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Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143647, 15 November 1911, Page 2

The Borough Council has decided to purchase an up-to-date watercart.

The New Plymouth Borough Council is making inquiries re tar-spraying machines for use in tho borough. The New Plymouth Borough Council has been appointed a Domain Board to have control of Mount Byron Domain. At a special meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council on Tuesday night tho balance-sheet for the past financial year was adopted. On being returned from the Audit Department it contained tho customary “tags.”

Mr. A. Cliffy secretary of tho Taranaki Agricultural Society, wrote to the Borougu Council last night to the effect that his committee had instructed him to request the council to grant their employees a holiday on Thursday, 23rd instant. People’s Day at the forthcoming show. It was decided to grant a holiday from 11 o’clock.

At tho monthly meeting of tho New Plymouth Borough Council on Tuesday night the Mayor referred to tho recent loan for electric light extensions. He pointed out that the council on raising the loan had to pass a formal resolution striking a rate as a guarantee to the bondholders, but he desired to make it clear to tho public that this was only a formal’resolution, and that there was no intention to collect the rate. It is understood that the income tax proposals of tho New South "Wales Government comprise a reduction of the present exemption of £IOOO (income derived from personal exertion) to £3OO, and an allowance of £SO in respect of each child under tho age of 16 years. The tax will thus work out as follows: No children, exemption £300; one child, £350; two children, £400; three children, £450; four children, £500; five children, £550; six children, £600., And so on, xip to the maximum exemption to bo allowed. It was not the intention of tho office boy to bo smart, and, luckily for him, his employer did not take his answer as smart. The “boss” had forgotten his own penknife, and everybody else, it seemed, had forgotten his. 'Finally ho called the office boy, Tho youth was able to furnish the desired article.

“How is it, Tommy,” asked tho man, ‘That you alone of my whole office always to have your knife with yen?” “I guess,” the boy, 'That my wages are so low that I can’t afford more than one pair of trousers.”

News comes from Budapest to tho effect that tho Hermes Exchange Savings Bank, a branch of the Hungarian General Credit Institution, has devised an original/ plan for encouraging depositors. Automatic collecting devices have been placed in the streets into winch persons can drop money at any time, receiving in exchange a receipt for the amount deposited. Upon presentation at tho bank of tho slips wliicli the machine hands out, credit for tho deposit is given in a book. Evidently the purpose of this device is to encourage iho possessor of spare change to deposit it in the bank while he is in the humour.

Tho diversify in the designations of candidates standing at the present elections was commented upon by Mr. Lang, M.P., in his speech at Onohunga last evening. Ho remarked that the letters P.I.L.L.S. appeared after the. name of one candidate. This, ho explained, did not moan “Pills,” but apparently pepresonted Prohibit ionist-Indepondent-Lib-oral-Labour-Socialist. —(Laughter.) In former days, Mr. Lang said, a great many people ■were known as “Seddonites,” and they were rather proud of tho title. But did they ever hoar of a man being proud of or even acknowledging himself as a “Wardite”? (A voice: Yes.) Well, said Mr. Lang, that was the only one he had ever heard of, and the exception proved the rule.—(Laughter.) We’vo just landed at Tho Kash some of the nobbiest shirts you ever wish to see. They were made by one of tho biggest English manufacturers, and up-lo-dato in every way. If you have tho inclination to see them wo shall bo pleased to.show, them to you-*

Tho Fitzroy Lawn Tennis Club 'will open its grass courts to-morrow afterwhen tho ladies of tho club will ]>rovide atternoou tea. Visitors and friends of members are invited to attend. A sale of a 950-acrc farm at Wallacetown, seven or eight miles from Invercargill, took place on Tuesday. Four or five years ago this farm changed hands at £lO per acre, and it has now bee.n resold at £25, an increment of £14,250 in tho time stated.

