LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 136, 30 May 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

No Wwlncsday, Juno Jrd, ho classes will bo held at tlic Technical School. Unemployment in New York luis , rcachod i\ stage w'liich may be truly described as appalling. Since October n legion of laborers, thrown out of work, and numbering not far from a million, have taken *hip for Europe, and yet. at the present moment, Xow York City contains an army of able-bodied men. in number approaching a quarter of a million, who are destitute of work and wages. Owing to tho wot weather on Wednesday afternoon, many subscribers to Mr.-;.

PockrilFs presentation fund were unable v to be present at the function in the a Theatre. Royal, and Mrs. Dockrill has v been requested to place Ulie epergne on h view in the town so as to give ifheiw* J! au opportunity of seeing it. The request has been acceded to, and this valuable present will bo placed 011 view to- ( day in -Messrs. Rellringer's window. During the last few weeks there ban been a serious outbreak of typhoid " fever at Maryborough. . The epidemic * is attributed to somo defect in the drainage, with a view to the improve- ( limit of which every effort is now being made. From first to last nearly a dozen cases have ocrurrod and half the worst found thoir way to the Greytown Hospital. Two of the patients, owing to other complications, died last week, and t two remain in the hospital rapidly ap- \ preaching convalescence. 1 On Thursday a black swan arrived in New Plymouth, addressed to the chairlman of the Recreation Grounds Board, ( and conveyed hither by Uhc Opunake coach. Rumor hud it that the cygnet in the grounds had escaped, but fortunately "a farmer at Pungareliu had caught it and promptly returned it. This was quite wrong, the swan being a Mack ono. There was 110 letter of explanation, so the chairman did the one thing possible—he sent it up to be cared for. Yesterday ho received a telegram from another Const resident, laying claim to the bird. . On Thursday afternoon the members of the Central School Committee, with t'he headmaster {Mr. H. Dempsey) and the secretary (Mr. C. T. Mills) visited the Recreation Grounds to view the proposed swimming bath for the school. Mr. Corkill, who is chairman of the Recreation Grounds Hoard as well as of the sduiol committee, with -Mr. S. PeiJ/y Smith, located the site in the secluded valley to the rear of the tea-house. The committee expressed approval of the spot, and it is probable that negotiations will be opened up between the committee ami the board to obtain the necessary permission. The relevant questioner invariably re ceives at Dr. Chappie'* meetings a prompt, lucid, and unequivocal reply; out when irrelevant, the questioner usually hides his diminished head and is heard no more (says the Otago Daily Times). An elderly gentleman at the Roxburgh meeting, who had fared not wisely but too well, a-sked if the doctor would le in favor of enforcing the saie of liquor by measure. ' i es."' waa the prompt reply, "and as I am in favor of graduation in taxes. I would also approve of the graduation in the measure of the liquor supplied, according to the man's condition.'' The roar s of laughter which followed must have had a sobering effect, for the questioner ran no lurther ri*k. They take politics (or whatever it is) very seriously Pahiatua way. The local pre.-- is very full of Jiery and truculent correspondence just now. Mr. Hawking is fairly "ou the job." lie accuses certain opponents by name of "an untruth, a deliberate, concocted, wilful falsehood, uttered and repeated for political purs poses"; one in particular of trying to -how him (Hawking off the earth's crust.'' anil also of being ''politically mad" and "a victim for pity and contempt," and lie refers also to the eilort ft of certain "despicable men," a "cowardly trio," "creatures who with diabolical cunning have striven to injure me," lie promise-! to "give the details of the nio-t dastardly and cowardly plot to injure a politieal opponent that has ever heeii conceded ill the Dominion." The niral editor sav* he has excised portions of Mr. Hawkins' letter because thev "go beyond the bounds of fair criticUm*' and are ol a "decidedly libellous character!" Some curious -resignations" have thrilled, fleet street ill Us time (says the Pall Mall Gazette). Shortly alter; the Kerliu (.'onferemo a newsboy ran' screaming down Fleet street vvdh I'he! "R» -iguation of Lord Salisbury." The, papers went like hot cakes, but the; eae'or purchasers