LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 383, 7 May 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The body of Mr. George Duncan, who was washed off the Napier breakwater during the recent storm, was recovered yesterday. The services in Queen-street Chureh to-morrow wi;l he conducted by the Rev. John Nixon. Morning at 11—subject, 'Tf ve. then, being evil.'' Children's address,' "Does my Father still live?" Evening at 7—subject, "The Hem of His Garment."—Advt. A 'new list of Justices of the Peace has ben in preparation for some time. A large number of nominations were made !>v members of Parliament and if.iiiers, and the process of appointment takes ,some time, as it involves enquiry into each nomination. Nothing will be di-tided till after a" full meeting of Cabinet isc held upon the Prime Minister's return 'from the South.

Some men when applying for positions have quaint ideas as to qualifications that are ■suitable. A local body recently called applications for the position of working foreman, and the following were among the qualifications possessed by some of the applicants. One man had a brother who was in a cheese factory, another could make and mend wheelbarrows (this certainly might be v.seful), and a. third had been chairman of a road board for some years. Owing to the monsoonal rains in South Australia, the, apple orchards presented a strange appearance. Although still heavily laden with apples, a large number of the trees were liberally covered with blossom. Other trees were shedding their leaves, and at the same time making fresh and vigorous growth, while hawthorns and lilacs were.also: wearing "spring" costumes. The blossoming" of the fruit trees at this period ■of the year is not likely to materially injure them. Apart from reducing the . crop next season, the only effect pro- j bable is that of altering the time of their heavy bearing, which, ,in ordinary j circumstances, is every alternate year, i There are rumors of an organisation I about to be started which, if it is car- j ried through successfully, will mean a big increase in the population of Argen-1 tina and a corresponding benefit to' its j commerce. It is stated that, under the ] auspices of the Pope, an emigration so- i ciety .has been formed with a view to directing would-be emigrants to Argen-' tina. It is said that one of the c. gents j of this 'society has just concluded an i agreement with the Argentine Govern- ( ment for the colonisation of one of trie | territories, and it is expected that j 100.01)0 Italian (Colonists will be sent, and that they will be accompanied by priests.

I As is probably well known anions; .business mm. but evidently nut so well known among those whose business ideas are limited., clerks aim secretaries of local bodies must produce for the Government auditor properly ■ signed ; vouchers to account for every farthing of ratepayers' money expended during the year. If the voucher is not lorllicoming the clerk may look for trouble. At the Clifton County Council meeting mention was made of the 'act that often the vouchers are not returned till months after the cheque is sent out, and considerable trouble ensues, file voucher oftpn being almost worn out when it is returned. An informal discussion took place as to the best way of overcoming the difficulty. The clerk said he could easily surmount it by not allowing tne vouchers out of his office, but' that course would entail perhaps a ride of twenty or thirty miles for the person Receiving the cheque. He had very little difficulty with men who frequently obtained money from the Council, because lie would not forward the next cheque until the last voucher was in his Bands, but the trouble was with the man who only received very occasional cheques. Beyond discussing the matter nothing was done, but it is hoped that those who. are guilty of this neglect in cQnnec-1 tion with anv local 'body will take the hint and not. b'j s o io::m--- ::; fntuvj.

The appointment of a Wellington barrister to the Crown Law Office staff ig. part of an important scheme of reorganisation in that department which will result in a considerable extension of its functions. A ibrief and general summary of the proposals was given to a X(w Zealand Times representative ty the lion. Dr. Findlay (Attorney-Gen-eral). "it is intended," said Dr. Findlay, "that the Crown Law Odice shall do a very much larger part of the official legal work now done by outside practitioners at a cost of very many thousands of pounds annually." 1 toU t satisfied that a very considerable portion of that work can be as efficiently done as at present (by subtly increasing the staff of the Crown Law Office. When my scheme is complete, I' believe the Government will be lahle to show very large economies, while showing equal efficiency to the present method." ]fc has been estimated that the sum paid annually by the Crown for criminal seditions, opinions, prosecutions under the Customs and Health' Acts, transfers and conveyances ito the Crown, and other deeds, exceeds £15,000.

Owing to his humanity a burglar named James Ferrick was captured on the night of Bth March (says the Chronicle's Xew York (correspondent) by the police in the up-tdwn home of Mrs. Angeline Casello. Ferrick had broken into the house at nearly midnight, 'when he thought the family .Had gone to bed, but upon entering t'he bedroom of .Mrs. Casello he discovered that the ladv was taking a hath in the bathroom adjoining. Her terror at secinsr the burglar caused Mrs. Casello to scream loudly, and immediately thereafter to faint. Sh« sink down in ,the tub, and Ferrick, who had started to make his escape, realising that the woman would drown if he abandoned her, stopped in fois flight, and, entering the hall, called for help. Mrs. Castello's mother rushed into the loom, and she and the burglar lifted the woman from the tub. After placing her on the bed Ferrick turned to run from the (house, but on doinj so he en' countered the police, who had been attracted by t>hc woman's screams. Fgrnck submitted to his capture with good grace, h'uefuly remarking, "You can'fc rescue drowning women and pinch jewels at the same time."

