LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 260, 27 October 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mails for Fanning Island close here at 7 o'clock this evening. t The Takapuna will leave for Welling- ; toll at 10 a.m. to-day instead of noon. ( A fisherman in Tiuiaru has been lined •• for working one of bis men eighty-five 1 hours. Fishing seems to be about as 1 laborious as journalism. I John James Lyttelton was brought to the New Plymouth gaol yesterday to ! undergo a month's imprisonment for ob- j scene language and drunkenness. There seems to be considerable interest taken in the forthcoming Comity Council elections. An application has been received by the county clerk for a polling-booth at Kaimiro. The Borough Council, whilst despatching its business in fairly good time, has some slipshod habits. For instance, there is never a division taken without one or more councillors making a lit'.le speech explanatory of tbe voting. This, of course, is wholly irregular. About half past 7 o'clock last evening a runaway occurred in Devon-street. A couple of young men in a gig did a record trip down the street till they stopped suddenly against a verandahpost at the Imperial Motel corner. The gig alone was damaged. The Borough Council last night authorised the laying of n short length of sewer in Pendarves-streot. Mr. Bellringer seized the opportunity to make still another attempt to have the authorised Lemon-street drainage proceeded with, but he was again unsuccessful. West's Pictures and De Groen's Orchestra showed again last night to an enthasiastic audience. The pictures, as on the first night, were remarkable for their steadiness and for the almost infinite variety of the subjects treated.' The orchestral portion of the entertainment was a musical treat. On the afternoon train from Waitara yesterday was a Maori man dressed in true Highland garb, with kilts, stockings, etc. In the same carriage a Maori wahine was resplendent in a costume of scarlet and black tartan. It only needed a piper with his bagpipes to strike up a pibroch to make a complete Gaelic picture. On Saturday afternoon Mr. Albert Bruntnell, the well-known No-License'

lecturer, addressed a monster open-air meeting in Stratford,, when lie spoke specially to the farmers of that electorate. The crowd assembled to hear the speaker was considered to be the largest ever assembled for such a meeting in Stratford, and shows the interest taken in this question not only by the farmers' but the dwellers in the towns.

The proposal to form a mounted riflt corps is meeting with excellent sun port, and it is conlideutly expected thai a start will be made with the maximuii: strength. There are several ex-member! of mounted' rille corps in the district as well as several ex-eontiiigontors, win are very earnest in their desire to haw a good company formed. A meeting o those interested is to be held at tin Town Hall on Thursday evening.

Mr. Smith, curator of the Recreation Grmnds, is improving upon the hitherto haphazard fashion of rearing aquatic birds for the grounds, in the past the ducklings have been hatched out in the open by Mother Duck and launched immediately upon, the ponds, there to be maimed first and eaten afterwards bv the eels. Mr. Smith is now hatching out the future denizens of the deep at his cottage. In the absence of artificial incubation, Mr. Smith is open to receive any number of broodv hens.

Writing on Friday, Mr. T. Ryan, custodian at the North Hgniont Mountain House, said that during the week the weather had been very squally and cold, accompanied by hail and sleet. It was then still raining, but seemed to be moderating. Visitors to tl\« house on Sundav, l.Stli instant, were—D. Toil I, C. Todd, A. Todd, D. Todd, A. Todd, B. Todd, Inglewood; .Mrs. Chong, New Plymouth; A. .1. Chong, New Plymouth; Miss E. J. Johnstone and A. Paynter, Tarata.

The Turkish ladies are frequently w-Ml educated. Many receive instruction from the teachers at the Girls' College founded by the Sultan for young Turkish ladies; they are then educated in the same way as an English girl, and when the time for their emancipation from harem liiV arrives tliey will be found ready and equal to take their share in the world's work. A Turkish ladies' paper, with a woman as editor and with women as contributors, has been in existence for several years; it informs it* readers that "any contribution that is in accordance with Mussulman faith and with Ottoman morals will be gratefully received."—Daily Chronicle.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Eginont Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U., . was licld last evening, Bro. C. Bond, X.G. presiding. The meeting was also a .special meeting for the purpose of consideration of the hospital fund, hut although members had been notified hv circular, there was a very meagre" attendance, it was decided That the resolution passed at the December JOO7, quarter night lie adhered to—That the lodge pay hospital fees up to (he amount of 28s per week, with a limit of £2O for any one year. The. rules in connection with the hospital fund were adopted, and the secretary instructed to ha,-e the rules printed and forwarded to each member with the next quarterly notices. A proposal of the Works Committee to terminate the liorough Council's agreement with its general inspector, '.Mr. Kvetts. was wanulv debated la-t night by the Council. Councillor .Mills objected to a committee bringing down such a resolution as that concerning tho general inspector. The committee was usurping the functions of the Council. Such iv matter -diuiilvl be decided bv the Council.—The Mayor said the commit-

tee was of opinion that the inspector had not given the assistance that a competent ollieer should do.—Councillor' Mills wanted to know of any specific ! dereliction of duty on the part of the inspector. I'nless the man had refused to carry out sonic in-ti'iiction he could not he accused of neglecting his work. - Councillor West ,]ioinled out that the inspector could not he evervwhere. He had carried out his duties" thoroughly. It was all very well, when people saw'a breach of the by-laws, to say, "Where's your inspector?" but the inspector couldn't be everywhere. Councillor West moved, and Councillor Coleman seconded, that the clause be deleted from the report.—Councillor Mills said that he was certain there was no man in New Plymouth more capable than Inspector Kvctts of carrying out those duties. The trouble was, Uioush, that llm inspector lacked authority." There were too many in authority, too many on (he staff, and thev were always hanging about after one another, writing lo each other, and-squihhliug a', one another, lie thought the inspector's duties should be properly defined. —The Mayor said the duties were weir defined already.—Councillor Boon agreed that (he. work .should be more definitely set out.—Councillor Cattlev said the trouble was that the man had too ranch' to do. lie was out in the early morning and late at night impounding hors's. and he could not be chasing horses and working in the .centre of the town at, the same time. The clause, was deleted from the report.