LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8019, 4 January 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

" For the good that is in all" is tho L title of the short story on the fourth h page of to-day's issue. c Amongst the estates certified for 1 stamp duty during December, . was that of Alfred Marsh (New Plymouth) • £20113. The New Zealand Axemen's Asso- t ciation made a profit of £4O on the ' Axemen's Carnival held at Ellham last ; week. Having previously borne 10 children, the wife of a shoemaker nt Wrasi, in Bohemia, has now had four at a birth, of whom three are living. News was brought into town on Wednesday'that the residence of Mr S. Hale, at Leppcrton, was burnt to the ground while the occupants were milking on Wednesday morning. It is rumoured that one of the young children had a narrow escape. A self-levelling bunk for the prevention of sea sickness, which has been tried for some years past on the Dover-Calais service, has been found so successful that it it is proposed to ; instal it on all steamers. Says " Punch" : At a time, when we are told every other day that pluck is dying out iu bur island, it is good to read in the daily papers that during the past season the members of the Writtle (Essex) Sparrow Club killed 11,625 of these ferocious birds. One of the most vigilant members of the brigade of wool-buyers who 3 visited Timaru last week was a French. > man. The "Herald" states that ho l insisted on sampling the bales to their , very eutrails, and sometimes nothing was visible except his heels sticking B out of a muss of wool.

Mr T. E, Donne's opinion is that the Waimaugu geyser basin has beon filled up with hundreds of tons of silt thrown up at the time of tho Tarawera erup-

tion, aud he thinks there will be no good result uutil tho basin has been cleaned out. The Government might advertise for likely suicides aud send them up to do the work.—Manawatu Times.

The Quebec Government are finding ] themselves much hampered by a law i entitling a parent of 12 living legiti- i mate children to 100 acres of Crown lands. Up to Juno last 3400 apph- : cauls received their . claims. Since then another 1000 have applied, and ■ every mouth brings in from 100 to 200 applicants. There was a football " social " at 'Blenheim on a recent night, and who . the health of the champion team wi..-. proposed the official who gave llw toast remarked that twelve of the fifteen members of the team \\,m married men. The local Exp * sagely reinarks, apropos of this, tit " the fact is a handsome tribute to tie weaker sex, and one that promises that the game will not die out iu the Marlborough province,,". The marching contest regulations, in connection- with the forthcoming contest m J-tawcra, provide for four military judges, who shall be military inspectors, if obtainable, and the Contest Coin m jttt. c liave been fortunate in obtaining tuc wry - mii 0 f y ergt , jjujor Ulelough. (Wellington), Sergt.-Major MeXidr ■ (Woodville), Sergt.-Major "illiams (Napier) and Sergt.-Major (Kawera), all of the Defence Department, The New Zealand and African Steamship Company, the contractors for the steamship service from New •Zealand to the wost coast ports of the Uinted Kingdom, i.e., Bristol, Liver-' pool, Manchester and Glasgow, have notified Hit New Zealand Government that they contemplate exercising the option, as provided for in their agreement, of continuing the service via London. "Engineering" says that British steamers are still the safest to tiwel or ship goods by. The percentage of annual loss of British steamers is 1.19, and of sailing ships at 2.35, while for the other nations tint own over a million tons of steam shipping, namely, Germany, the United States, Norway, France, Italy, and the British ; colonies, the percentage is l.fili. " Engineering " adds:—With a British fleet of 15,3'J1,000 tons of steam and sailing vessels, the percentage of tonnage lost is 1.30, whereas Germany, with only 3,309,800 tons, has a percentage of 1.-17; the United States, with 2,580,000 tons, a percentage of 2,09; France, with a fleet - only ti little more than one-tenth that of Great Britain namely, 1,093,300 tons—has a percentage loss of 1.33 ; Norway, with 1,717,65'! tons, ; a percentage loss of 2.19; and Italy, t with 1.187,500 tons, a percentage -less , of 2.52.

