LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 3 December 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

'liie Central Selinol annual exaniinaLioiirs will take place this week. An application has been made to the kdin-ation Hoard to lake control of the native school at l'uuiho. -Mr. J. C. Smith, liegistrar, reports that there were 2(i l>iitli, s l(i deaths, and 8 marriages registered for the New Plymouth district last month.

The other day seven and a-half tons of straw and other nesting material ' were removed from a loft in a Taranaki house, where starlings had made their home for a number of years. Where's the inspector! Mr. J. Tlill stated yesterday that the smell from a j slaughterhouse on the Mountain road I not very far out of town caused horses to shy across to the other side of the road! Must lie tall,

"You know what the trouble is, Councillor Adlam," said the chairman of the County Council yeslerHay. ".Men work when they like now, not when you want them to." "Yes," answered Councillor Adlam, "they're boss of the shanty, all right." in the Stipendiary Magistrate's Court yesterday atteruuon Mrs. Percival •sought lo recover custody of her children, now in the charge of the Hospital lioard. The applicani, appeared in person, and Mr. tjuiiliani opposed the application on behalf oi the lioard. The application was refused.

ilie ~\ew i'lymuutli Draughts Club's sealed handicap tourney has been completed. The best scores were —Messrs. I jiant Li7Willis 30, 0. Davy iW/„., ana U . JeiiKiiioon lianuieups ga*e tiie winning poaition to -\Jr. \\. iieata, with -Ur. u. laird. C. Gilbert, the boy draughtsplayer, was lilth.

Mr. V. TiUi'j uf Waitara, who has iur some years been one oi the foremost settlers iu breeding a good typo ok draught horses, inul the misfortune me utiier day to lo»e a valuable draught mare uy Lord .UcUrcgor in foaling, in the past live yean? no has lost seven mares in the same way, the animals all ucing worth lroni £SU to .CSU.

A three-year-old child belonging to Mr. Wind tic u, of i'itzroy, narrowly escaped being poisoned to death the other day. ft appears that the child was put to bed, but, getting up, it collected auwc ijoxu* and gained access to a high shelf oil which were some ritrychnine pills. These the cJiiid swallowed. Later on she began to vomit, and her parents, ascertaining the cause, sent for medical aid, which came just in tune to save the life of the cliild.

After passing sentence of six montlus' imprisonment on the -Maori woman, Feti Watene, who killed her husband near Dargaville at thu Supreme Court, Auckland, the other day, Mr. Justice Denniston was asked by Mr. Cotter if he would allow prisoner lo he treated as a lirstmisdemeanant. His Honor declined, and in doing so stated that he rather regretted having granted similar indulgence the previous day (alluding to the Paterson bankruptcy), which lie did on tl)o spur of the moment.

Mr. C. W. Palmer, local observer, forwards his monthly weather report. From it we learn that during November rain fell on thirteen days, the maximum fall being 1.03 inches on the Oth, and tlie total fall 3.350 inched. Un tihotv Hay nearly an inch of rain fell, the exaK figure being 0.1)3 inches. In November, 1906, the total fall was 3.93 inches on sixteen days, the maximum being 1.1)0 inches on the sth. The previous November was a much wetter month, G.U2O inches falling on twentytwo dayn, The highest temperature in the shade last month was 70 degrees on tho titli. .

Dame lUiniur is a lying jade, letterday Councillor Aiuircu* usKea n it were true tliut tiie new ferro-concrete bridge over tlie Waiwakailio had cracked. He had heard this the other day at Okato. •'Ho you know what i heard?" awkod Councillor Hill. "i heard that the bridge had dropped two feet/' Councillor -idiam ha? heard that "the Jar pier was partly douii." Despite these alarmist runioi'i?, tin county engineer assured the chairman that tlie bridge was perfectly sale and still standing. There were cracks visible, but these were only fliui-eracks in the plastered surface. The plaster 'had been put on by the contractor at his own expense, to make a good linish. The engiueer had not specilied plaster, as he did not like it. The 1 councillors breathed more freely. uust uciWU UIC civioc Oi cue ofnrSloU, Air. i'oolo, one oi Liie jjicuiuers ior iaud Liiy, u ended nis way rounu me ueiichea of Uw House to shake hands and bid good-bye to his ii'jeuds. Some ne found engaged sorting their papers, some were ioujigmg ur roposing at ineir ease with their iiais stuck on liie back of their heads or drawn over their eyes. The&e honorable gentlemen were good enough to extend lo the departing member a languid hand, as if, "you know, it was really too much exertion." When Ali'. Toole readied to Air. Jsgata tmu

