Ashburton seat in the Opposition interest at the general election. There was a large atcendar.ee. The Australian squadron arrived in AVellington last night. A half-caste aboriginal brings a gruesome story to Perth from the northern goldfields. He says the blacks there are starving and resorting to cannibalism, eating their children. The man came down to ask the Government to do something for the blacks, amongst whom disease is rampant.

A respectable looking man applied to the presiding Justices at the Police Court for a prohibition order against his wife. The woman, a buxom person, was present in the Court, in a mood which was a quaint mixture of affability, self-sacrifice, and wounded pride. She consented to the order being made against her. “ Very well,” said the senior J.P., “we grant it.” “ Yes,” said the lady, “ that’s right. Grant it, to make him happy ” —with a fond jerk of her head towards her husband. “But,” she added, ‘ I’ve never been drunk in my life, and never shall be. Still, grant him this boon I must.” She left the Court apparently sublimely conscious that she had performed a wifely duty, and conferred happiness upon her spouse. —N.Z. Times.