LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 304, 19 December 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There was again a very large attendance last night at the Methodist bazaar. Excellent business has been record Ml. and the results are very satisfactory. The shield presented by the old apprentices of the Sash and Door Company to Mr. B. Tooke, retiring foreman, will he placed on view in Messrs. Beilringer Bros.' window to-day.

The next election of members of the New Plymouth Harbour Board will be held on February Bth, nominations closing a week previously. The lirst meeting of- Hie new Board will be held on Tuesday, February 10.

/ The Kapongu school possesses a football ground, g(ra.ss tennis court, and three croquet lawns. They were made practically by the labor 0 r the headmaster (Mr. P. Malheson) and the pupils. Now, then, New Plymouth! While in Cliristchurch on Saturday the Prime Minister was informed oil good authority that the linn which had proposed to establish a brewery on the boundaries of the Ashburton No-License district had abandoned the intention. It was mentioned at yesterday's Harbor Board, meeting tliat there were several enquiries from prospective tenants of the Board's line, warehouse sites offered for lease near the railway goodsshed. The (jiill-strcet frontages were being sought after. An outstanding feature of the conduct of business by many local bodies is the indifference of members to the reading of correspondence by the clerk. And when the discussion "conies the negligent one, are, of course, not conversant with the subject, aud their tall: is wide of the mark.

| The inmates of the Old People's Home I were entertained at a most enjoyable concert at the institution on Thursday evening. Songs and duets were contributed by .Misses Feitton, Hine, and linker (2), l!ev. Evans, .Messrs. linker, Horner, and Woodard. The liev. .Mr. Colvile gave some very cntertaiiihg recitations. The old people were subsequently entertained at supper. ''.More Inglewood bacon is used in Eltham than Eltham bacon. There are 'eight sides of outside bacon to every one of the local article used in Taranaki. At Kapuai store Wairarapa, cheese can be purchased, notwithstanding that hundreds of cheese are manufactured every day within a sionc'.s throw of Hi.' store."—Statements at Thursday's meeting of the Taranaki Executive of the Farmers' I'nioii. The Seaside Improvement Conimitt •« i arc putting 0 u two bicycle races at the entertainment on Wednesday evening, Willi instant, for which they are donating .1-1 in prize-money, ir.id the entrance fee of 2s will also be added. The distance for the races will be half-a-niile and one mile. The liekls in both evenis

are expected to lie very large, as a grc.it , niiiny riders have already signified their ; intention of competing. The entries will close with Mr. A. ticorge, the liamiicapper., ou (Saturday, 2o'th instant. ,•( A meeting ol those members of the . \ Fitzroy JSowling and Tennis Chili who are opposed to opening the green for play on Sundays was held last'evening, when a committee was set up to obtain the of members who lire oppced to the recent decision of the Hub lo allow Sunday playing and to hold another meeting on sth January to receive the committee's report. It was also decided to suggest to Hie secretary that it would be unwise to elect new members until the ijueslion of Sundnv play was settled. The old saying, "The best is always the cheapest." is true in regard to most tilings, but particularly regarding cream separators. Inferior machines get out of repair, are difliciilt to keep clean, and skint imperfectly, causing loss of time, temper, and money. Sir. 15. Tlcnefield, ol Kent Road, Tarunaki, stales: "I have used oilier machines, but find the lialtic the best I ever used; in fact, 1 cannot speak 100 highly of it.'' Dairymen conlempUlling the purchase of a separator cannot do better then invest in a lialtic*. Full particulars and infortunium sent post free on application to J. IV MiuKwan and Co., Ud., solo agents, l'jjmonl Street. Xew Plymouth. Just arrived, at Doelci'l's, Devon street Central, Plymouth, an in dent of Allan's famous gents' "boots, ah' 0. and J. Clarke's superior Indies' boots and shoes. Tn stock, a large assortm»nl of the best ladies', gents', and children'J colonial boots and 3hoes by reliable makers, All the above are offered b Jho jmblic at prices tliat oaa't beVeati*

One of the settlers visited by Mr. H. T. Twiss, Taranaki Crown Lands Ranger, during his recent visit to the out-districts resides with his wife and four children at a distance of fourteou miles from the nearest habitation or dray road, which latter, by the way, is merely a twelve-foot truck. Anoth ir settler, with a wife and one child, also lives at a similar distance from anywhere. If such pioneer* as these do not do well, they most certainly deserve to, ami womenfolk who face undaunted such isolation as this must have the courage and endurance of a Grace Darling or a Florence Nightingale—Stratford Post.

