LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 283, 24 November 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Our issue to-morrow will contain full particulars of llio second ballot elections that lake place to-day. Agents arc requested le- semi in tli-iv orders for extra papers I>.v D o'clock to-night. Sleeping in the garden is nuieli recominended by (lie medical profession for nervousnes, and insminiii, Although we are agreed about the heallhfiilncss of (i maximum supply of o.xvgen by (lav. people do not yet sufficiently realise the great beneficial results to be obtain-) rd from an abundant supply during til; hours of sleep. -Country Homo. A pairiiirclial Maori gave his ideas tile other day In Hi- Xiilive Land Commission regarding a certain block. (Jcslituhuing in characteristic native fashion, he said: "Tlie block is like the cow. Tile <;.iveniiiionl lias hold of its head, the people who own the land huh] | the tail, and Messrs (mentioning j two gentlemen ollieiullv connected with I (lie ease) are doing the milking."

(Jcneriil .loiibert, the well-known leader in tile South African war. is now in New York advertising f (ir recruits to Tight against President Castro in Venezuela, stilled the London -Mail of September 1". ,\ considerable '-lumber of application- hme already been received, and Cienevn] ,loiibert. siiva he is confident that the force lie \vW be able to lake back will be of great assistance to I the revolutionaries.

A crew of Harvard graduates wh>'recently started on a treasure .hunting expedition to the West iiadius nave nicY nilh disaster. Thev chartered tlie old .American Cup defender Mayllower, aid sailed (o exploit an ancient sunken gi'leon, which is believed to be laden with !iohl. Sews has licnv been received lint ,lhe iidveniiirers were caught in a hurricrie ill the (aribliean Sea. and weie wrecked. They were, however, rescued .by a passing steamer, - _ I

A iirat aid St. John'; Ambulance j.\uminutiou fur teachers attending the Technical .School was In-11l hi,l l-'ridny nighl. Tile examiners were Drs. Wylie and Blaekley. The following arc 'the names of the successful candidates, pinued in order of merit:— Misses Laura F. Riley, Minnie E. Minchin, Mary 10. Real, and Mrs. E. M. Moss.

lii a lecture at Feilding, Dr. Mason said there was one microbe in particular which was making more havoc than any war—namely, the consumption microbe. There were many people dying overyear from an absolutely prevcntible disease, contracted through infection from spume. In England and Wales 60,000 persons died every year from consumption, three times as many as the total number of British soldiers killed in the South African war; and in New Zealand the deaths were 800 every year. " The man who coughs and spits upon the footpath," said Dr. Mason, " ought to be put in gaol."

Another instance of colonial fortune and vicissitudes. Some years ago (relates an Australian writer) 1 was in a city afternoon tea shop, and was served by' a girl with a regular tragedy queen air about her. She was always reading, and I was told that she had set her heart on being a theatrical star. I smiled, ilic other night I went to a big Melbourne theatre, and nearly fainted when there inarched in as leading lady Ihe waitress of years ago. With the' same stride, the same manner, mellowed and soiiened by judicious stage management. And she is a good actress, too. 'What a strange land of ups and downs this is.

A plague of mice is infesting parts of Marlborough isavs the Herald). They have been nt Koro-.uiko, and have now spread onwards to Mahakipawa, where thev arc In be seen in the fields, like swa'rius id' birds seeking the earthy worm. 'J'lipv form food for eonvorsv tioii in the rural districts. They watch the cows being milked and the butter churned, ami sipiat round in Hie kitcii.Ti in the carlv morning when breakfast is being cooked. They are cpiito as interesting as lVlonit Jack is to the passengers by the Piolnn-Xclson route. The mice are just arriving in Picton, but so far pussy has been able to cope with them, arid keep the nuisance within bounds.

