The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 1892.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 9475, 22 August 1892, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 1892.

-• Mr Perceval is proving a vory active Agent-General; always ready to give information to strangors who visit his office at Westminster, and courteously explaining matters where any difficult question arises which the patties may not thoroughly understand. He, has already issued two paruphlcta about' New ZeaJand, ono being the paper he road before the Colonial Institute, tho other a " Statement of tho Productions of New Zealand," which Mr Perceval compiled for the ''United Empire Trade League," He was also interviewed the other day by a reporter from the Provision Trades' Gazette on the subject of '* New Zealand's Dairy Exports," and gave that journal some { ,useful information. The Agent-Gen!oral'"Btatod.that it was iin possible (0 estimate the limits of the possible development of the trado in New Zealand buttor and cheese. Tho butter exported in 1891 was valued at £150,258, an 1 the cheese at £86,675 Tno shipments wore going on steadily. It was only necessary to educate Now Zealand farmers to the proper standard for them to secure the lion's eharo of tho £18,000,000 which Groat Britain paid for imported buttor, cheeso, and margorino. Mr Percoval considered that New Zealand's chief rivals were Sweden, Dontnurk, and Franco, but he contended that the superiority of climate, soil, grasses, and roots in New Zealand gave that colony a decided advantage over other couEtries His attention was called to tho fact that a great deal of Australian buttor was offered at tho Civil Service Stores and elsowhere in London marked ■" recommended " and ho was asked if this was really Australian butter or New Zealand. Mr Perceval smilingly replied that as Now Zealand's best customers, after Groat Britain were Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales, ho did not think those colonies could compete >wi}h her in the English market to any great extent at' present. This is rather rough on Victoria. Mr Perceval mentioned that he bad been assured by Messrs'Redfern, Alexander, and Co., that the advice thoy had tendered to shippers as to tho requirements of tho Englith butter njarktt had been 60 carefully followed in Now Zealand that thero was now nothing to complain of. It is announced on official authority that the ox ports of Danish butter amounted in 1890 to 83,577,0001 bof which 80,620,0001 b came to England, so there is a considerable trade to be displaced ere Mr Perceval's prediction comes to pass.

Mr J. Skinner, who was authorised to make a survey of a proposed road up the Awakino to Te Kuiti, has just returned •from performing the task. He .was accompanied in' his trip by Mr J. Elliot. It is understood that the work of making the road, a 'distance of 45 miles, will not be a costly work, as there is scarcely any bridging to do. Mr Elliot proco ds to Wellington on Tuesday next, to interview tho Minister of Public Works in connection with tho proposed work.

TheMvork of removing the old building, known ag the, Windsor Castle Hotel, from its old sitoiti Bulteel-strcet to a site near Mr J. Ward's Cooperage in Powdorhamstreet, is now being carried out. Those engaged in the work aro experiencing some trouble in turning tho building out of Bulteel street into Dawson-strcet.

It will be noticed by an advertisement elsewhere, that tho Garrick Club intend shortly producing the drama " Down tho Black Canon," or "The Silent Witness." This is a drama of sterling merit, giving ample scope for acting of. every class, and aB the members who aro cast for charactors aro well versed, the public may rely on it being staged in a thoroughly proficient minmor, by the Club's stage manager Mr E. Do L. Beane.

For one man who succeeds in literature a thousand faU, says F. Marion Crawford, and a hundred who have looked upon the ink when it. is black and cannot bo warned from it, and whose nostrils have studied the printer's sacrifice, are ruined for all usefulness and go drifting and struggling down the stream of failure till death or madness puts an end to their sufferings. And yet no one ventures to call writing a destroying vice, nor condemn poor scribblers as " ink-drunkards.' 1

Jerry Doherty, a handy man, was of invaluablo soivico to Mr Dan OConncll —until poor Jerry took to drink. His master, as much in his own interests ns in Jerry's, was continually trying to reform him ; and to this end he would read out to Jerry from the newspapers every story of crimo or trouble traceable to drink which he could find in them At last ho came upon a story which might have reformed Buraolph. It was a thrilling tile of a drunkard who was so saturated with whisky that his breath -caught firo as ho was blowing out a candle, Bet his insido ablaze as it would havo set aoy other whisky cask, and burned him to ashes in five minutce. " Now, Jerry, now, Jerry," urged his master with the solemnity of an adjuration, "let this bo a warning to you! ' '* Oh, begor, it will bo so, sir !" groaned tho horrified Jerry. " I'll never blow a cnndlo out again the longesht day I live!'