The Daily News TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1906.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8098, 1 May 1906, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, MAY 1, 1906.

An application for certificate for ex- , emption from vaccination was made to , the S.M, Court on Monday by a New Plymouth resident, and was adjourned to enable the applicant to put in the necessary statutory declaration. Evidently the New Zealand International Exhibition project fails to find favour in Dunedin. The apathy of the merchants has already been commented on, and now the Finance Committee of the City Council has recommended that the application of the local Advisory Committee for a grant of £2OO should be declined. The Government has informed the Taranaki County Council that a £ for £ subsidy, up to £3O, will be granted towards the cost of confining the . Stony river to its proper course. This is £2O less than the Hon. Minister for Public Works "promised in his telegram to Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R. Surveyors have been to Fcatherston and surveyed the Rimutaka Hill, through which tunnels are to be carried in connection witli the Governt ment's proposed electrical scheme to work the railways. One of the power houses will be at tlie bottom of the cutting entering Featherston from the " Rimutakas.

A curious circumstance occurred with reference to the drawing of an art union in connection wilh the Art Exhibition in Christchurchon Saturday night. Out of 28 prizes no less than five fell to members of the Legislature, viz., Hons. E. C. J Stevons, and C. C. Bowen, Messrs C. M. Gray, M.H.R., C. Lewis, M.H.R., and Geo. Witty, M.HR.

At the S.M. Court on Monday morning, Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., gave judg. ment for plaintiff, Albert Bayly, in an action for the recovery of £2l 10s from A. A. Aiken, Mr Wilson (Roy and Wilson) appearing for plaintiff. Several cases were adjournod, confessed, or struck out. One application for an old ago pension from Thomas Williams, an inmate of the Old People's Home, was adjourned till the report of Mr Farrar, cuttidian of the Home, could be obtained.

According to intelligence from Trondhjem, Mr Walter Wellman, of Chicago, has definitely decided to attempt to reach the North Pole in a steerable balloon. Tt e London " Standard's" correspondent says Mr Wellman will arrive in Norway in June at the latest, and it is his intention to reach Advent Bay, in Spitzbergcn, the same month. Here a balloon house will-be built with living rooms attached, and the summer of 1907 will probably be devoted to making experiments in ballooning and to obtaining some knowledge of air currents in these northerly latitudes. Should, however, a favourable wind present itself this summer, it is possible that Mr Well, man, undeterred by M. Andrce's myssterious fate, will make an immodiate endeavour.

Two little children, whoso home is is in Timaru, had a very unpleasant experience recently. It appears that their home is also the home of a small colony of rats, and when asleep in their beds early one morning, the two children, whose ages are from six to seven years, were attacked by some of the more daring members of the rodent family. The mother of the children, hearing the little ones screaming, hastened to sec what was the matter, and she was horrified to sec the rats actually biting the children about the lips and face. They were severely bitten, and their faces were smeared with blood.

Recently Judge Docker mado some scathing remarks at the Parramatta Sessions, Sydney, about the conduct of some persons who remained in Court to hear the details of a case after he had suggested that all should leave. By their conduct, and their want of shame, be said, they had brought djsgrace not only upon themselves, but upon their district. The onty conclusion he could come to, after noting the determinalon which they manifested to lose no single item of the case, was that it was a reasonable deduction from their conduct that persons like them would be capable of committing offences of the character of that of which the man in the dock stood charged.

A shipment of trout ova, received by the Otago Acclimatisation Society from the owner and editor of the 4 Fishing Gazette," London, came to liana by the steamer Maori, and was opened at tho society's grounds at Opoho. There were two boxes of the same size, and for the purposes of experiment they wero differently packed, One shipment was packed in the ordinary way, with. moss and ico, and in the other tho eggs wero placed on small trays, with fine scrim bottoms, surrounded by ice. The box packed in the ordinary way contained about 10,000 Lake Blagdon trout ova. This opened out in splendid condition, and it is calculated that not more than 10 or IS per cent, of the eggs arc bad. The result of the experimental box is not nearly so successful. It contained about 3000 brown trout ova from two other hatcheries, and about 40 ]er cent of these eggs arc bad. The box packed with moss had been opened at intervals during the voyage, and the bad eggs were taken out, thus preventing contamination. The other box was not opened on the voyage. The ship, ments were sent in return for the box of ova that the Otago Society forwarded to the " Fishing Gazette " some time ago, and which arrived in a wretched condition. The local body intends to forward another shipment.

Captain C. V. C. do Crespigny, who, with many other well-known English people, has (says the " Daily Express ") been hunting big game at Nairobi (East African Protectorate), has had a narrow escape from death on one of his expeditions. He was riding in advance of tho party, which included Lord ancl Lady Waterford, when he enmo face to face with a full-grown lion in an open space. At the sight of the animal Captain de Crcspigny's horse shied, and, taking tho bit between his teeth, liolted. At, the same time the saddle slipped round, and tho captain was dragged along head downwards by the terrified horse, with the lion in full pursuit. The rider, who was unable to release himself, drew his revolver to stop the horse with a shot, but a weil-iKmed bullet from one of the party laid tho lion low, and at the same moment the horse instinctively pulled up j

"We learn," writes the " English field," "that numbers of Japanese young men of good family are engaging as servants on some of the best stock farms in the Dominion, in order that they may personally loarn tho business of stock management, with the view of starting operations on their own account when they return to tho Far East. The Japanese are evidently a thorough-going people in other things besides naval and military affairs, and the fact that they mean to acquire an intimate personal knowledge, not only of the points of the different breeds of stock, but also of the various systems of management, clearly indicates that they are in earnest in their intentions to develop the stockbreediug resources of their interesting country. Should thejr expectations regarding their prospective enterprises be approximately realisod, the Dominion, like Australia, naturally expects that Japan will for many years be a valuable customer for good-ciass predigrce stock,"

Liu\ics devoted to the Terpsichore,in art will find a splendid stock of dancing shoes at the Melbourne"; very chic goods. Prices, 3s Gd, 3s lid, 4s lid.— Advt For Children's Hacking Cough at night, Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Is 6d and 2s 6d per bottle.