gentleman promptly tuok oil' ins Jul ami aloud up tu shake hands. Tiuwe win. arc disputed tu sneer ui our House ui Representatives will do well to remember that it contains at least one gentleman. The so-called savage race are at least courteous, and in that regard soine■thing may be learned from them.

-1 {sensational story ha a been told tu me police linn two luue boys, aged nine and seven years respectively, were unmercimlly thrashed on Saturday aflcrnuon by a man and a Jad ol about iourU'un years ol age. The youngsters allege that they had been playing with souie inner cnndrcii uud were going noine by the Alill ruud when tlicv were met by a man and a boy, who took them into an adjoining piuldock and proceeded to what liiey were made ol'." The boys were stripped and beaten unmercifully with fern .switches until the blood began to llow. beared to scream out, uy reason oi a threatening gun and a knife, they smarted m alienee—for a time. Then one whimpered, and was beaten again. The police arc investigating. Ihe condition ui.' the akin ot one oi the youngsters supports the {statement thai he luul a "licking" ol' some suit, but nolle ol the sensational (surrounding detail has been proven.^

A Coast farmer ha* a grievance against the Kailway Department. In an endeavor to keep abreast of the times, he arranged for the installation of a milking machine. The machine and appurtenances, accompanied by two me h.wie-,, lauded at the farm a couple oi weeks ago. Some more shafting was required, aud an order was telegraphed to \\ eliington. Last Saturday week advice oi shipment was received, livery day oiuee last Tuesday, and sometimes more than once a day. inquiries were made at the aew Plymouth railway goods-shed lor the but without avail. Yesterday the consignee himself happened along to the goods-shed, but no one seemed able tu find any trace of his properly. So lie himself instituted a. search, and found the twenty feet of nhafting standing up in the corner of the building, in full view, and properly addressed, lie is of opinion that the had been stored there for a

weeiv, and indignantly asks who is to reimburse him fur his wasted time and the mechanics' for loss of money.

(las stoves on hiro is Gd per month. Hath heaters 2s per month. With the return of summer instal one in your homes. Write to Gas Company, New Plymouth.—Advt. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED.

At a meeting at Jlawera oil Saturday regarding the supplying of clean milk In tin- I'd dories, one speaker (.Mr. ,1. I'hilliiw) expressed the opinion ill.ll the Ciiuse ol' unclean milk was the labor question. JTe said there are people just Working' themselves to death, day and night, and there are many sueh because labor "imply could not lie go). People I tied themselves in a diflienlt plane, could not get labor, mid this was the ch'ef cause of (he trouble aboul I lie milk.

Willi the growth of Kliham necessity lms iirisLii ior greater railway lacilitirs (says the Argus). At the .'ml of llie ' ve:ir it is proposed to lay down a couple 1 of extra lines at the station. Thi.» will 1 involve the shifting of the; station liuild- < in P s '"''tiler Iwck and further north, ] and probably the opportunity will lie : taken to enlarge the present buildings. It will lie remembered that some time igo the Department acceded to a reluest from the liorough Council for imirovod stockyards. This work is also 'ending. A residence for the stiiionia.st.er will also be put in hand shortly. There was a fair attendance at the .atholtc Debating Club last night. Exempore speaking was the ordei* The ley. Demi McKennn presided. The subccls were placed in a hat and drawn iv the speakers when their turns to ake the floor were announced. Among he speakers were Messrs. Rich ("Eduation''), Clarke ("Women"), Sullivan "Pukckura Park"), W. Jones ("The rish Question"), M. Jones ("Free Trade Protection"), V. O'Brien ("Books"). ' 'lie speeches were brightly and cleverly lelivored, and were amusing. At the '(inclusion of the proceedings Mr. if. 'ones announced that he would donate . medal for competition in oratory, the 'Onipetition to be held a couple of uontlis hence. The nest meeting of the lull will be on the lGth inst., when the übject will be an exposition, of "The lost of Living."

