LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 210, 9 October 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hugh Ward's company of comedians will visit Jfow Plymouth at an early date. They will stage " The Bachelor's Honeymoon."

Duncdin and suburban grocers are selling sugar at V/ 4 d per lb, being an advance of *4d. Tile reason,is that there lias been a steady advance for some time in sugar, which was not paying at 2d. "Denunciation," said Bishop Juliuß at I the Cathedra], Christchurch, on Sunday | night, "is very cheap aud easy. Careless ami indifferent people like their sins held up to them—it panders to their soihewhat sickly tastes." Should the Garrison Band be favored with fine weather on Sunday afternoon, they will render the programme of I sacred music which was to have been given n fortnight ago, but was postponed owing to the bad weather.

The financial position in the United .States is mending rapidly. In the first six months of this year the building permits in sixty-six cities represented no less a sum than £79,000,000 as compared with £40,000,000 in the first haif of last year. In the week ended 17th July the United States shipped ti1.150,000 in gold to Argentina, making i' 7,200,000 shipped to that destination since the beginning of the year. The United States in this way is paying the debts o£ Europe to that country/ The Southland Daily News says that a gentleman at present in luvcrcargdl has discovered a new sind effective process for saving the light and line gold in our black sands, etc. The process v said lo be extremely simple and inexpen>ive, and especiallv adapted for the lightest of gold. At pivsent it is in tV' hands of a Dunedin gentleman, who is lorming an influential syndicate to work it.

Two infants of Mwsdamcs Ilogan and Motley were left in a perambulator m Central Market, Adelaide, while the mothers went shopping. Suddenly the perambulator started aud ran in fro it of a horse attached to a vehicle. The animal became frightened, reared, and brought his forefeet on top of the perambulator, smashing it and injuring W. j children severely. One oabv's face wan crushed, aud the other sustained a serious injury to the back. Replying to a Maoii deputation wliich welcomed him home at Auckland last week, Sir Joseph Ward mentioned that be had met the Maori troupe now touring America while in New York, and had , liuccecded in having removed certain dis- ■ abilities under which they were working. Those Maoris had asked him to convey greetings to the natives of N-vv Zealand, and had informed hiui that they were anxious to get back. Speaking to a representative of the Rangitikei Advocate, a tourist stated that things are very uncomfortable on the Main Trunk train, and ladies with children seem to occupy enough room for four. The child is- placed on onu double seat, while the mother takes tuft opposite one on which to spend the night. Only one "smoker" was on the train, ami those who could get no sitting room had to go out on the platform. "Next time 1 go to Rotorua," he added, "I will go by boat, where every comfort is to be had."

The anticipated improvement in imports is not yet strongly in evidence, though in some quarters a more buoyant tone is reported. The dairy trade its twcoming active, and in another mouth or so the butter money circulating will give an impetus to country trade, in the softwoods branch the season's trade so far has beeu somewhat quiet, but better in the country than in town, where stocks are still rather heavy. The general prospects of the produce season, however, are distinctly cheerful, and a more decided improvement is looked forward to with confidence.--Trade Review.

In reference to Mr. W. Kossiter's letter in yesterday's issue, touching uptn the failure of a street-lamp to do its duty. Mr, 11. Black, the borough electrical engineer, asks tis to state that he will be pleased if people noting any *ucli irregularities will communicat--with biin by telephone, when the matter will be immediately attended to. It ; s, manifestly impossible for the municipality to pay a stall' sullicient to watc'll every street light every night, and the electrical department must depend to a great extent upon the public for information as to erratic, lamps. Aft'-'r all. it is the people's own business.

Considerable dilVieulty is said to be experienced in settling land owned by Maoris in the Tauniarunui district. According to a letter written by a member of tin; Tauniarunui Town 13oard to a Christchurch resident recently, it has ireti found that the coat of lca-cs from .Maori owners through the Native band Hoard is too great, whi'e the roading and bridging of Maori lands in th" di-tiict is expected to cost about C2.100.0HU. an expenditure which U at present quite out of the question, although it will be necessary before thinnd can be properly settled. A simpler niran-i of doing leasehold business with tii' Maoris is said t" be highly desirable.