The brass band contest in connection with the New Zealand International Exhibition has been arranged to take place from February Hth to the Kith (inclusive), 1907, 'it has been decided, iu order to attract the very best bands, that the sum of £7OO shall he distributed in prizes. The competitions will consist of a selection (one test and one hand's own choice), quickstep, quartette, and trombone trio, solos for E-flat cornet, B-fiat cornet, ttugel horn, tenor horn, baritone, euphonium, B-tlafc trombone, G slide trombone, E-fiat bass, B-ilat bass, and 88-llat bass, and a special side-drum competition. For the selee- , lion the first prize will be £150; , second, .Glfllij; third, £75; fourth £3l; fifth, £25 ; sixth, £ls. In the qui' :- stop competition the first prize will jc i £SO (with si gold medal for the drum- ; major whoso band scores the hi',". ;st . military points), the wnond '), ' third £3O, fourth £2O, and fifth «: 0. ' Preliminary entries for tho sclcco.on and quickstep competitions must be made on or before June Ist, in order to ailow plenty of time in which to " order the required copies of the pieces. During his rocent visit to Australia Mr Dinnie, Commissioner of Police in i New Zealand, was given facilities for , studying the police systems of Victoria and New South Wales, and he has come back satisfied that his Department has nothing to learn from those two States. He considers that our finger-print system cannot be improved upon. The Xvw Zealand police are now in possession of the , records of all the criminals of the colony. There is very little difference between tile rates of pay and the number of hours worked by the Australian police and those in New Zealand. The , New Zealand Commissioner was much struck by tile absence, both in Melbourne and Sydney, of quarters for the single men of the force. In all the chief_ centres jn this colony the unmarried men ui'e required to, reside at the police stations, but iu Victoria, and New Smith Wales the bachelors are allowed to live where they like, a concession which Mr Dinnie considers is not at all conducive to the well-being of the force ii) either of those Stales. A young woman of great wealth, and holding a. high position iu New i ork society, but whose name is kept; a close secret, recently had an exciting chase through endeavoring to prevent the seizure of a smuggled pearl necklace, valued at nearly £SOOO. Tl, seems that He Treasury |)epartmei|t some tune age learned of the purchase of the necklace abroad, and ordered the Customs inspectors to watch for it. It was eventually discovered that the girl had landed without declaring it, cleverly evading the inspectors. When ordered to give up the necklace she lied to Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and back to New York, giving the detectives a chase of nearly :)l)l)i) miles. But (he chase ended one night when the young woman, while seated in a box at a leading theatre, was suddenly eon fronted by detectives, who threatened her arrest. She pleaded to be spared the humiliation, and was allowed to go, on condition that the necklace was surrendered, Next day I the family lawyer brought, the necklace to Ihe Customhouse, and deposited a cheque for £2,t>oo in payment of the : duty. The authorities 'of the i York Customhu.se arc now considering 1 whether to confiscate the necklace or 1 whether the duty and a largo ad- ] ditional line can be accepted ,<u ] adequate punishment of the smuggler. ]

A Press telegram states that at tho Christchurch Magistrate's Court yesterday a woman, Annie Clements was sentenced to six months' imprisonment by Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., for using obscene language within the hearing of pcrso is in a public highwav. A very fortunate escape from serious injury, says the "Hawera Star," was experienced on New Year's Day, by the Rev. Gibson and Mr W.Hulchenx. They were driving near Te lloli, and in traversing a part of the road where there is a high hank on one side and a cliff on the other, the horse shied at ft stump, and backed, «ith the conveyance' and its occupants, over .the cliff. The fall was one of :!oft,, but was broken by fern and other growth.. ] The horse uninjured, and the buggy was little damaged. Rev. Gibson received a slight cut above the [ eye, and hurt his shoulder, while Mr Hutchens' injuries consisted principally of severe bruises.

