LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 262, 11 December 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On the application of Mr. R. 0. Hughes, probate of the will ol the late Peter j Drewett was on the tlth instant granted to Mrs. M. A. liestford, the executrix I named in the will.

A meeting of shareholders of the j Equitable Building Society wo a .. hold last night, Mi'. i ; . P. Cork ill presiding. A ballot for £3OO was drawn by Miss Crocker, and two appropriations of £l5O Bach were sold for £32 as per £l5O in No. 1 group. Two appropriations ot Clsn each in No. 2 group were sold lor £35 10s each.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Companv, Ltd., Stratford, have received the following cablegram from their London house advising that the meeting which was held yesterday passed off satisfactorily. The annual report and directors' recommendations were adapted, and a dividend of 4% per cent. 071 third debenture stock is to be paid on January Ist. ".More harm is tione by publicity in connection with prosecution of | than by any hole-iind-corner privacy, said the Attorney-General in the Legislative Council on Wednesday when the Reformatory institutions Bill was wider consideration, and the question had been raised that such cases might be heard and determined by a Magistrate in private. "To-day the publicity i« mainly used for th« pollution of minds through a 1 certain kind of journalism," he added. "It ie monstrous that a girl has frequently to sro to a public court to establish a claim against a man in affiliation cases.'' The Hon. 0. Samuel agreed that in some eases was unnecessary and cruel, and simply dc-

praved the community. A flutter of excitement was caused in the town yesterday by the appearance of a two-year-old -bull that had broken away from a mob of cattle in Courtenay street. The animal, worried by a pack of dogs, dashed into currie street at tcp speed. Turning into Devon street the beast slackened pace and looked around linn. Whether he smelt the bide of a long-lost brother or wanted a cover is not certain, but lie entered Mr. A. S. ITasell's shop, gazed around in wonderment, and cast an angry and enquiring glare on one of the workmen. The latter received something of a surprise, | but refused to have dealings _ with his bovine customer beyond administering a kick. Mr. Bull turned and trotted out of tlies hop without doing any damage. Here the drover took a hand and endeavored to get his charge back to ihe mob. The animal, however, was on further investigation, and endeavored to -nter several of the business premises, until the Melbourne corner was rcnched, when be "took olf" along Liardct street and disappeared, leaving a big crowd still gazing and wondering.

There was intense excitement in the lobbies on Mond»y evening (says the Parliamentary correspondent of the Eltham Argus)'. A dissolution was freely spoken of,' and certain members had gone so far as to send instructions to their election committees to prepare for an election. The air was quite electrical, and the newspaper reporters were all on the watch for sensational copy. When it became known that the Prime Minister had convened a caucus of the party for Tuesday morning the excitement was added to, for it was understood that Sir Joseph Ward was going to frankly invite his party 'to indicate whether thev wished him to continue to lend them or did they wish to go to the country and seek another leader. "Whether this report was correct or not one cannot say. However, the caucus was held and lasted over two hours, and, according to report, there was some very plain talk. Members ventilated their various grievances, and after mutual explanations a resolution of confidence in .the Prime Minister was passed, and the party emerged from the caucus room 'prepared to stind solidly together. There is an impression, however that the Land Bill, which is the real bone of contention, will not be carried this session.

A pathetic little story of an old woman in the Isle of Man waiting in vain for news of her son in far-off New Zealand was told by Mr. Hall Caine a few weeks ago in a paper read before the Liverpool .Jewish Literary Society. "The law of human nature which, from various causes, estranges —'sometimes utterly separates—parents and children has always seemed to me one of the most tragic things in life,", he said. "That the love of the parent for the child must be immeasurably deeper than the love of the child for the parent is in itself a pathetic fact. When I think of it, there comes liaek to my memory a little incident which for several years was constantly presented to my eyes—an old woman living alone in a thatched cottage near to iny home in the Isle of Man, waiting for a letter from a son who, years before, had gone away to New Zealand. Every evening, winter and summer, she hobbled out to the end of the high road at the hour when the postman was expected to pass. There it was the same scene always, the same salutation and the same reply. 'Anything for mo, postman?' 'Nothing for you to-night, Mrs'. .' Sho wanted nothing from her son except to hear rtliat he was well and happy and thinking sometimes of his old mother who was alone at home."