LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 176, 18 August 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Large areas of native laiul in the Auckland and Taranaki districts which had been acquired by the Government are. by notice in the fiazettc, declared to be frown lands' subject to he dealt, willi under the Land Act, 1908. A C'hristiohureh Cat Club has been formed with a considerable number of members, some of whom are fanciers from Auckland and Dunedin. The objects of I lie club are to improve the breed of cats, lo arrange the classes for the various shows, and to procure funds for special prizes' to be offered to exhibitors showing under the club's th!»s. We have been requested to state that' the t building which caught fire on lionday near the Taraimlti Bacon Factory wax not- completely destroyed. The promptitude of the Filzroy Fire Brigade in arriving on the__scene"saved a good portion of the sTructurc. However. sr.nie £2.5 or £3O worth of damage was done by the loss of tools, tar, and personal belongings. During the boot and shoe sale at the Melbourne every line being sold is a real bargain. The firm's motto has ever been "cut and (ut again"'and now when "Taranaki's lowest prices" are genuinely reduced it's little wonder that the public's response has been whole-hearted. It'll pay handsomely to buy while this sale is "in pro- i gress.—Advt, , , i

Two first offending drunks came before the Magistrate yesterday morning, and were convicted and discharged. We are given to 'understand that Messrs Webster Bros, will shortly commence the holding of auction sales oi meat at their mart. Several cyclist* are to appear before til? Magistrate this' morning on charges of cycling without lights, or on footpaths, or in some other prohibited fash-

In the S.M. Court yesterday, Mr. 11. S. Fitzlierbert, S.M., filtered juUgment by default in the following eases:— New Plymouth Harbor Hoard v. T. H. Taylor," claim 18s sd, and costs £1; same v. T. lligginson, claim £2 17s Id. mid costs 10s'. Right through the showery weather of the past few weeks the gas on Mr. Petch's L'arriiiglon road farm has besn kept burning strongly. The unsual .sight has been .attracting some notice again recently, and there arc various opinions us to the origin of the gas. The genera! opinion is that this is gas from decomposing vegetable matter. i The Toko 'and Douglas ratepayers * of the Stratford County Council arc upi in arms against the proposal of the/ Council to raise the rates in the Ea<t. and Mangachn ridings. Meetings of protest have been held, and unless the i|iiestiun of indebtedness of the ridings is submitted to arbitration "other steps deemed necessary" will be taken. The civil case Nixun v. the E. iladley Company, a claim for damages brought by an employee as an alternative to a claim for wages, has been decided in j the plaintiff's favor. Judgment Vas given for the full amount claimed of £sl) !)s (id, with £7 Ss (id costs. It ; s probable that an appeal will lie lodged. Mr. C. H. Weston was counsel for plaintiff, anil Mr. Johnstone for defendant. The I'aranaki Road District, which is now under the general control of the District of the Public Works' Department at Stratford, is an extensive one. It extends from the Rangitikei river on the south to the Marakopa river on the north, and from the coast inland to Uake Tnnpo. For the convenience of administration the district from Manuta'hi southwards, is controlled from Wanganui as centre, and from ManuUhi northwards the centre will be New Plymouth.

According to the Hon. Dr. Findlay (Minister for Justice) the list of new justices of the Peace will probably be available for publication this week. It is proposed to adequately 6Uppfy the wants of every part of the Dominion in this respect. Some districts were almost without Justices owing to deaths and removals since general appointments were made two or three yeais ago. With a view to making the new appointments supply (in point of number and locality) ■ the reasonable needs of the Dominion, he was now making enquiries to ascertain the number of Justices already in existence, and the requirements of each locality. A good story is being told against a merchant of Taranaki's early days. He was in the habit of buying potatoes from tlio Maoris, and gave them credit " tickets " for the amount due to them. One day a Maori brought in his " murphies," and was informed the price would be twenty-five shillings. By-and-bye he came liack to the shop, with an exultant grin. "By korry, old man," he said to the merchant, "that ticket wrong. He say 23 bob. He ought to be 27 bob. I got'te ready-reckoner," and he nourished the little volume in the pakeha's face. The latter was taken aback, but only for a moment. " Let's see the book, Harry," he said. "Yes, I thought so; that last year's. He no good." And the Maori retired, discomfited.