LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVII, Issue LVII, 14 May 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Hawera Acclimatisation Society contemplate offering so much each for hawks' and shags' heads., The Eltham Hockey Club played a friendly match against the Stratford Club on Thursday, which resulted in a win for Stratford by 5 goals to 1.

At Wesley Church on Sunday the Rev. F. W. Boys will take for his subject in the morning "Should we make work a drudgery?" and at night a memorial service to the late King will be held, at which special hymns will be sung and the Dead March played. v

The Victorian Minister for Mines states that as soon as Parliament gives the necessary authority he will be able -to sell coal to the public at 14s per ton, delivered at the railway depots in the suburbs.

At the Hawera Presbyterian Church to-morrow Sunday School anniversary services will be held in the morning and afternoon. Mr Shore will be the preacher, and special hymns will be sung by the children's choir. In the evening an address will be given to young men and young women, and reference will be made m the service and sermon to the death of the King.

About fifty applications have been made to the Minister administering the Race Meetings Act (Hon. D. Buddo), for permission to hold race meetings, and only, two have been declined. The ground of* refusal was that the clubs -had not, allegedly) carried out a race meeting satisfactorily prior to the passing of the Act. \

Tenders are to be invited at once for the installation of a wireless telegraphy system in New Zealand on the lines indicated by; the Prime Minister in his Winton speech — the erection of two stations of -high power, and three lowpower stations. The Prime Minister is of opinion that if suitable offers are obtained the whole scheme ought to be working within twelve months.

The settlers in the vicinity of Molesworth are at present having a trying time with rabbits. It has been reported that some of the places there are simply swarming with the pest, and despite the onslaughts made upon the rabbits with traps, dogs, guns, and poisoning, there is no apparent decrease in their numbers.

An information, charging a local resident with the theft of rose bushes from a Hawera garden, was called on in the Magistrate's Court this morning. Mr P. ODea, who appeared for the defendant, stated that his client had only been served Jate last night, and counsel had not time to prepare a defence. Ho had arranged with the sergeant of police for an adjournment till next Thursday. Mr Kenrick, S.M., accordingly set the caso down for that day. The Official Assignee in Wellington stated on Wednesday during his examination of a bankrupt auctioneer that the auctioneering business had been very depressed during the last few months. He was in a position to know this because he was frequently giving instructions to sell. "I do not think any auctioneer in town is more than holding his own just now," he concluded. "Things are in a very bad state. There are no sales of properties, and merchandise is just' being friveii away." These remarks were endorse by an auctioneer creditor who was present.

The destruction of bush on the banks or New Zealand's great scenic river, the Wanganui, is to receive special attention £mm the Hon. James Carroll, who will visit the locality with the wanganui citizens' committee who voiced the protests against what had been going on to the detriment of the beauty or the river banks. It has been urged that all the scenic areas should be preserved, but this would involve an enormous expenditure, too large to be considered by the Government. A substantial amount of preservation work is, however, contemplated^ the Prime Minister informing a New Zealand Times representative that there was no doubt, in the interests of the country' generally ,that it was desirable to retain many portions of the unusually fine Wanganui river scenery in its natural state. Newton King advertises dairy cows for sale.

In sentencing a prisoner the other morning the magistrate at New Plymouth by a slip of the tongue said three months when he meant six. But the prisoner had been removed before the mistake was discovered, and got the benefit of it.

The building trade in Hawera continues to be fairly active, and is far and away ahead of what it was this time last year. Permits to the value of nearly £3000 were, issued during the past month by Mr Canton, building inspector.

