LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8100, 3 May 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Messrs Gilmour and Pattic report the sale of Mr Jackson's farm of 200 acres at Oakura, Mr C. E. Raby's farm of 344$ acres at Tataraiamaka, also 2 acres at Vogeltown. The Government is inviting competitive designs for a coat of arms for the colony. A prize of .620 is offered for the accepted design, and £ls for the second in ord«r of merit. Any information may be obtained from Mr Spencer, Chief Inspector under the Taranaki Education Boarij. Mr George C. Watts, a wealthy contractor, of Chicago, left £4OOO for the support of his pet Scotch terrier, Bill. Mr Watts and his dog were inseparable. They travelled all over the world together. In view of the statement made by President Roosevelt, it has been decided not to proceed with the collection of funds in New Plymouth, for giving assistance to sufferers by the 'Frisco earthquake, Mr Cock, the retiring Mayor, has made a suggestion that all moneys collected should be returned to the donors. A very pleasant time is expected at the Foresters' Hall to-night, when the Loyal Egmont Lodge o£ Oddfellows will hold its annual ball. We are informed that the committee has all the arrangements made to the minute. The lloor is| in good order, aud good music has been engaged. A complimentary ticket is to hand from Mr Ainsworth, the Lodge secretary. At the S.M. Court on Wednesday, Allred Butler was lined £1 and costs for bettiug on the Taranaki racecourse at the recent race meeting. Mr Quilhaiu prosecuted for the Club. Defendant said this was only his second attempt as a bookmaker. _A.\ The S.M. on Wednesday lined a mail named John Buckley os and costs for entering the Breakwater Hotel premises on April 17th whilst a prohibition order was operative against him. He was similarly lined in respect to entering the Taranaki Hotel on the same day. Win. Buckley, charged with wilfully accompanying the former accused, was cautioned and discharged. Patrick Maloncy was lined 10s and 7s costs for being on the Taranaki Hotel premises during the currency of a prohibition order against him. Charles Oliver, defended by Mr Quilliain, pleaded not guilty to a charge of drunkenness. He was convicted and discharged with a caution. The Melbourne Clothing Company's gigantic sale is now in full swing. This event presents a rare opportunity of saving money on boys' and men's clothing, boots and shoes, etc. See tho great outside show of bargains,— Advt,

The Recreation Sports Ground Committee have written to the Now Plymouth Borough Council for a donation of £IOO towards the cost of ground improvement.

A press wire from Wellington states that McLachlan, the. professional champion sprinter of New Zealand and it, Hourigan, of N.S. Wulcs, met on Wednesday in a 120 yards match, lor £SO a side. Hourigan won by four inolies in 12 soconds.

Mr R. Cock's proposal to have a Mayoral Cham iu New Plymouth lias lapsed. He stated at the installation ceremony on Wednesday that lie had entered into a contract for a medallion at £35, but this was useless now, because none of the ex-Mayors would contribute a link.

" I'm not to old to learn," said Mr Docki'ill yesterday at the Mayoral installation ceremony, when he gratefully accepted the offer of the retiring Mayor to be a " right haud man," and give any assistance ur exolanation the new Mayor might want.

There was a capital attendance of twenty-nine at the opening of tho ladies' gymnastic classes under Mr Lints' instruction last night, and the Whiteley Hall was found too small to allow of tho wholo class taking dumbbell exercises together. More members are expected. Miss Hodder was elected assistant secretary. Tho ladies' and gentlemen's committees are to arIrango the date for the opening social.

The amount of money available for the New Plymouth Technical School has been found insufficient to erect the building on the plans submitted to tenderers. Either tho plans will have to be modified, or more money must be obtained. The new Mayor, Mr Dockrill, announced on Wednesday morning that he had been approached w ilh a view to obtaimug a grant from the Borough Council. He would 'favor voting some assistance if tho funds could be found.

The Government has decided to call for tenders for the construction of three of the bridges on (he central section of the North Island Main Trunk line, including that over the Wangiiuui at Te Ao. The works for which tendors will be called are the constriction of the iron and steel superstructures, and socuring the ironwork to the concreto piers, which will be constructed by the Public W%rks Department.

