Local AND GENERAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11978, 22 September 1906, Page 4

Local AND GENERAL.

The boys of 'the Opunake public school have started a poultry company which is run on very business-like lines. Tfye headmaster at the last school committee meeting reported : "The poultry company is doing good business. The results of the first month's trading showed a profit of over 100 per cent on the feed."

The percentage of lambs in the Eketahuna district is said to be higher this jear than it has been for ten years past. New Zealand has done more than any other country in the world, stated the Premier in the House, in protecting its bird life. The deer are ruining our forests, said Mr M'Lachlan iv the House of Representatives on Tuesday, and it was a cruel shame to continue to encourage sport for the f«w. An octopus, thrown up on the beach at Westport, a few days ago, measured, sninc feet round the body, and had tentacles ranging from five to twenty-two feet long. It was computed that it weighed ovei three hundredweight. The Taranaki Acclimatisation Society has just landed a consignment of 20,000 brown trout fry, which will be kept in the Society's ponds in the Recreation Grounds. Another 10,000 will arrive in the course of a week or two. Coal and oil lands are valuable, but extremely profitable earnings have been made by a land-owner near Hawera {.says the Star) upon whose property there is a deposit of shell rock, used for garden paths and similar purposes. One carrier has paid a royalty of £200 for working in a quarter of an acre of it. The inspector of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported at a meeting on Monday that during the last fortnight twenty-nine cases of cruelty had been inquired into. The result was that two horses had been destroyed, and six had, by his orders been taken off the road for rest and treatment. In one case an owner had been prosecuted for working a horse with a sore shoulder. j "Milk forms, or ought to form, th* staple article of diet until at least the j age of five years has been reached," says Dr Mason, Chief Health Officer, in his department report. Consequently, "the value of a pure milk supply cannot be over-estimated in its influence upon infantile mortality. . . .Last year infantile diarrhoea, enteritis, and marasmus carried off 538 of our children under one year. These ailments are, in many instances, only synonyms for impure milk and bad feeding." The New Zealand Accountants and Auditors Association (Regd) intimates that the annual examinations in conncption with the. Association will be held throughout the colony on November sth next. The examinations are for the Fellows' Associates' and Students' grades and are available to members of either sex, as a matter of fact there are several lady ' members who have already qualified by examination. Intending candidates may procure copies of syllabus, past examination papers, and other particulars from the Registrar of the Association, Mr'J. H. Mackie, Auckland. A ludicrous incident occiirred in a London church recently. -A young lady accidentally let her handkerchief fall. By repeatedly stooping to reach it furtively Bhe attracted the attention of the gentleman in the pew behind, who thought she was about to faint?. " With the best of motives he took he*, gently under the arm and raised her up^greatly to her surprise. As she tried to release herself another gentleman went to her assistance, and before the lady 'knew what was the matter they were moving her out into the aisle and into the ypstibule. The finale can be better imagined than described. "Two lovely black eyes" were the most striking features of a woman who applied for refief»'t«> the Wellington Benevolent Trustees, this week. She had had some drops to put on them, she said, and resented the suggestion that the "drops" had been applied internally. "We will give you help for a week," said the chairman aftervcroßs-exaraination, and the lady departed with the remark, "It's no use dictating to me ; I know my way 'about." The trustees did not contradict the statement, and proceed with some satisfaction to the D4*t case — a woman who had not used ration tickets last week, because she had found work and therefore did not need fhem. Mr Joe Dransfield, who was for many year* one of the leading citizens of Wellington, died . there yesterday, aged 81 years. The deceased came to Wellington in the early days from Australia, and carried on business there until ill-health compelled his retirement into private life. In 1870, when the affairs of the district ceased to be administered by the Town Board, he was elected. Mayor of Wellington, and held office for four consecutive terms, being succeeded in 1874 by the late Mr C. B. Borlase. Mr Dransfield again stood for the Mayoralty in 1878 and was returned. He was re-elected in 1879, but only occupied the position until the 9th May of that year, when he resigned. The members of the Besses-o'th'-Barn Band had a big send off at Liverpool, when leaving for New York by the steamship Majestic. Ihey will be absent from England 18 months, having arranged to play in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. They will play at the Exhibition at Christchurch for a fortnight in the afternoons and evenings, commencing on January 9th, and on a later date will give a second season, lasting a fortnight. The remuneration to be paid them for their services at the Exhibition is fixed at two thousand five hundred pounds. It is said the Band is going "to give the people real, genuine music, the music that has made the Band famous." At the DuneUin Police Court on Monday the question of whether a prohibited pereos convicted of drunkenness can also be convicted on a charge of procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order cropped up for the second time, the previous case being heard a few days ago. The Magistrate (Mr C. C. Graham) said that what troubled him was that tho double prosecution made two offences! out of one act, and it seemed to him contrary to the principles of law that anyone should be tried twice for practically the same offence. The sergeant of police explained that one offence under the Licensing Act, an--} the other under the Police Offences Act, and it was only the fact that both charges were brought on together that made it look Like duplicating the charge. The magistrate said he saw by the newspaper report that conviction had been recorded in such cases at Gore, but he was not altogether satisfied that it was according to the principles of law. He wonld take the matter into consideration and give judgment next Monday.