THE Bay of Plenty Times AND Thames Valley Warden.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 3624, 15 November 1897, Page 2

THE Bay of Plenty Times AND Thames Valley Warden.

AND speed.—King John. Act IV. Monday, November 15, 1897.

A question relative to the final destination of animals condemned by Stock Inspectors was raised by the Honi W. T. Jennings in the Council on Thursday and supplies considerable material for reflections of a nature not very appetising. He stated that in certain cases animals so condemned had been* afterwards smuggled away and sold and he considered it necessary that any animals ' condemned ' should be immediately branded with that word by the Inspector. The diseases for which the Inspectors are supposed chiefly to condemn animals as unfit for human food are tuberculosis, aeiinimycosis and other similar complaints, regarded as incurable by present medical science and as being communicable to other living beings under certain conditions. We have been assured that flesh tainted with the germs of these diseases, (consumption and cancer, in ordinary language) can be eaten with safety if properly coolred but whether this be true or not the idea is so repulsive and disgusting that no steps should be omitted to be taken to render such a thing impossible. Not less than three or four times every week we read in one or other of our exchanges that such-or-such a Stock Inspector has condemned one, and often several, animals in some district or other and these are generally killed at once but an instance recorded in a recent southern journal indicates that some further regulations are required if we are to be saved from events which are certainly shocking to persons of ordinary sensibility and refinement. The particular instance to which we allude was that of an animal slaughtered for food and which was found, on examination, to be terribly affected with tuberculosis at the root of the tongue. This portion was removed but it appears that, there being no provision in law to the contrary, the remainder of the carcase passed into the butchers' shops in the usual way. Now if such things as these can occur in districts where Inspectors are frequently to be met with, the question naturally arises whether they are not occurring at intervals throughout the whole Colony. In lack of any evidence to the contrary we are not aware that a single beast has ever been condemned in this district or that an Inspector has visited it for years past for purposes of systematic inspection of live stock. We cannot bring ourselves to believe that this distriot is a charmed circle into which no disease ever penetrates and in which everything is done as it ought to be, yet the confident way in which the inhabitants allow such matters as the inspection of stock, of slaughterhouses and of food generally to be absolutely unknown would seem to argue that they live in an Earthly Paradise in which not even man is vile. We have good reason to believe that it is about time that the local authorities took steps to have a few tests applied under the various Acts bearing on health and food supply and that an occasional tour should be made, unexpectedly, by a competent Inspector through the dairy and other farms, slaughter-houses, dairies, samples of milk to be taken and tested, appliances and buildings examined as to cleanliness, etc., and a report prepared and laid before the local bodies. W e venture to think that if thoroughly and impartially done such a report wouW not be very pleasant reading. This is a matter which affects both town and country peoph and the suppliers in particular, if they be doing their duty to their customers, should welcome such an inspection and report as their best advertisement, while the consumers, as a body, would benefit by having the black sheep pointed out to them Saturday and yesterday were quits summer days, the contrast between tbem and the f«w days immediately preceding being remarkable and »rather trying to people not in robust health. On Thursday evening at half-past five the thermometer stood at 43 degrees and on Saturday at the same hour nearly thirty degrees higher. Yesterday, at 1 p.m., th« temperature reached 80 degrees though a fresh breeaa was blowing from the south-west,

