NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 288, 9 December 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

TOere Is rumour in W«llington that the position O'f High' Commissioner for New Zealand will be offorwl to Sir Robert Stout. Anniversary services in connection with the WMlolcy Memorial Church are £o be held on Sunday, when the Rev. J. G. Chapman, of Wunganui, will preach. In consequence of the provisions of the Shops anfl Offices Act, providing for tjne payment of overtime in offices, several firms in Wellington are reducing the salaries of clerks by 10 per cent. The overtime paid for is supposed to make up the loss. "All the horses are doing is eating oats and chaff," said the chairman at the last meeting of the Patea Harbour Board. "And drinking gin and beer," added Mr Davidson, who could not get over bho account for tho supply of thesa drinks.—Press.

Mr Newton King sells a quantity of timber at his Jlaynmrket yards to-morrow «t 11.30 a.m.

The Exhibition Committee invites applications by letter, for positions as ticket takers, etc., at the exhibition.

•Mi- T. Avery has a not/ice in this issue of interest to those making purchases of presents, etc., for the Christmas season.

A new advertisement relating to the opening of Carnival week on Boxing Day appears in this issue, outlining the programme of principal events, etc., during its continuance.

The Kailwa.v Department notifies that the issue of excursion tickets for the Christmas season qpnimencus on the 17th inst. and closes on January 2nd. The tickets will lie available till February 18th.

The men engaged at the coal mines at lirunner were always entitled to change under sixpences, and have decided in future to allow the company to retain these odd amounts in their behalf, and give them as a donation to ilie Greymoutli Hospital. The Nelson inspector of stock, Mr T. A. Frascr, informs the Colonist that the Department of Industries and Commerce is arranging to get quotations from the Agent-General regarding the price of hops in London forwarded regularly to this colony. In response to a pressing request by the Mayor (Mr R. Cock) that he should consent to open the exhibition on lloxing Day Sir Joseph Ward has replied that he will lie pleased to comply if it is possible to lit in his engagements to suit this programme. He will definitely reply to-day or to-morrow.

At Wyaloiig (N.S.W.) a miner named William Cobelt attempted to commit suicide by cutting both his wrists with a razor. He was found at his residence by a man, who called to see him on business, lying under the bed ill a pool of blood, and was taken 'to the hospital. It is expected that he will recover.

An impression is abroad in New Plymouth that an exhibition is to be helfl in Wanganui during the Christmas holidays, and it is just as well to correct the idea. A movement to h<.'ld such a fixture was started, but was soon dropped. The week's oarnival is the only holiday attraction in the southern town.

Some of tho Wellington clubs have come to an; agreement to ploy 'bridgewhist ami keep an account oi winnings and losses!. If a test action is taken, and the same is declared illegal, no money will pass, so that there will in that case be no infringement of the law. A police Inspector has hiajd a look round some of the local clubs.

It is a singular thing that our fanners Have not availed themselves of the section set apart by the exhibition committee for farm produce, as not one entry lias been received for the sixteen classes under this division. One would have thought that in a district such as Tamnaki the display of produce would have been one of the features of the exhibition.

" I wish they would apply some shop hour rules to Ministers,' 1 remarked the Premier to a deputation. " Probably we should live longer."

" Pass an Act to :Uat effect jourself," partinently r' .it"ked a member of the deputation, i.nmoved by the pathos in the Premier 3 voice. " Yes," replied Mr Seddon, and I should probably be the first one to be brought before the Gourt by the Inspector for breaking the law." Tiie sitting of the native Land Court which has been held in flawera and Opunake for the past fortnight adjourned to New Plymouth yesterday, and will open at 2 p.m. to-day. Captain (J, Mail-is the presiding judge, and hus associated l«ith him Mr Wi Noera, of I'orirua, as assessor, and Mr G. Grimstone, of the native office at Wellington, as clerk. A considerable number of cases are set down for hearing, it being over two years since the last court siat hero.

Still another new bread, of cow to the fore, and yet not a new one, if report speaks correctly, but a very ol|i bjiß jealously guarded typo of •animal from the midlands of Connauglit, called the " Moelline." This breed is now teimg boomed in Gi\'at Britain, and if all that is said of it lx> true the Irish farmers have made a big misftajke in letting] a single cow leavo the country before they have well stocked every daily farm in Ireland. Like the famous " Kerry," these " Meellines" are extremely haixly, and being hornless are quiet. They also fatten well, and indeed in overy prospect seem to fill in the bill of general purpose cow which every dairy farmer is in quest of,'

