LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 292, 19 January 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Cable advice was received yesterday from the shipbuilders that the Harbor Board's dredge Paritutu had been launched;"

One hundred and two convictions for drunkenness were recorded at Stratford last year, this being an increase of about thirty-seven cases over last year's figures. A passenger from Wanganui by yesterday afternoon's train said he had 'travelled through a heavy downpour of rain for almost the whole distance. Very heavy rain fell at Stratford during the afternoon.

The Mountain road near Tnglevvood must 'be in a very bad condition. A county councillor remarked at yesterday's meeting that "the road is absolutely worn out; in fact, it is like a cane-bottomed chair, only you can't see through it."

As an illustration of the size of the trees in the Oropi bush, it is worth noting (says the Bay of Plenty Times') tln.t the. Ta'uraaga Sawmilling Company secured" 13,000 feet of sawn timber from a single rimu log treated at their null last week.

A special meeting of the Tarana<u County Council will be held at two o'clock on the afternoon of February 7th for .the purpose of passing a resolution merging the Omata, Barrett and Hurford road districts into the couniy •and' abolishing the road districts.

The Star understands that there .'s qtiite a number of eases of enteritis among children in Hawera. People cannot be too careful of their milk, to keep it away from dust ana from flies during the present sultry weather. Three years ago at this time of the year there were several fatal cases.

Complaints are "made that the footpaths recently .made on the Eliot road at Westown are being damaged and the public greatly inconvenienced by wandering stock. One or two of the offenders have been informed l of the powers of the County Council in the matter, and unless the offenders mend their ways the Council intends to prosecute.

At a meeting of directors of the South Taranaki Winter Show Company, Ltd., on Monday evening, Mr. A. W. Gillies was elected chairman. Mr. T. H. Gillman was appointed architect to the company, and it was decided to proceed at once with the preparation of plans lor buildings, to include front offices, for which offers have been received. A sub-committee was set up to confer with . architect. It was also decided 10 inaiKe flie first call of 15s per share, payable in fourteen days from date. The Theatre Royal was again crowded to its utmost holding capacity for the second and concluding night of •]. C Williamson's season, when the sparkling musical comedy, "Havana;' was staged. As an example of musical comedy with a strong operatic flavor. -Havana" is a decidedly interesting and entertaining production, and was immensely enjoyed by the big audience. Our :eport is unfortunately crowded out of this issue. Every parent knows that it is better to train his boy to be a religious gentleman, and his girl to be a religious lady, than to make heathens of them (says the Masterton Times). If the Bible be the best of books it ougiit to be a part of the equipment of the everyday life of impressionable children. When a better book comes along it will be time enough then to discard it. Our school dish is composed of many useful' ingredients, but thesg are tasteless and insipid because that pinch of salt, little soul-culture, is forbidden by woodc-n-headed politicians.

"Will New Plymouth benefit at ail by the completion of the harbor scheme, even supposing the direct steamers t ! o call here?" formecMjie subject of debate between *"0 local residents yesterday. One of them was a weli-kno vn .pessimist of whom Xew Plymouth sti'l possesses quite a few. Has he ever asked himself whether it would be any disadvantage to New Plymouth if by one feel swoop we were robbed of our harbor 'WorEs and once more compelled to embark and disembark by means of surf-boats?

The application of the Friendly Socities' Association for a preferential tariff at the local hospital «>pun« Hp 1 bigger question than was apparent irom the remarks made at the Hosnit.il Board's meeting 011 Monday. It in-, merely to be pointed out that the object of the Association is to assist Ks members in the defraying of hosmtal charges. This means, of course, tint the secretary of the Association can pay over the amount of the fees direct to the member entitled to tliem, lea v. re; it To him to pay the money over to the Hospital Board, the o-vocer, the butcher, or anyone else that ha mav please. He is not compelled by the rules to pay liibcncfits to tlip Board, although that is intended. The chances are that nnuh of the money would not reach Mr. L- 1 :)- per at all. The offer of the Awiarion is to guarantee the payment of the dues if the Board will make a ureal t concession than is offered in respect of iccounts that are not guarantee!. This phase of iiie question, we think, has not been considered.

