LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7723, 27 January 1905, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The annual meeting of subscribers to the Public Library will be held oil Tuesday next. The lalte Mr Bendix HaJ.cntlein bequeathed £3OO towards the diction of a new ward at cue IKuiedin ■hospital. Walter Donnelly, charged at Waihi with forgery of a cheque for JLli, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. '1 he farewell social tendered to Rev. F. A. Bennett by -the Yutl'es of St. Mary's takes place this afternoon, at St'. Mary's Hall. The Queensland Parliamentary session has closed. In the House the Premier agreed to a minimum wage jof 6s (3d per day on railways const nicled by day labour. Owing to the scarcity of houses in and around Taihape, many men, and in some cases families, are living in tents. The weather lately has been much against this style of accommodation.

Messrs Burgess, Fraser and Co., of this town, yesterday received a wire from the secretary of the Colonial Sugar Company at Auckland notifying a further advance of 20s per ton in the price of sugar. The Premier, 'has been advisVd by cablegram from five Agent-General that tile JnternationaJ Postal Congress <which has already been put off) on account of the absence oitiie {Canadian Postmaster-Generaf) is iurthes postponed at the instance of the. Italian Government. The dale of meeting is not yet fixed.

A( r. meeting on Wednesday of the general committee of the exhibition a draff, baiafi.ee shvel was submittedi. ami referred back for various sulMommittees to furnish details from their departments. Some discussion took place on a proposal to preserve the "Itajian Garden" for the children of the Central School, but eventually the matter was deferred.

ThV: programme for (lie Stratford ftaciiif.' Club's animal fixture on March Hit)? mid ,17th appear in another column. For the two days there are sixteen events to 'be compelled for, ami the cln,b appeal's to have catered for every ctass of owner, The principal, races ore the Slratford Cup of 2(H) soys, and St. Patrick's Ifaiwljeap of I2r< sovs. The stakes total £IO2O, beiiifj j>:iveii on the Jirst <luy and i; l(i.> oil (hp st'coirtl. First nominations are due on February 27 th,, and weights should ajipt'tir yji Mui'tJi -itln

Mr Newton King will sell a .quantity of fruit at the mart torday. The Education Board invites tenders for. raising and enlarging the Fitzroy school, and for paint inc other school buildings in the district. The University Senate lias agreed to gran£ examinations at centres where ten candidates are examined, and also when fewer candidates make up the deficiency in cost. Fumes from a charcoal stove asphyxiated three women at n I'iimitive Methodist working meeting at Wiackpool. The accidental entrance of another worker averted fatalities. Reports received by the Ag. iciiituI'al Department show that the Government stud horses and cattle I have been in good demand this season. For Shorthorn stock the demand has been greater than could be supplied, both in the North and South Island. A reminder is given to our readers that if they want to secure a share of the good things provided (or them at the Co-operative Society's sales probably their last opportunity will be next Saturday, at 3.30 ' p.m., when the society hold their third great unreserved auction sale of goods of all descriptions. A greyhound slut belonging to Mr R. Jeffrey, of Kaiapoi, after its whelps were removed, adopted a kitten. When dog friends call and attempt to assail the kitten the greyhound, quickly assumes the defensive, and when the kitten strays the greyhound brings it home in its mouth.

Messrs Bewley and Griniths report having sold to Mr Raymond Smith, of Mnngorei (whose farm they have just sold), 2J acres, Elliot Road Education Board lease, with four houses thereon, at £llOO, and half an acre of Dartmoor Estate at £3OO, both on account of Mr W. D. Webster, of New Plymouth.

| Frank Forde, of Rakaluiuka, the ■ well-known Southland athlete and | twice winner of Lord Ranl'urly's gold medal as champion all-round athilete of the colony, has (says the [ Southland Tillies) issued a general challenge to Cameron, the all-round champion of Scotland, whose wonderful performances created so much interest at. the Caledonian games at Dunedin in New Year time. Frank Forde is certainly an athlete of extraordinary powers and versatility, and great interest would be taken in a meeting between Cameron and him.

