LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 311, 8 January 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thff English mail despatched via Vancouver pn 26th November, arrived in 1 London OV the 3rd inst. The meeting of ratepayers" to'consider fibe electric lijght proposals will be held in the Municipal Chambers to-morrow evening.

Passenger trafftc on the railway is diminishing. Last night's express brought the smallest number of passengers for weeks past. Mr ti. H. Maunder ha£ donated £5 towards the funds for the improvement of the New Plymouth technical school grounds. There is a regrettable dearth of male applicants for pupil teachershipe just now. And there always will be, pro- i bably, unless the scale of pay is increased.

The Carrington Road Board met on Monday night. The engineer reported good progress with the Katanui hill contract. Two tenders for works on Brooklands road were considered, but no action was taken.

There was a fair muster of the Uiiles on parade on .Monday night. One active and one honorary member were elected. Instruction tf'iis given in guard-mounting iind semaphore signalling. Arrangements were made for the second monthly re-union. Jhe company to be entertained by No. i action under Sergeant Clarke.

The next outing arranged /or the Taranaki Killer* will be a march to Maboetalii. near W'aitara, the scene of a fight with the Maoris in November, 1860. In that engagement the volunteers' casualties were two killeil (y. Brown and H. Edgecombe) and four slightly (founded <•!. Ward, 1!. Uingman, XV. Vel'eoe, and T. Veal<o, The volunteers wiil march to the old battlefield on a Sunday morning to be arranged, returning in the afternoon to Bell Block for parade.

A very handy little booklet has been I issued bv Mr W. A. Coijjs la the shape |of a isitors' tluide'' to New Plymouth, -Mf. .I'.gmont, and surrounding districts. | In a ."onqiact form is given all the in--1 formation necessary for persons who wish to spend a pleasant holiday in this district. Various towns are outlined, and all the principal beauty spots named, with their principal features, means of at'cess. a lul so oti. Copies of the booklet may be obtained frooj ,Ifr Collis, and at various places in town. There is a probability of a deputation of dog-owners waiting upon the Borough Council to protest against the imposition of a tax of half-a-sovercigq on pe|s and sporting dogs. They contend that dogs are a necessity, as they keep down rat* and other vermin, and also serve xs 'protectors and watchdogs for timid people. Dogs are also very well known for rushing wit at passing horses and cyclists; for tewing round the gardens .ifter imaginary cots »nd tearing out vegetables; for lying aliout t/ie streets otiA in doorwaye of shops; for <ft««i)ig and worrying sheep and lambs; and do-; ing a w'nole lot of things equally useful and ornamental.

Mr Monro, late of Kxhihition fume, iiiioriiK'il a Xl'\v Zealmul Times reporter that lie has an important object in visiting London, li was the promotion of a "New Zealand ill Loudon" exhibition at Karl's Court, on the same lines as the national exhibitions which annually take place there.

Etiquette. The word stands for conservatism. Etiquette forbids a doctor to prescribe for n patient who lias bee:! under the care of another of the profession. Etiquette forbids modern advertising by the professions. Etiquette is getting a sad knock in New Plymouth. A solicitor who is commencing practice on his own account is having his name printed on a signboard which spans the footpath. Etiquette or nrt etiquette, if you want people to know where you are and who yon are, a bold signluwrd will tell tlieni more quicklv tlr'n a lirisa plate inserilied in Old English characters.

A good deal of intere-t is beiiv; nninfested in the display of the products from clay taken from tit" Si'iirt nw.i faslroned by Mr W. -Icmison. and burned by him in tlie kiln at Mount Cook, Wellington. Th» iv-n- of tir.v bricks. garden ii!"--, and so firth, have lArn turned remarkably Inrrt, and give a true riiiT. The kTln. however, was only a br'cl; kiln, and t finer pieces of ivork hive not emcrfr n d from the furnace as well as t'rv should have done. Nevertheless the results are useful in showing the qualities of the clay. A company with a capital of £50,000 is to lie floated, and Mr Hill states that there are already numerous applications for shares. The collection of products is on view in the windows on tlie corner of Egmont and Devon Btrcets.

Mr F. Bellringer has given notice to move at next meeting ot the Borough Council:—"That iu view of the near completion of the Main Trunk railway this Council urge upon the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce the advisability of at once approaching the Union S.H. Company and the Northern S.S. Company with a view of reducing the passenger and freight charges between New Plymouth and Onehunga, so that the port may not be prejudiced by the diversion of trade by rail, and that with the same object the Chamber of Commerce be requested to endeavor to induce the Harbor Board to remit the passenger toll now levied at the port."

The few spectators immensely enjoy- j ed the unrehearsed and unexpected incident on the seafront yesterday morning. He was a well-known resident, and bad a very "taking" way with the fair sex. At this moment lie was making or striving to make nn impression upon the heart of a winsome lass. They were seated otl a boulder, and were quite oblivious of the fact that the tido was making. Such commonplace af< fairs entered not into their dreams. Suddenly they were brought back to earth. A wave, more active than the rest, raced up the rock and dashed itself to fragments over, round, and about the couple, whose ardor seemed considerably cooled and their clothes bedraggled and wet as they hurried from the scene.

