LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 74, 6 July 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A new theatre is projected at Welling-' ton, the site of which is to be at the rear of Hume's Building, Willis street. Madame Carreno last night played throughout her concert on a magnificent Bechstein grand piano lent for the occasion by Mr. L. E. Hoffmann. Madame is particularly to the "Bechstein," as it meets her requirements perfectly. The secretary of the New Plymouth Harbor Board was notified yesterday •that owing to the very rough weather on the west coast the dredge Paritutu would not leave Wellington before Saturday. It is thus unlikely that the vessel will make a trial trip on Thursday week, on the day before the Board meeting, as proposed.

The committee of the Park Tennis and Croquet Club, finding more accommodation required than at first estimated, has decided not to accept a tender for laying the lawns. Messrs. Sladden and Palmer are to be engaged to lay off lawns on different lines, and when the plans and specifications are ready fresh prices will be obtained, but only from those who tendered for the work in the first instance. The committee also decided last night to open an account with the Union Bank, the secretary and treasurer to operate upon it. The secretary was authorised to have the native trees on the site of the courts planted in their permanent positions. Quite a number of "Kangaroo" coins have made their appearance in the Dominion. Upon the face appears a representation of King Edward VII., who is wearing a crown. It is surrounded by an inscription as follows: "Edwardus VII., 0., G., Britt. Omn., F. D|, Ind. Imp" On the other side is a shield with a kangaroo and emu on either side, a star on top, and the words "Advance Australia" .beneath. The denomination of the coin and the year of mintage also appears on the obverse side. So far traders and others refuse to accept any of the new ; Commonwealth coins., which are easily distinguishable from the coins in use in New Zealand.

Enforced sobriety for three months so weakened Jessie Robinson's power to withstand the influence of alcohol that she appeared again before the Magistrate yesterday, charged with drunkenness, after only about twenty-four hours' liberty, she having only comej out of gaol on the previous day. She was charged with drunkenness and with Ipeing a person who had been twice previously convicted of drunkenness in the past twelve months. She .pleaded for leniency, and explained that she had only had three drinks, which quite "knocked her over." Mr. 'Reid, the Magistrate, kindly cautioned the accused, and pointed out the penalties she was subject to. A fine of 10s was inflicted, in default 24 hours' imprisonment. In the Magistrate's* Court yesterday morning, before Mr. L. G. Reid, S.M., judgment by default was given in the following cases:—A. D. Gray (Mr. (4. Grey) v. John Brennan, claim £3 2s fid (costs 10s); Commissioner of Taxes v. David Laing, £'2 14s 2d (costs ss); S. B. White and Sons (Mr. Nicholson) v. Frederick Gilmore, £3 (costs 10s); F. P. Corkill (Mr. F. E. Wilson) v. Mrs. Emily Bilton, £3 IBs (costs ss); G. H. Lindstrom (Mr. Nicholson)William Edmund Xichols, £8 8s Gd. (costs £ 1 3s Gd); Webster Bros. (Mr. Standish) v. Agnes McCurdy, £4 (10s). In the judgment summons case of W. D. Linn (Mr. Standish) v. James Mouat, a debt of £2 14s 2d, an order was made for the payment of the amount forthwith, the warrant to be suspended so long as debtor pays £1 a month, and the alternative to be seven days' imprisonment. As showing the progress of land settlement in the Auckland district, it is worthy of note that 'at the monthly meeting of the Land Board on Thursday 70 selectors of 14,536 acres were approved of and admitted to possession, all the holdings being small. Last month's figures in the same connection were 146 selectors of 26,629 acres, these likewise being small in area. A good percentage of the selectors continue to hail from southern parts of the Dominion. Although the Government is unable to satisfy the appetite of the land seekers, yet almost every month large additional areas in different parts of the province are dealt with by the Land Board and offered to prospective settlers. On Friday sections totalling about 10,500 acres were balloted to the fortunate among some 250 applicants, and a further area of 10.-000 acres was dealt with for selection at an early date. The boat was leaving Onehunga for New Plymouth. A young man confided to a friend his fears of the non-agree-ment of the bumpy sea and his stomachic organs. He felt his best plan for comfort was to go straight to his bunk and remain there till port was reached. He thereupon went below to his cabin and got into bnnk. He felt far from comfortable, however, and was constantly in an attitude best known to bad sailors. He felt some consolation in the thought that the breakwater would soon be reached everything else had been "reached'' but the wharf. He got up later to catch an early morning trlimpse of old Egmont, and wended his wav up on to the deck of the tossing- boat. Words cannot describe the feelings of the weakened passenger when he saw, not the snow-capped peak of the "sentinel" of Taranaki, but the rising l hills at Manukau Heads! The boat was bavbound! The of the next twelve hours must be carefully veiled. The Australasian note is very stronslv sounded in the July number Of "Life," which has just reached us. A red racing motor-boat on the cover carries t the motto. "Brig-lit. breezy. best," This is a wood summing up of the whole magazine, Dr. Fitehett, as usual, opens with a brilliant summary of the chief events of the world, and, as misrht be expected, lie makes a fine contribution to the literature of the Kind's death.'- Such topics as the return of Lord Kitchener and Mr. Roosevelt, the situation in Germany, and the search for the South Pole are touched on brightly and informatively. Mr. T. K. Dow, the well-known writer on agricultural subjects, comi.ionts, in a breezv article, on ""What Foster Fraser Saw and Heard." Charles Barrett writes on "The Valley of Dry Bonos" in anything 'but a dry manner. The vallev of drv bones lies in one of the Bass Strait's islands, and from it have been recovered bones and fossil remains of a number- of extinct animals. Mr. Barrett uses these bones as symbols of a rom ince that is int.erest.inw alike to laymen and scientists. Charles "STuttall is always fresh, and his description of the American daily press, illustrated with strong lilaok-and-white drawing's, is exhilarating. He concludes his article thus: "I hold no brief for the American press, and I desnise the general character of its outwit. But the thin? has red blood 'and real bone, and its most redeeming trait k that it fights in the 1 open field," } •