LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8086, 17 April 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Takapuna sailed from Onehunga 'at 7 p.m. last night with the southern portion of tho 'Frisco mail. A bridge over 200 ft in length over the Mangahao River, at Mangamairo, was built by Mr D. M'Calmot in the unprecedented time of twelve weeks. A shilling subscription has been started in Duncdin to equip Mr Farquharson, this year's Rhodes Scholarship winner, for his univorsity career. Speaking at a banquot at Patca lately, a county councillor said that it was no uncommon thing for members of the Board to take off their coats and do minor road ropairs themselves. The practice has been established by the Leeds Stipondiary of inducing parents to cut off for six weeks the pocket money of boys caught riding on the steps of tramcars At a recent meeting of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce notice of motion was givon that tho Government bo urged to take over the river i service and run it iu the interests of

the people. In the music copyright case at the Old Bailey, Mr Muir, opening the prosecution, said that within a period of not less than two years 2,300,900 copies of pirated musie had been seized. All dogs in England have to wear collars on which the names and ad-' dresses of their owners are inscribed. A Bill is now before the New York Legislature providing for a similar regulation.

The batch of prisoners taken to Onehunga on Saturday night from the New Plymouth breakwater were sent by the Takapuna, and not the Rarawa as stated yesterday. The Rarawa sailed on Friday evening. The women preachers and ministers of religion have increased throughout the United States during the last decade in the ratio of 300 per cent. In 1890 the women clergy " men " of America licensed to preach and marry couples numbered only 1143, whereas there are now 3378.

On the northora heights of London there exists a humane little organisntion called the Birds' Friendly Society, which provides meals on Hampstcd Heath for songsters during those winter months when the ground is hard and irresponsive to their requirements.

Soup for (he use of painters and others handling materials in which there is much lead, and .which is said to do away entirely with the constant dauger of lead poisoning incident in siush. occupations, has been introduced by a Frenchman. Snow is sold in the north of Sioily, where it fetches about a half-penny a pound, It is a Government monopoly, and the Prince of Palniernio derives the greater part of his income from it. The snw, which is gathered on the mountains in felt-covered baskets is widely bought in the cities for refrigerating purposes. In fifteen years London has more than trebled its debt and doubled its taxation. During the five years ended in 1891 the lowest-rated parish only paid 2s lOd in the pound, and tho most highly-rated, paid 6s sd. To-day the lowest rated parish pays b's 6d; while in Poplar the rates have reached 12s in the pound,

The Republic of San Marino, which Napoleon treated with serio-comic rospoct, is still a curiosity among States. According to the latest census, its population is 9617, less than that of a good-sized village. There are five women in the State for every four men.

On Saturday, the complete skeleton of a man was found in a sandbank on the New Plymouth beach, near the abattoirs, by Mr W. Badger, the wellknown Christehureh solicitor, who is on a trip to New Plymouth. The police were informed of the discovery and made a caroful examination of the bones, which, they concluded, were those of an adult male Maori. The skeleton was in an upright position, and had evidently been buried for several decades.

To what an intolerable extent the foreigu sailor is admitted to the forecastle of the British ships is well exemplified by the crew list of the steamer Aqua, of London, says Syren and Shipping. The crew numbered 2t and consisted of five A.B.'s, named, respectively, fiollon, Lalliche, Alejandro, Bezroilio, and Lusaman, Of tho engine-room staff the three engineers were British. As to the rest, they arc Sichemeaude, Aparis, Pernandey, JReatros, Munz and Escoira, These men may all have been' perfect masters of the English language, and all paid the full wages, or the wages of the Port of Cardiff, wheuco the steamer sailed The latter is, however, a minor point compared with their knowledge of the tongue of the officers,

A combination of sailors' boardinghouse matters has been formed against the shipping masters who have hither-to-fore obtained a fee for furnishing sailors for outward bound ships (says the San Francisco Chronicle, dated 2nd ult.) The shipping masters, according to the boarding-house men, who keep tho men when they are ashore, have absorbed the profits of the business, and now there is an inclination on the part of the boarding-house men to deal directly with the masters of ship* in the matter of furnishing crews. Pursuing the the new rulo, the board-ing-house men have already furnished crews to the British vessels Laugdalc, Elingshire, and Invermark.

Curious experiments are being carried out by Captain Simpson, commander of the Aberdeen steamship Mo"avian, to test tho course and spood of ocean currents. For the past fifteen years, during the passage of this liner between Plymouth, South Africa and Australia, the captain has every day thrown overboard a tightly corked beer bottlo containing a [scroll bearing the latitude, longitude, and date when cast adrift, together with a request to tho finder to forward tho bottle to him at the London offices of the steamship line. The captaiu, who is a member of British Meteorological Society, kocps a careful record of his daily operations. The number of bottles returned to him, however, is very small, the average being less than oae per year,

The Easter services at St. Mary's Church on Sunday wcr» amongst the most impressive and enjoyable that have ever been hold in the church. At tho evening service tho sacred edifice, was taxed beyond its limits, many being unable to get a seat. The musical portion of the service was a special feature, and the choir, though reduced iu numbers owing to the holidays, fully justified its reputation. The anthem was Stainer's " They Have Taken Away My Lord," the solo being sung by Miss Chong with beautiful expression. The decor!aions of tlio church were very beautiful, and had evidently been done by artistic hands. The organist, Mr Fieteher, played the "Hallelujah Chorus " as the congregation dispersed, Members of tho Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (first and scoud groups) arc notified that subscriptions will be received on Tuesday, 17th of April, at the Secretary's Office, Currio Street, from !) a.m. to 12.:)o p.m., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and from 7 p.m. 10 !i p.m.—Advt.

His mmd imbued with noble thought— For the good of all mankind I A Chemist patiently worked aud sought A cure for coughs and colds to fiud. The ceaseless toil of an active brain Its reward did at length ensure; And the Chemist gave to the world his gainWoods' Great Peppermint Cure.

Tho finest lot [of Men's Topcoats ever seen in Turunoki has just been opened up at the Melbourne. Comprised in the lot is a swagger range of English coats in cheeks aud o\erplaids. Pricey, too, are a long way below usual—l9s (id, 29s 6d, 39s 6d to 49s Od.—ApTT,