LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVII, Issue LVII, 13 April 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Eltham Caledonian Society's sports meeting takes place on Thursday.

A wire from Invercargill states that the second escapee, Stockbridge, who got away from a gaol gang on Monday afternoon, was captured at noon on Tuesday on the Mill road, four miles from town.

We hear of the sale of the farm of 203 acres on the Manaia road, owned by Dr Noonan and Mr Franklin, to Mr AVm. Dew, senr., of Normanby. As showing the rapid increase in land values on the AYainiate Plains it may be mentioned that this property was purchased last June by Dr Noonan' and Mr Franklin at £31 10s per acre and has just been sold at £41 per acre, being a profit of £1928.

At the monthly meeting of the Hawera branch of the Locomotive Enginedrivers, Firemen and Cleaners' Association, after hearing an address given by Mr C. G. Lee, of Wanganui, on the debate re recognition, a hearty vote of ■thanks was accorded to the speaker and members of the Grand Council who so ably placed their cause before the railway committee, and it was unanimously decided to stand firm by the Grand Council as the only body that truly represents the interests of locomotive men.

Manaia does not intend to allow Mr J. K. Law, the popular headmaster of the public school, to leave without showing in a tangible way its appreciation of the great interest he has always , taken during his long residence there in everything pertaining to the interest of the town. To-day a meeting of ladies and others interested is to be held to make arrangements for the scholars' presentation and for to-mor-row night a meeting of old pupils is convened by Mr T. A. Bridge and Mr A. J. Hastie to consider a suitable form ol farewell. The movement is being enthusiastically taken up and supported.

Eltiiam branch of Now Zealand Farmers' Union take a trip to- Moumahaki State Farm on April 18.

Tho annual meeting of Taranaki Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Assoiation will bo held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Eltham, on April 29 at 2 p.m.

The unsurveyed land in Taranaki available for future settlement is 92,000 acres, and the Maori land awaiting, settlement 480,000 acres.

Rabbits and hares have obtained a footing on the bleak AVaiouru Plains, and it is stated that their destruction, mainly by poisoning, will- cost one runholder about £2000 this yt>ar.

At Monday's meeting of the Eltnam School Committee attention was drawn to a paragraph which stated that grants had been made for residences at various schools. Mr Blackhall said the Board was treating Eltham very badly in the matter, as a new residence was much needed, and nothing was being done. He moved that representations be again made to the Board through^ the local representatives, Messrs Dixon and O'Dea. Mr Clements, who seconded the motion, said the residence was a disgrace to the town and the Board. [The motion was carried.

Tho North Island Main Trunk Railway (including the New Plymouth section) is .more profitable already than the South Island Main Trunk railways. During the period ending March 5, 1910 (339 days) the receipts on 1064 miles of the North Island line were £1,430,002 8s lid, and the expenditure £973,490 17s sd, giving a profit of £456,511 11s 6d for the 1064 miles. While the South Island line receipts for 1323 miles were only £1,217,537 10s sd, and tho expenditure £850,499 0s 6d, giving a 'profit of £367,038 9s lid.

The Ilawera Acclimatisation Society's fishing season closed tin's year at the end of March. This was on account of the rivers being unfavorable for natural spawning. Owing to the currents being so swift the spawn, is carried away. License holders, however, may fish in the adjoining districts to the end of the present month. A local angler was out Opunake way the other day, and among his catches were some female fish heavy m spawn, and he says it is a pity that these fish should bo taken from the streams in view of the circumstances mentioned (rapid-running rivers), as the natural spawning alone would not keep our rivers stock with fish— instance tho operations of the Hawera Society in the stocking of district streams.

The steamer Graf Muravjef (the old New Zealand liner Rangatira) arrived m the Thames recently with 3647 carcases of Chinese pigs, thousands of poultry; thousands of frozen salmon from the river Amur, and an immense quantity of eggs "in b'llk," besides Manchurian wheat and timber. "The Chinese pig trade," said a representative of the Union Cold Storage Company, "may now be considered to be established, and there are* several other consignments on the way to this country. The pigs are of the wellknown China-Poland breed — the same which wore imported into Denmark, and have been such a success there.