A fanner at (lladstone, some two months ago put in half an acre of alfalfa as an experiment to see if the result claimed for it could be obtained. About a fortnight ago he cut from the half-acre a very heavy crop of alfalfa, and it litis made such taj)id growth that he anticipates taking oil another crop within the next six weeks. He informed a representative of the Wairarapa Daily Times that the roots of the alfalfa have been known to uo down over 20 feet in search of water and in the most prolonged drought the plant maintains its growth and keeps green. It is also stated to bo one of the best fattening fodders for all kinds of stock.

The following tale is related of a suial'l school not far beyond the boundaries of Kaponga. Just before Christmas one of the who always boaisted about liis proficiency in education and the deep interest he took in the well-being of the .youngsters, walked along, to the school to wish the k'.'d.H a Morry Christmas. The master suggested that the committeeman' might like to question the pupils on the lesson just there in progress—countries and their capitals. Doubtless the teacher wail "making his alley good." '1 lie shot told l . Turning to Hie clitss til? highly educated farmer as'ied " What is the capital of 01land 7" "'It!" was the answer of a small boy at the top of the class. That will do, thank you," said the visitor, humbly, and he left hurrcd*ly.—Mail.

■I he case of a mail committing suicide with the avowed object of making others happy is at least unusual. An inquest was held in Melbourne the other dav on the body :of Alfred Herman, or l'eters, who ; shot himself at North Melbourne. It was shown that deceased was a cigar-maker, and was out of work, and had been ill and despondent. 011 the Thursday previous he made a will, leaving £2O to the Melbourne Hospital, £l;j to the Children's Hospital, iM.I to u young i a dy of 'his acquaintance, and dividing (Vm , remainder among his friends. lie ,wrote to a friend asking that his funeral expenses be made as small as possible, as he considered it tnonev uselessly wasted. He said he felt it was no use living always, as he had to go back to the same misery and he could do 110 good by living. He might make other people happy by dying. A remarkable defence was heard in the Auckland Police Court last week, when a wharf labourer named James Fowler was summoned by the police for neglecting to maintain three children in the Auckland Industrial School. Fowler took the oath, and said he would not pnv for one child's maintenance, as' he was not its father. "I was sentenced in November, 1001, to 'three years' imprisonment for assault," he explained, "and during that time, in 1<)03, the child was born." The Magistrate looked towards the police representative, who did not question fowler's statement, and he remarked :

j ''it can t be his." ' Sergeant llen|dry : "That is quite evident." Mr McCarthy decided that Fowler should pay 10s per month towards the children's maintenance, but lie did ndt give an opinion as to whether the defendant was liable to support the child born while ho was In prison. Fowler remarked that he could not pay, and would take the matter to the Supreme Court. He wished to question the Magistrate, but Mr McCarthy ended the matter by saying that lie hjirj gjven his decision and was not there to give advice. hat is a man's "full signature"— his Christian name and surname written in full, or his signature as he whites it on a cheque ? The point is one ol' considerable importance to the patent agents of the Commonwealth at present. They assert that the Federal Commissioner of Patents, alter accepting applications for patent rights which bore the applicant's ordinary signature for several months, has now demanded that the names shall be written in full. That is, he insists that "A. Lincoln" will not suffice ; it must be "Abraham Lincoln." The patent agents admit that the regulations issued under the Act require that the "full signature" must be appended in a clear and legible hand, but they maintain that this does not mean that the Christian names and the surname must be written out in full. As many applications have been made with only tile ordinary signature of the patentees appearing upon them, it is urged that the radical alteration which the Commissioner desires should pot, be made. Complaints have been jmvde to the Minister of Customs upon the subject, and he may possiblv refer tile matter to the Federal ' AttorneyGeneral, la order to arm himself with legal advice before he deals with it.

