LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 75, 7 July 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Last year the Dominion gained 17.5G5 by excess of births over deaths. This was actually the largest annual gain during the decade, and the percentage increase to the mean population, 18.07, was also the largest. ■ The deepest Government bore in New South Wales is that known as the Boronga. This well is down to a depth of 4340 feet, and is flowing 1,500,000 gallons of water every twenty-four hours. The temperature of the water as it conies from the bore is 139 degrees.

The Onehunga Borough Council have rejected Mr. Andrew Carnegie's stipulation accompanying a gift of £2OOO for a local library, and have decided to obtain the money elsewhere. Mr. Carnegie insisted that no charge whatever shall be made for the use of books, either at the library or at home. The weekly session of the Egmont Lodge, No. 112, 1.0. G.T., was held in St. Mary's Hall last night, C.T. Bro. J. C. Legg presiding. One new member joined. Items were given by Bro. Lewis, Mr. Gioodiacre and Mr. W. A. Collis. The piano was lent by Mr. Hoffman. Visiting friends were cordially welcomed, and the Chief Ruler of the Rechabite tent thanked the Lodge for their hospitality.

The following resolution was carried at last night's meeting of the Whiteley Church officials: —"That this meeting of officials, representing the members and adherents of the Whiteley Memorial Church, urges upon the Government the desirability of giving effect to legislation this session for the abolition of bookmakers' licenses. Abundant proof of the demoralising evils attendant on legalising bookmakers has been 'given by our judges. Magistrates and police authorities. This meeting is of the opinion that the legalising of bookmakers is a grave menace to public morals, and tends to foster the gambling spirit among the youths of our Dominion." For Chwiiic Ghost Comptaintp. Wood' Great Peppermint Cure, 1/6, 3/0.

The weekly session of the Hope of Egmoiit Juvenile Temple, No. 25,' 1.0. G.T.,, was- held in St. Mary's Hall I last night, C.T. Sis. D. Eva presiding I over a large attendance. The following gave items: Sis. A. Loveridge, Sis. G. Kendall, Bro. A. Pepperill, Sip. JE. Waldock and Bro, R. Kendall. The sisters won the manner for good attendance and behaviour.

A six-ounce cow strayed into last night's debate (says Saturday's Wellington Post). It was led in by Mr. Dive, of Egmont. It was a State cow, at one of the experimental farms, and it had yielded only six ounces of milk. Mr. Dive splashed those sir ounces, drop by drop, over long minutes. He inferred that a Government could not possibly be worthy of the people's confidence of a six-ounce cow, a pitiable, desolate, sixounce cow. Somebody interjected that the article which Mr. Dive saw milked must have been a ''cowcownut." This jest drove the dreadful cow out of tne house. As an illustration of the force with which kingfishers wing their flight through the air (says the Auckland Star) and the amount of vitality which these beautiful birds possess, a resident of Whangarei states that while engaged in painting a house he heard the crash of a window close to where he was working. Upon examination lie discovered that "a 'kingfisher had flown clean through the window pane, and was sitting quite unhurt, but apparently a little dazed, "on the other side. The attention of one of the ladies of the house was drawn to what had occurred, and she stated that it was not the first time thatja kingfisher had performed the same feat. Asked 'by a Dominion reporter as to the position of the Orepuki shal.6 works, Mr. Thomson, M.P. for Wallace, stated that there were said to be good prospects of the current boring operations proving successful-. The object, he continued, was to ascertain the exact extent of The sliale area, and if it were found that the results were successful it was almost certain that the works would be ,re-opened. Tt is now ten years ago since the works, which cost about £ 100,000, were in operation. When asked if it were true that a big company was being formed to treat ore at Orepuki, said to contain radium, Mr. Thomson said th&t he had heard nothing definite in regard to the matter, nor had he seen any' specimens. The joke was on "Mac." He told it against himself to the huge delight of his legion of friends. It had to do with a pieece of real estate which he bought up Whangarei way recently. "I i didn't want the section, in the first place," is the way Mac prefaced his remarks, "but this agent had been pestering me for a month or more. He worried me at the office, caught me turning corners, and waylaid me at every opportunity. Finally I decided it would save a lot of wear l and tear on my vocal apparatus to buy the land. He pictured it in the usual glowing terms, and laid emphasis on the fact that the ocean was at the front door. A few weeks, ago I went up to -get a look at my property, and found that he was Exceedingly modest regard-, ing the proximity of the ocean. It may have been at the* front door when he sold it to me, but it had crept into the back yard by the time I arrive:!. 'I had to hire a diver to measure it." "Going to fbuiild a house on it?" asked one of his friqnds. "House nothing," said Mac, with fine sarcasm. "If I build anything it will be a pump!" j

