LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 266, 17 December 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Despite vigorous spraying, the potato •blHit is reported to be making headwa°v at lluntly, there being scarcely a single crop in the district uuallccwu. lin a Court case in Palmerston North in which a motorist was charged with running over : a dog, it was said that the dog was on "the wrong side ot the road!"

Mr. Wilding, solicitor, of Christchurch, will play with his son, Mr. A. I'. Wilding, in the doubles in the championship lawn tennis meeting at Auckland next week.

Foreign folk were, extensively represented in tne passenger list of the Marania, which arrived in Wellington, lucre « r as a Danish girl, a Russian woman (who is joining her husband in Napier) a i'lencli maid, a Roumanian, an Italian fisherman, and two Chinamen.

it was a dark night. A man was riding a bicycle with no lamp. He came to a cross-road, anil did not know which way to turn. He felt in his pocket lor a match. He found but one. Climbing lo the top of the pole, lie lit the match carefully, and in the ensuing glimmer >-ead: "Wet I'ainL"

A lady friend of an Australian journalist writes from Loudon, saying tliat she met some of the women suffragettes at a dinner party. They had been in prison, and considered themselves mar.lyvs and heroines, and wore as mementoes little silver broad arrows pinned on to their evening gowns, as a badge of martyrdom.

During November 4820 artisans and laborers were employed on co-operative works in New Zealand. The railways absorbed 3310 anil the roads 1004. Cn the railways the principal number employed were:—Stratford-Ongarue 507, tlisliorne-Kotorua 443, Catlin's 492, Kawakawa-Graiiamstown 307, Helens.ville Northward 280, Midland (various sections) 004, Coal Creek railway extension 307.

A fairly large amount of activity L|jWojui»iftUe : Uhakarewarewa geysers is reported by the Tourist'"Department. The largest geyser, Pohutu, played thirty times, { twice oniiwjiive days and once on each of six days' the shortest period on which it was in play being ten minutes, and the longest 100 minutes. Thus Nature is assisting the Tourist Department •to draw an extra stream of holiday traffic to llotorua this Christmas time. Bad theatrical business \ is) reported (frofci all parts of England, due in a •large measure to the popularity of liv'ing pictures, which are seriously affectling the patronage accorded to the "legitimate" drama. It is calculated that about one thousand cinematograph, •shows are open in the United Kingdom, 'at prices of admission varying from a Jpenny to a shilling. So remunerative •is tliis class of entertainment that) a .speculative company is opening forty ('picture palaces" before Christmas, and jexpects to extend the number to one hundred and fifty by the end of next jvear.

A rather interesting and important case to farmers was heard in the Magistrate's Court at Palmerston North this week, when D. and J. Speedy sued J. A. Coghill for the sum of £lO 7s (id, 'being damages to a horse and trap. Prom the evidence it was gathered that plain-, tiff's horse shied at a cow belonging to defendant, which was grazing on the road, causing the trap to be capsized, 'damage being done to the amount sued for. The Magistrate, Mr. A. D. Thomson, said that the cow was not in a properly secured paddock, and gave judgment for the amount claimed, and costs £2 tis.

The Settlers' Hotel paddock, Whangarei, was the scene of great excitement on Saturday afternoon, \vhen Maurice Griffin (Maimgiikaramea) and Jac< Dwyer (T'owai) chopped for a purse of •£IOO and the championship of the •North. Both men looked in the pink bf condition as they took their stand bn the blocks. The start was splendid, 'joth axes striking the wood together. Griffin had finished his first scarf a few Seconds before Dwyer, but tlic latter (got to work in earnest .on his second scarf, and won iiy about three seconds, liis time being 00 seconds. This is one second over the New Zealand record. The crowd cheered wildly at the finish, nnd both men were carried shoulder liigh from the ring through the paddock.

When the school teachers asked the Education Board to increase the mid summer vacation last year, comment was made upon the fact that some schools rarely closed on the day fixed by the Board, but generally one or two days earlier, whilst not infrequently the teachers were late in resuming their work. In acceding to the request, the hope was expressed that this year the school committees and teachers would be content to take the holidays allotted by the Board, and would close the schools on the .proper closing day. At the Board meeting on Wednesday, Mr. Adlam drew attention to the fact that one school at least intended breaking up that very afternoon, and anothsr on Thursday afternoon, whilst the holidays were not supposed to com mence until Friday. There was little discussion on the point, but from the tone of it it seems pretty safe to advise teachers to be "on the mark" when the schools resume after the holidays.

Some remarks in regard to the Austrian gimidiggers are made by Mr. J. G. flow in liis report on the kauri gum industry, which was presented to Parliament a few days ago. He says: "It is freely stated that the Austrians only become naturalised in order that thev may secure the five-shilling license and the right to work on Government reserves and swamps. Iliere is' a strong feeling that the Government should place a tax (through the banks) on all money sent by the Austrians out of Xow Zealand. It has been suggested to me that if the Government decided to appoint graders and n representative to travel round in the interests of the industry a license of at least £4 per annum should be charged to all Austrians, as the private landowner will 4m»|> the 'benefit of the work of the Government in establishing markets. It wpuld, of course, be necessary that the Austriana should be advised of the change, so that when tliey enter into a ■contract they will be fully aware of •the position. Judging toy 'results, the Austrians could well afford to pay £4 license fee per annum, or an export duty of €1 per ton." Mil Austrians'.." Mr. (low adds, "should be debarred from working in Government swamps or reserves until they can get full employment from .private holders of gum lands or swamps. I understand that these private owners prefer Austrians to the British diggers."

IN DESPERATE SmAITS

Are many who could be cured by Dr. Sheldon's New Discovery for Coughs and I Colds. Price, Is 6d and 3a per bottle.' QMainahla wrywfetre,