Local and General.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8013, 19 September 1906, Page 2

Local and General.

On Saturday next, at 2 p.m., Mr J. McICee will sell by public auction in Messrs Faris and Co.'s mart, a lar ;e consignment of drapery, including Irish linens, curtains, towels, quilts, calicoes, sheetings, musiins, skirts, and many other articles, for the household and male and female attire.

The Hamilton Orchestral S)ciety has decided to hold its next concert on 17th Oo:objr, this being a little earlier than anticipated on accouut of several members wishing to be present at the opening of the Exhibition. Members are requested to attend all practices, so that good progress miy be made with the work in hand. Some Auckland talent will also be engaged, and the public may look forward to a good concert. The following was the rainfall for August at several Waikato stations: Matamata iuches, Te Mata 4.40, Kaivhia 207, i'aupo 317, Te Awamutu 193, Paterangi 218, Waikato Hospital 2 20, Waerenga 2 23. The highest rainfall in the island was ITOB at Puhipuhi plantation, near Whangarei, and the lowest at Waipawa '9l. The extremes in the South Island were Okuru (West Coast) P613 inches and Kurow '3O.

There h.is just bsen priated at the Waikato I'i.mks office, to the order of the Cambridge SUUJ Club, a handy little uirttrurau lum book for the use of visitors. " We wish your stay to be as agreeable as possible aud as profitable a3 possible," is toe on tue C->ver, acid a series of appropriate mottoes couc.udes with the lictum that 1 Cambridge is the beautylover'a heaven." The little book should be au effective way of promoting the objects of .he Club.

Kecent heavy raina in the Matamati district caused considerable damage both to roads and crops, as well as loss of stock. Iho flood is said to have been the heaviest experienced for the last ten years. In some places the road fillings have been completely washed away, while in the Gordon, VVardville and Aratiatia settlements three large and several smaller bridges have beeu shifted from their positions. Iu the Matamata district a good deal of the work done recently by the Roads lJep irtm- j nt his been washed away, i'ha War.iville-M tuawaru road was under water for several chains in length at various places. Several Maori settlements wore pirt ally submerged, and the occupants had to find otuer quarters.

Although the visit of the Maori " prophetess" to the Oisborne district lasted only a week, she seams to have made quite a number of converts. As usual a number of miraculous cures are reported. Hikapuhi's methois are rather strange, und last Monday week there was quite an uproar at I'ohou. At the word of command the patients with real or imaginary complaints got upon their feet and began jumping about, dancing hakas, while the prophetess did the Cakewalk. Near by wasadying old man, win expired after the party had left for Muriwai. At the la:ter place " the wedding ceremony" to'k place. Ab>ut2o w mien all dressed in bridal costumes, with the orthodox veil, were married, or con secrated to the boiling service by the prophetess, who was also divas id in a similar fashion After the conseoration service two large wedding cakes were dis tribiiied.

VERDICT FOR THE "L-K-G." That the dairy public realise which is thy proven milking machine is evident from the f ict that during the pist three months over lk) " Lawrence - KennedyGillies" Milking Machines have been sold oulright in New Zealand a one. This record almost equals the t.tal silos for the previous four year 3. The level headed dairy farmer evidently does not believe in experimenting with untried machines, and recognises that by adopting the " L-lv-G" h ) secures a guarantee of reliability established beyond a doubt by the searching tes< of four years' practical use on a number of dairy farms. DONT WAIT TILL TO-MORROW It's the little colds that grow into big colds; the big oolds that end in consump tion and death. Don't wait till to-morrow to cure the little coldi, for one dose of Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery for Coughs, iJolds, and Confuuip'ion will break up a cold it taken at the beginning. Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery is a safe and never-failing remedy. Price Is 01 and 3s. Obtainable at (ireen and Colebrook, Ltd., and branch stores; Thomas Wells, Cambrdge; G. IV*. A. Ahier, Te Awamutu, and T. H. Chapman, Kihikihi. GIGANTIC CONSPIRACY, "l is a gigantic conspiracy of Coughs and Colds against you. Foil it with Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery for Coughs, Colds, and Consumption. Price la 6d and 3s. Obtainable at Green and Colebrook, Ltd.,and branch stores; Thomas Wells, Cambridge; G. M. A. Ahier, Te Awauiutu, and T, H. Chapman, Kihikihi,

T 'O iiev. T. Fi'6 a:d Rtu\ A. J. (formerly of Hamilton and Kotonia) *re about tonxohange pulpits for two Sundays. Mr Feu leaves Hamilton for Rolorua to-day. While here. Air Reed will conduct the Christian Knieivour anniversary services.

