LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8140, 23 June 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Messrs W. J. Shaw and Co. hive been appointed agents in New Plymouth for the accident branch of the South British Insurance Company.

The verdict of a visitor: " Taranaki is the slowest piece of New Zealand that I know, and the slowest piece ofTaranaki that I have seen is New Plymouth." What a libel!

Residents in the east end are already speculating as to the events to happen "when the railway is shifted." Why such unseemly haste P On Wednesday next Mr Newton King will hold a clearing sale of household furmturo and effects at Pungarehu on account of Kev. Blaes, who is leaving the district.

One of the South Taranaki witnesses in the Supreme Court proceedings at Now Plymouth is returning to his homo full of city ideas and bursting with pride in the possession of about a quart of crude petroleum from the Motnroa bore.

The gold nuggets which form the three first prizes in tho monster Art Union, now being run liy the Tarauaki Foultry Society, have been received by the Bank of New Zealand here, who are holding them for the Society until 30th inst., when the drawing will take place at the Drill Kail. These three nuggets arc worth respectively fcJO, £1 and £2. Other prizes are also donated, and comprise pure-bred poultry, etc All who are desirous of securing tickets should do so early, as the drawing takes place positively on 3i)th. Whiloley Memorial Ciiuivh is to be favoured with a visit by the Uev. H. fi. Blamires, lately of Tlnrn lon, Wellington. At the last gathering of the Methodist Conference he was specially appointed to organise tho work of the young people in the various churches. Necessarily for such a position a man is chosen who is essentially a young man's man, aud such is Mr Blamires. In addition to being an able man in the pulpit aud on the platform, ho is keenly interested in all their athletic exercises. He conducts both services in the church to-morrow.

"The Anti-Christ, heal of the revived Roman Empire, His rise, reign and doom," will be Mr MeOlure's [subject at 3 and 7 p.m. on Sunday A cordial invitation is ex'.ended (o all to hear wh;>t God's Word has to say of this coming Prince. "During the Millennium" will be dinit with in its

various aspects.—Advt. Post Cards of Memorial Sorvicc fo.' our late Premior, held in Eecreation Grounds, to bo obtained at Collis' Studio. 3d each.—Advt,

I For Bronchial CougU and Cold Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Is 6 and 2s 6d per bottle,

The Supreme Court sessions dosed on Friday morning. The Evangelistic Mission will be tho Baptist Church tomorrow (Sunday). Key. N. A. Davis will couduct tne services. 11, " Marriages and Home Life "; 3, (children's soryicc) " From dust to Angels" ; 7, "The unknown God." All invited.— Advt.

"It is a strange thing," remarked His Honor, Mr Justice Edwards, during tho course of divorce proceedings on Friday morning, " that the people who draft these laws, and tho Statuos Eovision Committee, do not take the trouble to make thorn intelligible."

To day will be an interesting day for people |who are anxious to make their money go a long way. The best place to stretch your money to-day is at Morey and Son's up-to-date drapery establishment, opposite the Coffee Palace in New Plymouth. Tho big June sale is on. Every prioe has been sliced down, and the purchasers are expected to be many and well.pleased.

A relic of the old bushranging days was discovered a few days ago by men clearing on Mr A B. Chisholm's property at Goulburn (N.8.W.) Inside a I log were found a Colt revolver, remains of a mail-bag, and a bullet punch, The revolver was encrusted with rust, and the wood of the stock had disappeared. The leather of tho mail-bag had porished, but traces of tho sealing-wax were still visible. The buckle of the strap with which the bag was fastened, also the label-holder, were found with the leather particles, and undoubtedly point to a bygone mail robbery.

Tne committee in ohargo of tho public reading-room in New Plymouth have complied with the suggestions! made to have the various periodicals tiled properly and regularly. There is another little matter that might with advantage be altered. At present it is the practice to remove daily papers from the desks so that only three days' issues are left. The convenience of the public would be better served if there wore always about half-a-dozen issues available.

A nasty accident accurrel at Messrs Gillies and N alder's saloyards at Hawera yesterday. A wire guard rope against which a number of persons were leaning suddenly gave way, precipitating all to the paved yard below. Mr N alder fell first, and a number of others fell on him. On medical examination it was found he had been much bruised and shaken, but his condition is not considered serious. A number of others were also more or less shaken, and it is surprising that the injuries were not of a moro serious nature.

That the New Plymouth public are ia no mood for enjoyment this week was demonstrated oa Friday night by tko unusual small attendance at the Recreation Sports Ground Committco's euchre' party, in the Theatre Royal. About 25 tables were occupied, but despite this fact there seomed to be a well sustained interest. When tho last bell had rung it was found that Miss Wooding, with 18 games, and Mr G. Griffiths with l(i, had won the ladies' and gent's first prizes respectively. Mr Wes. Hooker won the gent's (i booby," and Mrs Wovorloy and Mrs R Jury clayed off for this prize in the ladies' division, Mrs Jury taking the honours. Mrs Doekrili, Mayoress, presented the prizes.

The choice of the Observatory site for the Premier's last resting placo will throw the official time for the colony slight.y out of reckoning for a while. It has been found necossary to remove the telescope used for taking observations, and official timo will now bo dependou' for two or throe mmthon chronometer* chocked by theodolite observations. It is variously estimated tint the telescope, \rh ;, ;h nvi-t b■s ?t to a meridian, can be re-creeteJ in Erom gno to two mwilp, in-l new no'nts established for observation of tin stirs. To tide over the present diJi; tit/ the Su"veyor-Gener il has taken fie matter iii hand, and observations of stirs

angular distance from the zenith checked by taking iitirs east and west, will be mule as frequently as possible U'ltil the instr I'jusnts oin again be placed in position. Tho telescopo is to be re-erected on the site of the old forts at Kelburnc.

At a meeting of the Taranaki Bicon Company factories held at Paluierston North the statements of Mr Dmiock in Wellington as to condition of pigs in Taranaki received uaanimous condemnation. It was staled that the pigs wore killed under the supervision of Government inspectors by arrangement with the A r etennary Dopartment, with the result that the percentage for the whole of the factories represented, only averaged about 1 per cent, condemned. The Ettham factory recently had 500 killed under the supervision of a resident Government inspector and out of tint number only two were condemned. Three thousand were killed at Waitnra unler Government inspection and only ten were condemned, showing conclusively that the statements made by Mr D;mock were much exaggerated. Factories represented at the meeting included Hawera, Elfcham, Inglewood, Stratford, Fitzroy, and Nortn Island. " Did you kn ;w li'm, sir ?" asked a white-Varded old Coaster the other morning, tremulously, "By God, he was a man. I remember him just a few months ago going to sec Charley in the hospital at Hokitika. Charley was nearly through, but lie cheered him up. He was lying there just dying, and Dick went in, and said to him in his big, kind way; 'Charley, you're not going to see me like that. You've got to sit up and talk like you used to.' And Charley," lie coritnniod, brokenly, " he stretched out his two withored old arms, and Dick lifted him up and held him in thoin for an hour, lie cheered him up properly, and before he went he told him -. 'lf yon are going, Charley, you're not afraid. Me and Jock (that's me) won't bo long after you'—and I'm left, added the old chap, in an absorption that was heedless of listeners. It is a bald and cheap tittle story, perhaps, but it gives an idea of the personal hold that the Premier had upon so many of his constituents altogether outside his political doings. The anecdote is one of many of its class, and the little episodo was a spontaneous tribute to the memory of the Premier of more yafuc than a thousand studied laudations,