LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 49, 7 June 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A local resiilont tells us that crude Taranaki petroleum has considerable curative properties, particularly in connection with corns and rheumatism. At a meeting of the committee of the Qarrtngton Road Oolf Chib last evening, it was decided to proceed immediately with the erection of a clubhouse on the w\\ links.

Tlie Taranaki County Council yesterday passed a resolution declaring gorse, ragwort, and ox-eye daisy to be noxious weeds within the areas of the late Carrington, Frankley, Eliot, Egmont, Upper Hurford, Onuata, and Barrett road districts, and on all county roads. The curator of the Recreation Grounds reported to the Board last night that dower-stealing had been unpleasantly rife lately. It was a difficult matter to detect, as he believed that it was done chiefly at night. Mr. Tisch pointed out that in view of these thefts, the state of the Board's finances, the Board's limited staff, and the large amount of work to be done, he doubted the wisdom of going on with this gardening. Several other members expressed the view that it would be .better not to extend the gardening operations too far. Send your order for printing to the " Daily JTows" Printery. Prices right and satisfaction guaranteed.

"We can sliingle about half the houses in the Moa riding with special rate cards," said the chairman of the County Council yesterday.

11l declining with thanks the offer of Sir George White and llr. S. White to -present an aeroplane to the coming Antarctic expedition, Captain Scott said he felt that at the present stage of aviation it was unwise to-aid an aeroplane to ibis equipment.

Westport, with its small .population of 3G42 persons, has fully sixty pro-tMition orders in force. This is a fact, remarks the Oanmru Mail, that is not published in the New Zealand Year Book or proclaimed on the housetops, because no•body is proud of it. An exchange states that some Nelson J people living within half a mile of Te j Kuiti, on the .Main Trunk line, have been very successful with hop-growing. La<t season their output was purchased by an Auckland brewer, ami the price, paid was far in advance of that paid for the Nelson production. The Egmont Lodge of Oddfellows was ''at home" to its friends last night, kikl about a hundred responded to the invivition. From start to finish there was nothing but enjoyment, a heartily enjoyable concert being followed by an equally happy dance, despite the indisposition of the door. Poor old Auckland! Beaten again! A writer iu an Auckland paper records that a young lady's violin case was knocked open in a tramcar the other day, and there fell out two smoked fish. This was described as the acme of refinement in parcel-carrying. Christchurch passed out the violin case as a. hold-all long ago, because one day an elegant miss, after a visit to Langdon and Steel's pork butchery, failed to fasten her violin case, and was deeply mortified when the sausages hopped on to the pavement in the busiest part of Colombo-street.

On Hondaj- next the Pioneer (drill ship for naval reservists in New Zealand waters) will leave Wellington for Picton. After three days' stay at that port she will go on to Xelson, and thence to Westport ou the 13th. Leaving Westport on the 17th, she will next eall at New Plymouth, and leave again on the 25th for Wellington. The warship is still short of her naval complement, 'and as in all probability a, number of men will join at the aforementioned ports, Ca.ptain G. G. Smith, ftoyal Xaval Registrar at Wellington, is to accompany her in his oflicial capacity. A local resident, whose r business has lately taken him over a good .portion of the Dominion, relates a curious experience. In Auckland he met a friend who is skipper of an ocean liner. A week or two afterwards he was in Waitara, and ran into the same mariner. Later, he was in Oamaru, and sure enough he struck the skipper there. Subsequently he was proceeding along the sea-front of Timaru, and was surprised to run right into his friend. At Lyttelton he was about to board his vessel for home, when whom should he meet again but the same individual!

Strenuous work was put in yest<>r]ay by one or two- County Councillors in an attempt to impose a rate of nivt-c----farthings in tiie ound on the Hurworth riding. The riding member, Mr. C. Carter, opposed the proposition tooth and nail, and eventually it was decided to make the rate a half-penny. At the conclusion of the debate, when things looked bad for the ratepayers' pockets, Or. Carter suggested that it wjs in the interests of the Council not to raise the rate in the Yogeltoivji district. "Otherwise," chimed in Mr. Hill, "you'll make New Plymouth bigger than it is." Cr. Hopson threw down the challenge: "Let them make it bigger, and as soon as

they like. I don't care how soon. 1 ' ''You can't afford it," said Cr. Carter. At the 'Recreation Grounds Board last night Mr. Cock, referring to the flowerstealing in the grounds, stated that in a ,park in Wellington there were lovely flowers, and the* public never interfered with them or stole them. This, he had been told by the curator, was because the people took an interest in the park and immediately reported any thefts to the Board. He thought that if the public were encouraged here to report the thefts, the flowers in our park might .he .secure. Mr. Hughes said that the mere reporting wouldn't be of much use. Mr. Cock: 'Then the Board would take action—prosecute them." Mr. Hughes smiled slowly. "When?" he asked. "Wjlen have' we ever prosecuted anybody?" "Then we ought to," said the chairman vigorously. There was an amusing passuge-at-arms at the County Council meeting yesterday between Councillors Andrews and Allanson. Up till a few weeks ago they were both representatives of the Omata riding, but the riding was recently subdivided into the Oka to and Omata ri.lings. The Puniho tollgate is now in the Okato riding, and Councillor Andrews claimed yesterday that the. whole of its revenues belonged to his riding, adding that if the Omata people had desired to get a share of it they should not have separated, j Councillor Allanson objected, on the ground that the tolls were collected for the benefit of the whole of the main road between Puniho ami New Plymouth. This seemed to be the feeling of the meeting, 'hut the .point was not discussed to a finality.

