LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81849, 22 September 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Strafor.l notes, commercial audi g -neral iUii.s will be fo ml oil ihe f 'lirlll page. |

T 10 Minister of Justice iniinnited to the House last ui.ht that he hoped the ■Statutes Revision Commission w juld finish its labors during tho year. A public meeting called at Wiinga uii last night lo consider the Sedd'.'ii .National Memorial, hipped, only the Mayor attending, states a Press telegram. The final in the ladies' hockey compjtition takes place at Inglewood toay. Whakatika A meeting tho llmemiateam. The New Plymouth gil'ls leave by the 12,50 train. Tho plans and reports of tho Opunake railway surveys are now on the verge of completion Mr G. L. Cook, the Resident Engineer, has alro idv sent the reports on one of the surveys to Wellington, and the others will follow shortly,—Stratford " Post." A rich discovery of cobalt Ims recently been made in Canada. An immediate offer was made to tho Government by a mining syndicate, but a new spirit is abroad, and the Government has decided to keep the whole mining district (about IUO square miles) as public property for ever, and to mine tho cobalt for the benefit of the nation at large The advocates for this bit of land nationalisation quoted tho example of New Zealand. George, a Chinese fisherman at Moturoa, must have been surprised on Friday when the heavy weight at the end of his line proved to be a fish over fifteen feet long. After some difficulty ihe monster was landed, and brought into town. Piscatorial experts claim to

fecognisc it as a fine sample of the ribbon-fish, rather rare in these waters. The unusual catch was the centre of attraction on the vacant plot near the Town Hall during the afternoon. The harbor master reports that during tho month ending September 19th there were 53 berthings at the Ne.v Plymouth ivharf, the aggregate gro3s tonnage being 49,631 tons. Imports, including 741 tons of railway coal and (31-7 tons of private coal, amounted to '1665 tons. There were 609 tons of exports. The dredge worked 19 days, making 182 trips, ■emoving 10,520 cubic .yards of sand

l'orn between the wall and the wharf There is still a large deposit of sand to be remoyed from this hank. The rattle caused by the demolition of an old buildiug yesterday morning startled the horses in Mr Kibby's express standing in Messrs Sargood, Son ind Ewen's yard, and they made for ihe gate. Carefully avoiding the

•wsts, the horses dashed into Courtney street, causing a couple of cyclists to hastily dismount and get clear Turning info Currie street the wheels ran up on t3 the asphalt footpath, just misdng 'h; telegraph post, and throwing a ;ac. 1 into tlio street. From this point

was a straight and familiar run to the railway goods shed, and in the railway yard the horses ended their breakaway, without damage to themselves or to the vehicle. The streets were fairly busy at the time, but no collision

occurred. The Minister of Mines receive] a Taranaki deputation, introduced by Mr Jennings, who asked that (he Government Geologist, Dr. Bell, might be instructed to visit tho Taranaki district for the purpose of reporting on the csturial depo.-i.s in that provinse. Mr Merchant (chairman of the Stiatford County Council) placed the matter before the Minister, Mr King (Mayor of Stratford) speaking in support. The Hon. Mr McGowan said he would go in'.u the question with the Miuister of bauds, and see what could bo done He recognised (lie importance to the agricultural classes of the value of r >ck phosphates, as tlio lands were being •apidly robbed of their fertility. The iovernmciit now had a sum on the isliinates by way of reward lo any .lersoii discovering rock phosphates. 'l'he remarkable sagacity of the dog has been responsible for many stones. Another instance has come under our ■iot ice, and is well worth'recording. Mr it. Clair, custodian of the Dawson's l?alls Mountain House, recently drove through from Knponga to Auckland,

t'in Napier and Waikarcmoana. At me stage of the journey, his dog got nto trouble, and was scolded a bit.

The creature took it to heart, and next day was not to be seen. Forty-six days after, the dog turned up at the house of a settler just outside the Mountain Reserve, and grew greatly excited when Ins scent told him that Vlr St. Clair had been there that day. Next day he reached the Mountain Kouse, his old home, sleek and fat, and eyidentiy none the worse for his 2fi7 miles journey. After that, who will say dog> ire not among the higher order of beasts ? The Central Committee of the movement to have a Taranaki Court at the International Exhibition met iu the Town Hall, New Plymouth, on Friday <ii->ht. Mr W. G. Malone presided, and there were also present, Messrs S.