In .North Wales there in a section of a single line worked un the electric train stall' system. A short time ago, when the signalman tried to draw a stall' from the instrument in order to despatch a train, be was unable to do so. This was at HAo p.m., and the failure of the instrument lasted for nearly five hours. During this period a pilotman had to be employed, which method of working is both expensive and provocative of delays. Investigation showed that a smali lly bad crept up the instrument and apparently died while in the act of examining the delicate mechanism of one of the contacts, leaving its tiny body as an insuperable barrier to the passage of the electric current. fn a recent case before the Glasgow Circuit Court, a girl of nineteen was charged with embezzling £1282 belonging to her employers, an engineering linn. It tame out in court that the girl entered their employment as clerk, tyi>ii-t, cashier, and bookkeeper when she was about fifteen years of age. Her salary at first nvas five shillings a week, and it had gradually increased to the munificent sum of 8s (id. Her duties were to keep the cash book and the cash; to keep the day book and post the entries into the ledger, and to do the general correspondence. It was also part of her tiuty to lodge money in the bank, and to 'draw money out. Tho jury could not agree, and the prosecution was abandoned.

'Tyipisle, teacher, journalist, saleswoman—\vu m Mew Zealand know at: these professions, and more than these quite well. But we have not achieved the industrial flights of the "Gay l'arisienue''— at least, not yet. The lirst woman bill-slicker has appeared in the streets of l'aris. She wears a long, while smock front, and carries Jier ~>ol of paste, her brushes, and her posters ju a businesslike way. She. has learnt all tho arts of bill-sticking, which is nol so easy an accomplishment as it seems, and the oldest male haud cannot give her points, At first she had to stand much chair, but, the Telegraph states, she is a powerful lady, with a j|uick tongue, so she* can answer back with the best <il them, and the little boys who thought it safe to "guy'' her soon found it was not, and felt the whack ol her paste brush. An engine which has an extraordiu-

ary (dombination of complete ysilence, ilcxibJli.rty a):U p-itfjr, am wiiuii in many experts' opinion may revolutionise the inolor-ear industry, will be shown at Olympia this month. This noiseless motor is the invention of Mr. Charles V, Knight, au American, an I the Daimler Company has secured the patent for its I'M) car. Mr. Knight is making ariaugemeuts whereby one manufacturer uillv ill each country in which

he holds liis patent will lie granted a license to maniifacliir;' engines of bis design. The Daily Express was informed by au engineer who had tested the engine that vibration had been com-

pletely eliminated. "While the ei.giue was working 1 placed a thin lead penei| on end on the radiator cap, and it never budged," he said. "That, I think, is a fairly severe lest. The silence of th': engine is certainly remarkable." It b> announced that Mr. Wilbur Wright will shorllv bring his aeroplane trials to u close. M. Lazare Wciller, who olicred £20,000 for Mr. Wrigbt'i patents in France when the necessary tests had been satisfactorily concluded, declares that he will never exploit the .invention commercially, but will subordinate private interests to the general interests of his country. For the, pn?o of a single battleship M. Wciller says nOOO aeroplanes can be constructed, aiid no Heel in the world could exist with swarms of these aerial engines dropping explosives on board. M. Weiller further states that he is so satisfied with the performances of Mr. Wright's areoplane that he has already given a French firm an order for fifty similar machines. When these are completed he will organise aerial sports, tests and competitions, counting on other inventors to join in completing the conquest of the air. Responding to the toast of "Parliament" at a banquet in Brisbane last neck, .Air, Aire\', a prominent politician, dealt at some length with the White Australia question, and said Australia was in greater peril of being over-run hy Asiatic hordes than was generally supposed or realised. As England b.vd been conquered time after time by invaders, until she was strong enough to resist foes, so would Australia. The only way to keen the country white was lo introduce large numbers of people from Northern Europe. He believed in a vigorous immigration policy. The Federal Government, instead of spending a miserable million on defences, should do one of two things—.heavilv subsidise the Imperial Government. f„V a squadron always to be stationed in Australian waters, or have its own navy. He preferred the hitler, and maintained that Australia should spend at least .C(i,OOO,UHO yearly on her own defence by land and water.

