NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 219, 20 September 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The I/and Board meets this morning. Greymouth and Hokitika report a.n earth tremor at 9.25 on Sunday evening. The Western Province Cricket' Union (Cape Colony) will invite the: Australians to visit South Africa while Voyaging lo England. During manoeuvres at A thy, Ivildare, IiOO horses stampeded, .seriously injuring (our sleeping troopers and many of the animals. ; The coal and timber trades at Greymouth are again brisk. The| State mine was idle two days last( week for want of simmers to take' coal away. Two more arrests have been made! at Fcathei ston on charges of sheep stealing. .lames Williams iand Benjamin Williams, farmers, were remanded on a charge of theft of II") sheep at Kaiwaiwai. \ The premises of A. H. Kew, at Auckland, were raided by the police' on suspicion of being used as an opium den. Eight Chinese and oine European were arrested, and a quantity of opium-smoking apparatus seized. During the past week a large number of plate glass windows in Wellington were damaged by s o me one scoring them with a diamond. On last Saturday night between 30 and 40 windows were scored. In the majority of cases tlie glass will have to be replaced. The total damage is estimated at several hundred pounds. Cavalier de l'ini, the inventor of the hydroscope, enabling the bottom of the sea to be scanned, has located nine of the galleons saim olf Vigo, Spain, in 3 7U'2, with 2s millions of treasure aboard. The work' of clearing the sand from the vessels and surveying is progressing preparatory to the raising of the galleons. At the Police Court yesterday John Reid, who was remanded last Monday for a week for medical treatment, pleaded guilty to « charge of being found helples.'.u drunk in Egmont Street on September 10th. He was lined f>s and costs 21s for medical treatment, in default 24 hours. He was given twelve hours in which to pay the fine and a week in witich to pay llu costs. The body of Walter \\ liite, an operation on wlioin led to friction between the Auckland Hospital Board and Dr. Hardie Neil, was exhumed on Sunday, as the result of a request by Dr. Neil, the ob ject being to ascertain the exact nature of the opeiution performed, concerning which contradictor;, statements had been made. The bodywas well preserved. A confidential report will be forwarded to the Minister. " Who shall decide when doctors disagree?" The secretary of the Hospital Board yesterday stuted that in tho case of an old man, an inmate of the Old People's Home, suffering from rheumatism, Dr. Bennett had recommended his treatment at Kotorua, while Drs. Leatham a iid Valintine had stated it was no good. However, the test was not available, u s word was received from Kotorua that no bed was vacant. The defendant in a civil case in the Magistrate's Court, at Grey-town', stated he was married. In reply to a question from the plaintiff's solicitor, as to when he was inarriod he could n o t remember the date, but it was last September or December. He was married by the Itegistrar in Wellington, but did not uppear before the Registrar, a friend did it for him. Pressed to answer the question, he could not say wltt* thcr he was married or not, " Your bit of lilue paper to hand without any thanks" was the open-: ing sentence In a letter read at tlm Hospital Board meeting yestosday, in which the writer pleaded destj tution as the reason for non-pay-i moat of fees long outstanding. He stated that since coming to this! infernal ' country, fate had never left him ; no sooner had he recovered I'rom sickness than his family took it into their heads to be ill too. The board decided to accept instalments of £1 per month. The 'luk-apa social to bo held at the Theatre Royal on Thursday evening is expected to be quite as successful as .any in former years. The club has the reputation of catering for the public enjoyment, and this year's social will he n 0 ex-. : ception to the rule. During the evening the soni 0 r and first " junior fifteens will be presented with the Dan. O'Brien senior and junior challenge shields respectively, and also; line umpires' flugs. The flags are the gift oi Mr and Mrs 1). O'Brien i of the Criterion Hotel, and becomeJ the property of the club. il

Ihe deputation appointed by the borough council to confer with thoi hospit a l board in refarence to the erection of a morgue, yesterday inspected the site suggested—-that ut: the back of tho tennis ground at; tho hospital. Tho plans drawn by Mr Messenger provido for a brick building, with iron roof, containing two rooms, the first being the morgue propor, 15ft x 14ft, the back room 15/t x 10ft being for post mortoms. The qstimated cost is £2OO. Nothing definite was done m tho matter, a report having to be submitted to tho hospitalbbard by the joint sub-com-mittees.

