LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8144, 29 June 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

_ At next meeting of the Taranaki Mucation Board, Mr Monkhouso will move in the direction of placing the cadet movement entirely 1 under the Board, or else relieving the Board of all responsibility. Wlien Mr Adlam complained on Wednesday to Lieut -Colonel Loveday that the school cadets were ill supplied with rifles and consequently unable to complete their class-firing, that astute olßcer very quickly took advantage of the opening, nnd attacked the enemy at a vulnerable point. He referred Mr Adlam tr> a letter sent by him to the Board asking its assistive in having the class-fil ing mteudert to, but to which ho u»<i nut received u reply,

Mr Whitcombe was reading a long letter aloud at Wednesday's Education Board meeting when, there being a clamour behind him, he turned to find the Chief Inspector and all but three members scanning a mivp of the education district, Mr Adlam, as one of those who had not left the table, good naturedly protested, and Mr Monkhouse, mindful of the cadet affair, suggested a vote of censure, Mr Adlam's elation due to a sense of his close application to duty was short-lived, Mr Morton caught him a few minutes later with his eyes suspiciously closed and a peaceful expression on his face that showed he was not worrrying mucli about educational matters.

The Poultry Society's Show opens to-day, and tho public will bo admitted after one o'clock. The display of poultry, pigeoas and cage birds probably constitutes a record in number, and the quality 0 f those received up till last night were stated to be much above the average. Judging takes place this morning. In addition to the main attraction, the Society has been loaned a number of rare animals and birds, including kangatoos, oppossums, Chinese pheasants, laughing jackasses, etc, which should oreate interest. Tickets for the Art Union and Monster Cake are going off steadily, and intending patrons should get in early. The Art Union is to bB drawn at nine o'olock to-morrow night. Tho Society's annual dinner will be held to-night.

In America, on some of the treeless prairies of the West, maize was extensiyely grown and used for fuel before the railway period, but there is something repugnant in the idea of devoting human food to such a purpose. A like feeling is occasioned by late State experiments in the Philippines, where tke coal being unsuited for gas making, cocoanut gas is being tried. Laboratory experiments indicate that a gas of great illuminating power may be produced by a very simple method from cocoanut oil. The oil is slowly fed into retorts which are already red-hot. Here it volatilises very rapidly, leaving a small residue of tar. Bulk for bulk, the oil has a much greater product venness in gas than coa!, and for this reason it is expected that, if the supply can be made to meet the demand, it will be greatly used all along the Paoific coast.

At a recent meeting of the May Day Committee at Melbourne, some strong language was levelled against Mr Bent, He Premier, for hii) aotjoa towards Mr Hannah, when the committee waited upon the Premier last week. Mr Hannah took the opportunity of "hurling back with scorn " the statement of the Premier that what he said was a deliberate lie, and he again charged Mr Bent with showing partiality to certain individuals in the matter of employment. The following motion was carried .-—That this committee indignantly protests against the tyrannical treatment to which the May Day deputation was subjected by Mr Bent, and considers it a serious disgrace to tliis State that unmannerly " Bombastes Furioso " sliould be permitted to assume the double role of clown and Cz ir ia a froe and enlightened community, and thus conyey to outsiders that if New Zealand be " God's own country," Victoria has the "Devil's own Premier."

A case of some interest to stock owners was decided by Mr Cruick shank, S.M., at Kaitangata (says the Dunstan " Times"), when judgment was given for plaintiff for £3O damages, with costs £1 os. Plaintiff's dog had been shot by defendant. In this case the dog, a greyhound, had been shot while Bta%ding outside defendant's fence. It had been in a paddock containing a few rams, but had not molested thorn in any way. The dog had been registered the previous month, and the brass registration label was on the collar at the time. The Magistrate held that the killing was not justifiable, as the dog was not running at large among (he sheep. The chasing of the sheep and tho killing must be all one and the samo transaction. As the dog had left the paddock there was no immediate danger to tho sheep, and there was no occasion to take this drastic measure for t heir protection. Judgment was therefore given for plaintiff.