LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81899, 5 December 1906, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Taranaki County Engineer's report on contracts and works appears 011 the fourth page of this issue. The Melhonme-Brindisi despatch of I thirty-first October, arrived at London on the nifht of tlio 30tli ultimo. Constable Bleasle, of Stratford, brought by yesterday morning's train a young man who some twu years ago ran away from tho Burnham Industrial School. He is to be kept at the New Plymouth goal for one month A copy of the Christmas and Exhibition numbers of the " New Zealand Mail," Wellington, is to hand. It is a most creditable production, and compares most farourably with the other splendid Xmas illustrated weeklies for which Hew Zealand is noted. Indeol, it is in many respeets superior. 'J he cover page is a real work of art, whilst the various illustrations are splendidly got Uj> and •printed. Tho letterpress is original and well written. . The publication should have a wide and large sale, which it thoroughly merits, It is announced that tho law pro-' 1 viding for od age pensions in France will come into force in January 1907. It is ca culated that it will cost the countiy something .ike twenty-three million francs per an num.

Why in the United States of America has the North a more difficult problem to solve tiian the South ? Because in tlio South the difficu' ty is the "Black Ma t" but '.'n the Nortfr it is "The Black Mailer."

On thc application of Mr Ilugnes the Supreme Court has granted letters of administration wuii the will unnamed of the estate of the late John Copestake to his widow Susan Copestake the executor named in the wi'.l, Henry Hunt having piedeceased tho testator.

Only tw'o members of the Taranaki Licensing Committee attended the meeting called for Tue-day morning. The chairman. Mr T. Hutchison, S.M., was engaged in court business, so the meeting lapsed. The only busine s was to have received a satisfactory police report and to consider a letter from the Heath Department suggesting that the sanitary inspection of hotels should be carried out by the officers of the Health Department. The committee of the N-w Plymodth Amateur Swimming C.ub met on Tuesday night. Tiie balancesheet ot the recent spoils in aid of >ke Western Park funds was presented, snowing that the expense had been increased and the takings diminished, to sucii au extent that theie was 110tlung .eft for the park. It was decided to hold a out) race, over 100 yds course, in the batas 011 l-'riday week at 5.30 p.m., entries to close on tiie Wednesday pievicus. The committee lias 111 hand the arrangement oi a s e iies of short programmes for swimming! sports tor evenings undei tiie electric light,

Much amusement has been caused by Comie Potocki's tiireat to sue he French Government for 50,000 francs damages tor having fngiitened peasants, and spoilt Ills sliootnig' for tiie seasun. Comte Potacki had gone to gieat expense to stock his pieserves ai Jonvilners; tiie keeper says tile game cost the Count 25,000 francs ,a moiitli to preserve, and lie was looking toiVard to very good shooting, wiuch he pruposed sharing with a laige party or guests, wuen one day a regiment of infantry, from Chalres, passed down the road which "ens through his estate, and startled tie birds with the sound of their bugles, and 100,000 francs worth of game, went off on the wing!

A cuiious plan is adopted by the public scnooL of several continental cities for ihe inculcation of tue p.actice ot economy. til Brussels tue cntldren arc itque ted by their teacueis to pick up 011 their way io school such apparently useles, articles as empty paint lubea, scrap; ot m.'tal, tin cans, bits ot tin-foil, etc. in eigi'.t mouths the following amouins were co..cct.d: —Tinfoil, 1925 b; old paint tubes, 2201b; bottle cup Lia'j., 44151b*; scrap of metal, 1221 lbs; total 7/SilbJ. Ihe wi.olc of th.s apparent lubbisn was di posed of, and lae proceeds wei c applied so as to clothe 500 poor children properly and uLiid 90 invalids to hospitals and convalescent iiomui, and ther e still remained a considerable balance, which was di'-tributcd amongst tho sick and poor of the city. Bostock and Wombwell's circus and menagerie, with all appliances, were sold by auction 111 Melbourne fast wceji. Bidding for the whole property, Oil watch a reserve of ,£4OOO Had been placed, began at £iuou. This advanced to £ISOO, but as 110 lurtaer bids weie farthcoining it was decided to sell tiie inenagei-ie v and circus in separate lots. Bidding was not brisk, and owing to tiie scarcity of competitors some excellent bargains were secured. The highest sum paid for any one animal was ,£337 10/, which was given for the elephant Alice by Mr WiUian Andeison, proprietor of ''Wonderland City" at Urondi. Most of the animals realised comparatively low prices. Two humped camels, broken to rule, were purchased for £45 far the Adelaide Zoo.

The S-M.-Court on Tuesday morning was occupied for two hours 111 hearing the charge against David James ot attempting to carnal' y know two children, agctl live and -even yeais, at Moturoa on November 25111. Lengthy evidence was tendered by eye-witnesses of the a.leged offence, to tile effect that the accused was 11 a paddock with tie cli.ldien and his attitude and action*' were sworn to. f'lie parents of ii* chi.dien had been unab.e to obtain any Statement from the children, except that the elder said accused had not touched her but only the younger one. Constable U'llalloran stated the accused was drunk when arrested. James pleaded "not guilty," and was committed to take his trial at the criminal sessions of the Supreme Court in New Plymouth on 35' h March, iyo7, bail being; fixed at in two sureties of ,£SO each.