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Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143765, 13 April 1912, Page 2

An inquest info the causes of the fire which occurred at the premises of J. F. Burke, fruiterer, on April 5, will be held at the Courthouse on Firday, April 19, at 10.30 a.m.

The Town Clerk to-day received a circular from the Department of Internal Affairs in furtherance of a request made on behalf of her majesty Queen Alexandra asking for information relating to memorials to his late Majesty King Edward VII. The only recognition in the borough, as far as we remember, is the band rotunda on tlie esplanade erected in commemoration of the coronation of tho late King/ A very remarkable accident is reported from Pahautanui, near Wellington. A iarmer was sharpening some knives of his chaffcutter on an emery wheel. Near by was an open tin of blasting powder, and a spark from the emery wheel ignited the powder, causing an alarming explosion. The framer was practically blown out, of the shod where he was at work, and was very much burned. ’ The world’s record was made at the Eoseworthy (South Australia) Agricultural .egg-laying competition by six White Leghorns from tho Redfern Poultry Farm, Caulfield (Victoria), with a* score of 1589, this eclipsiug the Burnley record of 1566 by Mr. R. W. Pope’s pen by 23. The second place was taken by Mrs. Uron, of Knpunda, with 1319. In the South-East competition, tho highest result was tha't of iloutz, Bros. (Kalangadoo), with 1464.

Much interest was shown on Friday by those present at tho railway yards when four new 20-h.p. Ford cars, which had just arrived from Canada by the Wakanui, were unloaded. These cars were for Dr. Home. Messrs. Cornwall and Whitcombc, Mr. Charles Young (Tariki), and Messrs. E. Griffiths and Co. When the wheels had been put- on ami benzine poured in tho tanks the engines worked without a hitch. During the first week in May three ) < re cars, which have already been told, arc expected to come to hand.

Mr. D. J. Hughes, as a member of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, put in a strong claim for that port as against Patea during the railway-tramway debate at the IVaimate West County Council meeting on .Thursday. He considered New Plymouth must very soon he the port tor the whole of that district, and in laying their plans for the future they must keep the fact in mind and not rely on Patea. The latter port would prove quite inadequate to deal with their produce in a few years’ time. As a director of the Kaupokonui Dairy Factory Company, ho was aware of occasions when they had had to send their produce to Wellington by train because of the inadequacy of the Patea port and shipping. Councillor Long defended Patea. It had served Kaupokonui in the past and would probably serve them for the next twenty years. Councillor Bridge brought this element of the discussion to a close by remarking that the port of the future greatly depended on where the junction with the mam lino would be, and that could only bo settled by the Commission. —Star. With the advent of colder nights, warm bedding claims the attention of capable housewives. White and Sons are ready wdth a stock of blankets and quilts, at bed-rock prices. Every blanket wo stock is all wool colonial make, and may be relied upon for years of satisfactory wean*

The Wellington office reports that the Wimmera, Victoria',. Marama, Maunganui, and Corintbio will be within wireless range to-night.

Pumpkins are being tried on Mr. Ernest Short’s Parorangi Estate, near Feilding, as winter food, for sheep. Ho has got a splendid crop of about 28 acres growing on the banks of the Rangitikoi River.

Mr. J. H. Witheford, of Auckland, who was instrumental in that port having been made a naval base, was in Christchurch on Friday on business connected with the Parapara Iron Ore Co., and informed some of those interested in the company that he has one million pounds sterling of English capital to divert into the company. Everyone knows, and especially country people, that a certain section or the community consistently grass stock on the “long paddock.” As the outcome of a paragraph in one of the surfacemen’s reports read at yesterday s meeting the Clifton County Council :s determined to stop the practice. The elerk (Mr. H. E. Vaughan) was instructed to write to the officer in question for full particulars.

