LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 53, 11 June 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Auckland divides the colony into two parts—the important and the unimportant. The important part is Auckland, the unimportant is the rest of the rest of the Dominion.—lnvereargill Times. Forty domestic servants, all of good type, are coming out to Xcw Zealand by the Arawa, which is due at Wollinirjton next week. Their passages were arranged by the High Commissioner's Department. The Hastings Standard says that the survey has just 'been completed of a block of laud of GOt>o acres', at the foot of the ranges, running from Mataretu to Norsewood. There will be about ten sections, ranging from 1000 to 500 acres. They will be offered shortly.

A Maori wahine in Carterton district, over 85 years of age, well remembers the previous visit of Hal ley's comet, and also recollects that it was followed by a very mild winter. She therefore ji:oiphesies that the mild weather being experienced will continue throughout the coming winter. At present, although well into June, the weather is warm and spring-like. A Southern paper gives an unusual reason for demolishing a dwelling. It says Edondale, which has been without a teacher's residence for a long time, is to have the requirement filled by the erection of a building. The former residence was disposed of owing to its being flea infested, and all attempts ■failing to dislodge the festive unwelcome guests.

The Stewart Island mutton birders have returned to the Neck from Kaihuka and Kakawahakura Islands (says the Southland Times); also from nerekopareoi Te Mamma Island. The number of kits brought back was 190, in all over 8000 birds. The season was an exceptionally good one. The birds were .plentiful and in good condition. Owing to rough weather at the beginnrng of April, the season was shortened by two weeks, and the catch was the result of three weeks' work. A shortage of kelpbags resulted in several hundred of the birds having to be brought home and bagged.

"Every criminal is a foo!," said his Honor the Chief Justice in weighing the evidence relating to a charge of incendiarism in the Supreme Court in We!; lington . ''He'may be a clever man,'' ho added, "but in the end he is a fool, because he does what harms him. He never gets any benefit out of it. He may get some temporary gain—he may never be found out—but in the end there is always what the Greeks call Nemesis—something which follows up the crime, which, whether the person suffers afterwards or not, always reaches him. Tf our people would oniy recognise that there is no gain from wrong-doinir, there wcuU 'be no crime committed at ail in this country."

During his deer-stalking expedition to the Hunter Valley, near Lake Hawea, Mr. P. P. Hadaw, an English big-game hunter, had some experience of the keas' idea of jokes. These are f.iirly plentiful in the district, and they came round the hunters' camp in large numbers. They devoted some of their playful attentions to the tent ropes, and nearly succeeded in bringing the tent down upon its inmates. Tliev also seemed U think that it was good "fun to cut through the rope with which meat was hunz to a tree, in order to see it fall to "the ground. When the weather was bad and stalking was out of the question, the keas' habits afforded a. good deal of amusement, but they carried their practical jokes so l.ir that they had to be driven off at last, and in the process a few were killed. If crowded congregations are an indication of the merit of the preachers, the Redemntorist Fathers at present conducting a mission in St. Joseph's Church must be men of exceptional ability and great earnestness of purpose. Morning after morning for the past fortnight the ' :'.O and 0 o'clock Masses were splendidly attended, whilst night after night in all weathers the church was "generally packed. Notwithstanding the constant downpour last evening, every available seat was occupied. The Rev. Father Hunt, the preacher, in a lucid, cogent, and convincing discourse, showed that ■the honor paid the Blessed Virgin Marv ■by Catholics mis warranted, supported, and borne out by reason, history, ami the Holy Bible. 'The soul-stirring and soul-searching sermons delivered during ■the course of the mission must have made a deep impression upon the large audiences, who evidently followed them with rapt attention. The mission, all too short, will be brought to a close tomorrow (Sunday) night. The astounding disclosures of.wholesale corruption in the New York Legislature at Albany have been suddenly dwarfed hy the events at Pittsburg, where a judicial investigation into municipal dishonesty has produced a singularly dramatic situation. Mr. John Klein, the former councillor, who was sentenced to three years' imprisonment on charges of bribery, has fulfilled his threat to "pull the .praps out and let the skv fall," because his fellow-councillors failed to provide £l2 a week for his wife and children during his incarceration. As a result a grand jury has indicted sixty councillors. The judge, before the list of indictments was published, gave the councillors twenty-four hours' srrace in which to confess their sins and gain immunity. Since then the Court has been filled with a succession of trembling, white-faced men bearing hitherto honored names, who have confessed to receiving 'bribes. One wealthy citizen went on his knees before the judge. Sixteen councillors so far have voluntary confessed, and have agreed to resign their seats on the Council if sentence is suspended.

The services in Queen-street Church to-morrow will be conducted l>y the.Rev.. J. Nixon—morning'at-il, su'bject' ''The Prayers of St. Paul" (No. 2); evening at 7, subject "The Touch of Christ." All seats free.—Advt. For Chronic Chest Complaints. Woods' irpat PepnenniEt. Cure. 1/6. Ijl Send your orde. ior printing to tile "Daily News" Prinlery. ?;■'•"«» right *ad sctiolvUtiou sua:Mia>4 .....

A comprehensive drain age scheme is being considered Ibjr the Masterton Borough Council. The cost is estimated at Lady Stout is having a busy time in England speaking in support of temperance and suffrage societies, and is fall of engagements. The death is reported of Sir George Xewnes, founder of the publishing firm of George Xi'v.'.us, Lid., proprietors of Tit-Bits, the Strand Magazine, etc. Messrs. -Newton King and A!>. Goldwater have been members of the Council of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce ever since its inception, twentyone years ago. In the Hawera Magistrate's Court yesterday a native named Munga Waionga was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence for stealing three cows, the value of €3O, the property of Joshep Morrison, of Normanby. Mr. Laurenson, M.l\ for Lvttelton and chief Government whip, recently resigned his whipship owing to serious heart t rouble. He is, however, greatly improved in health. Mr. T. E. Taylor. M.P., of ChristchuTch, remarked of his Canterbury colleague: "In my opinion he will be shaking along merrily in thirty years' time. He is looking remarkably well." Owing to there being a patient in the hospital under treatment for scarlet fever, the medical superintendent (Dr. Walker) has decided to quarantine the hospital and immediate grounds for the time being. Consequently visitors will not be allowed admission "to the hospital or to the grounds except by permission of the superintendent, and then only in special ciuses.

A cable was received in Wellington on ■Wednesday from Mr. Robert McXab, at Hobart, who had arrived there on the Arawa, en route from England to New Zealand. Tlie Times' London correspondent, writing under date 29th April, says that Mr. McNab is well .satisfied with his "finds" in the State archives of London and Paris regarding the early records of New Zeadand history. Professor Halford, late of Melbourne University, died last week. He was eighty-six years of age. With professor Halford .passes away one of the few remaining living links with the infant University of Melbourne. It is fourteen years since he left the scene of his life's labor in the spacious University grounds. In ISO2 Dr. Halford \ras appointed to the char-ire of the medical school in Melbourne.

Mr. Thomas Hiokey, who passed away at Waiuku last week, in his ninety-sixth year, was a very old identity, having resided in the district for nearly forty-six years. He left Ireland in 1846 for Cape Colony, where he .held a .position in the police force for sixteen years. He left Cape Colony for New Zealand in 1864. and took up land a.t Whiriwhiri, where he carried on farming till his death. He is survived iby four sons and five daughters, thirty-seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.