Tin- annual iiHlallation in connection I with lvodgo Hinemoa, S.C., took place in the lodge room. Midiiirst, on Thurs- , day evening. There was a very large attendance of members and visitors, the latter coining from New Plymouth. Inglewood, Stratford and Eltham. Wor. Bro. ,T. K. Fergusson conducted the installation ceremony and installed Bro. W. T/)tz as W.M. Ollieers were then invested as follows:—T.r.M., Wor. Bro. C. H. Derby: Bro. D. Blanchard; JA\. J. Milidon; secretary, A. Cameron; treasurer, IJ. Cliilds; S.D. F. Allen; JX., P. Ilarkness; 1.0.. F. Svenson, Tyler, F. Kran/en. After the ceremony the visitors were entertained by the iocal brethren in the Midhirst Hall. —Own correspondent.

''"gM l ' may now lie checked light through to any destination of tile North and iSoutii Islands by passengers oil tile Main Trunk Railway at 2d jier box or bay. It is now possible to check lu ,r,r a tr e from Auckland to the lilujlj at the"fee of 2d per parcel. For the past ten years only 130,000 luggage parcels have'teen cheeked. Lately passengers have been mote disposed to 6 eek the safeguard of free checking, but probably not more than 20,0011 parcels were checked during the past twelve months. In that time altout 10,500,000 passengers were carried over all lines, and their luggage was represented by some 30,000,0(H) parcels. There is only one bag or other luggage receptacle cheeked for every 1500 transported, and the proportion' of eheckiii" passengers is about 1 to 1100, °

New Zealand is not the only State wherein the whole of the railways are not interest earners. The annual report of (li<» Qnoojisland Comnii-s*ionpv for Railways, for the vcar ending dune 30, says:—"Of tin. paying line, tlic highest percentage on capital expended is' still obtained by the .Mount Morgan branch, and. taking the financial divisions of the State, tile capital expended on railways in the Southern division earned £3 10s fid per cent., as compared with £4 4s lid for 1007-8; the Central division, fii) Ids -Id, as against €.3 0s Id; and Northern division, £3 Is 2d, as against a 13s . " hde the lines in the central division have improved their position, in (he Southern and Northern divisions do not appear so well as last year. Of the lines whose revenue did not cover expenditure, the Cooktown railway expenditure was £4lO for every £IOO of levenue. which, however, is quite exceptional; Manly to Cleveland, £.107; No'-i manton railway, £145; Eagle Junction CU4 ; Bow™ railway. £110; Nankin Junction to BroadmouiW. tlO.l; and Emerald to Clermont, £lO6. In the case of other lines showing a loss there is some prospect of improvement; but in the case of tlie Cooktown lailway it become a serious question whether the line should not bs taken up anil the plant, rails, etc., utilised profitablv elsewhere."

Some interesting evidence was given '"J i ?' Ul ' at Foxton on Wednesday in which Led Itoranod' was sentenced *o six weeks' imprisonment for false pntcnccs. llihira. a .Maori, residing at .Moutoa will! his wife and family, said that on Sunday. 12th September, accused came there on horseback and ngaged ill conversation, in which he conveyed tile information that lie was a doctor, and that he was the lieir to tin till one of Russia, that lie had lieen to hngland and that King Edward had re({nested him to stand for a seat in IV'lanieiit Hp declined, and his Majesty then authorised him to come out to New /.ealand and gave him power to enter any Maori settlement and treat them or any ailment that tliey might be suffeiiiig from, and also to enter tile towns, the accused gave him his card (pro(l,need) bearing the name of Dr. L. A. t-oplan. Eventually lie examined witness wife, liis son's wife, and witiwss himself for real or supposed ailments, and tlmnigh the post lie afterwards sent Kittles which purported to contain medicine for the respective cases. Witness . i'd accused what his charges would lie for Ins services, and was told £1 4.3. J.lns amount he paid there and then. A 16\v days after accused again came to the pah, and gave witness a pair of spectacles and a couple of eve-glasses ■ for which he received the sum of £2 "?s. | Had witness known or believed that th? accused was not what he had represented liimself to lie lie would not have tilOwe,l bun to examine himself and i tamily or have paid the moneys lie did.