Writes iliu Wellington Tiim<s:-It will giye .some idea uf the remarkable development of tli,. cheese industry nf Tiiriuiiiki wlifn it i s stated that ih.i.-o was shipped through the I'alca grading stores alone last season as much as the whole ol llu. South Island output, aud that tins year it is expected the shinincuts through Palea will show an increase of i)o less than 2J per cent, on those, of the past season, tjlsi L is, \)hilc there were 74,001) eases shipped from l'atca last season, tile total this season will .No more in the region of 100,000) cases, or an increase ill value from .KiSO,000 to .1378,000. At tile present time from .catlOO lu ,C(i:170 worth of cheese is coming into the J'alea grading stores daily. The ijuaiility of the cheese this I season, so far, is much more satisfac- | I'liy than that of last season, due to the lietter spi'in,..- a m | to the more ev perienced work of sonic of tile factory managers. And. while the 'milk has been helter uj, tu Hie present, i,l„, i luL weather coining on will .prohahly niP'in j a certain aiiioiiiit of deterioration. 11 is dillicult in nianv Idealities to secure the necessary waler of llu- right tern'peiature to cool the milk with, and with the great rush „f milk coming Hie neeessa.y „orl< of cooling is apt to hi. done ia a careless maimer, or neglect-d altogether. Failure to cool milk mac not matter vn-y much in hutterniakiiu. hut in eliecsiHiuikrag Ule had results are very mueli more marked, fooling is the problem of the day m Tarauaki. Were it more generally carried out. the returns from dairying in the rlislriel would show a very substantial menus.

A thief went through the clothes of four hoarders at the Southland Hotel, nL Core, on Thursday nighl, and secured about .13). lie missed a sovereign purse containing a similar amount.

The stray-horse nuisance would appear to be a serious one in the Weal End. The amount of damage done to footpaths hy these stray animals formed the subject of « discussion at the Borough Council meeting last night. Complaint was made Unit, the inspector was nut sulUcieutly vigilant, and it was decided to instruct him to keep horseowners up to the mark. Shipment of wool by sailing vessel from New Zealand is being discouraged by the fact that the insurance companies have again raised the tarill' on that class of ship. Last year the risk was raised from a range of 25s to 30s per cent, to one of 40s to 50s per- cent. This year the companies have made the range from 50s to over 100s, the risk commencing from the sheep's back. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Egmonl Lodge was held last evening, Bro. C. Bond, N.G., presiding. There was a good attendance of members, and one candidate was initiated and another proposed for membership. The secretary was instructed to forward a letter of condolence to the family of the late Bro. I{. Cunningham. A letter of recommendation was granted to a member who is visiting the Auckland province.

John Donetz, alias Donnitts, who was arrested on Friday charged with having used obscene language in Devonstreet, came before the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning. The Magistrate, Mr. 11. K. Fil/.herberl, reiterated his intention of severely punishing nil ollendcrs for obscene ' language, and sentenced the accused, (who had twentytwo .previous convictions against him) to two months' imprisonment with hard labor.

Residents ill the vicinity uf the iliaused railway bridge on the t'arriugton road liad a rude termination of their dreams yesterday morning, and anxious eyes came peering through the windows when suddenly an explosion like a great gunshot occurred. .Murder, suicide, or what? they queried. But it was only the attempt of a couple of Borough Council employees to blast a great boulder from its resting-place in the footpath there. A second shot, louder than the first, accomplished the task. The Hope of I'lgmont Juvenile Temple, No. 23, 1.0. G.T., held its weekly meeting in St. .Mary's Hall last night. The temple was opened in due form by the C.T., Bro. Gus Handle}', at (i.30. After the usual business was linished the evening's programme (quoits competition) was 'proceeded with, Sister Nellie Tickucr proving the winner. At last week's meeting, in a recitation contest Sis. L. Allen was first, Bro. W. Grupen second, Sis. X. Council third, and Sis, D. Eva fourth. The prizes were presented by Bros. Maunder and l-icgg. The temple closed at 7.30 p.m. Any lady, or gentleman who is desirous of spending a .profitable Sunday afternoon—profitable to themselves and conferring pleasurable .benefit upon others, has now nil avenue of usefulness opened. For some years past the -Misses Logic have regularly attended at the Old People's Home and acted as honorary organists the Sunday afternoons through. last Sunday, as usual, the organ was opened and the organ -stool placed, but the organist came not. The volunteer organist has, (or some reason, been unable to continue the labor of love. Here is a chance for someone to cheer the evening of these old people's lives. There should be a ready response to the old men's appeal. After many days. The borough engineer's stall' is at present engaged in improving the Carrington road footpath. Seeing that this is the popular entrance to the Recreation Grounds, it is remarkable that the place has been sull'ered to remain in such a pickle for so long. Whilst they are in the locality it is to be hoped 'that they will pay some attention to the footpath leading up to and beyond Gilbert-street. At present it is a little gravelled haul; separated from a stretch of loose metal by a drain some two feel deep by several feet wide. It is but ordinary com-mon-sense lo urge that the means of access to Taranaki's show-place should be a credit rather than a reproach.