A Cromwell butcher named Mitchell is reported to have made a romarkabV discovery recently, when in tho stomach tof a bullock killed at his yards two sixpences and portion of a door-key wore found. Even more extraordinary .is tho fact (says the Argus) that the person who purchased the tongue was somewhat astonished to find securely embedded therein tiro sewing needles and half a darning needle. That the fruit crop this year promises to be exceptionally heavy may be gathered from tho fact, says tho Hastings paper, that Mr. John Holdsworth. “.Swathmoor,” HavelockAi-orth, in thinning out, pulled 1447 Jpricots off oral tree, leaving about the same number for ripening. Tho treo which was thinned was a fair sample of the re- ■ maining twenty-three. Tho orchard is now just eight years old, and should yield Sir. Holdsworth a large quantity of fruit.

There does not now appear to bo any doubt, for the statement has official confirmation, that tho yield of the Canadian wheat lands this season roaches a total oi over 200,000,01)0 bushels. Reduced to averages, which make tho situation clearer on this side of tho Pacific, tho average per aero is 191 bushels, or 6J bushels per aero more than in 1910. How will this enormous stock have to bo got rid of. In the first place, Canada, which has a population of 71 millions, will require eight bushels per head for the food of its own people. That will absorb 60,000,000 bushels. Then some 14,000,000 bushels will bo used for seed and for food as frosted or low-grade wheat. Thus there remains, say, roughly, 115,000,000 — some figures put it eo high as 140,000,00CL—bushels to bo disposed of to other nations. Great Britain takes her share, but there the Canadian wheat-grower has to meet tho competition of growers from all parts of tho world. Other European countries also arc buyers. But in all these countries Canadian whe.at is mainly used" for raising tho quality of lower-grade softer wheats by admixture; honco tho requirement is so small as to leave Canada with an enormous surplus store to dispose of. During the course of a-- sermon in Knox Church, Dunedin, the Rev. it. E. Davies touched upon the function of the Christian Church in regard to politics. He stated that there were two extreme views held on tho question. The first was that the Church should have nothing to do with politics, either through individuals or as a corporation. Some oven went so tar as to refrain from exercising their franchise. Others again hold that it was their duty to convert tho Church into a kind of social agency, and as such to seo that any citizen was supplied with what ho needed, from a sanitary dwelling-houso to a cricket club, or from a fair wago to a pleasant Sunday afternoon. According to these views it was the business of the Church to practically control the political movement at every turn. Tho middle view, the correct one, said the rev. gentleman, was that it was not tho business of the Church to involve itself in the turmoil of social or political reform, but that it was its business to turn men and women to apply Gospel principles to all the foreign circumstances ot present-day life. History taught them that whenever tho Church had associated itself with a policy it had weakened itself, but whenever tho Christian Church stood firmly for principle it had always strengthened its position. A certain degree of slackness in trade is reported by many of tho retail tradespeople in Auckland. This is stated to he quite a usual experience during preelection periods. In seeking a reason for this tendency on tho part of purchasers to keep their money in their pockets pending the general elections, a Herald reporter met with at least one interesting theory. A Queen Street shopkeeper said that his experience has always been that trade slackens in the October and November preceding tho polls. “A surprisingly largo number of men,” he saki, "are engaged in electioneering, and on election committees. When their wives discuss the purchase of a now hat or gown, a set of books, or any article or group of articles, tho husband will say he is too busy to attend to the matter now, and induces his wife to wait ‘till after tho elections.’ In the same way the theatres suffer. The busy husband cannot go to the place of amusement owing to political engagements, and his wife will uot go without him. If the busy man be single he has no time for the customary evenings with his ‘best girl.’ The worst of it all is,” said tho speaker, “we always Set a tremendous rush of business when io elections are over—too heavy to cope with readily—and this year numbers of us are sorry that tho date of the poll has been fixed so late. XJndpubtodly we are in for a particularly busy Christmas,”

