NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 94, 25 April 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Item from last night's cable news that was too much for our "sub" : —" l'hinket kissed hands appointment." A southern exchange gives its readers the following interesting item : Over 5000 £1 shares have been suliscriMed towards the erection of a theatre in New Plymouth. We must go from home to learn news. The Corinna, which arrived from south on Sunday afternoon, had amongst her general cargo a young trotting horse ami a purebred bullcalf. They were shipped at the same small port in the South Island and peculiarly enough are sent to two farmers on the same road, not half a mile apart, near Stratford,

There is now on view at Messrs Bewley and Gritilths' mart an extensive consignment of rattanw.ire, which will be. sold on Wednesday next, as advertised in our columns. The designs are of exceptional beauty, and as u chance like this of securing artistic and useful furniture will not occur again huuseholu-.rs should not miss the opportunity.

In connection with the death ol Mr J. C. Andrew, it. Ims bm.-n suggested, says the l'ost, thut the Acclimatisation Society should adopt a universal system of distress signals. A certain number of shots tired in a specified way should be agreed upon as the signal to b).'given when a sportsman is bushed. Directions' as to such signals should |l.(e plainly printed upon every shooting! license issued by the society. It is reported that two members of the Christchurch police force were successful in detecting a case of illegal trading on Sunday. Two men, roughly dressed (the Press says), entered certain licensed premises, and innocently asked the way to the bar. They were directed to it, and found it pretty full of customers buying and consuming ulcoholic liquor. When all luid been served and had departed, the gentleman behind the bar kindly inquired what his two roughly dressed customers would have. They replied byasking if he was the licensee, and on receiving a reply in; the allirmative, they announced that they were members of the police force. Further details of the matter will shortly be elicited in court.

The veteran Mark Twain has a story In a recent copy of the Bystander. He writes "It is almost a fortnight now that I am domiciled in a mediaeval villa in the country, a mile or two from Florence. 1 cannot speak the language ; T am too old now to learn how ; also too busy when I am busy, and too indolent when I am not ; wherefore some will imagine I am having a dull time of it. Hut is is not so. The 'help' are all natives ; they tulk Italian to me, 1 answer in English; I do not understand them, they do not understand me, consequently no harm is done, and everybody is suits lied. In order to be just and fnir, I throw in un Italian word when I have on®,' l

A narrow escape from a serious accident was witnessed by those who were on the station platform at Timaru a week ago, when the south express left, says the Post. A man and woman, the former having a child in his arms, attempted to board the train after it had started and got well under way. The woman grabbed the iron railing of ihe platform of one of the carriauios, but her lirst attempt to board "the car proved futile, and as she fell back it looked as though she would meet with certain death, but slid fortunately clung to the iron ruiling and finally scrambled into the carriage, and her husband. at the risk of life and limb, boarded the train alter her. Those who witnessed the occurrence had an object lesson in boarding travelling trains which they hope never to see repeated. The Registrar of Friendly Societies (Mr G. Leslie) is an advocate of quality as against quantity in the growth 'of population. "I cannot join the jeremiad ajbout the declining birthrate," he said at the meeting of t'he Insurance Institute at Wellington a couple of evenings ago. Statistics, he added, showed that there was a greater saving of young life in this colony than anywhere else. Infant, mortality was ' much greater in other citips than In New SSoalaml cities. What was the good of a lot. of -births if up to onevthird died ? Even if our i.-lirthrate were less, we better preserved those born than other countries did, and the physique of our young- men v.as such that they were bulbing - their own in all branches of outdoor sportsj We were not raising so many, b'ut we were raising them.better—in insurance parlance, they were a "select" class.

If all courts were like the supreme body of Illinois lawyers would have a special interest in St. Valentine's Day. A young man of that State recently sent a newspaper to one of his girl friends, marking an article called "Love, the Conqueror," and writing in the margin, "Head this." The young woman read it, and, as the young man failed to live up to the sentiments expressed in the article, she sued him for preach of promise, and was awarded £BOO damages. The Supreme Court, in sustaining the verdict, said : " The article may be regarded us defendant's own letter. It doubtless contained sentiment which he sanctioned, couched in language more choice that he could compose. It was his appeal for marriage. It foretold in clear and emphatic language his object and intention in his courtship with her. She doubtless piuced this construction upon it, as she well might do, and luid it aside as a rare treasure."

I-las fan Aucklandcr a right to marry ami bring - children into the world on a weekly wage ot' 'sßs ? Mr K. F. Way, who is conducting the i'uro for the employees in the tramways dispute now below the Arbitration Court at Auckland, is emphatic in his description of the poverty entailed by such untoward conduct. At the same time he pointed out that many conductors—-and a conductor's salary is 38s—were in the unfortunate predicament of having wives and children to maintain, in reply to a tjuestion from the Hench, Air Way said then* were, no doubt, many bachelors among the tramway conductors, hut (and he his shoulders) such men ought not to be debarred the joys of married lite, not to speak of thialready terribly low birth-rate. Mr Brown, who is one of the assessors, suggested that ii a differentiation were made between married men und bachelors in fixing wages it would be necessary to also make distinctions 'l>etivwn married iik/jj in proportion to the number of their children. Mr Way promptly rejoined that this was owi'ng to the present deplorable social system. 'Wow, if the system 1 favour were adopted," said he, "it would not mutter a pin whether a man had twenty children or noine. lie would be equally well off." In mere justice to the "heads of hungry families, Mr Way ought to divulge his panacea.—N.Z.' llerakl. livuleis who wisli to effect a saving in transport charges on their tfo-ods coastwise or per rail should utilise the services of the New Zealanvd Express Co.'s forwarding department, and talce advantage of the fixed through parcel amd packago rates. r

The Railway Department has been advised that excellent progress is being made by Messrs Price, of the Thames, with their contract for the construction of the 10 locomotives for the Government service. One of the engines "will probably be delivered next month. Ten locomotives of the same type are being built at the Addin'gton workshops. The Jirst of these will he ready about live end of the month, and the remainder within a year. Rome of the Thamesbuilt engines are to be placed on the Plymouth suction.