Mr Herbert Chamberlain has bequeathed lias Australian estates to his widow. This (says the London Chronicle) recalls tho fact that his' better-known brother, Joseph, once owned a plantation in tho neighbouring group. The island of -Ni-, tainba, the jceue of Mr Joseph" Chamberlain's early experience as a planter, in the seventies, la 6tiU Jocally kno w n ae "Chamberlain's lsland." Mr Balfour is # propertyowner in New Zealand, while L o ret Rosebery h a s selected Sydney as the most desiirajble spot in Greater Britain for purposes of investment. The Athenaeum Club, in CastlereaghBtreet, where Sydney Parliamentarians and journalisits foregather, is ono of the properties of Lord Rosebery. At tho S.M. Court yesterday, before Mr T. Hutchison, a charge against Thos. Brown was investigated, lip being accused tliat on Monday, September sth, i\e did at New Plymouth use an unlawful instrument with intent to procure miscarriage. fcir Kerr a,pi*eared for the police, accused being undefended. After tho girl and police bad madx? their depositions accused pleaded guilty, being remanded to the Supreme Court' f o r sentence. Bail was refused. in the case against Edward Arthur Raven, of procuring Brown to use the instrument, the .accused (for whom Mr Quiiliam appeared) also pleaded 1 guilty, and was likewise remanded, bail lieing renewed, in his own recognizance of £2OO and two sureties of £l5O each.

An echo of Zion City, Bowie's stronghold, comes in tlie following received by Mr Thomas Baigent, of Takaka (says tlie Nelson Mail). A letter bearing tlie Zion City j H) st m a rk, and addres-sed "Mr Thomas Baigent, Takaka, Nelson, New Zealand," encloses a lnoney-order for 2s lid, and is as follows n City, Illinois, U.S., 12tl> August. HHM.— Mr Buigent—Sir,—Having been convinced by the teaching i n this place that I should make restitution ii. connection with some fruit stolen out of your orchard, 1 now confess, und send postal-note for 2s Cd, about tlie value of same. I am, yours, etc. ." The writer was quite a youth when he was at Takaka, and of a peculiarly conscientious nature. Through 'his convictions he gave up a placo at a blacksmith's rather than consent to shoe a racehorse. It may he stated that he is a TaIriAa '

Tho Eltliam school committee hus been holding an extended inquiry into the action of the headmaster of the looal school in expelling boys from the school. As a result it was found that this extreme step was not justified, in the mind of tin 1 committee, and the master is iHMiuustecl to reinstate the hoys.

■Mr T. W. Kirk, Government Biologist, referring to the ticst means of clearing land of Cnlil'oJiiian tlxis'tlc, said he h a d been consulted by a man as to the lajdvisableness of purchasing a piece u f latvd near Oaniaru, which was covered with the weed, and could be obtained for iM2 an acre. He advised him to purchase and put a skimmer over the lout al>out every week or ten days during the first s»ason. It was done, and the man was able to put in a crop the second season, there 'being few of the weeds left, and now that pieco of land was worth £45 am aci*. The plan was a certain one for eradicating the pest, if persevered with.

A French explorer, M. Henri Lecomte, recently returned from the Congo, tolls some curious details of a fountain tree. It grows to a great height, and usually in damp places. The trunk is regular, and provided with large branches, which bear finely dissected leaves. It is djividod at the bosa like the mangrove, and enters the earth through a large number of ramifications. When the tree is cut at a height of about sft from the ground a largo quantity of w a ter is observed to flow from this section. M. Lecomte cot one at this height that had a diameter of 20in, and then, forming a gutter along tin. trunk, placed a pail at the base. The next mowing tho pmil, which held I nine ((Unrts, had overflowed. The water is drinkable, though it is rich in chlorides and other salts.

There are many easy-going po o ple In this world. But it remains for a Wairurapa man to claim first place, if his statement made in a court in W'airarapa, the other day is true. The following; dialogue took place :—Defendant :: I have a wife toikeep. I | cannot what date 1 was married, but it was in last December. I was married toy tho Registrar in Wellington, but did not appear before the Registrar, A friend did it for me. Solicitor: What, Not present when you were married ? Are you married ? Defendant : I cannot say if 1 am married or not. The S.M. : Why do you come here with such a cock and bull story? You arc only trying to humbug the court. Solicitor: 1 have got a c o py in my office of the affidavit sworn by you in which you swore tha/t you have recently married again. Defendant did not re a d it all through.

