LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 126, 6 September 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The conference of Tananaki hospital boards to discuss the application ;by the Friendly Societies' Association for reduced tariff will be held at Stratford tomorrow. Two little children, the son and daughter of Mr. J. R. Hill, met with an accident yesterday morning on their way to school. The horse they were riding was startled by a cyclist," and shiciC throwing them off. Their injuries consisted of some nasty abrasions. The revenue for the Puniho toll-gate for thirteen months was £730 14s 9d. The amount collected in Augirst of last year was £4l 14s 2d. Last August £6B l)s lid was levied from travellers, and the best month recorded wa; March. I when the receipts were £7l 14s. i

Mr. Newton King has received the fol-l lowing cable from Sydney re hides: "Shade easier." The recent raid on the toll-gate at Puniho cost the ratepayers £'2l 4s 6d, of which new boards and lettering cost £ls. The gross capital liabilities of Britain had been reduced in 1!KM)-10 by £12.500,000, the public debt now standing at G!)2 millions. The rainfall in New Plymouth last! month was G. 45 inches, as against G.DS inches in August of lf)09, the maximum i fall being on the 18th, viz., 1.20 inches.! Bain fell on 20 days, as against 23 days; last year. Mr. Geo. 11. White has been appointed by the combined Liedertafel ami Liederkranz societies as conductor to produce the oratorio "Elijah." Mil. White coii-, ducted the choir which produced this I oratorio twelve years ago at the opening of the Whiteley Memorial Church. ° |

Mr. A. Jordan, the draughts champion of England, will arrive in Xew Plymouth on the loth inst., and will leave for Auckland on the 19th. Mr. N. Greiner has offered to give a gold medal to the player making the best stand in New Plymouth against Mr. Jordan. The demand for horses in Australia and the large exportation 'from New Zealand is having its effect in Taranaki, and large shipments of horses have been made from there recently. Last night the liarawa took -fifty animals away, mostly draughts and cart horses. These will be transhipped at Onehunga for Auckland en route to Sydney. Further shipments are to follow. At the County Council meeting yesterday Mr. A. E. Sadler was appointed toll collector at Puniho. Twelve applications were received for the position of steersman on the crusher, and the list was narrowed down to four, the final selection to be made by the chairman and en-gine-driver. At a later stage of the meeting Cr. Andrews gave notice to move next year that the gates be leased, and that applications be invited.

A father of a family told a Southland Times representative on Saturday that the raids being made by travelling' ticket examiners on the trains on parents for half-fares for infants, whos ages just exceeded throe years, were not consistent with the Government's appeal to the people of Nfew Zealand "to keep your cradles full." He suggested that the Railway Department might easily discover other means of adding to the railway returns without disturbing the past policy of allowing a little latitude to heads of families.

We are in receipt of the following interesting and unique epistle from a Maori correspondent: "Dangerous scenes which occured by a wild Beast was taken place on the property of R. S this past dated day of Sunday. Mrs , while passing through the foreground, which bad been made an old road track this past three or four years was suddenly erected. Mrs •, whom was brought down upon her back by the horns of the beast. Luckily there was a dog at hand, which flurried the beast, preventing much harm." "If you want to see the Chinaman in his glory, go to Singapore," Colonel Vernon, who has just come 'back from the East, said to a Sydney. Daily Telegraph reporter. "They are rich "men there. They drive about in the best of motors land dog-carts. All the inferior officers in the banks, and in many of the other general institutions, I believe, are Chinese. They're so trustworthy. People in Sydney don't know -what a Chinaman is. They never see any here, except a merchant or two. The real Chinaman is far I superior to the ordinary coolie you see in Australia."

The Pukekura Park Board received a •letter from Miss N. Lewis, secretary of: the New Plymouth branch of the W.C.T.U., enclosing a copy' of the fol-! lowing resolution of the branch: Thatj the Pukekura Park Board be requested to have inserted in the lease to the Park 1 Tennis Club a clause forbidding Sunday pLay on the courts. Mr. Corkill eonsid-j | ered it a piece of impertinence for the | j Union to send such a letter to the Board. ! Without saying more, he would move j that the letter be received. Mr. S. i Percy-Smith said he held a similar] . opinion, and seconded the motion, which was carried. I In reference to the proposal to raise a loan for the erection of certain bridges in the Moa riding of tihe Taranaki county, Cr. Hopson remarked at yes- | terday's meeting that it seemed afoso-1 I lutely necessary to impress on members the necessity for voting for the proposal. I It was a sure thing that these bridges i must be re-erected, and the money must ' | be found by the ratepayers. If it could | 'not be raised by loan, then it must be | raised by means of a separate rate. If the separate rate were raised, the whole of the money would have to be provided ; in three years, whereas the liability for I repayment of the loan would be spread '. over a period of 36% years. The committee of the Park Lawn Ten- • nis Club's social met in the Town Hall 1 last night, aad final arrangements were : made for the function, which takes place on Thursday evening in the Brougham Street Hall. The secretary , reported that Mrs. Woods had' been en- • gaged ias pianist, and the sub-eommit-' ( tees reported that the musical pro- ■ gramme, catering and other arrange- j ; ments had all received attention. The Ladies' Obmmittee had arranged for the! decoration of the supper tables and of I the supper room. It was reported that tickets were selling well, and everything pointed to the club's inaugural social 'being a very enjoyable affair. | The dairy produce export season is I now being commenced and the Corinna .yesterday took away close on a hundred 'boxes of butter for transhipment at Wellington to the lonic for Home markets. , The export of butter from both Oneitbunga and New Plymouth is expected to be much heavier than any previous year and it is stated that if tl»e output of the factories comes up to expectations a weekly shipment will have to be made ( from both the northern port and this port. At present the freezing works are «1 eared fortnigihtly, but to enable the] boats to handle the expected increase and to relieve the anticipated pressure of space in the freezing chambers a weekly shipment will have to be made. Mr. T. Russ, writing from "Wheelrut I Farm," Hurford road, had the following I letter before the County Council yesterjday: "I beg to acknowledge receipt of | rate card demanding the modest sum of £ll Os Gd. As I have been here just two years I liave paid in rates about £2O, and I feel I am justified in again drawing the attention of the Council to the bad state of the road near this farm, about 37 chains. For two yeiars there has not been one shilling spent by Council or Road Board on this portion of the road. Tt is a disgrace t.. the New Plymouth district, and scandalously unfair to the owner of this farm to have 'been paying mtcs all these years, and now have nothing to show for it." Upon the rending of the letter the chairman! asked, "Any action to be tnken?" There was no answer, and with a "Next!" from the chairman the Council passed on to the next (business. '