A meeting of the directors of the New Plymouth Gaa Company was held on Friday, Mr. B. Dockrill being voted to the chair. Mr. C. T. Mills was appointed to fill the vacancy on the directorate of tho company caused by the retirement of Mr. A. Shuttleworth. On the motion of Mr. T. Furlong and. Mr. A. M’Laren Thomson, a hearty vote of thanks for, and appreciation of, tho kmg and valuable services rendered by Mr. Shuttleworth during the 32 years he was connected with the company, was passed. Tho question of appointment of chairman was held over until the next meeting of the directors.

The growing of fruit for coniiUGfcial purposes was the subject of an interest* mg discussion at the annual conference of the New Zealand Nurserymen s Association, which was held in Auckland on Wednesday. . The secretary report* ed that he had sent circulars to the principal .growers in the Dominion, asking for information with regard to the best varieties of apples for cultivation, and numerous supplies had come to* hand. These were compared at length by delegates, and it was found that the 12 most popular varieties were:—Gravenstem, Jonathan. Delicious, Cox’s Orange Pippin. Scarlet Pcatmain, Ohinemuri, Northern Spy, Sturmer, Home Beauty, Dougherty, Adams, and Five Brown.

The new.portions of the Nelson-West Coast railway terminating respectively at Glenhope and Inangahua Junction, will, it is expected, be opened fot passenger traffic simultaneously. • When the event occurs there will remain a gap of some sixty-five miles to be covered by road. Murchison is roughly 80 miles bevond Glenhope, and Inangahua Junction lies about thirty-five miles beyond Murchison. A faster service between Nelson and the West Coast towns is looked for when some 40 miles of road travel is replaced by railway, and the Nelson Colonist says that. it has been suggested that a motor service between Glenhope and Inapgahua Junction would enable the journey from Nelson to Greymouth to be comfortably made in one day.

A great deal of discussion has taken place among tourists and others making the round trip in the Hot Lakes district, as to the unusual tameness of the wild duck and other birds in evidence on Lake Rotomahana. A Rotorua paper states that many have expressed the opinion that it would be only common mercy to the unsuspicious wild fowl to proclaim the lake a sanctuary for their kind. It is stated that the birds in question follow in largo numbers launches traversing the lake, giving passengers much pleasure in feeding them. By some their advent is eagerly looked for, and, it is asserted, they are in important factor in the general popularity of the trip. The matter has been represented to headquarters in Wellington. In the bush, where people are thrown on their own resources, some remarkable ingenuity is shown in contriving makeshifts. A young fellow living in the bark-blocks not far from Tanmarunui wanted particularly to he roused at 2 o’clock in the morning, and, having no alarm clock, contrived a substitute on the spot. Like Alfred the Great (says the Tanmarunui paper), ho had recourse to burning a candle as a time-measurer. He suspended a small can of water above the head of his stretcher in such a. way that it was prevented from upsetting only by a string connected with the candle at a certain mark, which he had found by experiment would be reached at the required time. He then lit his candle and went to bod. The plan worked like a charm. At 2 a.m. he received a eold douche which effectually awakened him.

Tho forthcoming emigration season promises to be a record one, wrote the London correspondent of the New Zealand Times on March 1, all the countries interested reporting heavy bookings. As far as Now Zealand is concerned, the winter bookings have been excellent, all third-class accommodation being engaged for fully two months in advance of sailing, and that condition continues. The emigration and shipping department of the High Commissioner’s Office has had a busy winter attending to verbal and written requirements for information about New Zealand. On one day, for instance, there were over a hundred callers at this department, all making inquiries ns to passengers and prospects.- The pressure of work in tho office has been so heavy that during the two and a half yeans Mr. T. E. Donne, head of the Government Tourist Department, has has boon here, he has not taken a day’s holiday. An Australian doctor recently rejected a considerable number of cadets because they had fallen into poor health through cigarette smoking. This means that they will not now require to servo. Commenting on the subject, tho Sydney Sunday Times says; “The doctor’s action cannot be approved. He should have passed tho cadets,for enrolment and the officers should have imposed punishment for any subsequent cigarette smoking. As it is, the medical gentleman has but pointed out to the whole community how the compulsory service law may be evaded. In some Continental countries it is by no means a rare occurrence for a youth or young man to maim himself so that he may escape service. How much easier is it for boys to smlnke cigarettes to excess in order that the doctor may reject them? Wo tr ist that the Minister for Defence will step in here and see that all those rejects are taken into the ranks. It should be possible to break them of their objectionable habit. At any rate they should not be allowed to laugh at the compulsory service law and escape the , duty that their bettor-behaved companions are performing.”