Congratulations to Mr Seddon, who to-day enters upon the fourteenth year of his office as Premier. Mr Soddon was 47 years of age when he assumed rjthe Premiership on May Ist, 1893. j The Sydaey-Vaneouver postal de- ? spatch of March 20th arrived in Lon- ij don on the night of the 26th inst. The installation of Mr E. Dockrill j as Mayor takes place to-morrow, Wed- ■* nesday, Mr R. Cock, the retiring Mayor, officiating. !j The Taranaki County Couucil has received notification that £9OO for the ' Waiongona bridge and £750 for the c Piakau bridge will be available from 1 the County bridge loan. j Messrs Ambury Bros, have decided ( to close their drapery, clothing, and < millinery establishment at 5.30 p.m. J during the winter months, commencing J from this evening, In the prison at Rodez, in the de- . partment of Aveyron, there is at present , a man aged 101, who is awaiting his [ trial on a charge of theft. The centenarian is in excellent health, and enjoys the prison fare. 1 A remarkable record of school at- • tendance has been achieved by an Isle ■ of Wight lad named Walter J. But- ' cher, who has just left the Ryde Upper ' Grade School after serving 9£ years " without ever being absent or late. 3 At a lecture on X rays at Cambridge a fine picture of the thorax of a living j subject was obtained on a large fluores- , cent screen, tho working of the heart and diaphragm being clearly seen by j the whole audience. I Glass bath-tubs are being made in ;■ Germany, and are said to have advan- '■ tages over metal and enamel, the chief '* one being tliat they are much cheaper. '' They are made in a solid piece, and one can be turned out complete in about five minutes. The Garrison Band held a very II successful concert in the Recreation s Grounds on Monday evening, under J Bandmaster McCounell. Several new " selections were played, and were much appreciated. i- A local liotolkeeper caught 16 rats in e a circular cage trap the other night, 1- says the Hawera •' Star." On the r, following morning a few " hounds" i- were procured' and some exciting coursing ensued, resulting each time in a kill. n if Mr G. Tisch, Chairman of the Host- pital and Charitable Aid Board, has a applied to the Borough Council, asking l- that Mr Hooker, borough foreman, be 1- allowed to supervise tho asphalting it work in Croat of the hospital. ;o Ie " The Radium Ballet" is a novelty ;e to be produced on both nights of Mr t- J. C. Williamson's approaching season. 11 It is described as a wonderful item, i- the theatre being m total darkness ig save for the luminous costumes of the ie dancers and tho baton of thfe leader of r, the orchestra The effect is said -to be is yery fine, and the ballet is creating I. quite a furore in Wellington.

The weekly session of the Egmont Lodge, 1.0. G.T., was held in the P.M. Scliool-room last evening, Bro. J. C. Legg presiding. One candidate was initiated, and one member admitted on clearance. After the usual general business was dealt with, the following officers were elected: C.T., Bro J. C. Legg (re-eloeted); V.T., Sister Legg (re-elected); Sec., Bro. Hooker; P. Sec., Bro. Scott; Trcas., Sister Butler; Mar., Sister L. Frcthcy; P.C.T., Bro. Hartnell; Chaplain, Sister B. Legg; Guard, Bro. W., Legg ; Sent., Bro. Pepprill.

One of tke census sub-enumerators, delivering the schedules which had to be filled ia on Sunday night last, struck an unpromising patch in Christchurch last week. On going to a Chinese laundry on his usual errand, he was met with an absolute refusal to receive the paper or to give any information. As the paper is blue it may have been taken for a legal document. As the Chinaman had n very hot and heavy iron in his hand', the Census man placed the paper on the counter and beat a hastv retreat.

Referring to the composition ot the English Rugby football team against Scotland, " Oral," one of the London critics, remarks: "The omission of Dr Fell has occasioned some newspaper comment, but this rather vagrant New Zealander claimed his kinship with the Maoris when they were over here, to excuse him from then assisting Scotland, and 1 think the committee now quite justified in excluding him from their team. On the other hand, another football critic says that outside official-circles there was a pretty unanimous view that Dr Fell should be played, but the committee apparently hare not forgiven Fell for his refusal to play against his fellow New Zealandprs.

Of the three modern prophets, Mr Spaugler, who calls himself the last of the prophets, is the most specific and positive in his prodiotion of coming events. Here are a few of the unpleasant happenings, he foretells for this year: Ovorthrow of the Russian Empire, the assassination of the Tsar, and the killing of the Royal Family and nobles; the country divided into •small republics and elective monarchies, which will bo in a state of war until the end of the world (predicted by Mr Spangler as to occur in 1908); violent death of the Sultan of Turkey; uprising iu Spain s two disastrous fires in Boston ; hot and sultry summer in the temperate zone, with a great increase in the death rate from disease, accident, murder, suicide, and the force of the elements; great religious movement in England and the United States; dissolution of Turkey; bloody race war in the Southern United States; continuation of prosperity in the United States assured; earthquakes in all parts of the world, with destructive eruptions of Vesuvius, Pelee, Popocatepetl,, and some volcanoes supposed to be extinct.