LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 54, 29 March 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A general sehool liol'ulay throughout (he Tarannki Kducation District will he observed un 'Wednesday, Annivei'sarv J)ay.

As Wcdncsdav. Alarch 31st (Anniversary Day I. is ileelared a public holiday, the loiier-eaiTiers of New Plymouth will lake ilii-ir half-holidav on that (lav instead of Thursday. The death of a Tarauaki resident last week was due to a complication or internal complaints, the chief trouble, it is said, being nicotine poisoning brought

on by chewing tobacco. The EltlMni Borough Council is called upon to contribute .Co 13s Oil per month In the Ha worn Hospital and Charitable Aiil Board. This is ,C2 (Is (id per month more than hut year, the increase being due to the higher valuation as the rate is exactly the same.

A writer in the Dominion suggests that already two breaches of the licen-

sing Act have been committed in the Mastcrton district since the result of liblast licensing poll was declared, namely in selling liquor a( the Caledonian Sports and at the Mastcrton A. and P. Show. The privilege to sell liquor at die Mastcrton races has been sold, and it is alleged that if a license is issued Unit will be breach :i.

Ah extraordinary scone look place in the Princess Theatre, fieofton. Maokolyiio iiiid Devmit's Hysterics Company was performing, when tile monkey taking part in Isie Cabinet scone, coming in, put his hands playfully on a 111:111 who had volunteered in response to die inI vilation. The man, evidently frightened, slrucl; the actor personating the monkey, and commenced to run about the stage, hitting the witch, fortunately porsonalcd by a man, and only being stopped by the severe rating of a lady member.

Just arrived, at Dock-rill's, Devon street Ontrnl, Few Plymouth, an in dent of Allan's famous gents' boots, aU C. and J. Clarke's superior ladies' boot and shno3. In stock, a large assorting of tfcf Vst ladies', gents', and thilclr?;i' colonial toots and shoes by relwbln makers: Al! the above are "offered tthe public at prices that can't be beaten. Vt. ~

Authorities quoted in Court arc not usually humorous. A Hash of wit, however, lit the drab. proceedings of the Wellington Magistrate's Court the other morning. "Your Worsnip," said counsel, who was engaged on a case about a JibI bing horse, "Mr Justice Denniston has I made use of quotations from ' Gulliver's Travels,' therefore I think 1 am justified in quoting Artemus Ward, where he says that a pious man who can drive a jibbing horse for 10 miles and not be put bad; years in his religion is ripe enough for a better world." Captain England, formerly of the Nimrod, believes that if the Norwegian firm which is negotiating for .permission to establish a whaling station on Campbell Island is successful a great deal of important exploring work will be done in the Antarctic Circle. The whalers will have to go down across the circle, and they will keep a sharp look-out for fresh facts. Captain England says that modern Antarctic explorers arc indebted to old whalers, who did splendid work in the South, and laid the foundations for much that has been done since. A boy named Godfrey, eight years of age, was attacked by a vicious dog at Mount View, near Cessnock (N.S.'W.), last week, and torn aliout in an awful manner. Luckily a woman happened to hear the boy's screams, and icscucd liim from the dog. Dr. I'ruokc was hurriedly sent for and attended the sufferer. Seventeen stitches were inserted in vari- ' oils parts of the lad's legs and body. Pieces of Itesh were bitten clean out, and the animal's teeth bail made pnnt--1 tures nil over the body. The boy was conveyed to the Maitliind Hospital, his condition being regarded as serious. The ; dog was immediately destroyed by the owner.

The Minister in charge of tin? Tourist Department (lion. T. Mackenzie) informed a Christfhureh reporter that he was higlilv gratilicd with the prospects of the Easter excursion to the West Coast sounds. All the accommodation by the Talune, which is to convey the excursionists, has been taken, no fewer than 220 persons having booked passages. The excursionists hail chielly from Olngoand Soul bland, mid include SI) ladies. Mr Mackenzie said he had heard that there was a suggestion that a second steamer should be put on, but personally lie was of opinion that it would be wise to await the result of'the Talune's excursion before taking such a step.