At last night's meeting of the Pukekura, Park Board, a letter was received from Messrs., L. Little. T. C. Schnaeken•berg. H. J. Wells, S. L. Mark, F. C. Tribe, and K. C. AYebstcr, as follows: •A movement is afoot to form a tennis chub in Vogeltown, and the promoters are very desirou* of utilising a portion of the' park fronting the Carrington road, and adjoining the Vojeltown entrance, lyinir between that, entrance and the caretaker's cottage. At present this piece of ground is hardly used, and'itis the very place for such a purpose as we I propose. We are asked to ascertain whether your Board will grant us a lease of this ground at a nominal rate. If so, we are prepared to call a meeting forthwith, have the club formed, and the courts prewired for next season's plav. It is hardly necessary for us to point out that the laying out of courts, and the subsequent care of them, will greatly enhance the appearance and usefulness of this portion of the park." The members discussed the proposition in a very favorable light, and a committee comprising the chairman and Messrs. Govett and Xewman and the secretary was appointed to meet the promoters on the ground and discuss matters; the committee to report to the Board, and a special meeting to be called if necessary. Men's Suits. —Worsteds in particular, our reputation for carrving the best in these is established. This season's'are particularly noboy, are cut in the vert latest style, with.hair-cloth fronts, good F-endi canvas put right through th« I coav, "nd verv good linings. They're brandco. The Prestwell," and you won't see their equai i'\ Xew Zealand. Prices 25s to 05s.—THE KASH. Devon Street, J New Plymouth.—Advl.

REXOXA, Tlio T?apid Healing Ointment, aires with remarkable rapidity sores, ulcers, burns, cuts', bruises, eczema, chilblains, and all diseases of the skin. Sold in triangular nots at. Is (id and 3s. Obtainable at Bullock and Johnston's.

I The Wanganui Herald says: "A Wanganui settler with an intimate Knowledge of the conditions! obtaining on this coast, remarked to a Herald rejwrter that land prices .and rents were still rising, the latter in many instances going to an exorbitant figure. He remarked that, whereas he was once opposed to the idea of a Fair Rent Act, lie had now come to believe that such a measure would soon be absolutely necessary to protect those taking nn 1r.r.1 on leune." Mr. A. W. Hall, the New Zealand flaxmill manager, who has 'been engaged for the past three years in establishing the milling of New Zealand hemp at St. Helena, has returned to the Dominion. Mr. Hall speaks in gratifying terms of his trctment by the island authorities and of his life ;it St. Helena. Me had the unique- experience of sleeping lor three nights in ■Napoleon's library at Longwood. Mr. Hall left Wellington for his home in Southland on Tuesday. The Wanganui Borough Council naf become a partner in a permanent pietur* •how in the Municipal Opera House. The Mavor made a statement at the Borough Council meeting the other night, showing that the Council and the company had entered into an agreement by which the latter paid all expenses and gave the Council one-third of the total receipts. Councillors expressed approval .if the arrangement, and commended the

o]>era House Committee on its stroke of business.

Some interesting sidelights as to the adaptability of the ordinary domestic eat wore given by Mr. Oliver at a recent meeting of the Christchureh Philosophical Institute. According to Mr. Oliver, a number of domestic cats were liberated some years ago on Sunday Island, one of the Kermadec Group. Although there were hordes of rats on the island, the cats did not molest them much, save in winter, ;but. devoted their attention to the mutton-bird and the tern. Some of these cats had grown so dainty that they specialised in their eating of thegp birds, some eating only the brain, while others preferred the breast. London Opinion says that according to ''an experienced journalist," who has twice travelled through Canada recently, and spent the greater part of one winter there, the prairies in winter =re lor many .thousand "a frozen hell." He gives a startling account of the sufferinas of the settler who is obliged to live during the enforced idleness of a "suhArctic winter" on slender resources accumulated as a worker for others during the summer. The settler's hut is a dot in a sea of snow, with silence everywhere, and the cold frequently 50 degrees below zero, a sleeper's breath sometimes becoming solid ice on the 'blankets. This writer even goes so far as to say that the intense loneliness brings on "prairie madness," a malady that often leads the sufferer to self-destruction. These are things regarding which-the emigration literature preserves a cautious reserve, preferring to dilate upon the charms of the Canadian summer.