The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JULY 19, 1892.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 9446, 19 July 1892, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JULY 19, 1892.

One of the most unreliable and unprin cipled papers published in London, anc which gains its popularity by its irupudem statements is called 2he Star. What v inserts is invariably very incorrect ; but it opens its columns on the other hand to letters written by persons who may deem to contradict the previously published misstatements. In this paper the other da; there appeared an article on the f.ozer meat trade, in which appears the follow ■ ing in paragraph :—": — " The market quo. tationa for Now Zealand and Aufitraliau mutton dropped in London last week to 2^d per lb, and we are told that at thai price the import trade •is seriously jeopardised. The Antipodean grower, it seems, doesn't mind supplying us at 3£d ; he can still make Id per pound profit at that figure. But when it comes to 2^, lie declines to do business. So that New Zealand mutton — which is as a rule fai better eating than the averuge home' grown article— is practically a drug in the market. Although it may be sold at profit in London at 3^d per pound, nobody can be got to buy it within a penny of that figure." Then the writer goes on to inform its readers that " Butchers King" is trying to keep up the price of meat to 6d and 7d per lb " "When," says The Star, "it can bo profitably sold to the people with a handsome profit to growers and distributors at half that price." The paper then goes on to advise the people to break down the monopoly by " municipal action," and the " inexhaustible moat supplies of Australia and New Zealand will bo open to London's starving millions at prices little above those of Melbourne, where the price of a wholo sheep may bo stated in ponce," The way tho writer mixes up " Australian " with " Now Zealand" mutton, and tho assertion that a " whole sheep " may be purchased for under a shilling, shows such ignorance that if it wus not that people are misled by etich statements it would bo better to let such foolish remarks pass unnoticed These mis-statements wore challenged in strong torms by several correspondents and one, a Mr T. S. Cranoh, of 69, Lower Marsh, Lambeth, writes: — "Your article contains the grossest misstatoments, and ought in justice to be apologised for. Firstly, you writo that Cantorbury mutton last week dropped to 2|d per lb. A more atrocious lie has never been published, for it was quite impossible in any part of the Central Moat Market last week to buy Canterburys under 4|{d and 5d per lb. Secondly, you write that the importers are on the point of ceasing to send further Bupplios, or words to that effect If it were less serious I sheuld be able to treat such a lie with what it doserve*— contempt." MrTowera, «f the Central Market Cold Air Stores, writes, Your statement that the New Zealand

farmer would sell here at 3|d if» incorrect (except fur old ewes and fat inferior sheep). The present lowest price that the colonist is willing to sell at is 44d per lb. Another correspoadent (Mr R. H. Mays) says, " I have been in the retail frozen mutton trade ever since it Btarted, but I have never known New Zealand mutton to ba so low 7 as 2{d per lb ;" whilst a Mr J. Me James says, 'whenever 1 use mutton I prefer Australian." — Evidently meaning New Zealand, for ho add?, " I nave used it for eight years," and Australia has not exported mutton for that length of time. Mr McJames, however, spoaks of the meat , as follows, "I know it at sight, relish it on tablo, have very many times " been complimented by friends and guests who have shared it, and hope to ere the Australian and Canadian trade developed.' The Star treats these communications with contempt, and in its ignorance maintains that sheep in New Zealand can be purchased for under a shilling a head.