Some excitement was caused in Devon Street on Thursday thj"oug>h thfl career of a 'runaway horse attached to a butcher's cart, owned by Mr Baily, of Smart Hoad. The horse was standing in Mr K. B. Honeyfiel'd's yard, Motuioa, and while Mr Baily was 1 delivering his o-i-der, lost the blinkers, and iraaxie a bee-line for tihe road, carrying giate and femice with it. At the corner 0 f tihie South and Belt fiouds the cart was overturned, thougih tlie plunges of thie animal caused it to right afiaiin. Nothing further occurred beyonid tlie scaring of drivers in Bevon, Street, whither the runaway made its way from the Belt lioaid, until finally thie horse turned into Currie Street, and nullik? 1,1 i be railwa y yards. Examtotioo showed that two broken splashboards and a battered seat "vi the v of the damage while on the other hand ogs eiijoyefl the unwonted luxury of a prime joint, several of which points. I ' lo0 ™ 1111011115 ' loft at various

Referring to a performance by Mr , \ I,lx 8 ™w company of refined entertainers that is advertised w pear in the Theatre Royal an exchange says i-"The bright' wholesome presence iof the Mt tto Chonsters as they stepped on the ,hT J" 8 J eMived witb applause that showed they had at once established themselves in the favour of the house. Their voices were clear and beli-like, and their performance thi oughout was refreshing. Miss Lyla II ompson sang twice, receiving a itcd.ll on each occasion. Mr Georcre and lie Skipper," both of which he rendered admirably, and he was obliged to re-appear in response to i enCO, ' eS ' Ml ' Leslio War " ton „,th his coon melodies, secured eiavoui; ol the audience, who insisted on his coining f onv . mi Jnnn I times'before they would allow him H-m'i.n? t y ',' ° nC 11,0 B,os t Liiliuni. Items oi the evening was the performance of the Wheelers. One w'h U ? n ot ( i rcdit ' 1 without seeing, what these two men can do with tnuir fcicycles. lhe Dannevirke correspondent of the New, Zealand Herald writes •_ lhe lown Band played at) the swing ill ge over the Mangatera stream, on Sunday afternoon. November 27 "!. wuv " V venty ami thirt y People vole Standing on the bridge listening to the music, when suddenly the top cables collapsed at. both ends turning the bridge completely over' and precipitating the majority of the occupants, mostly , women ', un(i Childien, into the water, a drop of J.>it. About a dozen bystanders immediately waded knee-deep into the stream, and rescued them from then- unpleasant position, not much the worse for their adventure. Those who were standing near the ends ol' the bridge when it collapsed, however, were less fortunate, and some received very misty cuts andibniises. lhe worst case was that of Miss IVebb, who, on fulling, struck a sharp stone on the river x bed sustaining a fracture on the skull 'and a deep cut over the eye, which necessitated several stitches being put in. This is the second occasion' that the cables have snapped through overcrowding, and it is about time the Borough Council took the matter in hand. It might be mentioned that the bridge is designed only to bear the weight of live ordinary men.

The press telegram concerning the burning of Nelson College stated that the t'otudatio* stone was laid by Governor Hrowne on December 7th, twenty-live years ago. This is 'a mistake. The correct date is December 7'th, 1859, twenty yeurs earlier than the date given in the telegram.

Under an act of last session amending the police ott'ences statutes no person is permitted to paint advertising or other matter on a Government reserve without permission from the Commissioner of Crown Lands. Tlte tirst breach of the act. came before the Police Court at Palmerston a iew days ago, when Norman Sinclair (Mr Innes) was charged with painting an advertisement in the Manawatu Gorge without Inning obtained the necessary permission. Mr Inne.s, in admitting the offence, suggested that this toeing the tirst charge under the act, publicity would be obtained without a tine being inflicted. The magistrate, in entering a nominal line of Is without costs, said no doubt the intention of the prosecution would be met in the first oa.se by publicity. The advertisement was ordered to be obliterated.

The abnormal size of the fashionable lady's lrnt is responsible for a difficulty 'that has arisen in a Sydney suburban church. The pastor, by way of making the services more attractive, and possibly of giving assistance to some of -his flock who may havo doctrinal difficulties to struggle with, invites all and sundry to send in questions upon points of faith and morals, which he answers from the pulpit subsequently. This worked admirably till last week, when, among the question, was the following :—"Does a woman commit a greater sin by absenting herself from Divine service than by at- | tending wearing a hat of the present fashion, .and so preventing at least three fellow worshippers frftm seeing the minister, besides provqktag unchristian feelings in their minds at the worst possible time 7" The minister has not yet answered the question.

