LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 77, 20 March 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Owing to the Ijad weather the Taranaki Guards' shooting competitions were not held yesterday. There is a movement on foot among the blacksmiths of Taranaki to increase the price of horse-shoeing, at the same time making reductions to the cash customer. One ot our townsmen indignant, that- only lu votes were recorded .it -New Plymouth 011 .Monday. "The New Plymouth people," said he, "must have all been a-leep, and they deserve to lose tin l loan." Like a good many moro he wa* unaware that it was merely a ward election, ami the 10 votes niere.Y represented those who happened to lie in New Plymouth but possess property in this ward.--Klthani Argus. At N'gaire oil Tuesday Mr. ,1. Thomson addressed the ratepayers concerning the Harbor 1-oim Bill. Mr. Ji. Ding'.e championed the scheme. At the conch. »ion of the address, the chairman, ill. Thomas, was moving that either M.-. King or Mr. Maxwell be imited 10 nt- ' plain Uie Hill ai .V-.iiie. hut Mr. '['lniinson -aid there wa- no time, a- the Bill would he settled ai Friday'- meeting. Mr. Thomson's attitude in opposing the scheme and supporting the raising (ii only enough money to redeem the or.t loan was approved. 'There is one place in Xew Zealand which can surpass even Woiigauui in the way of feeding and fattening marvels. Iji Wanganui men and women, it is alleged, have fasted for forty days and forty nights, but they have haa air and water to sustain them. In a district of Canterbury there is a man who | lias trived a quarter of a century on a i commodity that cannot be weighed. "I have lived for the past twenty-one years on hope, and I suppose will do so 1 until I die." declared a farmer at the 1 Conciliation Hoard sittings at Christ- * church recently. '<■

An idea of ihe dillieuHies that havo to be faced by men who go into Ww backbloek- tor mining purposes may be gathered from the following extract from the report of the manager of tin; Jtapowai Company: —"We are just gating over the effeetb of the tire. and now the country is flooded. A six-fo >i kauri log disputed my right fo _tno house I ua* living in tin* other dat. T'uj bushmeiL let go their dam. and there were three feet of water in mv house. A large log bnrsf in the door and .«mns:i. Ed the chimney. I haw now removed tin* to a >afer place. M The eredil .sy-^t<*m i* tlie ciir«e of many small trader-. \\V know business mull sa\a ihe JCltliain Argils in various towns who an- merely -iruggling lor a living because they have to give long terms oi credit. The unfortunate trad- | I'i'.s are paying interest on lmnk ovcrj draft, wherea- if they eonld only collect what, is owiitLT to them they would be in credit. The wretched pan of the wlnde ■ business i- that many people who take j long credit are ue)i-lo do men mlio could pav ea-di without any inconvenience to Ju some eases they go to elniivh three times on Sundays and imagine themselves Christians. There is 1 n<>i nnu-h Christianity in a rich man i who deiil)erately keep-; a j)Onr fttrug. 1 v'in.u' trade-man waiting for many \ inonili!, u>r payment of liis account. (

U is .stated on good authority Unit Sir, William Russell, wlio recently disposed, of his Flaxmere property, has presented his late manager, Mr Stuart Miller, with a cheque for £IOOO. The journal A.li.U. stutes thai lii-s life of tin' late King Carlos of Portugal was insured for JC4U,IJUO Willi a British company and for £44,000 with a Spa.'i--1 company.

The gale interfered considerably with the telegraph lines last wgiu. The wires between New I'lymouth and Waiigimii were unworkable, with the exception of one, anil this was "leaky.'' Telegi.i/.ns consequently filtered through very slowly and unsatisfactorily.

The Taihape Daily Times, of Tuesday last, states that when the Ohakune section of the Muiu Trunk line is linaily opened np, members of the J'nblic Works Department at present stationed tliere will be transferred to the strattoru-un-garuc branch section.

Dospjtc the exceedingly wet weather at Taiiki yesterday, the show was well attended, the hall being packed duriag thy afternoon. The exhibit* were e\ eeptionally good—better, in fact, tiia.-i at any previous show. Amongst other*, there were some interesting agricultural and native fruit exhibits.

Owing to the prevalence of measles in Stratford the attendance at the pu»bc school has fallen oil' to a great extent, Yesterday morning nineteen children were absent from one clathrough this cause, and from the infant room iIS children were absent. At the prefcent time the teachers know of measles being ill 20 families, representing 01 school children. Fortunately the epidemic has come in a mild form,—Post.

