NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 286, 7 December 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Mr Newton King sells a quantity of fruit this afternoon. The death is announced of Miss Adeline Sergeant, the novelist, at the age of 53. A thunderstorm and hailstorm at Wairoa (H. 8.) on Monday practically ruined the orchard and garden prospects for this season. Assistants for the dining-room in the exhibition buildings are wanted. Application should be made to the secretary up to. Monday next. Archibald McAlisler, who had been drinking and quarrelling with his wife, deliberately set fire to his four-roomed house at Granity, which was destroyed with all its contents. The man has been arrested.

At Wanganui on Tuesday Colonel Sommcrville obtained £lO damages from the Borough Council on account of an accident to a trap and its occupants, caused through the negligence of the borough workmen in not filling in a trench in a road in which gas mains had Ibben laid. The wheels of the trap went in a hole, and the vehicle collapssd. A man who had been reported dead writes to the editor of a North Island paper as follows :—"Sir,—l desire to call your attention to a few errors in your obituary of myself on Wednesday lust. I was born in_Pnlmcrston North, not in New Plymouth, and my retirement from the flour and wheat business in 1896 was not due to ill-health, but to hard times. The cause of my death was not pneumonia." In the Supreme Court at Auckland, George Sullivan, on a charge of abducting a girl, named McSwceney, was found guilty. Mr Justice Edwards said Sullivan had entrapped a silly child, who probably thought she was going to mako a grand match with a great and noble actor. She was taken from her parents, disgracefully assaulted, and deserted by the prisoner. Accused was sentenced to five years for abduction and two years for indecent assault, the sentences to be concurrent.

Mr R. M. Gatenby, chemist, and proprietor of patent medicines, and a member of the, Central Pharmaceutical Association of Wellington, writes to the Wanganui papers in reference to a telegram from Wellington relative to a conference of the association with Dr. Mason, Chief Health Officer. Mr Gatenby says tho association has a large country membership, and no notice of the proposed conference or meeting was sent to members. The meeting, consequently, could have been attended by only a lew city members. To an interviewer at Christchurch Mr Seddon said the prospects of tho colony were never brighter. The increase in the prico of wool and other producers, he believed, would mean an additional £200,000 to Canterbury and perhaps a million to the whole colony, so that the people had good reason to feel encouraged. The revenue so far had shown an increase of over £50,000, and in the last eleven months the excess of arrivals in the colony over departures had been 21,000. That did not look as though a slump was at hand. A remarkable story was told at the London Hospital on September 21st when Mr Wynne E. Baxter held an inquiry concerning the death of Alfred Dodd, aged 32, a grainer and writer by trade, lately residing in Holloway Road, Leytonstone. At a concert" in Leytonstone a few weeks ago he was singing the song "What Will the End Be 7" which tells the story of a gambler's end. In the last vorse the singer is supposed to commit suicide by shooting himself with a pistol containing a dummy cartridge. The pistol used on this utension, however, would not go off nt the proper time, and while Mr Dodd was examining it it exploded, and he died next day from lockjaw caused by the injury to his hand, It is stated by the Munawatii Standard tlmt although the demand for timber in the Wellington provincial district has greatly improved during the la.sl three months, it is not equal lo what it was at this time last year. Sawniillcrs are still holding heavy stocks, the demand not being equal to the production'. The chief improvement in tho trade has taken place in Wellington and Palmerslon, the demand in Masterton is fair, while in Wanganui and similar centres the trade is still somewhat dull. Some of the mills, especially in the Tnihnpe district, are busily engaged in cutting white pine for Australian orders. One firm (Messrs Pcrhnm und Larscn) hns nn order for five million feet, whieh is to be delivered within two years, while orders aggregating two million feet have been distributed amongst other millers. Messrs Perham and Larsen have two mills running, and are erecting a third in the white pine bush, from which their ordor is to be supplied.