A wandering cow in the Stratford Hospital gardens was the cause oij considerable damage to the cabbages /and other vegetables at that institution, as well as of some discussion at tlje Board's meeting yesterday. 'The chairman stated that when he heard of the~ eowplaint he felt much annoyed, and though'! it-was' the duty of the' Board to prosecute. It was not only the damage caused, but N there was the loss of the season's vegetables to consider. He visited the hospital and met the borough ranger near there. The ranger suggested that they should lay an information, but the chairman said it might be an accidental case. T'he ranger then spied the owner coming, ■but Mr. Marchant said he felt; too angry to talk to him, anjl. continued on his journey. Some time later in the day; he was overtaken by the owner, who expressed regret and did not quibble or dispute the matter in any way, but admitted that it was very cruel. He explained that it was purely an,accidental | occurrence,.and offered to make the only t amends he possibly could, namely, supply the hospital with vegetables free of charge during the winter. Members Were of opinion that no man 1 could do more, and the matter dropped. Notices will, however, be put up at the entrance gates asking that the gates be closed, and the garden is shortly to be fenced oil' from the rest of the grounds.

We do not think that the No-license Party will find Parliament ready to accept its proposal to take a vote on national prohibition at the next general election (says the Lyttelto'n Times). The question of the majority—the threefifths majority, the eleven-twentieths majority or the bare majority—still has to be decided, and until this is out of the way it is idle to talk of any larger issues- being submitted to the ejectors. It is really the keystone of the whole position. The 'local option poll showed that a substantial majority of the electors were in favor of no-Kcense, and though no one would expect, a Dominion option poll to show a similar majority in favor of prohibition, it is obvious that Parliament would have to consider very seriously- the possibility of bavin"* to give such a result legislative effect. 3 If the No-license Party has adopted Mr. Taylor's view that the principle embodied in "clause 9" is sound and logical'it would have done better to re-open negotiations with the "trade." The "compromise" it rejected last year would have given an opportunity to test the feeling of the public towards local prohibition within the reach of its growing majorities. We did not like the "compromise" ourselves, because it seemed to us Unit it, would seriously handicap the party in its efforts to secure loc,al no-license and tint the long delay in giving effect to a vote in favor of Dominion prohibition would keep the country in a constant state of turmoil; but if Mr. Taylor and his, friends believe that they have the necessary votes at their back to carry prohibition eighteen months hence they should have had the couraae to take u.p the challenge thrown down ]> v the "trade."

•NEW SAC SUITS AT THE MELBOURNE,

The new models for ilate winter and early spring wear, designed and made expressly for the Melbourne, embodying all those superior details of the tailor's craft that make for distinctiveness and individuality, are now being shown. The excellence of the materials used and the superior workmanship will appeal to men of discriminating taste, for superiority is the one thing we constantly strive for. These suits are made of superior quality 'brown and green worsteds, indigo coatings, and indigo worsteds, and strictly tailor-made, giving a- smart effect that is possible only with a first-dps tailor. The colors and fabrics are nety and just what fashion is demanding* Prices range from 49s to 05b. —Advt. t '!. V - ! 1 ' I tl7 i !.!•{ . I