At the Prime Minister's meeting at Wiuton last week the question was put; Did you introduce a Totalisator Abolition Bill? Sir Joseph Ward replied that he did not; that, as he had stated in his speech, tho abuses that had been doing so much barm to the community and to sport having been removed, he was prepared to give the law as it nowstood a full trial. Tho questioner held to Ills assertion, and Sir Joseph repeated that he had brought in no such bill. What happened was that in the House on July 21, 1910, Sir Joseph Ward moved tho resolution: “That, in the opinion of this House, the use of tho totalisator should be prohibited by law.” Tho resolution was supported by 32 members (including tho Prime Minister), and opposed by 40, and was, therefore, lost. This is evidently the matter tho questioner 'had in his mind at the meeting, but he made the mistake of referring to a bill instead of a resolution. In moving the resolution, the Prime Minister remarked: “It is, therefore time, that tho country stepped hi with legislation and went back on what it authorised sonio years ago —went hack on it in consequence of tho abuses, not by the people who control the racing, but in connection with tho facilities for gambling. That such abuses do exist is surely shown by tho fact that the sum of £1,884,000 was invested on the totalisator in this country in one year. It is am appalling sum, and it is time that the country stepped in and put a stop by legislation to tho chief cause that enables such a huge waste of money to take place, to say nothing of the loss of time by our people that is going on in connection with it.”

I'ho Melbourne Clothing Company advises the arrival of big shipments of their men’s famous 16s 9d welted hoots, which have been so much dethrough the lat© strikes in the Oki Country. Customers who have been waiting are asked to call as early as possible while tho rang© of sizes is complete*

The Wellington office reported at 9 n.m. to-day that the Olimaroa, Wimmera, and Athenic will probably be within wireless range this evening.

The Otago Daily Times will publish its jubilee issue to-day. The editor has received nearly 200 congratulatory messages, which arc being published, from prominent figures in political, religious, educational, industrial, commercial and journalistic circles, these including messages from persons of exalted station.

“That new family next door borrowed our axe again this morning.” When his wife told him this, Jones was annoyed. “Well, why did you lend it to them?” “How can 1 help itP” “You might have given them some kind of an excuse.” Sirs. Jones waxed sarcastic. “Yes,” sho snapped, “I might have told them that you were going to use it, or some other crazy, impossible thing.” The secretary of the Gisborne Band Contest Committee has received information that the following test selections have been decided on :—A grade : Grand selection, “La Mascotto” (Audron), selected and arranged by Mr. William Short, L.H.A.M.; grand selection, “Robert II Diavolo” (Meyerbeer), selected and arranged by Wni. Short. B grade selection: “Les Hugonots” (Meyerbeer), arranged by Mr. W. Rimmor; selection. “Maritana” (Wallace, arranged by W. llimmer.

Trees with pedigrees are uncommon enough; but there'is one in Washington with a pedigree of unusual interest. This tree grew from an acorn that the late Dthau Allan Hitchcock, Secretary of the Interior, took from an oak that grew from an acorn Charles Sum-, ner picked from a tree over the tomb of Washington and sent to the Tsar of Russia. The Emperor bad the acorn planted in the ground of the Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, and it was while Mr, Hitchcock was Ambassador at that capital that ho got his acorns and had them planted at his homo in Missouri. So it chances, the young tree in the White House grounds is the grandchild of the Washington oak.

An Italian named Salvetta Dario, who came to New Zealand in the barque Australia and is prohibited from remaining in the Dominion because he is unable to pass the education test, but who disappeared from Wellington, was arrested at Westport on a charge of false pretences and sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment at Auckland and then ordered to bo put aboard his ship. Dario was being escorted to Auckland by Constable Hodgson by the express on Monday, and when near Mercer he leapt off the train, which was travelling, at a high rate of speed. The constable saw the man fall and roll over, but he was apparently unhurt as be started running. He was recaptured on afternoon by Constable Sherman at Otuhuhu.

Amongst the remarkably wide variety of oversea cargo brought to Dunedin within the past week wore small eon-* signments of African oak and Japanese' asn, both very costly as compared with New Zealand timber, and it is not the cheapest by any moans. One slinglui of the oak represented £3O worth, . and a few bundles of the ash could noi - bo bought tor less than £2OO. The ash? is figured beautifully, and each board* is 74m long by 40in wide, built up with ' ‘‘slices,” three-ply thick. As this timber is used mostly ior panelling and decorative purposes it is given two faces. There is not a groat deal of it imported. It may bo mentioned that a dealer in timber remarked to a reporter that tho value of the oak was apparently not known by everybody, seeing that it had been dumped down on the wharf and left exposed to tho rain.

