LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 275, 29 December 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Of the 05(1 immigrants by the Corinthic IS are booked for New Plymouth. Included in the passenger list aTe 38 wives who have come out to rejoin their husbands, II domestics, and 39 farmers.

The Chief 'Postmaster notifies that the General Post Office has specially authorised payment :of the December instalment of old-age pensions on Friday, 31st instant. Old-age pensioners may therefore attend at the usual place of payment ou Friday next, instead of on Monday, 3rd January.

Sunday's gale had tiie effect of strewing the paths in the .Recreation Grounds with leaves and twigs of trees.. Long before the public commenced to use the grounds', however, the place was quite spick and span, the caretaker (Mr. W. \\. Smith) having been hard at work from the dawning hours. By the kindness of the medical stall' at the hospital, the inmates were given a tre.it on .Christmas Eve, the festivities including a large Christmas tree, from which every inmate-received a present. An unfortunate accident occurred during the progress of the evening. Dr. Black! ey wus attired as Father Christina. s'. and his long Mowing beard came in contact with one of the lighted caudles on the tree, and burst into flame. Dr. Blaekley sustained nasty burns on the hands aud face.

A young lady who arrived in Dunedin by the 9.15 p.m. train from the north on Wednesday last was the victim of an impudent and daring theft. When walking up Stuart-street from the station a young man snatched a handbag that she was carrying on her wrist, and dashed oil' with it. Chase was given by the young lady and two young men, but the thief was too speedy, and, running through the Octagon in the direction of Filleul-strcet, was lost to sight. The purse contained a cheque, payment of which has been stopped, steamer and railway tickets, and- other valuables. A marvellous escape from death as a result of -a shot*from a pea-rifle occurred at Gore last Wednesday evening (says the Standard). The five-ycar-oid Son of Mr. W, Wilson, of Broughtonstreet, was sitting on the lawn in front of the house, when his parents were startled by his screaming. On reaching the boy Mr. and Mrs. Wilson found that he had been hit by a bullet from a jpca-rillo. The bullet struck the child on ti" left breast, making a hole in 'his 'v:\istcoat, but as it was evidently spent before reaching him, his shirt was not penetrated, though his akin was badly bruised. The chorus of protest against the new railway services on the Welling-ton-New Plymouth and WciliagtonNapier lines grows in volume daily (says the Dominion). Complaints-as to tiie inconvenience caused and the failure to meet the requirements of the publio continue to pour in, arcd there appears to be little doubt that the new arrangements provide for the most unsatisfactory service that has been arranged by the Railway Department for a great many years. . . . The Minister will find that he may save a little money by cutting off an odd train or but he will lose a lot of money by making railway travelling inconvenient and unpopular.