“Underwear underpriced" is the text for the Melbourne Clothing Company’s advertisement to-day, Merino pants 2s 6d, 2s lid, lambs-wool undershirts and nants 4s 6d, knitted shirts 8s lid, 4s 6d and 5a lid, merino singlirts Is lid, brown cotton singlets Is lid, natural singlets 3s lid and 4s lid, natural pants 3a -lid* 4s -lid and 5s 6d>*

The Garrison Band’s municipal concert postponed from last Sunday on account of the weather will be given (weather permitting) to-morrow (Sunday) afternoon in Pukekura Park commencing at 3 p.m. Customer: “I wish I had as good a. head of hair as you have. I have tried everything to remedy my baldness, but with no good results.” Watchmaker: “Have you ever tried rubbing your head with steel?” Customer: “Certainly not. That’s ridiculous.” Watchmaker; “Why ridiculous? Isn’t it a fact that steel makes the hair spring?” In the course of his monthly report to the Clifton County Council one of the foremen said “I should like a small amount of timber to line the kitchen before, the winter starts and also about 50 bricks to fix a fire place as the wind blows through the iron blowing the smoke into the room.” It was left in the hands of Councillor Sander to deal with.

A Poverty Bay resident, who had made all arrangements for a trip Home, has now been bound over to give evidence in a criminal case, and which will not conic in for hearing until September next. His solicitor made application for his being relieved from attending, but the magistrate said it was very unfortunate, but he had no power in the matter to release the witness from attendance. A rather novel case of animal suicide occurred near Kekerangu one day last week, says the Kaikoura Star. Mr. J. J. Boyd was exercising a young horse on the, beach, when the animal suddenly made a bolt for the sea. There was a very heavy sea prevailing at the time, and Mr. Boyd, finding himself unable to restrain the animat, throw himself clear. The horse,' saddled and bridled, galloped into the surf, and was thrown down, and • n its back, by a big wave. Recovering itself, it went on its mad journey, and swimming out to sea was eventually drowned.

At a presentation to workmen who had served twenty-one years in the service of the well-known “White Horse” Distillery Company, Mr. P. J. Mackie, the chairman, said that several of the workmen in Islay had served over fifty years They were giving in future a bonus of £lO a year to all employees who had served tpn yeqrs in their company, in order to encourage the best workers to stay with them and recognise their services. Several of their employees got cheques for £25 each. He urged the necessity for always giving their beat services in return \for their wages, and criticised adversely the doctrine of socialism that all men are equal. Dr. Henry Butt, in a.' magazine article, describes Paderewski’s home. Dr. Butt then goes on to tell that there is preserved at the home of Boethoven the piano on "which that master played. Among the pilgrims to this shnno last year was an American girl. She waltzed airily to the instrument, and began playing a careless tune. And then, turning to the custodian, she said: “I suppose you have many visitors here every year?” “A great many/’ was the reply. famous people, no doubt?” “Yes; Padereivsln came recently.” “1 suppose, of course, he played oh this piano,” said the girl, her fingers still on the keys. ‘‘No, said the verger, “he did mot consider himself worthy.” .

