Untitled

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14135, 15 February 1910, Page 2

The Hori. J. A. Millar informed a deputation that Parliament would not moot before the end of June, the usual time. Two more veterans, Mr. Robert Hart and Lieutenant Jones, of Waitara, have sent in applications for pusses to proceed to Wellington on the occasion of the visit of Lord Kitchener. An obvious mistake crept into the paragraph in. our last issue referring to the brass memorial erected in St. Mary’s Church to Captain Thomas Good, the year of his arrival in Now Zealand being given as 1823 instead of 1845. Captain Good was born in 1823 and died in 1907. A sitting of the Magistrate’s Court was held this morning, Mr. 11. S. Pitxherbert, S.M., presiding. Judgment for plaintiff, in default, was given In each of the following cases; —W. G. Malone (Mr, Johnstone) v. L>. and M. Kelly, claim £9 10s (costs £2 17s Gd); Newton King v. A. A. Wisclmcwski, £ll 14s 9d {.EI 12s Od.) Mr. James 15. has just returned to Canterbury from the North Island, where he lias been purchasing sheep for shipment to the Argentine. He intends to take over about 200, comprising Romneys, Lincolns, Lcicostcrs, Corriedales, Shropahiros, and Sonthdowns. He will also take some 24 thoroughbred horses, The stock will bo sent over in time for tho Argentine Show.

There is a boy in the Central School whoso ideas on" a certain subject probably will not agree with the opinions of the borough inspector. One of the junior classes in the school was required a day or two ago to define the word luxury, and to instance a luxury. Up shot this bright youth’s hand. “Well, what luxury can you name?” queried the teacher. Prompt was the reply, “Ben Tippins!” Evidently there are no ‘‘Weary Willies” among the carpenters who have .volunteered their services for the erection of additional dressing accommodation at the Honui beach. The borough council granted its subsidy for the work on Friday evening last, and tlie ground was laid out and piles put in by Saturday evening. Before the men laid down their tools last night the frame work of the building_ was practically completed. “Fleet Week” has lent New Plymouth an unusual appearance with its happy squads of blue jackets to be. scon in all parts of the town.; Yesterday evening there were some sixty men ashore, while to-day a batch of some seventy to eighty sailors were in the town. This is the first occasion that the ship’s company has visited Now Plymouth and for most of them it is their first sailing iu Now Zealand waters. They remain in the Australasian squadron until March of next year, when the vessel will be recommissioned.

During 1909 the dominion passed through a: period of- financial strain (snys the Government .Insurance Recorder for January), especially daring the earlier part of the year. “It would have caused no surprise, therefore,- if our agency force found it impossible to equal the results of the pievibus year. The condition of things improved, however, during tho hitter part of tho year, and tho new business procured was considerably greater than for tho previous _ year, amounting to £795,000 (approximately), which is a larger new business for twelve mouths than .has boon secured at any time during tho last 24 years.” A lifebuoy, with ropes attached to which are covered with shellfish, indicating that it hud been in tho water for some considerable, time, was picked up by tho trawler Countess on Thursday about six miles outside the Kidnappers. There are very faint signs of a “W” or an "M” having been originally painted on the buoy, but since tho lettering was first put there it has evidently been repainted all over with a coat of white paint. If tho buoy wore cleaned and carefully examined it might he possible to discover more details. The buoy, hanging in Berosford and Roberts’ shop, Emerson Street, Napier, attracted considerable attention. The Customs have been notified of the fiqd-

A Dunedin resident has favoured tho Otago Daily Times with the following extracts from a letter he received from a brother in the United Kingdom^apropos of the Budget election: —“We arc passing through a very critical time just now, and if the present Budget is passed 1 do not know where we shall be landed. A number'of people wish to sell their estates, but there are no buyers. To give you an idea of what is taking place: A nice property in Norfolk, with good house, over 4000 acres of land, splendid shooting and fishing on lake and stream, has to-day been offered mo for £95,000, and four years, ago they were asking £200,000. This place (the writer’s present residence) they were asking £120,000 for, and now I have the offer of it for £60,000.” -

A delightful little impromptu entertainment ivas given on the beach at Honui last evening by a party of men from H.M.S. Pegasus. After a preliminary gambol in the briny with the crowd of bathers of both sexes, two of tho men got to work with their English concertinas and gave some selections which provided a revelation of the capabilities of this instrument in good hands to many of the listeners. Tho men were soon surrounded by a large and appreciative audleifco, and it was not long boforo a stage was improvised on which a couple of sailors’ dances were executed exceedingly well upon the uneven flooring. Then followed a duet upon tho concertinas, in which the instruments blended to perfection, producing beautiful harmonies. “Charley” was then requested to give a song, and accompanied bv tho concertina ho sang a choice little lovo ballad in a manner that would have done credit to many a trained concert singer.

