NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 232, 5 October 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Stratford sports enthusiasts are moving in the direction of securing proper sports ground accommodation in Victoria Park. " Don Quixote " was published in January, KiOo, at Madi'id, und there is to be a grand terceaunary celebration in the Spanish capital at the beginning of next year. A man named Courtenay was brought into town last evening from Waitara, to serve a sentence of 21 days' " hard " imposed on him by an unsympathetic 'bench at thie river port. Courtenay had been indulging in " language." J. J. Meikle is addressing the public in various, towns on the subject of his alleged wrongful imprisonment, llawera and Eltham have recently 'been visited, but the " addresses " arc so strongly flavoured with libel that no extended notices aro given of t-hein. Mr R. Thompson, of Atea, Stirling Settlement, on Saturday suffered an ugly fracture of one of bis legs. While jacking logs one of the ii'on ''dogs" used for support slipped its, hold, and. Hying back, struck Thompson on tho leg. The sufferer was taken to the Masterton Hospital. On Monday afternoon, whilst engaged in plastering work at uhenew convent buildings at Pnlmcrston North. S. Hoh'oyd fell a distance of 15ft from some scaffolding and landed amongst a largo number of bricks. When taken to the hospital, ■it was discovered that his spine had toon injured. J-l o lroyd is a single nian ot middle age. A meeting of tho Klthain-Opunake Railway League was held at Eltham on Monday. It was decided to proceed at once with the organising of branches of the League at the various centres en route. Messrs J. Parlone and J. Boddle were appointed a coininit/teo to address meetings at Mangatoki, Hiverlea, and the various other settlements.

Whilst proceeding irom Masterton to Eketahuna by trap, Mr H. Wimsett, who was removing to a farm at Rongokokako, met wjth a nasty accident. At a dangerous place on the roaxi the horse he was driving commenced to back, and to avoid a catastrophe Mr Wimsett alighted and took the animal's head., In doing so ho slipped. The horse at the same time reared and chido down en Mr Wimsett's back. He managed to board the veheicle, and with two children, drove to Eketohuna, where medical assistance was obtained. Although little hope waß at first entertained, the unfortunate man now shows .signs of pulling through. A paper that has made rapid strides during tho last few years is the Wairarapa Leader, of which Mr M. 1). Ilornsby is proprietor. In the newspaper business, as in most other concerns, enterprise brings its own reward. Sinco Mr Homsby assumed the caros and responsibilities of proprietorship he has been alert, and lias infused vitality into a property that was not too lively. The result is that on Saturday last he was! able to publish tho Leader as a daily paper, printed' in iirsl-olnss style, on one of tho latest machines, tho journal being supplied with a full telegraphic service and an excellent assortment of local news. Knowing something of the trials and difficulties, of the Leader during its early yeara we are pleased to chronicle its success, which is all the moro deserved because it has been " battled (or " against great odds.

One important safety device, and the first instance 0 f its .application to a mercainjile vessel, is the electrical indicator, utilised in tho British navy for the prevention of collisions. This device (says the Scientific American) is placed on the bridge It indicates the exact position of any other vessel entering its maignetic zone. There is a dial carrying a needle on 'its face similar t 0 a compass. Directly tne other vessel enters the magnetic zone, which in this instance is five miles', the needle revolves and points directly towand.t it, thereby indicating its precise location. This, apparatus is highly

n'nsi'.Uivc, and even the screw revolutions of the approaching vessel are registered by the wave vibrations, in tJiis manner the officer on the bridge enn estimate the exact time he is distant from the other vessel, and act accordingly sous to clear it. With this precautionary devdee it is absolutely impossible for another vessel to creep up oven in foggy weather or under cover of darkness, "without the officer being aware of its approach,

Auckland mail despatches of September 2nd arrived in London on the morning of the Ist inst.

Messrs R. Coleman and Sons, the Contractors for the erection of the exhibition buildings, are maJciUg good progress, having now ig 0 t up the studs of the outer walls on three sides.

Madame, Heller will deliver her last lecture on spiritualism to-night, at 8 o'clock, in lite old Free Masons' Hall. As this lecture is given byspecial l-eiquesi a lai/ge audience can be expected 1 . Admission will he by silver coin to help expenses).

