Taranaki Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1905. A BRIGHT OUTLOOK.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12861, 20 May 1905, Page 2

Taranaki Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1905. A BRIGHT OUTLOOK.

In its commercial and financial ' cohimn this week the Evening. Post discloses a prosperous condition of the * markets, for vl^iew Zealand's ieading -staples and a bright outlook for the immediate future. Dealing with the wool sales which have just closed in London the reportj .shews) that the prices,; as compared with those obtained at the sales a year ago, have vanced ■• from a halfpenny to twopence per Ib'. American ■ competition for wool has been good and is likely to become even more keen, because the flocks of pie United States are steadily decreasing. Moreover, the Yankees seem inclined to make . a bid for the woollen trade of the world, and every time | they come on the market for supplies their competitors from England, Germany, and France take good care to. see that they pay very full prices. Eveii to supply home . "the Atanerican demand is in favour, of the maintenance of a fair level of values' for the ntaple. 'At the same time the output of wool hi New Zealand" and Australia is beginning to show an increase again. The frozen meat market is not so buoyant as that for wool, yet a comparison oi prices now , with those ruling a year ago (is not discouraging. Canterbary mutton is an eighth of a penny and North IslanH a farthing lower, but lamb is about a farthing.- , higher, and beef nearly as much. The exports this year are / smaller than last,' but there is every promise of some progress in that direction next year. The dairy produce market, in which Taranaki is particularly interested, is. in a- highly satisfactory condition. The price of New Zealand choicest .is nine shillings per cwt. higher than-> it was a year ago, while' Danish is only six shillings -higher. Last year there \Vas a difference of., twelve shillings between the two makes, so it will be seen that % New Zealand has' maintained its position much better than Danish.' It is also a satisfactory feature of the market that there will be no stored butter to worjk off at the beginning oJ next season. Cheese is also selling remarkably well, at, sixteen shillirtgfi per cwt. more than at^the correspond ing date last year. The hemp market, the report says,, in depressed, the price being; £l3 10s per ton lower than last year. Yet the present price, .ought to give y millers ' a good profit unless they arc paying exorbitant royalties. What is also helping the farming industry and trade generally is the comparative easiness ol the, money market. :, A- year or eighteen, months ago the banks were calling in advances, and there was a general stringency. To-day the market is easier, a nd there is a more buoyant tone. ] Locally retailers have experienced a decided improvement during the last few weeks, and there is every, indication that this improvement will not only continue, "but become stronger every month.

Several letters to the oditor are uuavoidcibly held over till nevt week. Messrs Ulytli A. Co. announce in this i<sue t luit the\ ha\ea cheap lot of co-lonial-made jackets, etc., to be quitted at choaj) rate-. The Inspector-General of Sc-hov>ls hi\isiled the Walt ham School, Cantcrour\. to report upon the alleged <>\ ererowd'fng". Sitting at the Police Court on Friday morning, Messrs R. Cock and C. E. Bellringcr lined Albert .James on and costs 'Js on a charge of drunkennesv. The 'Jown Band, under Bandmaster Garry, gave an open-air concert last evening, when a line programme (including several new selections) was enjoyed by a large gathering ,of the public. The ' Australian ,H™ says '"the progresssivc' spirit of the Taranaki Poultry Society is worthy of emulation by (supposedly) more prominent bodicv, ami dii object-lesson to the whole of the New South Wales societies." We apologise to those of our readers who. through an accident to our machinery, did not receive a copy of last night's Herald. To-day, we appear in small form and strange shape, buu. hope on Momlayj to be again out old self. A meeting of the local Trades'- and Employers' Association convened for Friday night lapsed for want of a quorum. Seven members with the President and Secretary attended, and, the recom inundations carried by the recent conference at -Wellington were informally received. A Wellington wire states that while a steamer was crossing Cook's Strait to Wellington yesterday she ran into thousands of dead fish floating in the tideway. Many sharks were seen devouring the fish. It is supposed the slaughter was caused by a. submarine seismic disturbance. The Harbourmaster (Captain Hood) reported to the Board on Friday that during the five weeks ending May 17th 47 steamers had berthed at the wharf, the aggregate gross tonnage- amounting to 46,357 tons. The imports totalled 4209 tons, including 811 tons of railway aud 422 tons of private coals, and Exports 803 tons, making a total of 5012 tons of cargo handled. ■A civil sitting of the S.M. Court was held at -New Plymouth on Friday, Messrs R. Cock and C. E. Bellringer being on the Bench. Thirteen cases . were set down for hearing, of which stfven y^to 'not -served, five settled out of Court, and in the other one, %- inotit 'Boot and Shoo Company (Mr F. E. Wilson) v. Alfred" Hartley, judg- '• ment was given ioi\ plawitiff for the i amount claimed, . £19 3s lid, with costs £1 10s 6d.