Mr. H. T. Twiss, Crown lands ranger for the Southern Taranaki district, has just returned to Stratford after an absence of nearly a fortnight in the more out-of-the-way portions of the district. During his trip Mr. Twiss rode right through to Waitotara via Omoiia and the. Rawhitiro.i road. This, we understand, is the first time for some thirteen years that anyone has been able to ride through to Waitotara along this road. Mr. Twiss considers that when formed this will be one of the most magnificent scenic routes in the North Island. Near Upper Moeawaka the track reaches an altitude of between sixteen and seventeen hundred feet above sea level, and the view towards Ruapehu on one side and Egmont in the other is, Mr. Twiss says, remarkably fine.—Post.

An old story, retold in the London Daily Chronicle, is one concerning a noble earl, a Secretary of State for the Colonies, to whom the name of Sir George Grey, who had just retired from the Governorship of New Zealand, after i a violent quarrel with Downing Street, was 'incidentally mentioned. "A very Strange man." mused the Colonial Secretary. "I hear he 'has taken up his abode on a little island (Kawau) off the coast aud surrounded himself with Wallabies." "Yes," replied Sir Charles Duffy, "I daresay he will be pretty comfortable there for a time." "You surprise me. What must be the state of morality in a country where you can make light of such a proceeding." "Morality? What do you suppose a .wallaby to be?" "A half-caste female, of course. Is not that so?" "Certainly not. A wallaby is a small kangaroo."

Trains on the Southland section of railways will s be littcd with portable telephones by means of which wires may easily be tapped: Necessity for the use of these instruments would, of course, arise in the case of a breakdown. The telephone, instrument and a twoCell battery lit into a box about one foot square and ten inches deep. To make a connection with the overhead wire there is a bamboo rod in two lengths, with a hook at the top which will hold the wire and keep continuous touch with it. To tho end of this rod is attached u wire, which is connected with the telephone, and another wire leads from the telephone to any convenient water-hole or other place wliere It will make an earth. All these things arranged, the guard or the driver rings the telephone bell, and he is sure to get an answer from somewhere.

A Dunedin family's remarkable record in school attendance has been brought under the notice of the Minister of Education (Eon. George Fowlds). Minnie Keast has just completed nine years' school attendance at the primary and high schools, without missing a single half-day during that long period. Her brother Albert boasts a similarly creditable record extending over eight years, and their younger sister Jessie has followed their excellent example for seven years. Appreciation of these remarkable performances has been expressed by the Minister, -who, as a tangible mark of his admiration, lias forwarded to each child a presentation volume. Otago was -within a decimal point of heading the provinces for the average attendance in the primary and secondary schools. Perhaps the explanation is that the Keasts' example has been powerful.

The Stratford school committee has fixed February 4th as the date of its annual seaside excursion. This has become quite a recognised outing for New Plymouth folk as well, many families in the two places claiming blood ties or other relationship. .Yesterday the Harbour Board received an application from Mr C. D. Sole, chairman of the Stratford District High School Committee, to provide for the use of the picnickers a 400 gallon tank in which to boil the water for the tea. In the past the Board has helped the visitors in various ways, thus evidencing the fact that they desired the folks from the neighbouring centres to visit the harbour. Yesterday, after brief discussion as to the best spot for the proposed cauldron and the most advantageous method of erecting it, the Board decided to accede to the request to provide the tank, but of a •250-gallons instead of 400-gallons capacity. This will be available by all school committees who bring ' their children to the port for their annual treat.

The following interesting passage occurs in » letter from Tommy Burns, the V.orld's heavyweight champion, to the (sporting editor of the San Francisco 'Kxiiinincr:—"l. expect to retire after 'in.v light with Johnson. This is to 'humor my wife. Most of her sickness lias been caused through worrying over "my lights, and as I have enough to keep us botlli for the rest of our lives. I kcc, no sense in continuing at the game. A fellow can't -be a champion always, any'how, and I may as well stop before! tun beaten. I have travelled the : worid 'and beateu the best man in every couu•try; .audi while some of them may have been lemons, that wasn't my fault, I'll tell you this much, though: There lias been so much talk about Ketchel out 'here .since you sent the accounts of his battles along that I would like to fight liim after Johnson,, but it is up to my 'wife to decide for me. I have given her iny word that the Johnson affair will be the last unless sho releases me from the promise.; and with her my word is *my bond."