Davo Smith, of Bundaberg, and New Zealand'.-! champion miier, contemplates * descent on New Zealand, and to arrive in time to cjmpofe either at l)untroin or W aim ato on B ixing D.vy, «:.d Oamaru on January I<t and 2nd. He w. 1 i also att-md the Exhilvtio i sp rt-s, held under the ausp>ces of tiie \ T "W Z-ialand Athletic Union on January 2tth anil 2fkh, afterwards doing soon of the lar.;t>r meetings in the North Island.

A mob of 100 pigs driven by two iinn with tbo usual complement of dogs, is poiuawhat an unumil sight, but such was to be netm about midday on Monday in Himilt'in East. The porkers strung out in a line reaching from the trallic bridge to the Borough boundary on the River road.

A rental of ten shillings per week is demanded for two - roomed tenements in Wellington, with which accotnmodat on it not infrequently happens that married coupled, with two or three of a family, have to be content. It is said to be practically impossible tor a Hurried labourer, in casual employment, to " make both ends meat " in Wellington just now. The Chief Poultry Exp rt has been advised that a consignment of G ivernmoutsjraded chickens shipped from Auckland last season realised from 8-1 to 10s per pair. A later report states that the birds were considered particularly good, and strongly recommends the development of tr id < in New Zealand chiokens and ducklings of similar quality and finish. The "birds should arrive in London fiom the beginning of March and the end of May,

The Lauds Committee will, it is understood, meet every day during this wee'c, in order that, if possible,its labours iu connection with the Land Bill may be completed in time to permit of its report being presented to the House on Tuesday of next week. The Minister for Lands is hopeful of this being accomplished. The debate on the saoond reading of the Bill will in all probability be taken immediately after the Bill is reported by the committee. A cable to the New York World from London says that Mrs Lily Lingtry, on 2Lst August, called upon Father Bernard Vaughan, the Jesuit priest who haa been preaching scathing sermons in his church in Mayfair on the sins of the smart set. Her errand was to tell him she could fully confirm th« truth of his assertions regarding the wickedness of fashionable society. Oue of the priest's trenchant swings that nas rankled in the minds of aristocratic women was to call them "devourers of men."

Jack London, the American author, was having a boat built at San Francisco, wherein to sail to Australia, when the earthquake laid waste that city. The vessel, however, was not injured, and Mr London expects to sail her out of Golden Gate Harbour about Ootober. He says he may be some time in getting down to Melbourne, beciusd he expects ti "fool round the South Seas and New Zeiland fur quite a bit." It is not every novelist nowadays who can plan lengthy excursions in the seven seaa in his own yacht, but Hearst, the American newspaper millionaire, is backing London, and has given him more than one friendly lift in literature and politics.

A well-known firm of Dunedin timber merchants received a welcome surprise a few days ago, when a man who had been indebted to it to the extent of £75 tor many years settled hi* accjunt. The manager ot the firm had no recollection of the debt, or of it being on the books, but investigation snowed that the money was owing, and that the hat occasion on which the account was rendered was April, 1898. At that time the debtor was in straitened circumstances, and the debt had been written off, and completely forgotten. The firm was very grateful to the debtor, and in appreciation ot his action handed him in return a substantial amount.