Tho rates on the New Zealand railways, said the Hon. J. A. Millar to a deputation at' Wellington on Friday, are lower than those in any of tho Australasian States, He was, ho added, having a comparative return prepared showing tho freight charges for different classes of merchandise in all tho States, side by side with tho New' Zealand rates, and ho would have it published as soon as it was complete, and lot tho people know exactly how much lower tho charges are in Now Zealand than in Australia. Even with the recent increases in longdistance charges, our charges were now 16 per cent, lower than those of New South Wales, which wore the lowest in Australia." Tho faro from London to Glasgow was about 5s or Cs higher than the, faro from Wellington to Auckland, although the distance was five miles greater. If the public, he added, wanted all facilities that were asked for tho only way to give them was by increasing tho rates. They could have anything they likod if they would pay for it, but they wanted to get facilities without paying for thorn. Tho Lyttelton Times is publishing from time to time short extracts from its columns of fifty years ago. A recent issue contains an interesting note on the harvest of half a century ago: “A considerable breadth of grain has now been cut; tho weather has bold good, and appears likely to bo settled for a time. As far as we .can judge at present the yield promises to- a, full average ; the heavy lands show in most places remarkably fine crops,, not having suffered from tho dry season as much as tho lighter soils. Wo should say that tho wheat crop will yield generally about forty bushels to tho acre, and oats about seventy ; there has not boon much barley grown. Potatoes vary very much,in some places looking exceedingly well, in others quite the reverse. Thanks to tho more general use of the reaping machine, farmers have been enabled to get their harvest work done at a lower rate than for some years past. Without tho general use of this valuable assistant there is no doubt that, though bands have been more, plentiful, wages would have been little, if any, lower than in former seasons, tho same rates having been asked at the commencement of harvest work as ruled during tho last two or three years. Tho rates paid in tbe immediate neighbourhood of Christchurch may ho quoted at 25s an aero, higher wages being paid in ifioro remote districts.” Farmers to-day would bo glad to pay such wages if they could got tho prices then going:—“Tho price of wheat, of which' a littlo has apopared, is quoted at 7s; oats from 3s Gd to 4s; barley (nominal) Cs.”

E. E. Fromont, tho victim of tlio accident that occurred in tho Now Plymouth railway yards on Saturday, tho Sth inst., died in the hospital this morning. An inquest will he held by Mr. H. S. Fitzhcrbert, S.M., District Coroner, at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Tho King Country Chronicle reports that whilst Mr., Newton King’s: flax mill plan! at Nukahekari was lying in a largo punt .waiting to bo towed to Mangungu by the s.s. Rothesay, tho punt sank in about five fathoms of water. The plant is valued at about £IOOO and salvage operations are in progress.

A Southland contemporary has it on undeniable authority that ,Mr. J. J. Meiklo proposes to journey to Great Britain to prosecute his claim to a sum of money amounting to £60,000. He has received communications from a firm of solicitors in Scotland, and another in the United States, asking him to come forth and prove his claim. Judging by the number of new taxicabs that have recently reached Sydney or aro about to arrive, it would seem as if tho ordinary horse drawn vehicle will very-soon have to retire. From inquiries at the principal garages it appears that close on 120 taxis are shortly due to arrive. Those will ho of different makes, and are being brought out as sample lots by motor firms in tho city.

Some recent visitors, to Auckland, judging by remarks, in tho visitors’ book at the Government Tourist Bureau, have been quite ..carried away by their feelings, as witness tho following: “Scenery simply divine!” “Tho Garden of Eden,” “Prettiest scenery on earth!” It comes as a welcome surprise to find a Wellington man describing our harbour as “very fine.” A patriotic Welshman, of sporting proclivities, wants to know “Who boat tho All Blacks?”