The effect of the hobble skirt on the manufacture of dress materials led to an amusing discussion at the annual meeting of the Leigh Mills Company at Coventry. Mr, Fridlander, one of the directors., declared that the returns of all dress manufacturing firms had been considerably “hobbled 55 by the ladies, and added Chat, while* no one would accuse the fair sex of meanness, they had shown great parsimony in the construction and contraction of their skirts, and .while, perhaps, displaying the beauty of anatomical form, had done much to impede profits and their even movements.—(Laughter.) A London manager of the company told the meeting that 42 per cent. loss material was needed in making a hobble skirt as compared with an ordinary skirt, whereupon Mr. "Walter Broweit, as a poor married man, asked how was it, then, that their wives 5 dressmakers 5 bills continued to go tip? The reply was that there wore the costumiers and dressmakers to deal with ; perhaps they got more payment for the work they did. A collection of the questions put to political candidates would make curious shading (says tho Christchurch Press),but it would hardly ho funnier than some of the replies given to tho questions. Sir John Findlay was asked tho other night if he was in favrjr of giving married women revolvers to shoot down bailiffs entering their houses when their husbands were out. “I think, 55 answered Sir John, who is making strong efforts to capture tho women’s vote, “that it might be well to give every married woman a revolver to shoot down any man who comes into her house when her husband is not at home. 55 We do not know how the ad-, voeacy of those “Wild West 55 methods suits Parnell, hut gome one should point out to tho ladies of that electorate that Sir John’s opinion should not be taken too seriously, as it was that of a candidate, and not of the AttorneyGeneral. The latter may he assumed to know that even a bailiff has tho right to live, and is not outside the pale of the law, in spite of the unpopular nature of bis calling, which is likely t:> be all tho more unpopular in Parnell for a time.

Milk vendors when prosecuted for selling milk containing “added water” have contended, in defence, that the extra percentage of water found in the milk was duo to the cows drinking copiously of water just prior to being milked. This question was widely discussed in Great Britain a little* time ago, and the general public were inclined to the opinion that there might be some grounds for the contention. The Board of Agriculture thereupon sot about to make an investigation in the matter. S'cvcn cows were set apart for the purpose of a practical test. They were fed with salt at intervals in an endeavour to intensify the animals’ thirst, and were given varying quantities of water. After three weeks of the experiment it was found that the quantity of water consumed by the cows had no direct bearing on the composition of the yield of milk. It was also found that the doses of salt given the cows did not necessarily oaiuso the animals to consume excessive quantities of water. These tests indicated that the cow cannot be induced to drink abnormal quantities-«a£ water hy ordinary means, nor change the character of her milk by extraordinary means.

Does the problem of your summer dress give any trouble? If so, ‘White and Sons are ready to quote you for any garment you require. The best work in tho province comes from our au4,\tho price, quality considered- is as J<fr as elsewhere.*

A correspondent of the Melbourne Argus states that a startling incident occurred in the homo of Mr. R. Moon at Buchan. Mri Moon nut her infant child to bau, and tucked it in, apparently as saie as usual. Later, when she turned down the clothes to lift the little ono out again, she was horrified to see a large black snake coiled up beside the child. The mother snatched the baby from the cot, and, upon an examination being made, the infant was found to be unharmed. During tho excitement the snako escaped. Mr. F. W. Woolworth, a wealthy American, announces tho formation of a combine for merging practidally all the penny arcades in Great. Britain, the colonies, and tho United States into one huge business concern, with a capital of 15 millions. The combine will have 700,shares, and a controlling interest in the AV'oolworth Co., England; Alcssr. Goldman, Sachs and Co., ahd Lehmann Bros., of America; also Messrs. Goldman, Sachs and Co., and don. Mr. Woolworth has an enormous fortune, which ho made mostly in England. He owns 40 stores in England and 130 in tho United States.

