NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 211, 10 September 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Further plaguod rats and mice hove been discovered in the vicinity of the harbour in Sydney. Tho new post office at Eltham is to be opened for the transaction of business on Monday next. The mail steamer Sierra left San Francisco at 2 p.m. on Thursday for Honolulu, Auckland, and Sydney. The master builders of New Zealand will meet at New Plymouth on November 15th for their annual conference. By order ol Lord Kitchener, twen-ty-six batteries of artillery in India are to bo re-armed with modern guns and maintained in future on a war footing. James Dotobs, late of Palmerston North, and now of Coromandel, was committed for trial yesteiday at the former place on a charge of bigamy. An English lady visitor was gathering edelweiss on the Vanll Nolr, in Switzerland, when she fell from some rocks! and was killed. Her najmo is not kmown. It is notified ia this week's Gazette that in future a duty o' threepence per pound will be leviod on torunak, "which is apparently a substitute for roasted coffee."

Customs returns for last month constituted a record, tho amount being 4:277,000. The electric liglit whb "turned on" at Alanaia oil Thursday evening,. A : ew Plymouth l>eoiile are inquiring when their turn will come !

A reminder is given of the public meeting to be held this afternoon at 1.30, in- the Town Hall, in connection with the proposal to form a co-operative bacon curing company. Roman Catholic services to-mor-row will be :—New Plymouth : Mass, 9, ; vespers, 7, Hcv. Dean McKenava. Waitara : Mass, 11, Rev, Dean McKenna. Inglowo 0 d : Mass, 8.30 and 1.1, Rev. F. McManus. The ballot has .been drawn for the jury list in connection with the Supreme Court sittings to lie commenced on Monday, September 20th. So far four criminal cases are set fown for hearing, though in all probability one or two more will be added.

Eltham's lurid midnight picnics should now become of less frequent occurrence. The new appliances for the fire brigade, which have been purchased at a cost of nearly £IOO aru to arrive in the town in the course of a few days. The fire Police cart and reel, which are being built locally, are well under way.

"None so dense as he who won't comprehend."- Truly the "Jeremiahs" of that hub of the universe, the •'Chicago" of New Zealand, have taken a back seat, and in their stead reign the "Bluffers," whose cause is now lieing persistently espoused by our Stratford Contemporary.—Ebullition from the Eltjham Argus. Tho Town Band entertainment on Tuesday next is toeing organised very completely, and promises to be a most successful function. Included in the programme will be vocal and instrumental items and variety "turns," some of the latter toeing quite new to New Plymouth audi ences.

At the Stratford School this morning a meeting of the Teachers Institute will take place, and c large attendance of members fron the northern end of the district i: expected. A good deal of routini business is to be transacted, and tin subject " Manual Training ii Schools "—its proper positlion am importance—is to -be dipcussud.

At the annual meeting of the shareholders of the Wellington Woollen Company yesterday the chairman of directors (Hon. C. J. John ston) said the only point in the year's transactions worthy of special notice was the lessened grosK profit, due to keen trade competition prevtmting any increased price, despite increased cost 0 ' production. There was no need foi alarm. Tlve directors lookod foi no greater thinp happening than a possible fall in the good dividends hitherto paid. "Thero is oM solitary flash of grim humour, evidently quite unintentional, in the new Licensing Bill. In UlO event of liquor being seized in a prohibition district, it is to bo handed over to the district hospital. Seeing that tho aforesaid liquor would be of the sly-grog; shanty brand, hotter described as liquid dynamite, and guaranteed to kill at ten yards, it would be safer in the sewer than anywhero else. Fortunately, there is no clause in the bill compelling! the hospital patients to diink it."—Observer,

It is understood that Mr H. Bediond has been apppointed local travelling agent for the Australian Widows' Fund Life Assurance Society, whose operations in tho number of existing policies, although only established a little over six years in New Zealand, exceed some of the older established companies, and afford more valuable protection than those of any other life assurance society in the case of illness, accident and endowment) (especially f»r children), which is a marked featur* of its liberal and beneficial influence. Tho box plan for the Watkin Mills concert opens this morning at 10 o'clock at D. McKinnon Bain's new piano warehouse in the Theatre Royal Buildings. As the demand for scats has been so groat in other centres patrons would do well to

book early, as every seat will be allotted in the order received. As numerous applications for seats have already been received the manager wishes us to state that no seats will be marked off until tho advertised time this morning. In Chrlstchurch 2700 seats were booked a week before tho concert, arid in Dunodin the ramo rush was made. The ]>cople of New Plymouth Seldom have the opportunity of hearing a singer in the senith of fame. ,

Once more has a wounded heart been stitched up, this time at Leek. Tn a news-room in the town a man stabbed himself twice with an ordijpary pen-knife. At the cottage hospital a wound was found in the left ventricle' of tho heart large enough to admit the tip of tile little finger, but the muscle of the heart closfag over the incision prevented a loss of >!ood which would have proved fanl. The wound was sewn up with three stitches, and the man is now progressing satisfactorily. He takes milk every three hours, nnd the action of tho heart is good. The only longer apprehended is blood- poisoning due to the dirty condition and ■ agged edge of the kalfo.

The number of men now employed on Government roads and railways is 3442, comprising 2151 under the Public Works Department nnd 1291 under tho Department of Roads. Twelve men are working on Grahamtown railway extension, 53 on the Hc-lensville-northwards, 240 on the Paeroa-Waihl, 48 on tho Olsborne"Karaka, 948 on tho North Island Main Trunk, 46 on the StratfordWhtngamomona, Bon Mount Egmont branch, 110 on Blenheim-Wni-para, 156 on tho Midland, 28 on tho Reeft'on-Inangahua, 26 on the Hokitika-Itoss, 50 on the Coast Crook, 30 on the Ngahere-Blackball, 237 on the Otago-Central, 11 on Catl-in's-Seaward Bush, 18 on Heriot and Extension.

The Austral Guards Bond, now touring the colony in aid of tho Salvation Army social Institutions, I arrived in Now Plymouth yesterday at 11 a.m., when they wore welcomed at the station by tho Mayor, Mr It. Cock, marching thenco to the ,barracks. In the evening in tlie theatre, to which they were played by the Garrison Band, they gave a most enjoyable programme ol Instrumental music, interspersed with- recitations, to a largo audience. The band is an evenly balanced tuneful coni-j binatlon, and the various items were loudly applauded. Amongst ho best were the '-'Casket of Gems," the military fantasia, "The Young Hecru.it," and "Gems of British Song." An item loudly re-demanded was the exhibition of fancy drumming by Drummer Berryman, who, however, declined tho honour. It was announced that services would l>e held all day on Sunday, with another concert on Monday.

Whitoley Church. —Sunday, September 11th, preacher, Rev. J. N. Buttle. Subjects—morning, " The Law of Grow fill " ; evening, " The Enemy Sowing Tares." Special offertories for Trust Fund.'