LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 101, 6 August 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A meeting of the municipal baths committee was held yesterday. It was decided to protest against the proposal to remove the telephone from the baths in the interests of public safety. We understand that a requisition of parents to the Central School Committee is being prepared that Mr. Braddock be permitted occasionally to show his vivid object lessons in school after hours to those whose parents give consent. I TaFanaki sheepowners have been cited by the Conciliation Commissioner to appear before the Court at Palmerston North on the 16th instj when matters in dispute between the Wellington Shearers' ; Industrial Union and the New Zealand 1 Farmers' Union will be heard before jthree assessors. I Constables Mclvor and Lister on information proceeded to Oakura yesterday afternoon and there arrested a Burnham boy named William Kells. Constables O'Neill and Lister yesterday afternoon arrested in New Plymouth a I Burnham, hoy. named Robert Crarer. Both boys are about 19 years of age. The charges to be preferred against them are, in the one case, housebreaking in Auckland, and in the other, absconding from the Burnham Industrial School.

At yesterday's meeting of the Clifton .County Council it was reported that a drover had driven cattle through the toll gate one night recently and refused to pay toll on them, stating that he had a permit. Some' councillors questioned if cattle could legally be driven at night along the county roads. It was, however, stated that cattle ; could foe driven at niglit, provided a permit was obtained from a Justice of the Peace. The Council were emphatic on the point that no one had any right to pass through the toll gate free at any time. The engineer was instructed to endeavour to ascertain the name of the delinquent, who -will be asked to pay up the toll or be sued for the amount. The owner of the horse which bolted with a vehicle on Tuesday morning complains that our paragraph, was unfair to the animal when we stated that it had bolted on two or three prevarious occasions, asks us to explain that the misdemeanour has on no occasion been the animal's fault, defective gear and interference by other vehicles having been responsible, and in no case was there anything approaching a "bolt.' Give a dog a bad name, and one might as well hang him, and a reputation for bolting is not a good thing for a horse, so we have no hesitation in removing any false impression i that may have been caused by our report of the incident.

When the Electric Light Department was inaugurated here, the Council was very jealous of its business, and with a view of preventing any information leaking out to the Gas Company, the electric j light committee was allowed to keep a ■ minute-book of its own, and only a porjtion of its bare recommendations came I before the open Council and became available for publication. For some time the minute-book was kept strictly private, and then, by resolution of the Council it was placed upon the Council table for inspection by Councillors—a course that, if we remember rightly, was not much beloved by the committee at that time. Now the committee recommends to the Council that the system of keeping separate minutes be dropped, and that the report of the committee in future be sent direct to the Council. This means that the whole of the business, instead of only a part of it, will come before the Council. A meeting of the Old Peoples' Home! piano fund committee was held last evening, Mr. N. K. MacDiarmid presiding. A balance-sheet was presented by Mr. J. H. Parker, the secretary, showing the total proceeds of the concert to be £29 10s. Expenditure was £4, leaving a balance of £26 10s as a voluntas contribution to the Hospital Board This will ensure the purchase of a piano at £bs. The committee wish to express their gratitude for the handsome favours received and assistance given by the Taranaki Herald, Taranakl Daily News the theatre company, Messrs. Thos Avery, Collier and Co., Hooker and Co' R. Deare, C E. Baker, theatre performers Boy Scouts, and ail others who contributed towards the success of the concert. A selection committee was appointed, composed of Messrs. Bannister and Rudd, to act with a committee appointed by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, to get the best mstrument procurable for the sum 'al their disposal.

The fishing industry at Timaru has already attained surprising dimensions. During the past two months (says the Herald) no less than 82 tons of fish were railed away from Timaru to Christchurch, and this notwithstanding that for a considerable portion of this period the weather was .10 rough that the boats were not able to go out. The freight on fish is 20s Od per ton. so that the 82 tons would mean over £IOO revenue to the Railway Department for the period named.

An indignant ratepayer wrote to the Clifton County Council as follows: "The amount of my rate has been paid into Court, and I hereby protest against your County receiving rates, for seven years from me, and never expending a penny piece for the benefit of either the holding or the owner. None of you ought to have the, impudence to pray to a God of Justice until you attempted to act out a little justice to me and my fellow settlers on the Maugapapa road. Think also of rusihing into Court to sue me for a mere oversight, lest you should be kept waiting for the prey that -by no law of nature or of sense you have any claim to." Mr. Wilkes, solicitor of the . Clifton County Council, informed the Clifton County Council at yesterday's meeting that he was unable to get' the money due for rates on Mokau property, -formerly known as Mokau Jones' estate, despite the fact that promises had been made to pay the same. Me asked for the Council's instructions. The chairman said that on a former occasion when the Council sued they lost the case owing to a flaw in the title. Members were of opinion that it was a monstrous thing that a block of land valued at £26,000 could be trafficked in and yet pay no rates. The matter was eventually left in the hands of the chairman to sue for the rates, if necessary.

