LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8148, 4 July 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The total rainfall in New Plymouth last month amounted to 4-895 inches, the maximum fall being on (he 29th, and was 1'25 inches. Rain fell on 22 days—a good record for New Plymouth. Another assistant at the Stratford District High School has resigned. Mr W. 11. Johnston telegraphed his resignation from Wellington yesterday. This school seems to be a steppingstone to better things. On Tuesday night a friendly crib tournament took place between the Loyal Excelsior and Loyal Egmont Lodges of Oddfellows, which resulted ill a draw, each side scoring fifteen games. The play off resulted in a win for Egmont by four games to two. A return match will be arranged.

A few years ago a soapboiler's shop was discovered in Pompeii, having been buried beneath that terrible rain of ashes that fell upon the city, 79 a.d. The soap fouud m the shop has not lost its efficacy, although it had been buried 1800 years. Luminous paint is being used in several of the Belgian trains with a view to illuminating the carriages that are not in the ordinary way supplied with lamps wLile they are passing through tunnels in the daytime. The whole of the upper part of the interior of the car is covered, and emits enough light to make reading a possibility. Twenty Califomian "queen" bees, which arrived at Auckland by the Sonoma from San Francisco, have been brought to Wellington by the Oswestry Grange. The bees are consigned to Oamitru, and are enclosed in a small box.

We give a reminler of the sale to be held at 2.30 o'clock this afternoon at Livingston's Mart, Devon streot east. A large variety of goods is advertised, and thore will be good bargains m English ornamental ware and dress stuffs.

No time is being lost in procuring plant for continuing boring operations at Moturoa. Engines, boiler, rope, 2,500 ft of 6 m. casing, and a similar quantity of 8-inch casing, together with wiro ropes, etc., are on tho ground, and in course of erection.

Mr Ivan James, advance manager for Montgomery's Famous Pictures and Entertainers, arrived in New Plymouth from the South last night, to arrange for the forthcoming visit of that Company here on Monday and Tuesday next. The principal attractions will be graphic portrayals of the appalling visitations which devastated San Francisco, and the Mt. Vesuvius eruption,

The Prov. G.M. Bro. R. Hancock, of the Loyal Midhirst Lodge, 1.0.0. F., | M.TJ., and the Prov. D.G.M. Bro. C. 0. Sole, of the loyal Stratford Lodge, paid an official visit to the Loyal Kxcelsior Lodge, New Plymouth, on Tuesday eyening. Mr Robert Charles, D 4, now relieving teacher at Greytown, has been recommended by the Stratford School Committee for appointment to the nosition of second assistant master in the primary department. He was for two years fourth master in the Sydenham school, and has had two years' relieving in schools of all grades. For the post of first assistant in the secondary department of the same school, Mr A. R. Gatland, 8.A., has been selected. He has had considerable experience in secondary schools, having been junior resident master at Prince Albert College, Auckland ; master for twelve months of the Wailii District High School; and is now assistant master in the secondary department of the Paeroa District High School. The West Coast is not only isolated from outside districts, but also suffers t'rom lack of quick communication between different parts of it. It is reported by an exchange that the news of the late Mr Seddon's death only reached the township of Nobles, 37 miles from Wcstport, on the Thursday following the Monday on which tlie no vs reached the colony. Then it was ttlf conveyed by word of mouth, and was received with some amount of incredulity.

The streets of Taihape a-1 sai Ito be veritable sloughs of despond just at present, mud—deep, yellow, viscous, tenacious mud everywhere. Employment is none too plentiful in the district adjacent to the newly formed Borough, and tho state of society is inclined to he lawless, money being demanded by the casual unemployed wanderer abroad, and if a loan is refused the victim is promptly " stouched." Progressive, cultured, and highly-civi-lised Taihape !

There are a number of preparations on tho market known as " egg powders." As regards some of them, people may imagine they are using eggs in a dried state, but apparently (hat is not always the ease. The other day the New South Wales Board of Health had samples oE two specimens examined. One of them contained wheat-flower, baking powder, ginger, an I tumeric. The latter gives the mixture a yellow color. The other specimen was found to be a liquor, and to consist of nothing but a solution of an anyline dye, known in the trade as acid yellow. Both of the preparations arc harmless.

