NEWS AND NOTES.

Waikato Independent, Volume III, Issue 184, 27 January 1906, Page 6

NEWS AND NOTES.

A Tiraaru tradesman interested in the boot trade says that since the preferential tariff came into force English manufacturers have obtained a firmer hold on the colonial market. The locally-made boots, he declared, were quite as good, and in some respects better than the imported English article. To recover the body of an infant at Waimatc (Canterbury), Constable Wade permitted himself to be lowered down a well 50 feet deep, and all that separated him from probable death was a frail windlass, whi9h was liable to give way at any moment. Men who know the locality well were heard to declare in Waimate that they would not have done what the constable did, even if a £SO reward were offered for the task.

A calf-birth extraordinary has occurred at Tc Kiri, and its accuracy (says the Opnnake Times) is vouched for by Mr Fred Watson. A cow gave birth to a heifer calf, and nine weeks afterwards dropped a fine healthy bull calf. Incidents are known of twin calves being born, but a period of nine weeks between the first and second birth is an occurrence remarkable for its peculiarity. And whilst nature was exalted in one instance it has been depressed in another by reason of the mother of the calves going blind in the teats.

In the Te Awamutu Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, before Mr H. W. Northcroft, S.M.. L. Larsen, a local Justice of the Peace, pleaded guilty to a charge of supplying two native women with beer. The Maori women stated the accused, after making improper overtures to them, handed them a bottle of beer, which they immediately took to Constable McPhee. The accused said he was under the influence of liquor at the time. He intended to resign his position as a Justice of the Peace. The Magistrate commented severely on the action of the accused, and complimented the native women for refusing to be led astray, and also for their promptness in communicating with the police on the matter. The Magistrate further threatened to report the accused unless he handed in his resignation as a Justice of the Peace to the clerk of the Court. The full penalty of £lO was inflicted, with costs £2 9s. The following essay on the “Domestic Cat ” was written by a pupil at one of the London County Council schools in the East End : —“ The cat is a square quadruped, and as is customary with square quadrupeds has its four legs at the corners. If you want to please this animal you must stroke it on the back. If it is very much pleased it sets up its tail quite stiff like a ruler, so that your hand cannot get any further. The cat is said to have nine lives, but in this country it seldom needs them all because of the presence of Christianity.” The inquest on the recovered bodies of the victims of the Kapanui disaster, which occurred in the Auckland harbor on tbe night of December 23rd, was concluded on Thursday. The jury brought in a verdict that the death of Clark was due to crushing, while that of Heavey and Fletcher was due to drowning, and the deaths of all three were occasioned by the improper navigation of James Southgate, the captain of the Kapanui. Captain Southgate was then arrested on a charge of manslaughter, and was taken before a Justice of the Peace and released on bail.

At the meeting of the Board of Education on Wednesday a strong plea was put in by Mr H. J. Greenslade, M.H.R. for the more expeditious extension of educational facilities in the country districts. He said it was regrettable that so many children should be deprived the advantages of a primary education. Personally, he was simply inundated with complaints on the subject of the delays that took place in the erection of new schools and the carrying out of repairs, but it was, of course,' impossible to do much in the matter, because of the fact that the Board’s overdraft amounted to over ,£7OOO. New schools were urgently needed at Tauranga-o-Moana, near Matamata), Rukahia and Hangatiki, while the Te Uku school was in a disgraceful condition, the porch and main building having parted company. There was too much delay on the part of the Department at Wellington, and too much redtapeism.

The potato blight has pretty well swept Otaki district from end to end, and the Maoris arc sadly bewailing the loss of their much-needed “ Taiewa.” Some, indeed, have actually sat down and wept at the sight of the havoc wrought by the pest. Many families will have a hard struggle during the winter, more especially if there be many “ tangis.” A woman about 40 years of age, who applied for the issue of a prohibition order against her husband at Invercargill, appeared in court under the influence of liquor, and the application was dismissed. The Magistrate stated that if an application was before him for an order against both the woman and her husband he would have no hesitation in granting it. Really, newly-wed people should not travel by the late express (says the Southland Times) unless they have made fast provision for accommodation beforehand. Last night a young couple from about Clinton arrived by the 11.5 train, after vainly endeavouring to find lodging, appealed to one of the constables on duty. The best he could do (and it was very good) was to send the bride to' his own house for the night; the bridegroom had perforce to accept the offer of a citizen to occupy a shed and make the best of an unpleasant situation. Mr F. B. Franks writes to the Eltham Argus saying With reference to the claim made by a Masterton farmer for having established a record by obtaining an average of £1 7s 6d for a month’s milk from his herd of 26 cows, I beg to state that in all justice to the Eltham district as a producing centre my cheque for December s milk from 36 cows amounted to £55 4s, thus giving an average of £1 10s 8d per cow, leaving the Masterton man a considerable distance in the rear."