LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 282, 23 November 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We understand that the Westeri Park funds will be augmented by the substantial stun of £sl 3s 9d as the result of the recent sale of work held at St. Mary's Hall. The Inglewood Lawn Tennis Club opened its season on Saturday afternoon. Only one of the asphalt courts

was playable, the new court not having set sufficiently for use. Several enjoyable sels were played. Afternoon tea was provided by the lady members. The proceeds of the Fire Hrigade ball amounted to £77 is. The expenses were Clli l!)s !)d, leaving a net profit of C(>o 2s !ld, which amount -Mrs. Doekvill has handed over to tbc superintendent of the Fire Hrigade. This is a record, being the largest ball tile brigade has ever bad.

John Donnctts, or Donnetz, who was convicted some few months ago and imprisoned for supplying liquor to .Maori women, was released towards the end of the week, and was soon ill trouble again. He was arrested on Friday on a charge of using obscene language, and .will be brought before tile Court, on remand, this morning. A fire in the telephone department of the Post Oflicc early ou Saturday morning did a considerable amount of damage before it was extinguished by tile hose from the postal department. The alleged carelessness of a member of the staff is stated to have been the cause of the conflagration, which was not no r ticed until Uie llames had obtained a hold on the woodwork in the room. Fortunately the building is almost lireproof, otherwise a disastrous conllagration might have been recorded. 1

Trained nurses sometimes meet with substantial recognition from grateful patients whom they have nursed or helped to recover. The latest iustmee of the kind is mentioned by the British .Journal of Nursing, which says that a member of the Hegistered Nurses' Society, the headquarters of which are in Oxford street, London, has received ollieial notification that she has been ljft .€30,(100 under the will of a young man ■whom site had devotedly nursed under a painful illness that lasted seven years. A little time ago another member of tire same society received a legacy of £IOOO and an annuity of ,t'.300 from a patient to whom she had given long attendance.

A little group of fanners in inglewoo,, on Saturday was discussing tlmt evergreen topii' t tile dairy regulations One of them was strong in liis approvai, mul cited a case ill whirii very objectionable farm practices had come under his notice. Another went one better, and told how, 011 Inlying a farm, he had bad to clean up generally. Just outside tlu> cow-yard fence was a manure 'heap which he was snrc must, have remained there untouched for live or six years, tin moving it lie came across the skeletons of about a dozen calves—and this within a lew feet of tile milking shed. Another told of a farm on which there was a heavy mortality in vouug stock. The (jovernment veterinarian directed the removal of a manure-heap, and there found the cause of infectionskeletons of cajves which had died from blackleg. There really does seem to be need for inspection oil some farms. Tire vagaries of mi "unbroken" heifer, which was being led along one of the principal streets of Dcvonport, Auckland, on Wednesday last, caused more excitement in the * township than the general election of Hie previous day had done. When m the vicinity of Victoria .street, the animal wrenched itself away from the man who was holding the lending rope, and immedialely dashed into a reserve. ].>om there it made its! way into a fruiterers nljop, from wiiicb it, was expelled with considerable dilliculty. When in the street, again, U|;animal dashed towards the lieaeii, and. , taking to I lie wator oa the weslern | side of the Victoria wharf, swain out towards the yachts that are moored some distance out. After getting out a considerable distance, the bovine turned shoreAvards <\gain, and landed near the cable jetty, a distance id' about .'illfl yards from where it entered the water. 1 Some trouble was experienced in securing it, the services of a horseman being eventually requisitioned to ride into the sea. The long swim in no way subdued the heifer, lind .111 additional assistant was obtained to help i;j forcing the animal to Hs dcMUiatim). ' , PITHED), VIC. ' Mrs Dalzie!, I'itfielil, Vie.. wriLcs "I have Mr Sheldon';* Magnetic Liniment for a little girl years old. She sprniii'Ml and bruised her elbow, through a fall. For sonic time she couM mil, Hit it. but n 11 or a few rubbings with Dr. Sheldon's Magnetic Liniment, mil keeping the arm warm, it was right, 13r. Jvieidoji's Magnetic Liniment relieves at onoe rheumatism, lumbago, lame baiV c.ils, bruises Mid burns, and repeated! application* will effect a cure in a re* Uiirkablv short time. Price Is 6d and 5? per bottle. Obtainable everywhere, I