They are too large to bo sold in tho ordinary way in joints for the table, and so will bo used for making bacon." Tho vessel named above also brought a large quantity of Siberian game. "Two thousand pounds reward to the woman who succeeds in marrying old

Fritz Hardicup," is the announcement issued by the "supervisors," or Poor Law Guardians, of Grundy County, Ohio. For nearly forty years Fritz has been an inmate of the county work-

house. Thirty years ago a relative left him £600 to be put out at interest and held in trust "for Hardicup's wife." But Hardicup has an invincible aversion from marriage. For years spinsters without number from the countryside have tried in vain to induce the old man to marry. Now the original £600 has increased to £2000. "I don't want the, £2000," the old pauper remarked the other day to an interviewer, "if I have to take a woman along vfjih. it.

If I had a wife she'd want to put mustard plasters on me or make me take a bath and do other things I don't want to." Selig Brodetsky, the young London East-end Russian Jew, of humble origin, who caused such a stir in educational circles two years ago by' being bracketed Senior Wrangler at Cambridge, has won another notable success at tho University. It was announced last month that he had secured the Isaac Nowton scholarship tenable for throe years, the emolument of which is £200° per annum. Brodetsky thus adds another to his long list of scholarships. Ho already holds the Marmaduke Levitt (£4O), tho Anthony Death (£6O), the Fishmongers' Company's (£SO), a Trinity Minor (£6O), and a Trinity Major (£100). Several of these have two years yet to run. Brodetsky's home is in a small thoroughfare opposite tho Assembly Hall in the Mile-end-road. His father, an exile from Russia, came to England with his family almost penniless twenty years ago, and his clover son, to the advantages offered by our free education system, has proved himself worthy of the hospitality which these shores extended to alien exiles. What is said to be a world's record price for stud sheep (says an exchange) was offered on Saturday to Mr Ernest Short, of Parorangi, for two of the rams which he is taking to the Argentine for competition at the coming Centennial Show at Buenos Ayres. Mr Wm. Akers, the well-known Linton (Palmerston North) breeder, commissioned Mr Chas. Carr, of Feildmg, to purchase two of the Short Rqmneys. Mr Carr went out to Parorangi and inspected the Short stud flock, and as a result met Mr Short m Feilding, and offered £800 each for the two animals he selected. Mr Akers was prepared to write out a cheque at once for the £1600. Mr Short refused the offer, as tho two rams selected by Mr Carr were the pick of the flock for tho Argentine, and with one of them he hopes to win the world's championship against the English breeders at Buenos Ayres. Mr Short and his competitive contingent leave Feilding for South America on the 19th inst. Mr E. J. Riddiford, of the Hutt, one of the best judges of sheep in the Dominion, declares that the Short Romneys that are going to the Argentine are worth £5000, and their departure will bo a distinct loss to New Zealand, but if Mr Short wins the world's championship it will demonstrate that New Zoaland can breed better sheep than even Kent, the home of the Romney breed. Mr James Knight, a Southdown breeder, of Feilding, accompanies Mr Short on his tour of the South American countries after tho Centennial Show.

Attention is directed to Newton King's replace land advertisement in this issuo.

'Students for ■wool-classing will moot 30 a.m. Tuesday and Saturday, 12th and 16th inst. respectively in the Hawera Technical School. No classes ivill bo hold at Ararato and Mokoia in tho meantime.

For Chronic Chest Complaints, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is 6d, 2s 6d.— Advt.

The Salvation Army harvest thanks* giving festival was brought to a successful conclusion on Tuesday night.

The Metropolitan Assembly was well attended on Tuesday night, and an enjoyable time was spent. Excellent music was supplied by Moosman's orchestra.

The mail train this morning was crowded. J. C. Williamson's Operatic Company and the Besses of tho Barn, Band were passengers. An additional engino was attached to the train at Hawera to take it over the steep gradients between here and Aramoho. A few minutes before the mail was dueto depart It was discovered that a con-* necting pin in one of t'iio locomotiv-es had been damaged. It was some thirty minutes before it was repaired, and it was after 10 o'clock when tho train got away.

