LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8092, 24 April 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Telograph Department advises I that cables and other business for San Francisco aro being sent by mail to Oakland from Portland.

The annual meeting of members of the New Plymouth Association Football Club will be held this evening in Messrs Clark and Company's premises Government servants throughout the oolony have received notice from the department in which they are employed that they are not to engage in musicteaching.

Numerous applications for work on the Now Plymouth railway devintion have been received by Mr A. Donald, ■the local Government labour agent. As yet he has received no instructions in this matter.

Owing to the uncertainty about mails getting prompt despatch from San Francisco, it is at present intended to send all mails for United Kingdom and Continent of Europe by s.s. Gothic, loaving Wellington on Thursday, 27th msfc.

The Elliot Road has decided to enforce the by-laws with reference to driving horses loose in the streets. This practice will be prohibited, except between the hours of 12 midnight and 7 a.m., as stipulated in the borough regulations.

Sailings of steamers for San Francisco are temporarily suspended. The Postal Department is endeavouring to divert the mail which should have left there on tlie 19th by way of Vancouver, but fear there is little chance of arranging this, as there is no telegraphic communication open yet. The tender of C. Kyngdon for £lO2 has been accepted by the New Plymouth Hospital Board for asphalting the roadway in the Hospital grounds. Mr Back's tender, £l4 17s 6d, was accepted lor concrete steps leading to the Old People's Home.

The chairman of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board is to report to the next meeting of the Board on the cost of installing the electric light at the Hospital and Old People's Home. The annexes, Nursos' Home and Morgue are already lit with the electric light,

A silly joke was recently played on an Auckland reporter. Prom time to time one comes across curiosities in tlie shape of ships' manifests, and among the list of imports by the Zoalandia were a few of the kind. Three bags o£ treacle, sei'en cases of bees' knees, and a quantity of post-holes were included in the list,

In consequence of the Taranaki Hospital Board's communication with the Government on the matter of appointing a nurse, in connection with the Government scheme of training nurses, tie Premier has advised the Board to make a seleqtion from their own list of applicants. The State aided appointee will receive a salary of board allowance £25, anl £3 for uniform

The usual weekly session ot the Egmont Lodge, No. 112,1.0. G.T., was held in the Primitive Methodist School room on Monday night. Bro. Lcgg oceupi ,'d tlie chair. Two new members were initiated. After reports and correspondence were dealt with, the programme of the evening was proceeded with, and a most enjoyable time was spent.

The death is recorded in London of Mr E. G. Wright, who for several years past has been instructor of electricity at the Thames School of Mines, Auckland, New Zealand, It will be recollected that Mr Wright was granted leave of absence last year on account of his health, he having met | with a painful accident, which involved the loss of his left hand, through working X-rays. Death followed an | operation for appendicitis. He was only 27 years of age.

That the Post Office is a well-man-aged institution is proved by incidents of almost daily happening. One that occurred lately is worth recording. A post-card was posted in Aberdeen on 24th February to a New Zealander, below the name being tho words " Taranaki, New Zealand." The postal officials at New Plymouth took immediate steps to ensure its delivery. The post-card, after enquiries were made in Taranaki, was sent to Auckland, after which it was despatched to Napier, thence to Dannevirke, and Anally to Palmerston, where it was duly delivered to the owfler, who has much to say in praise of the Post Office.

Tlie Oiuata Eoad Board's meeting on Saturday was attended by Messrs A. George, C. Eiley, and B. Cleinow. It was decided to forward to the County Council the account for repairs to the Waireka road, the Council haying agreed to pay half cost, and the clerk was instructed to write to the Council, protesting against the deposit on Ngamotu road of rubbish from the Breakwater road, and requesting the removal of the deposits at once. Ac. counts amounting to £3l Us 5d were passed for payment,

Jting Edward slept in Paris on March 9th, the night when the French census was taken, and he rccoivcd a census paper to fill up. Among the quostions on which information was sought of the Royal visitor were tho following How long have you been married ? Have you any children P Can you read and write P Are you deaf and dumb or blind '< Aro you an employer of labour? What is your business and firm ? How many people do you employ F What is the nature of your employment ? and, are you out of work ? The King's answers would have been interesting. Instead of being filled up, however, the paper was returned with "His Majesty the King of England" written across it.

