LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 122, 1 September 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

j A deputation from the Merchant Serj vice Guild is to wait on t'he Premier on Monday morning to urge that the owners jof fiertain ocean-going vessels which extend their operations from Australia to New Zealand should Ibe obliged to conform to the conditions relating to wages, etc., under which the Union Steam Ship Company, Huddart, Parser and Co. and coastal steamers are running. Representations are being made by Mr. Jennings, M.P. for Taumarunui, with a view to having licenses issued for net-' ting trout in Lake Taupo. There is an enormous quantity of fish in this lake, <in<i it is considered that by decreasing the quantity somewhat by netting, the quality of the fish would be improved. Mr, Jennings thinks that the canning in- . <1 n.sby might be established with the fish netted.

[ In June last a piano-tuner in the em- ! ploy of a certain music Ann, on the day prior to leaving for Auckland, quietly removed his belongings from his boardinghouse. .Some of the other boarders then missed various articles, such as a sum of money, a gold pencil case, a plate-glass cutter, etc., and Sergeant Hutton, had the man arrested at Auckland. Some of the goods were recovered, and the culprit eventually pleaded (guilty and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. It was then found that he was also wanted on charges of forgery, and he has (been indicted on these charges, and again pleading guilty, was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Never put milk into a vessel which has not been scalded sftice last used.

It. is reported that Ivtween 100 ana 150 general labourers are still out of work in Christchureh. Messrs. Webster Bros, are instituting shipments of Island fruit direct to New Plymouth, thus obviating the necessity for paying middlemen's charges in Auckland or Wellington. Newspapers from America show that during the "fight week" at Reno, visitors were struck with the rigidity of the laws prohibiting cigarette-sniokin" amongst young people. ° The Ashburton Domain Board have decided to plant an oak tree in remembrance of the late Miss Florence Nightingale, and to erect a suitably-worded stone at the foot of the tree. * The dredge Pari tutu on Tue*,!av lift-1 ed and took to sea five full loads of spoil, equal to 2000 tons. She was l working off the end of the wharf, where I j the bottom is sand and gravel, with a | crust of conglomerate. The rock and ' boulders in shore, near the inner end of the wharf, are being blasted. An Auckland resident, writing from New York, states that, two of Edison's electric storage battery cars are running in New York 011 a horse-tramline, "and so satisfactory are these that the Edison Company have received orders to build cars so as to displace all the horse cars." It is claimed that the weight has been considerably reduced, and that the new storage battery cars run from' 75 to 150 miles on one charge.

At the last sitting of the S.M. Court at Opunake two civil cases had to be I adjourned until next Court day on the application of Mr. O'Dea, who said that a very material witness who had beeh tendered his fee and had been subpoened, was still absent. Mr. O'Dea asked the Magistrate to deal with the witness. The Magistrate said he would- require the order of the Court obeyed and the absent witness would be required to show cause why he should not be punished, and if lie would not attend a warrant would be issued for his arrest, "Do you want to marry the man?" asked Mr. H. W. JJishop, S.M., of a girl in an affiliation case at the Christchureh Magistrate's Court the other day. " Ive 110 objection," she replied. "You seem to take matters in pretty calm way," said Mr. Bishop; "do you want to marry him?" "Yes," replied the girl. Turning to the prisoner, a youth of twenty, the Magistrate asked whether he wished to marry the girl. After some hesitation he replied that he did. ''lt takes you a long time to say so," said Mr. Bishop. The girl explained that they would have to get the consent of the'lad's father, and Mr. Bishop adjourned the case, remarking that he had no sympathy with such marriages, as they were merely conveniences to evade responsibility of pay ing for maintenance. Mr. 0. Johnson, adjutant of No 1. Battalion Taranaki School Cadets, wrote to the Education Board that Mr. A. Mcintosh had kindly promised to provide the necessary galvanised iron for a shed on the cadet range for the purpose of storing the targets, etc., on condition that the Board provide the necessary timber and erect the shed. They had already erected standards and dug out the trenches at their own expense, besides providing the targets and frames, but there were no funds to erect a shed. Mr. Mcintosh also intended fencing off the range, and would provide a door for the shed. At present Mr. Palmer allowed the cadets to store their gear in his shed, some little distance away from the targets. The Board decided to provide the necessary timber. The following letter, which speaks for itself, has been received 'bv the Mayor of. Wellington (Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P.) from the editor of the Daily Express, London: —"Dear Sir, —The Daily Express -has suggested that His Majesty the King George should, on the day of his coronation, proclaim himself Emperor of the British. It is not necessary for me to elaborate on this point for ,the purpose of explaining the situation to you. Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand have ceased to be colonies. They are not under the Parliament of the United Kingdom; they are free and independent, making their own laws, ignoring ours; the sole remaining link between them all being the person of the Sovereign. What we suggest is that King George, at the moment of his coronation, should take to himself and for his descendants the title, rank and dignity of Emperor of the British. The King will noi do it if -he thinks such an action on his part will be contrary to the wishes of his people, and I shall be glad if you, as chief magistrate of one of the Empire's great cities, will let us have your views on the subject, either by letter or cablegram.—l am, sir, faithfully yours, (Sgd.) R. O. Blumenfeld, Editor."