LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 1 August 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Messrs Boon Brothers are now m iking good progress with the erection of the new ' public library and reading room in King street. '1 lie Compensation Court, to hear the ease M. .1. Jones and others v. the Minister for Public Works, will to-morrow be further adjourned to 10 o'clock on Saturday morning. His Honor Mr Jus tiee Denniston will preside. Tn reply to a question in the House yesterday, the Minister replied that the matter of granting a bonus to producers of kerosene oil of approved quality from : products obtainable in the colony, is Hilda consideration.

In a paragraph in yesterday's issue a dairy produce representative was made to say that 10% d per lb would be ihc ruling price for the best New Zealand butters this season. It should have read 10',4d, with an occasional 10% d for favored brands. Another produce merchant tells us that lOd is a more likely average price for the season about to open.

The Recreation Sports Ground Committee has now enclosed its ground with an eleagnus hedge. Pungas and oth:-r trees havo been planted about the. ban Its; The turfing on the terraces is setting well, and the place is beginning to look quite ship-shape. The newly-sown grass is improving fast, but it does not look strong enough yet for football. Visitors to New Plymouth speak very highly of the new ground, which they consider will be. unsurpassed in the colony.

On Tuesday evening a most enjoyable concert was given in the Omata Hall by Mr Cowio in aid of the Sundayschool prizes. Two 'bus loads of merry children and adults left town at nn early hour. Every item on the programme was greatly appreciated, enenres being tho order of the evening. Mr Cowio is to be congratulated on the success of his recent concerts, last nigh\t's concert being a great buccons fimlicially nnd otherwise- Amongst the host of willing helpers were the. ladies of Omata nnd Miss W. Baker, of New Plymouth. • ' ! "":. : rr*RW

Perambulator pushers fully appreciate the improvements in Devon street now being carried out by the Borough Council. After many years tho footpath crossings have been brought into consonance with the times. The dr ip from footpath to gutter has been done away with, and now the footwalks present a continuous line even at street, corners, tho water being taken in irou culverts. Devon street has long been an outstanding reproach, but now ihc councillors are endeavoring to have 't made to look a little like a street in a modern borough.

The Hon. 11. lleNab has issued instructions to the Lands and Survey Department that the name Middle Island is not to be used in future. This name, which is regarded by many as entirely a misnomer, dates back to the foundation of the colony. The South Island appears in the oldest- maps as "T'avai poenammo," or some other corruption of Te Wahi Poenamu, with the addition of the pakeha term, ''or Middle Island," Stewart Island being regarded as the South Island. AVlten the South Island became New Minister, under the two-pro-vince system, it still retained the name Middle Island, which has stuck to it in maps ever since.

Writes au ex-New Plymouth-ite from Uisborne to a local friend:—"There is very little metal to be obtained in the district, and the second-rate stuff coats from 15s to S&s a yard. This is a wonderfully rich district, and the town is in a prosperous condition. Poverty Bay as a district is not half opened up yet. Talk about Taranaki roads, they are not a circumstance to the bogs the settlers here have to pat up with in poverty Bay. Two boats a week comprise the only outlet to the rest of the world; the railway is only a toy affair 2U miles long, and railway communication with I Auckland is twenty years off. The big question agitating {lie public mind here lis an outer harbor. Two or three hun-

dred thousand pounds has bcea sunk in a river harbor in the last decade or two, and it is only for small vessels; tlie large vessels lie out in the roadstead. The outer liarboF is to cost £350,000, and the rating question is the bone of contention. A Bill is now before Parliament, and if passed the breakwater will not lie commenced until the end of next year. The town is just getting a water supply; llie contract will shortly be completed. Drainage! Absolutely none, aud all the old fossils are lighting against ;t proposed comprehensive scheme,"

