LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 195, 31 August 1903, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

I Interesting reamng matter will be found m page four of this isoue. I At Dunedin on Sunday morning the ground was white with a fall of hail, which frozs as it fell, but the sun came cit stronnly and the hail was goon cleared. Ml Saturday and Sunday morning snow was lying for inohes deep at ».shburton, but the warm sun melted it rapidly later. Malcolm Kennedy Law, a letter carrier, was committed for trial at Auckland for detaining postal packets and newspapers. In searching his lodgings six letters, SCO circulars, and 61 newspapers dating back to July 11th were found. Accused, who pleaded t'uilty, alleged ill-health aa the cause.

A. decided improvement has taken place in Judge Oonolly's condition. At his Stratford meeting-, Wr Maxwell repeated his statements about the size of steamers and depth cf water required. We recently referred to the number ot ooaan liners visiting Timaru. In the official report of the secretary of the Timaru Harbour Board iust to hand, we notice that the depth cf water at the main wharf is 26 feet, with a rise i of tide of seven feet. Mr Marchant, who is also engineer of the Timaru Harbour Board, I provides for 30 feet at New Plymouth, i with a rise of tide of nearly 12 feet. Mr Maxwell also talked of the trade of Timaru

being so much greater than that of Now Plymouth. We remeniber when it wag less than that of New Plymouth, but the provision of shipping facilities has made trade, and the same thing will occur here if the shipping facilities are provided. A correspondant of the " Egmont Settler " writes, " For ten years settlers in East Taranaki have struggled with a courage and perseverance worthy of final success, and to-day the condition of their mv.n outlet—the Kast Road—from Godsal's saddle (15 miles from Stratford) out* wards for forty-four miles, is worse than it has ever been before, and is such as to make the bravest heart quail and despair Threo five-horse teams have been obliged to relinquish the road lately. There is not an item in the daily requirements of settlers' homes in the Whangamomona district, but is now costing, inclusive of - packing, £l2 a ton from Stratford. , Settlement cannot withstand these disa-> ! bilities."

At Inglewood on Friday afternoon, Bishop Neligan held a confirmation Barvice in St. Andrew's Ohuroh. when 16 oandidateß were presented. The church was filled to overflowing, and although many additional seats were brought in from the Parish Hall, atandin? room and the porch wore brought mto service. His Lordship gave a most impressive address, directed, of course, principally towards the candidates for the sacramental rite, but of interesting moment to ail. In the Prisons report, submitted to Parliament on Tuesday, the gaoler at] Sew Plymouth (Mil B. 8. O'Brien) makes mention of a peculiar case that oime under his notioe recently, in which an undeserving pt>rson was allowed to participate in the benefits of the Fisst Offenders' Probation Act The case was that of a prisoner admitted to New Plymouth gaol on remand, who, under an assumed name, " had managed to worm himself into the

good graces of the probation officer of a country district, with the result that he was released on three months probation."

The sequel is thus told by the gaoler : ** On reoeption here, however, he was recognised by one of the offioers, who had known him in one of the South Island prisons ; and, on lookiug un the Polioe Gazette, I was astonished to find that the

man had no less than fourteen previous oonviotions reoorded against him. This only goes to prove how oareful one requires to be before recommending probation."

Plans and specifications for proposed new harbour works at Nelson "are to be submitted to three consulting engineers, who. after visiting Nelson, are to supply the Board with a report. Mr H. F. Ring, late of the "Timaru Post," has been appointed sub editor of the " Wanganui Herald." At the first; annual meeting of the board of the New Zealand Veterans' Home, the report (which was adopted on the motion of Sir Joseph Ward, seconded by Sir W. Russell) stated that the Home now being erected near Onehunga wiil be opened about November 15th. Up to the present 90 applications have been made for admission to the Heme, but more are being reoeived daily. Sixty-five oases have been dealt with up to now. Twenty applications have come from the Wellington district, which-has subscribed the highest amount, namely L 2397, or Lll9 per candidate. Other districts are represented thus : —Hawkes' Bay, five candidates, L 671 subscribed, or Ll34|per applioant; Taranaki, 9—LIBS ; —L2O ; Auckland. 28—L1470 L 6.2 : Canterbury 14-L1571-L112; Nelson, Marlborough and Westland, 11—L387—L35 ; Otago and Southland, 9-L349—L39, It is estimated that L 6071 is still required to make the Home reas tnably self supporting. Nearly I4OQ has been reoeived since the audit, and a further L6OO promised. It Is anticipated that about a thousands pounds will be raised by a bazaar and fete in Auckland in December. 'Volunteers in this district were pleased with their first experience of General Babington. In Hawera he gave some sensible advice to non-coms., and gave it in a way which was much appreciated. He pointed out that every man should see that he knew more thanthose in the ranks below him, in order to conduca to that real discipline which was absolutely essential to succes?. Especially should those wlio had the instruction of men entrusted to them make themselves fully acquainted with their work. With a modesty most oommendable, Mr Ralfe, of Stratford, Bat on the Harbour Board without disclosing the fact that he was a marine expert. Mr McLean is entitled to the credit of bringing to light that Mr Ralfe is an old sea-captain Speaking at Stratford Mr McLean said " If they raised the loan on the chimerical hope of getting ooean liners to call in they were bipger f «>!s ihiin hn took them for. He had asked the Board if it would got a naval captain or lieutenant to report as to whether or not ocean would come in, but he had received no answer. He asked Mr Ralfe, as an old sea-captain,! what depth Qf "ate? a big ship would want j Under her before sme would eorae into a harbour. Mr Ralfe : About 10 feet, but a foot or two is neither here or there. In connection with the depth of water for big steamers, the greatest depth at Auckland is 30ft at the Railway Wharf, and 26ft at Queens' Wharf; at Wellington 29ft at Glasgow Wharf, 26ft at the Rail way Wharf, and one berth of 31 feet at Queens Wharfs Lyttejton for'vessels drawing up to 27ft; Port Chalmers for vessels drawing up to 25 feet. On Saturday the Chairman of the Education Board sent a strongly worded wire j to the Taranaki members of both douses' of Parliament regarding tne franking of correspondence. Ir will b« seen that the matter has baeu luld over for a month. Messrs Jutiuiugs and Symes, M's.H.R., have arranged to be present at the meeting at Stratford to-day relative to the Stratford- Whangamomona railway. As the mail train approached the Watson street crossing on Saturday evening, the driver noticed a women on the line holding up both hands. Ha at once whistle three times, and tha train pulled up quicidy, and then it was

found that the woman must have just i uraped clear in time. She sang out that she was all right, and went away, and no further trage of her has been discovered,