LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 19 April 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

I The United (lynasium Club has a large accession of new members this year. Tin 1 Municipal liaihs are open daily for ordinary cold saltwater swimming. Jlot bat lis. however, are now only available on Wednesdays and Saturday.-. This arrangement continues until further notice.

in Saturday last the roof of the refreshment ear willi the Wellington express train to Xew Plymouth caught lire, and (he car had to lie left at Aramolio.

The traveiling public arc cum plaining about tin* insuliii'it'iU lighting of tin; temporary bridge over the Waiwalcaiiio. The approaches, too, are described as heimr absolutely dangerous unle-s they are decently lighted.

The I "itxi'ov Town jioard election on Tbnr-day resulted in tin* return oi' \Vm. Cntiield. \\\ ]J. Crilliths. K 11. 'laclwSojj, ]\j. Kiinjson, and Le>lie Steele. The delected candidates were .Mo-sr.s 11. HarniH, das. Kihby. and A. \Y r . Wood.

California boasts of nearly "000 miles of oiled roads. 'l'he crude petroleum used as a dressin;> has transformed dusty and often imp;issab|e highways into excellent thorough ares, and made motor travelling over them a pleasure and delimit. Of ihe r>7 counties of the State •!0 now have oiled ronds. The first experiment with oil was made in J SDH, and it was -found that when it -was applied it immediately liejjan to hind together the loose particles on the surface, and form a stratum resembling asphalt. California now occupies a foremost position in mileage of jruod roads as a result of this method.

IK mm the Jiiaimfiiciinvr to von. Unit's the motto at "The a JuV sjivillain every line; no midtllciiian's profit cm their goods. Ten dozeu miilircllas just landed from Kngland we are selling :it; .'is CM, 1 Id- 4s /id, -Is Hd, up to 12s fid. Men's Tweed Caps, Is; Boys' Tnnie 'Suils. Ss lid; Boys' Overcoats, 8s (id; Glen's Oilskins. 10s fid; Good Heavy Kutrs, Ud j Brief JtogH, 7s 0d; Men's Overcoals, 2.w; Men's Pyjamas, is lid: Men's iSliii'is, .'to lid, iifc lite , money-saving store, "The Kasli/' Dcvoji I Mivei, jnsl Mmv Nolan and Wilson's, J Auction Mart, New Plymouth.—Advt,

A loa(let issued Jiy tlifi Agricultural Department shows the exports dining jUarcfi. Pa tea «ent 732Je\vt butter (value tliiijlHiU), ll,Booc\vt cheese (value Ci.'MH), i(i!)7ewt frozen heel' |(-Cl(if>7), 518cwt frozen mutton (JJ45>2), iM)cwl frozen lamb (.C42!>).

The Rev. [\. ,|. Campbt'll, now famous for his New Theology, is reported to have said recently:—"ln tile primitive M'lise of illo word, the Labor party is itself a chinch, because if is bent nj>on the rcniisation of a moral ideal, and lias i become the instrument of the cosmic (purpose towards that cnil."

We uiah'rstaiul that an a])pcal has been lodged by Mr. (Juilliani. solicitor Jor Mr. W. lury. against-the decision of the Magistrate in the ease of Omata Road Hoard v. Jury for the recovery of rates. The ease is of considerable interest to local bodies, as it vitally concerns the matters of the sulliciency of the form of demand for rates and tile liability of occupants of Crown lands for

The Hastings stanuard says: "Farmers in thi- district arc very jubilant over the prospects for uc coming winter. As a result of the recent welcome ra4n, feed has become unusually plentiful, so much so that the grass is getting ahead of ih>* stock grazing oil it. I'nder Hueh favorable condition*, farmers s t ate that they wi:l not .-ullVr ii the weather is dry for tile next two months/ 7

A southern paper mentions that the Maoris at jVLoeruki and W'aitaki Kaiks are prophesying a winter thai will begin early, iinish late, and be exceptionally severe while it lasts. Kxperienccc i proves that the nati\»« are ])retty accurate as a rule. Fanners in the south I are of opinion generally that an exn a cold winter would not i)e an unmixed evil as although feed will be short, the ground will be all tuis better for the sweetening which frost gives. Mr JF. il. K Fisher, who has been visiting YVestlanu, l'ound that Kumara, that was once uproariously prosperous, has fallen on sad days. As instancing the decline ol the town, he said that during his visit to the coast, a liivtclass hotel, freehold, was sold, lock, stock, and barrel, as a going concern, for Xl2O. Quite near by a quarteracre section, with a five-roomed cottage, was gladly sold for £3B. it turns out (says a Dunedin paper) that the diver iluglws, who so pluekily rescued the Italian miner Varischctii iji a West Australian mint on the 2Sth of last month, was at one time employed as a ropeman in the Koslyn Tramway Company's Service. After having been in the company's empioy for about lifteeu mouths he left Dunedin about a year ago for West Australia. Several of the hands have had communications from him since he left ihe colony, and there is little doubt that this diver Hughes is the Frank Hughes whom they all knew. When the rescue was first reported the employees of the Tramway Company subscribed and forwarded him a congratulatory cable message complimenting him on his piucky rescue of the entombed miner,

