LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 19, 17 July 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Drapery sales had a. big run in town on Saturday, which argues that money is not scarce. Dairying is moving ahead up' the Main Trunk. A factory has been established at Raurimu, and a movement is afoot to erect another at Taumarunui. There is likely to be war in the bread trade in Wanganui. Some of the firms arc cutting the prices. There is Md sign of such a thing in New Plymouth. A rose-garden is to be made in the Recreation Grounds, Mr. C. E. Bellringer having donated a fine collection of trees. The rose garden will be placed near the Gilbert street entrance.

The district of Kapum is changing. One evening last week a public farewell was tendered to no fewer than eight settlers, most of them with families, who were leaving the district.

It was stated in town on Saturday that 80 acres of the Veale Estate had been placed under option to an Auckland syndicate at £2OO an acre, and that a big deposit had been paid.

About one thousand head of beef have been sent from Hawera to Auckland of late, and the price in the northern capital was brought down from 30s to 2As per lOOlbs, owing to heavy importations.

A South Island correspondent states tliat the best remedy he knows for the potato grub is to sprinkle the tubers with sulphur in the bags or on the ground, which, he says, deals death to the grubs. The Beautifying Association will meet this afternoon to discuss the matter of further improvement to Marsland Hill, and probably a move will be made to straighten up Fort Niger, which is reported to be in need of attention.

There is a pleasing time in front of the fair sex in New Zealand, for they are not to meet the fate of wallflowers. Census figures just complete show that there are 110 fewer than 54,309 more males than white females in the Dominion— 531,858 males and 470,549 females. Competition is good for courtesy and chivalry. In an affiliation case tried at Gisbornc the defendant was ordered to pay birth expenses £33, maintenance £25, together with the sum of 10s weekly and solicitor's fee £2 2s. He was also ordered to find security for £IOO within 14 days for due compliance with the order, in default three months' imprisonment in Napier gaol. "Why should the fall be greater across than around the bend?" queried a member of the Moa Road Board during a discussion in regard to straightening a river. As the bend was about eight chains, and it was proposed to pui in a straight cut of about one chain, the naivete of the remark caused the majority of the Board to smile. Several members of Parliament for country constituencies are of the opinion that the totalisator will have to fight for its life during the coming session. The reason advanced is that the country racing clubs have been harshly treated by the Racing Commission and the big metropolitan clubs unduly favored. If, their constituents argue, the totalisator is not to be allowed in the smaller centres, they arc not going to allow the bigger clubs to derive revenue from it. It is predicted by men who are closely studying the matter that the happy farmer in five or six weeks' time wiil be the man with the big haystack. Feed is scarce in many parts, the direct outcome of the dry summer. The crisp, frosty weather of the past week or so, whilst generally welcomed by townspeople as "delightful weather,'" checks growth and renders cattle more than ordinarily hungry, more fuel being needed to keep their bodies warm. Should there be a continuation of the cold weather 'into the spring, one need not be surprised to hear of heavy losses of stock.

As showing the amount of traffic down the coast, and also incidentally the fact that farmers are recognising more the need of using fertilisers if they wish their farms to keep up their milk producing capabilities, a local resident states that on his way in from Okato on Saturday he met a string of six waggons all laden with basic slag from the Margit. At intervals along the road other waggons were encountered, leaking a tally of more than a dozen similarly laden! Direct shipments of slag to New Plymouth represents a saving of thousands of pounds sterling to Taranaki farmers.

A correspondent at Sherry river reports to the Nelson Colonist a singular occurrence during a thunderstorm of the present winter. A dead rirnu tree, about four feet in diameter at the base and between 80 and 100 feet in height, was struck by lightning. About 40° to 50 feet of the tree trunk from the base upwards was shattered to pieces and scattered to the north and south for fully a chain, while the rest of the tree, some 40 feet of trunk with limbs branching therefrom, remained intact, and dropped in a perpendicular position so truly that the butt fitted into the shattered stump, and the portion remains there as firmly fixed and upright as though it had grown up, and there was not over 40 feet of the trunk shattered to matchwood and missing. Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (First and Sficond Groups) are notified that subscriptions will "be due and payable today (Monday), at the Secretary's .office, Ourrie-street, from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.—Advt

YOU SHOULD BEAR IN MIND That Uy using tne Commercial Eucalyptus Oil, which is now bought up at 6d per lb weight and bottle, and, on account of the large profits, pushed, you are exposing yourself to all the dangers to which the use of turpentine will expose you—irritation of kidneys, intestinal tract and mucous membranes. By insisting on the GENUINE SANDER EUCALYPTI EXTRACT you not only avoid these pitfalls, but'you have a stimulating, safe and pflfective medicament, the result of a special and careful manufacture. Remember: SANDER'S EXTRACT embodies the result of 50 years' experience and of special study, and it does what is promised; it cures and heals without injuring the constitution, as the oils on the market frequently do. Therefore, protect yourself rejecting" other brM&L

At a country town on a recent market day there was one solitary pig in thu auction pens awaiting disposal at the hands of a well-know* Taranajci auctioneer. A sport, struck by the loneliness of the porker, and imbued with the gambling instinct, suggested that they should "sell a horse," the pig to go to the winner. The owner of the pig, as well as the auctioneer —in fact, both invested in the speculation —and very soon there were 25 ticket holders in the pig at one shilling each. The lucky winner, however, had no use for the pig, and did not require it for ornament, Iso he promptly re-entered it for sale, and realised just on a pound out of his speculation, which he calmly and contentedly pocketed, much to the chagrin of his two dozen less fortunate confreres, who thought that he might at least have invited them to an establishment at the corner there to celebrate his success in the manner usual to such occasions.

At the Magistrate's Court Opunake, on Thursday, Norman §chwartfe<'er was charged that on June 19' at Patiki r«ad, Pihama, lie stole one fowl, the value of 3s, belonging to We Paku. Defendant pleaded not guilty. We Paku said he saw defendant shoot the fowl. It did not fall into his property when shot. Defendant said he was out shooting, and he saw something bobbing up in the iedge, and he fired at the spot. He saw the fowl dead. He did not touch the fowl, and was not within Oft. of it at any time. His Worship stated (the Opunake Times reports) if We Paku had known the law perhaps he would not have laid the charge. Even if the defendant had deliberately shot the fowl it would not be theft unless he took it and sold it, or converted it to his ow« use. He was not satisfied that defendant even touched the fowl, and, as usual, he was entitled to the benefit of the doubt. It was only right that the fowl should foe paid for. The charge was dismissed.