Quit© recently someone stole about sixteen valuable rose bushes from the

residence of Mr C. Goodson, High street. The trees had not long been planted, and were procured from one of the best nurseries in the province. It is said that the practice of stealing plants is by no means uncommon. j With regard to the prices of bicycle tyres, it is interesting to note that while the value has not yet risen in sympathy with recent developments in the rubber market, the trade has been notified that substantial increases are to take effect from May 21. The increases range from 12 % to 33J per cent. The Taranaki farmer has now many side lines which a few years ago had no great commercial value( says the Taranaki Herald). At the wool, skin, and hide sale on Wednesday morning it was pointed out that a kerosene tin full of good fat was worth 8s or 9.5. One interested in the trade also pointed out that owing to lack of enterprise there was still a large quantity of material suitable for by-products going to waste at the local abattoirs. On Tuesday nest the Hawera Mounted Territorials will go into training on the Egmont A. and P. Association's show grounds for about ten days. It is expected that fully seventy members will be encamped. Under the new defence scheme the men will receive a personal payment of so much per day, according to their rank. The camp will be run strictly under service conditions. The Hawera Acclimatisation Society a few weeks ago decided to offer a reward of ; £10 _ to anyone securing a conviction against anyone for shooting during the close season which is. being observed in the Society's district this year. It has come under the notice of the Society that notwithstanding the warning given a large number of native and imported birds are being destroyed. In all probability the reward will be increased to £20. This will be considered among other matters to be dealt with at the meeting of the Council to be held shortly. At Friday night's meeting of the Hawera Borough Council the Mayor (Mr Barton) referred to the memorial service which it had been decided to hold in connection with the death of the late King Edward VII. On his motion a working committee, consisting of Crs Cowell, Sargeson, Reid and •tfhe mover, was appointed to prepare the Opera House for the function. His Worship said the service would be on lines similar to that at the time of the demise of Queen Victoria. An advocate of the queue system at Wellington theatres urges that it should also be applied to railway, booking offices. He says: "It is annoying to wait for your .turn at the window and then see some brutal, pushing newcomer, devoid of all decency and courtesy, push in before you and receive his ticket, while all you can do is to anathematise an antiquated plan which seems more fitted to crush your corns and spoil your temper than to expedite th© sale of railway tickets." At the meeting of the Hawera Borough Council on Friday evening the postponement of the visit of His Excellency the Governor to Hawera\ was mentioned. The Mayor said that according to the newspaper reports it was unlikely that Lord Plunket would now visit this district. 'He 'did not know whether as an act of courtesy they should ask His Excellency to include Hawera wJien re-arrnnging his farewell tour. The Town Clerk (Mr H. S. Elliott) stated that it was intimated in the telegram forwarded by the Council to the Governor expressing their regret at his illness that the citizens would bepleased at a later •period to welcome His Excellency to the town. Cr" Whittington - thought that would be sufficient for a- further invitation. The other councillors fell in with this view. It was agreed that the committee previously appointed to make arrangements for the visit was to remain in office in the event of the Governor deciding to include Hawera in his programme. The Public Health Department are doing excellent work in the Dominion in the interests of consumers by ascertaining by actual tests of the milk retailed that it is up to the standard required fey the Act. Surprise visits are made to the premises of all retail dairymen, and samples of every seventh cow's milk taken on each visit. These samples are then sent to the Dominion analyst, who tests the samples both for fat ana solids not fat. In many cases it is found that the milk sold is much above the requirements of the Act both in fat contents' and in the solids not fat, and it is highly satisfactory to learn that in the case of one of Hawera's leading retailers, Messrs Greville Bros., the result of four separate tests has shown that the milk sold is of ex- I cellent quality, th© fat contents as well as the solids not fat being on each occasion both well above the standard. It is worthy of note, too, that the testa now advertised in another column were made in the spring, when the milk is poorest. As the summer and autumn comes on the amount of fat as well as the solids not fat show a steady increase. For instance, the milk being retailed to-day would be of much better quality, both as regards fat and other solids, than when the tests referred to were made. In connection with the ' resignation of Mr W. P. Reeves as financial adviser to the Government in London, it will be remembered that when the subject of ihe appointment of Mr Reeves as financial adviser was debated in Parliament last year a section of the House displayed considerable hostility to the ex-High Commissioner being appointed, and it was only after a long, and at times unpleasant, discussion, that the appointment was confirmed by the EeSnm! 8 °l t}l ? . sala -ry for the office (£400). Speaking on the subject to a Wellington Post reporter, Sir Joseph Ward stated that when Mr Reeves became aware of the attitude taken up )y a section of th© House in regard to us appointment he cabled his resignation as from 31st March, although under the terms of the appointment he could have retained the position until tie end of June. "I consider that Mr ieoves was very badly treated by the House," said the Prime Minister. "It is highly necessary that New Zealand should have a financial adviser in London, and Mr Reeves was a very capable person to fill the position." Attention is called to H. J. Eaves' (Otakeho) replace scatter advertisements in this issue. Hun-ell Bros., coachbuilders, insert a replace advertisement to-day in reference to their "Dominion" gig. '

A euchre party will be held at Auroa. on Wednesday evening next.

Tli© fortnightly meeting of LoyaM Union Lodge, Hawera, will b© held orb Monday evening.

The Hawera Mounted Rifles (Territorials) will attend divin© service at St. Mary's Church to-morrow morning..

Th© adjourned meeting of tho Hawera Starr-Bowkett Society was held, on Friday night. An appropriation of £300 was sold to Mrs M. Barraclough. for £44.

At th© householders' meeting in a North Taranaki district on© candidate polled 27 votes out of 28 which might nave been cast for him, and th© Heraldi says it is believed the missing vot© xr&s~ his own.

In order to further popularise King Edward Park a kiosk of picturesquedesign will b© ©rected there. Th© plans for th© building are now being prepared, and it is expected to have the teahouse in readiness for th© opening of the next tennis season. Litigation in the American courts*, concerning moving picture patents, which resulted in a victory for Mr Thomas A. Edison,, has revealed the fact that Mr Edison receives £1450 a? week in royalties from -the moving picture business in the United : States. Account sales just received hovh Glasgow show tha£ Meremere Company received the remarkable price of 130s per lb on part of their Uorinthk^ consignment, while quite a considerable portion of the sasie shipment fetched 1295. The Secretary is not aware off any higher figure having been reached by any brand of New Zealand butter this season. It was stated by the Town Clerk atth© monthly meeting of the Hawera. Borough Council, on Friday evening: that the Council's contribution to the* Hawera Hospital Board had risen from £8 10s 6d to £11 15s 2d per month: \ The rate had risen from 6d to Bd. Thiswas due to the fact that the Board had now a smaller area and that the* Government grant for the current year would be less than heretofore.

During th© past few weeks a chess* tournament has been in progress between th© members of the Hawera. Chess and Draughts Club. The finaiT was played off the other evening between Messrs C L. Spicer and H. B. Williamson, when the former came out* victorious. The members are nor about to commence a draughts tourney,, and -any player will be Welcomed. There is (remarks the Trade Review)' a good supply of money in th© open market, though we hear that there is some paucity of sums of £5000 or £10,000 or over. Advances on freehold! security are readily obtainable for~ smaller amounts at from 5 to 5£ per cent. W© anticipate that the returns; to th© end of th© seasonfs tru© year — " to 30th September— will yield still moresatisfactory results. For many years th© petition of Mr' Joshua JoneSj praying for compensation, for dispossession of a large tract of lani on the left bank of the Mokau river,. Taranaki, has been regularly brought, before Parliament. So familiar is theclaimant and his claim that he is better known as "Mokau Jones." He took upth© land under a lease which was rendered irregular by fresh legislation, as a consequence of which it passed tootfher hands. The Government has now decided to appoint a Royal Commission) to enquir© into the claim. Foxton is to b© th© seat of an ex- . periment in a large way fraught withx interest to the vwhole Dominion (writes the Manawatu Standard). The* New Zealand Fibre and By-products. Company is spending some £10,000 oft manipulating flax fibre and. its by-pro-ducts and manufacturing them inte> marketable articles. The flax is not. paddocked at , all, but cleansed and dried inside th© works, and the result is >a pure whit© fabric of the very beat quality. A number of letters have recentlyappeared in various newspapers severely criticising the management of Moumahaki State Farm. The letters weresigned "T. C. Nicol," "Cow-spanker," 1 "Advanced Agriculturist," ' "K. Daly."" "Waverleyite," "Anti-Humbug;" and 7 "A. L. Johnston." It is now reported* l that all the letters were written by the same person, who has signed a confession, now. in the hands of the nianageir at Moumahaki. A Departmental enquiry is possible. The author of theletters, who is employed at the farm, is be'ieved to have been a disappointed aspirant to the position of manager,, vacated by Mr Gillanders. In conversation with an Ashburton-. Mail reporter, a gentleman from a. dairying district in th© Peninsula said th© best milking average known to hint had been gained by a man and his wife,, who milked sixteen cows, each of whichi averaged £14 for the season. m He added that they were tested and picked milkers, and were well fedt "All the milk" you get out of your cows," he cqntinu- < ed, "you have to put in through their mouth. More food, more milk, if youhave a milking strain. The other kind 1 are useless. My boys have just gonein for Holsteins. They think they will" beat the Shorthorns we have at present. Oh, yes; the dairying industryhas made the people round our bay, and I think it will be a grelat success: in Ashburton." A meeting of the council of tfee> Hawera Chamber of Commerce was convened for Friday afternoon. After the; minutes of the previous sitting had' been read Mr Barton, president, said? it was the first meeting since the death'of His Majesty Edward VII., and hethought all the members would agree 1 with him that it was an occasion for marking our sympathy and loyalty toour late Sovereign by adjourning tbs j council for «ne week. He would move — (!) That a message be sent to His Excellency th» Governor, expressing »n behalf ef the citizens of Hawera theirdeep sorrow at the death of our lateamented Sovereign, and their respect— :ul m and loyal sympathy with Tfioir Majesties the King and Queen and the Queen Mother in their bereavement;and (2) that as a token of the foregoing* ;his council do now adjourn t<> th© samelour on Friday afternoon next. MrBaker seconded the motion, which was carried. An advertisement calls attention to--ihe yfeit to Hawera of Miss Powell, dominion organising secretary of tht£ W.C.T.U., and Airs Douglas, president of the Taranaki Provincial Union. These ladies are holding meetings with a view to organising a branch in Hawera. On Monday evening in the Wesey Hall Miss Powell will deliver her humorous and instructive lecture to women and girls on "Girls and their ovors," and on Tuesday afternoon in ' the Presbyterian schoolroom will give an. account of the rise and work of the Union, Mrs Douglas presiding. "Hich-grade footwear at factoryprices." See N.Z. Clothing Factory's announcement to-day. A permanent liealth— strength to aiways will and do, results from the continued use of Steams' Wine of Co<J L-ivor Extract— makes you healthy and: keeps you there. jq

The Hawera Borough Council has decided to make an application to the proper authorities for the revaluation oi the borough during the ensuing year.

An instance of the durability -of totara timber is furnished by Mr William "Wallis, one of Wellington's early settlers. Fifty years ago he built a house. The roof was covered with totara shingles, and these-yas well as the •weatherboards— are still in an excellent state of preservation. The shingles were removed the other day, and were found to be perfectly sound, despite their exposure to the elements for halt a century. In the course of an article on the sheep-shearing dispute in Canterbury, the Lyttelton Times says the parties are quarrelling over a comparatively trifling matter. Employers want the xate reduced from 18s to 17s 6d, the men want it raised to 20s per 100. In the Canterbury - Kaikoura district, •which comprises the vast area of pastoral country lying between the Uar'ence and the Waitaki rivers, there are 4880 owners" grazing 5,475,732 sheep. If a saving of 6d a hundred could be evenly distributed between these 4BHU owners it would amount to 5s 7d apiece. But three-fourths of them own, fewer than a thousand sheep, so that their interest in the dispute, measured in money, amounts to less than 5s apiece. The owner of 5000 sheep would save £1 ss, the owner 'of 10,000 £2 10s, and the owner of 20,000 £5. Even if the men's full demand were granted, if the rate were raised from, 18s to 20s a hundred; the farmer owmne 1000 sheep would pay only £1 more than he is paying now, and the squatter ownine 20,000 only £20 more. "What triflino-' differences of opinion may lead to labor troubles, and to tho disorganisation of a great industry.