A man who had just fiuished a comfortable meal at a restaurant the other evening suddenly rose up from his chair, caught up his hat and an umbrella that stood against tho wall, and rushed out of the building. “Stop him !” exclaimed the proprietor. “That iellow went out without paying.” “I’ll stop him,” said a determined-looking man, who rose up hastily from a table near where tho other had eat. “He took my goldheaded umbrella ! i'll stop him, and ITI bring him back in charge of a police officer, the scoundrel!” Without a moment's pause he dashed out of the house in hot pursuit of the conscienceless villain. And the proprietor, a cold, hard, unsympathetic kind of man, has somehow begun to suspect that neither of them will ever come back.

A London cablegram to tho Sydney Sun says; “Some or the war correspondents are exposing the faked dispatches recording tho ‘glorious victories’ scored by the Italian torcos in Tripoli. ‘Ananias, in his palmiest days,’ declares lleuter’s,correspondent, ‘never wrote so many falsehoods as the misleading reports that have appeared in the Italian press respecting the progress of the campaign.’ ” A Paris message adds; “Uncensored messages received at Nice from Horn© indicate that tho Italian Government is ready to drop Tripoli if it could do so with its national honour unscathed. It is feared in Rom© that when tho facts concerning the conduct of the campaign are known, not only tho Ministry but tho Throno itself will become endangered.” A conference was held at Christchurch on Tuesday between delegates from the New Zealand Wool Brokers’ Association and representatives of the New Zealand Wool Buyers’ Association, when tho matters in dispute in connection with tho local sales which came to a head at the recent sale in Wellington were discussed. The ,whole position was fully gone into and an amicable agreement upon all points was arrived at. This arrangement will bo adhered to at the different sales that will be held at various centres during tho season, commencing with the first sale to bo held in Christchureh to-day. There is only a small entry—some 3000 bales for the sale, the broken weather having delayed tne shearing somewhat, and the doubt as to whether the sale would take place kept some lots back. Dr. Malcolm told his follow-mem-bers of the Otago Institute,* at the meeting on Tuesday night, the result of an interesting inquiry set on foot as to the amount of protein consumed by his students in their ordinary dailydiet. An American professor niado-\ a similar inquiry some time ago, and tho results are very nearly the same in each case, less protein than that allowed for in regulation diets being eaten by both parties of students. Dr. Malcolm remarked that the nature of tho protein consumed was of as much importance as tho quantity, and incidentally he ventured the opinion that an old-time Maori, accustomed to cannibalism, would probably find tho protein of human flesh go further as a matter of nourishment than protein in any other form, is often grim, and always unsentimental.

Tripoli will provide Itaty, if she gets it, which is doubtful) with plenty of scope for her civilising energies, says si writer in the Pall Mall Gazette. Since the country came under the domination of the” Turks it has been utilised as a sort of Siberia and today there are scattered about the coast towns and the interior some 25,000 subjects of the Sultan who are somewhat far removed from the best elements of Turkish society. Thus there lias been grafted on to a population, composed largely of the descendants of the sea robbers and cut-tbroats of a piratical age, the dregs of Constantinople. No wonder the oldest of the Barbary States and one of the richest provinces of- the Romans has fallen into such a state of decay. Once the terminus of the richest caravan route in all Africa, Tripoli’s most valuable export to-day. is esparto grass.

In tlio Review of Reviews for November Mr, Stead publishes his final reply to Mr. Fisher as to the genuineness of the published interview. Considerable space is devoted to' tho recent railway strike in England, which although local in one aspect has a national significance also, dealt with in an article on “Hints from the Hague for tlie Regulation of Industrial War.” Mr. Stead, who recently visited Turkey, writes on .'The Sultan and liis Policy: Why I am Hopeful for the Future of Turkey.’ An account is given of an important Conference which met last month at Berne for the purpose of discussing how to make the best use of the two millions sterling, given by Air. Carnegie for the promotion of international peace. The almost forgotten “Savrola,” by Winston S. Churchill, is revived as the “Book of the Month,” containing as it does tho sketch in outline which the author as Home Secretary lias had to complete in actual fact in dealing with the railway strike.