Mr S. Burton, District Veterinarian, has traced the cause of the recent death of six cows at Feilding to lead poisoning. It appears the cows came across Kune tins which had' contained paint, and licked them clean, with fatal results. Mr Burton informed a representative of the Manawatu Daily Times that more deaths are caused amongst cattle in this way than people would credit. Animals have a fatal liking for paint, white lead, or putty, and have frequently been known to scratch for tins that have been buried. A very little of the lead is sufficient to cause death, as in the present aase, where the tins had been practically scrapefi clean by the painters. Its effect upon the cattle is to drive them wild, and they rush about in mat! terror until they fall dead. Many cases are reported annually to the authorities, said Mi' llurton, but a great many more occur, about which nothing is heard, the owners in their ignorance attributing death to natural causes, Mr liurton would like more publicity to be given to the matter by the Stock Department.

Christchurch Truth again Is the British officah man who went to war in South Africa with a ton of impedimenta', iiicluding , a spare feather bed, large supplies of cigars and champagne, and twenty-seven dress uniforms, talcing careful note of the way the war in, Manchuria is being conducted ? Has }ie observed that Russians and Japanese don't surrender, that the Muscovite and the Butterfly Tommies do or die, that no self-respecting regiment ever retreats ia those parts unless the Com-mander-in-Chief means it to, and tluat (loath has no terrors for those troops ? Will the British oil'icah man who made such a mess of tilings at Magersfontoin, lost his head so badly on the heights 'of the Tugela, and generally showed his incompetence in the face of the enemy, please study carefully for future reference ? Next time Britain goes to war the M'anehurian sdrt of thing it» the sort of thing she must expect. Unless her officers can do without their feather H-'ds, and lead their troops to forlorn hopes as the Englishman used to do when history was made, but has since mislaid the recipe for, it, will go 'badly with tho nation, of shopkeepers when the gutis begin to shoot.

The Auckland Herald says- "A new problem—that of providing false tooth for the inmates of the Costley Home—has been added to the many, more or .less vexatious questions' which the local Hospital awd Charitare being called l upon to deal with. At tho laslti mecjtiing; 0 f .the Board a letter was received from an inmate of the thTf 0 !?,™. a ®° P^owi-stating that whilst he was comfortalble in other respects, he sorely felt the need ted' aS? h ' Ki °^ teeth ' intiniau? u lJV 0 ", ld foel S'-ate-on t * Board would expend a curing ?tV gUiIWaS in * P'' o " T n a f ° teet ' h for him. Mr thfl'L L mS>>ed to b,ow whether ' lOOlll wcre ''Quired f or ornamenttW»rPoSCS',but he was informed that there « n« such intention, and that object, so far as was known was a purely utilitarian one, or, as Rt£r;r (Mr G - J ' that ™ an wauled 'something £h« oUkl . UK( '' Mr A. Bruce said the 'ajppJicjtttam opened, up a wide £ l th ' at il to in -""T' to suppl y tat* to all tto) inmates of the home, who to J if i-if SUpplied I>y natl,re .. Walters suggested invitima applications for the position of SUJ '£ eon I" the homo, a of Mr V « ' aCCo,xlin S to the remarks nf. , Bl ' uc «' would be no sinecure tho chairman said the subject was one of moro seriousness than memA splendid feature of tlie daiH tragKdyof the North Sea wns tto bave lescue of the suvivors of the QulJ 10 T cre " by the crew Of the „"i' In r^ a ®dst of the oxcite- ? n , an ' d terror of th « "ussiaii bonibardmeint, the Gull was tejlod by the Cn a ne with a cry ™ he'P. A boat with thrco men was lowered, und a Bt ilT pull Clgainst heavy swell brought it to the ship „ S ° Ol J W0 lgot alongside,''' h n h ® men ' " wo ' ou nd it ? ,IC ' tho n#at3 of wJ «<=h Shouted out to us, 'For God's sake i ml lio J P ' Weare(ll l crippled and fhe ship is sinking.' Leaving and ?p to J m 1 boat " 1110 boatswain nd I scrambled aboard, when we found the Crane all T n m.T S 't He '' b °' ler ha,cl 1,0011 Pureed aa»d steam was escaping. The maets »™d the funnel had been shot awat Se Pv lat^': WaS llan ff'"S over the side, hverythmg on the deck had dZrt?" Sh f' the beats being The thiS' b ° f them rnt-I? ' was lll 'ssing, ami wooaTwteuV r °^ hi " obhi,lg - lb " t wo found th«+ i ■ L on deck 'r ,je ° n oa 6o 4ai i 110 u 'r went Wounded were tnsonsiiblo a3ld K " Dm lhc sinking Irawler rings, wedding Ungs. KoW bwids, and spectacles to suit sights at J. H. Porker's, noxt Hailway crossing, Dev on Street Con tral, New Plymouth.'*