Charles Mollwo, a Russian, who in Ms time had a varied career, died in the Wellington Hospital on Friday. Many years ago ho was sufficiently prominent to excite the attention of the governing authorities of his native land, Russia, for he was a man of Liberal education, and was not afraid to express discontent with the methods of the autocracy, He became a " marked man," and had to seek safety in llight, eventually reaching New Zealand. He ultimately settled in Wellington, where his personality won him many friends. Seven or eight- years ago he entered the Old Men's Home. He was 7(i years of ago.

The decision of the German Reichstag to tax picture postcards (says the " Standard ") will cause world-wide interest as well as a considerable addition to the revonues of the Fatherland. Whether the interest will be entirely a pleasurable one is not so certain. When it is considered that the German post offices alono deal with some five hundred million of such postcards annually, a charge of 2d on every card seoms ridiculously heavy. A much smaller percentage would bring in a very respectable return. The justification alleged for such an impost is that picture postcards arc a mere luxury, and largely a collectors' hobby. But there is another aspect of the matter. They perform also n very real and excellent function for those who have friends travelling abroad. They give an idea of the surroundings of the moment which no description, however elaborate, could impart. It might also be argued that they really save time for the postal officials, since the latter are no longer under the obligation of reading the long screeds which were offered for their perusal before the picture came to occupy the whole of the space for correspondence.

Tell us not our days arc numbered ; That nothing 011 this earth can save Us- by coughs and colds encumbered. Struggling for mastery o'er the grave. To the rescue comes undaunted, Life's panacea, sti ong and pure, Striking home the truth that's vaunted Of the Woods' Great Peppermint Cure,

The names of Miss Winnie Hughes of Marton, and Miss Maud, of Durham road, have been added to the probationers' list ni the Taranaki hospital. In the event of confirmation being received from America that assistance will be welcome, the New Plymouth Borough Council has decided to advertise for subscriptions, which will be forwarded to the Wellington committeo for distribution.

"If you want a big meeting, let something go wrong at the sohool," said Mr Grant (late headmaster at the Inglewood school) at the householders' meeting last night. This was evidently his opinion after a very long experience m the toaching profession.

'* The want of publioity is, no doubt, responsible for the small attendance] at this meeting. The Board puts in a long notice three weeks before tho date of the householders' meetings, and, of oourse, people forget all about it; otherwise it is inconceivable that so few parents should attend a meeting concerning the well-being of a school of over 500 pupils."—Mr S, B. White at last night s meeting of Central School householders.

Wild hilarity possessed the otherwise even tenor of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Bbard meeting on Monday, when the following letter was read from a lady who desires to procure a little child for adoption: '• Secretary, Charitable Aid Board, New Plymouth. Dear Sir.— I have been trying to get a little boy or girl for some time unsuccessfully. I asked Mr B to help me, and he told me to write to you." When order was restored, the Board was understood to instruct the Secretary to reply that the Board at present is unable to comply with the request. The Tapuae grading contract on the Sou;h road was inspected on Monday morning by the County chairman, engineer, Cr Julian and Foreman Evitts. After looking over the work and conferring with the contractor (Mr B. Harford) it was decided to put on about twenty teams on Tuesday to cart shingle from the boach to metal the northern portion so that the road will bo available for vehicular traffic this winter. If this course had not been adopted it would be impossible for vehicular traffic to negotiate this portion of the road throughout the winter. The Associated Board of the Royal Academy and Royal College of music announces that entries for all theoretical subjects close on May Ist. It should be noted that fees payable have this year been reduced, bringing them into uniformity with the fees payable in England. There aro soveral important ueiv features in this year's syllabus, such as the new primary division of the sehool examinations, which provides an introductory grade to the elementary division. Entries should be forwarded to Mr P. W. Gardener, of the Dresden Co., from whom entry forms and all information can be obtained.