•During the last five weeks the harbour Board's dredge has worked fifteen days, matkittg *-?06 trips and wmoving J2,360 cubic yards of sand silt. \ Of thf fifteen days tlive was workfd with the "grab bucket" owmg to repairs being ,made to the stedm pipe. From May &^h to May 17th the drcJge was nwdi'rg/oingi-epairs, and after the thorough overhaul it recited the, vessel was in good w;orking order again. "Tlic depth tiiraMghout theharlfour area was keeping very satisfactory.

Receipt is acknowledged from the Freeman and Wallace Medical Institute, Sydney, of a copy of their medical Avork- containing s^o pages, com-* piled ]y\r the lcsediiTg specialists asnociatod Avith the institute. For »the

home, therem'ote cattle or sheep , station, where' medical men arc few and medical knowlitdge necessary, this should prove a useful work. Free copies will )m posted to any £*d.dress, post I>aid, for the next fourteen days. Advert iswnwits and order form appear in this issuv. >

Those* who attended recent sacred concerts in St. Joseph's Church will be "pleased to notice, that it is intended to give another one to-mor-row evening, for which a first-class 'Erograxttfaie , has been arranged. [Among the soloists will be Mrs Connop, Misses Radford, Brown, O'Don»ld, anti Messrs F. Cornwall, Kirkwo.cdarid Shea, and the solos will'incluldc. G'o'imod's "0 Divine Redeemer," Mascheroni's "Aye Maria," Gounod's "Heavenlj- Song," an;d other wellknown com^Jositions. The vocal selections have 'been carefully rehearsed,, and a strong orchestra, will play, several pieces.

|A very pleasant function took place oft Thursday at Carrjngton Road scluoolhtfuse,' A number of residents and intimate friends met to say good bye; to Mr Joe Crockett and family, who are leaving the district after a lengthy (residence. Mr Kenyan, on behalf of tflrc resijdenta, presented Mr and Mrs Crockett with a 'handsiome clockand silver cruet, q-nd referred to the esteem in which the family were htld, and to the good work done for the district by Mr- Crockett. Mr Wells also spoke, after Which Mr Crookett suitably responded. 'A varied programme of games amd musical it-ems was indulged in, which all .present seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

Mr J. Grupen, late of Wanganui, announdes- in jasiio that he has opened tt lish and 'oyster shop jn premises opposite Bewley and Griffiths' aucit^on mart. lUr Grupep'has had a long experience in the' trade', and householders can therefore re-Iy on getting a good article from his shop. He has arrunged for constant supplies of all ' kinds of fish, including floundors, rock cod/ butter ' fish, etc. He, wishes to impress on the public that he will uoti import frozen fish. but. only fresh lish packed in ice. 31e has also arranged for orders to be delivered if necessary, 'and hence people ran get fish for breakfast if they desire it. All fish will be cleaned before delivery. Mr Grupen wishes to inform farmers that he is prepared to deliver cleaned fish at their traps. At the invitation of Mr Grupen a liculd representative had a look" over the premises this morning, and found that the proprietor had made excellent arrangements for carrying on his business.