FOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 51, 25 March 1909, Page 2

FOCAL AND GENERAL.

A reward of JjjO l; offered by Mr. J. C. Cox, of Wellington, to any lauiiclimeii who will locate the wreck of the steamer Penguin. Meyr.iell and Gum* have booked the Theatre Royal far three night during the last week in April. They will play "A Miner's Trust," "Two Little Sailor Boys," and "The Little Breadwinner." "From the commercial standpoint,said Sir Joseph Ward at Lyttelton on Thursday night, " we have nothing to "be afraid of. What we want is a little more hope, and, may I say it, a little more courage." A hull in a china shop is hardly a less desirable visitor than a cow in the Recreation Grounds. On Tuesday night ■one of the species entered the grounds 'by the Upper_Caningtou Roiid entrance, und left her footprints implanted deep on sundry paths. The straying cow ■nuisance is. very pronounced in the Vogeltown district just now, but it was thought the Recreation Grounds would •be exempt.

The search for the body of Mr. Gulliver, who \va* drowned at Tonguporutu on> Tuesday evening, wax resumed yesterday morning, and the body was recovered from a npot opposite where Miis. (.iulliver found the boy on the hank. A telegram received by Sergeant Haddrell stated that Constable Trice, of Wailiiru, who had leit for Tongaporutu, was making arrangements for an inquest.

An important discovery has been madi by Professor Aiyce of the true site oi the ancient city of Meroe, about threi miles from Kabnshia station near Shendi which is midway between Khartum ami Atbara. He found the great wall of tin inner defence and the remains of the Temple of Amnion mentioned in Strabo; also part of the Avenue of Rams, leading up to the Temple, and a statue ol a. king, life size, besides scarabs, seals, pottery, etc., which date from B.C. 10(1 to A.D. 300.

l ' iv i S r n ""l ,01 ' ; "''"eh was presented to _ the llawera County Council on Satur- : day, on the year's operations at the , toll-gates, show's that although they i ® le aa aggravating, cumbrous and costI ly means of winning revenue, the , gates have been a profitable investment . for tlu- Council. W-ithout them, «iys the Star, the roads would have been as , severely worn as they are now, and unless a special rate-levy had been made the hnances would liaye been worse off to the tune of about *730. The amount collected was £1037. Already the bacliblocksi of Taranaki | are benefiting from the recent visit of th« Hon. A. W. Hogg, in his capacity as Minister for Roads mul Bridges. When •at AVhangaiuomoua, Mr. J. B. lline, 'M.l'., introduced to his, notice the need 'for metalling at Tnliora, and the settlers themselves waited on tile Minister later in the day at Tahora. About 'forty men are at present engaged in the ■work of constructing kilns and cutting •lirewooil for burning the papa, and : f 'possible 1000 yards of metal is to be %umed and spread before the winter 'season.

The committee appointed In- tlie Loval Egmont aud Excelsior Lodges ol' Oddfellows to assist at tlie picnic at Moturoa met 031 Tuesday evening. Present: P.U.11. Cleland (in the chair), I'.C.S. lielll'i tiger, P.Ci.'s Ainswortii, A. Hooker, Little, JlcGahey, Pepperell, West, anil Sisters Ainswortii, Hooker ami Mctlahey.j

tiuh-comuiiltucs were appointed to arrange for sports 011 the sand for the children, for which a good amount of toys lias been procured. It was decided to supply hot water and milk for the visitors. Application Ims been made for .special trains trom the town station to the breakwater, and every effort will be made to make the picnic most enjoyable. A special meeting of the Borough

Council Wiis held last night to enquire into the charges of espionage alleged to exist in the stall', and after an exhaustive hearing, the following resolution was carried:—"That 'having heard the evidence of M. Ma-her and. other borough I employees j n support of a complaint I

lodged by the former, tliti councillors are *atk(ied that such complaint should not have been made, and, further, that the borough engineer lias the full confidence of the Council in so far as his action in allotting duties to he performed by borough employees working under him, nud are nlso satisfied with the adoption of means to check the regularity with which the several employees attend to it-heir work.

At a welcome social in Knpouga au address was presented to 1 lie ritleniau who competed at Trenthani, as follows: "To Rifleman A. It. Guy and the other members of the Kaponga Rifle Club who have at the 1909 Trenthani Rille Associ-i

ilion competitions so a% upheld the ' standard of their club. AVo, the real- ; dents of Kiipong-,1 and surrounding district, tender our heartfelt congratulations. To Rilleman (Juy especially do the people wish to tender congrolulA-, lions at his very line performance in winning tile much-coveted Union F, S.j

Co.'s Cup, and also upon the handsome manner in which lie performed, ami in being beaten by only 4 points for the Dominion Championship Belt. In tendering Rifleman Guy our congratulations we trust that the time is not far distant when we, the people of Kaponga, will hear of liim donning the Dominion Championship Belt." A big burly man of Balmain Wis once overheard to exclaim, "Laxo-Tonie T took and I nwer feels crook, I' If I does I shall take "'em again " 1 i PILLS, 10</ 2 d to Is fid, 'j