There is every prospect of the proposed sculling match between Webb (exworld's champion) and Pearce (Australian champion) taking place on the Wanganui river during the coming summer. Spent £3OO in a little under three months! That was the allegation madei> against a young man by a Relative wW*v desired to take out a prohibition order against him at Dunedin. Me allegedspendthrift had come down from the North Jsland, and, in reply to his Worship, stated that he .had travelled to Dunedin to spend a holiday. "Been having a good time?" interpolated his Worship. Not desiring, presumably, to have Ins holidays painted in too glowing colors. the witness depreeatingly replied, lair to medium, sir!"

The first social in connection with StCecilias' Society eventuated last evening and was well attended. The dancemusic was supplied by Miss Kathleen, Bennett (piano), Mr. T. Donovan (cornet), and Mr. T. Tuoliy (violin). Extras were played by Mrs. Yates, Misses. M. IPearee and B. Jennings, and Mr. B. O Driscoll. The lady members of the society, supervised by Mrs. Oliver, provided a dainty supper, which was greatly enjoyed. Songs were rendered by Messrs. Leon Mclsaac and T. 'luohy. Dancing was carried on till an early Jiour, when those present dispersed* after spending a very pleasant evening. That Nelson is becoming a great fruit-growing district is evidenced on all hands (says the Nelson Mail). 'Our Motueka correspondent drawsattention to the fact that one day last week no less than between 50,00G and 60,000 fruit trees were landed in Motueka by one steamer, and this is but one shipment bf many during the season. The area that these trees will cover, will be about 500 acres. In ijiany directions hitherto unoccupied, land is being brought into bearing, and all tlm time the many young trees already iir the ground are increasing their cropsrapidly.

"There is nn impression abroad that Dunedin is going Ibaek," remarked Mr. G. L. Denniston at the commercial tra- \ ollci s re-union. In the speaker's opinion, however, this retrogression was only relative. At the time of the rush to Otago goldfiehls 'business men were attracted here from the other side, and at the time Dunedin, as a commercial centre, was at the head of the Dominion. Circumstances had changed since then," said Mr. Denniston, "and the other provinces have taken their proper places." It must be a source of gratification and pride to them, however, continued the speaker, to know that Dunedin, as a manufacturing centre, was still supreme, supreme.

It is declared practicable to communicate with trains in motion by wireless telegraphy, telephone or cab signals, or 'fill thiec simultaneously, whereby the engineer may be apprised of all that concerns the movement of his train, without leaving his seat or his throttle. Then the winds and blizzards that level telegraph poles and tangle wires will have no terrors for the storm-swept lines so long as the trains can keep the rails. They may be blocked, but they will no longer be left to work in the dark or lie by for lack of information or orders. The added elements of safety which the wireless already affords tp vessels at sea may be enjoyed to an even larger degree by the various forms of transportation on land.

At the Brougham street hall last night there was a gathering of Mr. H. S. Salt's musical friends to bid him good-bye, prior to his departure for Dunedin, where he takes up orchestral work with Messrs. Fuller and Sons. The Misses Gilbert and Mr. Macready contributed vocal items during the evening. During the adjournment for supper, which was a very tasteful repast, the company drank the health of the guest. Mr. J. W. Henrichs, as one who had been associated with Mr. Salt a good deal in matters musical, expressed his warm appreciation of the ready manu<?r in which their guest had always been willing to give his services in any good cause. His place would be hard to fill, for good violinists were not too plentiful. Mr. Henrichs concluded by wishing Mr. Salt every success in the step he was taking, and hoped that it would- prove to his benefit. Mr. J. Blair then, on behalf of the management and staff of the Biograph Pictures, presented Mr. Salt with a set of military brushes in slight recognition of his ready service as a member of the Orchestra.

In a burglary case at the Quarter Sessions at Sydney, one of the accused; who was acquitted shortly after the opening of the case, told 'a sad story. He admitted that he had been previously convicted, and on one occasion liad been advised to clear out- of the State. He then went to Vancouvet, where he obtained a good position, an£ for many months led a reputable life. One day, however, he was arrested two detectives, shown a photograph ®f himself, with a list of his convictions, brought before a magistrate, and throw* into gaol. There he was kept for a long time, and subsequently he was placed on aobzrtealid knManteo nsd rdl rdl rdl a board the Manuka, and sent hack t« Sydney. Three months after his arrival he was arrested on a charge of being ail idle and disorderly person, having ,no lawful visible means of support. For this he was sent to gaol for four months. "What can a man ' do?" he asked. "I have endeavoured to reform, but I am never given an opportunity." Judge Backhouse remarked that the case seenved to be a hard one: The Canadian Government evidently wanted information as to the class of people that went there, so- as to protect the country. However,, there were two sides to the question: