GENERAL NEWS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 246, 30 March 1910, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

A farmer in the Western States had a son, and did not know in what business to start him, so he put him in a room in which there was nothing but a Bible, an apple, and a dollar. He decided that if after a short time he found the boy eating the apple he would make him a farmer; if reading the Bible he would train him for the Church; and if he had pocketed the money he would make him a stockbroker. Entering, he found the boy sitting on thfc Bible and eating the apple, with the dollar in his pocket. He became a politician. Arrangements have been made by the Railway Department to receive and check luggage on the evening previous to the departure of the trains by which passengers may intend to travel. The Department will charge storage on luggage checked overnight, and will require the production of the owner's ticket as a guarantee that he intends to make the journey per railway. The luggage checked overnight will be put on the first passenger train leaving for the station to which it is checked, and after being delivered there may be claimed at the convenience of the owner.

The pig suffers from a reputation for dullness, but one which was duly greased and liberated at Manunui sports on St. Patrick's Day showed as much intelligence as any of its pursuers. Once out of its box it made a straight line for the river, and though having only about 20 yards start in 200 yards it was in the water and swimming across before the score of hunters had reached the brink. It wa i a hard race, but the porker was on the further shore before the human swimmers could reach it. The chase was continued across a wide paddock, but the agile swine had found safety by • a narrow margin in the native scrub before the hunters could effect its capture.

The Cambridge Co-operative Dairy Association since August last has paid out about £35,000 up to date for butter-fat.

Some rather interesting incidents have taken place in connection with the opening up of the Moerangi Block, which has just been adjudicated upon at the Native Lands Court at Ngaruawahia. As one of the largest blocks of papatutu land in New Zealand, there were naturally many contestants for ownership. King Mahuta's agent, Mr Henare Kaihau, is reported to have had no less that 760 claimants on his list, but it was declared some time ago that continuous occupation, with ancestral rights, would only be recognised as giving a right to a holding. For some months past it has been amusing to observe claimants flocking to the block, and erecting temporary dwellings. Judge MacCormick paid a visit to the district, however, and noted the old kaingas from the mushroom habitations. Mahuta's claims have been disallowed, and the block, comprising 45,000 acres, has been vested in the Ngatitawehi and Ngatimahanga tribes. The Government land purchase agent is now making large purchases, and the natives are selling freely. From April Ist next, the present practice of notifying subscribers to the telephone exchanges of the items debited against them for bureau fees by means of debit notes and allowing such fees to accumulate until the next exchange subscription falls due, will be abolished. In future subscribers will not be advised of the amounts charged against them for

bureau fees until the end of the month, when an account for the month will be rendered to all subscribers owing fees, and payment of the amount claimed will be required to be made within a week from the date of rendering such account, otherwise no further communications will be permitted. From the same date also payment of the fees due from telephone subscribers for the services of a special messenger are to be made at the time the service is performed instead of, as heretofore, the charge being included in the account rendered for telephone exchange subscription at the end of three or six months, as the case may be.

That the Waikato is able to produce fat stock equal to any other part of the Dominion has been proved on more than one occasion—first, some years ago, when the pair of bullocks exhibited by the late Messrs J. McNicol and N. I. Hunt, swept the show rings in both islands; and last year, when Messrs Goodwin Bros, and E. Allen had almost a repetition of the I successes. The fact of the superiority of Waikato beef is so generally admitted, that it is hardly necessary to repeat the fact; but we are led to these remarks to refer to a Shorthorn heifer bred by Mr J. Livingstone, of Te Rapa, and fattened by Messrs Goodwin Bros., Newstead, which was shown at the Waikato Show at Claudelands in November in the two-year class. On that occasion she was placed fourth, being fairly beaten in the show ring by three other animals. Mr Goodwin had intended to keep this beast for the show ring, but Mr Alley, of Hikutaia, seeing her on the farm, would not be put off, and she passed into his hands and thence to the butcher. The beast has now been killed, and when dressed scaled 8871b, which, it must be allowed, 13 a splendid weight for a heifer only two years off. It would be interesting to know what the dead weight (if they have been killed) of those which beat her would run to.

NASAL catarrh or cold in the head, with all its disagreeable symptoms, may be quickly relieved and cured by "NAZOL." It is simple in use, powerful in action, and harmless to the patient. It is worth trying, because it represents the latest advance in medical science. Each bottle contains 60 doses and is sold by Chemists and Stores at Is 6d per bottle. 2