LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8146, 19 December 1904, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A report of the proceedings at Saturday's meeting of the Hawera County Council will be found on page 4. The New Plymouth Co-operative Society has determined to go into liquidation. The Hawera County Council has fixed the dog license for the ensuing year at 2s 6d for sheep and cattle dogs, and 5s for other dogs. A telegram from Blenheim states that the Compensation Court in the *jaxbourne case, classified the estate, and it has been mutually agreed that the owners retain 14,448 acres, the Government taking the rest. Hawera has now the strongest branch of the Farmers' Union in the Taranaki provincial district, there being over 100 members. The Tourist Department has just issued an itinerary of travel in New Zealand, which seems complete and should be most useful to travellers. We see it gives particulars of the various points from which may be made an ascent of Mount Egmont. Mr J. Brunette has presented an eightday clock to the Dawson's Falls mountain house. Speaking at a social on Wednesday evening Mr Hornby made an appeal for discarded cutlery, etc., for use at the house. " Commission agents must understand," says Mr R. W. Haselden, S.M., "that they do not earn their commission when, on the sale of a property on easy terras, the purchaser turns out to be a man of straw, and one unable to keep up his payments. In purchasing dog collars the practice of the Hawera County Council is to do so in one lot by tender. The collars are assorted sizes, long and short, to fit big dogs and little dogs. On a previous occasion the Council found at the last that they had far too many short collars on hand, and not nearly enough long ones to meet the requirements. When the tender for the ensuing year's contract was being considered on Saturday, Cr Marx said (with his tongue in his cheek) that "the rain must shrink the collars." On the 23rd and 24th instant the Telegraph Department will transmit the ten words, "Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year," also address and signature up to 11 words at- a uniform charge of 6d. No variation from or addition to the words can be permitted, otherwise the message will be charged at ordinary rates. The system is devised with a view to relieve the pressure of work on the wires, caused by the transmitting of Christmas greetings, which when in identical terms, can be signalled in brief cypher.

The Manawatu Times, on New Zealand politics : — What is wanted in New Zealand to-day is a Parliament composed of men of character, men of capacity, and men of courage to do the right in scorn of consequence. What New Zealand has got is a few men straight in character and vigorous in intellect; a few clever men with their ears ever to the ground to forestall popular opinion and to advantage by popular gratification at needs fulfilled; and a big crowd of puppets who jump with the whim of the master of the game, but who do not know how to make laws, and who haven't the remotest notion what the laws mean when they have made them.

A dog and a whip and a man got rather at cross purposes on Saturday afternoon. While driving along Princes street in a light four-wheeler a dog ran yelping alongside the vehicle, and the driver leant over and made an angry swish at the animal. In his eagerness to reach the dog with the lash the driver overbalanced himself and a second later there was a man and a dog and a whip mixed up on the roadway. When the dust cleared the driverless horse was seen making its way at breakneck speed down the thoroughfare, the dog had disappeared and only the man and the whip, plus a crowd that quickly gathered, remained. The horse was recovered later. 'Jhe concert given by the band at the hospital on Sunday was well attended, and the collection realised £4 ss. This

with the Government subsidy will bring the amount available for the purchase of Christmas delicacies for the patients up to ±59 11s. Mr Parrington thanked all those who had contributed, and especially mentioned the band, to whose efforts the holding of these concerts was mainly due. This .was not the only time, he said, that the band had assisted for the good of the hospital. They seemed only too pleased to help on every possible occasion. Not only had they helped themselves, but had secured the help of other bands in their respective towns to assist for the same object. All interested in the hospital felt very grateful to the bands for the assistance they had given. Similar concerts were to be given at Manaia and Kaponga, but returns are not yet to hand. The Eltham Band propose holding theirs at a later date. "There is always a tendency to exaggerate with regard to the weather, ' says the Rev. D. C. Bates, of the Wellington Meteorological Office, in- a weather report published in a recent Gazette. He adds: "Meteorological observations show that the effects of solar radiation are usually manifest about a month after they are astronomically due: thus midwinter is experienced in New Zealand in July, and the month of November, instead of being, as reckoned by some, the first of summer, is really the fast of spring. During the past month there has been some reason for impatience, yet recognition of this would often save disappointment and dissatisfaction with the climate. Some persons look into returns only to find extremes, which are often unreliable, and if they give any idea at all of the rainfall of a season or country it is generally misleading." . ' A suggestive little midnight comedy was enacted for the special benefit of a lonely policeman on beat at Palmerston lately. The Times reports that the official in question heard some sonnds and exclamartions, .•slightly incongruous with the time and place, issuing out of Mr Dowr dall's tomb-stone works in Main street west; and with only the feeble light of the stars to guide him, he cautiously investigated the wierd surroundings. ''Bail up here Polly. Go to h out of this, you Jess. Here, bail up Polly, can't yer," muttered in a thick voice; and then fresh imprecations broke out followed by the crash of falling tombstones. The policeman recalled something about "blood out of a stone," but trie new edition of milking a tombstone puzzled him somewhat. He thought it time to act. But before he could move, the belated one staggered up to him with a tombstone ■ across his shoulder and was walking off. He stammered in vacant explanation to the man-in-blue something about his cowyards and about carrying off a poor lame calf to its mother. The policeman carried him off to the .lockup. The following morning he wag charged with drunkenness and with damaging property valued at £6 10s, and was fined 30b. This sum he was well able to pay, for when arrested he had £71 in his possession. "'Bafl up,* Polly!'