A meeting of diiry factory proprietors, directors, and managers convened by Mr. \V. M. Singleton, Government, Cheese Instructor; was ileiu at Haw era on Saturday afternoon, to discuss the question of a clean milk supply. Tile following agreement was, alter discussion, subscribed to by the representatives of the several factories present: "We, the undersigned, lor the purpose of .improving the quality of the milK supply 0 f the district,, hereby agree as follows: (1) 'Xiiut we will hereafter refuse to accent delivery of uny milk which, in the opinion oi our nuuir tigers, is unsuitable for making soundllavoured cheese or butler; (2/ tllat we ui" refuse to accept delivery of milk Irom any supplier or suppliers whose milk lias, on account of being ifnsoimd, or unsuitable for the manufacture of good cheese or butter, or on account of being too late at the factory or creamcry, been rejected at another factory oi creamery (represented by signature below) during the currency of (his this' 111011 V. we reconsider in, question before August 1, 1008, ,l , Vmv towards extending the da rv S ° " S t0 " Pl>l - v t0 the ™ su »ig daily season or seasons. This am-cp ment to come into operation on the InTho oreof ,. anti to remain in force operative till April 30, 1908." *'«J IS to w Llie »CW iiospii.u .loar r tho c.vcv . ' i, '" > <l'«--,uou to

I'hufl 1 Wdi ißto tllU SWi),g ot J,is »' ol * " " !; e »'«» superseded by the Jiorougi, toihlL-Il appoint.ng two of its sitti^ Ci" r V aS on the •, n ' " !ne l"" 1 U been ' "'7 t , eu . law 011 tht> Uospital Jioard tIJUt 1110 L-liiui-iium shall Ijo a Xow I'lv'"oulli mail. Oi curt*, it is not abso . lutey necessary, and tlie chairman U< " l' osslW >' have a much easier time d, 7 ~ f l )estei ' L ' d I>}' detail if lie lived ■ on side Xcw Plymouth. Should Uie rule again appeal to members, either . -Ur. (~ \\. liruvvne or .Ur. Fred, liell- • nnger must take the chair. Mr. jiiwiie lias stated that lie will not actj > even it' requested, not having the neces- • airy time to devote to the work, it ! -was at this stage of the proceedings that i our reporter happened on a knot of • county councillors and otliem yesterday who were discussing the situation. They were wondering whether the remaining I town members, JJr. liellringer, had had 1 sujlie:ent experience on local bodies to enable him to discharge the onerous . duties of chairman of the Hospital : iioard. One gentleman pooh-poohed the ■ idea of being compelled to elect a town . member, and cited the case of the , Christchurch Hospital Board, whose [ chairman lived at. Ashburton, and the i Palmers ton XurLli Hoard, whose chairman lived 27 miles distant from the . ollice. From the general tone of the disiiission it seemed more than probable [ that Air. Joseph Drown, of Inglewood, would be again rei|iitviU'd to take tlie s though lie declined in favor or , -Ur. Parker a few months ago. Prom his long experience as a member of the Hoard and other local bodies, it'was urged tn.it he was the person best qualiiica to take over the reiiiis of liianage- . went. JJui there is certainly a good deal lo be said in Javor of having tlie chairman resident in the town, easily accessible by the secretary and other ollieers, and able to make not too infrequent visits to tlie institutions under the Board's control. And, too, now blood infused by tlie presiding genius of a public body is not at all a bad tiling. -Mr. Bellringer has plenty of initiative, and is never afraid "to be a Daniel/'' s landing alone if he thinks he is in the right. There's a knotty problem fur the new Board to consider, but whatever way the voting goes, between these two, ratepayers can depend upon having at the head of ail'airs a chairman unllinching and trusty.