"Don't wink at me, wink at someone else," remarked a counsel in the Masterton court to a witness who was persistently adopting this means of e|iupbasiwJng| his replies to (the various questions asked. "I'm not winkin' «t yer ; I've got a stone in me eye," was the reply. The secretary of the National Hairy Association has been notified by the Secretary for Agriculture that the Government is going to continue the subsidy towards the freezing of butter for next season (100405) at the rate of twopence per box. The previous subsidy was 3sd. A lu'avy thunderstorm, accompanied by vivid lightning, passed over the M o long district, New South Wales, a few days ago. At Major Smith's Niandillyan homestead ten stud ewes, out of a fl ocl< o' SU . were struck by the lightning and killed, their wool •being turned almost black.

A very simple but perfectly effective little device to prevent the slamming of doors has just been fixed at the News office. It comsdsts of a flat steel plate, bent horseshoe. shape, lixed over the top hanging stile of the door, winch thus keeps tho door in any position to which it is opened. The contrivance has been patented by Mr Eugene Buliot, blacksmith, of Karangahake, brother ,of Mr Louis Bullot, of New Plymouth, who will be pleased to furnish any particulars. It may also be seen fixed at the premises of Messrs Obey, Son, and Arnold, Mr If. Messenger, architect, and Mr John Ilurle.

Mr Soddon is having honours thrust upon him. The Westminster Gazette recently printed a paragraph describing the festivities at Wellington in celebration of " Sir itichand Saddon's" birthday. I'm afraid it was not "intclUgentt anticipation" on the part of the London newspaper, but merely ignorance, for the mistake was made twice in the una paragraph. But the Globe goes one belter in the matter of misinformation. It says : " The earthquake in New, Zealand recalls the eruption of Kilauea, which destroyed the famous pink terrace some twenty years ago." After that (says the Ounudin Star's correspondent) I shall not be surprised to read that an eruption of Tarawera has devastated Hawaii, and sent the inhabitants fleeing in terror to the Blue Mountains.

Mr Hyde's report on the poultry industry states that last year 15,958 birds were graded for export. This, was a decrease in the number passed through the Government depots, due to the fact that two of the largest shippers d,id not! avail themselves of tho services of the Government graders, lfor some time past over 15,000 head of poultry per month had been prepared for shipment to South Africa. There appears, says Mr Hyde, to be a spleiiid d chance for enterprising men to start force-feeding establishments, as many half-grown birds are sent into the depots in poor condition. By the use of forcefeeding machines in a matter of 15 to 20 days these could bo got into good marketable condition, amid 75 per cent, o'l' the present rejects, treated in the manner stated, would be passed by the Government graders as fit for export. Closing this report, Mr Hyde urges the Government to give monetary or other assistance to start an egg-laying competition in New Zealand.

Speaking at Kumara Mr Seddon .said he believed that practical scienliiic prospecting was necessary for developing the golc( industry. People in business there and miners had no capital to kio thoroughly into prospecting, and tho time had arrived when tho prospecting regulations required revising. Geologists and experts had told them the gold-bearing strata were as a much lower depth than they were now working. The Government was not prospecting, and there were teeming thousands lying dormant. Tho Government was just about to employ a geologist. Applications had been called in all parts o[ the world, and between fifty and sixty had been received. When the appointment was m a du the .Minister would probably glive the geolog'isil inslt|4i|ct'i)ons to visit'various parts of the colony to advise us to what should be done. Parliammt would then be asked for authoiity to d () what was necessary, and he believed that in the course of a few yearsl the output would 'be doubled. They were simply scratching the surface now. He wasi satisfied it would pay the colony to do a great deal more in tho way of prospecting. A paper on wheat-growing in Canada, written by Mr \V. Saunders, director of the Dominion experimental farms', gives some ligures (says the Gardener's Chronicle) interesting to those who are fond of statistics, or who aro interested in the food supply of Britain. He says that " the area of hind suitable for the growing of agricultural crops in Canada is so vast tl)afr when presented in figures tho mind needs a deal of training before their full significance can b# grasped. The total imports of wheat and flour into Great Britain in 1902 were equivalent in all to about 200,000,000 bushels of wheat. Were one-fourth of the land said to toe suitable for cultivation under crop, the total crop (under favourable conditions) would be over 812,000,000 bushels. This would lie ample to supply the home demand for 30,000,000 of inhabitants, and to meet the present requirements of Great .Britain three times over. This estimate leaves the large eastern provinces out of consideration. Summary : Land fit for settlement in Western Canada, 171,000,000 acres; present production of wheat and other grains, about 125,000,000 ' busfwls; nnd possible wheat production, 800,000,000 bushels."