Sir William llusspll, who is visiting Canicrbbury at present, told a reporter that he still felt enpable of rendering some service to the country, and that he had not abandoned nil idea of re-enter-ing political life, but he would rather see some younger men of his own way of thinking—at any rate, quite as Radical as lie—in the lieltl. lie did not intend to let the next election in his own district go by default. There was still room for an active, vigilant, progressive Opposition, that would not be afraid of itself, or of the other side, and that would make an earnest, well sustained effort to l.oing electors back to the principles of prudent practice. Jt was a great pity that capable men of the younger generation showed so little disposition to take up public life. They were clearly failing iu their duty to the

The Xew Plymouth United ([ynmu slum Club held its season-opening social on Thursday night in the Whiteley Ha'j. There was a very largo number o.f members and intending member* present, and the guests included lis Worship the Mayor and Mrs Dockrill, Rev. S. S. and Mrs Osborne, Ilev. T. G. ami Mrs Brooke, Mr and Mrs C. Carter, Mr and Mrs IT. Black, Mr X. K. McDiarmid, and Mr K. Cock. At supper the President, Mr Walter Ambnry, welcomed the visitors on behalf of the Club, and Messrs MeDiarmid. Cock, and Dockrili returned thank- 1 , congratulating the club on the successes achieved and wishing the members a pleasant ;ind prosperous soa-r-on. The evening was spent principally in parlor games, and a very enjoyahh social was jhn result. The management was in the hanns of the club committee, and the ladit's and gentlemen who form that committee are deserving of the greafe.So credit for the manner in which the afVair was conducted.

11l the course of an article, the Mercantile Gazette gives a warning as to the duration of the present high prices of lands. Says our contemporary: "Land gambling bus never been of much beiielit to the colony, it must, however, be admitted that a certain amount of laud has changed hands genuinely, land at greatly enhanced prices, but this is a very .small proportion. At the proKent time there is very little real estate? being sold, and the indications point to a steady decline in values. There has been io some extent a demand for broad acres, in the districts where land is relatively cheap, and this arise* from the fact that in the more efoscly I settled districts farmers have been temptcil by the absurdly high prices offering to quit 'their properties, and those who have sold out are seeking opportunities of securing other properties. The land gambling in the cities is nearly at an end, ami when the reaction consequent, on the close of Iho Exhibition is felt tlicre will be greater dullness/'

A somewhat painful case, which we refrained from mentioning before, came before the Magistrate again yesterday. A young woman was recently before the Court on a charge of lunacy, but after medical examination she was thought to be hardly lit for a lunatic asylum. She was handed over to the Charitable Aid Board, and placed miner observation at the 01*1 People's Home. She stayed there for a few days, and 'then strayed away When she returned, her clothes were soaking, and it is thought she had been in the sea. She remained at the Home for a while,but against left, and on search being made sae was found near the beach in the company of a man. Tier remarks On the constable's arrival showed she ought to be adder surveillance. She returned to the institution, where she remained ui\til a few days ago, and then she. walked out to Tataraiiuaka to see a friend. Leaving there yesterday, she walked again into town, and turned lup at the police station, hatless, and j with her hair wet and dishevelled, and 'her mental balance 'temporarily unhinged. On Thursday morning she was again before the Court, and the Magistrate granted a remand for seven days, <o give time for enquiry as to a suitable institution to receive the girl. She is, iu the meantime, in charge of the matron at the gaol.

The pubiic just-learn* (says a London paper) that it did not know where eels bred, but it seems that the problem has iong puzzled biologists. Da: • h marine I investigators have now romp'.-: <1 investigations proving that sob'. a- Iho Knropean eel population is eoneernH. the creatures spawn at a depth of r>">o fathoms in the Atlantic Ocean contiguous to the British Isles and south-west-ern Fau-ope. From innumerable eggs I her appear tiny lawne called leptoeephali, which are transparent, jeliy-liko nnd flat, having something of the contour of a tailless herring. It is not known how long the eggs take to develop the Icptoeephali, but the latter occupy six months in transition to the familiar elvers, wliicn arc about two I inches long. The elvers then migrate in countless swarms to the shores of I Western Kuropo, travelling in columns sometimes several yards wide and miles long. Nothing stops their progress. If they encounter a ship they separato to jhe right nnd left and rejoin in the vessel's wake. They invade every river nnd waterway on the coasts, ascending stealthily iuiaud. They even ascend small "waterfalls, penetrate streams, and wriggle over swiunpty grounds # into ponds nnd ditches. Sing a song of Peppermint,

The cun! that's made by Woods. For one and sixpciicp worth of cost A. sovereign's worth of good. When the bottle's opened. Its praise all people sing;

Tis certain such a sovereign Cure Would set up any King.

