LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 24 September 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

New Plymouth is to have an additional street-watering cart this summer. There's no doubt that we have work for the two, perhaps more. The conference of meat inspectors is being held chiefly For the purpose of fixing a uniform standard in connection with the slaughter of cattle for the boned meat trade. ■ ' At last night's Council meeting mention was made of the excellent results which had attended the alterations to the street channeling in Broughamstreet at its intersection with Vivian and Devon streets. Pedestrians have frequently remarked on these improvements effected by the borough foreman and his staff.

Mr T. A. Edison, the famous electrician, replying to a letter asking his opinion as to the effect of ironsand on a ship's compass, writes: "There must lie an immense liody of iron near the Mew Zealand coast, judging from the magnetic sands well known to exist there. I have no doubt this body of ore would cause deviation in a ship's compass."

The Moturoa Lodge of Druids met last evening, there being a large attendance of members, Owing to the death of P.D.G.P. Bro. J. Maekay, the lodge was adjourned. The secretary" was instructed to forward letters of condolence to the members of Bro. Mackay's family and to Bro. G. E. Blanchai'd, who lately lost his only son. P.A. Bro. Isaacs, of Pacific 1-oilge, and Bro. Good, of Palmerston Lodge, paid a fraternal visit and were welcomed by D.P. Bro. H. J. llobbs.

The sexton at Te Ilciiui Cemetery has received orders from the Borough Colin- j oil to accept no telephoned instructions regarding dimensions of graves, etc., and tile town undertakers have been liotilieu accordingly. Quite lately these tele- • phoned instructions have caused some J inconvenience. In one case the sexton provided a child's grave 40 inches long when one of 4 feet (i

inches was required. Fortunately he was able to enlarge the grave whilst the service was being conducted at the mortuary chapel. This was mentioned at the Council meeting last night. Cr. Bollringer.complained that, whereas the cemetery should be managed with the greatest amount of care ami witii the least instruction to the public, it Has being carried on in a most slipshod manner.

Jn New Zealand, as a rule, a mall is his own architect of wealth, lie measures himself with competitors anil surpasses them because he lias better I money-making powers. The rich man may owe his country 110 greater opportunity, 110 more protection and aid Hum the poor man, yet he owes it more because it has paid him more wealth, says the Post. Then rank has its obligations. No man ever grows wealthy by his own labor entirely. He must employ others to work for his wealth, and often it is out of their surplus of earnings above wages that his wealth is created. Or chance has helped him. By the accident of being on the right spot at the right time he has succeeded where other men, Ms equals in ability, have failed. A New Zealander writes from London:—lt is said that there are 14,000 'bus horses in London, and a really good lot they are. 'lliey are kept in splendid condition. I was in London for seven weeks, and I don't think I noticed a single horse in any way out of condition. Host of them are kept in twosturiod buildings, and have to walk up riseways to their stalls. They are bedded on peat-moss, and fed a great deal oil maize. Many of these horses come from Canada, and the drivers speak very highly of them as compared with tlie "heavy-headed brutes" they used to get from the Continent. It is extraordinary how intelligent and educated these horses become, and even in the thickest traffic they seem to know exactly the right thing to do under the circumstances.

On a number of farms in the Seafield, Pendarves, Newlands and Kyle district, says the Lvttclton Times, lambing has finished, fairly good percentages being reported. One farmer says he had 95 per cent,, while others report having over 100 per cent.; but of course this number may be reduced as a result of docking operations. Despite the coldness of the weather and the accompanying rain and sleet, there has not been a heavy mortality among lambs, but a few newly-lton! lambs in a number of flocks arc reported to have died in consequence of Friday night's rain, while a corresponding number of old and weakewes also have perished, flraziers say that up till the present the lambing season has been equal to,if not better, than that of last year—a fact on which they have reason to congratulate themselves.

The liev. Frederick C. Spun' (C'oilgregationalist), of London, startled some of his people the other day by attending and ollieiating at a funeral of one of his deacons attirfd in a grey suit of clot ill's. The innovation was quite intentional. and Jlr Spurr defended his action, "fn the first place," he said, "I do. not believe in death, and I think that if people busied themselves preparing how to live instead of preparing ]iow to die, the world would be 11 better place. I am heartily sick of the paganism that is connected with a good many Christian funerals. If we honestly believe that a good Christian has gone into a higher and truer life, why should we wear clothes even suggesting that he is dead or done with? It was Charles Dickens' protest in all his works, and in future I will not conduct funerals in a black suit. I would rather wear a white cassock surplice than a black suit."

Two species of cuckoo come to New Zealand every year; one from Australia and the other from Tahiti. The (lights entailed are from 1200 to 1500 miles, and comment upon the fact was made by Mr J. Thornton Nott i.ll the course of a lecture given in Wellington the other night. He said, that the cuckoo was a lazy bird, and apart from the New Zealand specimens there were none that make a llight of over 200 miles. How, then, had this extraordinary characteristic been developed? It seemed to Mr Scott that it had arisen through New Zealand, in times very far remote, having been a part of a now submerged continent that stood very much nearer to Tahiti and Australia than was now the case. The sinking had been a very gradual, imperceptible process, and the cuckoo in its llights from year to year had been unable to appreciate the difference in distance, until now it was annually making a llight seven or eight times greater than what it originally flew.