That the avenue of advancement is wide open to ambition coupled with welldirected effort is instanced in one of the recent appointments to the magisterial bench. The facts dwarf the most vivid dollar-drawing efforts of Yankee correspondence school imaginations. The gentleman in question followed the calling of a bedroom steward in the "red funnel" fleet up to a few years ago. His ambition soared beyond the straightening of a bed quilt. He was of a rather striking appearance, was of a pleasant manner, and when bed-making was over for the day he assiduously shaped a course for higher things. At the suitable time he quitted shipwork, put in the necessary period in a law office', then passed the examinations requisite for acquiring legal status. And now he is a stipendiary magistrate.

Ebenezer (Abe) Hicken, at one time a most popular and one of the cleverest and gamest pugilists who ever entered a ring in Australia, died las'e week in the hospital, at the age of G9, says the Melbourne Age. Hicken was an Englishman, and in the days of bare knuckle fighting was, though only a light weight, one of the most formidable men in "the, game."' Most of his battles were fought against great odds in height and weight, and few he lost. He was champion of Australia till beaten by Larry Foley in Sydney, a much heavier man. His wife predeceas* ed him a fortnight ago, and Hicken broke up immediately after her death. ,He died from cerebral hemorrhage. At one time Hicken was a prosperous hotel-keeper in Swanston street. He died an old age pensioner. ,He leaves two sons, one of whom is a well-known jockey in Ei\jland.

Consumers of fish little think of the anxiety experienced by the dealers in keeping up the supplies. The industry in New, Zealand at present is in a perilous plight—worse than it has ever been, according to the unanimous testimony qf Wellington merchants (says the Times). The greatest difficulty is being experienced in getting the denizens of the deep, and many of Wellington's numerous boardingchouse-keepers have lhad to face the complaints of boarders recently because the customary instalment of fish was not in evidence. Suppliers are at their "wits' end to cope with orders. "It's enough to. drive you off your head," said one of Wellington's largest purveyors. The scarcity, he pointed out, was not confined to Wellington. Conditions were just as bad in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Napier. They had never had such a season before. The demand exceeded the supply, while practically everything had been cleared out of the freezing chambers. As showing the extravagant prices being paid, he stated that last week at the fish auction a bundle of flats (two in a bundle and weighing about 21b)' brought Is Bd, while hapuka sold up to 14s 6d each. »

Two of the Ibest-known "doubles" of the late King Edward were a London stockbroker, Mr. Percy Marsden, and the editor of the "Court Circular," Mr. Davis Tallemache. Mr. Marsden's likeness to his Majesty was simply amazing. "People often stop in the street and salute me," he once said. "When I have walked in the park, men have raised, their hats and women have curtsied. Once, on Brighton racecourse, the whole crowd cheered me enthusiastically." On another occasion, when Mr. Marden was motoring in Epping Forest, the roads were lined with people under the impression that lie was King Edward, and when he visited a Paris cafe the band played the National Anthem. Mr. Tollemache, too, has been mistaken for King Edward times without number. One day, at a Bolougne restaurant, a posse of gendarmes had to be sent for to keep back the crowd which assembled to honor him, believing him to be the King. Another "double," the late Mr. D. M. Ripley, of New York, closely resembled his 'Majesty. The only peer who could claim a striking resemblance to King Edward is Lord verulam, who was several times followed by loyal crowds in the belief that he was the King.

'A! clergyman has found a knowledge of boxing decidedly useful. The Rev. James Fergusson, parish minister of Corstorphine, near (Edinburgh, had an exciting experience one Sunday night recently on his way home from Gogar, where he had been conducting the evening service. He was about a mile, outside Corstorphine when he observed a man sitting on the fence beside the railway bridge. As Mr. Fergusson walked past the man whistled, evidently as a signal to an accomplice. Having gone on for another hundred yards or so, Mr. Fergusson was accosted by another man, who asked him what the time was. Mr. Fergusson replied that he thought it would be about ten o'cvlock. The man, who had come close up now, sprang upon the minister, and seized him by the throat. The clerical collar, however, prevented the assailant getting an effective grip, and Mr. Fergusson, who is of strong and stout build, defended himself pluekily and successfully. With a couple of well directed blows he felled his assailant. Fearing the appearance of an accomplice, Mr. Fergusson then hurried off, and on his arrival he communicated with the police. In an interview Mr. Fergusson said he had in his possession a goodly sum of money, and was also wearing a gold watch and chain. "I did not leam the noble art at the University for nothing," added the rev. gentleman, and in graphic way Mr. Fergusson demonstrated how he administered the knock-out blow.