Storage accommodation for furniture arid other goods is provided by the New Zealand "Express Co., Lt., in the : r brick buildings, Jh'ougham street, New Plymouth. The building having a raised floor, all risk from damp is obviated. Goods carted or forwarded to any ad•dress,—Advt. _ j rj. _ g

Tin- Auckland S(ar savs: Kilha. n chief "f the Ngatimaniapoto tribe, came ;is a Maori deputation of one (ii Iln> Minister «t Lands, i.ll the rabbit question. lie was invited to .sit ({owii, but declined. -I atii Hiicr, | s t in „| u] , to speak," In' e\ plained, "Siilufal it.ns to vim all," ho ooutinued. "S'o K ,,<nl Hi,, rabbit |iois(,ii: pay threepenny auaiu. that s all. I'.ia ova." Tin* speaker eniphasied his brief utterance by prefacing till' phrase rabbit poison ivilli a -n----quinary adjective. This deputation was unique in Mr. MoXab's experience.

The other Jay Isayii Ule N'ortli Olago Times) a swarm of her took possession ol' a chemise's shop in Oamaru, and al- ' though tlie proprietor did his best to "shoo" thorn out tlicj wouldn't go, and I lie consci|uencc was that his customers had to make their wants known from (lie foot path, and tile chemist laid to brace his nerves to the sticking point, and run the gauntlet of the Imsy lives, who were prepared with their ' implements of warfare to defend (lie position they had taken up. An otl'shooi from the same hive obtained ingress to u bank, and buzzed about as if they intended to make a fixed deposit with every official ill the ,:i.ice. Another hive settled on tile stock of a confectioner. and here they weie at peace with all the world but those who molested them in their vigorous onslaught on the sugar.

It. is not often one Jtids a Catholic priest, taking a militant part in ratepayers' meetings or other gatherings (says a contemporary), but lather Howell, of Whangarci, is an exception. The peaceful, beautiful little Northern town is going to drain itself when the ratepayers collect their minds into one heap, and at a ratepayers' meeting lately seven columns 0/ llent were fired oil' about it. Nothing definite was done for six columns, except (]uarrel. Then the good father rose and said: "H should not be a question of going slowly, as danger threatened Under the liresent state of a (lairs. It was held that rates would rise if the proposal were adopted: it was very certain that mortality would rise if it were not. if they went on shilly shaliying there would be no drainage scheme'until the Judgment Day, 01' that probably being a busy jday, not until the day after."

A pitiful talc- of uniilial conduct was presented to the CiiristuhureiL Court lust week, when an old woman, apparent'y sparsely clad, ami nearly deaf alia inlinn, came before Hie justices chared with vagrancy. She was about 7fl .wars of age, and in such a nervous and weak condition that even with assistance she was unable to step in lha tlocii, ami was allowed to stand behind the solicitors' benches, supporting herself hy holding on to the back of one of the forms. Her name was Mary Ann liarvis, and according to Station-Sergeant Norwood, she hail been residing in J)arlield for some time. She was supposed to be insane by her relatives, and was sent to Christchurch in order to have her committed 10 a mental hospital, but the doclors would not certify that .she was insane. Her daughter. who had accompanied her up to that time, refused to have anything more to do with her, nnd abandoned her mealier, all attempts to reason with her being futile. The police then adopted the only course possible in oilier to have her looked after.

Discussing iho position in Manchuria, the China Cazette says:—"Japan has taken Kussia'a place in the leased territory of Kuantung, and is making it unprofitable for a single white man to go there. Japan, using the Manchuria ttailwrny Company hor instrument, is creating a monopoly in Southern Manchuria, which make* tile annexation of the country merely a question of time. The port of Xewchwang, a British-open-ed port, where Englishmen have handled the trade of Manchuria for nearly half a century, is being so shackled by Japanese ingenuity, and so Hooded by thousands of Japanese, that the white trader is almost doomed. The Japanese advance has reached as far as Kuancheggtzu. which is nearly 500 miles north of Port Arthur, and from the limit of their railway zone they are now pouring into Northern Manchuria. The Chinese army is being armed, with east-off Japanese cannon and muskets, sold at fabulous profits; Japanese officers are teaching Chinese soldiers as much as it is ibemcd wise for them to know at the, present, moment; and in Japanese schools iind academies Chinese youths are being made to believe that the European is »v»v a totally \nm<-or-ss3ry luxury, and his continued preserc can insult to the Chinese Empire.