| A recent occurrence in New riyaccording to \ a pier gentleman will) recently paid that town ,a visit, serves to show Hint the i stringency of tho new licensing law is apt to cause inconvenience even to gentlemen in exalted judicial positions. H appears that two judges of the Supreme Court were in the town at the same time, but putting up at different hotels. On a certain evening one of these legal dignitaries was desirous of consulting the other, presuinah.y on some important and intricate question of law. and wont to his learned brother's hotel, armed with a bundle of formidable looking documents. lie arrived just as the licensee was closing up, and was I'elused admittance. Ik- protested, giving Iris assurance that lie i oily 'wished to see the other judge ,ofl business of considerable moment, Ijii! the JaiulJoi'd was obdurate, I pointing" out that as Jijs Honor was .neither a boarder not a bona tide !traveller, it wotdd be unlawful for jhiin to enter the house. The dillit/:ult.v was solved by the other judge fining out to the visitor, and tile two had their Cunsjiltation on tile .verandah. They at first referred to the papers by tho light of matches, of which many wore struck, but at Jength (he landlady, taking pity on ()!/ght of the two judiciai luni. inaries, hamlet) thejn out a candle with which to continue their openair conferenco. The spectacle was a novel one, and the awkward position of tho judges, to uso a phrase often heard in their courts, was probably "novel- contemplated by the legislature.''—Hu wks's liny Herald,

' Reports concerning fault slate that tHe season 'hos not been an average one, owing- to the stormy weather, expei'ioiitjed early !:i the t-iu-son uMVctinir the crops along tineast const of the North Island. In the South Isl'and the cro\>s dil littci', Speaking at Ohariu on the 19th, Mr Seddon said the amount paid for the purchase of lands by the (iovernment for the nine mouths to December of last year was £281,171. The commitments for payments prior to March 31st of this vear were £3-17,772. The presence of trout in the Waikato ltivcr at Ngaruuwahia has roused considerable interest among local anglers, and every day followers of the gentle art may be seen on the river banks meeting with more or less success. Some of the fishermen have been particularly successful, one gentleman yesterday landing four fish weighing 3 01b before breal - fast, and two others last evening secured five fish of about 21b each. Say the North Auckland Times : The finest gum exhibit we have inspected for some time was yesterday on view at this office. It is in the form of a large ball, and the clearness and markings of the object, are of marvellous beauty. Several tempting sums have been offered for the piece, and strenuous efforts were made to secure it for exhibition at the St. Louis Exposition, hut Mr JackFlavell prizes it beyond measure, and has so far refused all tempting proposals. A Christehurch hairdresser vouches for the truth of the following :—One day 'the door of his saloon opened to its widest to admit a portly gentleman whom the hairdresser (who hails from the West Coast) instantly recognised. Two or three men were sitting round waiting their turns for a shave, and they commented on how "like Seddon" the newcomer was. The latter sat down, threw about him a basilisk gaze, and said nothing. Presently the patient in the chair was discharged cured, and "next" was culled for. T'p jumped the big man. He strode majestically to the vacant chair, and filled it to the last halfinch. Those in waiting were too much taken aback to protest against their claim being jumped, but presently one of them observed with an air of finality and resignation : "It must lie Seddon !" Was he correct ? Ask the hairdresser.

| In connection with the charges against various persons at the Ihinedin City Folice Court, recently, of trespassing on the Wingatui racecourse. a fierce searchlight was thrown on the methods of some "tipsters" who iollow race meetings and profess to be able to pick the winners for persons who nro gullible enough to take tile "tips" (says the I'aily Times). It was stated that it was the practice of numbers of youths to profess to be "in the know," and to tip the ififferent horses in a race—of course to different. individuals—oll the certain principle that one horse must win. After the race the "pigeon" who has been "tipped" the winner is approached for the professional fee of, perhaps, half a sovereign. The wonder is that there is still enough innocence in the average man ever to give these guessers employment, and jet the game seems to be lucrative enough to keep a good many of them haunting the racecourses.