The Mataura correspondent of the Southland Times writes; —As showing tho rapid development of the dairying industry I may mention that the local factory to-day paid out suppliers’ cheques for the month to the amount of £2240 for 38,4061b5. of butter fat ’at Is 2d, as against same month .of last year £1348 for 32,3641b5. of fat at lOd per lb. We are having splendid weather for harvesting, and work has been going on night and day for the last week. As might be expected some of the grain has been stacked too hastily and is heating, but thousands of acres will be saved by this spell of fine weather. The threshing mills are in full swing and most of the yields are heavy. At the trial in London on March 28 of the suffragettes who took part in the recent window-wrecking, one of the defendants, Mrs. Alice Green, who resolutely refused to be bound over, was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment. Addressing the Judge, she said; “Since last Thursday 1 have given up home-, husband, and child in order to go with the movement, and I will not return until we got the vote.” Evidence was given to show the big sums that had been paid by the Women’s .Social and Political Union for the hire of halls. In one instance as much as £9OO was paid. A witness, representing one of the London banks, testified that cheques had been drawn by foulof the accused on behalf of the union, whoso credit balance in December last amounted to £23,000. After the arrests in connection with the present case £2,000 was wthdrawn, by a single cheque. The balance now at the credit of the union was £3OO.

Messrs. W. K. and J. C. Harris, of Newcastle, recently completed a journey which they claim is, perhaps the longest ovorlanding journey over attempted in Australia in a ono-horse sulky. They left Mayfield, near New--castle, on October 30, with the intention of driving to Adelaide and back. The forward route was over a distance of 1321 miles, via the South Coast < f New South Wales and tho Gippslami forests by way of Melbourne, thence through Victoria, and across the 90mile desert. After spending a month in Adelaide tho return journey was commenced on February 14. One pony was used throughout, a low-bodiod. thick-sot animal, which had been bred in the Hunter district. The actual number of travelling days on the forward journey was 59, the average daily distance being 22 miles. The return stage ran into exactly HOC miles. The travelling days were 39, and Messrs. Harris covered an average mileage of 28 per day.

The lovely water hyacinth, so beautiful to look upon, is proving a curse to farmers in many parts of New South Wales, and meetings aro being held in various parts to consider the best mentis of eradicating this “serious pest.” But, like the prickly pear out in the far west of New South Wales, it is by no means an easy thing to eradicate. At Coraki (in the north) public subscriptions have been raised with the object of making war on the water hyacinth, and the New South Wales Government is also being appealed to for assistance to prevent the blocking of the navigation of the waterways. Bnngawnlbyn Creek, navigable for vessels of 500 tons a distance of 15 miles from the main river, is fast filling up, and all the tributaries of the Richmond, all important waterways of. navigation, are more or Jess affected. If prompt action is not taken, it is considered as only a matter of two years when they will all be blocked to navigation, meaning rum to hundreds of farmers settled on the river banks, whose only outlet is the waterway. Among the many things The Knsh do so well are men’s slip-on overcoats. They’ve just imported a range of the famous Gaberdeen slip-ons, beautifully cut and made in the latest London style. Prices from 455. Don’t forget a specialist in clothing sees tlio garxnent on you.*

The Southland News, a paper which may be supposed to be well informed on the subject, says “with some authority” that Sir Joseph Ward will never again accept office as a Minister of the Crown in New Zealand.

The latest bulletin published by the Health Department shows the Dominion to ho absolutely immune from plague. Some 641 rats were examined during March and in no case was any’ trace of infectious disease found.

A butter-fat competition was held recently by the Heretaunga Dairy Company, Hastings, the prizes being shares in the company. The first prize was won by Mrs. “Wall Mahora who, from 35 cows, produced 1255.7 lb but-ter-fat for the month of March an average of 35.871 b per cow. A nerd of 15 cows came second with an average of 35.561 b per cow. The farm of the winner is only 38 acres in extent, of which 5 acres are in barley and acres taken up by plantations and house.

The Chinese revolution is likely to have one curious effect, namely, to cheapen the price of silk. The reform movement is spreading quite as much among the well-to-do Chinese as among the lower classes and, in addition to dispensing with their pigtails, the Chinese are abandoning their former dress in favour of Western clothes, and for the silk garments which they used to wear are being substituted clothes made from Yorkshire woollens, and cut in European style. On this account large quantities of, Chinese silk will find its way into the world’s market and cause a drop in prices. The extraordinary vitality of the Church of England and the remarkable hold of the church upon the people are brought into strong relief by the returns of voluntary offerings just completed for the year ended Easter, Kill. From church collections or other parochial machinery the sum of £5,411,231 10s- 3d was raised. Voluntary offerings contributed to Central and Diocesan societies and institutions and administered by their executives amounts to £2,756,106. From this gigantic annual voluntary offering of the people of the church, which amounts to the enormous sum of £B,167,338, all grants of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, Queen Anne’s Bounty, or anything of the nature of Government aid have been excluded.

