LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 255, 3 December 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is estimated that seven thousand people attended the agricultural show yesterday.

The opening made in the high-board fence on the showgrounds yesterday to , admit people from the private roadway across the course to the showgrounds pioper was found to be far too narrow', and blockages of pedestrian traffic ware frequent. Some time ago a weka wandered into the kitchen of a house in Stricklandstreet, Sydenham. It is now (says the Christehurch Star) a pet of the household, and apparently is so pleased with its new home that it has decided to take up its permanent residence there, I

The focal Horticultural Society is endeavoring to get the Agricultural Department to allow the honey cxMmi that was on view at the show'yesterday to remain in New Plymouth till the society's annual show next week. Mr. \V. B. Bray, who is in charge 01 the exhibit, will be able to state to-day whether or not arrangements to that end can be made. ■

Jolms'onville—one of the eldest suburban townships round about Welling ton—is shortly to be allowed the opportunity of "lighting ilp'' by a turn of t he switch. A 31' years' concession has been granted by the Jolinsonville Town Board to Messrs. Norman Heath and Co., who arc to light up the township with electricity and supply energy lor private lighting. The Town Board have the right to resume the plant after ten years at an advance of 25 per cent, over the original cost. An incident happened at the show yesterday afternoon that. indicates iiow careful smokers ought to be with matches. A lady wearing a summer ccstunie was strolling across the ground when the back of her skirt suddenly burst into flame, caused evidently bv a lighted match carelessly thrown d'owii by a smoker. Several gentlemen rushed to the rescue, and by rolling the lailv on the grass the fire was soon extinguished, l'ortunately the lady was not burned, though she received a severe shock. The dress, of course, was ruined.

A largely-signed petition has been presented by Mr. Buchanan, M.P., primm: for the remission of the remainder o'i the sentence on Gilbert Langdon. who. 011 26th November, 1908, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for ciiti.estealing. Tile grounds adduced urn that the prisoner is only nineteen years of age, that ho had from birth a nervous, excitable temperament, causing him to be easily led astray, that the owners of the cattle are parties' to the petition, that the prisoner's behaviour in gaol has been exceptionally good, and that liis parents will be responsible for 111s good behaviour.

j Considerable excitement and alarm • were caused at the Ovens District Hospital (Victoria) when it was discovered that a patient had left his bed without being seen, and had clambered on to Hie roof of the institution, where his movements induced the bcliel that lie was about to commit suicide by throwing himself to the pavement, about, forty feet below. The excitement attracted the attention of liobert Martin, an athlete, who, taking iu the situation andl without waiting for the hospital ladder, ascended to tile roof by the pillars of 'the corridor, and seized the unfortunate man just as he was about to jump from j the roof. Martin held him, at great | risk to himself, as the patient fa si powerful young man, until assistance arrived, wlien both were restored to a place of safety, I

The first meeting of the ntiw council (if ihe Society of Accountants is convened for Tuesday morning next at j Wellington.

-A1 the Magistrate's Court yesterday ] morning the Tnrnnaki Acclimatisation Society proceeded against 0. W. llevell, of "SViirea, oil a cTiarge of 'illegally laicin;. trout. The case being proved, a fine of £5 and costs was intlicted. Mr. S. Driver, a farmer at Waitoa, iiL'i.r To Aroha, is reported to have received £6l Us 4d as his October cheque Jor milk from 13 heifers and 23 cows, nil Holstein grades. The rate of payment mis lud pe r lb for butter-fat. This works out at about £1 14e Id per coiv for that month.

The New Plymouth executive of the Taranaki branch of the Navy League are now visiting some of the public schools near Xew Plymouth with a vi ( "v to the formation of school branches. FraiiElcy l(oa«L School was visited on Tuesday and arrangements have lieen made to visit Omata this (Friday) evening. Slides showing the evolution of ttie Navy since the days of Alfred tlie [Great are produced by Mr. llorcy, wiio has kindly given his services for the purpose.