With rogard to tho resignation ot . Mr J. A. Gilruth, Government A r eter. inarian, it is understood (says the Dunedin Star) that the Cabinet has declined to agree to the suggestions made by Mr Gilruth in their entirety. The Ministry cannot sec its way to the separation of the administration of the Stock Department from that of the Agricultural Department, and Mr Gilruth has been informed to that effect. Several minor alterations iu the work of the Department have been conceded to him but his principal proposal has been declined. He will now be given tho option of reconsidering his resignation. [We are informed that should Mr Gilruth resign a large number of the veterinary surgeons under him will also leave the service.] Considerable mortality is reported to have taken place amongst calves this year throughout the Wairarapa district (says.the " Wairarapa Daily Times"). The cause is probably to be found in the methods of feeding and rearing. Farmers do not always exereiso discretion in the feed they select for their calves, whence the mortality or the large proportion of animals with poor constitutions. The former use of whey, hay-tea, and similar preparations which lack real nutrition is being abandoned in favor of either whole milk or nourishing calf-food. A serious effort is being aa.de to cope with the causes which have been responsible for the mortality among calves hitherto prevailing in these districts.

Tho popularity of the Breakwater and Meturoa beach with our country cousins is becoming yearly more pronounced, and the movement, initiated iu a small way a few years ago of affording the children attending the country schools a day's gambol at tke seashore is becoming a most popular one. On February Ist, the children attending the Stratford, Bird Boad, Cardiff, and adjacent schools will visit the Breakwater; railway accommodation for 1200 having beeu requisitioned. The outing, as well as being oie of pleasure to •the children, has also a not inconsiderable educational value, in so far as it must of necessity indelibly impress on the minds of tne future citizens of our inland towns the extent and capacity of the principal port of the Province. It is probable that the Oddfellows' Premier Picnic will oventuate at the same time and place. That there arc deadly noxious weeds iu the North Otago district (says the " Oamnrii Mail ") was made manifest in no uncertain manner at the Waiaweka salcyards last Tuesday. A mob of sheep (old ewes with lambs) was brought to the yards for sale, and turned into one of the company's paddocks, full of nothing but weeds. In a comparatively short lime 37 of the animals were stretched oat in a comatose state, and it looked as if they would never get on their legs again. Nine did not, indeed. Luckily for the owner, Mr Kerrigan, the Government veterinarian, happened to be within call, and at once administered a stimulant which ultimately saved the lives of all hut the nine, referred to; these were too far gone. The principal weeds in the paddock wore yarr and sorrel. The former contains a narcotic element, which, it is supposed, was brought out by the acid of the sorrel, and the sheep were poisoned.

Many and various arc the written opinions tliat appear in the column headed " Kcmarks" opposito the names of visitors to the local information bureau of the Tourist Department. From these remarks it is oasily gathered that there is no very fixed idea as to what is rcquirod of visitors in the column referred to, Somo deem it an opportunity to say something complimentary about the department, I some venture an opinion on the display of pictures., etc., made in the bureau. Others take a wider view, and make it a peg on which to hang an expression of opinion on Wellington as a, city or place of meteorological samples ; others again write down a general impression of their experience in New Zealand. A visitor from Perth recently wrote opposite his name: <• A ehungo from the land of sin ant! sand." A Timaru visitor writes: ■ " A very beneficial institution in letting the outside world know our capabilities." A Yorkshireman writes laconically: "New Zealand is a iiuij BOWitcy—must see more of it," One person evidently writes of the people of Wellington -. " Just the thing—characters!" A London visitor was finding out when'ho wrote: "Bather breezy." The remark, "No dust," opposito the name just below, is evidently facetious. Sir J. Leslie Smith, of Goulburn, New South Wales simply wrote: " Delighted with buildings-" A Victorian is condescending —calls Now Zealand "Australia's. Wonderland," a proprietary claim all loyal New Zealimdcus resent, But there is one remark that occurs witli monotonous regularity throughout the book: "God's own country." A committee meeting of the New Plymouth Boxing Association will ba held iu the Town Hall this evening at 7..:0 o'clock.-Advt. This week Mr E. Van Dcldcii, of the Arcadia Cigar Store, is holding a big sale nf New Year Gifts. Prices am suoh that business is assured. To every customer Mr Van DeMen extends heartiest good wishes for the New Year, and includes all readers in extending here the compliments of the season. The reading room, writing room and store are open from 7 a.m. till 10 p.m. to all who like a quiet read, smoke or chat. Call in some time this week at the Arcadia: there's a welcome for you I —and the tobacco you like.—Advt. |