were disgusted to llnd , that the only resignation of which hi* • lordship had been guilty was that of • the chairmanship uf the Hertfordshire Quarterly Sessions. WliCn Lord Rose-be;-y resigned his leadership of lite Liberal Party, the speech, owing to various cau»cs, was delayed 011 the wires, and only reached some of the newspaper of- • lices in driblets. At last when the final word was spoken and received, one tired , pressman scrawled "Thank God-" at the j foot of the flimsy, and sent it to the printer. On opening liis printed paper he was startled to find that the faithful compositor hnd taken him at his word, and the report concluded thus: "Lord 1 Rosebery then left for the south. ThankGod!" During the course of a conversation with a Press reporter on Saturday evening, the Minister for Lands (the Hon. K. MeNab) foreshadowed the establishment of a State Agricultural College. "At the present time" he said, "we are equipping the experimental farms to • take cadet*. 'I hat is not sullicient for ' a country like New Zealanii. We should have run by the Government, on popuI lar lines, ;in institution that will enable young fellows coming from the primary - -chook to go into it and obtain firstelas* agricultural education. The LinI coin College now provides a high- • clas ri agricultural education, but, proti--1 ahlv-on account of the iiuanceh of the 1 institution, il* sphere of operations is nol *0 wide a* a State institution would • lie. I frequently hear from men asking I where their souk can go to get a good • agricultural education, aud it is the • most dilb.-ult thing in the world to place • them. PmUihly when the scheme is , developed it will mean that one of our i experimental farms will be made available. The fees will be as low as possible, as the establishment would not ; have to relv entirely upon this source » of income for its maintenance. The I -elicme as yet is only in the embryonic condition, but 1 am hopeful that some--1 thing will lie done along the lines I have indicated." A moment's forgetfulncss of surroundings while engaged in talking to a friend ; ha* led the Rev. R. F. Ashley Spencer, ; Vical of Tyler's Green, Ruckinghamshire (England), into strange adventure. Mr. Spencer landed at Madeira 011 Feb--1 ruary 21st last for a month's rest and 1 change. On February 20th he went on board the liner Araguaya to see a friend. KngrOsSed in conversation, he paid 110 heed to warning cries nor the raising of the anehor. but was suddenly alarmed by the thrn-lildug of the screw, lie ru«,he.(i to the vessel's side to find that she was already moving, and that it was impossible to get ashore. Vainly protesting, ami fearing, us he remarked to a Lisbon correspondent a few days ago, tluut the worst constructions might be- placed on his disappearance, he was borne to Periiambuco.. in Rrazil. without being able to send any message to his friends or relatives. The voyage lasted eight days, officers and pasengers doing their best to solace him aud to provide him with clothes, of which he was, of course, in absolute need. Reaching Pernambuco lie instantly cabled home reporting his misadventure.. He found that a steamer, the Thames, sailed very shortly for Madeira, from Bahia, and went to that place, 100 miles from Per* nambueo, by .sea. At Bahia 110 found time to go ashore and explore the continent of South America before (he Thame- sailed. He returned in that vessel to Lisbon, where he arrived on March IS, and awaited the arrival of the steamer Clement, bringing bis baggage from Madeira. Rejoicing in the possf of his own belongings, of which he had been deprived for nearly a mouth, "Mr, Spencer arrived at Liverpool on March 20th. Whiteley Memorial Church services to-morrow will be conducted in the morning by tlio Rev M. J. llihler. and in the evening ]>y the Rev. T. G. Brooke. Subject for evening service: ''Ambassadors on behalf of Christ." Visitors cor--1 diallv invited.—Advt. See what cash will do at the A.R.O. Per., Co.:—Gents' kip shooters, nailed, 7s fid; Gents' Ralm'Orala, wide-fitting, 7s (id; Scotch grain water-proof knee boots (for the stockyard). 22s fid; gents' dancing shoes, fis fid; ladies' felt slippers, Is; childrenS', 7d; goloshes 3s fid; footholds, fid; gum boots, lis fid; ladies' glace shoes, os fid. Golf boots to order. AH parcels carriage paid.—Advt. WATERY KYES Are one of tlie of influenza. Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery affords immediate relief, (Jive It a trial.. Guaranteed in all cases of Ohest and Bronchial Complaints. Obtainable evfirywher }

