LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 192, 23 November 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In a certain no-license district six bottles of whisky were consumed by four persons in two hours, and it was considered to create a. "breeze." It would require the aid of higher mathematics to calculate the consumption required to create a "gale."

Judgment for plaintiff by default was given in the following cases at the local Court yesterday morning, Mr. Fitzherbert presidin?:—Rattenburv Bros. (Mr. Hutchen) v. Ernest von Sturmer, claim £2O 13s 2:1 (costs £2 14s): Mortgage.Loan and Agency Company. Ltd. (Mr. Hutchen) v. John Walter Wilson, claim £SO 6s Dd (costs £5 2s). A prohibition order was made against a New Plymouth resident at the Court yesterday morning by Mr. Fitzherbert, S.M. after hearing evidence by neighbours as to the man's drinking habits. The plaintive tones of the defendant in opposing the order did not disguise from His Worship the fact, that he was even then under the influence of liquor.

A lady correspondent, of the Lyttelton Times writes: "I have never seen anv body of New Zealand working men reading so much and so solidly as the West Coast eoal miners. Their keen interest in seienep, nationalism find economies is appalling on all sides, hut even in literature they are soakers, inclined to read a good deal more than they can digest, and apt in debate to fire off speeches that are splodged as thick as the star spangled banner with such phrases as "crnft unionism." "class eonsciousnesq." "the aims of the hmirceoisje." and ''the rights of Hio patriot." Never mind, they are a nice body of men." I There will be night swimming for ladies at th« municipal luths from 7 to 0 o'clock to-night. The usual charges will be made.* " I

The Christchurcli tram receipts for carnival week were £Ol7l for 408,322 passengers—a record for Christchurch.

Nearly two-thirds of the crime in London is perpetrated between two p.m. <>i; Saturdays and nine a.m. oil Mondays. Three-quarters of the. serious oll'ences in New Zealand arc perpetrated between the same hours.

The Wanganui Borough Council last night decided to invite applications for the position of borough engineer, rendered vacant by the regretted death of Mr. Alex. Russell. The salary is £4OO a year. —Press telegram. The following candidates passed at the theoretical examination held last June under the auspices of the London College of Music:—Julia R. Elliot, 90 marks (teacher, Miss Robson); Alice M. George, 00 (E. A. Golding); Lewis Hoffmann, 77 (E. A. Golding).

Kaikoura now boasts of its own "Pelorus Jack." A medium-sized gropcr has accompanied the steamers to aim from the wliarf on the last three or four trips. While the vessel which is piloted in is alongside the wharf the fisli sports about until the outward journey is commenced.

Despite the restrictive legislation in Canada during the last two years the consumption of cigarettes has grown enormously. The Customs and Excise returns for the last fiscal year showthat 470,000,000 cigarettes were consumed, an increase of over 100.000,000 as compared with the preceding year. Entries for the championship earnivai of the New Zealand Axemen's Association, to be held at Eltham on December 26 and 27, total 184, a greater aggregate than last year. For the New Zealand Axemen's Cup of £l4O there are 34 entries; the world's championship chop, 18; New Zealand championship, 22; double-handed sawing championship, 12; single-handed sawing, 9. Two Esquimau dogs, descendants of the animals connected with the Nimrod expedition to the South Pole, went on a marauding expedition at Lyttel.ton a few nights ago. Th ey turned their attention to a white Leghorn fowl roost and killed eighteen of the feathered inmates. In the morning the owner one solitary survivor perched up out of the way of danger sorrowfully surveying the mangled remains of its co-workers in the egg industry. Apropos of the effect of the dredging operations at the harbor on the foreshore, the harbormaster informs us that just in front of his residence the sand has risen about six feet during the last eight months. The cause of this, he claims, is not so much the effect of the .extending of the breakwater and the dredging as to the presence of a strong current from the north, wihch eome.s round the beach and finishes up at the breakwater, forming natural reclamation.

A meeting of the Park Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club's committee was held yesterday. A report was received that, the rain and warm weather recently had been of great benefit to the grounds, and it was safe to say that the members would be able to play on the courts in the present year, as promised, all statements to the contrary notwithstanding. There were six applications for the position of groundsman or caretaker, and Mr. G. Lynch, who was the contractor for the formation of the West End bowling greens, received the appointment.

Referring to the Stratford-Ongarue line in the House the other day, the Premier stated that £03,000 had' been spent on it this year, and £IOO,OOO was now provided. To construct it at both ends would only mean one of two things. That the present vote would be split up and the rate of progress retarded, or the vote would have to be very materially increased. With reference to the demand for the starting of the Stratford line from Ongarue, Mr. McKenzie declared that this would require £750,000 to £BOO,OOO a year. The railway would have to be extended for another 30 miles before it was started at the Ongarue end, if it was started from that end at all. On Monday the town clerk of Waitara communicated with Mr. P. P. Corkill, secretary of the Taranaki Underwriters' Association, asking when the insurance representatives would be in Waitara for the purpose of satisfying themselves that the water supply justified a reduction in the insurance premiums (says the local paper). The reply was to the effect that the people of Waitara had years ago broken faith with the insurance companies, who supplied the town with a manual engine, which, after a sapsmodic effort, was cast on one side. The present fire brigade movement, Mr. Corkill said, was only spasmodic, and, in view thereof, it was doubtful if the insurance companies would do anything. The Mail adds: "Mr. Corkill does not appear to have any time for Waitara, but it is quite certain his answer will not satisfy the people of the town, who can fairly ask for the same treatment as was afforded the adjoining town of Ingle wood." Captain Newton, the harbormaster, is making preparations for his survey of the harbor. He hopes to make a start with the work in January, and and will do it very thoroughly. The harbormaster has secured much information from America as to the methods adopted there in sweeping harbors, and, with ideas of his own, he will do the work as effectively and at a much lower cost than the Americans. In fact. Captain Newton, in the interchange of communications between himself and the American authorities, suggested that he would use a simplified buoy, and to this the Americans have replied that they will adopt this themselves in future. The principle of sweeping to be adopted bv Captain Newton consists of a length of wire. (500 yards long, with buoys every fifty yards and weighted wires running down to a depth of 33 feet. Should any of obstruction be encountered by the weight, this will cause the buoy immediately above to overturn, and soundings will thereupon be taken at the spot. Captain Newton only desires to sweep to a depth of 33 feet, as this will be sufficient to ensure the safety of the working of the port by large vessels.