NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 55, 9 March 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Supreme Court business will be lesimied at 10 o'clock this morning. Slight shocks of earthquake are reported from Goulhuru and Gunning disiricis. .VS.vi. The Siar Football Club's annual meeling of in- rr;i will lie held on Friday evening, in the Town Hall. The comniiltee of lite Hell Blofk Sports Club forwards a complimentary ticket for the meeting to be held 10-morrow. Serum from a supposed plague case at Cairns, Queensland, and also from rats failed to disclose any trace of plague. The post office is advised that the Melbourne-Naples despatch of Feb. ii arrived in London on the afternoon of the Oth inst. Samples of Australian barley sent to England have been pronounced by experts there as being excellently suited for malting. His Worship Hie Mayor last night reported that it was quite possible that the Wanganui people would defer their exhibition until next year. The judgment delivered by Judge Edwards in the case of the Public Trustee v. Humphries occupied eighteen pages of closely written foolscap.

It is stated, on the authority of a letter received from the Mayor of Stratford, that the people there will not hold an industrial exhibition this year.

The IngloWQod school committei has selected Mr A. (low as assistanl master at the school there, in sue cession to Mr Evans, who was re cently appointed to Oanonui.

A special meeting of the Seventh Day Adventists is to be held this evening nt the tent, Eliot-street, when (he subject for -discussion will be the building of a church in New Plymouth.

Despite appeals by ex-Generals Botha and lie Wet not to make downs of themselves. 150 Boers vho fought in the war, with 50 women and children, have started for St Louis Exhibition.

The alterations to Wfc hot saltwater baths have now been completed, and the public can again i.*ceive any benefits that may be conferred by their use during the prescribed hours, which are published in our advertising columns.

A special meeting of the Borough Council ycstirday morning confirmed the appointment of Mr Gibbon as borough engineer, and he took up his duties from Hint date. Mr Spencer, the retiring engineer, whose engagement terminates on the 14th instant, leaves New Plymouth on Saturday.

To-day at 2 p.m. Messrs Hewiev and Grilliths will sell Mr Proct jr's stock which has been removed to tfieir mart for convenience of sale. The slock comprises a gooil selection of painters' and paperliangers' goods, as an opportunity of this sort does not. often occur.

Mr Myers was reading in the Supreme 'Court yesterday from extracts of law reports in the Wellinglington Law Library. '-Haven't you got the reports?" queried Mr jellicoe. "No, 1 couldn't get them to bring up here, though I applied." "Well. I've got two," said Mr Jellicoe. Evidently the latter gentleman had the ear of the president of the institution.

The Maslerton Daily Times "special" nt the Band Contest says '.—The decisions of the judge in almost every on : the points rewarded and Hie remarks passed on the quality of the and though he has slated that some of the playing is by far the best he has heard, the points awarded i.re from 20 to ill* short of the maximum allowed by him.

Several members of the local swiming club are strongly in favour of the erection of a covered stand at the municipal baths, in order to better uccoinmodate spectators nt nquutic carnivals, which could then be more frequently held. A scheme has been formulated so that the whole of the space above the dressingrooms might be utilised. Wliethcr or not the idea is practicable, is for the authorities to di-cidc, but there seems some ground for the desire for increased accommodation.

On Monday afternoon, Edward Donovan, a man of about 40 years of age, calmly appropriated u doormat outside Messrs Ainbury Bros.' establishment in Devon-street, and seated himself upon the footpath, interposing the mat to somewhat alleviate any pain that might be caused by the unyielding nature of the municipal asphalt. From this ground he kept up a running comment on persons and things in general until Constable Mellsop came along, and recognised in this newstreet orator the Uotoiti stowaway, who had served a week in gaol for failing to pay his fare on that steamer. Tlie man was now under the influence of liquor, and was taken into custody, (in Tuesday morning he was given the option of paying the usual fine and costs or of serving 24 hours in gaol. He chose the littler punishment.