"Little Cltfip" writes to the editor complaining that the local horticultural and agricultural societies in New Plymouth, whilst milking much fuss over the technical school girls and their cookery, toltr no notice of the boys' classes in woodwork and gardening. There is something in lii-s pathetic little wail, and we have pleasure in referring the question to the favorable notice of the societies concerned. School classes are very

popular at shows elsewhere in Taramtki, People passing by the parish hall on Wednesday, knowing that preparations for a temperance bazaar were going forward, were not a little surprised lo see several boxes there bearing the weliknown conjoined "J.P.," indicating that the contents were the product of the Egmoiit Brewery. It looked rather barefaced—no suggestion of sly-drinking there. But it turned out that a sympathiser had ordered eight dozen of ''soft stuff" from the same linn's aerated water factory, and tlie suspiJious-lookint* cases contained not a drop of alcoholic beveragos. Thus is history made. Sneak thieves to the right of them, sneak thieves to the left ol the.ni, to steal and to plunder. Tin: latest known elieak thief in New Plymouth is the somewhat aged individual who obtains his milk supply from tho milk-floats in the streets without the milk vendors' knowledge or consent. The modus oper ondi is simple, lie has merely to watch a» tlie milkman leaves his cart at the street corner, running oil' to serve some fiustiomers. 'Phc jug is produced from under the coat of the thief, held under the tap, the tap turned, and the tri'cki is done. It's exceedingly simple, but detestably mean. The sculptured marble bust of the late -Mr Scddon which .Ur. Nelson Jfl.njj* worth was commissioned to execute )» now completed. After being placed on (says the Times) it ill be sent to Parliament Buildings, where it will remain. The bust is a particularly striking portrait of tlie late Premier, and admirably conveys the rugged strength of his character. The sculptor has refused to idealise, his subject, and the likeness is faithful in every detail. It shows the late Mr Seddon in thoughtful mooJ, and the whole suggests Splendidly the figure of the mail. The piece of marble, from which it has been carved is an unusually good sample in pure white. The polished pedestal on which the bust stands is of green granite, and the whole ■weighs about half a ton. There is no embellishment »n the pedestal except the one word "Seddon" in bronze letters.

The shoot-ull' tor the grind aggregate in the Taranaki Rille Associations tournament, fixed for yesterday afternoon, was"uot a most successful affair. Scrg. Bruce (Taranaki Rifles) and itillumun C. H. Speck (HuironJ, who tied in the competition, were to have met to decide the iinal. 'Clio former, however, did nut put ill an appearance, so Rifleman Speck took his shots alone. The weather was atrocious, and the siglitcr and the next four shots were registered each as a "miss." The last shot found the Urget, scoring three. Ii was afterwards found that Sergeant Uruce's absence was due to illness. Had a message been scut to that effect, there is but little doubt that Jlr. Speck, who is a good sport, wouldl Jiave consented to a postponement of the match. As it is, lie takes the prize.

The other evening a couple of Vogeltown residents were coming in to New Plymouth, and when they arrived near the old railway bridge spanning the Oarrington road they found a young girl helping her mother out of the" •side-chan-nel. 'lhev went to her assistance, and lound that the lady had tripped over a large boulder which protruded from the tide of the path, Fortunately, no seri-i pus injury was received. This boulder is but one of the many obstructions wliieh make this so-called footpath one of the worst in the borough. Between the stones are little gullies or .watcifc courses which are very awkward, and ladias frequently complain of slight wrenches of the ankle into these depressions. Is it not time that the Borough Council should take steps to render the patih decently passable? The Good Templars' bazaar was coilj tinned yesterday afternoon and evening in St. Mary's Hall. Despite the rough weather which set in during the day, ,there was a good attendance, and tho (stall-holders appeared to do good business. All the amusements and competitions were kept going at top pressure, and created a good deal of interest, and at times, excitement. Miss Dowling played several violin solos during the afternoon, and at night the music was provided by Mr. Golding's orchestra. The bazaar was wdl arranged, and well nonaged, and should result in the netting of from £4O to £SO to lie applied towards purchase of a section on which to build a tmnperanee hall. As •soon as the section has been secured and paid for—and for this another bazaar will be ln>ld in si* months' time—ilio building will be purchased, the nnterial being purchased by the Lodge, and the actual work of erection carried out bv several members of the Order. It is the intention of the Lodge, when the hall is ready for occupation, to inaugurate a temperance club, which will provide entertainment and pastime for members every evening.