LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 369, 21 April 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Postal Department advise that the Wellington-San Francisco despatch of March Kith reached London on the 18th inst.

In our paragraph relating to the tablets in St. Mary's Hall we made Mr. Shaw refer to the late Colonel Stapp, when the tablet under notice commemorated the work of the late Major Parris. It was made to sipipcar, too, that the late Cajptain Good acted as lay reader at Te Henui, whereas Urenui was the scene of his labors.

Whilst a young lady was looking out of a windlow of the mail train at lnglewood 'last night, some juvenile miscreant threw a handful of cement fairly in her face, almost blinding her. She suffered excruciating pain, and on arrival at New Plymouth was conveyed to a doctor's. The matter was reported to the guard, but of course no trace could ibe found 'of the offender. The total revenue of the local Hospital and Charitable Aid Board for the past year was £7107, and the expenditure £0383. The actual credit balance at the end of the financial year was £465, for the Board started the year with a debit of £258. The maintenance fees collected were upwards of £2IOO, a record in the annals of the Board, | and a result which must be regarded as satisfactory and creditable to Mr. Lepper, the secretary. The kinematograph plays a part in nearly every function worthy of notice, but seldom, if ever, has it been' known to be on the spot in connection with the arrest of a prisoner. Such was the case, however, in connection with the arrest of Powelka. As the motor-car containing the escapee and his escort of sturdy policemen drove up to the police station an enterprising kinematographist, from a balcony opposite, obtained a good picture of the party. It is oven stated that Pwelka honored the showman with a full-faced glance as the carturned into the station yard.—Dominion. The law of gravitation is a curious thing. Although inevitable in its operation, it plays strange vagaries at times. In Sydney," on April' 8," a laborer named Frank Craddock fell fifty feet from the top of Mr. A. Sunders' new building to the ground, and escaped uninjured. A few days before a coal lumper named Edward Boland fell less than half the distance and was killed. Presence of mind had nothing to do with Craddock's escape. He had been hoisted in a barrow, to the top of the building, when the gear gave way, and barrow and man descended at a "terrific pace to the ground. Just when it was expected that he would be dashed to death Craddock stepped nimbly out of the barrow on to the ground and resumed his work.

Another accident occurred at Te Henui yesterday, and it was remarkable that there was no serious injury done to the persons concerned. Mr. John Martin was coming into town upon his 'waggon with a load of butter, and had with him Mrs. and Miss Martin. When crossing over the roadway below whieli the railway runs a young horse attached to the vehicle, frightened by the train, became unmanageable. The horses bolted across the Henui bridge, and when about fifty yards on the town side of it the waggon ran against the korbinff and capsized. The driver and passengers were dislodged from their seats, and landed in the midst of the boxes of butter. The ladies sustained severe bruises, but Mr. Martin escaped unhurt.

The Charitable Aid Board yesterday discussed a pretty "hard" charitable aid ease—not hard as usually understood in this connection. The circumstances were not particularly hard, but evidently the recipient was a very difficult person to get on with. The members hailing from the district where she lived spoke in bated breath of her accomplishments. and seemc.l disinclined to interview the lady upon a proposition to reduce the amount of aid granted. One told a story. The agent for the house in which she lived approached him the other dav and asked if the Board would .guarantee the rent. "T told him," said, the member, "that there was no necessity for it, and he asked me why? I answered. 'Because you can't get Her out', even if you want to.'"

The Waireica Card Club held its annual meeting on Tuesday night. Mr. H. N. Goldwater, captain, being in the chair. The report stated that the club had a very successful season, winning both the Malone and Tisch shields, for crib and euchre, and were also tunnersup for an aggregate shield. The following office-bearers were elected for the ensuing season: President, Mr. C. Clarke; vice-presidents, Dr. Home, Dr. Wvlie. Messrs. X. King, E. Cock, J. D. Sole, J. B. Roy, T. Furlong, jun., and J. McKean; captain and secretary, Mr. 11. X. Goldwater; selection committee, Messrs. H. X. Goldwater, F. Xewell, and Robert Sole. The subscription for the season was fixed at os. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the Press for the interest taken in card matters during the past season. After judgment had been given in the case Matthews v. Calvert, heard at New Plymouth on Tuesday, Mr. Spence, counsel for defendant, said he couldn't agree that the plaintiff wasn't drunk, "and." he continued, addressing the Bench, "if you knew as much as I do you would probably come to the same conclusion." The Magistrate replied: "Well, Mr. Spence, I have to decide according to evidence, and I cannot take judicial knowledge of anything outside it. If I did, then from all I have heard outside —hut, of course, I wouldn't allow that to influence me in the least—this is a most exemplary young man." In condensing the report of the passage in yesterday's issue the first sentence of Mr. Fitzherbert's statement was omitted, and as it has an important bearing on the meaning of the subsequent sentence we hasten to give the report in full "For ways that are dark, and tricks that are vain, the heathen Chinee is peculiar," wrote Bret Ilarte. There are tricks in every trade, though. At the Hospital Board meeting yesterday a letter was read from Dr. Valintine, who submitted to the local Hospital Board a form of tender for drug supplies, with a view of effecting economies in this branch of hospital management. "The idea," he wrote, "is to eliminate from the present tender forms those drugs that are seldom, if ever, prescribed, and are therefore tendered for at very low rates, which may mislead the Board as to the reasonableness of the tender, and to give the tenderer an opportunity of considering the amount of each article that may be required, so that it may save him the cost of re-packing, etc., in which ease he might be able to supply your institution at cheaper rates." It was decided that notice be given to the contractor of the Board's intention to terminate the contract for the supply of drugs. If you want to sell pioprrty advertise in the "Lailj rfews.' Jk circulates throughout Taranaki.