On the completion of a case in the Dunedin City Police Court the other day, wherein a young man and a young woman figured as defendant and complainant respectively, the latter left the court, attended by her mother, a lady of ample proportions, and followed by the defendant. Before many seconds had elapsed, the young man returned, and complained to the bench from the buck of the court that the mother, probably suffering under a sense of wrong and injury, had struck him in the luce. As the complaint did mil ci, under the notice of the court in proper legal form, no notice was taken beyond the court orderly proceeding outside the door, wiiere a confusion of excited feminine voices could be heard. The young fellow stood rubbing his face wilh his hand ''•>'' *"i" lutes, and, having allowed a reasonable time for the irate lady j., gel ,-1,.;,,- of the building, left also,

Ml- Bryan, the American Peinocralic leader, has relumed from his trip to Kurupc with sousiderablv broadened ideas. lie visited eleve'n countries mid leu capitals, and found everywhere admiring goodwill !o America. On nestic matters Mr Bryan spoke in a new tone not lliinocial. not Hepilliliiail, l.ul.American. Vote for Ihe hest man and the hest policy, urged this twice ;nv:t.-u Democratic candidale for the I'lesiilvucy, enlightened i.y ins experiences. In foreign poiicv he is for peace, for justice, for moralily. lie wauls mil a ivn-i'l uuvv, hut Ihe hest Covenimeiil. Tliese declarations will not strengthen .Mr iirvan with the other lenhers of his parly. They will not make him again candidate for I'l-esideiit. But they put him far higher in American esteem than he has yet stood, and they are pledges :■! suppoi.f t,i u frienilly pulley nhl'oad instead 'ol that suspicious: nYlitude. especially to England,"he luih m'orullmu iiiajiitaliind, Jt In a very uoiisldurttblc event in American public life; considerable also abroad since, if Mi- Jlryun lives up to his present doctrine, England, instead of u powerful enemy, will have a powerful friend in the party of w |,j cn the traditipiis have, been hostile to

The last Federal ~led ion cost 1:40.000, against Csti.oM(l for the lirst election.

America is shipping forty million dollars to Prance to' pay the Panama Canal Company.

To-day is Ihe sixteenth anniversary of the death of Kaiser Willielm I. of Germany, the grand-father oi I lie present Emperor.

About 100 cattle, 1800 sheep and lambs. 100 pigs, and "10 calves are killed weekly al the Christchurch abattoir.

.lodge Edwards referred yesterday to the "very inadequate library" at the disposal of the legal profession in New Plymouth.

The body of a man named James llruse has been found hanging to a Iree near liourke, New South Wales. It bad been hanging there for a year. Mr Vile, M.H.H., has sent in a strung protest to the Minister of Lauds against disposing of rural binds til Tu.ra.lmki on leuse-in-per-petuity only.

The Woods-Williamson Co. passed through last night on their win- to Waihi after a very successful tour Ihioiigti the Wairarapa. The company will ml urn to New Plymouth in the course of a fewweeks.

Progress returns furnished by the New South Wales Stock Department show that on Dee. ill there were in the State :5'18,(572 horses, 1 ,'102,595 .♦attle. and 24,190,289 sheep. The returns of four district's have yet to come in.

Mr C. Carter hit a good nail hard on the head last night when ho suggested to his colleagues on the exhibition committee that they should inaugurate some scheme of competition for the schools and school children of Taranaki, and to make this a big feature at the forthcoming exhibition.

There is some demand for railway la-bout'in the North Island. The Premier states Hint there are vacancies for 100 casual labourers for ballasting. There is also room for a number of junior porters. These must be over 18 years of age, at least Oft 4in in height, and have passed Standard V,

Whilst Mr 1). McKinnon Bain was in England Messrs Boosey and Son, manufacturers of musical instruments, authorised him to present, on their behalf, gold medals in any band contest that he might choosy. As there is now a possibility of a one day's or two days' band' contest being held in New Plymouth during carnival week Mr Bain has expressed his intention of donating the medals to the band contest committee for competition.

