LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 10 December 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlie Takapuna, from Onehunga, this morning landed a Brindisi mail. The borough electric light department derived IHiIU Us 3d from private lighting revenue during November. The West End School Committee acknowledges witli thanks the receipt of 10s each from Messrs. J. 13. Koy and U. Tisch for the school gymnasium fund, and from Mr. Koy 10s for the prize fund. That poor •old town clock! A witness at yesterday's inquest said, "J. know it was 1 o'clock, because 1 really did hear the town clock chime," with particular emphasis on the little word "did." Councillor Bcllringer alieged last night that the streets were not now being as well lighted as they were when the electric ligut was first installed. "They're being robbed somehow and somewhere," he said. Later in the evening he asked that the 32-candle-power lamps be replaced on the poles instead of ili-candle-powcr lights now doing duty. A duck-billed platypus was picked up on the beach near the municipal baths on Sunday evening. The Under has decided to offer it to the Wellington City Council to be placed in the .Newtown Aquarium. The platypus is a rarity nowadays, and is a stranger to Jiew Zealand. How this little chap came upon this coast is u mystery, but the theory i= advanced that he has drifted across irom Tasmania.

The 'Manawatu Herald" states that local bodies along the coast anticipate a serious loss of revenue when the Covenimcnt acquires the Manawatu Railway line, as they will b t . unable to collect rates from the property now held b ythe comapny. The ilorowhcnua County Council will lose .a; 23 per annum in this way. The Hult County Council and the Olaki l! ua d Board will also puller to an extent that is not ascertainable.

A member of the Public Works Hepayment's stall was in town last week on business connected with the proposed <'rect, o „ of a new Police Station and new Heeds Ullice-two works (he necessity lor which ,s dictated by ordinary comand humanity and some regaid to sanitation and public Jjeallh. >s reported that the new Heeds Office will probably !»,.. ..reeled on Mr. F. W Brookings section on the corner of Kobe gcinl JladdreH's residence, but there is as yet no official decision. We trust that no delay will be allowed iu the re- I iimval ui these two blots on our boasted civilisation.

Ihe Minister for Murine {Hon. J A. ■Millar has reconsidered his decision to declare (l„s season a ,!„.,. UMC , m . »»"l'-t /".' the Auckland coasl. He ] ws 7 ' ,llv, ;<:'l l'.v Hie inspectors tlmt the ««"t ol (he province, ami lias decideil i<> ■.•move (he c ,„ !„„•„„ on (~.,, ( , o . lst _ Niould he, however, have reason to Jape I hat mullet is lieinj, taken from the cisti'iii side of the, island and .lisj"WC(l of as cmniiyr rron, t|„. western he will at once consider the advisability of ..|„sin K the whole of (he waters, j I »' Miman. which sailed for London on I'lidav. took away from Wcllin.don a \er> lii ? sliipnienl ~f dairv produceai'im.MHiately. JO.rtfHVwr of butter and H.OOH cases of cheese.

At :i Jaw dinner the other evening ju W<>llin«ton, Mr. TT. D. liell. K.C., said ho wanted to denounce ;i pestileni heresy to the effect (!i;it barristers ]inil *ome duly to Dip public bo.vond their duly to their client in piny Snor the They had to play the game fairlv and honourably: lnit ilio idea that tbev owed if to tho community i.o help (he judjro to secure a right vedici. n« apart from tin* duty which they owed to their client. was a pestilent heresy. Tf; was the bn.-ine-s of {lie judge and jury to get the verdict, right. and of the advocate to do his be>t. for hi* elient. so loim : as he took no mean advantage, fie described with zest how Mr. .Inst ire Cooper [ and himself, before the judge way called to the 1 tench. obtained a favourable verdict for "a pack of scamps" ' whom they were defending. \ cry considerable shipments of lYish napery are to hand this week for White and Sons. During Christmas the firm do a considerable trade in these lines for presentation purpose*, and Iheir •■selection of traycloths. doyleys. iluchfjw sets. plate mats. table centre*, cushion cover*, etc.. will take a lot of beating. Breakfast cloths, size 32 inches square, are showing from 2s each.—Adyt.

Messrs. Kowe and Co. have presented a belt for competition amongst the West End school cadets. The belt is on view at ilr. Cook's, jeweller, and i* well worth inspection. The Public Works Department has accepted the tender of Boon Bros., New Plymouth, for the erection of crushing station buildings, Mount Egnionl Hailway, for .C13!)5. The other tender was that of N. .1. King, Stratford, and was for .ClaDO.

"Fools and their money soon part," is in old saying that has many a modern application. A trio of bush-whackers arrived in a certain town a week or so ago with cheques for their earnings since -March last totalling Xl2O for each man. One of the number spent .13) in a gorgeous uuUit of clothing, and has .t 1(1(1 in the Savings Hank, whilst the other pair quickly disburse:! half of their respective cheques with nothing to show for it but the exhilarating and other elleels of a "glorious | spree." The statement that New Zealand hemp is being utilised in Japan lor the manufacture of silk handkerchiefs, etc., is ridiculed by Mr. 11. Cohen, of Palmerston North", who has devoted considerable attention to the study lo the hemp trade in all its branches, and who visited Japan hist year. He procured samples of some of the articles supposed to be made iu Japan from hemp imported from Australia or New Zealand, and took tliem over with him, but on submitting them to expert examination in that country, found that they were not a Japanese product at all.

In connection with the Dundonald wreck, the fact of the healthy appear- I ance of the survivors was the subject of general remark. Scientists agree that on the Aueklands there are remarkably few bacilli. It was noticeable that remnants of birds and seals left lying about on Disappointment Island were practically free from decomposition, and the body of the mate, when removed to the main island, was in a remarkable state of preservation. It probably was due to the same causes that any cuts and bruises sustained by the men healed with wonderful rapidity, and none of the survivors suffered from any serious complaint.