LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8093, 25 April 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poultry n wes will bt> found on our fourth page Mr W. A. Parkinson, proprietor of the Hawera " Star," was on a visit to New Plymouth yesterday.

The three oldest teachers in the Otago education service have resigned ou- superannuation. They are Messrs Milne (Caversham) ; Reid, (Tokomairiro); and Barton (Portobello).

Messrs Gilmour and Pattie, New Plymouth, report the sale of Mr Hutknance's property of 103 acres at a satisfactory figure.

The rather primitive abode of an old man named Williams, at Henui, was destroyed by fire on Tuesday afternoon. All his belongings were lost.

An enormous number of kahatrai were oaptured at the mouth of the Waitara river early on Tuesday morning by the Maoris. At the New Plymouth Court yesterday Harry Hoskin was charged with assaulting his wife. He was fined 40s and warned not to repeat the performance.

The Garrison Band's open-air concert at the Pines on Monday evening was ,well patronised. The next concert will take placo at tho Recreation grounds on Monday evening next.

Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R., yesterday roceived from the Minister for Public Works telegraphic notification that he has approved a £ for £ subsidy up to fifty pounds for protection work at Stony Creek.

To-morrow evening, at St. Joseph's schoolroom, there will tako place another of the popular euchre party socials inaugurated by the choir of St. Joseph's church. There is every prospect that the success of last winter will be repeated in the present scries.

The New Plymouth S.M. Court was engaged all Tuesday morning in hearing a squabble between Frederick Schwann and Frank Eaill, jnr., and his father, Patrick Eaill. The latter was fined 20s, and tho charge against the son dismissed, as was a counter charge against Schwann by Raill, jnr.

Eev. T. G. Brooke and family will bo welcomed on Thursday evening at a tea and social in the Wniteley Hall. Tlio members of the Methodist congregation have entored with enthusiasm into the arrangement of details, and a big success is expected. The public are invited to be present.

There are 76 schools open in the Taranaki Education District, including six half-time schools. The number of teachers employed is 138, graded as follows:—Sole teachers, 27 female and 20 male; head teachers, 5 female and2l male; assistants, 37 fomalo and 8 male; pupil teachers, 17 female and three male.

In the past year the Education Board held fifteen ordinary meetings and one special meeting; and the following is a record of attendance of the members:—Mrs Dougherty 11, Messrs Adlam, Morton, McDonald ami Moukliouso l(i, Messrs Wade and Fuull 15, Mr Maunder 12, Mr Mackay 11. Mr Mockay resigned from- the Hoard in October last

In connection with the request of the Rahotu School Committee for additional tloor space, the secretary, Mr A. P. Chapman, informed the Education Board that Miss Dempsey has occasionally to take the children out to the shelter shed for instruction. As this building has no wooden floor, the children raise a lot of dust, which is very unpleasant. Cliff House, one of San Francisco's most elaborate and popular seaside hotels, which is reported to have slipped into the ocean, was, when Mr A. D. Willis, of Wauganui, was there some ten months ago, managed by a New Zealander, Meudelson, formerly of Hawera Miss Meudelson, who resided at Cliff House with her brother, asked after old Taranaki friends, and particularly those with whom she was at school at Hawera.

Says the Napier Herald: Wondor is sometimes expressed at the hold which Mormons arc obtaining on the native race. Some explanation may be found in the fact that at a recent >laori meeting in this district, the Church of the Latter Day Saints was represented by a large band of young men from Utah, who were all able to address tho natives in their own language.

It has been reported at Raglan (writes the N.Z. Herald correspondent) tliat special valuations of such areas of the Te Akau block as arc suitablo for settlement by dairy farmers are to bo made forthwith, presumably witli a view to acquisition by the Government. It certainly seems monstrous that such a valuablo tract of country should be permitted to remain for so long a time under existing conditions.

The Minister for Justice is having enquiries made into the truth of the statements recently made in the Daily News that a hatch of longsentenced prisoners, who were recently sent from Wellington to Onehunga, were allowed to roam the Takapuna, only one warder being in chargo and misconducted themselves on board to such an extent that the captain refused to take them beyond New Ply. mouth.