Before a full bench of the Supreme C ourt-the court of last appeal in the lmted States—the Standard Oil Company has been fighting for its lite, presenting arguments through the lending counsel of the country a .gainst the decision of the Missouri Circuit Court, and to show wlrySt should not be dissolved A host of lawyers have been engaged in getting up the case for the •octopus," and the kevnote of the de-n-nee is the so-called preservation of the ''rights of individual citizens of the I mted States." Mr. John Milburn of New York, argued for the defence that seven individual defendants, the Rockefeller brothers and their associates, created the business in 1802, and its present extent is the natural development of energy and capital. «Rv creative skill and the steady re-investment of early .profits," declared counsel, "these men and their associates created out of an entirely new production; of crude oil the universally used and cheapest, llluminant the world has ever known." Counsel declared tbnt these individuals .have never acted in the restraint of trade; but have always used every means to cheapen the product, and are really the world's benefactors. Xaturnllv there is immense interest in the case as the Standard Oil is the chief of Aroe-r-an trusts, and has a capital of over .f?20.fl00,000. and whose vearlv profits amount to .close upon £30;000.000.

Tn Mr. Franklin Matthews, of the New York Sun, Australia and New Zealand have (says u New York correspondent) , a champion who is doing much to advertise them in .the United States. Mr. j Matthews 'went round the world with : the fleet, and in his recently publisher) I hook, "Back to Hampton Roads," he I gives ft full account of the reception of the fleet in Auckland. But Mr. Mat- ! thews has not onlv the pen of a ready | writer, he has also the .tongue of a I fluent speaker, and he has been lecturing i" many narts of the United States [ on the round-the-world cruise almost ever since his return home. I had the pleasure of hearing him in Brooklyn recently Of all the receptions driven to the fleet during its cruise he said those given by New Zealand and Australia were the most enthusiastic, the most elaborate, and the most impressive. If he were a young man, he added, he would go to one of those two countries to live in; of all the places he had visited the most delightful were Sydney and Auckland, and the people were like the places—the best in the world. . Mr. Jesse Piper, the unsuccessful candidate for the Nelson mayoralty, took his defeat ibadly. He .spoke with heat, and his opponent had to appeal for a fair hearing for him. Mr Piper's speech, as reported in the Colonist, was as follows:—"The ratepayers would vet find out whether it was to their interest or wot to elect him. He had a right to say that. (Uproar). 'I have served vou faithfully,' he continued, 'for the last. 20 years, and now you have [given me the cold shoulder. Never mind, it's jour loss. I know very well what I have been idoing has been for vonr interest. The man you have chosen has not been to your interest. (Voices:' Rot!) It is not rot. He has ibeen hi the interest of contractors. (Uproar). You have chosen him and you must suffer. I (defy von to prove that anything I have ever done has not been'ri<*ht'. Ooiee: Take it like a man!) I have liad the supnort of |ihe Council for many years, and I have had the support of many good men.' For a few minutes Mr. Piper's further jremarks were inaudible, owing to uproar. He declared that they would not frighten him with. their howling, and s.i.id that the electors would have to suffer for electing the other 'candidate, not him. He had lived long enough in Nelson to know wnat a man was. and he wished them vw of what lie had pot to say. He had served them for twenty vears, but they could .have their nkm (Voice: We have). Mr. Piper's concluding remarks ■were inaudible in the uproar." Mr, Pettit, who was elected by a majority of 211 votes, delivered 'an appropriate address. ,and was londlv cheered. There has been a good deal of controversy >?f late over public works <in Nelson, and it was held that the result of the election was a vindication of the attitude odoptted by the icouncillors who have latterly •been in the minority, and of the policy of the 'Council prior to the establishment of the late iregime. Mr. Piper was elected Mayor in HUMS, and h,is held the office until this week's election. Winter Clothes. Cold enough for you? Too cold, eh? That'll be the talk. soon. Don't wait. Get ready now. Get a "Prestweh' ironi ''The Kash" as soon as you get enough to buy one. We've got them from 355, and when you get a "Prestwell" you are getting a good honest coat, and just about the best fitting one you can imagine. Our sfls coats are equal to the coat you pay l your tailor £3 10s to £4 for.* Get. it now, and don't wait until the cold weather is g^uc—"Tli? Kaah."—Advt,