The Daily News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 31 October 1907, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31.

A first-offending drunk was convicted and discharged in the Police Court yesterday. Local restaurant-keepers, it is slated, arc considering Uic advisablcness of increasing the price of meals. The Bngli-li mail despatched from Wellington, via Naples, on the 2011 i September, arrived in L"mien on tile 27th inst.

The Public Works Department, lias accepted the tender of Mr. .1. W. Boon for station buildings at lluiroa, on the Stratford-Whangamomona line. The theft is reported of a silvermounted ilintlock pistol and a six-cham-bered Colt revolver from the Taranaki Rifles' orderly-room. A well-known resident, would probably receive a shock this morning. About midnight a posse of prowlers was observed, so a late caller at our office reported, to be hoisting a stolen laundry sign upon the resident's fence. King's Birthday in New .Plymouth will be observed oil Monday. 11th November. A truism uttered by Mr. Dock rill yesterday afternoon was to the effect that the lady members of a congregation are the most active church workers.

At a meeting of the New Plymouth Employers' Association on Monday it was decided to urge on the Minister of Labor the desirability of assisting immigration of skilled workmen. A protest against any official reception of Mr. Keir Hardie was adopted. The Taranaki County Council's representation on the District Hospital Board has been increased by one member. The representation now is as follows: t Taranaki County three members, New ' Plymouth two, Clifton County, Egmont County (portion), and Waitara Borough and- Ing'.ewood Borough combined one each.

Three youths, Walter Kendall (14 years), Cecil Ardcn (14), and Clifford Arden (15) were yesterday arraigned on a charge of theft of two fowls, the property of George Bishop. They were warned by the Magistrate and told to behave themselves in the future, the parents being ordered to make good the loss and pay costs, and requested give the lads a good "tanning" as an additional preventive of a repetition.

The Tradesmen's Association has affirmed the desirability of having a morning train arriving in New Plymouth earlier than the present train from Hawera, to facilitate higher education. For the lieuelit of the general and trading public the association will also ask for a Saturday night train outwards, and has appointed Messrs. Baker and Whitaker to co-operate with the Education Board and the Chamber of Commerce in

asking the Railway Department for these concessions.

"You understand English?" "Yes," very doubtfully. "You know what a prohibition order is?" "Yes," more doubtfully, perhaps. "You understand we tell the publican not to give you any more liquor, beer, whisky? You don't mind the prohibition order?" All these queries and answers in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The Maori defendant answered: "It missus, she want mete prohibition." Then the interpreter took a hand, and the prohibition order against Whare l'uni, to take effect in the Taranaki and Egmont districts, was made.

There was an attendance of from thirty to forty at the meeting of parishioners held last night to discuss the proposals to enlarge St. Mary's Church building. The Kev. J. B. Brocklehurst presided. The vestry brought down a recommendation to erect a new aisle on the north side of the present building. This was rejected, and the meeting adopted the original scheme of Mr. C. H. Mountfort, to erect a new chancel and north transept, with the proviso that work should not be commenced until £2500 is in hand. The Education Board has received a circular from the Department that it : s prepared to grant assistance to the holding of cadet battalion camps as under:— Train fares to be paid if the distance docs not exceed twenty miles; allowances of 3s lid a head for seven days' camp: camp equipment as far as available (damage to be made good); not less than 200 of all ranks to be in camp; an adequate number of experienced officers to be in charge; wherever practicable an instructor of the Defence Office will be attached lo the camp for instructional purposes.

A young man met with a nasly experience the other night in a town not iii.jny hundred miles from Taranaki. He had just seen his "best girl" home, and was returning by a short cut to his own home. Passing a dark alleyway, he was net upon by three men, overpowered, and thrashed. They adjured him, on pain of further dire penalties, to give up his lady-love. He didn't seem to relish the idea. Then one of his newly-found enemies struck a match, "it isn't Jim at all.' Then they gave him a parting kick and left. They had struck the wrong man.

Teams representing the New Plymouth and Fitzroy Fire Brigades met in a card tournament at the Central File Station last night. The town players secured a will by fourteen games. The results were—Cribbage, Sew Plymouth 35, Fitzrov 22; euciue, New l'lymoutli 21, i'itzroy 20. Forty-four players took part. Supper was served, and a very enjoyable evening was spent. Foreman Partington, in the absence of Captain Bellringer, thanked the visitors for their attendance, and Captain Grifliths responded. Each brigade having now notched a win, a "conqueror" match will be arranged, and will probably uke place at I'itzroy. in the Police Court yesterday several residents were lined for breaches of the borough by-laws. For driving across the Powderhain-strect bridge at other than a walking pace F. E. Urbell was lined 3s and costs. Fines of as and costs were iiillicted upon William Yardley, Thomas Stewart, Frank Area, Frank kecnaii, Fred Doughty, Albeit Knight, and William ioung Campbell, all charged with having driven round Ihe Devoli-firoughaiu-slrect cornci' at other than a walking puce. William C. Nixon was lined Is and coats for riding a bicycle in the borough without a bell. 'The nominal penalties were inliicted at the suggestion of Mr. Quilliam, borough solicitor, who stated the borough authorities simply wished to intimate that the bylaws must be observed.

"tdiiid .Nunc'' writes to us as follows: —"lie the paragraph appearing iu your issue of yesterday auent the dillicuily of getting girls for dressmaking iu Wellington, aud the statement made by the \\ anganui paper that a local linn had been obliged to discontinue dressmaking on account of a similar dilliculty, I wonder to what extent this slate of allairs is due to tile tacLics of some em ployers of dressmakers in the past. It was common complaint before the factory legislation came into vogue that a certain large employer of dressmakers in Wellington (and I believe , there were others cases where the practice was pursued) was in the habit of taking on girls at nothing a week for the first six months and as a week afterwards. The latter stage, however, was not reached in the majority of eases, as the girls' services were dispensed with as soon as they claimed the ss, and other girls taken in their places. Many parents were so disgusted with this treatment that they sought other avenues of employment for their girls, A somewhat similiar process is going on now. ihe facto/y legislation provides for certain wage*--small enough they are, too: being paid under corlain conditions, hut the majority of employers never pay a fraction beyond the pulsory wage, and if cannot be wondered at if the girls are not 'rushing' Ihe compulsory pittance. Then, again, I lie apparently alluring offer of the free use of a f 1 r-■ -- making-room and appliances is not always what it appears; I know it is frequently regarded as Tisliy.' it operates in most cases in a similar manner to the tied public-house. The dre-s makcu who accepts the olfer llmls herself tied to her 'benefactor' and h;<» to purchase her materials from him ai prices beyontl what she can procure tliem for elsewhere —in return for the free- use of a room and a batch oi antediluvian sewing machines out of repair anil more fit for the scrap-heap. I do not claim that this is so in every ease. but 1 have known of instances. All sorts of evils have been attributed to factory legislation, but. if a eerhiu class of employers had liot been guilly of 'shady' and contemptible pr.ieti -e----in the past, there would not have been the necessity for such legislation. As it is, if the legislation is at all irksome, the just have to suffer for the unjust."

("las stoves on hire 3s fid per month. Bath heaters 2s per month. With the return of summer instal one in your homes. Write to Gas Company, New Plymouth,—Advfc.