LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 137, 11 June 1903, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Interesting rending matter will be found on page four of this issue. Messrs Carthew, Thompson and Company report having sold Mr O. Hanlon's beach farm atO;ikura of 111 acres, to Mr William Hatcher, of Opunake-road Stratford. Messrs Oallaghan and Company report tho sale of sections 4 and 5, in the Vegeltown estate, to Mr Holdsworth, Postj master. | Strangers passing through New Plymouth are struck with numbers of oil paintings displayed in the shop windows' I in Devon-street, and supposed same were for sale. When they were informed that the pictures belonged to the Guards' Art Union, and that any person had the chance of securing one of these splendid I Oil Paintings by simply purchasing a one shilling ticket, they expressed their surprise, and at once bought a ticket, so as to have a chance of winning such a mag nificsnt (.rizo for the small sum of one shilling. The Melbourne-Brindisi despatch of mails of May 6th, arrived in London on 6th inst

A Southland sheep breeder recoived a few days ago a cheque for between i3OOO and £4OOO for one line of sheep. A cablegram, put in at the telegraph office at Leith, b'cocland, and sent by the Pacifio cable to a firm in Dunedtn, reached its destination in one hour nine mi utes. | Auckland Chamber of Commerce if agitating re subject of bank holidays. It is radier late, seeing that the whole question was debated and settled last session The historical keep of the Chateau d'lf, immortalised by Alexandre Dumas in his novel "The Count of Monte Cristo,' has been sold by auction to the captain of a French liner for £250. The Hawke's Bay Woollen Company has been kept extremely busy of late fulfilling orders from outside parU of the colony. To ■ obviate double shifts of workers, who have had to be employed to keep pace with tho demands, fresh machinery is being procured from England. It is pleasing to record that Hawke's Bay woollen goods are finding a. very satisfactory markot in both islands of this colony. As showing the confi denoa held in the prospects of the oom pany, it may be mentioned"that 1000 shares have just been taken up by Waika'.o investors. The value of the indust y to the district may be gauged from the fact tint 75 hands are being employed at the mill at the present time. A letter received from a London correspondent says there can be no question that, taking the quality of the bulk of the shipments of butter thia year, the Sew Zealand article has been far superior to the Australian shipments. Of course, the writer adds, due allowance must be mad* for the drought in Australia,. Searching for " copy " the other day, a a member of the fourth estate persuaded n leading firm of undertakers to tell him for publication what disinfectant it is the) use when coffining the corpse of a person who has died from an infectious diaoase The reply was that they use a dilution of formalin fi.r spraying the room and the clothing, and everything necessary to be handled. The chief merits of formalin are: First, its efficicy, since when using it the undertakers have no fear of contagion, however malignant the disease; second, its oheapness, §s buying a quart of the dilution ; third, its peculiar inoffen siveness, in that it can be sprinkled upon tho finest fabrics without destroying theii colours, The public are indebted to the firm referred to (who ask that their names be not mentioned) for information as to this valuable germicide.

The Mapourika Parlimentary exeursioniets were specially invited to hear the singing of the King's choir at Tonga They attended the church in good numbers expecting to hear the usu »1 class of Native singing that they had heard at the other islands. The "'choir" apparently consisted of the whole congregation, and the visitors were almost "kuocked oft tbeir perches " when,the brown men and .women, instead of," singinjr the usual monotonous chants, burst forth with the lovely glee "Hail smiling Morn." Thin i was a bit of a staggerer, but there was more to follow. Thry sang with mar- , vellous precision and effect the Halleluia Glioma and other oratorio music. Tiiere ' was no organ accompaniment;, and the time kept by the singers was perfect, the various parts being taken up with a con fidence and precision that betokened long ; and assiduous practice. The men's voices i were superb, and, on the whole, superior Ito the women's. Ihe intoning of the ! Lord's Prayer by the choir was worth going a long way to hear j very few New { Zealand choirs could have equalled the j Tongan choir. | The King and Queen are expected to make a trip to Ireland in the summer. It would be very well advised, for never : have the conditions been more favour- | able. The country is at peace, aud party | spirit, for the time, is in abeyance. It | the Irish Land Bill does not satisfy all i parties, it is denounced by none. No such calm has been known in living memory. I The Opunake School Committee has j recommended the appointment of Miss London as assistant mistress far the school.

The men working at the repairing of the damage by flood are rapidly getting things ship shape. The getting out the hugh masses of concrete ia a difficult task, ' as it all has to be blasted with dj namite, and is a very slow process. Ihe Union S.B. Company remove to I their new efnees to-day. The company i are to be congratulated on the erection of i such a handsome and substantial building, 1 j a description of whioh will shortly appear. The Bgmont Settler reports that at the 'meeting of the-Stratford Borough Counj oil, the Education Board wrote stating 1 that thev intended to establish plumbing 1 classes, and asked . the Council to cooperate with the New Plymouth Borough Council. Mr Climie, Borough Engineer, said he understood than, all the Board wanted was the Borough Council to accept certificates issued by the Board. Cr James moved that the Council accept certificates issued by the Education Board. Cr Masters seconded, and the motion was carried.

We understand that Mr 0 M. Lepper, Secretary of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, has secured the offices now being vacated by the Union S.B. Company. The plumbing class is baing taken up very satisfactorily. Already 14 students have entered their names, and as 10 was the minimum, this assures the success of the pkss. Mr Freeman, the patarer on the mail train, is building a very fine brisk building on the vacant section between Hawkes' Stationers and Fancy Good emporium and the Hotel Commonwealth in Egmont 'sti'det. It consists of a two story building, with two shops on the ground floor and a bakers oven. In this issue appears a very interesting account of the visit to the Islands of the Members of Parliament, by Mr C. E. Major, M.li.R, of Hawera. £s Mr Major is the only IVanaki member to make the trip, and is specially fitted to express an opinion on such a subject, his yjjsws will no doubt ba wad with voy great interest, particularly as the question of these ishnds is exciting a good deal of attention just now. Tha Auckland citizens' presentation to Lrdy R»i\funly will consist of two handsome portrait paintings of Maori ladi-s, from the brush of 0. P. Goldle

Engagement Ri-rs, Wedding Rings, and Keepers, certainly the finest stock on the SVest Coast of New Zo-ilmd. A good present with each wedding ring at J II Parker's, Jeweller, next Railway Crossing, Devon street, New Plymouth.—