A plan for a new approach road to London from the west, to bo made at a cost of £1,730,000, was discussed at a recent conference of the Road Bo'ard and varions.local authorities. Sir Geo. Gibb, chairman of the board, who presided, said that the board had selected a scheme for a new road, eighty feet wide, from West Cromwell Road to Hounslow, via Hammersmith and Brentford. The congestion at Hammersmith and Brentford was notorious, and at present Cromwell Road, one of the finest roads in London, was wasted owing to its having no outlet. Subject to settlement of apportionment, the board were prepared to contribute £875,000 to the whole work. , It was decided that the local authorities interested should be ■ asked to appoint delegates to attend a further conference to discuss details of the scheme.

Archbishop Clarke, of Melbourne, is ■ on the side of the women. At the annual festival of the Mothers’ Union last week he made two suggestions which he invited the members to convey to their husbands. The first was that there should be financial confidence between husband and wife. Many wives, he said, were led into extravagance under mistaken ideas ...f their husband’s means. No good wife, if taken into financial confidence early, would fail to respond, and to become a sharer of her husband’s responsibilities. Secondly, a man should trust his wife- with a certain definite sum for domestic expenses. The sense of responsibility should be developed by the husband her implicitly with the administration of that portion of the income, and she should be left to spend the money to the best advantage according to her own judgment.

The decision of the New South Wales Government to import two thousand navvies, a hundred bricklayers, and a hundred carpenters, and more if necessary, is a recognition of the fact (says the Sydney Evening News) that the settlement of the country has outrun the facilities for dealing with the produce. Several trades unions have fought hard against any proposal to import artisans, alleging that the local supply is greater than the demand. But the experience of the past twelve months has forced upon the authorities the conclusion that the construction of necessary public works on a large scale will entail such a drain upon the labour market that private enterprise would be almost crippled for want of hands. At the present moment, the farmers are suffering from the warn, of proper railway facilities, while the shortage of labour delays the construction, of hew railways and the duplication of overcrowded lines. “Spotlessly clean.but without a particle of food,” was a detective’s account of the home of Henry Lockerby, 33, a wipdow-cleaner, of Emerald Street, Holborn, who was charged at Marylehoue recently with stealing a basket of provisions from a truck, Lockerby said be took it because his wife and three children wore starving. This statement, said the detective, was perfectly true. There were throe children at home, aped six years, four years, and eight weeks. Mrs. Loekorby told him that her husband took off the brass from the bedstead and sold it for a penny, with which he bought some milk for the sick child. The officer was so touched by what he saw and beard that he gave Mrs. I.ockerby a few shillings out of his own pocket. Ho said it was a “hard sight.” He was convinced Lockerby had been driven to steal through illness and sheer “hard luck,” which had brought him to poverty. The magistrate merely bound tho accused over to come up for judgment if called upon. Ho commended the detective.

There is money as well as milk in the cocoanut. Captain Svensen, of Brisbane, who has large interests in the Solomon Islands, and is visiting, Sydney, stated to a Morning Herald representative that copra, the flesh of the cocoanut, was steadily advancing in, price, and was to-day three times as high as it was when he started planting in the islands twenty years ago. One reason for this was that a variety of butter, known as decline, was being manufactured on the Continent out of cocoanut oil. The product was pure white, with a rather nutty flavour, and manv people preferred it to the ordinary butter. In Germany, where margarine was prohibited, a tremendous demand had set in for oleoline. It sold there at from 3d to 4d per lb, less than best butter. He was surprised that that some manufacturer had not started operations here where the copra could be got cheaper. A lot of o'eolino, perhaps not wider that particular name, was imported into Australia, ami used for confectionery purposes. He had been informed that the Hindus, who, on account of religious scruples, would not touch butter made from cows’ milk, were beginning to use the cocoanut butter, and if this were the case it would give an enormous impetus to the cocoanut-growing industry.

