The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1904. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 61, 16 March 1904, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1904. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Tlie recent floods are reported to have done a good deal of damage on the west const of the South Island. The Melbourne-llriiYdisi despatch of mails of February lltli arrived in London on the morning of the 121 h inst. Mrs Rattray, an old lady (i."i years of age, has been missing from home at RcdcliiTs, Cliristchurch, since Holiday morning'. The work of putting in the wwsl wall of the septic, tank is to lie gone on with without delay, and tenders are invited for the work. The Appeal Court yesterday concluded thu hearing of the case the Commissioner of Taxes v. the Kauri Timber Company. Judgment was reserved . Jlr Kensington, I'mlcr-Secretary for Lands, has; bcun inspecting the timber country in Westlaml, and recognises the value of railway extension to .lap this national asset. Kim Lee, a Chinese lepw on Homes Island, Wellington, died on Monday, lie was practically cured of leprosy, but succumbed io internal complications, lie was interred on the island. Waller llradipnl, one of the survivors of thu Klingamite wreck who sufTerwl sev«re privations before being rescued, is commencing an action against lira lluudart-l'urksr ComP»«». Ca|>laiii Uollaim, of the Hinemoa. a«id Captain ilaultuin, of Auckland, have been appointed a commission to report upon the question of restricted limit for certain steamers in various parts of the colony, in view of the Royal assent being given to the Shipping and Seamen's Act of last session. The attention of our readers is called lu the Rev. J, Dawson's lecture this evening. The reverend gentleman is thoroughly equipped for dealing with subject on which he will speak, having given close attention to it (or many years, and having just returned from a tour through parts of Australia for (he express purpose of studying the quest inu there. There has evidently been a dispute at West port lately between the Westport Coal Company ami the Admiralty with respect to (he purchase of coal, the facts of which have not been fully brought out. The Premier referred very vaguely to |he mailer ;,( 11„. sl „„ kl . [ ., v11 ,. t , 1 . | ~, Laurence on Thursday login. Only recently, lie said, an Admiralty boat had to wait at West port for a month before it could gel coal for Hie llritish boats in the China seas simply on account of a dispute with regard to Ihe inspection of „ or. something of the kind. TTowever in the course of six weeks Hi,. State coal mine at Coal creek would be finished. The coal was reported to be equal to the West port, and the Hovermnenl would make a point of giving the Admiralty the lirst coal that it was possible to (five tlienj.

Tenclers are required for the erection of fence* (labour only) aI. the abattoirs.

Alternative tenders for curling boulders or supplying metal (KOOU yards) to the corporation '»"« invit-

Waihi and Hamilton bands have already signified their intention of competing at the New Plymouth band contest.

Nothing has yet been settled with reference to the manager of the Stale Fire Insurance Department, or ihe Ooverninent auditor for the Pank of New Zealand. Both matters will come before Cabinet shortly.

At a meeting of directors oi the Wellington and Munawatu Railway Company it was decided to recommend payment of a dividend of lour per cent! for the hall year ending Fcbruarv 21), making seven percent, fur the year.

••Jl doesn't mailer when ihe band contest is held, it's going to be the •biggest success of the lot." llr Moray's sanguine expectations, and judging by his successful management of the previous contest here, people will 'be prepared to believe him.

The Rev. W. Slade will conduct the Whitele.v Church services on Sunday next, in connection Willi the harvest anniversary. Special music will be rendered for the occasion by the choir. Mr Slade is ii well-known preacher and was at one time a missionary in Fiji, but is now stationed at Auckland.

A time limit has been imposed on the meetings of the Christmas carnival executive. Mr Carter pointed out that most of the members of the committee are business people, who have to attend to their work during the day, and are consequently not anxious to enter into long ■discussions to keep them away from home in Ihe evenings. The committee immediately allirmed the principle, and di-cided that no new business be taken after 'Jell) p.m.

A local marksman was in trouble yesterday. He was only a crackshol for a few minutes, but that few minutes will probably cost him about live pounds. Hiding home on the Fit/.roy 'bus, he found a parcel of pupers which had to be delivered to Mr Crocker, on Devon-street. lie tried to throw il inside the door of the shop, but, owing probably to the fact that artificial aids to shooting were not permitted, he didn'l succeed in obtaining a bull's eye as far us the door was concerned. ISut he got in a more dangerous position, right through the large plate-g.luss window, and the matter will have to be "squared up." Hotter luck next time.

At the smoke concert at Lawrence on Thursday night the I'i-eitiiwr expressed the opinion that (he old Conservative parly would never come buck to power in this colony. The party lhat might put the Government out, though it was as far ahead as lie could see, was one that would desire to go 100 last, without realising the responsibilities cast upon an Administration. It was the aim of the present Government to make progress all the lime, but never to go beyond that which was perfectly safe, and he was happy to say that in all the- so-called experiments, in nil the advances made, there had not been a single mistake. He had been nearly 14 years a -Minister of the Crown—nearly 11 years ns J'rime Minister—mid none of his opponents dared to advocate the repeal or a. single act that had been placed on the .Statute Hook.

The Baptist Inion of .New Zealand (central auxiliary) will hold its annual meetings in the Baptist Church. .New Plymouth, to-morrow. The visiting ministers and delegates will meet for the transaction of business in (he morning at 1(1 o'clock. In the afternoon at three Hie Kev. Charles liallaslon, of Wellington, will read a paper, to be followed by an open discussion. The subject of the paper is "The Church and Social Kel'orin." A public meeting will be held in the church in the evening at 7.30, Mr Gilbert Carson, of Wanganui (president of the Baptist Union), will tnke the chair, and the speakers will be the Kcvs. W. Lamb and K. Fwcn, of Wellington, and F. G. Buckingham, of Nelson. A selection of music will be given by the choir, assisted by friends, and a collection will be taken for expenses. The publie are cordially invited to all these meetings, which promise to be of an interesting and attractive character.

A difficulty has urisen at, Masterton concerning a number of young men who appear to ■have been stranded while learning the carpentry trade. Their ages vary from nineteen to twenty-s-ix, and some of them are married and have families. In an interview with Air Hogg, M.H.H.. to whom they staled their grievance, I hey stated that when they started work, it was not compulsory to be apprenticed, but under an award of the Arbitration Court they came under I'nion rules. To meet I heir case,' permits were issued by the I'nion for periods of six months, enabling them to accept cightpcncc and ninepeuce an hour lor work, but recently further issue of these permits ha-d been refused, and employers had been warned that if they continued lo keep men in their employment, under a wage of 10s per day they would get into trouble. The young men wish to be nllowed n< their trade under permits, receiving an increase of « penny per hour every six months until the journeyman's wage of tiftecnpence per hour is reached. Mr Hogg has laid the matter before the I'remiui'.

The annual picnic in connection with the Catholic schools will be held in the lieciealion Grounds tomorrow (SI. Patrick's Day)."

Householders desirous of storing their furniture ami effects should IW'Kainigv with lite New 'Zealand Kxpress Co., Ltd., Uroiigham-shwl. Storage in safe brick building. .Lowest ruiles for storage and insurance. 8

Important to young ladies and gentlemen. J. 11. Parker's stock of sngagement rings, wedding rings, watches-, chains unj all kinds of jewellery is the finest on the West Coast of New Zi-Mand, and pi ices 10 per cent, lower than in the larger centres. Carefully note the address -.1. 11. Parker, jeweller, etc., next railway crossing, Devon-street Central, New Plymouth.*