The Xow Plymouth Choral Society, whose first concert was so much enjoyed some months back, will submit Its second programme to the mtfsie-loveiw of the town on Wednesday next in St. Mary's Hall. It is to be hoped that tlie Society's endeavors to give the best of music both in choral and orchestral work will meet with the warm supp-vl 1 it deserves. The soloists assisting we all well-trained artists, including n debutante who ha« a nice contralto voice." Mr, H. Salt, who is nn instrumentalist whom the town may yet be proud 0;, will contribute a violin solo. Some really choice choral numbers will be rendered, including a part song for nnlc voices, assisted bv an orchestra comprising tlie most capable instrumentalists 'n the town. The second concert should prove a musical treat.

Passengers 011 the Sydney trams and railway are saying that Mr. Peter Bowling is not a man to be envied—that lie should travel first, and flauntingiy. parade the fact that he was going to. the theatre when a grave crisis litai arisen ad'ecting the comfort and wellbeing of thousands of men in whom he irf supposed to take a deep interest, docs not do credit to Lhoso fine feeling* which should animate a leader of men; that his proposed scheme for raising &00U0 a week is not regarded with n.fueh favor; that even if he can succeed in making that, it will not, as he asserts, enable the men to keep out indefinitely; 1 1 hut 10s a week for a family cannot be regarded as a living wage; and that a few weeks'' experience of sm-li .scanty fare as a half-sovereign in every seven days will supply will be quite insull'icient for miners who arc accustomed to a I good square meal.

Xcarly twelve months ago the Govern-1 mcnt decided on a-n experiment calcu- J lated to induce people to he thrifty | (says the Wellington Post). The scheme l was to issue little .safes, for which th® 1 users' had to guarantee the State fis as security and pay an annual fee of fid. The "home savings-bank safe" was handed out locked, and the key w*as retained at the office which allotted the box. When it was desired to bank the savings, the box was taken to the Post Office Savings Bank, and the contents were credited to the owner's account in the ordinary way. I'p to the end of September over of these boxe* had been issued in Wellington <and suburbs. So far Wellington is the only phice where the experiment lias been tried. Tin' boxes are of iron, neatly finished, measuring -1 in by 3in by 2in, with a handle to assist the saver tl»* 'carry his wealth to and fro.

Attention is called to the fart, that on and after Monday next the usual 4.!5 p.m. train from Xe\v Plymouth to Hawtra will leave here at 4.;J0 p.m. and Iji'pporlon 5.7 p.m. Tlie present and 7.20 p.m. trains will arrive liere at "i.'IO iTitd 7.41) p.m. respectively. Tile m ii| train, as most people know by how. will not reach Xew Plymouth until 11.20 p.m. The Tnglewood municipal swimniiv. oaths were ollieially opened yesterday afli-rnoon by .Mr. H. li. Curtis, Man-V of the town, in the presence of a gathering of the burgesses. His Worship, having delivered his speech concerning the bencliu which must accrue as Ihe rc.-uli i.f tl»<? acqiiisitiuu of tieup t o-date h.itlis, allowed two of ni< daughters lo perform the first ollieial di|>. Ihe caretaker of the baths gave an exhibition of life saving, and Mr. ,V Svanson. of New I'lvmouth, an exhibition of fancy swimming. Various members of the N'ew Plymouth .Swimming n ;lV(l 11 diving display, and prompted a race amongst themselves, afterwards playing a polo match. Afternoon tea was provided free of charge bv ihe committee. In the Manawalu (iorge on Thursday afternoon last week, Mr. Byron Brown, of Otaki. met with a motor-car accident, and had a truly miraculous escape (says the Maimwatu Evening Standard), li;' was journeying through from the \\ iiiraivapa t.o Otaki in a big new car, when he ennio to tlic most, dangerous' turn in the (Jorge* road, flic road at thus point almost doubles back, awl to go straight on means shooting over a •>oft precipice. Mr, .Brown did not allow m.ugh fertti e big twist in tha road, and before lie knew where he "was his I ear tad shot over the edge. It turned a. complete somersault, and, fortunately for Mr. Brown, tipped him on the bank about IlOft down, while it continued on and landed upside down on the riverbed. Mr. llrown only .sustained one or two scratches, and after going down and stoppmg the engine he returned to V\ owlville little the-worse for his' experience. A party of men hauled the damaged car up on to the road again, and an examination revealed that, apart from its smashed body, it had sustained little damage.