It will be remembered that a glaring inaccuracy in the mapping of the New Zealand coast, near Capo Kidnappers, was recently reported by one of the Union Company's captains. The matter has been investigated since by Ciptain Bollons, of tho Hinemoa, and Captain David, of the Corinthic. Both agree that the coast in this particularpart has been wrongly charted. They find the distance between Cape Kidnappers and Bare Island to be cloven and a-half miles, instead of thirteen miles, as it is shown on the Admiralty chart.

The police court at Westmount, Quebec, hus been the scene of a charming romance. Hilda Sjoberg, a pretty young Swede, was about to be sentenced to imprisonment for theft, when William Itrown, a youthful Canadian, proposed to her in a lqud voice, and offered, if her sentence wore remitted, to marry her as soon us a license and a minister could bo found, The magistrate thought that a domestic fireside might provo a moro abiding corroctivo than the company of convicts, so he suspended sentence pending fulfilment of the lover's pledge. The girl did; not reject the offer, so time was giyen fop preparation. That evoning at sevei} o'clock in the court room a clergyman performed tho marriage ceremony,

" The Menderies " is an industrial society in Dublin, where a number of clever workers arc employed. Every kind of needlework is undertaken, 'mending being a specialty. The mending done is mostly that of clothing, which has been damaged at society fetes and elsewhere. In Paris mending is an occupation, a trade as wc should say, and is well paid for. It is, as a rule, most beautifully done. No matter how rugged the rent, or how worn the lace, the intricacies of repairing are undertaken and the garment or article is sent homo same as now. To accomplish this, thero is a large expenditure of eye power, and sometimes of money also when a delicate colour has to be matched or a costly typo of gown has to be pieced.

The Oatuaru Chamber of Commerce has taken in hand the question of trade protection, and the result is that o large number of retailers have signed agreements against subscriptions to bazaars, sports, picnics, prize funds, Christinas and New Year gifts (with the exception of charitable purposes), and against dealing with wholesale houses which sell goods to other than bona fide retailors. The question of bad debts has also been taken up, and arrangements made for their collection, the Trades Protection Association having co-operated by appointing an agent is Oamaru.

The Sydney Industrial Blind Institution has now three branches, a home for blind women, a circulating library, and a home teaching library. During the twenty-five years that the institution has been established, nearly £37,000 has been paid to the blind, exclusive of the cost of the women's home, home teaching, sick pay, and the library. There are now 77 men and women employed (outdoor and inmates). The books circulated to blind readers throughout the State numbered 2277 volumes.

Once more in the world's history the question of private conscience versus military discipline has como to the front. Three French officers were recently brought before a council of war for refusing to comply with an order to break open the doors of the Church of St, Servan. Their case must awaken some symynthy. They have been forced, like many before them, to the conclusion that in certain circumstances it behoves man to obey his conscience rather than his commander. But although we may be sorry for men faced with so dire an alternative, there can hardly be two opinions of the inatlcr from a public point of view. In no army can tlie dictates of conscience be allowed to rule, aud those who are bold enough to act in contradiction of the principle must accept their punishment without grumbling. Even at tli is distance of time, when our sympathies arc with the early followers of the Christian religion, we have to allow that those sentences of execution were well justified which were passed on the Roman soldiers of the age immediately preceding Constantine's. Having accepted Christianity, their consciences would not allow them to kill and destroy. They suffered accordingly. For them, as for theso French otlicers, one feels respect.

PETROLEUM. At the present market price of shares —£3o each—the value of the one oil well is £IO,BOO. To-day the market price may be £SO per share. JF so, one oil well is worth £24,000. The royalty the owner of the laud would receive, say at 5 per cent., is worth having today, I ain iu a position to give the public an opportunity of securing a freehold for about the same price as as ordinary share, and on terms within the reach of all, practically your own. On a small sub-division of this property, oil has been got and exported, aud no doulit will be again when the purchase is completed. If anyone is in doubt that it is not a better investment to secure land which would lie large enough lo put several wells on, than to sink the price of a freehold m one share, consult your solicitor, and then inquire at Callaglian's Laud Agency Office, where plans of property can be inspected.—Advt.

Liulies derated to tlie Terpsicliorean art will lind a splendid stock of dancing shoes at the Melbourne ; very chic goods. Prices, 3s 6d, 3s lid, 4s lid.— Advt.