Some little time ego we (Dannevirke Adrocate) reported that stock had been shot in the Rauk&tahi district, and the camp found of some unknown person ; and at that time it was thought that the offender might be the man Ellis. Since that time several reports Jiave been circulated by bu&hl'ellers, etc., i n that | district that camps arsd ottoer tr Q ces of the man had . been come across. The police of the district have also by no means been inactive, Constables Butler and Bnskiville having several times made mips of several days' duration in search of him ; but although coming upon many warm traces, have yet been unsuccessful in getting even a glimpse of him. Tltey returned recently l"r 0 m another futile hunt, but still feel confident their (quarry is in the district. A golden opportunity was lost when the first camp was found, as the men who came ncross it, although they ha<l already found a sheep shot and skinned,' instead of leaving everything lad fit was, audi 'i® (wait or informing the police, commenced to turn everything upsidie down, with the very natural result that the camp was not again used.

Tho large pumpkin which has excited so much inteiest amongst Messrs McKwen Bros.' customers during the last few weeks, was cut open yesterday afternoon and the Me*(ls counted by Messrs Weston (Herald) and Clayton (News). The interior of the gigantic vegetable was notieeablo on account of tie singularly small displacement of vacuity on tho part of the seeds. In other words the pumpkin was as hollow as a drum. If the journalists wero performing a labour of love, at a ny rate it did not take them long, for there were only 408 seeds all told. The nearest "guesser" was Mrs E. Krancis, who opined that the pumpkin contained 405 seeds, for whlich excellent and sensible opinion sho will receive £2 worth of goods from Messrs McEwen. Of the two or three hun. dred other peoiple who registered their guesses, which, by the way, ranged wildly from 50 to 1200, Mrs E. Martin proved to have the best idea of things its they really were with that pumpkin, but as Kile was threo below Mrs Fruncis she was, after all, like the man who fell out of the boat—not in it.

The Conviction ami sentencing at Wellington the other day of a.Young woman for s'lioji-lilting has moved dt apery firma to threaten exposure and the full penalties of the Law in future, in order to stop what they declare is a great and growing evil. One firm declares that its losses run to £IOOO a year, another states Ih a t it would not like to say that even that sum covers all deficiencies, while a third gives the more modest estimate of its loss as something between £4OO lind - £SOO per annum. This method of polite thieving is laid boldly at the door 0 t woina.iv, and the particular harvest time is when bargain sales are in » ason. It is said, too, that the greatest offenders are not those living in "reflpectafolo nediocrity," hut people of a higher sphere, whose Position hus in the past protected them from public ex]>osure when a: private settlement is procurable after detection. In the effort to cope with the mischief one local firm has organised asi all' of priv, a te detectives, who "walk the shop" as ordinary staff employees, hut do nothing beyond koe[)iiig their eyes open fot possible cases, whilo other establishments have a system among tho BlioP assistants by which tihe word is passed round to "watch the customer—she is suspicious !" Most houses have private lists of ''suspects," and probably an effort will bo m«de to establish a system of interchange of Hits, so that' tlie path of the evildoer will lie made harder i n the future.

Tho. a new invention which the New York Central Railway is using, is described as an almost sentient contrivance, tile purpose of which is to mako reports as to the condition of the track, recording deviations from the normal condition and indicating where ropairs are itecossary. It is curried in am ordinary car, one-half of which is fitted up n s a workshop. As the car pafnes n ver the raila records are made upon a roll of paper, which is unrolled by a shaft attached to the axle of the car. The whole mechanism is operated by power derived from tho rolling of the wheels. Over tho paper are suspended glass tubes each ending in a| Jieedle point. These tubes contain red ink, and mako a j continuous mark on the paper. There is one needle for etach rail, one for the gaugo of tho raila. and another to measure the rate of speed at which the car is moving. An undulation of a fraction of nn inch In the level of the rails causes' a sensitive mechanism to waver, and the needles record the unevoimoss or break. When the variation amounts to an eiehth of an inch or more a hose attached to a can of blue paint underneath tlvo car is opened, and the paint is splashed on the rails, indlC ytirg tho defect plainly for the sectien men. At the same time the einss needle marks the break in tho level, thus affording a check en the track repairers' work. Thus the trampin" of the ro, n d bid by track walkers is in large part, obviated. And the work, besides being done more expeditiously than under the old method, is done bettor and more completely. This marvel of ingenuity, has been in operation omly a com-' parntively short time, hut it has worked successfully, and proved to

There is talk in the North that a new paper is projected at the Thames.

