LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 306, 22 December 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Opuaake-Eltham coach will no; iiiu on Christinas Day or New Year's Day. ilails for the L'nitcd Kingdom and Continent (via Suez), despatched from here on November 12th, arrived at London on December 20, At a public meeting held at Napier last night, it was decided to hold musical and elocutionary contests annually in Napier.—Press wire. The New Zealand Government training ship Amoknra sailed last night from iilufl, via the West Coast .Sounds, for New Plymouth. She arrives here early on the morning of the 31st inst. At the Police Court yesterday after noon a Maori woman was lived ,>s and costs for aiding and abetting in th: commission of an. offence by receiving intoxicating liquor from another Alaoii Constable Mclvor prosecuted on behalf of the police. 11l the Supreme Court on the 17th inst., probate of the will of the late John Edward Jones, of Midhirsl, deceased, was granted by his Honor Mr. Justice Edwards, on the application of Mr. Quiliiain (Govett and Quilliain), to Elizabeth Jones, tile widow of tire deceased. in tile Supreme Court on the 17th inst. letters of administration in the estate of James Nieol, deceased, were on the application of Mr. Qiiilliam (GoyetL and Quiliiain), granted by his Honor Mr. Justice Edwards to Mrs. Agnes Jane Nieol, tile widow of the deceased. A sad incident is reported from l-'ox-toil. The wife of the postmaster thee was conversing w j Ul j u . r Jnisbaud in their garden, when she remarked that it was suddenly getting dark. It turned out that .she had been stricken with blindness. Whether the loss of si.dit is merely temporary has not yet been ascertained.

The a'nnual meeting of the New Plymouth Caledonian Society is to be haid 111 the iowu llall on Wednesday evening. lhe balance-sheet, notwithstanding tiie heavy tli'aiji on the Society u\ running the championship meeting last yea]' discloses a very satisfactory stato ui all Ill's, tills year it is intended, in addition to the usual sports lneeliii", to hold at least a coujHe of electric IHit sports gatherings ill the Sports Ground.

J lie hrst annual dinner of the New I yinoutli law clerks took place at the "TTJ H ; l ". li,st Tl "'™ were about, thirlv-hve present. Colonel Ellis presiding. |) Hr j ll( , t |„. # toast ; list was gone tlii'ough. ami songs and recitations given by .Messrs. Frcibci-'. Tiiritbull. .Miildoon", Strang. Fletcher! Andciviii. Tressider, Sullivan, and Ilill.' P'a.\led. the accomiiauinie"t>" 'the gathering dispersed with Auld Lang Syne" at about Jl.:iO p.m. During liis short slay in New Plymonlh on Saturday night the Premier was deputations! by (lie IMayor in relereiice to the .Mount Eg-moiit tourist IratlK- and the wretchedly inadequate arrangements made f,„- the accommodation of the visitors to the Dominion, who required some of lhe comforts of civilisation 011 their holiday-,nuk-iii" lhe Premier replied that the Government was prepared to spend C4UOO or more, if the entire control of the reserve is I,laced in the hands of the I'iuiist -Department.

' 111 \ ictoria tlu; Government wiselv ••iieourajas suburban railway traffic as far as poss>hlc» said Jl r N. A V(ll «i, „f """ Alljcrt. in speaking to an Auckland J leva Id representative, of a yisil f 0 -Melbourne. •• Ami; lie went, on, 'Mile N'ew Zealand Covernnieiit well follow the example of Victoria in thin respect. If a man builds a i'HDO liousi' ill tile suburb of Melbourne, the (loverninent -rants a iirst-elass ticket over that suburban line to the head of the family, free of all cost tor several voais and so on. hi proportion to the. 'value' of tilt' house. 'I his is encouraging urban setllement to a remarkable lie- i grce. 'the children a re allowed to ride free, or at nominal charges, and til"; congestion of tile city is being relieved at a rapid rate,"

The body of M. Pierre. Lacroix, n bachelor, eighty years of age, was buried at Amilly, near Montargia, amid extraordinary scenes. To comply with tue wishes of 'it. Lacroix there were no mourners, all those, attending the funeral 'being dressed in their gayest clothes. The hearse was pfeceded by a brass band, ■which played selections from ' The Geisha' and ' Les Cloches de COrneville,' and the collin was lowered into the grave with loud cheers. The guests were afterwards entertained at a banquet, followed by a dance at a local hotel. M, Lacroix left a will bequeathing his fortune of ,ii4,(>o() to the municipality of the town, with the sole stipulation that his instructions for the funeral should be carried out to the letter.