Dr John Gillespie, in his recently compiled volnme of anecdotes, tells a itory of the l»t« Pake of Bucdeuch— "one of the best of men*' — who returned to Drumlanrig after a considerable absence. Shortly after his return he was sauntering along the banks of the Nith, when he met an elderly man who had long been employed on the estate. The Duke shook him cordially by the hand, and with characteristic kindness enquired after his health and welfare generally. "Am very weel, thank yonr Grace for speirin*. Am reel pleased tae see your Grace back again ; they're a' Dukes when you're awa' ! Another, of his stories is as follows: — When minister of the High Church, Paisley, the Rer. Dr James Macgregor (now of St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh) met in a place of amusement in London a gentleman from thai, town, who, holding up bis hands, «aid, "Mr Macgregor, what would your friends in Paisley say if they were told yon had been seen in such a place of amusement as this?" Taking him. by the aim, the ever-ready divine rejoined : "My friend, if you wish, to ( be thought the greatest liar in Paisley, go tack there and tell that you met me in this place." If you are troubled with Indigestion, constipation, liver or kidney ailments, Dr Ensor s Tamer Juice will cure you. All stores. — Advt. Stop that hacking cough by Uking Tussiciwa. J. SmUh.-AdvK , ,\ _ -^.'l.^ '.-* . ■«^b^fy^te.r«i^. '■j.-^fi. Lifer- j\'<i,

• The Taranaki Herald says the newt that the Rev. F. A. Bennett is shortly leaving for the Rotorua district, where he will continue hia Maori mission work, will be received with deep regret by his many admirers in Taranaki. Mr Bennett has done very much good work, and by the Maori race he will be specially missed. It is notified that satisfactory arrangements have been made to carry on Nelson College for Boys ponding the erection of a new building. The new building is to be put in hand at once. The Girls' College will be carried on as usual. Rongotea Dairy Company invite appli cations for the position of Secretary. I Stratford Bacon Co. notify that no pigs ( will be received during Christmas hoh- ' days. | Banks close Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week. i "I have been thinking very seriously about the matter and have jiuite made up my mind to spend my Christmas holidays at New Plymouth, and visit the Palace of Arts and Industrie^." And a very wise choice too. It is* easy to get there. Take the cheap excursion to New Plymouth and the palace is only J-mile from the station. When you have gone w.e round of the halls, Ulustrating the marvellous progress made in the arts and manufactures of the world, and you be§in to feel a little dizzy from the noise of ac machinery in motion, you can go into the art gallery and admire the beautiful j • pictures and works of art, and into the ' i eastern courtito examine the oriental cun- | osities from India, Ceylon and other 1 places. Then you will want a cup of tea, > and perhaps a smoke which you can take I in comfort in the Italian garden, listen to I the band and have a look at fountains and flowers. Or you can visit the Maori village, and see the natives and their quaint entertainments. Afterwards you will go to the lovely Recreation Grounds close by, and watch the sports of all kinds: champion wood-chopping, swimming, diving and racing; see the children enjoying themselves in their carnival, and if it is . firework night you can finish with these | and you will have a rare treat. Plenty to see and enjoy and something fresh every - day. And remember it is only for three I weeks. — Advt. . < FISHING TACKLE. F. J. Wrigley announces the arrival of , • very extensive assortment of Bartleit and Sons' fishing tackle. An especially fine assortment of wooden rods, indui'mr snlit cane, green-heart, lancewood rod hickory, at all prices from £4 to 7s 64 Bristol steel rods a speciality, 10, 11, and 12 feet long. These rods are justly celebrated throughout this district. A rtry large assortment of flies, including several new varieties. New mianowi, new caiti new traces, everything new. Inspection invited. Bartletft best casts, at Is, Is M, Is 6d each, or 6s, 6s, and 7s 6d the halfdozen. Flies, minnows, casts, etc., lent post free. Postal orders receive prompt attention, and mut be accompanied with cash. Rods prepared by competent workmen. Fishing licenses issued. F. J. WBIGLEY, Hmwara.