A satisfactory improvement in the birth rate is the feiture of New Zealand's latest vital statistics. Births registered last year totalled 23,G82 or 27'22 per thousand, an increase of 102 upon the previous year. The rate was the highest since 189-1. Analysing the pioportiou of births to marriages it is fouud that regarded aunualiy or decennially, there is a decided fall in the number of births per m»riiage. Last year's rate was 3.21. There were 1082 illegitimate births, the rate being about the same as for the ten years. Ic is less than that of auy of the Australian States excepting Sjuth Australia and West Australia. The death rate was the lowest since 1887, being 9.27 per thousand as against 958 in previous year. New Zealand, in this connection, is in the happy position of having the best record of any Australasian colony or European country. Messrs Mayes and Langd own, who are in charge of tne official residential bureau of the Exhibition, st.te that repjrts circulated by Wellington newspapers some time ago with regard to excessive charges for board and lodgings in Christchurch are likely to have serious effects ou the attendance at the Exhibition unless step* are taken at once to let tin public throughout the coiony know that charges for board and lodging will not be excessive. In order to set at rest misgivings, Mr Langdown ha 3 started on a tour of the colony. He will call upon the editors of the principal newspapers, and will place before them the exact pisition, showing actuil figures and agreemmts to demonstrate tne fact that charges will not be unreasonable. It is estimated that the average charge will be about 2j per ce t above normal, *nd it is thought that when the inevittble rise in the pricj of food is considered, the increase is only what might be expected. Dr. Mason is a «trong advocate of State or municipally controlled milk distribution. He states iu his yearly report to the Minister for Public Health that large measures of reform are required in the direction of mechanical milkers, hygienic milking pail?, and up-tod..te byre-; and even with those assured great deterioration often occurred in consequence of the manner of transit from dairyman to retailor. The present uncertain responsibility as to the control must be settled. The Agricultural Department be male responsible for its purity until it is put upon the train, and the Health Department should hive absolute control from that point. Dr. Mason urges that a fair trial should be given to his suggestion that all milk entering a town of over 4000 inhabitants should be delivered at a municipal pasteurising factory where it should be-carefully assayed, pasteurisod, and delivered by officer» of the borough. " The value of a pure mill; supply," says Dr. Mason, " cannot be overe>timated in its influence on infantile m)rtality. La-*t year infantile diarrhoea, enteritis aud marasinui carried ol 308 of our children under one yeir. These ailments are 111 many instances only synonyms for impure milk and badfeoding." Mr D. Petrie, Chief Inspector of Schools in the Auckland district, does not consider that tho scheme ot teachers' salaries is, even yet, as just and liberal as it might be« ile writes, in his annual report: "All who are acquainted with the workiug of different types of elementary schools, will allow that the solo-teacher schools, with an average attendance of from thirty to forty, involve ou their teachers the heaviest work and the greatest difficulty of organisation. In 7iew of this, it seems to me deplorable that the heavy work and the skill and alertness required for the sue management of these schools should count for so little in fixing the remuneration of their teachers. As soon as the average attendance rises above forty a a second teacher is added to the stuff, while the head teacher's salary is advanced. With an average attendance of forty-one to fifty-five, or even sixty, each of the two teachers on the staff has a much lighter burden of work than his the sole teacher with thirty or ferry of an average attendance. The sole te icher has all the standard and primer olasses to teach, and though the actual number of pupils in each c'ass is less, there is no very great advantage and some real disadvantage in this. Hare justice demands that the teachers of schools between thirty and forty should be paid as liberally us the head teachers of schools between forty-one and sixty. The inadequate payment of the teachers of the smaller schools must tell strongly against their efficiency as a elas3. An equally serious blot on the scheme of salaries now in force is the totally inadequate remuneration of the special teachers of district high school classes in nearly every gtade. The salaries given are quite insufficient to secure the permanent service of experienced and capable teachers for the secondary pupils. 1 think the lowest salary for this should be £24Q a year."

' ho movHtiient, nt Cambridge to establish a gen; lerann'd club continues to progress Arrangements have been made to purchase a site, an architect has been engaged to draw up plans, and trustees htve appointed. If possible the Club will be opeued at New Year time.

;<les.irs McNicol and Oo.'s annual horse fair commenced at Cambridge yesterday, the weather being nusi; favourable. there was a record at endance of buyers and spectators, the former including visitors from all jvrts of the colony. A prominent feature < f the fair the great variety »nd excellence or the horFe flesh, which was representative ef districts both far and near. Good progress wa« nude yesterday, very few lots being passed. Notwithstanding the horse fair at the j atne place last week, there was keen demand, and satisfactory prices were obtained, lhere B'ieuis every prospect that the fair will bo equal in importance to those that have precede! it.