LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8137, 20 June 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The C.'iiof Postmaster informs us that the Melbourne mail despatch of May 16th art ived in London on the morning of tho 16th inst The public library and reading room will be closed on Thursday, on the occasion of the funeral of the late Premier. The polico are taking proceedings, under the Offensive and Indecent Pulications Act, against certain parties in Christchurcli, for the sale of alleged indeeont picture postcards. As several of the Governors of tho New Plymouth High School are attending the funeral of tho late Premier at Wellington on June 21st, the ordinary monthly meeting will be postponed until Tuesday, 26th inst.

At Eraser road, Hawera, on Sunday night there died a young Maori chief, Kerei, a nephew of the famed Hone Pihama. He was about 37 y9ars of age, and had been ill tor some considerable tunc. To : day Messrs Bcwley and Griffiths wdl sell by auction, in sub-divisions of about 20ft, that valuable property known as Roche's, in Devon street. The business part of the town is ranldly moving in that direction, and the indications are that these fine sites will soon be built on for business purposes.

The gold nuggets for the first three prizes at the Poultry Society's monster Art Union to be drawn on the 30th. June have come to hand. Tickets are selling rapidly, and all desirous of participating in the prize distribution should secure a ticket early. There arc a number of valuable prizes in addition to the nuggets mentioned. The Kaikoura whalers (says the Marlborough " Express") have opened the season, Those in authority state that they have never before known right whales to be so numerous at this stage of the season. Generally speaking, the whaling season commences about October. Several fine specimens of right whales have been sighted lately; hence the activity of the crow. In reply to Mr 0. E, Mnjor, M.H.R., asking if a night train could be arranged, Hon. Mr Pitt replied : " Regret impossible to arrange for night train through from New Plymouth on Wednesday, There ire, however, many opportunities of people reaching Wellington in time for the funeral."

The general committee set up by the recent public meeting at New Plymouth to arrange for the representation of Taranaki at the International Exhibition, will meet in Stratford on Tuesday next, the 26th inst., to discuss and lay down a general scheme to be carried out at the Exhibition, and to arrange for the raising of the necessary funds.

M. Ljgratuli, a member of the Paris Municipal Council, died on April 1!) under remarkably tragic and painful circumstances. He was addressing a meeting of electors whensomoono interrupted with an allusion to M. Legrandi's age, he being in his (i'Jth year, and shouted J" Tt is time you retired. You have one fool in the grave already. " The canilitate was so overcome by the remark that' lie was unable to proceed, and a moment later ho collapsed on the platform. His friends rushed to his assistance, but ho hail already breathed his last.

A bottle cojitaining a note, written m pencil, has been picked up by a fisherman named Montague Garnaut, oil Whaugaroa. Tlie bottle was lialftull of water, ana consequently part of the writing is unroadablo. The noto reads as follows: " 1 am stranded on a .small' island in the gulf. For God s sake send some help. I havo not eaten food for days. . . few oysters and somo water. 0h! God, I feel (?) — — horrible . • . sensation (?) i' ve . Most of the gulf islands aro frequently visitsd by fishermen. The note has been handed to the Customs Department.

It is a good plan (writes the Hawke's Bay correspondent of tho " Otago Witness"l to keep samples of all noxious weed seeds in the house, and when buying seed any suspicious-look-ing specimen can often bo identified by comparison. The careful man wiil examine the sample thoroughly with a magnifying glass, and when the bulk arrives will examine afew samples here and there of that until he is satislied that it is safo to sow, and if not satisfied will send it back; it is cheapest in tho end. Oats and chaff are often full of all kinds of weeds, as a look round a contractor's old camp will gonerally testify, so that it is worth whilo to see that tho liorse feed is free

The resignations of sevoral mire cadet officers have come to hand, bringing the total up to twelvo. The followin'.; is a complete list of resignations, which -will be handed to the O.C. Public School Cadi'ts, and to the Taranaki Education Board at its next meeting: Major Dempsey, G. H. Pope, O.C. TTrenni Detachment; E. Bary, OC. West End ; W. Burnside, O.C. Central No. I; A. J. Harding, O.C. Central No, 2; P. Sullivan, Lieut., Contral No. 1; H. Prwhard, Lieut., Central No. 2; C. Evctts, Lieut., West End; Johnson. O.C. Stratford No. 1; Boyce, D.C Okato Detachment; W. J. Evans, O.C. Ngaire Detachment; A. Gray, O.C. Opunake Detachment. ■The issue of "The Weekly Press ' of June 20th will doubtless be secured by everyone, be he political supporter or opponent of the late Premier of New Zealand. It is a Seddon Memorial Number, in which the historv, career, and incidents in his public life are told as graphically as is possible bv the newspaper ensraving process. Given away with the number is a new memorial portrait (23 17) an excellent i likeness of the late statesman, engraved and printed in such a style as lo make it especially suitable for framing. The pictorial account of itTr Seddon's life commences with his very earliest association with New Zealand when he arrived here as a young man, and takes the reader with it to his last memorable visit to Australia. It is pleasim: to be able to place on record of this kind, pictures relating to somo important period in (ho career ot such a great statesman as'the Into Mr Seddon, and " The Weekly Press" gives an excellent selection of these. It will not be necessary to detail at length but it may be mentioned that this great memorial number, which will bo sold at the paper's usual prieo of fid is enclosed in a special pictorial cover. The proprietors of " Tho Weekly Pross " have, we learn, made arrangements with two well-known firms in Christ- : church to framo tho new memorial portrait of our lato Premier issued with ] the paper at a special rato. ' Subject to-night in Chamber of Commerce is "The Judgment Seat of Christ," or " The Christian's Crown, ' how it is won, and when it is given." ' To-morrow night the subject is, " The ! Church's final conflict with, and victory ; uvpi! Salnn." Prom the Bible Satan's i origin will bo given, his names and ] titles pointed out and explained, and a ' popular misconception of Satan cor. reeled by the word of God. Come and ' hear, -Advt. '

Ileal' Mr MeChn'e to-night!— Advl. For Children's Hanking Cough at mu'lil, Woods' Great Pfinnrmiut Cure Is 6d and 2s 6t} pec tattle.

" I have a lot of boys, and I am briugiug them up on the land," said a witness in the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning. " A very sensible thing to do," remarked Mr Justico Edwards. The men employod on the Mount Egmont Co-operative Works have subscribed the sum of £6 for the purpose of sending a wreath in remembrance of the late Prime Minister. The men requested Mr W. T Jennings, M.H.R., to select the wreath, and have same forwarded to tlio Parliamentary Buildings. The order was entrusted to Messrs W. Roivo and Co,, New Plymouth.

A Geelong (Vic.) lady laments the Taranaki oil boom. A well-dressed couple, who lived at the place for several weeks, lately enlarged upon the wealth they possessed as the result of their interest in an oil well in New Zealand. The shares were alleged to havo jumped from £lO to £BO within a few days. The landlady, believing the story, lent the couple a Chesterfield coat, ladies' cloak, hat and fur, gold brooch and gold oross, together with a sura of 30s Tioy desired to appear presontable when waiting on thoir solicitor in Melbourne to secure settlement of their affairs. After the couple had left, the landlady, becoming anxious, communicated with the solicitor, whose name was mentioned, She learned that ho had also been victimised by the pair. Warrants haye been issued for the arrest of tlio couple.