Local and General.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 58, 25 June 1908, Page 2

Local and General.

Mr Te.Heuheu Tukino, chief of Ngatitu WJiaretoa, states that he intends contesting the Western Maori seat next election, at present represented by Mr Henare Kaihau. AsKed whether he would be Government or Opposition, he replied, with a smile, "Government, of course. It is no use being anything else now."

It is asserted that no other country produces so many instances of extraordinary longovity' as Turkey. There is at present living in Keni Baghtcha a Government book binder aged 134 years, who has held his position for eighty years. His father was also a Government functionary, and died at the age of 132 years. They have an interesting way of pointing out the condition of their roads up about Wanganui. "Fishing in this pond strictly prohibited" was the legend affixed to a telegraph-post a day or two ago. The "pond" lay peacefully across the road on the boundary of the borough and Gonville. The notice has since been removed, it. is presumed by an indignant member of the Town Board. But the hint was as gentle as original. The common house fly is said to be unusually prevalent in Masterton considering the season of the year (says the 'vYairarapa Daily Times'). In several houses fly-papers have had to be had recourse to, in some instances three and four papers being filled in the course of a day. "When the fact of the cold nights and early mornings is taken into consideration, the fly visitation is all the more remarkable, if not, indeed, unprecedented. An American, at present touring tho Dominion, attended a church last Sunday. Expressing his opinion of the music after the service, he said what the congregation ought to say was: "Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable singers." An Eltham correspondent thus unburdens himself re the popular game: "Everybody talks football here. The worries of dairying and the rise and fall of the stock market, and the supply of pigs and fencing wire, etc., have been dropped, and football reigns. It is dealt up at the breakfast table, carried to work, brought up at night, and nursed till bedtime and then slept on." A correspondent, writing to the Christchurch 'Press,' says that he was standing in front of a retail grocery establishment and read a printecT notice regarding local industries. _ This particular window was filled with locallymado goods. "I was curious enough to examine two show-cards advertising tho same firm's wares, and noted that one was lithographed in Glasgow while the other was produced in U.S.A." Contrary to supposition, says the 'Dominion,' the demand for private boxes decreases as postal facilities in other directions increase in a city. Taking for granted that it is only business people that require boxes, even they, in some cases, must find them superfluous on ascertaining that there are no fewer than five letter deliveries per day in the business area of the city. Consequently a new subsidiary post office in Wellington will not bo supplied with private boxes.

and consideration to domestic animals. At the recent No-license Convention in Wellington, the Rev. Mr Ritchie (formerly of Edendale) spoke of the results of No-license in Mataura. He Baid tho good offects of the change were manifest on every side. Referring to Invercargill, the speaker said that a generation ago there were 40 licensed houses in that town, but owing to the efforts of the temperance reformers, the number was reduced by one-half up to the time No-license was carried. He thought efforts should be concentrated in getting No-license in every district, and not merely reduction. The statement that No-license would be a very bid thing for the town had not been borne out by facts. Business now was better, the values of many properties bad increased, and the rates had been reduced by one farthing. No-license was the right thing, and it had come to stay. People were realising the advantages of No-license, and were supporting the movement. Mr T. J. Bull, of Mataura, quoted replies made by the Mayor of Gore to questions put to him. Mr Bull contended that No-license had proved a success in Mataura, where there was, he said, real evidence that v ! ie change had made a great improvement in commercial matters.

Professor Anderson Stuart, lecturing last week at Killara ; - New South Wales, on foodstuffs and digestion, clearly explained how an adult could live on half the amount of animal food now eaten without in any way affecting his health or strength. He went on to say that if the people of New South Wales consumed only a quarter loss of animal f-)od than at present, a saving of £1,500,000 would be effected, the bill br animal food at tho present time being £6,000,000 a year. The habit of o/er-indulgence and the craving for krge quantities of animal food could ns easily be overcome as the craving for alcohol, tobacco, and morphia; therefore, the experiment was worth trying. Lie himself nad begun to eat less animal food, and he considered that he was just as strong, while he certainly felt better. There was no doubt that ] eople did eat too much, and as they could do with so much less the compromise should be made. Bananaland narrowly missed a Homeric railway smash the other day (says the 'Bulletin'), and a shunter crowded the feelings of an adventurous life into eight minutes. Ho felt in that limo as if he had led forlorn hopes. stormed fortresses, and built and pulled down empires. They were'loading up.a" train with limestone at the foot of Bazorback, Mount, Morgan,, when five trucks got away on their own. Tha j-.hunter valiantly sprung aboard as the runaway sailed out of the yard. The road at this place falls nearly 500 ft between tho starting point and Boon!';arry, and as the train began to leap down hill, the shunter shoved on the brakes and hurriedly reviewed his past life. Boongarry was passed at the rate of a mile or inoro per minute, with, band-brakes hard set, and the vehicles" in the air most of the time. Just after Kahra was reached the change in the helped things to a standstill. Then the shunter leaped off, raced to the nearest station, reported on the telephone' that tho trucks were safe, priced for an pngine to take charge of them—and collapsnd. A few minutes later a stock train puffed along, no one on board having the least idea that a brisk gamble with death had just happened thereabouts, ,