NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 85, 14 April 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

1/a.st eveniiJg the New Plymouth Opera Club held a most successful rehearsal of " I,a Mascotte." It is rumoured that (here are interesting developments pending in the matter of the septic tank. Two or "three of the gentry who make their living by following up races and sports arrived by the mail train last night. The (lovernment intends taking over the refreshment cars, on the southern railways, revoking the licenses of the railway refreshment rooms at 1 tuned in aivd Christ church. The most violent gale experienced for many years raged throug'houf Tuesday night ai Invercargill. Chimneys and fences were blown down in all directions, atrd trees uprooted. The gale has since moderated. The Covei'miie-nt lias liroiig'hl under notice nf llii' contractors tin; desirableness of Manchester lo Hie ports of cull by steamers of tlie west of Fug-land service ; but tile contractors liave not yet replied. Alh'ratßons are lo In- made fo Ihe Ilia ollice alt lie tilml loirs', and SI allies erecled. Tenders for tin' work are imiled by the l',oroiiffl) Council. Thi; Barlow Shield lias been won liy (he Fast End Polo Club. ()»■- int- to some misunder.staii'dintf the westerners were not: fully represented, iusullicient notice having been rfven lo some of the players. Mr Stohr acted as referee, and the game ended in u, win us nitjorel 'by fivo goals lo nil.

The British and Australian Trust and Loan Company has* declared a dividend of five and a bonus of two per cent, and placed £2OOO to reseirvo.

The Chief Justice at Wellington yesterday refused an application of defendants in the libel action J, J. Mciklo v, the New Zealand Times for change of venue, and struck out a number of items in the 'defence.

Sir Joseph Ward, interviewed at Dunedin, said he intended to inaugurate a night trip between Dunedin and Christchurch as soon as certain details under consideration were settled. His idea wlis to leave Christchurch at 3 p.m., reaching Dunedin at midnight.

Mr Winter, of Stratford-on-Avon, has received many offers to purchase the farthing which he tendered to Miss Marie Corelli in payment of the damages she won in her libVl action, but which she returned wit h the suggestion that he should give it to charity. He has decided to put it up lor auction at a bazaar in aid of the local hospital, lie has received 8000 farthing's from sympathisers towards a Million Farthing Fund for the "hospital.

Consequent, on the death of the late Mrs Thomas Reid, of Wanfivmui, the following bequests made in the will of the late Airs Thomas Ueid became payable to the respective institutions Wan'ganui Hospital £SOOO, Wanganui Orphanage £IOOO, Old Men's Home £SOO, St. Paul's Presl/yterian Church £4OO, and Wanganui Library £2OO. Under the will of Mrs Held the Presbyterian Church and Orphanage are also residuary legatees.

A resident, sa\s the Hawera Star, has just completed a week's test of the butter-making capabilities of what ho terms a "cottar's cow." For seven days the cow gave 8151b of milk—an average of 4£• gallons a day. The cream was skimmed oIT every 24 hours. The amount of butter made was 101b lloz. The separator takes off about one-tenth more butter than the skimmer. The owner of this "cottar's cow" says he can therefore guarantee over 201b of butter from one cow. The test works out at 0.3. This is surely a Taranaki record.

The Lyttelton Times says that an effort is being made by the Bishop of Melanesia to induce the Press Association to allow its cab|i,! news to communicated to the people of Norfolk Island, as it passes through the cable station there. At present the missionaries asnd other residents on the island can obtain no news from the outside world, although scores of press messages are passing through the hamis of the telegraph operators at the station every day. The concession would involve no cost to the proprietors of the cable, and no loss of revenue to the Press Association.

The letter-stamping machine placed outside tho Christchurch Post Oilice does not appear to be so successful as was anticipated. The Press says that a gentleman who placed a coin in the machine en Monday morning found that it: would not work and lost his penny. Later in the day he found that without the insertion of a penny the machine would stalmp any number of letters. By the afternoon, after possibly a number of people had availed themselves of the opportunity of five postage, the machine was tied up in a sack, and labelled, "Closed, by order."

Two cats were takon in the Morning to the Far South. One is black and the other white, and they are called Night and 'Buy. The\ enjoyed splendid health throughout their stay in the Antarctic regions. The day before Christmas, when tin- vessel was just within the Antarctic Circle, live kittens were born, and they also progressed very well. Two goats were taken on board the Morning at Hobart. On the return they were put ashore at Auckland Islands, for the sake of shipwrecked sailors. The original Siberian dog who went as a pet on the Discovery survived all the tribulations of Antarctica and returned literally a "howling success."

