Untitled

Mataura Ensign, 30 January 1911, Page 4

According to the view held by the 'Taranaki News,' "the land" should be preached from the pulpit, shouted from the housetops, and discussed on the Bench, in the home, and in the streets. In the opinion of our contemporary the land question is more important than the gold industry, and is of infinitely greater significance than the coronation of a King, the death of an anarchist, or the result of a prize fight. "But there is no great voice to sing the song of the land." Among other cases to be heard at the Gore S.M. Court on Thursday are two charges of breaches of the borough bylaws, viz., riding bicycles on footpaths, charges of assaulting and resisting a constable in the execution of his duty, breaches of the Rabbit Act, and a number of civil cases. 'An unusual sight was to be seen at Walsingham, the farm of Mr T. Overton, Lakeside, Canterbury, the other day, two threshing plants being at work, one at each end of a hay stack. The grass-seed was being threshed from the stooks, and there were about 30 men at work. About 80 trucks of cheese were graded on Saturday at Bluff prior to shipment by the Manuka to-day. With the exception of about 20 cases from one of the smaller factories, the whole shipment passed the first-grade test, the Edendale consignment, with 94 points, scoring highest. There is a spring on the Awatoetoe property, Wairarapa, which emits oil and gas continuously. It is situated on the top of what is known as "Kerosene Hill." The property has been visited from time to time by Government geologists i all of whom have reported favorably on the indications, and have recommended a thorough geological survey of the district. The Gore schools' excursion to Riverton will take place on Wednesday. The Gore Retailers' Association will observe the day as a whole holiday. Tickets will be procurable at Mr Geo. Brett's office (next 'Ensign' office) between 3 and 5 p.m. daily, and at Mr .lames Turnbull's shop, Medway street, between 7 and 9 p.m. The train will leave Gore at 7.30 a.m., and return leaving Riverton at 5.10 p.m. A female cyclist who was caught riding on the footpath in Nile street. Nelson, recently, put forth an ingenious excuse when stopped by the police constable. She explained that she was wearing a good black skirt and had taken to the footpath because the road was so dusty that if she kept on it her skirt would have been spoiled. When she was wearing an ordinary skirt she never rode on the footpath. A local resident had a very unpleasant experience on Tuesday, states the Carterton paper. Feeling thirsty _ he went to the pantry, and in the semidarkness picked up a bottle from amongst others which he thought held a cordial. He drank yome of the contents, but the taste was not of cordial, and he put the bottle down. His mouth and stomach began to burn very violently, and on lines'igation he found he had been drinking terpentine. So painful was the effect next day that he could scarcely move around. A Mastertou resident, who has just returned from a visit to Hawko's Bay, brings a most discouraging report concerning the state of the country in that part, says the 'Age.' The whole coun-try-side beyond Takapau presents a . bu'rnt-up appearance. He s;uv a mob of cattle in one paddock which seemed to be almost famished. Grass ami bush fires a-re raging in the neighborhood of Dannevirke, and on the coast ihey have bad practically no lain lor the past I'J months. The picnicker who throw:, an empty lead tea-packet or I he rapaule |rom the top of a bottle inlo grass where live stock can get at il probably has no idea that he is likely to cause serious loss lo other people (remarks the 'Taranaki Herald'). Rut a farmer in (his district has had the danger of (his practice brought home to him very forcibly. I!e----cently Mr F. H. Sampson of Sentry Hill, leased a portion of (lie Wailar.i Racing Club's properly, and turned some of his cattle into it. Rut :ni ,n----explicable mortality set in amongsl (lie stock pastured in the paddock. Six cows have died during the past, month, bringing the number that have died since October up to ten. A careful search of the paddock failed to revcil the presence of any poisonous weeds, so Mr Sampson got a veterinary surgeon to make a post mortem examination of some of the animals. Then -t was found that they had died of leadpoisoning. In the stomachs of the animals were pieces of dead—portions of teapacketsand so forth—which had been thrown by the frequenters of the racecourse into the paddock in question, and eaten by the cattle. A peculiarity of the disease is that the animals become stone blind about a week before death. Mr Sampson's loss is no light one. Several of the cows he lost were good milking cows, and the others were springing heifers. During the last few days yet another good milch cow has become blind, and is expected to die within a few days. !