Labor is scarce. Labor is arrogant and inconsiderate. Let a man understand that he can hardly be dispensed with, and he's "top sawyer" right away. Should an employer engage a man to start work, say, a fortnight hence; and should the employer when the time came say to the man, "I don't want you now,"' the man would naturally and very fairly claim to be compensated. That's his side of the case. It doesn't seem to strike him that the boss is deserving of the same consideration. Take a couple of instances that have lieen brought under our notice. An Eltham farmer paid his farmhand on Saturday night. The man went to town and never returned, leaving the farmer to manage as liesl he could. The meanness of the act was accentuated by the fact thai the liousewife was ill at the time. .Tu*t before Christmas a millowner paid up his hands. They were Unite satisfied. nm\ would he available, tlicv said, when the mill would re-open. The ni'll re-oppned on Monday. "I'm lint coming hack." said one of the most necessary of the workmen.' And he hasn't come buck. Hut has he even dreamed that the employer is entitled to some consideration or compensation? Probably not. The law of the country doesn't provide it. Why should he bother?

The early promise of an abundant fruit crop this season is now being realised (kiijs the Hastings Standard), and the Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers' Association will ex|ierlence a busy time during the ensuing few months. Already, although the season can hardly be said to have started, the Association is handling enormous quantities, and up to date they have shipped 50 tons as against 12 tons during, the corresponding period of last year. The 1000 cases despatched by them on Saturday last constitutes a record for the beginning of the season. Prices ruling are highly satisfactory, and the demand is good. The present season will undoubtedly prove one of the best yet experienced, both from the growers' and retailers' point of view.

Sensational evidence was given at IWnsville |C.i"i!'sla]id) in the case in which Michael M.Kee wo a charged with the inuider of Thomas Skelly. °The nrjesting wiHliil'ie said defendant exclaimed: "[ Ukl Lot mean to kill liiiu. He hail been ".antalising ir.e For the last two :iml ii-liaii y. n-s. It is the second or third lion; lie fried to b.oak -p. i cop pained '.o ti>e -u lice aboii iiic . but knew yon couid dp notlvn,; Others advised me to v [ifiiy for a divorce, but .good «'!v!u a divorce be to me i 1 I'll live litln cli'ldren, and I have not .1 I'UH.y ill till. w. rid. W;v,' would any man do? What would von do if you caught a matt with your' wife and two little daughV.ToXhf arresti'-g ecustable deposed to having said to defuidant: '"Skelly ?aid before he. died ho did not want to prose'iite you. You shot him. but lie hid no business whe r e he was. lie -:t;d be was standing on a iitiimp near Uhs .Uelvec's window when you shot him."'

The cheerful idiot who scrawls "1008" 011 doorways and gateposts early on the first morning of tlm new year is looked upon as a harmless individual. The changing of the signboards and nameplates, and the removal of gates and vehicles are looked upon as quite the natural result of "first tooting,*'' and no great fuss in made about them. But the hound who sets out in the dead of niglit to wilfully damage property for his own miserable pleasure deserves fo be accommodated ivith lodging in a stone cell at the back oi' Jiarsland Hill. One of thcise idiots a few nights ago scratched the plateglass windows in the shops of Messrs Morey ami Son, Blyth and Co., A. 1.. C'ooke, and .T. Whitaker, apparently with a stone. The scratch is particularly noticeable in Messrs Morey's windows, the large plates being deeply scorrd from side to side so as to absolutely spoil any window-dressing. It is probable that Mr Morey will have to turn the glass top to bottom, so as to place the scratches lie.vond the ordinary line of sight. 6uol) a cad as this should, if caught, be given some salutary treatment.

An employer at Siiatford is enquiring for thirty of the gciitluiiu-n wliu are claiming "the r.yhl to lyofK," but his good money—lis a day for pjeU q.u<l shovel men —is still unspent. Attimbera oi the J'oJi.tii#! Jyabor League met in Uirislchurch, an 4 deieiijed that all should have the right to 9'STkj while the debate wa« progressing tit# country was clamoring for tollers—real toilers —willing to give value for cash. It is the experience of most of the labor bureaux in New Zealand that men are

loth to leave the cities, even when they have no especial tics there. They pre/er to take their chance i« the towns, ami espp suffer hardship r&thcr than migrate to the country. Their vote goes for standing In tie market-place all the day idle rather than hiding in f.he vineyard- To them the eenntfy lo,6»«j :<n as a dreadful place where the hands ruiflt 1:1 vigorously moved, and the perspiration (sflflje on their brow. It is a cold bath, jjrm'l fheir point of view, into which they are lueiact to step. Some of the representatives of the Tj&her party Speak as if opportunity had away for ever. While they are lamenting in the cifics fortune ia apparently smiling at thein from the country, but they consider that the goddess is ton far away. They evidentlr do not wish to go tp I'mtime; they want Fortune to pome to thorn.—Wellington Post, An nceident was narrowly averted In Devon street yesterday. A lady and scntloman in trying to pass one another Parted that familiar dodging backwards and towards just outside the A.B.C. Root Shop, .iusi when a crash seemed evident, both their uiejitions were drawn to the startling prices for footwear «n I1i« above firm's window, a,iid ' instead of rushing into one anothei they rushed into tins familiar shop, and each made a cash purchase from ,the numerous bargains offered, But imagine i their surprise when the genial manager gav« thew a 10 per cent, discount as a Christina K-h<Hi for paying cash. These great offers are now epSR to everyone <■£ the A.B.C. Boot Shop. ¥eii know where /to get them now, so don't star 1 P dodging right here.—Ad& P