LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 306, 31 December 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An Invereargil] message states that the Malieno, from Melbourne, yesterday brought 217 passengers for all ports. Forty-two landed at the Bluff. We are informed on good authority that there is every probability of a writ being issued to recall the leanes issued subsequent to the recent sale of leases of the School Commissioners' suburban reserves. This arises out of the recent objections lodged by Mr ),. Ik Webster, who complained that the options exercised were illegal. t'pon the reopening of the Technical School at New Plymouth after the holidays it is proposed to hold an exhibition of the work of the woodwork students during the past lerni. and to present the certificates at an opening ceremony. Astonishing progress lias been made by the pupils in all (he woodwork classes.

Amongst the articles made were bookcases, workbo.xes, •picture frames, panelled doors, inlaid work and veneering, beehives, step ladders, and so on, and the standard of the work turned out is a credit both to the pupils and the instructor. Queen Alexandra has for many years sulfered from deafness, making conversation with his Majesty extremely dillicult. Several instruments are now on their nay to the Queen frb.Ti America, however, which will enable the King and Queen to talk together without the aid of a trumpet or horn. The transmitter will be hidden in the folds of the ,'Queen's dress, and the batteries, wliich are about 3in high and in diameter, carried in a pocket. One of the instruments contains a double transmit- ! ter for table use. This will be set hi ! the centre of the table and covered by Moral decorations. Wires wiJJ be attached running under this table, enabling the conversation of the Royal pair and their guests to be conducted without interruption.

Yesterday morning, before Mr Eyrelieuny, S.M., a young man named ,-ainuel Ernest Urey appeared on a elnrge of having stolen .L3U from S -Nodon. Detective Boddam outline, case for the police, Cray and >. ..: had been mates at Rothcry's mill at Awakino, and came to New Plymouth I together for the holidays. They parted, and met again on Thursday in New Plymouth. They had one or two

drinks together, and eventually wont up lo the licit House Hotel, where coni- | plamalU was staying. They went to Xodon's bedroom, and Nodon look off his coat and went to sleep on the lied, (tu waking !H'.\t morning lie discovered that a bank-book cover containing six L'"> notes had been taken from his pocket. When Detective lioildam first spoke to accused he said that lie found thiee .C) notes on tile racecourse. Afterwards he made a statement, to the ell eel I'lmt he had stolen the from Norton white the latter was under the intlnenci; of liquor. Accused pleaded guilty, anil was committed to tile, Suprnic Court at Auckland for sentence. Tilt: "lIAKTXETT" PATENT MILKING MACHINE.

Has certainly come to stay: there is no room for doubt on that point. They are being installed in all directions. Every plant erected seems to be, the forerunner !of fi'esh orders. Inquiries lead to speedy tonviftion that the "Hartnett' has no pqnii 1 as ». simple, safe, and effective Milking Machine, Its patented improvement "are of a vtfj high order, and substantial in character. 'Fhow? who have used the machines longest arc loudest and most frequent in their praises. It will be well for all intending buyers to net, their orders promptly booked. The new season is at the doors; delay.! means trouble and \oss when the cows I come in. if fnimprs are not ready. For full particulars, apply to fahl and To . Tittl., Palmerston North; or Taranak'i Farmers' Co., itd., New Plymouth. ,-Afat. '

The Garrison Hand will (weather permitting) assemble at the Post Ollicc this evening at 11 o'clock and play a programme of national selections. We have to acknowledge receipt from .Mr. S. Hill of a large photograph of Ihe exhibit in Wellington of linished articles made from the Smart-road kaolin clays. A largo number of the samples are to be placed on view this afternoon ill the Coll'ee I 'a lace Buildings (late ollices of .Messrs. Medley and litindle). .Mr F, W. Snmlford has just eomplolcd a tin;- prayer for the nr.-.-ion room recently opened ill connection wilh St. Michael's Parish, Cliristehorch, on account of the subdivision of estates and largely increased population in tin; neighborhood of the Addiugt.on workshops. The desk is of Gothic design, handsomely linished in mafai and is splendidly joiut-

Tlie secretary of the Xcw Plymouth Caledonian Society has been advised by pronrnent pipers and dances that if the championship programme to be held at New Plymouth on 2litlt February is made a little more attractive, there will [ be a record attendance of Highlanders, including visitors from Dnnedin, Wairarapa, Xapier, and Wanganui. As then is every likelihood of at least ii fleer prominent "kilties'' attending, fhe so eietv is anxious to raise the prize money, and would be glad to hear Iron enthusiastic Scotsmen anxious to aSsis in augmenting the prize-money and in eluding more items. A large steamer, the AymcrJ

hound from liuenos .Ayres to Jsydiiey, put into Port Underwood the other day, and buried a Chinaman, n member of

the crew. With tile corpse, says the Express, were placed a hundredweight of rice, C'2o in money, enough cigarettes for a twelvemonth, clothes, etc., (he body being enclosed in n coflin, with quicklime and carbolic, the ivhole of the material deposited in the grave weighing upwards of half-a-ton. This is strictly in acordance with Chinese, funeral etiquette, there being a strong aversion among the dwellers of the" Mowcry Lund to being buried at sea. The cause of death was a fall down the hold of the ship, the deceased falling on a sharp piece of iron, and having his head split; right down to the shoulders. The Ayjueric proceeded on her voyage immediately after the funeral, which was attended liy about 40 Chinese mourners, members of the crew.

The typical American in these days Is I certainly clean-shaven. On that point no statistics can shake our faith St. James's Budget). Yet a New York barbels' society professes to have discovered that 55 per cent of the adult population of America wear beards, 25 a moustache, while 20 per cent use the razor uncompromisingly. The explanation of the seeming discrepancy between figures and facts must be that aliens are included in the barbers' statistics. A similar census in England would show, our contemporary has little doubt, an enormous preponderance of men who wear only a moustache. Reards are ucelining, but the fringed upper lip is seen on two out 'Of every three men one meets. We are supposed, it is true, to be a clean-shaven people. Certainly the notion abroad is that a man without a beard or moustache must be English—

if he is not American. We draw no conclusion from censures of this kind, 'unless it be that we live in a go-as-voib plin-ie age. The eighteenth century, judging from its literature and its portraits, shaved with a noble disregard for iso-ealled ornament. We, on the contrary, are so free tliat the old comparison might be changed to '"free as the hair."