At the Inglewood Oil Company's meeting the other night a question was asked as to the possibility of obtaining from the government Geologist a report upon the 'Taranaki oilfields. The chairman said that all efforts in that direction had failed. Mr. Bacon remarked that ever since 1802 Taranaki people had been boring holes for oil, and, in round ligures, about half a million had been expended in the search. No other district in New Zealand had "come within coo-cc" of that. Still, Taranaki had never yet been geologically surveyed by the Government. The chairman said that Dr. Bell liad explained to him that lie had his rota of work, and could not depart from that, although lie had managed to drop out of his routine and go to Gisborne. "But then, Giaborne had a Minister."

When jurymen are applying for exemption from duty, their attitude to the Judge is usually as conciliatory and politely persuasive as the circumstanc'is mako politic. But this morning is*ys Monday's Auckland Star) a reluctant juror adopted the argumentative attitude. With confidence in his voice, eye, and general denreanor, lie informed the Judge that he wanted to be excused, as lio was a grocer without assistance; not even a wife to hold the counter against his return. Wherefore lie had perforsc to put lip his shutters before sojourning to the Court. "My ease is one in a thousand,'' he nnnounced. with the .'i'.' of one who has settled the whole business. "You certainly know how to blow your own trumpet. How long have you had this business?" impure,l the Judge. "Eighteen months. And I am making my fortune, of course, although T can't all'ord to take n week off','' retimie. the grocer. "Well, jn spile of vour impudence, I' will let vou oil'. You can go," and the M'uvkeeper departed, looking eloquent thoughts.

ft is announced that a number of wealthy American motorist* have firmed a company for the purpose of lajmg out. the lines! speed motor road in the world. The site selected is on Long Island, and when finished will -embody a circuit of sixty miles, taking in

the natural undulations of the country. Tin* estimated cost of the track is of which £IOO,OOO has already been spent. At present a twenty-five miles circuit of the track is complete, and it was over this section that tbe recent Vand;-rbih Cup was decided, when C. Robertson. an American driver, averaged over sixty miles an hour for 258 miles. The surface of the track. )? composed of two layers of concrete reinforced with I'/jin mesh wire-netting; whilst the corners have been properly banked to take a speed of over 100 miles an hour, it is anticipated that the complete course will be finished within the next two years. The luxuriousnesa of the English motorist seems to fall little short of his fellow in America, for

the Royal Automobile Club of England, of which King Kdward is patron, is to have a perfect palace erected for the

benefit of the 3750 motoring members. The club's new premises are to be erected in Pall Mall, Mondov, and are to cost £250.000

Bishop Weldon (Dean of Manchester), in a letter to the Lord Mayor of Manchester, wrote recently:—''lt seems to me that I ought to do as much as I oan alford for the relief of the present distress. li am not a rich man, but I enclose you a elieque for £IOO, and if the unhappy dispute ia the cotton trade lasts some time with the consequent aggravation of the suffering winch must apparently arise from the insufficiency of 'employment during the coming winter, T shall be prepared to send you (at intervals) further cheques until they amount in all to one-third part of the income attaching to the Dcanc.v. I cannot do more—l wish I could, for it is impossible that T shall remain napp.in the enjoyment of unnecessary comfort while a number of my fcllow-c't.i-zens are hungry.'' The Lord Mayor, in reply, wrote:—"lf the citizens at large would approach the great and distressing problem which now confronts us i.i the same sympathetic and self-sacrific-ing manner, not only would the fullest measures of relief be available, but there would lie a more general realisation of that higher type of brotherhood the presumed absence of which seems to have rendered the proceedings of the unemployed aggressive and embittered."