A few of the sale prices ruling at '■ Tlie Kash": Silk handkerchief's I s . stripe denims 3s 3d. brown denims Ms lid, blue denims 2s Del. bathing costumes Is, saddle tweed trousers fls' lid, woollen sox 3 pairs for 2s 3d. cashmere sox fid « pair, heavy tweed trousers /is lid, Brazilian straw hats 2s fid. Just try a pound at "The Kasli" to see how far it will go, you'll be surprised at the splendid results.—Advt. TtEXONA. The liapid Healer is an Ointment whicli heals with remarkable rapidity. .Unlike the old-fashioned ointment?, which are very slow in their aet.nn, Rexona speedily effects its currs nf'.er a very few applications. So'd : n *rhigin.t'r TlpiJ at Is fid an! 3*. OW".:n'> v o at Bullock and Johnston's, agents, BeINTEREST AWAKENED. ' Interest awakened everywhere :n the marvellous cures of Cu:t?, liurns and Wounds with Dr. Sheldon's Magnetic Liniment. Price Is 6d aad 3i. Obtainable everywhere.

R is estimated that ilie salaries to teachers in tlie Hawke's Bay education district this year will amount to i!4OUU more than last year.

The Besses o' th' Barn Band left South Africa last week, after a triumphant tour. The band is to commence its New Zealand tour at Christchurch. Aa interesting innovation .3 shortly to be made on Die tramway sy stein (*( the British Electrical Federation (Ltd.;. which operates about 450 miles of tram lines in the United Kingdom. This lie the introduction of tartlung fares 0:1 many parts of the system, including those sections serving various London districts. While the minimum fare win remain at one penny, tne fare thereafter will be, roughly, an additional farthing for each quarter of a mile. II the passenger objects to farthing* in change he will receive farthing discount tickets, good for future rides'. The federation has already made arrangements with the Mint, and will start the new system of fares with a stock of about 2,2.j0,000 farthings, or about, onehalf the entire number coined last year.

What the band plays before Royalty is sometimes very funny. One day last summer, when the King visited a certain provincial town, the band, after playing the nationakanthem, broke into the lively strains of "Afraid to Come Home in the Dark." His Majesty, much amused, called the attention of liis aide-de-camp to the nature of the niu>ic. Some years ago there was ?. garden party at Windsor Castle, and the Grenadier Guards were supplying the music. One tune in particular took the fanev of Queen Victoria, and she sent an official to enquire its name. Trying hard to keep a straight face, official returned with the information that the tune was, "Come when the booze is cheaper."' The Queen, too, tried to suppress he,r smiles, but. it was too mui h for her, and she .laughed heartily. This is how the London Liberal newspaper "The Nation" describes the revolutionaries, otherwise the peers, who are now 011 trial for attempting to rob the people of Britain of their political existence: —"W : e know who they are. The Lords are unfit as a body either to pass or to reject any Bill, let alone a Budget. They represent, in the main, one class in the State. They have neither the men nor the machinery suited to supply competent Parliamentary criticism. They are made up, as to a small part of' their membership, of able leaders or ex-leaders of society; as to another small part, of its scum; as to a third and the largest part, of a dense mass of ignorant, untrained, and mediocre intelligences, soaked with class passion and prejudice, and spoiled for serious public work by pride, luxury, and a narrow environment. They ;<e not accountable t.o anybody for their legislative acts; and when such a body assumes, as it has assumed, first, an equal power to the House of Commons, and then a vastly superior power, it is clear that, first the veto, and second lithe hereditary principle, are ripe for destruction." In connection with the Union steam Ship Company's scheme for superannuating officers on retirement, there appears to be a good deal of dissatisfac-

tion among those concerned. It was intended that contributions to the fund should commence this month, but from what has transpired it does not appear that there is much probability of the fund being floated so quickly. The chief obstacle to the successful launching of the scheme appears to be a prevailing opinion that few of the young ofl'icers in the service will ever reach the retiring age. It is contended that a llTe at

