LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81916, 12 January 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An Esperanto class is being funned in llawera. The retui'ns show that at the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court in the year just closed no one was released under the hirst. Offenders Probation Act. . A truison uttered by Mr Dockrill at the Citizens' meeting on Friday: "If the children are neglected by the church, then it can haye no hope for the future."

Tt is understood that the Borough Council is to be asked to allow the municipal baths to lie kept opc-n four evenings a week, two nights each for men and women. The idea is a good one, and such an innovation, we have no doubt, would be well patronised during the hot weather prevailing. " It's only by an accident that I am Pr.-sidcnt of this Conference. You see I was, by accident, born in New Ply. 'inuith If-1 had had the choice I might not have been here. But on a/count of: this accident, and iu remembrance of the work of my honoured father, I have been elected President." Rev. C. E. Ward at Friday night's nieetiac: of the Methodist Conference

At a meeting of the New Plymouth Swimming Club held at the Baths on Friday evening it was decided to hold a monster water carnival on the evening of Wednesday, 23rd inst. The electric light has been installed in the baths and gives every satisfaction. A lengthy programme has been drawn up, including several diverting items. One of these will be a raeej>a!ross the bath, the competitors being fully clothed. The swimmers will then have to disrobe their wet garments and the first one who gets back to the starting poim; will be the winner. A relay race will also be held. Swimmers from Hawcra,

Wangamii, and other places will take part in the carnival, which promises to provide a good evening's amusement.

llev. C. ii. Ward is a liit of a wit, Ik' styles himself a pugnacious sort of a parson. And why? Not alto fjethor because lie was in the 'l'aia naki war himself, but because lit? grandfather fought in the battle 0: Trafalgar!

Some months ago, at the instigation of the ladies of the congregation, several ol the members and adherents 01 the H liitcley Memorial Church set to work and straightened up the church grounds, making grass plots and paths and jilanting hedges. As usual in this climate of ours, the-seed germinated, grew, and prospered, but ajiparently the work of weeding and trimming has been overlooked.

Loose stones 011 the roads in this district seem to have got away beyond control of the- surfacemen. 011 Thursday a horse driven by a lady in a gig stumbled when going down Big Jim s Hill, near Waitara, The animal fell, one of the shafts was broken, and the passengers thrown out, fortune atcly without incurring any serious injury.

At the County Council meeting on Monday the tender of* Messrs Turner and Meadle. for £2487, was accepted for the, Ki-buildmg of the Waiwakaiho bridge on the Duvon road. The linn was unable to take up the contract, however, and tiie county chairman, Mr »). Mrown, hits arranged for tiie next tender. Mr (.<• P. Spencer ot Inglowood, at JC3IBU to bike uj» the contract.

"r could have got my evidence rrom a minister but the outs'de pnblie Would rather take 111- evidence nom a policeman than from a minister," said the i'ev. Drake jii discussing pro hibition on Friday night, the laughter that followed m;ide liiin retract his steps somewhat by way of an explauatiou, hut the explanation only added to the upioariness of tiie laughing,

Oiidc more showing tlnl necessity for thi' removal of tiie Yailway from the street in the centre of the town, a horse driven by Jlasler King played up badly as the train passed on Friday afternoon. Tilt animal backed against the. verandah of one of lln shops, and, making off again, brought a shaft of the gig into contact witli one of the posts, and (lie sliaft snap ped. ilrs King and t.he ..ih.r <„ Tl i pants <it (he e.-ea]>ed unhurt.

Dealers in guns w'll do well to note the real dclinitioi' ol "liicirins" for the purposes of the l'i niirnis Act of last session. In this Act "iirearm nivalis any gun- or pistol of a less calibre than ..'HKi, whether a,eting by the force of gunpowder or not." Thus the sale of airguns to pel-sous under the age of Hi years of age is prohibited, and sisilarlv 110 one under that ;/ge is allowed to carry any lircarni or any kind of ammunition for a firearm.

