LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8163, 28 February 1905, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Though there was every appearance of a change in the weather yesterday, no rain 10 speak of fell, though there was a slight shower in the evening. Along the coast and a few miles inland there were heavy showers. To-day the weather is overcast. The rainfall this month has been only a quarter of an inch, which, we should think, is a record.

Mr G. Allport, secretary of the Marine Department, is engaged in an inspection of the principal lighthouses of the colony, and on Monday drove from New Plymouth to the Egmont station, next had a look at the Opunake' signal service, and then came on' to Hawera. He left again this morning for the south.

Mr Wardell, S.M., granted the application of George Hawke, clerk in the Auckland Deeds office, to. proceed against James Regan, proprietor of the weekly newspaper Saturday Night, upon a charge of criminal libel. The aUegel libel was based on comment upon the action of Hawke in claiming damages from the Tramway Company for injuries alleged to be caused in a collision of an electric car a,od a foad roller.

Mr J. Gibson's warehouse at Hawcra I will bo closed for half-holiday on Saturday | in future. For many years this practice ', lias been followed by Mr Gibson in Patea, a. id lie has found it to be most satisfactory.

Spe-iking at Christchurch, Mr Fowlds, M.ii. t. ( said that the fiscal movement in Croat Britain under the leadership of Mr Chamberlain had hate as its base. The inevitable consequence of international tariffs was international war.

The biggest cannon ball ever made weighed 2faoolb, and was manufactured at the Krupp Works, Essen, for the Government of the Czar. The gun from which this projectile was fired is also the largest in the world, and is placed in the fortifications of Kronstadt. This gun has a range of 12 miles, and it has been estimated that each shot costs £300. "During the fighting around 'Kuropatkin's Eye,' " says a war correspondent, "all the Japanese officers were shot down, but a tiny little soldier cheered on the wavering men. The little soldier finally got caught in the wire entanglements, and was captured by our men when vie Japs retired. He turned out to be quite a young girl. She described herself as from Kioto, and refused ,to eat any food, declaring that she would kill herself."

Commenting on the Hooley-Lawson trial, the London Times says: "Among the strange things brought to light was the strange position of Mr Hooley. He is an undischarged bankrupt. He has notning of his own. But to ail intents and purposes he does business just as when he was a wealthy man. His wife's banking account is at his service. He controls large operations, and he has haiigers-ou who pick up what t..e great man drops."

Mr A. .1. Hastie, who has just returned from the Waikato. whither he travelled to judge at several agricultural shows, says that he has had an excellent holiday, and has been treated royally everywhere. He was much interested iif the ostrich farm near Bombay, to which he was taken for a trip. Between four and five hundred birds are on the place, and they include some that are absolutely wild, ami have to be kept by themselves in special enclosures. One of the men on the place had recently a very narrow escape, being overtaken on horseback by one of the birds. The horse was very badly injured. At (he official opening of the Feilding A. and P. Show yesterday. Mr Butler, London manager of the Colonists Land and Loan Corporation, said the Corporation had paid £90,000 for the land (a block of 100.000 acres) over £27,000 in taxes, and over £30,000 iii making roads and in other things. The profit paid to subscribers totalled only £4000 a year. The object of ii.c Corporation being mainly philanmropic they did not grumle at the smalluess of the return. The population on the block wah now over 8000 and they paid me (Jovernment taxes on a valuation of a million and a half.

A letter in the Wellington I'obt complains of the treatment meted out to men in tlie permanent tone. It is asserted in the fir&t place that the pay of recruits for the first six months is 4s 6d per day. He lias to pay ±!15 for his uniform and buy his own food, which usually comes to ls'Bd or Is 9d a clay, and if he repents his engagement is obliged to pay £3 for iiis discharge. Next, only a certain proportion arc allowed to marry, the restriction presumably being justified by the fait that the man's pay is not sufficient to enable him to keep "a wife, ami he is. not permitted to supplement his income by taking work outside the corps.

Business people in Taihapc, says the. Past, fire more concerned about the "yellow peril' * which threatens them than the international bogey of the same name. One CniiiaiiKin has done so well that he has rented the shop next to him and turned the two shops into one large one. Another him of L'onfiiritij h;is opened a business in the principal business end of the town, near the post-office, and new biih'nes!> premises are being erected for ;i third Chinese firm. These men are all grocers and fruiterers, and the other five white

firms in the town in the same business are not too jubilant.

