LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 130, 18 May 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

All the underground cables for the new Napier telephone system are now laid, and the workmen are pushing on with the house connections. The Taradale committee, in connection with the visit of the Home Rule delegates, return thanks to all those who assisted in making Mr. Hazleton’s visit such an unqualified success. The Taranaki Herald states that an important cable from Mr. Henrys’ principals in London has reached the Directors of the Taranaki Petroleum Company, and that it has reason to believe that the negotiations for the sale of the Company are on the eve of completion. The directors have nothing to communicate at present. In reference to the railway extensions now in progress, Mr. W. C. Buchanan, M.P., stated at Greytown that the Government spent thousands of pounds by way of extensions on railways returning a minus result or a paltry few shillings per cent, on capital expenditure, but in the case of the Wairarapa line, which had always paid and still did pay handsomely, the public were badly treated for train services. The Rimutaka deviation was refused, though it. would pay for itself in a few years. 1 In a comment on Home Rule the other day we pointed out the harm that the Dublin Corporation was doing to the movement in Great Britain by its refusal to honour King George on his coming visit to Ireland. The following message 1 from New York indicates another enemy who has done strange things in his alleged friendship for Ireland : “Patrick Ford, editor of the Irish World, is urging his Irish Home Rule followers in America to prevent the enactment of an all-inclusive Anglo-American arbitration treaty, on the ground that it will strengthen Great Britain’s international position and weaken Germany’s.” And this sort of thing hits Englishmen in the eye just when the Home Rule movement has “the chance of ’tsTife” of getting into the Statute Book at Home’—“Star.” Mr. J. C. Lane has resigned as secretary of the Manawatu A. and P. Association. Mr. Lane has for some time acted as secretary of the Cattle and Sheepbreeders’ Associations, in addition to his position as secretary of the Manawatu Association. At the - last meeting of the committee of the Manawatu Association it was decided that Mr. Lane should hold no position outside of the Manawatu Association, and subsequently notice of motion was tabled that Mr. Lane’s salary be increased, the members moving in the matter considering that it was desirable in view of the action taken by the committee. Mr. Lane, however, tendered his resignation, having decided to hold the two positions objected to by the committee. Mr. Lane has been a painstaking official, and the news of his resignation will be received with regret.

A story is told by the Waikato Argus of a clergyman, who is said to be widely known and much respected throughout the southern part of the Auckland provincial district. He w’as travelling along a road recently, when he met a carrier. and bade him a hearty’ “good morning.” As a reply, he was advised to “go and get work.” To “I beg your pardon,” the same rejoinder was received, and the man was then politely requested to “pull up.” This he declined to,do, so the clergyman promptly took -the horses b,y the heads and led them to the side of the road. He then nimbly jumped on to the dray and lifted the surly occupant to the ground, where he administered some corporal punishment. When he had finished he gave him some paternal advice, telling him never again to answ’er a friendly’ salutation with insult. The clergyman then proceeded on his way leaving the bewildered carrier wondering whether he was on board ship or on horseback, but perfectly convinced that a parson is nQtjneffeasarily a safe butt for the display of elephantine wit.

The sale of ovcrco/KS by the different drapers in town has been almost a.> phenomenal as the ramfall. One local man early this morning had sold ten overcoats.

The Canadian Pacific Railway has decided to use oil fuel engines in the Rocky Mountains with a view to preventing disastrous forest fires.

The Parliament Bill, which passed its third reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday, reduces the duration of the Imperial Parliament from seven years to five.

Lundon. Stewart and Co., Ltd., advise in this issue the postponement of Mr. L. F. L. Rhodes clearing sale at Onga Onga, until Monday next, the 22nd inst., at 11 a.m., on account of the wet weather.

A heavy frost was registered at Lyttelton on Monday morning, and owing to the slippery nature of several roads after the recent rain, the Borough Council had to resort to the method of sprinkling screenings to prevent horses from falling.

At a meeting of the British and Foreign Sailors’ Society, Lord Strathcona presented Sir J. G. Ward with a shield made of copper from the Victory and Fourdroyant for the Waitaki Boys’ School in recognition of the boys’ efforts to

There seems to be quite a lot of people with colds just now, every second or third person one meets has a handkerchief in active service most of the time. Mr. Gordon H. Grant’s preparation, Broinpton Cod Liver Oil Emulsion, is warranted to cure colds, coughs, lung troubles, etc. It is on sale by Messrs. T. N. Blomfield and Co., Ltd., Heretaunga Street, Hastings.

The “Christchurch Press” endorses the Dunedin “Star’s” proposal to revert to a decennial census, saying there is no reason why the population of New Zealand should, be counted every five years. The Dominion is not growing so fast as to afford much excuse for national pride and self-congratulation, or to constitute any very satisfactory advertisement for the Dominion. The taking of the census cost a large sum of money, and if it were done every ten years, as is the case in other parts of the world, useful economy would be effected. The reallotment of representation in the House would follow the census as at present, and though some slight injustice might be caused to some districts by the temporaryshortness of representation, this would be amply compensated for by a prolonged period of freedom from the confusion of redistribution that would be enjoyed by the whole Dominion. Complaints continue to reach us (says the “Otago Daily Times”), of a shortage of labour for employment in the clothing factories of Dunedin. The matter is one of considerable gravity, since the profitable maintenance of industries, in which expensive machinery is installed, is to some extent dependent upon the ability of the manufacturers to secure the services of a sufficient number of workpeople to enable them to cope satisfactorily with the orders they receive and to execute them expeditiously. In this connection we learn that Messrs. Sargood, Son, and Ewen, the successful contractors for the clothing of the Territorial Forces of the Dominion, have ordered from the local mills sufficient tweed, if it were unrolled in one piece, to reach from Dunedin to Lawrence. The fulfilment of this order means the growing and handling of 100,0001 b of wool, the manufacture of some 120,000 yards of tweed, the making of this tweed into uniforms, and the distribution of some £40.000 in wages. It is to be hoped that the desire of the contractors to retain the whole of this contract for the workers of Dunedin and district will be gratified.