LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVI, Issue LVI, 21 July 1909, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Railway Department is evidently intent on putting down the "overriding" abuse. During the past week a check inspection has been carried out on the Manawatu suburban trains, with the result that a number of passengers were found travelling beyond the destination to which they had taken tickets. Names and addresses of the offenders were taken. Settlors on the Plains will be interested to know that Mr W. R. Tremain, formerly of Auroa, who went North two years ago for health reasons, has been appointed Foreman of Works to the Newmarket Borough Council, Auckland, out of fifty applicants. Mr Tremain has lived in various parts of Auckland province, and still regards South Taranaki j as the best climate for anyone in good i

health.

A Christchurch paper says that probably as a result of the troubles of the Trades Council, and no doubt for other reasons, prominent unionists have set on foot a movement to form a New Zealand Labour party. The first step was taken at a meeting of unionists the other evening, a committee being set up to arrange for a public meeting to discuss the matter. A proposal to

found a new - Labor paper is already winning considerable support, and it is hoped that the two schemes will be able to work in conjunction. Some of the movers say that the Liberal Labor Alliance is no longer effective for the workers whose interests the Government is neglecting, and they hope to found a Labor party somewhat on the

lilies of the Australian party.

Fires, incipient, destructive, and complete, have been more numerous this winter than ever before, so a Wellington Post reporter was informed by a prominent fire insurance manager this afternoon. "I put a lot of it down," said the fire expert, "to the habit of drying clothes indoors before the fire. A single spark falling on to dry, warm fabrics sets them all ablaze, and there you are. My attention has been specially called to it by the number of small claims coming in for damages to clothes and furniture by these miniature conflagrations. People should be warned about the danger of the practice, and take all proper precautions in drying clothes. It is one of the most frequent causes of the destruction of property — this drying things before the fire."

Misses Brunette and Green announce that their next donee will be held in the Foresters' Hall on Friday evening next.

J. C. Gillett announces the last fewdays cf bis pjeat stock-taking sale. See sppcial T»ricp«! in this issue for babies' and children's wear.