Commcnting on the teaching of history in the public schools of the district, the Wellington Board's inspectors, in their annual report, all'irm that it is only too apparent that in many schools it "is rapidly approaching vanishing point. Provisions of the. regulations which permit of the subject being omit-ted-iu alternate years from the school course, according to the report, tended to destroy the continuity of the subject and the interest in its treatment, liic report deprecates the system of teaching history from isolated headings and notes, on the ground that the effect of such a process has been to tear the subject from its literary setting, and lias encouraged lite vicious system of memorising tabulated facts and dates. "We believe," says the compilers of the report, "even sueli a little book as 'Little Arthur's History of England ' to be infinitely superior in spirit and educative influence to a scheme of book work full of elaborate details and analysis." The School Journal is making history interesting and attractive. At the present session the British House of Commons, for the lirst time in its history, enjoys the service of its own staff of reporters. Up to a recent period tile duty of taking and preserving records of Parliamentary debates was ill the hands of a private firm whose name has added a word to the English language. To speak of Hansard (writes Mr Lucy in the Sydney Morning Herald) is to refer to the octavo volumes of Parliamentary reports published at brief intervals throughout the session, stored at clubs, and inconveniently filling the libraries of members, among whose few perquisites is a free copy. The last scion of the Hansard family withdrawing from the business, the series, still bearing 1 tiie historic name was continued under other auspices. Two years ago a select committee was appointed to inquire into the whole subject. It is upon their recommendation that the new departure has been taken, Henceforth the debates will be, reported by a corps under the direct control of the Speaker their salaries charged on the Civil Service estimates.

It is proposed to form a small syndicate to exploit the brooms and brushes mad,, from Xew Zealand flax fibre by a patent of a local man (says a lliverto:i 'correspondent of the Southland Times). If the'industry is a success, the result should be a good thing for the Dominion in general, and give employment to many hands in Kiverton, All that is necessary for manufacturing lli ( . articles the district lias in plentiful supply. The intention is to export the fibre, which is duly free, and mamuactuiv in Sydney or 'Melbourne. This should open up a market for llax fibre, which is at present a drug on the market, and when the syndicate has got over all the experimental stages and it is found necessiirv to lloal n larger company, it is to lie'hoped those interested in" the flaxtrade will give the concern their hearty support. It is said that after selling under anything that can be imported, a good margin of profit, equal to 25 per cent., will be available. The (I'overnincnt, who are large users 'of the I articles, have promised support.

Statistics compiled by the Police Commissioner 01 New York show (says the Auckland Stars New York correspondent) that while S3 per cent, of the city's population of four millions is either foreign-born or of foreign parentage, and nearly 50 per cent., or two millions, do not speak the English language, exactly. 85 per cent, of the criminal class belongs to this foreign mass. The crime* committed by the Hebrews ar.,. generally against property, pocketpicking and shoplifting being their forte, the most expert of all street thieves being Hebrew boys of lti or 10. Murders are rare among them. In this they differ from tlie Italians, most of whom arc industrious and honest citizens, but among whom is always to be found i cerlai'ii percentage oi' desperadoes, who have been driven from their own country, and who continue their career of eriin.,, in the New World. This class constitutes Hie most desperate, brutal, and degraded body of malefactors probably in the world, and tin- hardest to deal with liceanse of the terror-caused conspiracy of silence among their honest compatriots. No other nationalities approach the Hebrews and the Italians in their criminal record. J

It is lair journalism to give publicity to the views of all sides and parlies. A working man who interviewed a Wellington reporter the other day claimed that the rank and file of the workers had a perfect right to be heard in regard to the. proposed gift of a Dreadnought to Great Britain by New Zealand; he did not see wiry only the politicians and Imsiness men should be eonsultvd and interviewed. In his judgment, the Premier's action was commendable. It would make us "'siand well" with the llrilish people, and it would help to preserve peace, too. Iflesides, it was a means of protecting New Zealand's wealth and prospects. All Hint lind been said before, he knew; but he had something new lo add to it. The offer was for the protection of the moneyed man's .belongings, and tile moneyed man should bear (lie bulk of the burden. There was "ton much passing on to Bill and his bairns" of the task of contributing Now Zealand's revenue, "ft was time tin: wealthy people paid a special fax. as they did already in England under the succession, duties. The cost of the gift Dreadnought would take the Form o'f an annual charge, and it should be levied in the form of a special export

lax on (»ay> frozen muKnii ( ir wool. Tmporl (axes were always passed on (o tlic consumer. lmt export taxes ■would hit (lie men thev Hero aimed at. The man who owned -nothing paid enough when lie "\veiil. out (o fight for liis libcrlv: (lie men of money should pay the bilk

Ever to the front with keen prices. The Kuslt is still below other stores in price. At their eale they've got boys' washing Conway suits 4s lid, boys' knickers Is lid, boys' caps Oil, boys' braces from 3d, hoys' stockings from Is.—The Kash Alteration Sale.—Advt.