LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 264, 15 December 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The total of the exports of butter, cheese, bacon, and eggs exported fi\mi the little kingdom of Dnim.trk amounts to the handsome sum of i: 25,000,0011. (iood progress is being made with the proposal to hold a winter show in Ilawera, and 400 shares Have been subscribed in a company to carry out the project.

A witness in yesterday's Court proceedings had not the usual aversion to the much-maligned, much-kissed Court Bible, for upon taking the oath to tell the truth, tlie whole truth, and nothing hut the truth, she emphasised the swearinjr with a resounding "buss" that fairly startled even the reporters. As regards lighting for household purposes the population of Ilawera is possibly better favored than the major l ty of New Zealand towns. The gas and elec trie lighting companies are each private concerns in open competition, and house installations are made free of cost. Rates, including those for municipal ,rreet lighting, are down to a minimum. Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P., speaking up Kawhia way the other day, said he was frequently called the roads and bridges member of the House. The remark was not meant to be complimentary by those who used it, but he fell that no higher compliment could be paid him, seeing that he represented a district in which roads and bridges meant so much to the progress and prosperity of the people. The Fitzroy Town Hoard held a meeting on Monday night. Upon it being communicated to the Board that the County Council had that afternoon decided to undertake protective works at the Waiwakaiho bridge, a bridge the half-share of the cc«t of whose maintenance fell upon tlie Board, a resolution was passed to the effect that the waterdivertcrs proposed would not, in the opinion of tlie Board, solve the difficulty, and asking that no work be proceeded with until a conference of the two local bodies had been held. The following letter, evidently "drawn from stock,'' and just as evidently ouiy 1 one of a scries, has been received from the Treasury by the Taranaki County Council: —"ln reply to your letter of tlie iSLh ultimo applying for a loan of Clio for the purpose of gravelling on the Tariki road, f have to inform you tli l '. as ilie maximum amount of funds nllmed by law under the Local Bodies' U-mis Act, 1008, has been promised to their fullest extent, 1 regret that your Council's application cannot be entertained at, tlie present juncture." The volume of traffic on the Ma:n M line on Friday was well up to the level which has heen maintained since the recent inception of the second through express (says the Xew Zealand Herald). My the early morning train fiiiiii Wellington on Friday there wo-'e about (10 passengers, most of whom had come the full length of the journey. Somewhere about of) passengers alight'd .''!■•■:>: :In- e\nrcs< which arrived from " - ; i'n.'ton at t.411 p.m., punctually to lini". On tile express which cleared for Wellington at 10.00 on Friday morning there were between 40 and 50 passengers, While the additional express h'is secured satisfactory patronage, it has in no way depleted the number of travellers by the Innger-estalilished express. An opportunity will 'be afforded to local people next week of visiting England and Kawhia, and spending a fewdays there. The Northern Company's steamer Rinm will leave Wanganni on Wednesday, December 22, for these ports, calling at the breakwater on Thursday to pick up passengers. The vessel, after proceeding to Onehunga, will call at Raglan and Kawhia the fol-' lowing week to bring excursionists backagain. Should the weather no favorable the trip ought to prove a most enjoyable one. fo r both England and Kawhia are delightful places to spend a few holiday. Good accommodation is obtainable' at both places, and there is plenty of boating, fishing and other amusement to be had. In the House of Representatives daring the early hours of Saturday morning tno Southern Maori member' (Mr. T. Para la) aroused his sleepy colleagues to laughter with a. quaintly-worded complaint about 'he absence from Parliamentary duties of the Western Maori representative, .Mr. Kaihau. "Where is Kaihau?" he asked. "He might be dead and buried. (Laughter.) Td have his money stopped. (Renewed laughter.) I don't see why he should be away, not looking afTcr Ills duties." Mr. Massey: |'7re'll turn up next week!" Mr. Parata: "f think the Government should sec that these kind of people should not be retiirni'ii. Why should they lie elected if they don't look after their duty? His honorarium should be divided between myself and Te Rangihiroa—we do the work!" (Laughter.)

A sitting of the Magistrate's Court was held yesterday morning, before Mv. H. S. Fitzhcrbert, S.M. Judgment fo* plaintiff in default of defendant was given in the following eases: —E. 0 Stanford (Mr. F. E. Wilson) v. J. \. Maisey, claim £l4 7s Sd, and £2 ISs id costs; Government Advances to Settlers Office v. Philip James, claim £4O Os 7d and £1 0s .osls; McLwen ]!ros. (Mr F. E. Wilson) v. Mrs. Kirk-wood, claim lfls M, and 5s costs; Bullock and Johnston (Mr. Qiiillinml v. uuncsn McKay, claim Ids 4.1, and .)„ costs; John Tavfor (Mr. Johnstone) v . "Michael Barrett, claim £lO Ss, and £1 IBs 8.1 cosls; R W llom.l (Mr. Nicholson) v. .1. W. Ward'! claim lis V. and os ~o s i«. .1,„l»!u< „'' summonses: Colonial Carrvin" Comn-nv (Mr. Johnstone) v. Uarrv Sparks; or.lc'r' made for payment of a debt of .CIS 17s | lid within one week, in default fourteen days' imprisnninent.'