The President of the Primitive sl'r;thodist Conference has a soft spot in his heart, lie said, for New Plymouth, as the place which gave him birth. Like the husband of a young wife, he "to her iaiilts is blind, and to her virtues kind." Jlis leelnigs. he told Friday night's gathering, might be compared to those of the ofd English squire, who, ill toasting the health of the King, said, "Here's to the King, and to old England. jUiiy she always be in the right. And whether allis'n in the right or not, here's to good old England."

iSignor liragato states that the crop of grapes iu New Zealand this season will lie a record, and that there is 110 sign of disease. At the CJovernuicnt viticultural station at Waerenga, in the Waikato, five acres are iu full bearing, and it in expected that between'2o wii 25 tons uf grapes, which will produce between 3000 and 4009 gallons of wine, will lie gathered. The vines planted 011 the other 15 acres at Waerenga are doing well, and will be bearing in two years' time. Eighteen acres at the <Jovernmc-nt station at Arataki, llawke's liav, are down in vines, anil should be yielding good crops iu 1909. ■

Contrary to expectations, the Tarana ki (Stock Exchange has not vet commenced its daily meetings. liver vthing appeared in readiness to commence operations with the openiii" of "■New Year, but the red-tnpeisin at ttW'ington 11:111 to bo taken into account. TJai Commissioner of Stamps wrote that some the by-laws adopted by the Exchange were ultra vires, which seems strange iu view i„ ) j,,' fact ili,-it tJn-y ; ,re an exaet copv of the' regulations governing the exchanges in all the large cities of the colony. As soon as I he commissioner has lixud things to his liking the exchange wilt be registered, and will hold ' dailv I meetings in the Town Hall.

A J'»|i>'".s.'i!t!ilive of tliis journal m yesterday sh"<yn sonus Jims samp],.* of inlaid woodwork at the, workshop of Alessrs H. Clarke and Co., Devon St. J !«• artu-Siw tiimpriw a iliWiliji fWf cabinet, smoker's cabinet, i.amlker<lU!ef two cireujiar and servietlc Xlie inlaid ivork is nicely lijjHicd and slum's up to pcrieet.ou < lie beautiful grains ilm | km)ts tlio n oods -|V us(!ll is all ot New Zealand growth 3,11 c! includes rata, totara, titree, pm i,i, honeysuckle, kauri, U W|l , iu|d eUH'i>. 1Ik« drjnviii'r room 7/t't't and made up of six cut voi,ils, Jinilv polished ]>crleet, llcssrs ,1. Kiddle and J lor the work,' . lloo . s lll|,n ' every credit. The various pieces of furniture will be shown iu the linn's windows to-dav wi«"l' , ( "i U,, ' S fol ' iU, " id Wlll^ VH lie taken from now on and customers cau rely „p ull t |, L . workmanship Willi" oi IJJU 1

. J-lic value of "iSYICE.S'g DfiKNOfl" "'cognised by the highest authority 1 r A"V' 1 m eolo "- y - Hcil<l what < « . A. Ivmsolla, Government Dairy ssioner, 1,.s to m , „I )011 f it: i Xpartme-nt of Agriculture (Dairy Division).—A. ii. f! v t M 1 t.t l'lymouth: Dear Sir,-As' Dairy Cumnussioner lor this Colony, 1 ] ul L jL (> „ carefully watching the effects am i ) ! l! f 'S.vkes's Drench' on our dug hculs for the pust few vcars. J hoc the slightest hesitation in statu,tliat all immense amount of improve" ment lias been brought ab«t in the health of our dairy coWfi. and tint abortion is >iow less prevalent since y, ' s s Drench' has become known nna properly used unionist farmers l lwst testimonial that one can raeeivo is the iiiaiso that "Sykes's IJrent'U' receives* from all ijimrteru of New Zealand. Personally, I am of opinion that no /armor should be without a stock of 'Syfces'B Drench.'— Yours faithfully, J, A. Kinsella, Dairy cewissi9^ v .^ia^sai*iiSißii

His Worship the Mayor at Friday's meeting referred to New Plymouth as " the cradle of the Primitive Methodist Church in New Zealand "

The solicitors for the Shaw, Sayill alul Albion Company have served a notice on the Auckland Harbor Board of its intention to commence an action to recoycr £15,001) damages in connection with the accident to the Marnari at the Calliope Dock.

In a case brought by the Inspector of Factories at Masterton, the Magistrate held that auctioneers who carried on retail trade on their premises could not employ assistants at sales held at private houses on half-holidays, and inflicted a fine of 20s and costs.

Mrs Cameron, a jumper living in the

lamlct of J'a. I nan 11, Rosshire, Scotland, has comq unto a lortune of U2O,<H)O through the death <>t lier n'other, who emigraied to New Zealand about lill years ago. tier tirst. ict was to repay tlie parish authori Lies all they had cxjiendeil upon her [luring the last 20 years.

"Whipping" is one of tlie ne.iditignii.U r which 110 entry appears in the Xew Plymouth Court returns of punishment indicted. It fs not so long ago

since whipping seemed to be accepted as a panacea for all evils, and many of our old people aver that a more frei|uent use of the; birch would havi very benelieial effects 111 Koine cases