According t 0 the Lyltelton Times, Mr Parker, "the Handcuffs King.," had a difficult task set him at the Opera House, Christchurch, on Friday night last, Mr J. Birch, acting for (ho Chubb Lock Company, had challenged the expert to release himself from a, Chubb lock, without injury to tho mechanism, and Mr Parker's success would be rewarded with. £fiOO, a standing offer by the company for the feat. Mr Birch submitted a heavy triple-folding Chubb lock of tho pattern used, for fastening the doors of safes, besides an array of smaller devices for securing property, and a Pair of formidable legirons. Mr Barker volunteered t 0 try his fortune with the lock, and Have an assurance that ho would not damage it. Mr Birch then passed a chain closely round tho "king's" neck, a key clicked in tire lock .three or four times, and Mr Parker, with his bangle and a 01b pendant as his only binding, retired to his cabinot. Some minutes later a blood-stained hand reached from the screen for a towel, and the contest recommenced. When the ordinary vaudeville turns had been linlshod, it was announced that Mr Parker would take several hours to complete his task, and tho majority left, but two or three, hundred remained. "Wo Won't Go Home Till Morning" was sung lustily to the accompaniment of a mouth organ, and solos on the same instrument helped to beguile the weary minutes. After an hours seclusion the "king" emerged from his bower, with his neck bleeding., but free fr 0 m its ornaments. The spectators cheered, but tho congratulatory sounds wore speedily changed to hooting and groaning, Mr Birch found the blood-stained lock on the floor, but it. had not been detached from the chain scatheless. The clasp had been sawn through, and the locking mechanism remained intact. There was at once a "hostile demonstration," the survivors of the audience, a few dozen in number, hooting vigorously*

Arthur Drown, one of a ballast gang, was run over at l'almerston North by an engine on Monday afternoon and had a foot almost severed from the leg. Brown is a recent arrival from Australia, and had started work on the day he was injured,; Thinga in Tasmania are (says an | exchange) apparently in a very had | state at present, there being a large ' number of men out of work, and no prospect of any improvement in the near future. All of the young men who can do so a re making their way to New Zealand in the hope of bettering themselves. This is noticeable in all the other States in the Commonwealth, as men are flocking to this Colony from everywhere between West Australia and Queensland, and the result is that nearly every steamer leaving Australia has from 80 to 100 in the steerage bound f o r New Zealand in the hope of securing employment. If this influx continues the colony may be overrun with the unemployed of Australia, and the result will be dlisasitrous, as work ia mone too plentiful now. A writer to the Argus (Melbourne) says :—.'The sorter's knowledge of local geography, must have been very weak when the enclosed has been travelling over New Zealand." The envelope is addressed to Mr F. W. Palmer, Melton. It hears a penny Victorian stamp. Someone in the General Post Office scorns to have added "New Zealand," and applied the brand "T Id," to signify that a penny stamp was not enough. There are fourteen 1 post office brands on the envelope. It a l>pcars to have gone to Milton, New Zealand, although Mel torn is clearly the address ; then to Nelson, Christchurch, and Wellington, when some intelligent sorter wrote on it in printlike letters, "Try Melton, Victoria." Before reaching Melton it seems to have visited "Heywood." On the back of the envelope is the printed address Melbourne of. the sender of the letter. The dates show that it was travelling about in July, August and September.

Engagement rings, wedding rings, gold bands, and spectacles to suit all sights at .f.| 11. Parker's, next Railway Crossing, Devon-street Central, New Plymouth.* A MOST HONOURABLE DISTINCTION. The Western Medical Review, u medical publication of tho highest standing, says, in a recent issue : 'Thousands of physicians in this and other countries have attested that Sander and Sons' Eucalypti Extract is not only reliable, but that it has a pronounced and indisputable superiority over all other preparations of Eucalyptus." Your health is too precious to be tampered with, therefore reject all products foisted upon you by unscrupulous mercenaries, and insist upon getting Sander and Sons' Eucalypti Extract, the only preparation recommended by your physician and the medical press. In coughs, colds, fevers, diarrhoea, kidney diseases, the relief is instantaneous. Wounds, ulcers, burns, sprains, etc., it heals without inflammation. As mouthwash (5 drops to a glass of water) it prevents decay of teeth, and destroys all disease germs.*

NEW ADVERTISEMENTS. Newton King—Sells stock at Raholu to-morrow. Madame Heller—Lecture at 8 this evening, Brougham-street Freemason: Hall. McKinnon Bain—Bargains i n pianos and organs. Tukapa Football Club—Thanks to ladies assisting at the annual social.

E. S. Riggall—Sixteen good dairy cows for sale.

I). Lainjj— Several good properties for «ale.

J. H. Parker—Special notico regarding jewellery at tho shop next railway crossing, Devon-Street. Baker and Co.—Want a smart boy.