NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 181, 4 August 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Wellington bakers are charging twopence-halfpenny for the twopound loaf of bread, cash or weekly payments. The executive c< the Canterbury School Committees' Association is asking the Government to supply such committees with coal from the State mines. The postal authorities advise that tho AucUaml-San Francisco despatch of the Jst of July arrived in London on fie Ist inst., and the MelhouineUrindifi despatch of l-'ilth. June at Lxngidou Mi the night of the !Ust lilt.

,1. SiniE, r foreman oj the Wnn-gnnu-i Fire Brigade, had his hapds badly burned yesterday morning when subduing ail outbreak of fire which occuri-ed in his house. He Pun some distance to the station, se- , rui'iid |* reel, and put the lire out. A (ioircsppnriiilt ,)f I,)ib Otnigp Witne>.n signing himself "A Lover of Boast Heel," comments op the monner in which a neighbour bids his pigs. He alleges that a, deuid bullock, a dead horse, and a dead dog have in turn been given to these "dairy-fed" pigs. Says the Wellington Post ■: Delegates attending the Harbour Hoards' Conference devoted some little time to discussing the privilege enjoyed bv the Government of Hie free use of wharves. Mr ,1. B. Itonnefl (New Plymouth) gave a new turn to the disriiswion by mentioning the latest enterprise of'the State as coal dealer, and wondering whether the Government inUndod to send its coal over the Wellington and New Plymouth wharves free of wharfage. This, s.iid several delegates, would give the Stale an unfair advantage over other dealers, and also would Ire unfair to the boards affected. Mr Ferguson said that for the present the Government was getting over the difficulty-, by supplying its con' lob, at Givyijiouth,

The total amount collected in Tim-. nru to a recent date, as a result of | t'he prrt'ei-ential tariff, is 8s 2d. Merchants of the town say that the tar ill lias affected them very iittle. One merchant told a importer that il tho duly had been taken oIT imported food-st o-ffs ft would have been a genuine benefit by lessening- Lint cost of living; but that had not. been done, and in its present form, the new taiiff was more a ru\ enue-pruducing agency than anything" else. The Seddon-Taylor libel action, which was sn.it down (or hearing- al the civil sessions of the Supremo Court in Christchurch cai'ly next month, will be postponed. Mr T. E. Taylor has tiled h'i:) defence, but incidentally has applied for a Commission to take evidence abroad. This Commission will certainly be granted, way* tihe Wellington Post, but as it will entail a delay of some weeks tho hearing of the action will probably be deferred until the November sittings. A good specimen of a genuine Irish bull came to light during the recent meeting of the Otaigo Educational Institute. A speaker, in referring to the proposal to include the benefits to widows' and orphans In touchers' superannuation scheme incidentally remurkeil that, in some caws husbands might survive their widows. Xot being an Irishman, he denied the paternity of this bit of unconscious humour wheiigUio meeting was over, and insisted |iat his hearers I were laughing tit something else.

An opportunity for experiencing the good work done by the representatives of that most eminent of surgeons, Dr. Langs-ton, of the Langston Institute, ColliiM Street, Melbourne, whose method of curing rupture without operation is the outcome of years of concentrated work and thoug'ht in (Wye particular cases will shortly be afforded New I'l.v-lnouth-ites. Dr. Langs-ton's system of dealing with rupture by his improved eoinliim-d treatment, is as ellicacious an it is free from discomfort. The representatives of Dr. Langs-tern may be consulted at their rooms, White Hart Hotel, from August Bth to loth. A New Plymouth young- lady who is evidently on the warpath has sent the following leap-year proposal to a local "eligible," tho words being an exact copy, -but for obvious reasons the names of the parties aie suppressed :—"IU.v dear , Asa friend of m.ine is coming to see me next moulh 1 would like to hav-; an understanding wi-lh you, us 1 think it is not lair to have two boys. 1 am willing to marry you any time you are ready, and I would he jileased_ to 1,1-i.ept your ring, ibut you must bring it yourself and put n on my linger; and linn 1 wilt say j.'<iod-b\ c to all my other boys. I will keep true lo you. Come- over to-night about 7.; i(), and let us have a long talk over matters.—Yours, ." Abortion in cattle is a. disease that scorns to he getting a firmer hold than ever in New Zealand (Bays the Southland Times). Notwithstanding all that has been written and said on the subject, and notwithstanding the fact that the Government Veterinary Department has for the past twc. years been doing its utmost to draw the attention of dairy farmers to the importance of the disease, it

