LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 219, 21 October 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. R. Cock, chairman of the Recreation Grounds trustees, askt us to mention that there are several trees in the

grounds which the board would like re moved. They are of varieties that make excellent firewood. Tlic Jockey Club has acceded to the request "f the Recreation Grounds Hoard for assistance in the upkeep of the path leading through the .grounds to the racecourse, ami has voted two guineas for the purpose.

Yesterday morning at the Police Court •lames Douglas was charged with drunk- [ enness and the breach of a prohibition order. He was fined 10s and costs on the latter charge, whilst on the charge of drunkenness he was convicted and discharged. The leaders of the No-license party state that they have been encouraged in their present campaign in favor o; the simple majority and Dominion option by the conversion of quite a number of prominent gentlemen who were for

merly opposed to that policy. Vogcltown is the scene of a mild 5 building boom just now. There are foni 1 residences in course of erection, font - more to lie proceeded with almost iiomedia.tcly, and several in contemplation, \ Another block of land is now being sir- ' vpyi-d with a view of subdivision" into building allotments. A well-known Thames Valley farmer lino invented a contrivance for rpixlerin" ships safe from attacks by airships, an I is in treaty with the British Admiralty concerning the same. The device wii sists of revolving apparatus which, it is claimed by the inventor, will knock any objeel off'that falls upon it from above. Tests of the invention have been carried out with dynamite and heavy weights, and in no case, it is said, has the contrivance failed to act effectively. •'Then you know Webb!" was the exclamation made by an attendant who overheard Mr. F. M. Spnrdle remark, when iu a Venice factory, that he was from IVanganui. ft transpired from subsequent conversation that the attendant was the champion sculler of Italy, and he hail been following Webb's performances with great interest. He express.-,! himself as very pleased to have met someone who knew Webb so well as Sir. Spunlle. and commissioned the latter to convey to the Wanganui sculler his good wishes—Wangnnni Herald. Apropos of the lipping system in England, a returned Invercargillite tells a rather good story (says the News). On depositing his liools outside his belroom <loor at the retiring hour, he placed a threepenny bit in one of the boots, expecting a specially good "shine.'' Next morning anticipations were not realised, but to his surprise he found not only his own coin, but also threepence in the other boot. For a moment he was puzzled, but on looking at the soles his eye met in large chalk letters N. 8.0. He discovered later that the regular tip for the service was not less than sixpence.

An ingenious swindle was successfully tarried out upon one of the English delegates to the Commerce Congress in Sydney. Becoming possessed of the delegate's eorrespaidencc through the simple process of asking for it at the ilelivccy counter of the Sydney post office, the perpetrator of tlie' swindle cabled to the delegate's firm for £SO, and established his identity to tlie cable, clerk when authority had been given for the payment of the money by producing the stolen letters. The' fraud was not discovered until a couple of days later, when the delegate returned from a trip into the country,

An interesting sidelight on the family relations of Royalty is given by Mr. I Foster Eraser, who snid that he had had the privilege of photographing the Interior of a villa occupied by the Czar of Russia, and on a writing-table he I found a silver ornament with the ! n-1 scription in English, "To Nicky, from l his loving uncle, Edward." Eight Taranaki candidates arc sitting for the examination in New l'lyinout'i in connection with the Incorporated Institute of Accountants and Accountants and Auditors' Association of New /.cult is expected the examination will be concluded to-day. Mr. U. T. Mills is supervising. This w the last exnniinaI tion that will be conducted under the I auspices of the Institute and the Association.

For the forthcoming Taranaki Metropolitan Show, in the first week in December, a special class has been allott'H ' for competition by members of the North Taranaki Mounted Hides. Prizes , are offered for the best mounted commissioned or non-coin missioned officer or trooper, the troop horse shown to be the property of and ridden by the exhibitor. There must be at. least four competitor.;, or no prize will be given. News has been received, says the Stratford Post, to the effect that a search party Out on Tuesday came across the tracks of the man Smith, who has been missing from the Te Wera railway works for more than a week. He was, it appears, travelling bare-fooled in a northerly direction. Beyond finding his vcfit and discovering footprints th« party in quest of him was unsuccessful, and the chances of his being found alive seem remote. A well-known insurance authority informs the Fcilding Star that the fire at the Fcilding Hotel is the first occasion that he knows of in New Zealand wh™ the patent asbestos roofing slates have, been tested, and he is sadly afraid that, instead of decreasing the danger from lire, they act to the contrary. They not only seemed to confine the fire to a narrow space until the heat became fierce, but they were a source of danger, ■ as they exploded with a loud report, and 1 were hurled about with considerable ' force.