On Tuesday the S.M. convicted and discharged a first offender for being found drunk in Devon-street the previous evening. The presentation of prizes in connection with the Central School takes place in the Theatre Royal on Thursday afternoon.' At Messrs Bow ey and Griffiths' mart this morning fruit nnli potatoes will be offered. A road racer bicycle will also be sold. The Northern Steamship Company announces an excursion to the North Auckland ports, by the Ngapuhi, starting from Auckland on February 17th'. This forms a splendid outing which should attract many patrons, "The Governor is a first-class man —it would lie hard to beat him, more especially ns he is a countryman of my own."—The Hon. T. Y. Duncan's opinion of Lord Plunket, expressed at the Land • Conference luncheon on Saturday.

In a lecture on Thursday night a well-known Christchurch doctor severely condemned the "idiotic policeman who hunts down small boys for bathing without garments in open places." Such an attitude as that | towards the natural desire for exI ercise, he said, could only presage race decay. The peach crop appears to bo in great danger of being practically a failure in Central Otago districts from the effect of blight, curl, and green fly being especially no'ticcablc. In the Roxburgh district the trees are said to be in a particularly tad condition from these causes, and in the Clyde ami Cromwell districts the trees are all more or less affected.— Dunstam Times.

Christchurch reporters had an unusual experience on Thursday. The Premier had received a deputation of shopkeepers, and replied at great length. He then received another deputation immediately after, and, as one surprised reporter put it, when he came to speak again, his voice scarcely rose above a hoarse whisper. The reporters, seated a few yards away, had extreme difficulty in following his remarks.

The annual matriculation ami solicitors' preliminary examinations in connection with the New Zealand University began on Tuesday. The local candidates sat at the Presbyterian Hall, the Rev. S. S. Osborne being supervisor. For the preliminary two candidates entered, and for the matriculation some half dozen ladies. Yesterday's subjects were history and geography. The examinations are expected to last till Monday.

The Argonaut declares that the adoption of double names is a sign of great vulgarity in the people who adopt them. Vulgar or not, it is often a great convenience lor the bearers of names that are so common that they are confusing. What would all the Browns, Jones, and Robinsons do if it was impossible for them to put a handle before their ordinary everyday names ? It may elevate a name a little in the hearer's estimation to have it Montmorency Jones, but it is mainly for convenience sake that it is becoming so largely adopted, innd is surely quite a personal matter, and, having a claim to its convenience, is not to be sneered at.

New Zealand does not stand alone in having trouble over a law for the early closing of places of business. In Madrid, about two months ago, an order was promulgated that oil cafes should close at three in the morning. The Spaniards are not credited with possessing a Britisher's love of . freedom ;• but this interference with personal liberty and habits proved too much for their forbearance, and the result of an attempt to enforce the law was a serious disturbance, in which a number of actors, journalists, and others participated. A number of arrests were made. In course of 'time, doubtless, the people "in old Madrid" will get accustomed to "early" closing.

Mr Dawson, of the Wellington firm of Dawson and Co., Is expected in New Plymouth this week to begin the installation of electric lighting plant at the exhibition. The dyntt--mo will he driven by a 75 h.p, engine lent -by Messrs J. Chambers and Sons, Auckland, and will supply in all some 500 lamps, equal lo 10,000 candle power, in addition to the coloured lights throughout the buildings and grounds. The ground on the western side of the square will be lighted by 2 lamps of 2000 candle power each. The exhibition has resulted in a harvest for tho local photographers, as many firms are inserting blocks of their business premises in the catalog'uo.

A simple but very Ingenious machine for date stamping tickets is at present in use in the booking office at the Dunedin railway station. The machine, which has been pateneed throughout the world, is the invention of Mr W. P. Nolan, employed at the Milton railway station, and us it is apparently very effective it should meet with favour. Hitherto it has been necessary to stamp return tickets separately at each end, but Mr Nolan's invention is provided with n double set of type, so that the nsccssnry is done in one ap>plication, and for that) reason the machine should prove a boon to the railway officials on holidays and special occasions, when the demand for tickets is very heavy.