Here is another election story, ami this time u Hue one (says the Auckland Star). A poll-clerk, new to the business, ami apparently more at home on a racecourse than when engaged in clerical work, was laboriously thumbing his roll and 'marking oil' tin- names of electors as they recorded their votes—when he did not happen to miss them. After a very busy quarter of an hour, his depuly turned and enquired as to how lie was progressing. "Oil! all right," was the nonchalant reply; "I'm only seven or eight behind."' Naturally this was met with a remonstrance, and for a lew minutes pages Hew and the pencil was plied industriously; then came, a wliUpcr to the deputy returning ollicev: "It's all right, mate; I've, caught 'on. I'm leading now by three!"' A fearsome secret is said to have been disclosed by Dr. Peter Gibbons, of New York, who' declares that a. negro murderer named Taylor came to lite m Auburn prison after he had been electrocuted. After the execution, according to Dr. Gibbons, the doctors pronounced the negro to be alive. It was found that something had gone wrong with the electric current, and they were forced to destroy his life by means of chloroform and strychnine. He says the facts have long been known to the United (States Government, and he makes this startling declaration: ''Not a murderer who ever went to the grave from the death chair in use in New York was killed by the electric current. Everyone died from the dissecting kniveß of the surgeons, or was smothered i;i quicklime."

A ten-year-old prodigy of learning. William J, >Sidis, has astonished the intellectual world of Boston by passing the entrance examination into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hi? highest institution of its kind in I.lie United States, where the average age of entrants is 21. The boy is attracting the attention of psychologists, who consider that he gives support to the theory of inherited characteristics. His father, Dr. Boris Sidis, is a, Russian of exceptional intellectual attainments, and his mother is a physician of unusual skill. The youngster could read

ami »iuc ai two years oi age, ami ai I lour be. spoke flueittlv and read at sight four languages. Now he is capable of holding bis own in discussions on the nebular hypothesis, or debating abstruse problems in trigonometry. It has fallen to the lot of a South Australian to be able to describe how it feels lo he struck by lightning. The Adelaide Advertiser tells the story, Mr. George Roads, an aged resident, was journeying to inmaii Valley in his capacity of undertaker to attend a funeral, and three miles from the township the vehicle was struck by lightning. Mr. Roads was stupefied, and when lie recovered himself discovered the horse and I rap in a gutter, The horse had been thrown to the ground by the shock, and was trembling violently from head lo foot. Describing the sensations experienced, Mr. Roads asserted that he felt as if he were upon a battlefield where a sanguinary encounter was in progress, lie said he could not only hear the boom of the cannon and the crack of the musketry but could smell the gunpowder! In a leading article com men ling on I

(lie first anniversary of the elevation I of New Zealand to the status of n Dominion, the (llasgow Herald commented somewhat critically oi) the public debt, and <iu the daring character of Xcw Zealand legislation, expressing the opinion that it would not bo safe to. judge the outcome for, say, 20 years, i The dominion speedily found a cliam-

]iion in Jlr. Clilbert Anderson, who says: "It is true Hint the pnl>lio (lcl)t' i? Cti4,nol),noo. but you do not mention ! ilit- fact that this'is invested in .profitable undertakings—railways, advances lo settlers, purchase of land for settlement- all of wl|ii-li are se|f-sii|)|)ortin<! and reniuneralive. The balance spent on roads and bridges, if not payable dileetly, cannot be said to be unremunei'ntive. 'the exports, which are .CIS pelhead of population, are the largest of any country in the world.