The British Resident at Rarotonga (Colonel Gudgeon) reports to the New Zealand Government that he ex- | pecta the operations in connection with the Cook Islands administration for the past year will show a credit balance of about £I.OOO, Colonel Gudgeon points out that the fall in the price of copra has resulted in the manufacture of this product bring practically stopped in Some parts of the group, as the natives 'are not inclined to continue the industry when the returns are less than £lO per ton. The imports for lyOi! exceeded £34,000, about £7OOO in advance of 1902. The exports also amount to about £34,000 which, tho yih not ii\ excess of hist year, must be considered satisfactory, raws the export of copra alone, for the reason above stated, was reduced by some 300 tons. Another cause which has tended to keep down the value of the exports is a fall in the price of pearlshell from over £2OO to £7O per loin, at which figure the natives consider it is hardly worth diving for. An experience as unpleasant as it was unexpected befell a young man named Herbert Mullins whilst engaged on a painting contract in Auckland. Mullins was sent to sweep the dust away from the top of Messrs Fruter Bros.' ollice. lie removed a wire UraitiKg which covered the skylight, and not knowing that the, layer of dust upon it concealed merely a thin sheet of glass, stepped into Hie centre of tjie pane. There was a crash, and the young m'an was precipitated feet foremost into the office below, much to his ow,n astonishment and that of Mr F'rater and his clerk, the latter of whom was standing almost directly beneath the skylight. In falling, Mullins luckily landed on the desk first, and this, giving with his weight, 'broke the forte of his fall. From the floor to the skyli'ght a space of fully 15ft irtcrvened, 'and Mullins was consequently lucky not to have broken a limb. As it was, he got off with a good shaking, and pluckily passed the matter oil with 'a jocular remark. He wanted to resume work, but his employer considered it advisable under the circumstances to relieve him of duty for the day, and the young man was therefore sent to his home at Otahuhu. Mr C. (>. H-awke notifies the closing days of his annual ckluring sule. The annual meeting of householders Hot the selection of school committees will be held to-night. The annual meeting of St. Mary's Church parishioners will l«> held in the I'arish Hull, Viviun-street, at 7. 30 o'clock to-morrow evening. It will be seen by a notice elsewhere that all Taralnaki veterans are requested to attend at St. Mary's Church on Thursday next when the 'hntchments will lie unveiled. The parade is called for 2.15 p.m. The Taranaki Guards are notified of the battalion parade this evening. Uniforms, drill order with leggings.*

For reliable Boots, Shoes and Slippers at a low price go to DockrilPs, Devon-street Central, where you will find tho largest assortment in the district of Colonial, English, American, and Continental Manufactured Boots, Shoes and SliDpers.* important to young ladiea and gentlemen. J. H. Parker's stock of engagement lings, wedding rings, watchea, chains and all kinds of jewellery Is the finest on the West Coast of Now Zealand, and prices LO per cent, lower than in the larger centres. Carefully note tho address —J. IT. Parker, jeweller,- etc., next mil way crossing* Devon-street Cenral, New Plymouth.* The best medicine Kno;vn Is Sander & Sons' Eucalypti Extract, and its eminent powerful effects in coughs, colds, and influenza make reliet instantaneous. For eerioiucanes, and accidents of all kinds, be they wounds, burns, scaldings, bruises, sprains, it ia the safest remedy—no swelling, no inflammation. Like surprising effects produced in croup, diptheria, bronchitis, inflammation of lungs, swelling, etc., diarrhoea, dysentry, diseases of the kidneys, and urinary organs. Sander and Sons' Eucalypti Extract i 9 In use at hospitals and medical clinics all over the globe ; patronised by His Majesty the King of Italy; crowned with medals and diplomas at International Exhibition, Amsterdam. Trust in this approved and rf* lect nil others.—Advt. The New Zealand Express Co., Ltd., have to let a commodious office or shop on the ground floor of new brick building, Broughamstreet. 2 Woods' Great Peppermint Cure for Coughs and Colds never fuils. Is Gd.*

NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. M. E. Clow—Obituary «nd funeral notice C. (). ITawke—Last few days of h-ig clearing sale. W. J. Shnw—Annual mooting of St. Mary's parishioners on Tuesday. An "At Home" will be held in the Theatre Royal on Thursday. Suratura Tea—Quote reduced retail prices. Captam Standish—Requests veterans to meet at St. Mary's Church on Thursday next. A. M. Williams—Will visit Inglewood every Saturday and on alternate Wednesdays. Taranaki Acclimatisation Society— Ralanco-sheet for the your. Xow toil King—Wai wakaiho sale, to-morrow. lii-wley oavd Grifflths-Salo of rnttnnwarc, Wednesday, April 27. w. 0. iraJonc—Battalion orders lor Thursday next. A birth notice is inserted.