The Wanganui Chronicle understands that for the future the local postmen are to be equipped with whistles. The idea is, of course, to save time. The postman, instead of stopping to ring the bell or knock at the door, will whistle as he approaches the house, and it is expected that the whistle will be regarded as an equivalent to the old-fashion-ed mode of notification, and the resident will accordingly hurry to the door to meet, the postman. Where houses are situated some distance back from the road post bpxes must He affixed to the street gul.e 'by the occupier, into which the postman will place letters, etc., instead of as formerly tramping up to the house and cooling his heels on the doormat.

An interesting test of the relative powers of jniTah and turpentine wood in resisting the teredo has boon made in New South Wales, in July, 1897, the West Australian Government forwarded to the Department of Public Works a jarrah pile, which it was desired should be tested as to its teredo-resisting qualities alongside the turpentine pile in use in New South Wales. Both piles were put. down in Newcastle haribour in August of tiie same year, and were subjected to a test of about six and a half years. The Minister of Works is 'now-in receipt of. a report of the relative results of the test, from which it appears that while the teredo has made havoc wilh the jarrah pile, the New South Wales turpentine pile is practically untouched.

Tfc is interesting to note, says the Star, ufter so many yearn that the Ibiwera Mounted Rifles has had authority from the oilicer commanding thu district to concentrate the corps in Hawcra. At present only half the corps is situated in llawera, the other half being in .Inglewood, and known as the Inglewood Troop or Divisiion.i In years past, b'efore there were any volunteers in Stratford ftnd Eltiram, this proved <o be. a good thing for the troop, but, since corps have been funned in these places iC has been rather a drawback. There has been a lot of enthusiasm displayed among the younger fraternity since it has become known that the troop is to be in llawera altogether. and the hon. secretary has been busy swearing in recruits. It only required a few more to bring the corps up to the strength required by the Government to make the corps, as il should be. the "llawera" Mounted Hilles. The corps is in a better position now that it has been for many years, and there appear to be good t-inies in store for it. It is proposed to hold tin- u'nnual training camp some lime in May, ond the annual tournament and troop ball will probiably be held during the camp.

Jn t In l course of a 101 lor to .Mr James Davidson, Major Hartlot t-, writing from Klippfontein, says anion# other things "'Things are lo'okin,g very well here juisl 'now, although linaucially they art* as Ivad as it is possible to he with a certain lot., it. is expected with tht! coming 01' the Chinese and the worM in# of the mines things will move ag'ain. There is no doubt that sufficient labour is not available just, now for tlie. proper development of the tniuin# industry. A to say nothing of the scarcity of black lubmur lor tile farms. One li;is to pjiy Iwiee as much as formerly for such bands as he can #et. and think himself lucky. If proper regulations are imposed on the Chinamen il will be all right, but then I am afraid they will not. come on what, we call propel- conditions, em! consequently the influential men are now determined (o have them, and Ihe result will ho detrimental to any others outside the mining centres, i think this will b'e a. good year for prices, although just, now they are very low owing, to the .Hoer farmers rushing their produce 1o market to get a few shillings to keep going'. I have been offered a considerable advance, on present, prices for my crops, hut have declined." Major Bartlett adds that thoujg'h one or two members of his family have been down with enteric, they were generally all well ot ;.h-> time of writing,

3VIr Gilruth and his staff are initla- ! ting further experiments with a view to minimising the evil effects of ragwort on sheep,- During his recent tr,ip north Mr Gilruth found that the land from To Aroha to Katikati was practically covered with this noxious weed, which there are apparently no means of eradicating. The Thames Valley Land Company lost 2000 sheep lrom ragwort last year, and Mr Gilruth fears that an area of , 3000 to 4000 acres will have to be ; abandoned.

The more we study birds the more they seem to battle our science. Buzzards have been seen to ascend 1000 feet perpendicularly in a minute or so, in a dead calm, without visible motion of their outstretched wings. A Virginian plover starts one evening from Labrador and arrives next morning in Brazil, doing the journey on an empty stomach, without sleeping on the way. Young birds go by themselves thousands of miles on a journey they have never been before. During the lust fifteen months over 100,000 acres of good coun* try have lieen oiTered for selection in the northern part of Tafi&inaki, and of this about 80,000 acres have been taken up in sections varying" from 50 acres to 15U0 acres in extent. Plans of over 90,000 are now lying prepared, and this land will be available for selection at an early data.

It is understood that Mr Mestayer does not favour Hie proposal that the borough should enter on the waterworks contract. lie is quite satislied with the manner in which the work is Ijeing done, or rather with its quality, but not with the rate oi progress, llis observations and recommendations will form the subject of a report that will come up at next meeljng of the Council.