Theodore liooscvcll, till! eldest son ol the President, is to begin his businos-j' career as mi accountant hi the Jlartfom Urpe.t iidls, Thomusonville. Connect!cut, at a salary of ,C 4 a week. Jlo will shortly enter the wool-room and work up his way through all the departments until lie lias mastered the business. Theodore will board in the village oi Thompsonville with .Mr. Higgins, presi- 1 dent of the company, and wTll live tilt, humdrum existence of the ordinary villager. At 8 o'clock in the morning he will enter the factory as Die whistle blows, climb a .stool and hegin work as a clerk.

The extraordinary appetite of Luidon paupers for pilis was the reason advanced by Dr. Tench, the medical officer at the Duiimow Workhouse, for asking for extra remuneration, 'there are now at Dunmuw about two hundred paupers who have been crowded out of tilt? London workhouses, and Dr. Tench said that the last allowance of ,ClO made to liiiu by the guardians had been totally swallowed up in providing extra pills ana drugs for the London "boarders." "I have never seen people swallow pills with such relish as the Loudon paupers,'

said Dr. Tench. "The men follow me about the wards begging for them, and a gallon of liipiid medicine does not go far among half-a-dozen of them." The Board voted Dr. Tench another gratuity of ClO, which he declared would soon be spent on pills for the paupers. According to cabled aiV-unnts .published in the Australian papers, tin

Commonwealth's amateurs in Knglana are playing lootball a la Americani'. In its report of the sixth match of the tour of the Wallabies (or Waratahs?), eiiiuiui'ntiug on the disablement of the Welsh captain, Davies, an old international player, who had to retire with a broken rih, the London Times says: "Whether Davies' broken rib was the

cause of what followed, or not, the remainder of the game, was unpleasant to witness, owing to the feeling introduced. The -Wallabies' proved the cllicacy of straight running and short kicking against .the wind. The game was rough, ami there was a disgraceful scene at the close, when the referee had to be escorted to the dressing-room by the. police, and the Australians' brake drove oil with a mounted police escort anil a constable on the step."

A correspondent asks a New York paper why it is that no New York hot-1 supplies a hook from which a sojourner can suspend his razor strop. New York's palatial hotels consult every fad and fancy of their guests. Y'ou may, as the journal points out, dine, in n cellar under the pavement and sleep in a lied above the roofs. You may play the stock market, sweeten your tea with music in the palm room, or attend the theatre oil a wet night without going out of doors. If madam wants to fix her hair she touches an electric button and the curling-irons are hot. Hut mere man, whose inalienable right it should he to scrape his chin at his ease in an inn, is at the mercy of a strange barber. If he happens to want to shave himself Ire can find no place to hang his (razor strop, unless he ties it to the handle of the bureau or loops it over the window catch.

A conjugal drama, differing somewhat from the usual category of such crimes by reason of the social position of the parties concerned, occurred shortly hefore midnight on October 2 at Le Rainey, some eight miles from Paris. A retired merchant, nainev Ernest Michot, owning a house in Paris and a villa at Le Rainey, suspecting his wife of infidelity, pretended to leave for the city, but concealed himself by the roadside. He saw his wife, a woman of forty-two years of age, joined by a .young neighbor, a working jeweller, named Paul llugonot. aged twenty. M. Michot fired, and hit both. His wife was struck by three bullets and killed instantaneously, while Hugonot was seriously wounded. Michot gave himself up to the police, who were attracted to the spot by the shots and screams, saying: "Arrest me; [ have just killed iny wife and her lover." llugonot is in hospital, and may may recover.