The Daily News WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 11 September 1907, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11.

At a meeting of the Xew Plymouth Fire Brigade last night it was decided to support Pieton as the place for holding the next conference. The Western Park Committee wish to acknowledge the donation of £(> from the Railway Sucial Committee, being the .proceeds of the euchre party and dance held last week. ('apt. Edwin wired yesterday:—Westerly strong winds to gale; tides high; sea considerable: raiii probable after l(i hours; glass fall; after 10 hours weather probably warmer. A Westport paper estimates that four hundred tons of dynamite will be used in the boring operations of the Otira Tunnel, on the West Coast, at a cost of over £40,000. Since December 16th last 1577 sacks of wheat and 14,431 sacks of Hour have been exported from Melbourne to New Zealand, and the week before last 450 sacks of flour were shipped from Sydney. The eribbbage and euchre players of the local Fire Brigade have picked up the gauntlet Hung down by tlu Carringlon Koad champions. The tussle for pride of place will take place at the Central Fire Station next Wednesday night. A gang of men is at present employed m remetalling the breakwater road from the Freezing Works corner towards the hotel. It is to be hoped that something will be done to that part of the road from the hotel to the 'bus terminus, as in its pres.-nt bumpy state it is very heavy ou vehicular traffic. In the District Court yesterday afternoon (before the Clerk, Mr. "Banks) John William Stewart, of Koru, a contractor, was adjudged a bankrupt upon the petition of William Kowc, seed merchant, of Xew Plymouth. Mr. Standish appeared for the petitioning creditor, and the debtor was represented by Mr. Quilliam. The work of widening- the wharf at tlie harbor has been rapidly pushed on. As the supply of piles has been exhausted the work will practically be at a standstill for a time. Tenders for a further ripply of piles were called some time ago, but none were received. Fr.sh ours will now be called with some alterations in the specifications. 'The President of the Arbitration Court has fixed the loth day of October next, at 10 a.m., for a sitting of the court in this district to hear a claim for compensation under "The Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act, 1000," by the relatives of the late Hugh Wilson, who was killed on the Xew Plymouth railway deviation works. A total eclipse of the sun will occur on January 3rd next year, th- line of totality passing over two known islands in the Pacific. Flint Island lias been chosen for American observation, and two expeditions to visit the place have been equipped. There will also be a total eclipse of the sun on May 11th. 1!>10, visible in Tasmania, and a total eclipse of the sun will be visible in Sydney on April 28th, 1911. Civil court business is mostly about "filthy lucre." Xot often is "filthy lucre" personified. But sucli a thing happened in the local court yesterday, when a man named Lucre was called upon to answer a judgment summons. His excuse for non-payment of the judgment debt was that "he had latterlv been extinguishing a debt of half-a-guinea owing to a local barber for "a razor and other necessaries" purchased from him. • The girls of the United Gymnasium Society gave a performance fast night in the Whitcley Hall for the benefit of their friends. Many new items were rendered, including a candle march and fire-clubs by six young ladies. The bovs gave a similar display on Monday night, when they also showed many new items, including the human anchor tableau. Master Ronnie Lints, aged five, gave a splendid performance ou the parallel bars. Both classes show great improvement and reflect credit on their instructor. In the Stipendiary Magistrate's Court yesterday morning judgment was given by default in two cases, as follow: M. Johnston (Mr. Quilliam) v. George Martin, claim £4 0s 3d, and costs 10s; M. Johnston (Mr. Quilliam) v. W. J. Smith, claim £3 His lid, and costs 10s. In a judgment summons Carrad and Howe (Mr. Weston) v. Lucre, claim £3 0s fid, an order was made for payment within seven days, in default seven days' imprisonment with hard labour at New Plymouth gaol. The Hawera Star thus comments upon Xew Plymouth's harbor traffic when (he Main Trunk line is completed: must be borne in mind that the trunk railway trip will be a tedious journey and pretty expensive (00, and' during the summ:>r months, when most of the travelling is done, the steamers, we doubt not, will continue to have a larj'o amount of trade. As to the winter, the case is rather different. From what has occurred in the past we judge that the steamer companies do not find the daily service very profitable in the off season, and if there be any reduction of the passenger traffic and a lessening of .the mail subsidy, the winter service may come back to tri-weeklv. Such a retrograde step would be verv unwelcome, not only, to Xew Plymouth, but to people at various points south of that town." In regard to luggagerhecking and making the timetables more convenient, our contemporary thinks that in these matters the Railway Department will have the power of determination, and if it wants to divert traffic to the trunk line perhaps it will not take very kindly to suggestions for improving *the coastal service On the whole it will probably be found that (he coastal service 'will hold its own fairly well, but it is a matter that needs watching. "The maintenance, of a good service is, we venture to hold, of greater importance to New Plymouth and _ Tarana'ki generally than the promotion of direct ocean-going trade, for if ocean-going steamers interfered to any extent with the freight of the coastal boats injury would be done which would not be recouped by the occasional visit of a big Home steamer during a portion of the year. We arc in sympathy with X r ew Plymouth as a matter of provincial sentiment, but beyond that it must be recognised that if the steamer service should be restrict- i cd the through railway service nonenjoyed might be weakened. So we hope '■ .New Plymouth will hold its own."