It is interesting to not© that almost one half of the female Chinese popular tion in New Zealand are under fourteen years of age. The total Chinese population in the Dominion is about 2700 v including 88 females, 36 of whom are married. After nineteen years’ experimenting, Mr. Schling, of New York, has succeeded in developing a botanical curiosity in the shape of a four-leaved clover. The plant has four leaves on every stem, and is taller than the ordinary clover.

One of the delegates to the New Zealand Ironmasters’ Conferehce in Christchurch last week declared that the confusion of Arbitration Court awards affecting his employees was such that he had engaged a clerk solely to study them and to see that they were strictly observed. It was stated at the conference that the brass and iron founders intended to ask for a new award shortly, and in order to avoid any unnecessary worry the secretary was instructed to ask the executive of the union to apply for a Dominion award.

The anniversary services ‘ of the Whiteloy Memorial Sunday School will be held to-morrow in the cjmrch at 11, 3 and 7 o’clock. The children have been practising special hymns and music for some considerable time under the leadership of Mr. Herbert White, and the musical portion of the service will be of more than usual interest. The preacher will be the mimstei'of Whiteley Church, Rev. J. W. Burton. The morning subject will be, Interpreting the Child to Itself” ; and m the afternoon there will be a special address to the children on “The Boys and Girls of Old and New Fiji.” In the evening Mr. Burton will take as his subject ilie Coward and the Alan.” The offertories during the day will be on behalf or tne Sunday school. A company with a capital of £200,000 is being formed in Hawke’s Bay to establish iron smelting works to develop the ironfield known as the Onakaka Block, alongside the famous Parapara, at Golden Bay, Nelson. The Onakaka deposits were reported on by Professor Marshall, lecturer in geology at Otago University, / whos,e analysis disclosed iron ore or first-class quality, capable of yielding pig iron of the highest grade. The block comprises 900 acres. Ninety acres have been cleared of bush, and on this Professor Marshall estimates that 22,500,000 tons of iron are in sight. It is intended to erect blast furnaces for smelting pig iron., and leaving to others the manufacture of steel. A large l number of shares have already been subscribed in Hawke’s Bay. The cost of erecting blast furnaces is set down at from £76,000 to £BO,OOO.

A rather important case to farmers and auctioneers was heard before the Gisborne Magistrate recently, and judgment has been recently delivered thereon. It appears that a farmer bought a mare at auction which was guaranteed staunch and quiet in all harness. The purchaser took her to his iarin and placed her in a paddock, but did not attempt to put her in harness for fully three weeks after the sale. She then proved a jibber. The purchaser refused payment and was sued for the amount. The farmer owner and two witnesses stated that the mare was absolutely quiet in harness and that' the auctioneer had offered to give the purchaser a trial after the sale, of which he did not avail himself. The Magistrate held that the purchaser kept the mare an unreasonable time before trying her. No notice of the alleged breach of warranty was given to the vendor until fhree weeks after the sale. Judgment was given for amount claimed. £l9, with costs of court, £5 ss. A silk spinning factory near Marseilles founded and managed by a uoman and run on model imes a most exclusively by women, has,, u i„i years risen to be one of the most im.portant industrial concerns in the neighbourhood. Mme. Gamier, the owner, employs 1000 women. There are .-only 50 men in the factory,, and they are stokers or responsible foi other work not suitable for women. The factory, states the Echo de Pans, was constructed according to Mms. Gamier s own plan. The machinery, for silk spinning, which is her own invention, is so perfect that the economy m production enables her to pay her hands more than the average wages and at the same time to compete successfully with her rivals. So highly is the product of her factory esteemed that two great silk-weaving concerns have monopolised for’ a number of years the entire output. For the benefit of her workpeople, she has established an infirmary and a creche, the whole of this work being carried out with female assistance only. Her bookkeepers, inspectors, directors and controllers are all women, and there has never been a strike.