LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXVI, Issue 46, 19 November 1909, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Among the new items on the Estimates this year is £2OO expenses in connection with the recovery of bodies of persons drowned in the Penguin wreck.

It is being freely surmised (aays the Auckland 'Observer') that there is some sDeeial significance in Mr Robert McNab's present trip to the Old Country, and less likely things might happen than the appointment of Mr McNab as High Commissioner in plaeo of Mr HallJones. The Hon. T. Mackenzie is also spoken of as the future High Commissioner. A handsome profit on a patent medicine was mentioned in the Wellington Magistrate's Court (says the 'Post') by an accused who was being examined by the sub-inspector of police as to how he procured his livelihood. Accused said he was a commission agent. An old-age pensioner had given him a recipe for a rheumatic cure, for which he canvassed. The medicine cost him Is a bottle to prepare and he sold it for 10s. "Have you ever advertised this marvellous medicine?" asked the sub-inspector. "Yes," replied accused. "In the newspapers?" "No, But I have 'shouted' for people so that they would talk about it and keep it steadily in view." "Disgusted Prohibitionist" writes to the ,'Doniinion' as follows:—"The representatives of the New Zealand Alliance, who consider that they are the representatives of the vast number of No-license voters of this country — which most emphatically they are not—have been lassoed by the enemy—the brewers. The New Zealand Alliance undoubtedly does a large amount of work, but it over-estimates its powers and authority, and has absolutely no right to compromise with anyone. Briefly, the No-license party has scored half a point where it was justly entitled to a whole point if it had desired it. This point is in reference to the majority necessary to carry prohibition. _ If the party had wanted a bare majority to decide it is strong enough to have insisted upon this without sacrificing its freedom to the wishes of a handful of brewers." The 'Hot Lakes Chronicle' states that the Ohinemutu pa was in a ferment of excitement recently owing to the native residents of the village taking part in a "taua." This ancient custom is a punishment inflicted on offenders and their relatives for some wrong done, and in olden times it was a very general form of punishment. The principle of a "taua" is the confiscation of articles by the tribe to which the offender belongs, the latter's nearest relatives also "being affected. On this occasion the party v offending, it is alleged, developed a ■ great : affection for another man's wife and was made the victim of a "taua." A troupe of natives numbering nearly a hundred marched into the pa and indulged in hakas and war dances, after which a confiscation of all kinds of articles, including greenstone, mats, clothing, guns and live stock, was systematically'carried out. A large number of visitors were attracted to the pa and Were greatly interested and amused at the demonstration. One of the proposals outlined in the Budget, which is of considerable interest to the travelling public, and particularly to through passengers over the North Island Main Trunk railway between Wellington and Auckland, is that in reference to the alteraton in long-distance railway fares. At present the fares are reduced on a sliding scale, according to distance, but under the new proposal long-distance passengers will receive no advantage, it being intended to make the fares uniform for all distances, viz., a penny halfpenny per mile first-class and a penny per mile Second-class. It is expected that this alteration will result in an increase of

£IOO,OOO a year in the railway revenue. The effect in regard to passengers on the Main Trunk railway, particularly to second-class passengers, will be considerable. At present the first-class fare between Wellington and Auckland is £1 19s ldj but under the proposed new scale it will be increased to £2 13s 3d, an increase of 14s 2d. The second-class fare at present is £1 Is 2d, but the new scale will raise it to £1 15s 6d, an increase of 14s 4d, or to nearly the - amount of the present first-class fare. It will thus be seen that the effect of the proposed new scale, if carried into effect, may have an appreciable effect on the traffic on the Main Trunk line.