LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 42, 15 March 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlic Baths Committee! lm» dociduil not to alter the time-table as requested by several of the lady patrons, being of (minion that it is too late in the season to effect a change, especially as printed time-tables are on issue. The ladies will probablv give the committee a reminder in time for next year's pro-

gramme. Magisterial investigation showed that the man who was seriously pummelled bv a Maori in the street at New Plymouth last Saturday week was not sis much to blame as originally reported. It was at first given out that Johnston had attempted to kiss a Maori woman, whost husband showed his objection to the proceeding by knocking the other down. The evidence in Court disclosed that the pakeha had merely made a remark about the "nice old kisser she bad. and the husband struck him to the orin'md and savagely assaulted him. The Magistrate found that Munga was guilty of the charge o't assault preferred bv the police, and lined him C;"i, with il 17s (id costs. The accused had been previously convicted at Novmanby for taking part in an assault ou a constabler

Dr. Svcn Hcdin, the famous explorer, expects to spend his next three years in civilisation, lie will then make further explorations (writes a London correspondent), but declines at present to reveal the next fields of his labours. "It will take three years," says Dr. Hcdin, " to arrange my collection and make known the results of my journey to the public and the scientific world. If one does mot do this it is no use travelling. The first year will be spent in lecturing to the different geographical societies, and in writing the popular work for the general public. I shall write this in the summer. I shall isolate myself at, a seaside place, free from rail and boat, and I shall refuse to see everybody. In the autumn, I guess, the work will be ready. The English edition must not cost more than two guineas. Then will follow the scientific work, and the large chests containing geographical and botanical material will for the first time come fully into use." The Minister for Railways (Hon. J. A. Millar), speaking to a reporter recently, said he regarded the prospects of the railways generally as decided hopeful. The grain harvest in the south promised to be exceptionally heavy, and the figures of the revenue already published showed thai, notwithstanding certain reductions, such as the loss of the timber carrying trade, the earning capacity of the Dominion railways continued to show a most satisfactory increase year after year. Economies were being effected by' the use of improved rolling stock. The new "A" engines, for instance, had a much greater traction power than the ordinary .class, while showing a decreased consumption of coal and water of 10 per cent in each case ; and the huge <JO-ton " X " engines, employed on some of the sections of the North' Trunk line will also do more work at a less cost. Mr Millar further stated that no changes of policy would be made until lie had a year's experience as Minister for Railways. Mr Edison's long-promised new storage battery, with the details of which he has heen occupied for some time, is, says the Xew York correspondent of the Times, about to be practically demonstrated. For a long time the investor lias been engaged in perfecting such a device for automobiles, and this' has been the subject of frequent premature announcements in the press. The new battery, however, is for use on street ear systems. He is satisfied a ear will rin a whole day without recharging. He expressed the opinion that the use of the new battery would revolutionise surface car traffic. He predicts that street car lines will employ none hut ears equipped with -the new batteries when he has demonstrated their commercial value. The track will be without either overhead or underground wires, or rails for the transmission of current, and compartively cheap stations will only be necessary where the storage batteries may be charged after they have exhausted their store ol current.

"Rotorua is very wonderful—wondcrfulljeeause of Uic very strength of Nature that one sees there. It made a very great impression on me," remarked Dr C'apra, of Milan, to a Times reporter. "When a boy I received a book anout New Zealand, ami now thai i liave come to. see it, it seems all like a dream to me, and 1 ask, 'ls it true I am m New Zealand?'" Then lie enthusiastically commented upon IVaimangu. Lalioßotomahaiui and Taraucra, the extraordinary steam holes on the shores of "the eold water lakes, To M'airoa, Wliakarew.vewa, and oilier wonders of the thermal regions. The living plants in the hot springs, with thyr light green, yellow i and red colorings, did nol pass unobserved by him. "In its natural aspeet New Zealand is very beautiful," he continued, "h'or a young country you have made very solid progress, and one of many pleasing features to me is the great interest taken in tlie instruction of the people, mol alone in your schools, but by your newspapers, and the facilities given everywhere throughout the country hy free reading rooms and libraries." The running of the trains on the Manawatn line since the Oovernment. has taken them over has caused a deal of dissatifaetioii. Owing to the small number of stations on the northern part of the line, the. slow trains have to wait for long periods at some of the smaller

tiilinns to allow the up and down Main .'l'link and New Plymouth express to | liisH. In this connection a Rood story is "■ill" told of an American who recently muled in Wellington. For his first 1 ourney in a Xew Zealand train lie 1111orlimalely struck (he slow (rain from iVcllinglon to I'ltlmiirslnii North. Tin; •onstniit stops and their length gradul'y got on the stranger's nerves, until i stay of 50 minutes at Shannon idled lis cup of indignation to overflowing, uicl Hie guard passing through the ear .vas asked in terms of considerable force A-liiil he called his tin pot train, and the ilnnk (•'overinncnt tiint ran it was contemned to rontons in keeping with the Yankee's feeling. The loin; suffering ,'iianl listened to (lie tirade until his patience was exhausted, and then lie i]itcricd, "Do you think f own the train mil lix the time-table ? It's no fault of mine, and if it doesn't suit you you'd lietter get out ami walk." Quick as a Hash the American replied, "Well, conductor, guess I'd do that, only fin not ['xpected in Falmerslon. till the train arrives." Just arrived, at Dockrill'e, Devon street Central, Few Plymouth, an is dent of Allan's famous gent 3' boots, alv 0. and J. Clarke's superior ladies' boot and shoes. In stock, a large fissortnien of tke Vst ladies', gents', and children' colonial boots and shoes by rellablj makers, All the aliovc are offered ti the public at prices that can't be beaten,

