LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 170, 11 August 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We would be obliged if any of our leaders would forward us copies of the "Daily News" of the Bth. and 12th April, 11)09,

An examination for the issue of engine-drivers' certificates was conducted yesterday at the Courthouse by the Inspector of Machinery. There were nine candidates. Mr. S. Percy-Smith has oilcred the Horticultural Society a donation of £1 to be given as a special prize for the best collection of -N*e\v Zealand ferns at I the Society's spring show.

We had an opportunity last night of proving the ellieacy of Messrs Webster Jh'Oij/ recently erected chamber for the ripening of bananas' under the best possible conditions. The n'-eesaary moist and warm atmosphere is obtained by the ingenious arrangement of a gas burnner, and tjje fruit ripens splendidly in an even temperature. The linn's enterprise should lead to an increased demand for a well-matured article.

At a fairly well attended meeting of the parishioners of St. Mary's Church, held last evening m the schoolroom, an unanimous vole was passed authorising the vestry to proceed with the necessary and pressing repairs required in the roof of the south .aisle, a-nd pledging the meeting to assist to its utmost in raising the. required funds. It was decided to make a direct appeal to the congregation to meet the expenditure., estimated at £l5O, A committee of live was'nominated to canvas individual members of the congregation. A sum of £4O was promised in the room. A man who was found dead at Annapolis recently under suspicious circumstances was (says a New York paper) the subject of a coroner's inquest, which returned a verdict that died as the result of having drunk dozens of 'bottles of every conceivable kind of liquor, from whisky and gin to bay rum and Florida water. The man was forty-four years old and married. Lie had been on a spree for about ten days, during which time he consumed nearly fifty bottles of different kinds of liquor, among the number being some fourteen bottles of bay rum, from the effects of wliieh death was chiefly due.

At the annual general meeting of shareholders in the West Coast Refrigerating Company, held at Patea, the chairman, Mr, G. Johnston, stated that the company confidently anticipated that the advent of the new steamer now being built for the trade would be of great assistance, and would greatly minimise the chance of any short shipments or the expense of railage of dairy produce. The annual report gave the following statitics:—Boxes butter, 11)07-8 68,9(58, 1908-9 70,005, increase 7040; cases cheese, 1007-8 V,),0C8, 11)08-0 88,889, increase 12,021. The gross ton--1 nagc was 2*227 tons of butter and 6581 tons of cheese, making a total of 8811 tons, against 7830 last year, ihus showing an increase of 975 tons. A question us to whether certain horses comprised in the assets of a bankrupt estate might be used by their late owner pending the sale of his land and stock arose at a meeting of creditors at Auckland. The debtor asked whether, as the horses' wen on the farm, he might work them, iu order to "earn a few shillings." i The Official Assignee said this was a matte r for the creditors to decide. The representatives of the principal creditors at once expressed their willingness that the request s'hould be granted. ''They are draught horses—not racehorses?" asked one of them, desirous to be assured that the element of risk was a small one. " Yes," replied the assignee, ' they are plough horses'—they go alow." The request was acceded to. Til* the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr. H. «9. Filzherbert, S.M., judgment was entered for plaintiff by default in the following eases:— Westport Coal Company (Mr, Wright) v. John F. Whitmore, claim £1 7s 6d, and costs 7s'; Commissioner of Ta\es (Mr. T. iS, Weston) v. H. F. Callnghan, claim £1 7s Gd, and costs ss; Charles D. Chant (Mr. Nicholson) v. Edward J. Baker, claim £8 9s Id, and costs £1 3s Gd; Arnold George (Mr. Wright) v. To Atua, claim £l, and costs 7s Od. The judgment summons) Dr. H. A. McClelnnd (Mr. F. E. Wilson) v. - Blair, who was partially heard and adjourned u fortnight ago for the production of tlio debtor's books, was further adjourned for three months, the debtor undertaking to discharge the liability in that time.

A somewhat unusual complication of family relationships' is chronicled bv the Taieri Month correspondent of the Otago Witness. In recording the marriage of Miss Cooper, who is a daughter of .Mrs. Meadows, he says: "Strange to say. another daughter of .Mrs. Meadows is married to a brother of the bridegroom, and two of her nons are married to two of the bridegroomV sisters, making in all four Andersons married to four Coopers. Ano[lter strange thing j s that a son of Mrs. .Meadows married a Miss Anderson, tut of another family, and, what is still more singular, another son of Mr. Thomas Anderson married a young lady who had a twin s'ister. This young man's name was Thomas Anderson'. The twin sister also married a Thomas Anderson, but the iwo men were in no way related before marriage. Again, Mrs. .Mcminn's has two other married 'laughters. One was: married to Mr. William Kingan, of the' Forks, and the other to Mr. Robert Kingan, of lTmvca, both brothers. T think this beats' the record in the way of coincidence?."

Steady progress (says the New Zealand Times) is being made with the Ivlucalion Department's humane scheme of providing thoroughly appropriate instruction and occupation for backward children. About twenty bovs are already in occupation of the' Otdkaike homestead, and a cottage home and manager'* house are in course of erection. fiies'o buildings will be completed before the end of the year, and the institution will then be able to take between fifty and sixty boys. Special cases arc to be accommodated in cottage homes. Admissions are at present I a king place upon the basis provided by the Statute, the age-limit being between seven and sixteen, but it is possible that nil extension may be arranged under winch 'backward individuals up to twenty-one years of age capable of assimilating knowledge and benefiting from well-directed occupation, partly 0? the opeu ai r variety, will be taken into the school. Ulind people-up to twentyone years of age are instructed in th? institution subsidised by the Education Department, and they can secure trailing at an even later age under spppuil conditions regarding their maintenance;.