is a fact that vestf many claim to know nothing about the disease, and less, if possible, about any methods of curing it. Dairy farmeislwho have suffered loss from this disease should report to any of tho loeafsecwrturies of tho Farmers' Union, or tb' the stock inspector of the ■•; district. 'I here is no reason whjj-xjairy farmers should suffer loss from this disease, ■ nd if>they do it ea'nßji)y be, l ' said thatflley have titenisroojr to'blame. There is no love laiEtoetween the: Petone Borough the' Chamber ol Commerc«|||fehat'••',thriving little town. At 4n»7? -night's meetinj| of the CkamttEjjl|ino of the< members deprecated reforence, made h\- a borough ccfcncllijii'.fto this institution as tho of Comics," And tfboujslit .itlwsj<(.' ntvt . becoming lor a to re|er,, to a' body cofcpos-ed who, "ij'ere giving theiVkiirio 'vbluntarilyJjffir , tlje purposoSß furthering the that inTfAcjned tlicHjtajliijJy.was vera* tired.', of and i» there \Was "talk |P|||h nWfe™use to receive furfrom the Chamber. Sffifficy dMHhat we would call an Spugrmtion, meeting," retorted Mr Wilson, The meeting, judging by, the discussion, seemed to tie as ."tired" of the Council aa the C&uncil was of the Chamber. ;.'

"Poys will bo iboys," urged Mr Weston in the Police Court yesterday morning, ii\' defending a 'boy named John Jury, who was charged with having damaged property as a result of mischievous stojie-throwing. The facts tvero that Mrs Howling was startled the other evening'at her residence on the South Road by several stones striking the faotise in qMlek succession, one of the missiles breaking a large window-pane'. From inquiries sho found that tiho accused was tho author of tho mischief, and then decided to make a complaint to tho police. Tho boy, when charged, pleaded •guilty. Mr Weston asked the Bench to treat tho matter leniently. Tho lad had expressed penitence, was prepared to pay for tho damago, and promised "never to do it again." It was only a boyish mischief, and it would be a pity to enter his nanio as a convicted person. He thought a cautiotv would meet the case. Sergeant Iladdrell, however, took a 'different view. This habit of i ndi sc ri m i nato " stone-throwing was becoming a nuisanco in the town. Complaints were frequently made, but it was very difficult to catch the offenders. When the police were successful in 'bringing one o[ " thes» young brats of boys" before the court tho Bench should treat him so that other boys might know that t))e.y ran a great risk in playing mischjevous pranks. Messrs Allsworth ajid Russell, justices, who presided, thought *hey- w P ul tf H VB t0 oonvict, and discharged tho accused with a caution, ordering htm to pay for tho damage done within a fortnight.

Tho oditor of tho Chrlstchurch " Press," who is now on a visit to England, Interviewed Mr Chamberlain concerning bis great fiscal scheme. " One thing," ho writes, " was quite clear throughout—Mr Chamberlain is not going to force his scheme upon the colonies. It they do not think the proposals are to their advantago as well as to that of tto Mother Country, it is (or them to say so, and tJiere is an end of tho matter so far as ho ia concerned. He himself in firmly persuaded that unless some plan is adopted of uniting the various portions of tho Empire in the bonds of common interest, the time will come when it will' be an Empire no longer. More than once during the conversation "Mr Chamberlain lajd stress on the fact that whatever is donei'i»t be done with .the absp|ut? goodwill of tho colonies. It might be 1 hat some particular colony would noi (are to eiitfc into preferential arrangements at th? beg'i'|ini|vg. In thijt case (t wquld sjniply continue tin its own way, but it wpulri bo quitp a(, liberty to enter inti> t.|ip serine ut a later date, shotifd it see lit to dp so.. Regarding the question as to the chance of Mr Chamberlain's visit, to the colonies, ho writes,;—" I think myself that he would like to come, ai»d that in course of time they may actually sie him in tho flesh, But i they must not expect to see him just yet. His work at present lies in England. Not until the people of Omit Britain have had nil tho information which they want, and have expressed themselves in favour off the policy, can he he expected to i come out to the colonies. 1 shall be surprised, however, if he does not tako the earliest opportunity of doing so, ;as soon as the condition of affairs hero warrants his departure. As I liavo said, to takes the keenest interest in colonial'affairs, and in colonial public men. His last word to inn was a friendly—l might, indeed say an affectionate— message to Mr' Sod-don, whichit will give mo' Sjvat pleasure to convoy,"