The boring plant to bo used by Mr G. Fair in the petroleum-<bor-ing operations in this district was landed at Wellington yesterday. Mr Fair has decided to make the iirst IJoro on Mr Honeyfield'a property a few chains on the town .side of the Moturoa Freezing Works. Jle has also found favourable spots for ,his operations on Mr Fetch's farm on the Carrington lioad and ut Bell Block. The plant will arrive hero in tire course of a day or so, and the work of boring lor oil will be watched with great interest, as the success of the operations will be important to the town. Mr Fair seems most sanguine in his expectations.

The committee of the Star Football Club's sports met Just night t and passed thy accounis jk connection with the recent g/athering. Votes of thanks were (Kissed, and bonuses allotted to some of the officials, and general gratification, was expressed at the satisfactory :inancial uspect of the affair. There were some who thought the committee too venturesome in the matter of prize money, but good management brought them out with a substantial credit. The Recreation Grounds Board wil'l receive £24- ss, being 25 per cent of the gross gate receipts. The Arbitration Court will sit at Hawera on Saturday Kith inst., for the purpose of hearing a claim for compensation under the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act, 1900, wherein Alfred Arthur Ayres, of Hawera, a factory employee, claims £250 compensation for alleged ftijury to his right eye in the lemonade works of T. 11. Ilill, of Hawera. The Court sits at New Plymouth on the Monday u.orning following at ten o'clock. A number of applications for enforcement of awards in various industrial matters are set down for hearing. The Court consists of Mr.justice Chapman, and Messrs S. Brown and Slater.

The Theatre ltoyal has been passed into the hands of the New Plymouth Theatre Company, Lid. Tho first meeting of directors was held on Tuesday, when those present were Messrs Bewley (chairman), Paul, Medley, ,!. Avery, C. T. Mills, Messen'ger, W. Nixon, (J. W. Henderson (secretary), and the solie-j itor Mr Quilliam (Messrs Govett and Quilliam). The Chairman reported that £5005 worth of one pound shares had been subscribed, and spoke at some length on the prospects, which were most encouraging. It was decided oja the motion of the chairman that the agreement between Messrs J. .Jones, owner of the Theatre lioyal, and (!. Henderson, promoter of the company, ami K. Cock, trustee for the company, be adopted, with certain additions and modifications. The company will start operations on April l'9th, and contemplates making certain alterations, including new seating arrangements in the dress circle.

Tourists and travellers' requirements arc specially catered for the New Taenia rid Express Company, Limited. Baggage stored or forwarded to meet the traveller at any [joint. New Plymouth ollico—Brougham Street. 1 For reliable Boots, Shoos anil Slippers at a low prico go to Pockrill's, Devon-street Central, where you will find tho largest assortment in the district of Colonial, English, American, and Continental Manufactured Tloots, Shoes and Sllupers.* A piece of string on my fhvgw » Now what can that bo for ? Something 1 have to renieiri'hw To fetch to-night from the store, My wife said she'd die without it, tier cough she could never umhiro : ller cough ! Now I Itnow what she's wanting, It's Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Thu use of the, mackintosh overcoat made waterproof by the use of vulcanite or iudian-riibber is now being largely superseded by the rainproof cloth overcoats. The material is made waterproof by a special chemical process which makes Ihe cloth rainproof, but not air-tight, thereby allowing the vapour from the body to escape, which the mackintosh did not do. Consider your health, and buy a rainproof cloth overcoat in up-to-date styles, with padded shoulders and velvet collars iin the latest dnfrk )p)rey shiiulo aft ;jl)s 7d to . r >2s 6d, satisfaction gaar. anteed. Neal, cash clothier.*

HOLLOW AY'S PILLS AND OINTMENT Effect wonderful cures of had legs and old wounds. If these medicines Ire used)a)cci»rding to the directions which are wrapped round each pot n.nd Wox there is no wo'tind, bad lej<, or ulcerous sore, however obstinate, but will yield to their curative proportiws. Numbers of persons who had been patients in the large hospitals benefit, hove lieen cured by Hollow-ay's Ointment and Pills, when other remedies had signally failed., For gitondubir swellings, tumours, scurvy and diseases of the skin there is no medicine that cn.ll In) used with sa good an effect, and though the cure is rapid, it is also com plete and permanent.*

AN OFFICIAL FKIKND. ''RHEUMO," the marvellous medicine that readily relieves Rheumatism, has maide a friend in the Postal Department. Sir T. Finch, Postmaster, (Jerakiine, writes "T have been troubled with Rheumatism for many years, and a friend of mine residing at "Wellington, knowing 1 was bad, sent mc a bottle of 'liheumo,' which, after taking a dose or two, promptly relieved the pain. Whenever i get a Had of the trouble 1 take two or three doses of 'Khe.umo,' ami the pain speedily goes. Thanks to 'Rheumo,' L am able to attend to my duties with regularity.—Wholesale agents, N.Z. Drug Co.