On Tuesday morning Mr Myers was quoting authorities in the Supreme Court whilst arguing in the certiorari motion in Fleming v. Spence. lie referred to "Tidd's Law Keports" for a statemunt of common law on this head, Mr Jellicoe smiled, and so did the Judge. "Can't you find anything more recent than Tidd ?" the latter asked. Mr Myers considered "Tidd" was good common law. His Honor 'said that might be so. lie thought, though, that "'Tidd" was quoted in "David Copp-rfield." This i s an old suite indeed, but Mr Jellicoe went further hack is his arguments, quoting legislation passed in the reign of Edward 111., or Henry VI., he was not quite sure which.

At the monthly meeting of Ihe members of the New Plymouth !- iix, Brigade the following teams were drawn for the contests which are to be held on Good Friday morning : -Five men event, union llat-(A) Lieutenant Boon, Firemen Clarke, J. Sadler, Callnghanaud Street' (It) Firemen Cleland, V. Beale, W. Way. A. Clow, and Aux. Clifford ■ (C) Custodian Way, Firemen Sims Inch, 11. Beale ami Moon ; (II) Fireman Vales, Secretary Ford. Firemen Tempero. \\; Sadler, mid Strand. Two-men, hose and hvdi-uil —Yates and Clifford ; Sims and Jl. Ilealo ; J. Sadler and W. Way ; Boon and Stroud ; V. Beale ami Moverley ; Inch and Sadler; J. Way and A. Clow ; Cleland and Street ; Clark and Tempuro ; T. K. Ford and Moon ; 11. Ford and T. Clow. Captain Bellringer and Foremen Roberts, Johnson, and Parlinglon ure judges ; Messrs J. Bennett and W, Parker, timekeepers.

In the course of an address at Ashburton on Wednesday evening Mr 1). Hyde, Government poultry expert, said that allowing fowls to roost in trees was a very objectionable practice. After getting wet the birds produced but few eggs for u considerable time. Cleanliness was essential to the poultry's health. After 10 o'clock each day one ought to be able to take shelter or to take a meal in a fowlhouse. The egg-lay-ing fowls at the best farms in America were carefully watched, a record being kepi, a;aj only the best birds were bred from. Unprofitable fowls and careless attention to them were the most fruitful causes of failure. Jn the NorUi Island one farmer owning 200 fowls could not get sufficient eggs for his family. The fowls were found to be infested with vermin and badly housed and attended ; but when these defects were remedied the usual successful results followed. Regularity in tho times of feeding was a great contributing cause to successful poultry raising.

The Council of the Polynesian Society met in the Town Hall last night. The president., Mr S. I'ercr Smith, occupied the chair and there was a fair attendance. The election of officers resulted in the return of the president to office with the same executive, Messrs Col kill, Kerr and Newman ; and Mr W. Kerr, lion, secretary. The annual report, of the president referred to the fact that the Hev. 71. W. Williams is now preparing a new Maori dictionary, in the printing of which the Society would be generously assisted by the Government, The journal of the Society has been regularly issued, and there is ample matter to continue its publication for some time to come. Hegret was >xpressed at the loss of some of the members, who have resigned or been struck off the rolls, and also lit (he death of Hev. E. Cooper, of Seone, Samoa, and Mr Christopher Harris, of Auckland, during the year. The Society now has .101 ordinary members, seventeen corresponding members, seven honorary and seven life members. The financial position is fairly good, the accounts showing a credit of £27 5s .'id. The report was adopted. Honorary members were elected as follows :- Professor W. Baldwin Spencer, 'Melbourne University ; Mr G. Feuwirk, Ottigo Daily Times. Dunedin : Mr Oliver Samuel, New PL mouth. Aflei- transuding some routine business, the meeling adjourned.