Percy-Smith, J. Paton, and W A. Oollis (New Plymouth), W. E. Pcrciyal (Inglewood) and If. P. Graves (Patea). Tenders for printing 15.00.) guidebooks for distribution at the Exhibition were received from Messrs Hooker and Co. (New Plymouth), C. 0. Ekdaht (Hawcra), Wilson aud Horton and the Brett Printing Co, (Auckland). It was decided to have a book of forty pages, twenty of descriptive and advertising matter, and twenty of full-page photographic illustrations, and the lender of Messrs Wilson and Horton was accepted. There being alternative prices for different qualities of paper, expert opinion will be taken before finally deciding on this head. Mr Smith submitted the draft copy of the text for the guide-book,

and this was referred to a sult-com-mittee of the chairman and Messrs Collis, Paton and Penn for revision ami conference with Mr Smith botore settling. Should tlie advertising revenue warrant the additional expenditure, the chairman is empowered to order extra guide-books comnensurate with tlie funds availably. It was decided to wftit oil thp Taranaki (Joint)' Council and solicit iinauciil assistance.

Mr J. li. Conned is of opinion that members of Parliament arc so in tently watching- the leasehold and licehold issues of the land proposal that they quite overlooked the injustice that might have been caused to the Xeiv Plymouth Harbour Board by cutting- off its laud revenue. First class kauri timber has advanced < >j.ie shilling- j/T looftj as from the ist insi. The llawera Acclimatisation Soj-i----ely has a credil balance, of £<„. 'it h\[< now 300,0 >0 fry ready for liibu(inn. The Society expects 'o ■law a b'tt'-r se;ist.n this year than (,'vr before.

The Uomap Catholic Church services for to mornnv are as fol ows:— New Plymouth, Mass ■; .511. and 11, \ espers 7, Revs, Dean M. Kenna; Uaitata. Mass t). Rev. F. MacMamts; Ing-'ew.iod. Mass 11 30, Rev. F. Mac.Manus. .SFPARATOR TRIAL.

If you are in doubt as to which is 'V be>i Cream Separator, ask for a dial. The agenls of the Separator ari' wi'hng- to give a Free Trial to anv ''e-ponsibic and bulla fid" farmer within easy reacli of rail or steamer, and if ilie Baltic dees not prove its capabilities for skimming;, easy turn inn, and capacity, it will lie tak'ii back lice nf any charge. Although 1 he Baltic was unaided 11 gold med als, and 24 first piizes throughout Kurope in one season, this does mil interest I lie New Zealand farmer, who picfors practical pro"f on bis own farm. Write for particulars to I. li. MacF.wan & Co., \ew Plymoulh. Since the Melbourne Cloth'ngCompany inaugurated their system of soiling- tailor-made suits ready to put on at about half the price the av-erag-e custom tailor cbaiges, their sa'cs in this department have increased cnormeuslv. - The public-quick in finding out the benefit of the newsystem.—is displaying- keen appreciation of the new season's models and (hp firm is having: a busy time.

Hie Eltham County Bill was read ii first t:m_' in tho House yesterday allcrnoon.

At the annual meeting of the New Plymouth Horticultural Society it was decided to hold an autumn show instniil of a spring i-liow. The subcommittee appointed 1o revise the schedule has finished its work and has decided tl at the show be held on th; 21st February.

"Tar.inaki, the Garden of New Zealand," is the the title of the hook to ho printed for distribution at the Taranaki court of the International Exhibition. The design of the cover is simplo, but artistic, representing one of our most engaging milkmaids walking in " tho garden " in summer, with tho silent pentinel Egmont in the background. Mr T. Hugh son, Rahotu, writes: — " Your local re accident to coach yesterday was somewhat wrong Tho axlo got bent (not broken) on the Omata (not Katikora) and the passengers alighted and the coach was driven back to town, where a brake was procured from Mr West's stables, and the journey continued, arriving at Opunake onlv one hour late, without any inconvenience to any one." In the course of a letter from its New Zealand correspondent (Air George Robertson, of the Government Life Insurance Department), "L'lndependance Beige "'of Uth of August last remarks upon the success of boring for petroleum in Taranaki, and refers to the largely enhanced value of shares in the company—inquiries coming even from Sydney and Melbourne. The corres-

pondent also mentions that ltockfeller had agents in the oil regioiw with a view to observing and r 'porting upon the prospects, and especially upon how the discoveries would alfect the market of the Standard Oil Company in this country. "If," adds the correspondent, " petroleum should be discovered m considerable quantities, industrial enterprise in New Zealand would profit immensely, and new industries would also be established."