The Surveyor-Oncral's report oil the. working of his department shows that the new year commenced with a lield staff of seventy-three surveyors, and a very large amount of work in progress., which will wilh certainty be supplemented very materially from time to time; and with the prospect of the new purchases under the Land for Settlements Act, and heavy calls upon the department for surveys of native lands, in connection with Native Land Boards, etc., there is a likelihood of the neces-, sity for an increase in the number of surveyors so us to cope with it. Apart from some .15fH> square miles of minor triangulation in hand., and that which will be found nectary to control the surveys to be made, there i'i the hands of the surveyors at the pi .-;cnt time •133,472 acres for settlement work, 524,(H2 acres of it being seetiojial and 88liO acres "provisional settlement." Of the former, there are no less than 310 misurveyed si-lections, representing 145,106 acres, which are now receiving special attention, so that Ihe applicants may be put in possession. . This particular work is being rapidly pushed forward, and a considerable portion of it will shortly be completed. The start* has also In hand Native Land Court <urveys to the extent of 102,(504 acres and 3Ci2 miles of road survey, besides a considerable amount of miscellaneous work.

I'itiitoa Costumes arc popular at White'*. A great many have been sold this last few days, nn<!, to quote a market ii inn, are now yoing strong. Of our :.p"cial jacket line, about 17 remain, and go at !M to-day.—Advt. THE "lIAHKN ETT" MILKING MACHTNE. Progress is the word. No sane man would buy out-of-date machinery when new and improved can be obtained at the same price. Such is tile case with milking machines. The "flai-tnoii" is now installed in the Rongotea and Glen Oroun districts and farmers arc delighted. Be wise. Inspect all existing milking machines at work, including the 'Hiirtnett." After that, we are prepared to abide by your own judgment. Can anything fairer bo said? Do not he led away by talk oi riTnl agents. Tell Mieui you intend to satisfy yourself beore placing orders. For full informa.ion apply to C T)ahl and Co., Palmere;on North, or their local agents, the Taranaki Farmers' 0o„ IM. .. g -,

Large lmmbors of buyers drove out |from New Plymouth yesterday morning to attend Mr Newton King's sale of Mr Allan Hell's herd of hjgh-gr.vlo cattle.

Who will now objcc't to the New Plymouth harbor ext,elision and question the ultimate oversea trade? 'New Plymouth has been gazetted "a port for the importation of playing cards." The old Held guns from the Drill Hall aroused some interest yesterday afternoon in Devon street, on their way to the Theatre Royal for some of the tableaux at the Taranaki Killes' concert tonight.

Wanganui is going in for municipal tramways and tenders are b.'ltv; called for the construction. The contractors there are unable to obtain metal suplilies, and a well-known New Plymouth contractor has been asked to tender for 10,000 yards of boulder stone. 11l It ho Police Court yesterday, Win. Sarten, an old offender, was lined £1 and costs, in default seven days' gaol, on a charge of procuring liquor for .lames Alexander Reed, -a prohibited person. Tim latter, for being dru'ik during tho currency of his prohibition order, was lined 10s and costs.

A meeting of tho Marsbnd Hill Memorial Committee was held lasi night. Several additional donations were, reported, bringing the total to a little over £250, The secretary reported tluilt the Garrison Hand liad kindly offered to give a performance in aid of tho funds. The offer was accepted, and the thanks of the committee will be tendered to the band.

A|ithe Magistrate's Court at Opunakc three natives, Tutu, Wharere and HaJ, were convicted of sly grog-selling at Parihaka. Tutu keeps a billiard-room, and tho evidence showed that on June 20 he was selling liquor there. After a certain amount of evidence had been

taken he pleaded guilty, and the other defendants entered a similar plea before any evidence was called. The Magistrate fined each £lO and cost 6, pointing out that a serious offence had been committed against both pakc'ia and Maori law. The committee of tho recently formud .branch of the Civil Service Association for 'l'aranaki province, comprising Messrs Bannister, Cook and S. Harrington (Lands and Survey), Wiggs (Roads) Banks (Justice),Brittain (Agricultural, S. Hill (Valuation), J. li. Heinpton (Customs), and Fletcher (Deeds) met last night, and elected officers as follows:—Chairman, Mr S. Hill; viiechainnan, Mr S- CarringLon; secretary and /treasurer, Mr Wiggs. It was resolved to ask the provincial members of Parliament to support the classification and Superannuation Bills as outlined in tho Governor's speech, and also to communicate with all civil servants in the province wth a view to affording them an opportunity to join the Association. It is intended to hold social gatherings of tho Association at regular intervals.