The siltin? up of the Ohiremari River, which flows into the Gulf of Thames, is becoming a serious matter, ft is estimated that about 35,000 tons I of tailings from the crushing mills in the Wailii and Karangahake districts How into the river every month. The river has shoaled up to such an extent that the steamers from Auckland to Ohiuemuri cannot get within seven miles of Paeroa, where they formerly ran to, and it is feared l ] a' if the present state of silting goes on for another year or two, no vessel will be able to navigate the river at all. Settlers ilong the banks of the Oliinomuri are afraid that in the course of time the iccumulation of silt will be so great that their properties will be flooded through the river overflowing.

" It goes without saying," remarked Mr Massey to an interviewer, "that ' at the present juncture some additions to the Opposition party would be v elI'ome, but there is this fact to lvmembcr that, though the Opposition in Ihe House is small, its supporters in the country are very numerous, a-nl our responsibilities arc all the great-r in consequence. Though we were beaten badly so far as Ihe number of members returned is concerned, there was really not a great difference between tho number of electors who supported the Government and those who voted for Opposition candidates." Mr Donald, local Inspector of Fnc torics, has been advised that the Department of Labor lias secured space in the Chrislchurch Exhibition, and are anxious to make the exhibits as worthy of the Department as possible The desire of the Deparfment is to show principally the improvement that has been elfccled in factories during Ihe la>t 11 or 15 years, in order thai Ihe old and new methods might be compared. For this purpose Mr Donald has been requested to interest the larger employers of labor, al ascertain whether any photographs, model factories, the interior of factories, or anything else pertaining to factories which would go to show improvements, could be obtained. Working models, particularly of timber mills, sawmills, engineers' shops, blacksmiths' shop, cabinotimiking, tailoring, and boot iritnuf-ii'tiiring, would 1 o very acceptable if obtainable, but failing models, photographs arc required. Smiles and money-saving are the best combiuaiion, Morey and Son ofiet wo smilp-protiucers to BWfow.

The Coroner's inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of Mr Chas. Turner, of Frankley road—who succumbed to injuries received by a horse kicking him on Saturday lastwas held on Tuesday. A verdict of "accidental death" was returned.

Australian handk'ajipers have still a great respect for New Zealand horses. In the Epsom, Metropolitan, Ciuilficld Cup, and Melbourne Cup handicaps, candidates from Maoriland head tho list. A young man named George Lambert, caretaker of the East End Are station, and employed as a 'bus driver, slipped when attempting to board the down-town 'bus from Fitzroy at one o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. Ho had a miraculous escape. Passengers and driver thought the man must be killed. But he fell right under the 'bus. One wheel struck his head, and another passed over his left foot, crushing it. Dr McCleiand, who wpsummoned, was on the scene in aboui five minutes time, and found this latter was the only serious injury, but recognised that Lambert had had a very narrow escape.

Messrs E. J, Carthew and Co. report tho following salesMr White's half-acre and 8-roomed house, Courtenay street, to a local investor; one acre and 6-roomed residence, Belt road, on account of Mr Maisey; quarter-acro section, Powderham street, to an Auckland investor; 15 acres on Old Hospital road, to Mr Flavall, qf Feilding, and another; 20 acre section of "Smart Suburbs" estate, to a Wellington investor.

The following is a copy of the letter forwarded to the President of the Racing Conference by the Secretary of the North Island Horse Owners' Association: " I have the honor, by the direction of the committee of the North Island Racehorse Owners' Association, to bring before your notice that as the result of highly successful meetings of owners held at Wellington, Auckland, and Wanganui, the above association has been duly formed. The association is intend®! to deal with racing matters as affecting the horseowner and all matters deemed to be conductive to the interest of racing and true advancement of sport, and one of tho objects is to obtain from the Sacing Conference official recognition of the association as representing horseowners, so that all matters affesting their welfare may come before it, and opportunity be given to express their views. As your conference has at heart the interest of all concerned in racing, it is earnestly desired that you will be able to see your way to extend to the association the courtesy of recognition, The owners are largely interested, and may be benefited or prejudiced by racing administration and legislation will be admitted, and that being so I beg with all deference to submit tliat in fairness an opportunity may well be afforded them to place thoir views before the conference by petition or otherwise. The association is a responsible and united body, as will be seen from tho list of members and draft rules enclosed, and may safely bo trusted to transact its business on honorable and courteous lines,"