T.lie Vancouver mail despatched from Now Plymouth on August nth reached London on the Kith insi. A consignment of butter from the Eltham Co-o|>erative J)airy Factory, which left the colony by the I Gothic towards the end of July, fetched Kills per cwt.

'Pile A. and A. bine mail steamer Ventura, which left Sydney at 2.15 yesterduy afternoon for Auckland and San ' Francisco, took £501,000 in sj>e«e from the Australian port. A German military critic has been adding up the grand total of the Continental armies, and after noting that we can form only a vague idea of what is meant by tens of millions, ho tries to bring home to his readers in another way the colossal growth of modern armaments. If, he says, wo could have all the armies of the Continent! on a war footing and drawn up in one long procession, with their guns and ammunition and baig'gagc waggons, the column would be rather more than 24,000 miles long, and, marching day and night, it would take nearly a year to pass a given point. The usual monthly meeting o! the Whiteley Hand of Mope was held last night. The Rev. Buttle occupied the chair, and the following programme was rendered before a large and a[>preciative audience : Recitations, Vera Christopher, Eiloan McGahey ; duct, Alico and J Kathleen Tong; iionga, Miss Etihel Goodacre, Mr Allan Veale; reading (illustrated) MiMason. Mr I-larrison completely convulsed tho audience toy Iris clover imitation of an amateur concert. Mr I'ikett gave one of his happy addresrses to tho ohikliTO). The orchestra added largely to the enjoyment of those present during tlie evening, The Taranaki Guards are notified of tho Battalion Parado to-night at 7.30. Fines will be imposed for nonattendance.

For Bronchial Coughs take Woods' Ureal Peppermint Cure, ta fid.* 4 How a moderate capitalist misses becoming a millipnire.—ln reviewing the rise of property in New Plymouth during the deniod 1800 to 1904 It was possible for a £10,00(1 capitalist to be on a fair road of becoming a millionaire, and it causes much study to-day before anyone can bo in a position to any that the opportunity has now gone by ; when we come to consider that the whole if the freehold in the borough of New Plymouth contains only about 347 acre»—lo4 acres central ward, WK acres western ward, 159 acres eastern ward—one-fourth of the total area of which could have been purchased for about £17,000 untmprovvnlue within the period mentioned, which lias increased to a present saleable unimproved value of about £222,U00. Many residents remembei a few years ago sections in Hine-st. were looking for buyers at £ls a section. Are there any sellers at £250 a section to-day ? Wo have no local industries that tlie cause of this rise in value can be attributed to. it is practically tha prosperity oi Taranaki which tho syndicate known as the Crown Dairy Company was the means of starting. There are no enterprising capitalists in New Plymouth up to the present. It cannot be long before capitalists will turn their attention to what is the greatest colony in the world. Labour will follow capital. The population will increase, and when we consider that tiie total area o/ our borough cou.. be he'd by about 300 persons with a lit tie over an acre each, and rising in value as it has done with a population of tiOOO, what will be the vaIne when the population reaches 20,000, with large industries? Property values in New Plymouth are "cast iron ; " depression can never affect them. Depression should cause unity, ami with unity we can drive Taranak" to prosperity. It h estimated that the fir/.t direct Bteamer would ca-«e an increase in value of Taranaki property o.' £500,000. Person, ally w# should say now is the time to acquire freehold, if only on a small scale. Callaghan and Co. can offer opportunities of securing homec with small deposit, and in situations that the capitalist* will want shortly. Again, in 1908, what will bs the value of sections >■ the Veale Estate nt the expiration of the harbour loan." ■ HoLLOWAY'S OINTMENT AND PILLS. tnrtf.sput.able remedies. In the use jf these medicaments there need b» no hesitation or doubt of their Moling, healing and purifying prup-,|. lies. The Ointment stands unrivalled in relieving, healing and thoroughly curing the most inveterate •ores and ulcers, and in cases of bad egs and bad hreasts they act as a •harm. The Pills are the most efectual remedy lor the cure of liver •omplaints, which derange all the "oper functions of the organs affected, inducing restlessness, melanholy, Weariness, inability to sleep y- « id «. etc. These won- . ' tllls . 'f taken according to the printed directions accompanying each I'OX, strike at the root of the malady, and stimulate the stomach and liver into a healthy action.