]jomlon despatches {five interesting accounts of Groat Britain's first puyinciii of old age pensions, mid estimate that tiie new act will cost £7,000,000 annually. There is a good deal of speculation in the American newspapers as to the effect of this additional charge on the Budget. Tlicrc was published recently Ti^'V" 10 - N ' ew York correspondent of the Times) an American list representing <>lo,lif>2 pensioners to whimi lust year tlie enormous sum of £31,000,000 was paid. The pension habit grows by what it feeds on, and in consequence ol the Act of February 2, 1907, which extended the pension limits, the pension oftiec has been besieged by an army ol 413,000 applicants, 333,000 of whom haw succeeded in getting their names on the pay roll. American pensions arising from the Civil War are not dependent upon the financial conuitiou ot the applicant. I, personally, know war veteran, drawing pensions who are men of means and position. They affect-to he proud of receiving pensions for military service and often invest the entire sum in cigars, winch they pass around anion'. 11 their friends. . Te Kuiti is at present assuming an . air of importance and permanence, ami : there is an appearance of solidity about . the place which gives ample evidenci . of the progress the town is making. Tin s opening of the new post and telegraph s olhce marks another step forward, and h though the building > s a great improvet meiit on the one just vacated, several s promiiient business people consider tin i- volume of business transacted lately it and which gives every promise of stead s- ily increasing, warranted the erection ol •d much larger premises and the justiliea■d lion of an increased stall'. Mr Jennings n- J1.1'., when declaring the office openeu fur the transaction of j.ublie b'isinoss quoted statistics showing the number o] letters despatched and delivered, am. those present were astonished that sue! results were achieved under the prevail ing conditions. The -new office i* thoroughly up-to-date, and one greal convenience will be found in the fact thai telephone communication is establisliei with the whole of the King Country posl and telegraphic stations, whilst couimu nication can also be had with Auckland llr E. Moore lias been appointed post master.

Following is the letter Madame Melbi sent to the Australian press, brief men ticm of which was made by cable:- " Numerous requests for donations t tlilVerent charities have already reachc.. mi'. 1 am sure to receive many more, 'J'lie exigencies of constant travel, my necessarily incomplete impasse, cheate'i: by overwhelming correspondence, makei. it impossible for me to consider duly' these several applications. The number of concerts arranged for my tour makes it a physical impossibility for me to undertake any additional appearances on any pretext whatever. In any case I wish to mark my affection for 'the Australasian people by some direct personal gift, however inadequate, rather than a charity performance, which, after all, is but a form of tax on the generosity of one's friends. I have, therefore, decided to meet the situation to the best of my ability by dividing 10110 guineas among the charities of the chief cities of Australasia, in the following proportion:—Sydney, £250; Melbourne, £250; Adelaide, £110; Brisbane £110; Auckland, £SO; Cliristchnvch, £SO; Wellington, £SO; Dunedin, £SO; Perth, £SO; lloltart. £4O; Launecston, £4O. Countiing confidently on the kind assistance of the Mayors of the cities, 1 shall forward them in due course cheques for the amounts indicated.—Yours, etc., Nellie Melba."

Giving evidence in a labor dispute in Sydney, several women, the wives of coal carters, showed how they lived and kept house upon their husbands' wages of 37s (id per week. One woman produced lulls which showed that her accounts for the week were:—For groceries, 14s 4'/»il; bread, 2s 3d; butcher,os; milk, 1* fid; wood, Is; vegetables, 2s; rent, 8s; and 2s for clothes purchased on tiinepnymi'iit orders. If any tiling else was wanted, she said she had to pawn something to buy it, and she would never be able lo redeem what she had pawned unless the Wages Hoard gave her husband an increase in wages. She did not get her groceries from the cheapest shop she knew, but she had to deal where she did to get credit. She had four children, whose ages were from eight years to one year. Another woman said her grocery bill was 12s lid po,- week; rent, 8s; meat, 4s Gd; wood, Is; bread, is Od; vegetables, is Gd; milk, is s'/ a d; oil, 4d; time-payment clothes, 3s. She had three children, aged from ten down to one year, and before one order of clothes was paid for, more were wanted. Another woman, with two in her lamily, was just able to make ends meet from week to week, paying cash for her supplies. Her grocery hill was 15s Id for the week, and rent Ss. To counterbalance her thrift, however, she had a lot of sickness in her family, and owed 25 guineas in doctors' bills' and £3 to (he chemist.