i 111 regard to the Seaclilf railway station, which, for several reasons, is to be shifted to a dilTerent position, the Dunedin Star points out that Nature has been steadily shifting the station for the past 2" years. Since 'thy line was constructed in 1878 the land lias moved 17ft in the direction of the ocean. The details are curious. The line has, of course, been adjusted from time ; to time, but in the station itself the action of the land slide is apparent. The south end of the platform is in its proper place, but about a third of the way along it begins to twist back out of alignment, marking the edge of the movement. It is stated jthat in the area between this point and llampden the same trouble is met with, and investigations show that similar geological conditions exist at different points inland. It is said that there is a bed of papa rock lying at a fairly steep gradient below the surface, and that the action of moisture on this has the effect of causing the later deposits to slide gradually down to the sea.

! The North Auckland Times has the fallowing perfervid yarn :—The exceptionally warm weather is the general thcune of conversation, and although the heat is by some complained of, the general opinion is that of satisfaction in once more experiencing an old-time New Zealand summer. During the past few days, occasional heat waves have proved oppressive, and the wilted appearance of plant life during mid-day has plainly indicated the sufferings of the botanical world. We heard yesterday of the experience of two men who were working in a valley adjacent to Dargaville. A bottle of drinking water had been laid handy for refreshment, and on tihis the sun's rays had for some time been ifocussed. On onoof tbemen attempting to drink the water, he was startled at the severe scalding he received, which resulted in blisters ! being formed on liis lips. His mate, not crediting that the water could be so hot, had some poured on his hand, and in an Instant realised that the liquid was almost at boiling point. | The paddock at Totnra on which experiments ore being conducted .with a view to finding a specific against the Cnlifornian thistle has of late assumed qilite an air of bus- | tie (says the Oamaru Mail). Fifteen optimists with concoctions of various ingredients have each worked j their little plots, some being satisfied that one application of their niftgic perpuration will sufiice, while |others, appreciating to its full the strength of the enemy, are not so sanguine. In many cases the leaves huve been entirely removed, and the roots, 011 examination, have been I found to have succumbed to the ;depth of one foot. This, of course, ip a comparatively slight achievement as against the roots of.a Californjan thistle, which go llow'n to the depth of about four feet and ramify in all directions, but it would admit of a cereal crop being taken oft' the ground thus cleared, jand if that were followed by turnips ,tliu chances of eradicating the weed should be good. Five of those who asked for selections have not jet arrived 011 the scene, being kept 'Waiting for their preparations. I Smuggling has by no means died out as a profitable enterprise near the principal ports of Australia. At ■present, however, tile means taken by the Customs Department for dealing with it are, says the Age, in a transition stage owing to the |l'ailureof Parliament to pass a Navigation Hill and to tile transfer under the Commonwealth regime of many permanent officials from palm 1 duty on the coast to bonded store work. In Sydney a number of casual men have been employed us | coast patrols, but as some of them have not been indifferent to the temptations which beset tliem in a jSiiiall way, this method has broken down. It is now proposed to 01jgunisc a regular patrol service of permanent officials and to infuse hew life into the old game of smuggler hunting. The Custonis [authorities intend, if the now experiment proves efficient at Sydney |*~which seems, by the way, to lie a paradise of the genus smuggler—to |extend it to other ports. It is, of course, a human impossibility to patrol all the coast of Australia, but the Customs Department finds it necessary to watch for some distance round all the ports. Eventually, doubtless, patrol and coastguard work will be combined, and smart corps of men, paid at the 'joint expense of Customs and De|fence Ministers, will be organised, j It is worth renienvbering that foi excellence of stylo and quality combined with large range of variety land cheapness of engagement ringt and all kinds of jewellery .you must go to J. If. Parker's, Jeweller, next railway crossing, Devon Street Central, New Plymouth.* Ii you do your own washing then here is good news for you. Try « tin of "Washine " ; it will help you and please you. See list of storekeepers who stock it-* Storage In dry brick store, low insurance rate, minim um fire risk, low rates for storage.—The New Zealand Express Company, Ltd. 9