LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 65, 25 June 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On and after to-day a Money and Savings Bank Oll'ice will be established at Whangaiinomona.

On the Ist inst. His Honor, Mr. Justice Chapman, on the application ot .Mr. T. S. Weston (Weston and Weston), granted probate of the will of the. late Mr. P. H. Carstens.

\ery satisfactory response has been made to the application for intending members of the proposed tennis and croquet club, and a meeting is convened for next week to form the club.

On the motion of Mr. Quilliam (Govett and Quilliam), probate of the will of the late Thomas Stewart McGuinness has been granted by the Supreme Court to Margaret McGuinness, the executrix named in the will.

The Post Office people must be frightened of burglars, or something of the kind, or else they would not be as anxious as they are to close the door leading to the private letter boxes. At least one firm was seriously inconvenienced Jast everying by inability to obtain their mail, though they had waited several hours for it. The door of the room should be open day and night, and the Post Oftice would be consulting the convenience of the public in so arranging things.

The Post and Telegraph Department has notified the New Plymouth Borough Council that it cannot accede to the Council's request that a receiving-box for telegrams be placed at the corner of Devon and Currie streets.

A meeting of the Equitable ,Building Society of New Plymouth was held at the Town Hall last evening. Mr. F. P. Corkill presided. An appropriation of £3OO in No. 1 group realised £56, and an appropriation of £3OO in No. 2 group was balilotted for. Mr. S. T. Crocker was the successful drawer.

The famous French aviator, M. Louis Paulhan, who recently won/ the Daily Mail's prize of £IO,OOO for the flight from London, to Manchester, is only twenty-six years of age, and has been a bareback rider and tight-rope walker in a travelling circus in France, a sailor, a volunteer in the aeronautical section of the French army; but he was always an engineer. It may not be generally known (says a Waivarapa paper) that horse chestnuts have been declared by the Government health authorities to be unfit for human consumption, and in consequence an interesting case will come before the Masterton Magistrate's Court shortly, in which a local; Chinese will be charged with having sold horse chestnuts to a boy. It is alleged that the boy became very ill after mating the chestnuts, and « complaint made to the nolice by the father of the aoy led to the prosecution. Mr. J. C. Smith, of New Plymouth, last evening brought in some 'samples of metal lie claims to be pure platinum and gold obtained from Taranaki ironsand. The precious metals are obtained by a secret process, fully protected by patent rights. The metal has been thoroughly tested by a chemical process. l Mr. Smith considers that if the main I metal is not pure platinum, then it is j some new metal. Anyway, the samples indicate that iron is by no means the main constituent of the black sand on the shores of Taranaki.

A gentleman whose occupation compels him to travel extensively in vhe North Canterbury district, has noticed a curious fact in natural history. Beyond Woodend magpies are very plentiful, and he noticed the almost total absence of small .bird life; sparrows in particular were very scarce, but the magpie was in every field, following the plough and picking up (insects. Upon his return he noticed that after he had passed Woouend, the sparrows began to appear in large nnmhers, while the magpies were correspondingly absent; and he drew t'he conclusion that the two species do not live together in unity.

On Thursday afternoon the North Taranaki Hunt hunted over the properties of Messrs. Honeyfield Bros, and Linn, at Oakura. The weather was very cold, but an enjoyable time was spent by the sixty members present. There were too many hares about, tlie scents being crossed, and the runs consequents short ones. Hounds were running all the afternoon. It was splendid country for hunting, but there were several spills, no one being hurt, however. The members of the Hunt were entertained at afternoon tea by Messrs. Honeyfield Bros, and Linn. Owing to the epidemic of influenza among horses, there will be no by-meet of the Hunt next week. The secretary of the Taranaki Poultry Society desires to thank the following gentlemen for special prizes:—Mr. Tuthill, Ids for Technical School eookerv classes: Mr. Praser, 5s value (miscellaneous classes, children); Mr. C. Carter, 5s value (for second babv in Maori class); Mr. N. Johnson, 10s value (judging competitions); M. Hanna, three cabinet photos in each of the three baby classes (for winning baby); Messrs. Garland and Co., Auckland, for Ist prize, value 20s (for best bady from 12 months to six months); Messrs. 'Tucker and Co., Auckland, for Ist prize, value 20s (for best baby from 18 months to 12montlvs); 'Mr. V. H. Beale. silver medal (Technical School woodwork); Mr. A. T. Moore, donatio:) to school prize fund: Mr. G. E. Blandinrd, 10s fid Ist, 3s (id 2nd (for the child gaining most points in school work and cookery classes combined): Mr. J. Abbot, valne 10s fid (best trio in ducks). The services at the Queen-street Church to-morrow will be conducted liv the Rev. John Nixon—morning at 11, and evening at 7 o'clock. All seats free. —A<lvt. Men's Suits.—Worsteds in particular our reputation for carrying the best in these is established. This season's arc particularly nobby, are cut in the vert latest style, with hair-cloth fronts, good F">ncli canvas .put ri<*ht through th« coab. «nd verv good linings. They're, branded -The Prestwell." and ynn won't c ®e the'' - equal New Zealand. Prices ""s to «5«.—■'THE "RASH. Devon Street,: New Plymouth.—Advt