Frequent inquiries are being received regarding the Taranaki Agricultural Society's butter-fat competition to be held in connection with the annual show. Very complete arrangements have be<si made for the care of the stock, excellent paddocks and slicds provided, and there should be a good entry. The competition is being conducted along the lines of the Manawatu A. and P. Association's competition. Farmers who pride themselves on keeping good milking stock should seize this first opportunity of deciding whose are the best butterfat producers. There is a valuable" breeding lesson to he derived from these tests, and Taranaki dairymeTi are becoming keen in the matter of the improve ment of herds'. Hence the healthy interest in the competition, entries for which close at New Plymouth on November oth.

So many idle talcs aro published every year concerning fortunes left to poor folk in England by forgotten relatives who made their money in Australia or New Zealand that one is bound to view with suspicion the story published th's week concerning a New Zealand windfall for a poor Frome. (Somerset) family (writes a London correspondent, under date 10th September). The story -runs that three brothers, William, John, and Walter Pryor, have just received news that they have inherited £50,000 and a large area of land in the Dominion, and that the legal representative of their benefactor is now on his way from Bristol, New Zealand, and will be in Fromc shortly. At present the brothers do i't appear to know who their benefactor is, but an uncle emigrated to New Zealand many years ago, and they presume that it is under his will they are to benefit so handsomely, although they have heard nothing of him since the death of their father, fifteen years ago. The three brothers are in poor circumstances. William is a casual laborer employed at a railway goods yard; John is a farm laborer, and Walter a handy man employed by a local printer. Scientists in London (says the Time?) regard the discovery outside Peshawar of what is believed to be a portion of the remains of Gautama Buddha, "the light of Asia," as an important contribution to a period of Indian history about which there is little information. Latest scientific opinion is that Buddha died about 482 B.C. It is established almost beyond doubt that liia body was burned, and that the ashes were divided into eight portions among a number <-i contesting claimants. Monumental tumuli were erected to preserve them, and among these was the great pagoda built by the pious Emperor Kanishka, who died in the first century before the Christian era. It is part of this pagoda which has been discovered near Peshawar, and in it a relic chamber containing the casket of what is thought to ha a portion of Buddha's remains. The relics consist of three small fragments of bone packed tightly together, and originally covered by a clay seal bearing an impress resembling the Royal signet of Kanishka. The casket itself is decorated with delicately-carved inscriptions and Buddhistic figures, and bears the signature of the maker. The International Medical Congress at Budapest has had a general discussion on the treatment of appendicitis, in which a large number of well-known surgeons, physicians, and obstetricians took part. According to the views expressed, the speakers divided themselves into three groups—those favoring operation in all cases, those for operation in selected cases, and those for no operation at all. Dr. Leahartz, of Hamburg, and Dr. Bourgct, of Lausanne, wcjc ab'e to champion the last-named method. They asserted that, hy means of careful internal treatment, good nursing, and starvation, they had been able to show a lower mortality than the surgeons could show. The champions of the other extreme failed to obtain the warm suport which has been extended to them during the past few years, and the consensus of opinion was against such radical measures. The majority of die speakers also condemned the practice of making a puncture to determine whether an abscess had formed or not. A number of surgeons regarded operation, if it could be performed within 24 or 48 hours, as the proper treatment, and would only operate later if sudden complications threatened the patient's li'c Dr. Sonncnburg, of Berlin, led the wiv in this argument. The question of the removal of the appendix was also considered, and was regarded by mnnv as unnecessary. Viewing the discussion in its entirety, it might be said that surgeons had operated too much in the past, and have now received a cheek and that they have failed to justify their part in the procedure.