sea, with its attendant worries', does not tend in the direction of longevity, and that shipwreck and transfers will be a constant cause of depleting the ranks of those entering under tmscheme. These things considered, the young officers of the company's service do not appear to be unanimsas :n approving the scheme in general, while

certain details have also given rise to dissatisfaction. A petition, largelv signed, has been forwarded to the licad office, l-raving that the scheme be not enforced. Tt is believed (says the I>ominionl that the only way in which a satisfactory understanding will be arrived at will be by holding a conference at Wellington. Speaking at Hastings on Thursday night. Mr. D. McLaren, M.L\, said lie was; going lurough the country to meet the people face to face, in order to impress upon them the imperativeness of organisation to advance the cause of democracy. He urged the youth of tincountry to take an active interest in politics as well as football, cricket, and racing. Politics was a scientific game, and, he was sorry to say, a trick one. and until a-spirit, of sincerity was introduced no material advance could be

made. The people did not appreciate their political privileges', and liberties for which their fathers struggled in the Old Land were thrown aside as trash. Politics was not the business (if members of Parliament merely: it was the busi-

ness of the people. There uus an Act for coinnulsorv military training, ami he was sorrv there wav not a Pill for training in citizenship, but organisation wnuld be a stpii in that directio-i. Polities had reached a stage when economics was a prominent factor, end it became necessary for Ihem to decide on a definite course bv forming a Democratic League, or some such organisation, to lav down definite principles to which their representatives shouid k pledged. He hoped to s'ee these wgank-iHivn* through the country combined u"der such a title ns the Xew Zealand Radical and Labor Federation. The following is the interpretation of an appeal recently made by the !ion. A. T. Xgata to native landholder- to make better use of their land: —"Vo:: .Maoris here, have a line block of land. Stow of it you are farming yotnvivv-, while part of it is leased to votir i'akeha r.< ighbors. I want, you t<> look a* the lullVrence between the land yen a:v fanning yourselves and the laud twin:: farmed by the pakcha o:> each side of you. The land seems to me to be of the same character; but look at the difference. You are letting your land go back into scrub. Your fences are falling to pieces; some part-, are not fenced at all. You are not making the most out of your land. Now loo 1 - i<r the land adjoining you —Mr. TathamV "llomewood' and Mr. Klder's Waikaiaka." Thev are making thi• must of their properties. They are keeping the plough going, keeping Ihe scr::'> down ami the fences in good order: in fact, uo'i,] farming. Xow, I want vou to take lioif. of what I am saying, and it is this; If you do not farm vour land properly and make the best iw of it—which yon can. seeing that those round you are doing it.—take my word for it • hat the nakehit will step in and take the landJßom yoji and farm it himself. The lanJlws too valuable to be wasted or allowed to lie idle. There is such a demand for land at the present time that it cannot be satisfied, and my parting advice to you is to take a" lesson from the pakelui fanner, and make the niost of your land, otherwise you will have to stand aside and make wav for those who are eager and anxious to put the land to better use."

] Talk about the .scramble for votes in the General Assembly! It can't be much keener than the inter-riding contest for metal""supplies annually at the meetings of the Taranaki County Council. From tlie discussion at ye- terdiiTV meeting it was quite plain that tilemembers suspected the rond foreman- ofunduly over-estimating their requirements. thus allowing a good margin for tin' councillors' parin>:-<lcnni proposals. .Members of one ruling kept a strict supervision on the proposed expenditure in the other ridings, and ps. each list was taken the po.si lions of watchers and the watched frequently alternated. A suggestion we-s made that, 1:1 order to secure an estimate cf tile requirements from a disinterested party, the chairman should inspect all' the county roads and furnish th • Council with r< report, but the sti!«iestion I was not acted u;xm. Tile following quantities of stone were eventually allocated bv the various foremen:—Foreman Brosnan lOkato riding) >(100 yards;j Foreman lluse (Omata) 800 yards; Foreman Kva (Ilurworth) 4(10 yards and Foreman Xorris (Ilurworth) 400 yards; Foreman Holmes 1250 yards; Foreman Ohellhius, 1200 yards; Foreman Bennett (Junctionroad east) 900 yards; Foreman Jones (Tariki) .'IOO yards.