It is seldom that the liupuka is enught in such large quantities in Cook ■Straits as they have been recently,. Upwards oJ 30 of theH<! fish lifave been eurod iu one haul, tile average weight being about SUlb per lish, Montgomery's I'ieture Company put 011 another good programme at the 1 heal re Royal last evening. The pictures were original and intensely inter- , esling. ('(specially the colored ones, which I were quite a revelation to the majority |of those present. Whilst Mr. Montl goinery keeps up the present excellent

•standard of his "shows' he is hound :o lio well supported by the public. "I luivi? a daughter who lias taken tlm dux position at a corlain school, but when she asked me if she. c-ould become a teacher J said to her, 'You arc only a working man's daughter, and you will have no chance to rise in the profession, as you have no influence.'" This was the heated remark of a very earne-t speaker at the .School Committees' (JOll- - at C'hritchurcli. The Manawaiu Standard is responsible lor tin- statement that the hanks of the Dominion Jast year had to ud-vam-c three millions more than they got on deposit to make good the deficiency caused by Slate norrowiug. The Premier states that this is ridiculous on the face oX it, inasmuch as the (iovernment, during lho year, absorbed oniy i"J10,0tllj of loan money within fbe> Dominion. The (liinl of a series of euchre parties conducted by the. members of the local railway department held last evening. '.lhiTi' was u large attendiime, tfnd tin- proceedings passed oil' most successfully. The winners were--Ladies: Miss 1\ Ward lii'nl. Miss \V. Hussell second. Ontlenicu: Mr. K. Loveridge jirst, Mr. J. Mdiiven second. The ilonrs were afterwards cleared for dancing, and a pleasant two hours spent. Mrs. W. Woods supplied the music. (i'ood import is being obtained by local devotees of the gun throughout the district, quail and hares being very plentiJnl (says the llawoi'a Star). Ducks have a!>o provided excellent sport, but pheasants arc a rarity, one local gentleman remarking that ere long the scarcity would be so pronounced that when a pheasant was shot it would be kepi for museum purposes. People who live in the back country state that the pheasants are extremely shy after the sound of I he gun denotes the opening of the season, and usually retire to the ljM'<h and almost inaccessible gullies., and are seldom seen again until the close season. Mr. A. E. inder, a mining engineer of Dunedin. has received infornmtioi from his brother, Mr. C. J.. Tndor, wlu is in I'Yench West Africa, that lie am two other New Xeahindcrs have recent ly executed a commission to examine, prospect, and report on the potentiali ties of a gold-boaring field on the Gain bia river, where, if conditions are favor able, dredging will be introduced. Tin three New Zealanders traversed mud virgin country, and in the course o their adventurous travels they had th> rare pleasure of testing their shootin; skill on elephants. Dredging continue lo make progress on the Oold Coast where several New Zealanders are en gaged. A recent visitor to Poforua state; that from the time he left Auckiaiu until he arrived back there was onlj one thing that was not thoroughly de lightf'ul. "While yon have a wonder land more weird and Iwautiful than any thing on earth, *o awe-inspiring am entrancing that no pen that 1 know ha: ever don** Uotorua bare justice; whih I the hotels, fond, and attendance are al

that could lie desired; while the trips arc conveniently and economically arranged; while t li-p baths are a hygienic delight; yet a visitor is forced to travel bv the slowest and filthiest train in the whole of the Dominion. One would think that this would be the one section in New Zealand on which an attempt would It made to run a train de luxe or something approaching it, but it Mollis to me that fjuite the opposite opinion i* held." Tiie Colonial Uiliee has forwarded to the New Zealand Covermnent the following letter in regard to the operations of Spanish swindler* who obtain nioficy from people* in various countries:—"An individual purporung to act as tiic executor of some person who has recently died in a Spanish prison writes to the intended victim stating that the deceased prisoner has Ml a sum of money to Uih relative—the intended victimon the condition that the latter will adopt and care for his orphan child; bul before the money and child can be vent H is necessary that the executor should receive a -mm <;f money— generally iM'twecn .Co'! and .C 1 OfJ in order to defray the legal expenses connected willi the prisoner's will. Needles to say, once the money has been sent, nothing morn is heard of the alleged legacv, The swindlers have for several years past found ea*y victims in various n.-uni vie-.--including (li'eat Britain ami although numerous cases s-re brought lo the notice of the Spanish (hivcrnment, it ha* imvcr yet been poss:lde to obtain a conviction of the offender*." Historians of Napoleon's invasion of Russia for nearly a century have been trying to disc-over wbose hand it was which applied the. torch to the town or gave the order for the conflagration* which precipitated the French Emperor's retreat from Moscow. At the time Count Theodore Rostopchine was said to have beein the incendiary. Jn J82:1 there was published a pamphlet. "The Truth Concerning the (Ireat Fire of Moscow." in; which the blame was laid at the door of French soldiers made mad with vodka. Now, however, the granddaughter of the (iovernor(teneral. Comtesse Lydie Rostopchine, in a biography of her grandfather, substanthe'original charge against him, and says that hw denial was due to the influence exerted over him by his beautiful wife. Just before the city was taken he had sent her to a distant province for safety, and on the evacuation bv the French he had implored her to come hack "lo a husband .who worships you and who respects you beyond all others." At the time the count was 47 and the comtesse 35. In his letters to Iter he had frankly admitted that he had given the orders to lire the city. When he was accused of the deed by the French oflieors she implored him to denv the accusation. The secret might have been buried with him_ but for a subsequent discovery that" his wife had repudiated the orthodox religion and had become a Roman Catholic. He became embittered and morose under the shock, cut her oil' in his wilt, and left a .sealed package containing' the truth about the Moscow tire only to be opened and made public <l eeutuiv aftei the date of his marriage. This duty lias fallen to Comtesse by.die Rostopchine to carry out.