"nirty members answered the roll-en li at iho Government parade of the Jtiawera Rifles on Tuesday night. Captain. Wright was in command, and associated, with him were Surgeon-Captain MacGibbon and Liouts. Johnstone and Bishop. In future the corps will paradeweekly instead of fortnightly. SurgeonCaptain Mac Gibbon is to give a seriesof lectures to the members on first aid, commencing next parade night. About twelve months ago (says the Wanganui Herald) we made mention in these columns of certain very distressing and painful circumstances connected with the outbreak of disease at several of the Maori settlements on the Parapara Road. A well-known half-caste woman within a period of about a month lost by death a daughter (8 years of age), a nephew (14), her husband, her sister; and the latter's husbar.d. A couple of day s ago the unfortunate woman brought her baby (born since the deaths above referred to) to town for medical assistance, but it sueffumbed to the same complaint that caried off most of the other victims. The baby, up to within the last week or two, was an exceptionally fine strong child. We have it on good authority (says the Oamaru Mail) that a number of the butter factories of the North Island are to substitute the making of cheese for butter this coming season. Not only are they altering their butter factories, but some are also putting a cheese plant in their creameries. As there is only a limited number of cheese-makers in the Dominion this means that there will be plenty of work for those available, while f the conversion of creameries into cheese factories must considerably enhance the value of butter, not only in the North Island, but also down here, for during the winter particularly we have in the past drawn largely on.^the North for our buttersupplies. It would appear that some of the unemployed in Christchurch could, if they desired, find an outlet for theirenergies in the country, judging by the remarks of a couple of North Canterbury residents in giving evidence before the Arbitration Court. One witness stated that for six months past labor had been very scarce in the Rangiora district, and he could not understand why men would not leave town. There was work for them in the country if they would take it. Another witness stated that he was practically always short-handed. The district in which he looked after the water-races comprised some 350 square miles, and yrhen race-cleaning operations were being carried out he could never get as many men as he wanted. In discussing the merits of Waikato as a grain growing district, a Waikato farmer of sonic experience said nearly all farmers who sowed small patches of wheat last season did so with satisfactory results, as from 40 to 50 bushels has been a common return. Should prices keep firm Waikato is able to produce a high-class grain with any other part of the Dominion, and as an instance of the district's capabilities it may be stated that one local farmer has this season threshed out two thousand five hundred sacks of grain, nearly the whole of ft being wheat. For some years past Algerian has been the one variety of oats sown on account of rust, but it seems that the danger of this is now passing The few farmers who ventured on sowing the old favorite varieties of oats last, spring experienced no rust so fan- as can be learned. Some years ago practi"cally the whole of the feed oats consumed m the Waikato were locally grown, but for the last few seasons, many thousands of sacks have had to be imported from the South at a heavy expense for freight. IWWpWv* 0 a Circular from Mr -Braik (Chief Inspector Wanganui EduSrf^WJJ 0 c Hawera Distdct High School Committee, inviting members of the committee and others intr,W It- t° o 7m7 me f tin g he^ at -the District High School on Tuesday evening, about a dozen persons attended. By an Ordei-m-Council the Education Department are prepared to make liberal grants to Education Boards for the purpose of securing complete courses inrural economy at District High Schools. The result of the introduction of this new system would mean that more hTd t0 SO onXland instead of there being such a surplus prepared for civil service posi*Zn + ?f? f *¥ alt «™**» curses tnat *ould thus be provided pupils would make their own choice. Conditionally that the names of ten students arl forthcoming at each of the District Hiath Schools m Wanganui Board's distnct, or there is a total of 70 pupils, the new scheme can be gone on with gbject to the Department's approva L M Braik was m attendance, and he in^r? 1 ! 1"^1 "^ c scheme - Th « following resolution was adopted, and is to be forwarded to the Board/ "That this meeting approV es of the Wrested' course of rural education as a ferXi one to the present commercial and class*al and Wi,y 4^ iJrf* H ° n - T - M « skaß » d oes not regard m a very serious light statements made recently that Now Zealand far Placed on the Question by the circum stances of a gentleman *I knew He W^ ° D Q« ee^land faring and yZs S St h °? 6 f ° r four five years, finalJy, owing to the drought he lost his two properties, and rellJv the cry of a new exodus. T™at it any rate, is my opinion." ' fc X For Inflow,!!* wk- vr,wv r t « 1( . ' V

£ The office of the Magistrate's Court was closed to-day (Arbor Day). "I hope to see the day when Germany will get an infernal thrashing," is the way in which a Matamata resident concludes a letter to the secretary of the Wellington branch of the Navy League. The writer encloses applications, with cash, for the enrolment of himself and six others, as associates ■ of the League. "We are," he remarks, "not blessed with much money, all working men (milking cows), and we .work about 14 hours a day (Sunday land all), and I am nearly seventy. I in Gloucestershire, under old Admiral Berkeley, who bombarded St. Jean d'Acre in the Thunderer, and many a good run I have had with Sir Henry Kenpel and Lord Charles Beresford with the Berkeley hounds." The "dead-beat" and his habits came under review for a brief moment at the Palmerston North Hospital Board meeting on Friday. During a discussion on the difficulty of discriminating between the genuine article and the professional loafer, Mr R. L. Bryant said that at one time they used to ask for work when they called at the farmhouses. They probably did not want it, but they asked all the same. Nowadays things were different. A man rarely asked for a job ; he simply begged for tucker. The Pahiatua track seemed to be a regular trade route for "sun-downers" going from coast to coast. They called it every house, and rarely went away empty-handed. Mr Pearce said that there was a little h\it on his property, and recently a "sun-downer" had camped there. He made a tour of the farmhouses in the vicinity every day, and , returned to the hut at night with the r spoils, and that went on for a month. Another member of the Board also mentioned the case of an ingenious person who took up his quarters in a little hut in the Kairanga district, and every day for a fortnight made a tour of the adjacent farmhouses on a pony! k^Dr Sheldon's New Discovery for ■Coughs and Colds is an unequalled ■ preparation for the Cure of all Chest r Complaints and Lung Troubles. Price Is 6d and 3s per bottle Obtainable at W. K. Wallace, agent, Hawera. — Advt.