LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 303, 18 December 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Jt is rumored Hint Air. IJ. ft. Northcroft, for many years Stipendiary Magistrate in the Waikato, is about to retire from the Bench, lie is at present on flick leave, 1 Speaking at a banquet at Kakara'mea ou Wednesday, Mr. O. Pearce. A 1.1*.. said a Parliamentary member got 'some funny applications, lie had already had an application from a gentleman to be made a J .P.. but he thought 1 that was a matter outside his province. —Star. One of the most popular awards at Yesterday's High School function wa> 'that of "the handsome cup presented by '])r. Eookes for competition and awarded 'to .Master .lames Sinclair. Thin trophy 'was awarded 011 points, SO being given for school work, M for conduct in a'nd 'out of school, and the remainder for 'prowess in the fields ot *port. "There are many things 1 should like every boy to be proficient 111 before leaving this school,'" said the rector of the Wellington College in his report to the College (iovernors. " One of them is rille-shooting, and the other is swimming. Unless parents object, we make every boy learn to swim, and instracliou is given in rescuing from drowu* | tog"

' A meeting of the Fitzroy l.iowling and Tennis Club was held yesterday, when 'was decided to allow play on the greens 'and courts on Sundays. A large section i'of tin 1 a'ati-Sabbath-players was absent. I on account of the Methodist bazaar, li i is stated that a determined attempt i> In be made to reverse the decision, and. 'failing thai, there will be .several defce- , 'tinus from the ranks of membership. ! ' d*igs which were scarce for a little time after buyers dropped the prices, are said to be coining in very freely tigain, and in very good condition. The four buyer.- art? dialed to bring an averuge of -inn pigs into Llthani every week ' now, and the number is increasing. Eour very large biu-oners were received recently by Mr. S. Morgan (representing Diniock ami Co.) from .Mr. T. Phillips, Lower Duthic road. Tliev were only live mouths old, and average £27lb each. ill". Phillips states that he attributes their weight to his method of Boaking the feed (sucrosinc and pollard) in the skim milk tor a few hours before giving it to the pigs.—Argus. The building trade has been depressed somewhat in EUhani lately, in common 'with other towns, but there is a fair 'amount of work ottering the 'Argus). The .reason ascribed by one of the local contractors is the tightness of 'the money market, which, he says, is less felt in Taranaki than other provinces. He give* instances of city build■ing firms discharging large numbers of hands a few weeks. One thing which led to a slackening off in building operations loeallv was the stoppage of loans •to workers ami settlers. A considerable 'number nS bouses have lately been built, ■on money borrowed from the Govern'inent. and when loan- were not available this class of work (.eased.