H isn't always advisable to put on»"s oar in. Councillor Hill did this on Monday at the County Council meeting. A 'deputation from' the Havera County Council had tieen seeking information concerning available supplies of ;i;t metal, and the members of it were jiist taking th-.'ir leave, when Councillor Hill interjected: "What about the Mount Egmont metal?" Mr. Goodland, tic Ilnwera. spokesman, replied: "Ton are quite welcome to keep all the Mount I'gmont metal for yourselves up here." Mr. Hill persisted, informing Mr. Good'•■im that the Egmont National Park Hoard would be meeting in a day or iwo, and might be able to make arrantmentfi for supplying the stone required. Oh. von re a member of that board, aie yon? and without waiting for an answer, "you're one of those people who billed us for £7O odd and we didn't owe you a halfpenny, eh?" The councillor subsided in the laugh which followed. The magazine par excellence for AusIralasian women—"The New Idea"— loses another successful year with a line Christinas number. It docs not rm> to colored supplements and pictures of Sanln Clans, but it carries throughout a wholesome atmosphere of Christmas lime. Charles Barrett, for cxampb---Mini charming writer on Nature suii-jects-writes of a Christmas at Olindn amongst (he birds and flowers. And

coming to loss romantic subjects. "Bri.l' get" Rives a "rent deal of soasoiwvilo ■''vice on Cooking an Australian Christmas Dinner, wMst Lilian Turner outlines a wonderful scheme for the entertainment of the boys and girls. The fiction is, of course,'redolent of Christmas trees and sprees, and the true spirit of the season is admirablv interpreted in two articles ly Anne O'Hagan ("The Rift and the lliver") and "Junius" ('The Pearl of ParaWos"). The pub'isher, in conclusion, announces that next year "Tlie New Idea" will appear in a new dress.

You frequently hear of cages) of chronic constipation cases that have existed for yoavs. J n nine eases out of ten the trouble has become chronic through biproper treatment. The patient has formed the habit of taktag

strong purgatives, and has so weakened the bowels that they will-not act naturally. Chamberlain's Tablets cure constipation and cure it permanently, because, instead of doing the work of t'ho bowels l for them Chamberlain's Tablets simply stimulate them to perform their | own functions. Sold hy all chemists and storekeepers,

The Frankley Road School will break up for the midsummer holidays on Thursday, December 10th, at 2.30 p.m., when the committee have arranged to provide light refreshments for the pupils. The prizes will be presented at the concert in the evening, to which all parents and friends are cordially invited. A good programme has been arranged, in which the school children will contribute some splendid items. At the Borough Council meeting mi Monday evening Mr. F. C. asked the borough engineer if things were going on satisfactorily at -.he electric light distributing station, adding that he had heard rumors of disagreement among the staff and of eom- | plaints concerning the meter-reading. Mr. jrl. Black, the electrical engineer, ieplied that one of the meter-readers wis not giving satisfaction, and he had froqucntly advised him to seek other employment. The Mayor took the electrical engineer to task for withholding . such matters from the Council and fron . the Electric Lighting Committee. Such | things as these should be reported by > the engineer, and not left to individual • councillors to ferret out, or for people Ito bring complaints to councillor*. '. There was no further discussion on Hie I matter.

From reports which arc in circulation in Taranaki, writes the travelling correspondent of the Dominion, the district narrowly escaped the disaster of a strike by the dairy factory employees. "The award was not fair," said one of the men, "seventy hours a week, and no ,iay off. It was too much for us, so we held meetings, and the result was that everything was in readiness for a general strike, which would have taken place about this time. Particulars of the movement leaked out, however, n«d those in authority conceded us a day off per week. This tended to relieve t'le situation, but still we are not receiving the wages we should for the work." The informant, who was a lirst assistant, was receiving £2 10s per week, according to his statement, while others lower down on the scale were being paid .-C2 and £2 os per week. The foregoiim information is interesting in view of" the fact that when the Conciliation Commissioner visited this district some time ago he found dairy employees generally satisfied and an amicable agreement was come to at the sitting of the Concilhtion Board at Stratford. Further than that no information of any dissatisfaction has been publicly circulated, though the Dominion correspondent appears lo have discovered something.