Allegations have been made at Perth (W.A.) that while a goods train was passing through a fruit-growing district, it stopped, and thoso on board proceeded to rob the adjacent orchards, the train stopping for half an hour. It is alleged that a quantity of fruit and poultry have been missed at various times, one man losing 80 turkeys in two years. The Bailway Commissioner i admits a complaint |has reached] tho Department, and an inquiry is being held,

It tfas ridicule that killed the bill (for ti»e wlrpning of wife beaters which was defeated at Washington by 153 to 57 votes. The " Tehgraph " says that one representative declared that inoro women were in pain because they wore not married than because they were beaten. Bachelors were really causing more suffering among the fair sex than all the wife-beaters. Another representative proposed an amendment directing that men who failed to support their wives should be put on the rack, that wif»-deserters should be pinched with red-hot tongs, and the unmarried men above 20 should be piUloried unless they promised to take a wife.

A representative of Messrs Roberts and Stokes waited on the New Ply. mouth Borough Council on Monday, and explained that Mr Stokes had been detained in Auckland, and was consequently unable to place before the Council his scheme for con nccting Fitzroy and Moturoa by an electric tramway service, and the Mayor assured tho deputation that the Council would be pleased to discuss tho inatter when some definite proposals were made to tho Council, but until that time refused to be connected in any way, I

The Teachers' Selection ( ommittee has recommended to the Education Board that tho following names of applicants bo forwarded to tho Central School committee in connection with the appointment of a successor to Mr Buruside, the first assistant, who has been appointed to the charge of the Inglewood school: P. O'Doa, Al; E. Mcllroy, B2 M.A; H. Kobson, C2, ; A. J. Harding, C 4 (to be referred to the Board). For Fitzroy: Miss Potts, E5; J. Sinclair, E5; Miss 1. Dempsoy, Part. I); M. Hagcnson, D. For Whangamomona: Miss Dastow, M.A; Lower Wlningamomouu, V. Long; Upper Albert Koad, Mrs Henderson, A list of all the candidates will bo forwarded to the committees interested.

For Children's Hacking Cough at night, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. \t, fid ai)d i% M pet pottle.

The Molbourne-Briudisi despatch of mails of March 21st arrived in London on the afternoon of the 20th inst.

Much interest is being shown in the New Plymouth Mayoralty election which is held to-day. The voting will take place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., at the following polling places :—Town Hall, King street (principal) ; Mr S. T. Crocker's residence, corner of Devon and Elliot streets; Mr G. A. Corney's resideneo, corner of Devon and Mount Edgecumbe streets.

At a meeting of ladies last night, it was decided to form a ladies' class in connection with the United Gymnastic Club. About twenty-five were present, and it is expected that the first practice on Wednesday uight next will bo attended by over thirty, one of the biggest ladies' classes ever formed in New Plymouth. The colours will be navy blue skirt and blouse, white sailor collar, blue tie, and blue sash. Mr Lints, late instructor of the Ladies' T.Y.M.i., at Wangauui, was appointed I instructor,

The School Committee's present financial fix is reflected in the Education Board affairs. The Chairman, in his annual report, says: " The Board finds that the lis 3d capitation is inadequate to meet its departmental expinses, and hopes that the Right Hon. the Minister will favourably consider the advisablencss of recommending the Governor-in-Council to grant the extra ninepence per capita provided for in sub-hection (b), Section 5, of the Public School Teachers' Salaries Act, 1901. The cost of administration is' dopendont upon the distribution of the pupils in tho district rather than upon tho number, and tho preponderance of small schools, combined with the absence of large centres of population, renders the cost of administration per pupil particularly heavy."

In 1877 there were 23 schools in Taranaki, with 32 teachers of all grades, a roll number of 726, average 490. Two years later the number of pupils had nearly doublod, while four new teachors had been appointed. The roll number has increased every year, but the average received a set back in 1899, when the average of 3091 was 101 below the figures of the previous year. In 1904 tho total roll was 4885, with an average of 4158, in 75 schools, with. 73 head teachers, 46 assistants, 18 pupil teachors. In the year 1905, the roll totalled 4952, and the'average 4249, with 138 teachers in 76 schools, with 73 head teachors, 45 assistants, and 20 pupil teachers.

There were few, we believe, to whom the beautiful allegorical painting exhibited at the Town Hall yesterday did not appeal, and fewer to whom the picture failed to symbolise in some measure the expressive words" Bohold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." There was at least one person, however, to whom even the Scriptural phrase conveyed no meaning. After scrutinising the picture for some lime, and reading the inscription, one individual was hoard to remark to his astonished neighbour, " Who is the picture sap. posed to represent, anyhow ?" There seems to be ground for Archdeacon Cole's recent lament of Scriptural ignorance amongst sections of New Zealanders.