Arrivals in New Zealand (lining | June last were 1886, and departures 2WJ, as compared with 2047 and 158y respectively for the same month lust year. The Winter Garden entertainment will be lield in the Queen Street schoolroom to-day, in the afternoon from 2.30 p.m. to "> p.m., and in the evening from 7 till 10 p.m. A good programme will be submitted. The Premier informs the Wellington Industrial Association that the fact of the British Empire Exhibition toaviMg been postponed will not alter the intentions of tho New Zealand Government to hold an international exhibition in New Zeuland. Had the Government postponed its. exhibition tho association intended opening the Wellington exhibition in November, 1905. The position now is that tho local exhibition is postponed indefinitely. The weather yesterday waa extremely cold, and falls of snow were reported in several pails of the colony. Snow fell In Dunedin and the surrounding districts, but owing to the absence of wind there were no drifts, and the railway lines were all clear. Snow has fallen all over the Southland dißtrict. Chrislchurch, AsMiurtou, and Timaru report a sprinkling, while at Stratford, to come nearer home, a fairly heavy fall was recorded.

Steps are being taken at Manaia to lonn a Graziers' Association. The idL-a has 'been worked up by Mr S. B, Convgwn, who has been appointed sjvretnry pro tern. The provisional directors are Messrs Luscoinbe (chanman), K. W. Foreman, McKeowii, Wl Jiaherlson and -V. Hunter, f.lie object of the association, briefly, is to arrange co-operation among the fanners, for the purpose of consigning fat stock, both sheep and cattle, to the London market. In tho Police Court, on Wednesday morning, before Messrs All.sworl'h and Russell, justices, , an elderly man named George M. Mansel made an application for tho variation or cancellation ol a prohibition order issued against hian at his own request some s,x months ago. He stated that he had just left tho Old Men's Home where .he had, been working In the kitchen for several months. The order now in operation against him prevented him going on to licensed premises to inquire for work, his profession biing (hut of n cook Kvcn supposing he obtained a situation in a hotel he would not be allowed t 0 take it up. In support of his application he called Mr C. M Lopper, secretary of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, who stated that the applicant had been received as mi inmate at the home nfio,- « n jllnessi j„ u,„ nos ,,j_ 'al. As it-wus known that he hud been addicted to drink Mansel had been compelled to take out a prohibition order against himself before he could be accepted at the home, the custodian and controlling authorities having decided to keep down the drinking habit with a firm hand. The Bench adjourned the application, intimating that it would probably be favourably considered if the applicant could show an instance of tho order standing in t/iw way of his obtaining employment. How a moderate capitalist misses becoming a millionaire.—hi reviewing tho rise of property in NewPlymouth during the jicrlod 1890 to to 1904 it was possible for a £lO,000 capitalist to be on a fair road iof becoming a millionaire, a"' it [causes much study to-day before . mone can be in a position to say that the opportunity has now gone by ; when we come ta consider that the whole of the freehold in the borough of New Plymouth conit-nins only about 347 acres—lo4 acres central 'spxd, 89 acres western ward, 159 eastern word—one-fourth of the fetal area of which could have been purchased for aibout £17,000 unimMtjjyi'd value wfrUu'n the period men;sbn3d; which has increased to a present saleable unimproved value of (jbout £222,000, Many residents remember a few years ago sections ln\ Iliiie-street were looking for buyers' at £ls a section. Are there any sellers at £250. a section* to-day ? Wb\ have no local industries that ' ttte-" the cause of this rise in value can be attributed to. It is practically the prosperity of Taranaki which the syndicate known as) the Crown Dairy Company was tho means' of starting. There ore no enterprising capitalists in flew Plymouth up to the present. It Cannot be long before capitalists will turn their attention to what is tho greatest colony in tho world. Labour will follow capital. The population will increase, and when we consider that the total area of our borough could be held by about 300 persons with ' a 'little over an acre eaohi and rising in; value as it has dono with n population of 6000, what will bo the value when tho population reaches 20,000, with largcv industries ?' Property values in Net* Plymouth aro "cast iron ;" depression can never.affect them. Depression should, cause unity, and ;with Unity wo can drive Taranaki to prosperity. It is estimated! that the first direct steamer would cause an increase in value of Taranaki property of £500,000. Personally we should say now is the time to acquire freehold, if only on a small scale. Callaghan and Co. can offer opportunities of securing; homes with small deposit, and in situations that the capitalists will want shortly. Again, in 1908, what will be the value of sections in the Voale Estate at the expiration of the harbour .loan.*