Human nature is a funny thing,. When l'owelka, or Pawelka, .or whatever his name is, was out of gaol, the popu< lace of Palmerston huntediiirn with.gunß< Now, they are agitating for a remission of his sentence. Perhaps they're aaxiotlß to have another pot-shot at. him. —• Auckland Observer.

Substantial recovery from the depre&« sion of the previous year is indicated by the report of the Oceanic Steam Navigation (,'omnany for The profit on the yeai » \. orking, returned as £614,000, compared with .1299,000 in 1908. The achievements of some previous years have, however, still to be repeated. Thu# for 1907 the profits of the company were £848,009. for 1006 £Bosyooo, and for 1905 £712 000. The result of the past year's worl.,ng has admitted of the payment. of 20 per cent., as against 10 per cent, on a share capital of £750,000, consisting of 750 shares of £IOOO each. A Wellington resident who has just returned from a visit to the Chathama says that in that part of the Dominion there are thousands of black swans, and several of the residents informed him that from 20,000 to 30,000 of their eggs could be collected each year without being missed. The law, however, prevents the exportation of the eggs. The visitor from Wellington believes that a profitable trade could be opened up if the swans, which are so plentiful at the Chatham*, were frozen there and .placed on the market in Wellington and other centres. Such an industry, however, cannot be established whilst the bird# are protected by Act of Parliament. Black swans have increased so enormously during recent years that they have become a nuisance, and the Chatham Islanders think it is hard that they should not be allowed to export them. It is mentioned by a London writer that Edward Vll.'s reign will be memorable for the number of titles and orders bestowed during its nine years. Of the 1182 knights bachelor now in existence, no fewer than 027 were knighted during the last reign. King Edward created 164 baronets and 60 'barons. No dukedom was conferred iby King Edward. The last person to 'be raised to this rank was the Duke of Fife, on his marriage to the Princess Royal in 1880. The only marquisate bestowed, was on the late Earl of Hopetoun, first GovernorGeneral of Australia, who ibeeame Marquis of Linlithgow in 1002. Three new earldoms were created. Viscount Cromer was raised to that rank in August, 1001, and Lord Windsor became the Earl of Plymouth, and Lord Hawkesbury the Earl of Liverpool in December, 1005. Twelve viscounts were made, including Lord Kitchener, Sir Michael Hioks-Beach, Mr. John Morley, Mr. Heniy Fowler and Mr. Herbert Gladstone.

At the official welcome to the Maori football team at Sydney, Mr. W. M. Arnold made some complimentary references to the oratorical powers of New Zealand natives, and Mr. Carroll, a member of the Dominion Legislature in particular (savs the Telegraph). He too, how when the 1888 native team visited Auestralia, it included a forward named Taiaroa, "one of the most modest artd retiring men you ever met on the field," said»Mr. Arnold. "When be went to Bathurst he was called upon at the luncheon to make a speech. Taiaroa shrinked his shoulders and protested, but the gathering was insistent. Finally thi! native caved in, and, in vigorous Maori language, reeled off something which sounded awesome, b\it satisfying the mob. When he concluded one of the more curious of the guests asked for a translation of the speech—probably for publication in the local paper. He got it. and it was discovered afterwards that it was the first time some of those present had heard the Lord's Praver."