On Saturday an accident occurred on the Te Puke road to Mr and Mrs Alex. Bird and family. They were coming; up the big hill between Hammond's and Hairini in a buggy and, on turning a corner, encountered one of Gilinan's wagons. Something in the appearance of the load on the latter vehicle startled Mr Bird's horse and it attempted to turn round, capsizing the buggy down the bank and throwing all the occupants out. Fortunately all the occupants escaped without serious injury but the buggy was badly damaged. The racing mare May, belonging to Miss Vercoe, died at Otumoetai on Friday last. Mr Martin, dentist, arrived by the Clansman on Saturday, and may be consulted for the next few days at High Trees. Our Maketu correspondent announces that a race meeting is to be held at that place on New Year's Day, and that the programme will be available in a few days. This should help the local hack meeting for Boxing Day, as horse owners will now have more than one string to their bow. To-morrow is the 40th anniversary of the relief of Lucknow by Lord Clyde, then Sir Colin Campbell. It will perhaps interest our readers to learn that we have in our midst one who was beseiged in Lucknow even before the arrival of Sir Henry Havelock, and fought under that commander as well as Sir Henry Lawrence and General Inglis, in the person of our old friend Mr P. Herbert, who we are pleased to say i 3 still hale and hearty. Mr E. Seddon will hold his next monthly sale at the Junction Yards on Thursday, December 2nd. Further entries are solicited. The Union Co's s.s. Brunner called in at Tauranga yesterday, and after loading with 300 sacks of maize, a largequantity of lemons and sundries, proceeded south . Mr D. Lindsay has been working on the Sisters Special Claim, Te Puke, and has been clearing out No 1 drive. He finds that there is more before him than he anticipated, as there has been a greater fall than was expected. However, the accident is not without its advantages as it has shown that the ground above is of a kindly nature and carries quartz stringers. The s.s. Chelmsford will leave for Auckland to-morrow evening at six o'clock. Mr Eaweti Ngatai, son of Hori Ngatai, has been deputed by the natives of this district to represent them at the Maori meetings now being held at Otaki for the purpose of bringing native questions before Parliament. He left last week for' Otaki. This morning the s.s. Katikati ] proceeded to the Mount, taking with her material and workmen for repairs to the structure and tank there, which gives water to this vessel. Tarahine, a chief cf considerable note, died at Tokotoko, a settlement near Welcome Bay, yesterday. Three of Tarahine's grown-up children have died during the last four months, and the parent's death has caused afeeling of uneasiness amongst the natives residing at this settlement. Tarahine was espoused to a half-caste French lady belonging to the Thames, and had considerable ability as the supervisor of carved houses. A short time ago he was called to Ohineinuri in connection with the building of a large wharepuni ! there, and was, at the time of his { demise, engaged, in erecting one at Matipihi. It is expected that the taugi over his remains will be a very j large one, as the grief will be brought from the Waikato, Ohinemuri and Te Puke. The s.s. Katikati arrived from Matata on Saturday afternoon, bringing with her 30 sacks of maize and four tons of kumeras. To-day she was engaged in looking after the buoy which had gone adrift, and found the moorings completely gone. The buoy is now on the wharf. In our opinion friend Wickham, better known as ' A Tramp Esq ' has just cause for complaint seeing that one of his pet yarns is now doing the rounds of the newspapers, the scene being laid at Tauranga. Needless to say that if the event happened at all it was in the clays that have gone by, and not at Tauranga. Wickham tells the yarn in a much more racy style, but he will now have to exclude it from his list, or his audience will bo calling 'rats.' Here it is : — A funny tale is told of & Tauranga Court case. A beauteous Maori damsel had been forcibly robbed of a kiss by a new chum pakeha. She brought him up before the Magistrate to answer a charge of assault. The S.M. decided that the assault has been proved, and the delinquent was fined £1 and costs. The injured damsel seemed in no hurry to leave the Court, and the Clerk asked her what she was waiting for. 'Te utu,' was the reply, ' homai te poun !' ' Kahore,' replied the clerk, ' the pound is utu mo te Queen.' 'No fear,' quoth the lady, ' too much the gammon you — he no kissee teKuine— hekissee me !' It is reported (says the Tapanui paper) that all the business men connected with the ex-hotel interest met in Tapanui last week. The business of the meeting was not disclosed, but it is said it was to elect delegates to send to Wellington to petition for restoration of licenses in Clutha. Figures just to hand show that 127 permits to use the totalisator were granted last year to racing clubs, and 31 to trotting clubs. The total amount of mouey passed through the maohine was £805,149. The amount realised by the Government for permits was £12,079. The memorial tablet to the late Lieutenant A. W. Bailey, of Tiraaru, was unveiled at St. Mary's Church, Timaru, recently by Colonel Moore The volunteers held a Church parado for the purpose. The Returning Officer for the Borough gives notice that only one nomination was this day received for the office of Mayor, that of Mr C. A. Clarke, and he theiefore declares that gentleman to be duly elected. Mr Clarke has already served the Borough in this capacity for four terms and has evidently secured the approbation of at any rate a very large percentage of the Burgesses to Mi by his administrative ability as well as by his urbanity in all public and social functions. His fifth term will we hope prove as pleasant and satisfactory to all concerned as the past Jour have been. Mr Westenra, Manager of the local branch of the B.N.Z. has gone ou leave for a month and intends spending his holiday in the south ; i his place is being taken by Mr 1 Brookgeld, <

By the Clansman on Saturday evening, Mr W. Elliot returned to town where business required his presence. It was to be *egretted tbat the weather during his stay here was not such as to render the change of air of much benefit to his heath. TLe Union S. S. Co. intends running an excursion to the Souuds, from Dunedin, by the s.s. Ttotorua on Dec. 28th with a special view to enabling teachers attending the Conference at Dunedin on January 4th tc visit the Sounds and br back in time for the opening. The round fare from Dunedin is £6. A correspondent commenting on our paragraph about the absence of all the spiritual shepherds from their flocks yesterday reuiarks that the communion table in .one of the churches was taken possession of in the evening by a swartu of bees 1 attracted,' he quaintly puts it, ' in the absence of the Vicar, by vases of flowers.'