LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 199, 1 December 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Last week an eel, weighing 501b, was caught in the Maungatukutuku (a tributary of the Waikanae). "It seems the irony of fate," said the Mayor of Mastertori, "that our trouble, which at one time was whisky, should now be water."

Arrangements have been made to convey the judges at the Agricultural Show to the site of the Taranaki Petroleum Company's bores at Moturoa at nine o'clock this morning. The committee have decided to postpone the garden party for the Maori Mission which was to have been held on Tuesday, December 6, at Mrs. Fred Bayly's, until Thursday, December 13. A conference of New Zealand Hotel Employees' Unions will be held in Wellington next month. Auckland, Wellington and Otago have already affiliated. Canterbury will be invited to affiliate and invited to send delegates. The total membership of the three centres is about'2ooo. At a military function at Wellington on Monday evening, Lord Islington said that as long as he was Governor of New Zealand and Commander-in-chief he would feel it not only his duty but his pleasure to associate himself, when ever lie could, with the army of Xew Zealand of all ranks, whether in conviviality or in their camps throughout the country.

The Queenstown correspondent of the Southland Times writes:—''One of the old residents of Queenstown, Mr. Pascoe, who came over from the West Coast in 1867, has never been out of this district since. Thus for 43 years he has been in Queenstown and district, and lias never seen a train in Xew Zealand." This is surely a record!

A novel wager lias recently been made in a Wellington club, the parties to the affair being two well-known racing men, and the sum at stake is £2OOO. The conditions of the bet are that a Wellington owner selects a pedestrian to beat a horse on the road to Auckland and back to Wellington again in February next. The horse may be ridden by the lightest weight available, and may go at any pace, while the man will not be restricted to walking. It is understood that the horse selected will probably be a "musterer," while the man selected to defend the other side of the bet may be a well-known champion—at least, the backer hopes to secure the services of such a man. Both rider and pedestrian will be allowed the services of a man on a motor-cycle, to convey information as to the position of his opponent. Experience of previous similar contests in said to favour the pedestrian, as it has been found that horses "crack up" on the roads under the conditions.—Domin-

Among tlie deceased persons' estates certified for stamp duty during November were the Taranaki estates ot Olympia S. Morsliead, 1)3118; John ■Graham, £ 1502 j and Peter Ludcrs, £ 1236.

The following notice of motion has been given by Councillor Wilson for the next I'orongli Council meeting:—"That the construction of the Hobson street culvert, provision for which was made in the estimates for the last two years, be at once proceeded with."

The ladies' committee of the Park Tennis and Croquet Club has decided to hold the garden party at "Overdale" on Thursday, 22nd inst., with Xmas trees, refreshments, sweets, afternoon tea, and other stalls. A full meeting of the ladies of tlie club is being held on Monday evening to make arrangements.

A recent arrival from England tells a story. A young lady purchasing frozen meat, .asked the salesman how long it had been killed. The man regretted that he could not tell her. Just then the lady caught sight of a label on the meat on which was inscribed, "8.C.," "Oh, dear!" she exclaimed, "no more New Zealand meat for me!"

Asked by an Age reporter if lie had observed any practical result from the agricultural course given at the Masterton District High School for the last five years, Mr. W. H. Jackson, the head master, said there were 75 per cent, more cottage gardens to-day than before the agricultural instruction was given. The young people took a keen interest in their work, and the knowledge they obtained could not fail to have a good effect upon the future of agriculture.

The fact that good swimmers are seldom good runners was referred to by the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. T. M. Wilford), when speaking at Te Aro baths. He never heard the matter satisfactorily explained, he said, but still it was a fact, and years a<go when he was at college the champion swimmer of the school almost invariably finished last on the running track. Perhaps some of the younger swimmers would think over the question and find a satisfactory answei to it.

As a proof, of the superiority of Eng-lish-made boots and shoes, it may lie mentioned that one of the largest boot manufacturers in England stated a few weeks ago that the'production of boots and shoes in Great Britain .amounted to over forty million pounds worth annually. When he started manufacturing, some ten years ago. he was told that he was only throwing his money away, and that the Americans were going to wipe them out of existence. But, to-day the boot was on the other foot, and they were able to get over the ten per cent, tariff ■wall and introduce their boots and shoes into the United States.

Interviewed as to why he refused the offer of £500,000 a few days ago, and worth of scrip in an English company, Mr. Dorrie Doolette said there was no(thing surprising about the deal. Only a day or two before the mine was launched in London he refused a second offer of £500,000 cash by one of the strongest, financial corporations in England. He was not prepared to consider an offer of even £1,000,000. He feels confident that the mine in a few months will prove to be worth more than a couple of millions. "The market," he said, "already computes the value of the property at nearly a million and a-half."

At a meeting of Sunday School teachers at Dunedin (says the Otago Daily Times), the Rev. W. Blade was strongly upholding the innate goodness of children <as aisrainst the theory of their innate de- ' pravity. Their little peccadilloes, he said, were very trifling, and might be compared to a calf or a colt kicking its mother in loving frolic. At a later stage a lady rose and told some of her experiin the work of Sunday School teaching. One class in particular had become very unruly. They got under the seats, and one boy even went so far as to kick her. She had never realised before, she said, that this was only the love of the colt for the mother. When the laughter had subsided she was leard to say that she would think very differently of that boy now. A good deal of quiet surprise is being expressed in .Christchurch at certain innovations in connection with the Viceregal visits. People who have attended the various official functions have discovered that new ceremonies have been introduced. Ladies are required to eourtsev to the representative of the King, and polite personages convey the necessary instructions before the presentations take place. Probably it was merely some stupid mistake that led the band to play "God Save the King'' when Lady Islington, not accompanied by the Goernor, arrived at the hospital fete, but the title of her Excellency is certainly insisted on with much exactness.. The wife of. 'a prominent citizen attended a select gathering at" Elmwood, and was told semi-offieially the next day that her omission to wear Court mourning was a serious offence. Rumor has it that the movement of more rigid observation of ceremonial etiquette had its origin in an exalted quarter, as the same ceremonial observances are insisted on at Vice-regal functions in all the King's dominions.