Some comment was made yesterday j during the clmrcli parade of the Terri- j torials on two or three members of the band who took part appearing in mufti. Some time ago a paragraph in a Taranaki paper stated that at a point on that-ooast after every storm the residents were able to supply themselves with plenty of sponges of good commercial quality, that had been torn from the rocks and washed ashore. The 'Chemist and Druggist' in its issue of December 3, says tn.it samples sent to Burgoyne, Burbridgcs and Co. by one of their representatives have, been pronounced of excellnt quality. The following extraordinary facts are vouched Kir by a contemporary:—After the death of a farmer m the district 1 his s;,:i, a young lad, occupied his time in doing various duties in connection with tiie management of the farm, ineluding ploughing with a. double-fur-raw plough. 'lliis went on for live years, the lad not receiving regular wages, only receiving money from his mother when he wanted it. In accordance with recent retrospective legislation, the widow lias been notified that she must pay her son full wages for the past live years, at a ploughman's rate of pay he being the user of a double-furrow plough. It is not made clear what the result would have been had a single-furrow plough been vised. Had the son made application for payment, matters would lie simplified; but he states that he does not want it, and will not have it; but the law says he must. If it be wicked to picnic on Sunday, Auckland must be the wickedest place in the Dominion. It has the nearest approach to the Continental Sunday in all New Zealand, and is making the sacred day more Continental than ever this season. At an early hour any Sunday morning one may see dozens of private picnic parties starting out by drag or motor car for Henderson Valley the Waitakere Ranges, Xihotapu Falls, Hunua Falls, and other resorts, or by boat for gulf resorts. Then the ferry steamers ply a brisk trade, carrying excursionists to Takapuna, St. Heliers, Rangitoto, Riverhead, Motutapu and other places, and these excursions are regular institutions, regularly advertised. Fishing parties by the score go by motor boat or yacht to various parts of Hauraki Gulf and merry crowds of bathers of both sexes may be seen on any of the beaches. It is not too much to say that many thoui sands of Aucklanders go on pleasure trips on Sundays. No one seems to take much notice, and that is what astonishes southern visitors. In speaking to an Auckland 'Star* I representative anent the attitude of the Farmers' Union towards politics, the provincial secretary (Mr A. J. C. Schmitt) remarked that there was no doubt that a farmers' party would be brought into existence. "We want a party of our own. pledged to no interests but those of the agricultural and pastoral community," said Mr Schmitt. "We cannot organise on any other lines, and we will not attempt to do so. Neither Government nor Opposition supporters, even though willing to .' espouse our platform, will do. We must be right in the middle of the j road, and run our own candidates, who ! will be pledged to the freehold, revenue , tariff, a change in the land valuation j system t and other planks in the union's 'platform. At present, each of the 13 I members of the executive of the union ; has been asked to formulate schemes, ! which will be considered at a special meeting in a month's time. We will then set about organising in every district in the province, and expect to have arrangements completed before the next general election in Novom l ber." i Purse lost. 1).1'.C Summer Sal.-' now on. Roy in- Bros, have new music foi" sale. Miss M. Latham resumes ii-aiiiing m Fehrur.ry fi. Faitt and Co. have <-<,;:i;try properties I for sale. | All classes of school books stocked bv jJ. I). Forbes. I *''. Smith, Jun. 'Ansel! ;im! Co.) ;-ivt< j ('ore on February 3. ; M-s M. Fasten (Matauri) losimic, j teaching on Thursday. ; Special meeting Gore Retailors' As i sfciariou on Thursday. j Dalgety and Co.. 'Ltd.. sell freehold j property on Tuesday, February 7. | Miss Iris M. Durham is prepared lo ] receive pupils lor pianoforte and theory, etc. W. Raker announces his annual sale. His Christmas liv.o.U ;nv to hand, his selection of novelties is (it for a large city, and anyone in search of gills will surely find tonicthing to suit them in his extensive stock. No Chemicals nre us?d ir> the manufacture of Thomson's Raspberry Vincqnt\ It is guaranteed mads from Pure Whole-fruit Raspberries.