A teven weeks’ cruise is in store for the sixty odd lads of tho Government training ship Amokura, which loft Wellington last week for Timarn and the Bluff, on route to tho outlying islands of Now .Zealand. Search will be made on tho outlying groups for wreckage or castaways, and provision stores will be replenished whore necessary. On return to tho Bluff the training ship will go to Dusky Sound, and endeavour to ■locate the rook where the Waikare came to grief. Commissioner Hay, of the Salvation Army, says he is proposing to considerably develop the Training College in Melbourne. The idea of tho advanced training was that every Army officer in Australasia would not only bo able to preach a sermon, but to set a broken limb, or help a poor mother in the back-blocks with any of tho problems that might arise in connection with her family. Tho college would give advanced t Saining in hygiene, first aid, and kindred matters, so that the capacity and usefulness of the Army officer for good service would be increased. A good deal of surprise (says tho Christcimrcli Press), has Ueen expressed m slapping circle,! at the staremonti circulated uv a southern paper that tho captain of Jao steamer Invercargill has no fewer than seven islands uosules rooks and rocks awash marked on Ins sailing charts 'for Dusky bound, and -not one of these is set down on tho authorised survey map. This, according to the southern journal, is a condition which seems to call for prompt alteration. Several shipmasters, when questioned by the shipping reporter of the Tress regarding tne amove matter, said the extraordinary part of the matter was that the captain of tho Invercargill had marked the numerous dangers on his charts, but' apparently had not thought it worth while to report them to the Marine Department. . This, they thought, it was las duty to have done, as notifications of these dangers would have been given to those interested, and the islands and rocks would have been noted on many other charts. , ,

Everybody knows that tho Maori belongs to a race of orators. Tho fact was emphasised by, Professor Kirk at tho Educational Conference in Wellington on Thursday, tho Post reports, when combating a suggestion made by a brother professor that more attention should be given to grammar in the primary schools, or, at all events, that tho grammar, of tho primary school pupils was bad. “Wo live,” he said, “amongst a race that was—unhappily it is passing away—a race of orators. I venture to say that to a hoar a good Maori speaker is a sufficient indication that a man can speak his own language well if he hears it well. I think that tho .time spent on formal grammar in the primary schools is largely wasted.” Professor Kirk mentioned that he know a man who would extend either Professor Gilray or' Professor Thomas on any point of formal grammar, and yet he spoke the vilest English he had ever heard. .Ho was of a typo. “No doubt,” he added, “some of the classical writers of tho past, if they came before Professor Gilray or Professor Thomas for an examination ill formal grammar, ! would bo hopelessly ploughed 1”

Considerable interest is being taken in tho public meeting for men to be addressed by the Rev. H. S. Woollcombe M.A., travelling secretary and member of the council of tho Church of' England Men’s Society, at the Theatre Royal at 8 pan. on Friday next; to which, it is confident!}' expected by those who have tho local'arrangements for Mr. Woollcombo’s visit, in hand, tho mon of New Plymouth will turn out on masse. It is seldom colonials have tho privilege of meeting and hearing public men of Mr. Woollcombo’s calibre and his address at the Theatre Royal on Friday should bo something well worth hearing. Combined with forceful speech and a commanding personality,. Mr. Woollcombe has tho happy knack of arresting and keeping tho attention of his audience throughout liis address. His fund of anecdote and humorous story is illimitable. Tho following is an extract from a report of one of the rov. gentleman s speeches; A small shoe black was asked by one of those splendid women who work for Christ amongst tho East *Endcrs for something for the. mission. After ho had given the sixpence she had asked for, she also got his promise to go to the meeting at which this particulai mission was going to bo spoken about. On his way "ho was met by a mate. “Where vo" goin’ Jack?” “Oh, I am just goin’ over to a missionary mcotin<r ” “Wot?” was the amassed question “Well, von see this is how it is,” explained Jack: “A lady friend of mine asked me for a tanner for tho mission; so I’ve become a sort of a partner in tiro concern, and now hi going down to sec bow my money is spent.” And then, as tho laughter subsided, be drove the point iij: “If every sleeping churchman wonjdiwake np to the fact that ho is no churchman at all until ho shows an active concern to which ho belongs, then the church would at onoo become a hundredfold stronger than it is to-day.