. The quarterly meeting' of the Loyal Eginonl Lodge, 1.0.0.K, M.U., was held last evening, Bro.. C. Bond, N.G., presiding. Two brethren from England and one irom Auckland paid the Lodge a visit and were accorded Lodge honors. Bro. Reg. Newton was elected N.G., Bro. A. Duller V.G., and P.G. W. H. Butler Kh'c. See. for tlie ensuing term, and Per. Sec. Bro. Ainsivorth was re-elected Per Sec. for the ensuing twelve months. P.G. A. Hooker and S. A. Matheaon were appointed to assist the N T .G. in his ollicc. Bros, llikier and .Jackson voluntcreil as R. and L. supporters to the V.G. Bro. Hookhtun was appointed Guardian, and Bros. McGahev, Bennett and A. llook'.'r were elected auditors for the ensuing twelve months. The newlyelected officers were installed by P.G. Bro. L. Goldwater, of the Auckland district.

The time-table for the I niun Steamship Company's new Island subsidised service has been arranged. The service will give d'rect communication between Wellington and Karotonga and Tahiti, and connection at Papeete—in the lastnamed island with the steamer Mariposa, for San Francisco. The sorvi>o will be a five-weekly one, and alternative with it is the existing service bc-i twccii Auckland and the Islands. The Manapouri is to inaugurate the timetable from Wellington. She leaves on the 3rd January, and reaches liarotonga mi the litli. ISlie sails on the same day for Papeete, arriving there 011 the 12th. Next day .Messrs Spreekles Pros.' Mariposa is fixed in leave for San Francisco, where she is due 0.0 tile "2")111. Accordingly Hi.' whole lime occupied from Wellington to Sun I'rancsico will u« 22 days. On tile way back to Wellington the steamer is to leave San Francisco on the 28th iust., connecting with the Manapouri at Papeete. The latter vessel sails foi* Rarotonga on the 13th January, and is due there on the 10th, leaving the same day for Wellington, subsequently arriving 011 the 24th. The trip from Auckland to Papeete via Raratonga takes the same time as from "Wellington, but the northern service does not connect with the San Francisco steamer. It was a great battle tliat was fought for the Davis Cup, the pride of the lawn tennis world, during the last week in November, when the champions of America and Australasia met 011 the hiwns of the Victorian Association in Melbourne, flow strenuous was the fight may be 'judged from the magnificent set of pictures in the January issue of Lite, certainly tile best snapshots published anywhere of the great contest. What the Davis Cup competition is, and who the men are that played for it, are told briefly and clearly, aitd with the photographs make one of Ihe chief items in a very fine issue of this popular magazine. Among other articles of special interest and value are: "Tile Opening of the Modern Alladin's Cave,'-' by Dr. Fitchett; "The Storv of Standard Oil," liy John D, Rockefeller; "Dooley 011 the Spirit of Christmas," by Finhiy Peter Dunne; and "How w'e Spent Christmas with the Crocodiles,' bv Julian A. Diraock. Mr. T. K. Dow, who is nothing if not patriotic, shows in a series of maps and diagrams how Australasia corners the summer at Christmas time, and points out thai whilst the northern part of the world lies unproductive in the grip of winter, we of the southlands are rejoicing in a time of harvest. Mr. Dow makes some interesting comparisons between the climate of Canada, and Australasia, greatly to the advantage of" the latter. W. A. Somerset, who related a number <if interesting stories of submarine diving in a recent number', continues his stories, telling, this time, a number of thrilling tales of tragic happenings beneath the waves. Oil tile fiction side there is naturally a very strong Christmas flavor, the stories beinjj strong and wholesome. The fascinating series of Van Dusen detective stories is continued with the un- > ravelling of file mystery of "The Fatal Cipher." When it is said (hut. the ordinary departments are more than usually bright and informative, if. will be understood that the January issue of Life is a magazine tn lie sought for and kept.