LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The first of the new shops being erected in Eltham by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson has been completed and is occupied by Wilkinsom's, Ltd.. as a hardware department. The other three shops are expected to be completed at an eanly date. Mr. O. J. Hawken, M.P., has received advice from the Minister of Education that a grant for the enlargement of the Matapu school has been made. The door receipts in connection with the Eltham Horticultural Society's show totalled £25 7s 6d, exclusive of membership tickets. The matter of a grant for concrete around part of the Waverley school wa_ referred by the Wanganui Education Board to the architect for an estimate and report. Mr. J. Gibbs will preside at a meeting of sounty settlers, to be held in the Matukuroa hall on Wednesday next, to consider the question of a loan for metalling the Opaku Road (Patea County). A meeting of bowlers' wives and daughters will be held at the Park dub's pavilion on Wednesday, at "3.30 p.m., to make arrangements, for afternoon tea on opening day. "Don't discourage them; they are doing fine," the Mayor remarked' at a meeting of the Port Chalmers Council, when reference was being made to the youthful members of the council It transpired that the youthful councillors were not being criticised; in fact, ah older councillor was merely suggesting that additional work might well be given the younger councillors, as their energy and enthusiasm were altogether very commendable. The Wanganui Provincial Executive of the Farmers' Union has to obtain a certain number of subscribers to the Farmers' Advocate, otherwise stump up £30. A canvasser is out on the road at present on a triangular mission, beating up farmers to join the Union, take shares in the Scales Company, and subscribe to the Advocate. This is a pretty tall order for some farmers during these strenuous times, says the Herald. "I think you are the only man who has ever admitted in court being a professional speculator," remarked Mr Hodgen, when examining a client at Auckland Supreme Court. The witness, who had confessed to a penchant for buying and selling properties, concurred with his counsel without the slightest sign of embarrassment. In cross-examination, the witness could not recall-when he bought the property, as he had made so many transactions. After the recent discussions as to whetHer the British worker should be washed or not, this story from New York Life has a timely touch:—Detective: "You can't remember what night this happened?" Lady: "No, I was so excited at the time; I only remember I was in my bath." Detective: ''Say no more, lady—l have it—it was Saturday night." "New Zealand butter reaches England as New Zealand butter, but wher it gets to the warehouses a lot of il is used for blending, and is not sold as New Zealand butter at all," says Mr B. J. Kortlang, who has just ended a trip to the Old Country. "They should sell it from the boxes, so that peopk would know it was New Zealand butter and until that is done our butter wil _ot be a huge success. It may onlj be a drop in the bucket, but it means a lot to the producer. New Zealanc wants advertising in England, but th( right man must do it." A sea leopard spent an idle how recently basking on one of the Bluf Harbour Board's punts which wai moored inside the wharf (states th< Southland Times). He then swam t( one of the fishing launches and board ed it. He snowed no fear of the mani persons who watched from the wharl a few feet distant, but when a shunting engine passed near by he dived int< the water and swam away in search oi a more secluded, spot. A manager once asked Madame Patt what her fee would be for a concert en gagement. "Five thousand dollars ' replied Patti. "But, my dear Madame that is as mush as we pay the Presi dent of the United States per annum ' remonstrated the manager. "All right get the President to sing for you ' was Patti*s reply. The manager wai crushed.

borne time ago at the Hamilton Supreme Court, during the hearing of a certain criminal charge, the jury panel was exhausted owing to the large number of challenges, and the doors were closed and a number of the onlookers inside pressed into service A similar incident that was not, however, carried quite so far, occurred since at Auckland. A civil action betore a jury was set down for hearing the ju,ry panel being exhausted when only 11 men had -taken their seats I lie judge ordered the doors to be locked while he consulted counsel as to whether th«y were prepared to allow the case to proceed to hearing minus hh« juryman. He did not think it wise, however, in a civil action, to press men into service. Counsel agreed to proceed with 11 men only, and the doors were again unlocked without the onlookers being any the wiser. In the Church of Christ Chapel tomorrow the usual morning, afternoon and evening services will be held The evening .subject will be "The Bible" the secret of men's greatness. ' New goeds; new materials; new designs: Lingerie Cambrics, Rosebud effect, 2/11, plain colours 2/6; floral crimps, 1/9, 1/11; floral creponnes, 2/11; silk jersey cloth, 6/6; plain colours eolienne, 4/11 (just like silk); Fujiette, plain 2/6, stripes 3/9; woven art silk Jerzyl cloth, 4/6, 5/6; striped oatmeal cloth, 2/11) ftrt. silk striped sponge cloth, plain and strined spongecloths, big variety, 2/11, 3/11.—At GilJe.tt 's, the Value Giver.—Advt. , OutrS3;B ggi'lag Fashion" Show 6n Saturday evening', September 22nd. We invite your attention to the comprehensive display of all goods. Fennell's orchestra in attendance. Spring millinery, featuring imported models, Henderson ready-to-wears, style and quality assured. Special showing of threepiece suits, costumes, coat frocks, three-quarter length and short- coats, linen frocks, organdie frocks, sponge cloth frocks, etc., in all colours. Hosiery j A splendid line of ladies' black silk ankle hose that is "out on its own" for vaJue is being sold at the Melbourne Limited at 3s lid pair. Another hosiery bargain is a pure botany wool llama hose, in plain black, only. •5s 6d pair. Both these lines are ex- I ©optionally good buying at to-day's1 prices.—-Advt. j

A keen demand is reported to have J set in for Wairarapa-bred Romney Marsh rams. A number of buyers from outside the district artf operating at present. Decline of classical education is given as the reason for illiteracy in English public schools by Sir Henry Newbolt. He knew of a boy who in his weekly letter home used the adjective "topping" four times. That showed poverty of resource. Would the teaching of the classics get them over that diffi-' culty ? The boy knew the classics were all right in a way, but when he read Sophocles, the writer of tragedies, ' describing two women as "twin sprouts of a blasted tree," he promptly nicknamed his form master "Old Sprouts." '. Even though the Manawatu Rugby team which toured the South Island did not win many of the games, the members of the party, according to the report of the manager, Mr. C. W. White, held their own in disposing of the oysters during their stay at Bluff. "Although some of the players were not fond of shellfish," states the report, "we managed to do away with 127 dozen."^ This is stated, to be the third place in oyster eating records established by visiting football teams to the Bluff. A company is being formed in Syd- ; ney to acquire an invention styled "A i power loom for weaving double pile or . tufted carpets." It is claimed that j this machine will manufactiire two carpets at one operation, and apart | from the economy effected in labour, with its capacity for double output, !to possess other important advantages | over machinery now in use throughout the world, and ' its introduction i promises to mark a new era in the carpet industry. j One member of the Eltham Cycling and Athletic Club, speaking at Wednesday night's meeting of that body on j. behalf of competitors, thought it was "pretty rough" that they had to pay j as much as 2s 6d for admission in addition to entrance fees, and did not have . this charge refunded to .them by cer- ! tain clubs in the district. There was ] no such complaint made regarding Eltham. The chairman said a remit had gone to the Taranaki Centre pro- | testing against the non-return, of admission fees. He admitted it was a great hardship upon competitors if ; clubs took up that attitude. Mr. ' Bieheno pointed out that the word "competitor" was often used by people entering the ground to evade payment at the gate. He suggested that they j should follow the Rugby Union's ex- , ample and issue passes. It was decided to leave the matter .in abeyance pending the consideration of the remit by the Centre.—Argus. ,1 _____________