Plaving match golf under American conditions- evidently requires getting used to. * Air. Philip Sampson, the Sunningdalc golfer, who accomplished Air. Harold Hilton to the United States, on reaching home, gave an amusing account of their experiences. At the final of the United States chainpionsliip there were thousands of spectators who knew nothing at all about the game. They ran hither and thither and all over the course. ; Whenever Air. Fred Horroshoff, the young American, who lust to Air. Hilton on the thirty-seventh green, secured a liole, they howled, shook rattles, and generally created a pandemonium. Six ship’s megaphones were used by the officials to give directions to tho crowd. When Air. Sampson was asleep in the middle of the night, the telephone bell rang so violently that he thought the place must be on fire. He jumped out of bed to answer tho call, ami received the message from the porter: “A press photographer has got into Air. Hilton’s room and is taking a flashlight portrait of him.” For up-to-date printing call at tho Herald Office.

At Hawera on Monday, 'William' Smith was charged before the Magi* trate, on the information of the "poljce; with having disturbed a public meeting on November 6. The meeting was one in the Opera House, where Mr. Pearce, M.P., was speaking. The Mayor gave evidence that, as defendant was con-; stantly making a noise and disturbing tho meeting and refused to Kfcko his warnings, he, as chairman, had directed the police to remove him. Defendant asserted that he had only made reasonable interjections. The Magistrate, after pointing out that a certain latitude was allowed at political meetings, which had evidently been exceeded on this occasion, fined defendant 40s, with 9s costs.

An organisation to be known as “The Young New Zealand Party” has been established !.i Auckland, having the Hon. G. Fowlds, M.P., as patron, and Mr. R. Coulter president. The promoters intend to establish branches throughout the Dominion, with a view of exercising an influence in the general election three years hence. The platform of the pasty is: (1) Total prohibition of the liquor traffic; (2),suppression of all forms of gambling; (3) conservation of natural resources with land values taxation ; (4) establishment of a State bank; (5) electoral reform; one adult, one vote, one value; proportional representation; elective Executive with popular initiative, arid the referendum; (6) public ownership of all monopolies, and the securing to the workers of the full reward Of their labours; (7) reduction in the cost of living. Writing on New Zealand politics, the Sydney Morning Herald says:—“All tho indications promise Sir. Joseph Ward and his friends a particluarly lively time in the general elections now approaching. In tho course of years of office, Sir Joseph has come to represent the Conservative and even tho Imperialist, elements of society, and ho has arrayed against him, in the first place, a “genuine” Labour party, and m the second a phalanx of determined prohibitionists, who, far from being satisfied with local option, put forth a strenuous demand for ‘ ‘Dominion” prohibition. This may seem absurd enough to us; but the New" Zealanders take it seriously, and there is no doubt that the prohibitionist party must count as a factor in the possible scuttling of , a ship of State that has weathered so many storms. The really surprising thing is that there has not been a change of Government long ago. There is a limit to the number of promises to be performed, and a limit to the possible drain on a national exchequer. Sir Joseph Ward has strained both to tho breaking point.” The Rev. Arthur Taylor, senior secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, who is on a visit to Australia, told a story at a meeting of the South Australian auxiliary in Adelaide as to the origin of tho word “kangaroo,” and it is rather too good to lose, though he confesses that the Oxford Dictionary says there is no authority for it. Alluding to the difficulties which besot pioneer missionaries, he cited the case, of ono who landed among a people of 1 whoso language ho knew, not a single word, and with no equipment but a carpet bag and a chair. “What is it?” would naturally be the first exclamation of the natives upon seeing the piece of furniture, and having grasped the sound and expressed it in writing, the way was paved for questioning them regarding their designations for various things and so learning their tongue. To secure the equivalent for the big marsupials a missionary conceived the idea, so he said,'y>f hopping around with his arms extended, and tho exclamation of his native companion was triumphantly recorded ; but judge of the white man's astonishment when, in the light of wider knowledge, but after tho word had passed into the current coin of the language, ho had found that the blade had merely ’cried, “Whatever is the matter with you?”