LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 28 February 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

'Die s.fi. Tarawera will arrive this morning from Oamaru with a cargo of\ 2.">1'0 sheep .fltojißiKrffd to Mi Jr. Okey. J . h This is tin- anniversary u f |he relief of Ludysniith in JilOO. Yesterday, ihe 27tli, marked the anniversiirv of the .Battles of .Majuba JliU ii:( 1881 and l'aardeburg in 11)00.

We are linDoraifd tjiat )lli|o alterations to the Courthouse are being earvied out on ihe suggestion of Mr Banks. Clerk of the Court. l'lans were prepared ill April last, hut the work was delayed owing tile want of eertaiu materials required, "The .Stratford District High School, although suffering niueh from several unavoidable changes in the teaching stall, is still abi'e to hold Ihe high position it lias gained in the past, and its usefulness is proved by the still-inercas-ing ji tli'iulanee."—JOxtract ■ I'nnii Ihe annual report of the JidiiKition JJoard's chairman.

I'ipei are now ou the ground for draining the new sports area in the llecreation Grounds. Large nuinberof strangers viewed the work yesterday and were highly pleased with the 'progress made and the whole scheme o/ construction. Tiie ground when completed will be one of the linest in the colony.

The receipts of the lOdiication Uoard from all source™ during tiie past, year, including a balance of ,C1()2!) lis Id brought forward from J9US, amounted to X:JU,S-7 ISs I lid, and expenditure Was as follows: —Administration. Clliil lOn Gd; teachers' salaries and allowances, £lS,:i2:2 0s 7d; incidental expenses of schools, .C 1317 2s lid; secondary education CS'.W is l!)d; manual and technical, .CilliS Ills 2d; buildings, ,C:UI2 os (id; leaving a balance of JC2072 17s 4d.

The mountain will, doubtless, bo largely julronifictl at Easter lime, an:l two events set down for Good Friday are sure to amuse a good deal of interest The first is a bicycle race from New Plymouth to the radius line, from whence tlio competitors will haye a " go as you please" io the mountain house. The event of (lie day will be a mountain climbing contest, anil an incentive to those participating will be prizes of a gold and silver ■medal. In addition a cash prize will be awarded to any person who succeeds in lowering the present time record for an ascj.it of the mountain and return, v\>., lhr. l'hnins. Mr Herbert, of Mangorei, is the present holder of the record. The nomination for each event is 2s. For the cycle race entries close 011 the 2:) rd iuso. with Mr A. George, New Plymouth, and Mr Gudgeon, of fuglewood. Two gold anil two silver medals are being presented by Mr F. G. Morris, and it is expeeied that both erents wilt be well contested. In drawing the attention of our readers to the Mortuin Insect Powdei advertisement, we beg to inform the public that the Mortum is far superior to any other powiUr 011 the nuikc;., and is not an old powder muter an other name, as some shopkeepers have been trying to make out. Give Mortum Insect Destroyer one trial and you will not wish for any mors effective to kill flies, fleas, aud every other vermin. All ciwmißtfl or stores sell it—Advt. j

Two slight earthquake shocks were felt at Now Plymouth oil Wednesday evening between six and seven o'clock.

Mr Richard G. Wiiibter has been appointed assistant inspector of schools in Taranaki.

A start, has been made with the erection oif a steel derrick on the Taranaki Oil and Freehold Company's property on Carrington-road. The new cheese factoi'y at Tariki will be erected on the site of the old sawmill. A better place could hardly be chosen. The Taranaki schools are not likely

to take advantage of the concessions offered to school children travelling in large companies to ; the Christchurcli Exhibition, teachers declining to take the responsbilily of looking after them.

Before the start of the Taranaki Cup event at the races on Wednesday Grenade (Grafton-Gralin) was sold by ill- D. O'Brien to Mr Dugald Thomson. The price has not been disclosed, but it is understood to be in the region of ..CoOX A deputation lirom the llokianga Canning Company asked the Minister for Lands to supply land on the Talieki I'iver for 800 families from England who would utilise it for fruit-growing,' especially peaches. The Minister promised to consider what could be done with Waimaiu.

Some misunderstanding exists cori eerning the fireworks display wliicl was arranged for Wednesday evening

and, : postponed. The, display was, tixed by the Recreation Grounds' Board, and not by the committee in charge of the construction of the Recreation Sports Ground. The display is to be held at Easter time.

As showing the advantages of attending technical classes, we are informed on good authority that several towns are looking for plumbers capable of taking charge of plumbing classes. New Plymouth plumbing classes have liad the effect of "topping off" some splendid men, and with this in view there is little likelihood of these classes falling Hat this winter. 'i'ha of caWgat against blackleg is proceeding. Wo are in-, formed oji reliable authority that the total loss of calves in the province, both before arid after inoculatiop, is less this year than has been previously experienced ou many a single farm. This position is all the more owing to- tdie Jfftict that only' the best calves have been kept ■this year, and it is well known that blackleg attacks the strongest animals. Thus it would seem that blackleg is on the decline.

A deputation representing the coaldealers r.|f the colony waited on the Acting Premier y<j(stesday ni'orn, (iig j with certain complaints about; tiie State coal depots. It was represented that the State coal depots were being conducted at a loss, and that they were entering into unfair competition with merchants. The Hon. W. llallJones denied that the State depots were running at a loss, hut said he was not familiar with the details. He promised to bring the .representations under the notice of the Minister 'of Mines. ;

tipeakng at the opening of the Western Park bazaar 011 Tuesday evening, His Worship the Mayor said that those who had only known Western Park in its rough fttutc would be surprised at its appearance now, ami at the small cost of doing such excellent work. This rellected the greatest credit on the people who had chosen the committee, and on the committee who had chosen such a chairman as Mr George Browne. Jle inertioned the work, too, of the ladies, who had made this bazaar their supreme effort.. It remained now for the public to show their appreciation of the efforts in a worthy cause by responding liberally to the committees application for ways and means. ,». _

At the meeting of the Education Board yesterday, the matter of making arrangements for the carrying oa ot the schools during the absence of the cadet ollieers in camp at (Jhristchureh was practically left iu the hands o/( the respective teachers and their committee-. subject to the approval of the chairman of the Education Board and the ollicer commanding the battalion was asked to take the necessary steps to have this done. in the discussion it was pointeid out that the withdrawal of the teachers as ollieers to look after the boys would entail disorganisation' of the stall'* in the schools, but Mr JX»mpsey said the ma tter could be arranged here as elsewhere, lie knew the boys were now looking forward to the trip. . j .