LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 196, 28 November 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. Newton King lias received the following cable from Sydney re hides: ''Very firm." The Taranaki Petroleum Company won 76,844 gallons of oil from their bores at Moturoa during the year. An ugly fissure has made its appearance in the concrete on the south-eastern angle of the Powderham street culvert. About three thousand people from all parts of the world visited the Taranaki Petroleum Company's oil bores at Moturoa during the twelve months ending 30th September last. Mr. Newton King has received a telegram from Mr. James, his manager, stating that he had secured four first prizes, one second, and championship for cow, out of five exhibits of I-lolsteins, at the Auckland Show.

A Dnnedin telegram on Saturday informed us that a true and undoubted specimen of the English lobster has been found in Otago Harbor at last after years of waiting and scepticism. The sceptics seem to have had the heavy end of the argument, for a later message states that the find was but an English crab. Dunedin has long tried to acclimatise both.

The examination of the second year members of the St. John's Ambulance classes took place on Friday evening. Dr. Fookes was lecturer to the class, and Dr. Home examiner. The successful candidates were as follows:—Muriel Lennon (honors) 95 per cent. Doris Menzies73, Nora Deinpsey (IS. Marjorie Wheatley 65, Dorothea Bremer 03, Elsie Carter 60, Edith Mainwaring GO.

Enquiries as to the absence of a witness (a solicitor) in a Christelmrch case elicited the fact that he had' "gone on a, walking tour." The judge almost frowned, until counsel explained that the solicitor was on his honeymoon. The judicial brow cleared. His Honor remarked that one could hardly be expected to stay at home waiting a subpoena under such circumstances.

A very ingenious working model was exhibited at the Christchureh Supreme Court recently and used for the purpose of simplifying evidence in a case involving a claim for damages as a result of a collision between v. cart and a bicycle. The model represented Colombo Street, between St. Asaph Street and Marton Street, including tramway tracks with their centre poles. ' The wheel traffic was represented by small colored tin vehicles familiar to the gay medley of toy-shop windows. There were several tramcars, a driver with his horse and cart, a motor-car, and a steamengine to represent a road-roller. By a clever arrangement, of threads on reels, the vehicles were linked up in such a manner that when the reels were revolved the vehicles moved at various speeds. The model was put in motion during the hearing and demonstrated very accurately how the collision had occurred according to the version of the incident given by the plaintiff.

The Taranaki Agricultural Society received a donation of £o from the Hon. Oliver Samuel on Saturday. The money is to be allocated hi whatever way the committee think fit. On dit that a horseowner, who is fighting Hard for the retention of metropolitan privileges under the Gaming Bill, never races oft metropolitan courses. In live years he has won £32,340 in stakes. Comment needless. The Waimate County Council is petitioning the Minister ior Public \\ oiks to cause an enquiry to be held with a view to the abolition of the Hawera toligates and apportioning the cost of the upkeep Of the Main South and Norma nbv roads.

General Booth has cabled out Ms congratulations on the success of this year's seif-denial effort. The sum raised works out (says the War Cry) at a little under 2d per head for every man, woman, and child in Australia. Commissioner and Mrs Hay conducted large meetings in Melbourne on Cup Day. The Commissioner's announcement that the self-denial total had reached nearly £40,000 was] received with a volley of cheers. A little child hero was brought into Eltham on Saturday night suffering from the effects of burns received while rescuing his baby brother from their burning home. From the meagre details available it was gathered that the child, four and a half years old, had been lefu in charge of the home at Omona while the mother went with morning tea to her husband, w'ho was working in the bush some little distance away. By some means the building took Are, and had a firm hold when noticed by the little girl, who must have then braved the flames and carried 'her little charge to safety uninjured, though in the exploit she herself was sorely burned about the face and arms.

Complaints reach us of the danger often attached to the working of the Waitara train on arrival at Lepperton Junction. Twice last week serious accidents were narrowly averted. It seems that before the passengers had time to alight on the platform, shunting operations—or, at any rate, the moving of the train for some reason or otherwere commenced. An elderly lady "hung on like grim death" (so she said), because she thought she had a tit of giddiness, but in reality the train was moving back. The startled cries of her friends who had alighted before her did not tend to improve the situation, and if by any means she liad slipped and ■lost her hold of the. iron stanchions, nothing could have saved her from falling underneath the wheels. Somewhat similar circumstances attended the other incident referred to. The Tainui arrived at Wellington from London early on Saturday morning after a smart passage. The actual steaming time from Plymouth was 3!) days 13 hours 7 minutes, which is the next best performance to that of the Gothic, which Covered the distance in 37 days 8 houfs 15 minutes. There are ten cases of measles on board. The patients are children, who will be sent into puarantine. A little girl, named Gertrude Thomas, died at sea, and was buried at Hobart. A narrow escape was experienced by Mrs. F. Dummer, a thirdclass passenger bound for Christchureh, and her three children. As they were passing along the Tainui's deck last Wednesday week a heavy sea broke aboard and swept them into an open hatchway 20ft deep. The .children escaped with a few bruises, but the mother was injured in the back, sustained a severe scalp wound, and was badly shaken.