Captain Edwin telegraphed at 1 .50 p in. to-day:—" Same indications as wired yesterday; glass further fall " A man named Blackweil hag been arrested at Normanby on a charge of alleged arson. A parade of the Taranaki Rifle Volunteer Corps was held in the Drill Hall on Monday night, when Colonel Newall inspected the company. A banker holding a prominent position in New South Wales, writing to a friend in New Plymouth, saya :—": — " Your colony, after a prodigal experience, leads the ran in enterprise, and keeps out of debt, fearing neithor booms nor financial failures." A splendid practice was held by the gymnasium class on Monday night, when Colonel Newall, and the officers of the Taranaki Rifle Volunteer Corps paid a visit to the room, and witnessed the class go fcrough several of the squad exercises. Colonel Newell was much pleased with the way the class shaped. By a notico in the Government Gazette^ trustees for the New Plymouth Drill Hall have been appoiated as follows :— Colonel Newall, Mujor Ellis, Captain Mace, Captain F. L. Webster, and acting Captain Paul. In reply to a letter dated May 6th, respecting the charges on the breakwater line, the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr J. 0, George, has receded a communication from the Railway Commissioners to the effect that they cunnot see their way to carry general merchandise on the breakwater line at the same rate as grain, flour, etc. An amusing typographical error appears in a Wellington paper in its notice of a wedding. It states that the happy pair ireat to Napior " where the honeymoorn ; will be sent!" The many friends of Mr A. J. Wise late of Urenui, who a short time Bince went to England, will be glad to know he is well. He has taken a house at Boscombe, Bournemouth, which he has named after Ms Urenui farm "Onaero ;" but, in writing to a friend in New Plymouth, he Bays he feare there aro " not many people there who will be able to pronounce it." In a letter received by a gentleman in New Plymouth, by the 'Frisco mail, from a late rosident of Taranaki now in Oakland, California, occurs the following striking passage:^-" This is a great place Ito got rich quick. The other day two men in a train crowded with passengers eaid 'Hands up!' to one passenger, holding revolvers at his head, took two sacks containing 15,000 dollars, had a buggy ready outside, and drove away. Not been heard of since." They understand bow to run a bazaar at Glasgow. Mr A. Hood has shown us a little book giving an account of a bazaar got up by the Rev. Robert Hood, pastor of the Evangelical Union Church, at Glasgow, at which £2000 was taken, and without things being rallied. The bazaar was held in the City Hall and lasted for three days, and in the side rooms concerts, and other amusements were given. The rev. gentleman to whom the success of the bazaar is due, is a nephew of Mr A. Hood of this town, and we learn that the families of Mr Lindsay , Mr Hamilton, and Mr Rankin, settlers in Taranaki, were at one time part of the Rev. Robert Hood's congregation. The Glasgow Bai.ie says :—": — " As a preacher tl • Rev. R. Hood is above all practical. Moreover, ho is original in style, substance and delivery ; full of fire and zeal, and entirely evangelistic in doctrine." j Messrs Lattey, Livermore, & Co., of Wellington, whose partners have been for years tea planters in various districts in India, supply the Wellington Mail with a very imercsting history of the Indian tea trade. Ihey Btatethat for many years .Jthe preparation of Indian - teas remained entirely a manual process, with the simplest application for air and heat for withering and firing the leaf. Long lines of swarthj und scantily clad coolies? were to be seen in every factory rolling the loaf by hand, thereby imparting that peculiar twist so characteristic of good tea, und by bruising the cuticle of the leaf, encouraging the process of fermentation or oxidi" sation, which it is so important in all well made teas to check at the right moment by the application of intense iieat. In course of time, however, as the quantities of the leaf to bo daily dealt with in c eh factory became greater and greater, manual labour was found tobecuinbersomound expensive and tho united intelligence of thcae employed in tho industry was directed to de\iaing mechanical means of replacing coolio labour, w.tli the result that in every process of tea making, ingenious machinery and mechanical appliances of all sorts are now employed. This successful introduction of machinery into the indrstry, has resulted in tho satisfactory verdict tha» British grown teas aro prepared in the most cleanly manner, and by tho most scientific moans known to tho trade. That they produce an eminently wholesome beverage has been titno after time proved by analyticul chemists of high standing, and their popularity is evinced by statistics which show that seventy-five per cent o' the total consumption of tea in Great Britain is now British grown. Messrs Lattey, Livormore & Co have appointed oeronts ia New Plymouth and country districts for the salo of their teas Further particulars w ill be fonnd in th- ir advertisement in another column. A strange discovery was made the other day at Nogent sur-Mnroo, France, by a Paris shopkeeper who lives there. He was clearing out a well which had been aban doncd for 20 years, and had become full of sand, when he came upou a flight of steps hewn roughly in the chalk. His workm n found on tho day following that the steps led into a gallery 3ft. wide and fift. high. They explored it, and coming to the ether end they wore startled with the sight of a rean with his back against the wall, and wearing the uniform of a National Guard of 1870. Tho attitude and uppearance of this human figure were so life-like that the workmen, not knowing what to think, and thoroughly frightened, hastened out and told their employer what they had seen. A search party went down into tho gallery. They found that it led into an underground room. The body of i lieutenant of the old National Guard was jilting at a tablo, npon which were a bottle md two wino glasses. Several rifles ware itacked in a corner. Tho officer's attitude >vas that of a person dozing, the arms folded, and tho head nodding. Several iheets of notes were found in tho liouten tnt's pockets,