Dr. Symcs (says tho Lyttelton Times) expressed his l regret on Thursday tlmt tho British race had taken long backward strides In the matter of beer. In the "good old days," he said, beer had been made of malt, and had been a valuable drink, nourishing, and not conducive to drunkenness. The degenerate modern brewer, however, had taken to making his beer of sugar, and the result was in every way regrettable. The beer had practically no food value, and its percentage of alcohol was greater than it had been in the ; old malt beer. People now bought thei'- malt extract from the chemist instead of in beer. The use of sugar instead of malt in the manufacture of beer wns a sin, and one of the greatest injuries ever inflicted on the community. The uso of good beer in place of the poisonous stuff sold in Christchurch and other towns would do very much to check drunkenness.

'"Tolerant" writes to the Otago Daily Times concerning the complaint about the Premier galloping about Morninglon when people were coming out, of church. "Tolerant" says that it is untrue in the first place that tho Premier galloped down the hill, as with 18 stone up that would be cruelty to animals and risky to the Premier's neck ; secondly, when he did ride down the hill it was a! few minutes to 1 p.m., when most of the congregations were at Sunday dinner. Even if a solitary clergyman was at hand, he could not be held to constitute "three congregations of the Mornington churches." That which is done for the health's sake on the Sabbath Day is not breaking the Sabbath, and "the fact that. Mr Seddon was in chapel on Sunday afternoon may, it is to bo hoped, atone somewhat for his having riding exercise, taken on the advice of his doctors, on Sunday morning."

HOLLOWAY'S PILLS. For the eure of debility, also liver and stomach complaints this inappreciable medicine is so well known in every part of the world, and Hie cures performed by its use are so wonderful, that it now stands preeminent above all other remedies, more particularly for the cure of bilious and liver complaints, disorders of the stomach, dropsy, and debilitated constitution. The beneficial effects of the Pills are so lasting that tho whole system is renewed, the organs of digestion strengthened, and a free respiration promoted. They expel (torn tho secretive organs the morbid matter which produces inflnniT mation, pain, fever, debility, and physical decay, thus annihilating, by their purifying properties, the virulence of the moit painful and devastating diseases.*

Dr. North's Indian curios, to be shown at the exhibition, have arrived at New Plymouth. According? to the clergy list for 1904, the value of the living at St. Thomas Wainfteet, Lincoln, is £4 per year.

The following should net as a warning lo mothers mid Olivers. A little child in a local household had a narrow escape of being choked to death yesterday while eating a small diamond-shaped lolly. The swoet morsel suddenly slipped down the child's throat, and had its | mother not been handy to take instant measures for relief by forcibly working the obstruction upwards by the action of the hand' applied to the throat the eonsequencos, as a medical man subsequently alllrined, would probably have been fatal. The half-yearly report of the Hank of New South Wales, a copy ol which is to hand from the local branch manager, Mr N. K. MucDiarmid, shows a very satisfactory statu of affairs. The nett profits for the half-year amount to £120,435 2s lid, lo which is to be added the undivided balance from the previous half-year (£18,023 18s 7d), making £1:18,459 Is (id. Payment of a dividend at the rate of J 0 per cent, per aunu.ui absorbs £IOO,OOO of this total, £20,000 is added to the reserve fund, and £18,459 Is (id carried to profit and loss.

Some amusement was caused at the exhibition committee meeting last night, when the question of family tickets was being discussed. A keen observer could easily " pick " tlie Benedicts from the bachelors by the blase way in which they treated the possibility of visitors possessing eight, nine, or even ten olive branches. The eligible young bachelors, on the other hand, looked decidedly self-conscious. But both classes joined in a roar of laughter when one member mentioned n family of thirty, and one of the eligibles desired to come into contact with such a refutation of the old cry of decreasing birth rates, remarking that therein lay a mint of money ns a side-show.

Engagement rings, wedding lings, gold bands, and spectacles to suit all sights at J. H, Parker's, next Railway crossing, Devon Street Con tral, New Plymouth.*

Builders may now order the highest quality Auckland hydraulic lime and cement from the New Zealand Express Company, Ltd., agents for John Wilson and Co.. Ltd. S