An application ill 'Melbourne to the Supreme Court of Victoria to direct the Master in Lunacy to enquire and report upon the condition of a young womar* named Bertha .lane Shierlaw was supported by sensational affidavits. The affidavit of Mrs. Vaughan. wife of Dr. Vaughau, anil Bertha's sister, set out that the young woman, who had been living with her mother and sister up to December, 100CS, had been of perfectly sound mind and of bright and cheerful temperament, and had formed a strong attachment for a certain gentleman, ller sNter Eva a!*o formed a strong atl:H'hinent lor the same gentleman, who, however, preferred Hertlia. They werb arranging to be married, when .Mrs. Sliierlaw forhiide the gentleman Income to (lie house again. The deponent also stated that she had been informed that the mother and lister were not (treating Bertha properly, and herself had observed their cruelty towards her. Mrs. Shierlaw -truck her daughter Bertha with her list, punished her by making ■her take cold baths when she did not want them, curtailed her hours of sleep, and forbade her to see anyone. Uuilci this treatment Bertha grew melancholy, but when deponent's husband treated her she grew better. Then the si„ter Eva began to treat her cruelly. Later, .Mrs. Shierlaw forbade deponent or her husband seeing Bertha, Deponent was of opinion that this cruel treatment had unsettled her sister's mind, and that while she was under their supervision she would never regain her mind. An affidavit by Br. Vaughan corroborated his wife's statements. The order asked for was made.

Lionel Terry presents a difficult problem to both the Mental Hospital Rail the Lvtlelton gaol authorities (says the (.'hristehurch Press). It is only a month or two since he attempted -o hum down the hospital wing of the Lyt-telton gaol, in which ho has confined for the past year or two. Ife made another effort to fire the building by boring a hole in the ceiling of the lower storey of the building, and attempting to burn the records and papers stored in the upper storey, but thjs .scheme was also nipped in ' the bud. | Many of his privileges were then taken I away from him, and he was confined in a cell instead of being allowed to li\'2 i in the hospital building. Since then he j has occasioned the chief gaoler and his I assistants considerable anxiety, l't ha.been necessary to have, a warder with lorry day and night to keep a strict watch over him and prevent him from doing further mischief. This has necessitated two warders taking alternate day and night watches. Jn the dead of night Terry often commences to shout and call at the top of his voice, and he frequently addresses the warders in insulting terms. During th<' past few weeks Terry has refused to take Ins food, and this extraordinary c"mlnc! *ias been a fresh sourer ( ,f nuxirtv k. the gaol officials, it has been f.'.imd necessary f,o rfcort to "lube feeling" to prevent him from starving himself, mid litis meth'M of feeding him has h;id to bo earried out by the Menta! Hospital doctors, Prs. dmv and defines who take it in turns to make daily visits to the gaol for the purpose ol feeding Icrrv. Tt is imderstood tint , arrangements are being made to trans- | fer lerry from the gaol ami place him under the direct supervision of the Mental Hospital authorities. At n meeting nt Lyttelton this week Mr. Laurenson referred to the case of Lionel Terry in his remarks on reform in connection with the mental hospitals and gaols of life Dominion, and said thai he was strongly of opinion that the man should at once be removed from the gaol and taken in charge by the Mental Hospital authorities, who were in the proper position to deal with his case.

Sparrows, parrots, and other birds are! visiting the Yarrawonga district ol Vie-1 toria 111 great numbers. lieeently a fanner hit upon u novel idea for riddi.ij; his cultivated paddocks „( ,-ocUtuos lie captured several of (lie birds, ami painted them red, green, black, ami browsi. Then he libera led tlicni' in a lield 011 which a mob of whit,, cockiiiuos had alighted. The appearance o, 1)1,, strangely-colored birds frightened the others, who llew away screeching. 'The experiment -proved satisfactorv.

A nor'-wester, a few days ago, blew down five telegraph poles between Winchester and Tcnmka (South Canterbury), and gum trees were uprooted m many parts of the district. In Temuka many windmills were considerably damaged, and a stono ornament 011 the Roman Catholic Church was dislod"cd and damaged tire roof slightly in its fall. 111 Ueraldine a brick building in course of erection had the walls blown down. Fruit trees and gardens gencrj ally suffered much harm in all parts of the country.

Writing editorially on thy choice of lass for the site of Australia's Federal city, Dalgety's Review says: "The site is regarded by most people a* an excellent one from all ■standpoint*. Its altitude ranges from 1700 feet at Vans an<l 2000 feet at Canberra to '2200 feel near ! Luke Ceorge, and the climate is mild. Ihe country is fertile, the scenery splendid, and there are ample facilities for Ihe supply of water. J» addition, the site is readily accessible from ill the Stales, ami finally within a short distance i* the ma-rnilieent harbor of Jervis l>ay, which is now practically uninhabited. Then- is undoubtedly a strong desire in Xe\v South Wales' that this site will be tin- final choice for the I'Vderai -capital of the future,''