Letters, have lately been appearing in the Wellington papers about the jerrybuilding which is going on in that city. One writer gives it as his opinion that the houses that are being put up at present by the jerry and speculating builders will, in fifteen years, equal those of slum tenements of the Old Country, or those in the Chinese quarter of the city, which are a terrible eyesore to every Wellington citizen. "Writing as one who is connected with the trade (he says) my estimate of cost of land, labor, material for the fourroomed house type would not exceed £250. They are advertised on the market at about £450, with easy terms, to the worker. But before he will have paid the balance, with interest, his what was once a beautiful home will be not further fit for habitation."

Tho sanitary authorities at Hongkong have been warned of the importation from Canton of large quantities of mosquito larvae. The discovery, appar- • ently, was only made by accident, but it seems that this disease-bearing commodity has been coming down from the capital of Kwangtung for a long time, and is used principally to feed gold fish. The larvae is brought into Hongkong on a reed, which tho Chines© call Sa Chung, which is sold in the streets of the city. For one cent, it is stated, sufficient Sa Chung can be bought to feed a gold fish for quite a while, but tho owner of the fish who stocks this dangerous fodder is probably blissfully ignorant that he is rearing his fish at the great risk of the health of himself and his family.

A camelot named Maurice Benedict was arrested at Paris a few weeks ago on a very curious charge of robbery. Benedict some time ago was under treatment at St/ Louis Hospital. The patient was suffering from a disease of the nose, and to cure it the doctors had recourse to a composition containing radium. The doctors did not tell the patient that he carried about on his nose £24 .worth of radium, but Benedict found it out for himself. Ono day the doctors discovered that the bit of radium had disappeared from the patient's nose. The latter protested he knew nothing about it. From the time he left thepospital the police kept an eye upon him, and ultimately M. Hamard found the stolen radium carefully hidden in the lining of Benedict's coat. Ho was consequently arrested for the theft.

In view of statements which have been made regarding the increased price of living, the following facts (says a Dunedin paper) may prove interesting : Housewives have to face the usual rise in the price of milk. It is up to 2d per pint, tho same rate as at this time last year. Butter has risen to Is 2d per lb, or Id above the rate in April of 1909 ; this is owing to the high prices ruling in the outside markets, and the rate may drop at any time. There is no alteration in cream, and has been none for about two years, the price re.inaining at Is per pint. • Enquiries as to other lines bring assuring statements from leading shopkeepers. The grocers say that none of their commodities have gone up lately. Sugar has risen to tho wholesale men by two or three little advances of 5s and 10s per ton, but the retailers are still selling at 2£d, and though they fear that any further advance may necessitate an increase to the shop price, the most that is likely to happen is a rise of id per lb. Bread is at the same price as for a long time past, and the butchers report that meat is as cheap as at any time during the past seven or eight years, and there is no likelihood of an immediate rise.

"Since tho settlement of the strike on 14th March business in coal has been booming," states the Sydney Telegraph of 28th March. A couple of days after work was resumed trains commenced to arrive at the dyke with long lines of trucks, and when the collieries were in full working order a procession of heavily laden trains reached tho big marshalling yard daily, all tho loading appliances being kept working constantly. About 30,150 tons were loaded into various vessels during the last few days of the first week after the resumption of operations, while last week full time was worked at nearly all the mines, and «p^ to yesterday 91,000 tons had been exported to foreign and inter-State ports. Of course, the bulk of the coal was taken to oversea destinations, many of tho steamers which had been waiting here for months being despatched. The exodus, however, has not altered the crowded appearance of the harbor to any material extent. At present there are fully 100 vessels scattered about the port, and additions are being made day by day. So far only two sailers have left, but several are lying out in tho stream ready for sea."

Hawera Gas Co. notify that Friday, April 15, will be last discount day.

Tristram and , Co., land and estate agents, Eltham, advertise that they have several desirable properties to dispose of.