IN OTHER CENTRES. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.)

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 255, 21 July 1908, Page 8

IN OTHER CENTRES. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.)

AUCKLAND. r. July. 20. Mr. Edwin Cox, a'well-known leader in the aiiti-vaccination movement, has some interesting things to snv apropos' tho-- strike of bakers in Wellington. He writes: —There is a. quiet homo lesson you will allow .me' to suggest. It is a short, simple, yet not.altogether' easy lesson of four words,. "Mako your own bread!'' It is based upon tlie practical' question a socratic friend ' of- mine- whs very fond of asking,. "Why'should you ask others to do for you what you can do for yourself?" I- submit there is no more important home labour than acquiring'and retaining the art of bread making; of making I mean such bread as many can remember in the dear Old Country, when they! were young and cheery, made with seconds ..flour, and with'good .brewer's' "barin,'. , 'or. in. .-more recent years'.from fresh : German yeast.' Moreover, I, am . convinced, that'.the superfine white flour bread that is generally preferred'is far,from, being the most wholesome. Thejlate Dr. Sylvester, Grahami of,. America, finding that invariably, patients suffering'from dyspepsia lived, upon sup.erfiue white flour bread, convinced ' that that, was the active cause bought land, selected and, sowed choice wheat, : erected a mill, and produced whole wheatmeal flour, and found that-when his patients ato bread made with it they gradually and naturally regained good health. Moreover, a bakers' strike may occur again. Many' in back-blocks ■ and , scattered country homes must bake, for,they cannot buy bread, and undoubtedly it is a valuable housewifely accomplishment to acquire, and wise to . retain, that of becoming a capital bread maker. It.is equally gratifying-not to bo dependent upon other bakers. Let me add that to inchide in the manifold advantages of- the Auckland new Technical College, a -baking department is greatly to"bo commended, Diseased Fruit and Grain. • The Government- fruit •'inspector -in Auckland, Mr. Arnett, was busy on- Saturday, examining tho. largo cargo; of fruit brought, from the Islands'by the steamer Tofua. Disease was again found to; bet rampant amongst tho shipment, and a large portion ot; the cargo has been condemned. \"T linvo had-, to- conderan all, tho,oraiiges : '.''. s,aid Mrs'Arnett; "for they are Tery .had with .a. worm pest;'. The Tofua has'brought eighty: cas'es..of this fruit, and they are covered by .certificates from "tho shippers stating -that, -they conj'e a. district free of disease. They are about as bad, however, as any I have ever, seen', aiid in-stead-of finding .their. way to the' Auckland market they will .b'o taken ~to the destructor; The, maize, broughtVby the Tofua, amounting to 300 bags, is'also diseased, being eaten up .with the grain fly. There is, as many pooplo know, "no- law to prevent diseased' maize from _ coming: into the - country, my jurisdiction being confined to fruit, but I liavo arranged with the importers.to have this piaizo taken to tho freezing works and chilled for three days to'see if that will kill .tho fly. It is an experiment, but I think it may be' ' This" grain pest is a most dangerous :tliirig,' for if it- once got a hold in New Zealand it-would bring ruination to farmers." Tho bananas brought by'tho vessol are,, unlike the. oranges, free from blomish,' and of exceptionally good quality.Main Trunk Line. Mr. R. W. Holmes, Eugineor-in-Cliiof of Railways, arrived in Auckland on Saturday night from Wellington by tho Main Trunk route. . Mr. Holmes, is well satisfied with the, progress made/with the work of laying , the permanont-way in tho effort to have tho lino, completed by Fleot -Week- The .task -will be accomplished by that time if tfce weather holds good, but'not. otherwise. "The gap between the rail-heads: has .been reduced to three and, a half miles,'' said Mr. Holmes, " but at' prosent everything is hung up 'owjng to the bad weather. Tho country between the rail-heads is full of snow at tho present time; and it is impossible to make progress. The falls of snow are very heavy. The ballast engiuo was stuck up on Saturday. morning at Erua.' Drifting snow is causing tho troublo in tho cuttings," Tho great Makatoto Viaduct, ho stated, is now completed with the exception of. being painted. He considers that tho engineers and men employed on tho permanent-way of tho linei-havo done, splendidly to got so near completion,' and he oxpressed a hops, which everybody will, share, that tho wcathor will clear up. "With fine weather," ho added with a smile, "wo will get through by Fleet Week, there is no doubt' about it." ~ . : ■ 1 •