NEWS AND NOTES.

Waikato Independent, Volume II, Issue 132, 21 September 1905, Page 3

NEWS AND NOTES.

The Eltham Argus learns, unofficially, that the Ellham Co-operative Dairy Company’s output of butter has been sold at the splendid price of lid per The Taranaki Herald reports that the first shipment of butler from New Plymouth for this season was despatched by the Corinna on Monday. The shipment comprises 94 boxes, mostly this season's product, and will be transhipped to the Athcnic at Wellington. The Premier states that if school books for pupils of the primary schools arc supplied free, as is done in some countries, this would involve a large initial expense—probably, say about £3o,ooo—and an annual expenditure afterwards of £SOOO to £IO,OOO to replace worn-out books, and to keep the books up-to-date.

" At the present time the commercial outlook is brighter than I have ever known it before, in a long and varied experience. Mutton and lamb arc going to command a handsome price this season ; the price for butter is going to be better than ever before, and to the best of my belief there is also going to be a first-class price for grain in the coming season. It is going to be one of the most prosperous years South Canterbury has ever experienced." So said a wellknown commercial man in the course of a conversation, which a representative of the Timaru Tost chanced to hear. The total of all salaries and allowances, at the rates paid at the end of last year to New Zealand's school teachers,' was £418,635 0s 6d. The average salary per teacher, including pupil-tcachers, was, therefore, the munificent sum of £ll2 lis lid. It is found that the average nett salary (deducting all allowances) of an adult male teacher was last year £l7O 4s 2d ; of a woman teacher, £93 8s 8d ; average salary for all adults, £125 5s lOd per teacher. The Act of 1904, which came into force on the Ist January of this year, raised these average salaries respectively to £175 for men, £96 for women, and £129 per adult teacher. An interesting case of recovery of a cow from milk fever is reported by Mr Rayner, dairy farmer, Tc Whiti. According to Mr Kayner's statement made to the Wairarapa Age representative the cow was supposed to be past all veterinary skill, and was piactically given up when the manager, Mr Groube, asked permission to try an experiment he had in view. This was readily granted, when Mr Groube, by means of a bicycle pump, filled the teats with air, at the same time rubbing the udder well for some three or four minutes. Two hours after this treatment the cow on examination was found to have moved, and Mr Groube then applied himself to the tests, drawing off some milk and the air he had pumped into the udder, after which the pump was again applied, and more fresh air poured into the udder. In the morning the cow was found on her feet and quietly feeding on the grass. Liquor and license were burning questions in Wellington even in 1858, remarks the Post. Two petitions appear in the proceedings of the sixth session of the Provincial Council, held in that year. In those days, it appears, anyone could sell up to two gallons of alcoholic liquors witout a license; and twenty-three licensed victuallers petitioned in protest. The other petition came from ninety-six people of different views with the names of James Buller (Wcsleyan minister) and Joshua Smith (Primitive Methodist minister) in the forefront. They called attention to "the alarming amount of intemperance prevalent in this town," and asked that no more licenses be granted, " and for the more effectually closing public houses on the Sabbath." The petitioners assert " that there is in this town alone, which, according to the census taken a few months ago, contains 2012 persons above the age of 15 years, 22 houses for the sale of intoxicating liquor and three more in the immediate neighbourhood."