There were many humorous iueidents connect I'd with the Auckland contpst, but certainly the most iiuinorous — though to the hand the most tragic — were the circumstances that lost the Waihi band the quickstep competition. One man lost his band li.nf a. point by having an unclean luukle. and another half point was lost because a bandsman became suddenly afflicted with an unconquerable desire to scratch his itching nose. Nature overcame discipline — he scratched — and tne judge caught him ! When «.ie points were announced a low moan of anguish went up from the Waihi band— Wanganui got 166£ points and Waihi 166! The following j s the municipal platform drawn up by several Wellington branches of <he Political Labor League— (l) No iurther sale of municipal lands, housing (he people at reasonable rents; (2) the establishment of abattoirs and workmen's houses, establishment of fish, fruit, vegetable, and meat markets, establishment of wood and coal depots; (3) the acquisition and extension ol works for the manufacture of gas and electricity and the supply thereof as light and power; (4) all work's to be performed by day labor, and Trade Union rates of pay and hour's observed; (5) closing of shops on Saturday for the weekly half-holiday; (6) free music in public places at suitable times. Among the wild hills of County Tyrone a, patriarch in longevity has just been discovered, who is. as far as is known, the oldest man living to-day in Ireland. That is .Mr George Fletcher, of Pomeroy, County Tyrone, who has just celebrated his 116 th birthday, and who, on bein^ interviewed the other day. reported him" self to be living still "quite jolly." He lives on the face of a hill about half a mile from Pomeroy railway station. He was born in the house, and has spent long years under the same old roof. Many are the interesting tales the old man can tell. Those who take an interest in solar phenomena have an opportunity just now to observe a remarkably large sunspot (says the Sydney Morning Herald of 6th instant). It was visible yesterday in tlic centre of the sun. and measurements gave its size as being approximately 95.000 miles long and 60.000 miles across. To put. its magnitude in another way. eighty globes the size of the earth could be dropped into the abyss wiuiout filling it, with, of course, disastrous consequences to me globes. Ihe spot is easily visible with the unassisted eye. Witu the appearance of the snn spot there will probably be a revival of the theory of the inHuence of sun spots on the terrestrial weather. Mr William Wilson writes to the Patea Press: "Now that the threshing season is on us 1 wish to draw the attention of those who have threshing to do to the Noxious Weeds Act of 1900, clause 8, which makes it compulsory for any person in charge of any threshing mill to thoroughly clean out such machine immediately after using at each farm and before removing such machine to another farm. U is most important to owners of land to keep their lands free of weeds as far as possible, but few think of the matter and in tho meantime, the mills, which are seldom if ever cleaned out during the threshing season, spread noxious weeds from one farm to another. My reason for addressing you is that I have seen n sample of barley, threshed within the last 10 days, whit h was a disgrace to the owner of the mill used, sorrel and corn bind it was full of, and it is 100 to 1 that the mill was not cleaned as required by law. The next farm would get the benefit of it. A farmer is a fool who allows a machine lo come on the farm that has not been cleaned as required by law before it enters his gate. The penalty for not cleaning, not less than 10s or more than £20. One maximum fine would, I think, end

tliD difficulty,

J ii the dairy the problem of keeping all the utensils used for milk, cream, and butter sweet is most important, as the dairy farmer fully realises that the slightest taint or hint of staleness left in a can or other utrnsil may ruin a whole output, and prejudice a reputation it has taken many years to build up. The taint left is in the form of bacteria, which find a happy multiplying ground in milk, cream, or butter, sometimes producing most disastrous results. Hot water will not rinse away the greasy residue in dairy utensils; soap leaves a residue of its own, winch is, if anything, worse than the milk or cream residue, and it is essential that a handy cleanser and sweetener should be available which will suit modern requirements. Borax (says an exchange) has proved itself to be an ideal cleanser, sweetener, and antiseptic which destroys bacteria and other germ growths, and docs not cause any harm in its resulting effects. Milk, cream, and butter from dairies where borax is used as a cleansing agent always commands a good market, and the saving of labor to the dairyman is considerable. Borax is easily used by making it into a solution of about four tablespoonsfuls to a gallon of water, and vessels washed with this solution will be absolutely clean and sweet, and have a freshness which it is impossible to obtain 1 wuh any other- ajient.

Young gentleman advertises for lodgings. A. A. McPhail, in this issue, challenges, any Alton runners to race a mile with him and concedes 100 yds, .start. Owing to the Wanganui races Baddeley and Forlong's stock sale will be held on March 4 instead of ,ihe previous day. ' Nominations for chopping events at the To Kiri sports close on March 4 and for running events a week later. J. It. Stewart and Co. hold their Mauaia 6aln on Thursday. R. Hannah and Co., shoe experts, have an advertisement in tbis issue, which should repay perusal. A milker is wanted.

Sick Headache positively cured by Dr Ensor's Tamer Juice. TAMER JUICE also relieves distress from dyspepsia, indigestion, and too hearty eating. A perfect remedy for dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, bad taste in the mouth, coated tongue, torpid liver. A purely vegetable compound.

The evidence of a 'bus driver that he J cjulu see better at night without lights cm his vehicle than witti them created ' . ome diversion before tne Full Court in j . jydney the other day. The driver stated, I turther, that the only accident he ever I iiwt with was when he had lights. Coun- •. I said that he had known of other cases if the same sort, where drivers in the • ountry objected to lights, on the ground .at the glare about them prevented them >oing ahead of them as well as they mid see without. One of their Honors marked that, if drivers could see bet- ..•■• without man with lights, they must !(■ blinder than bats. Counsel said that j coachdrivers in the country, to his knowledge, preferred to travel without lights, which, however, they were compelled by 'aw to carry. When they got out of townships they accordingly put their lights out in order to see the road better.

Our great half-yearly sale, which .:losed last Saturday, was a huge success. During the next few days, until the new goods are landed, we will clear all remnants and oddments regardless of cost; also floorcloths and linoleums at unheardof prices. W. Spence, Hawera Economic. — Advt.

If you are troubled with indigestion, constipatijn, liver or kidney ailments, Dr Ensor's Tamer Ju':e will cure you. Ai' «t.or»«. — Ad»t

Witch's Oil for rheumatism, lumbago, sciatica, all deep-seated muscular or rheu matic pains. — Advt.