Columbia University, to which Pro- | fessor 1!. C. Maclaurin, of Victoria College, Wellington, has just been appointed, is noted for its size and status. It has 5000 students and nearly 400 professors and lecturers. The mathematical department, to which Professor Maclauvin is going, is staffed with 13 professors 8 assistant professors, and 23 lecturers and instructors. The appointment of Professor Maclaurin to Columbia was not of his own seeking. He was approacljed directly by the university authorities, and the offer made was of such a favorable character that, much as he had wished, and, indeed, as he had intended, he could not refuse it. The secretary of the Royal Society (London) was asked by the Americtn authorities to recommend a man of eminence in the scientific world for the appointment, and Professor Maclaurin's name was at once selected. Professor Maclaurin will lake the chair which has been specially created to encourage postgraduate research in mathematical physics, and that work Professor Maclaurin will do exclusively, having nothing Co j do with the ordinary teaching of under- j graduates. GIGANTIC CONSPIRACY.

'Tis a gigantic conspiracy of Coughs and Colds against you. Foil it with Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery for Coughs, Colds, and Consumption. Price Is Gd ,nd 3s. Obtainable everywhere.

Saturday, 21st instant, is the closing day of the Melbourne Clothing Company's great "make room" sale of boots and shoes, and this last opportunity of securing stunning bargains should not be neglected. Here is part of the offerings in detail:—Nugget polish, 2 tins for 7tl: Nugget sets (brush, pad, and tin polish), Is (id: ladies' Ifls fid bar, lace, or laitton glace shoes, 7s lid; children's glace shoes, sizes 4 to 0, Is 3d and Is !)d: children's chrome school boots, sizes 1 to 0. -Is lid, sizes 10 in in, r>s Od; chrome ward shoes with rubber heels, 5s !>d; leather slippers, 2s Od; men's chrome bals, (Is (id; men's glace bals. 12s fid; men's fine glace bals, "Saxonin" brand, 15s Od; men's inaehine-sewn chrome bals, 10s fid. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years ago debtors were liable to become enslaved to their creditors. Mr. Malone remarked last night that many people wuuld like to see a return of that Bystern,

Punch suggests that Baisnli is taking bis revenge out of lvaid • Mac Lean for introducing the bagpipes into Morocco. An Auckland lady who landed from tin' Corinfliie at Ilobart had, within the last six months, travelled over 30,000 : miles i-i that vessel. Sir Joseph Ward has telegraphed in reply to the Mayor of Hawera, regarding Dominion Day: "Certainly have proclamation read one o'clock, if that is more convenient to your town." Xew Plymouth wants three o'clock fixed. The Dominion Day programme is not vet fixed as far as New Plymouth is concerned. Only the usual lialf-holiday will be observed. The Mayor, at the intanee of the Borough Council, will ask the Premier if the hour for reading the proclamation can be altered to 3 p.m. from 11 a.m., which is considered to be very inconvenient. A suggestion will be made to the military authorities that any military demonstration he carried out on Western Park, not on the racecourse, for the public convenience.

In an interview with an Auckland Herald reporter Dr. Purdy said: "With regard to the whooping cough, it is more destructive to female life than male, and in this respect is the only zymotic disease in which this characteristic shows at each successive age period. It is also held that girls are more liable than hoys to contract this disease. 11l reference to the influence of age calculated ui)on a disease—the experience being based on a ljing period—according to the 51st report of the Registrar-General of Great Britain, it is found that small- | pox, measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria, croup, whooping cough, diarrhoea, and

dysentery are pre-eminently fatal in the lirst five years of life. A high rate of mortality also extends beyond this first ] age period in the case of scarlet fever and diphtheria. The death rate front measles reaches its maximum in the second year of life, and then falls rapidly. Regarding diphtheria, the death rate rises to a maximum in the first four years of life, and then falls at successive age periods until a slight rise occui's again in old age," said tho Health Officer. "Whooping cough proves most fatal in the first year of life, after which the mortality falls year by year, until it readies insignificant proportions beyond the 10 years."

The Borough Council again let ofT steam last night concerning the insanitary state of tho Stamps and Deeds dungeon in the Government Buildings. Councillor Bellringer went further in his condemnation, and referred to the crowding of the Roads and Stock Departments out of the building. He considered this and the continual patching of the old Government buildings were a ''haphazard, slovenly, and slipshod" method. Councillor Collis said it was

incomprehensible in a Government which passed legislation and provided a whole army of inspectors to ensure tint private employers should conserve the health of their employees; the Government was evidently trying to kill its men. The matters will be brought under the notice of the Public Works and Stamps and Deeds Departments, and Mr. Okey, M.H.R. for the district. The borough engineer's report oil the premises is as follows:—"In my opinion the attention of those in authority should fie drawn to the very inadequate insufficient, and cramped accommodation for the public in the Deeds Office. The situation of the new post office has unfortunately made the formerly inadequate accommodation at this office much worse than ever, by blocking the. sunlight, and I feel sure that in its present state this office is anything but satisfactory, if not an actuai menace to tho health of those who have to remain at duty in the office for several hours in the 'day."