LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 212, 16 December 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Nellie Stewart Company will play at New Plymouth on the 31st inst., and at Stratford the night before. In the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, Mr. H. F. Russell, J.P., presiding, a first offending inebriate was convicted and discharged. It grows cold in America sometimes. A New York cable says that Neil Keith, a prominent contractor, was frozen to death near Moosejaw. All cricket matches were off yesterday afternoon on account of the wet weather, while the rain also seriously affected all other outdoor sport.

The number of motor cars and motor cycles registered in Wanganui is 142. It is understood that the Government is about to institute a new system of registration, which will be an advance on the present rather haphazard method. Mr. Martin, political organiser for the Opposition, opened the Nelson campaign at Richmond on Wednesday evening, the Mayor of the borough presiding. There has been no Opposition candidate for Nelson for over eight years.

A Timaru resident' has- met with an accident so peculiar, as to cause no little comment. In his hip pocket it was his custom to carry a loaded revolver, and when he sat down suddenly the other day the weapon exploded. The bullet, it is said, inflicted a nasty wound in the back, nnd the victim had to be medically treated. A gathering of members of the, Park Tennis Club is to be held to-morrow afternoon on the courts, when it is hoped the committee will be favored, just for once, with a good attendance. The lawns are improving every day, but it will readily be understood that, left to themselves, the fern and other weeds which previously held undisputed possession, are now making themselves prominent on that portion of the enclosure not actually used as a playing area. This growth must, of course, be cut, and the place trimmed up for the opening. Permission is to be obtained to make a couple of paths to give access to the courts from the Recreation Grounds, and this is work that the members can do themselves. Members are asked to use every endeavor to be present. Mr. Geo. Metcalf, formerly of Now Plymouth, seems to be in hick's way in connection with his invention of a substitute for rubber, which is appropriately called •'Rubbersub." The flotation of a company, with a capital of two millions sterling, is about to lie attempted in London, Mr. Metealf goin<r home on an ample salary with the firm' undertaking the flotation. As giving an idea of the patent material, we extract the following, which the New Zealand directors of the Rubbersub Company have just received from their Australian agent:— "We have had a tyre retreated with rubbersub for Mr. Terry, of Middle Brighton, a gentleman who has had great experience with motor cars. Mr. Ternput the tyre on the back wheel, and informs us that he has done 500 miles with a 15 h.p. car, weighing 25 cwt., as well as having three people on the car and a lot of luggage. They toured round Flinders, over the worst roads they had ever been on, and for a igreat part of the journey they had a chain over the 'rubbersub' tyre to stop skidding. Roads were so bad that the chain broke, and only slightly marked the tyre, and there was not a 4 cut anywhere on it, while a new tyre by an English company on the opposite wheel was cut in 22 places."

To-day is 'the anniversary of the foundation of the Canterbury province, in 1850. A Press telegram last night said that the weather was unpromising there for the holiday. Rain set in early in the evening, and looked likely to continue.

A promising young man of Greymoubh, named John Franks, aged 24 years, met his death in a singular manner. He was a carpenter, and was employed building a new school at Cobden. A week before ■his death a wild bee stung him on the upper lip, and blood-poisoning ensued, with fatal result.

That England will have to pay more for its imported meat is a fear expressed by the Live Stock Journal. The reason for that opinion was that at the time of writing, the Journal considered that there were possibilities of certain European countries opening their doors to colonial and Argentine meat. A new regulation regarding private telephone lines is gazetted. It provides that when a private line is connected with a telephone office in charge of a permanent officer, a switching fee, to be paid in advance, of £1 10s per annum for each telephone is to be charged for switching the private line on to another private line.

The weather yesterday was most unfavorable for such a gathering as a garden party, and the function at "St. Kilda," (the grounds of Mrs. Fred Bayly), Gilbert street, in aid of the Maori Mission and Victoria School for Maori girls, was consequently postponed until Saturday afternoon, when it is hoped the conditions will be more propitious. Ah Lop, formerly a Masterton Chinese tradesman, has just returned from a trip to the Flowery Land. A Dominion representative, in a conversation with Ah Lop, learned that the Americans in the province of Canton are buying up all the available shares offered in connection with the copper, gold and ironmongery industries in that part of the country. Ah Lop holds the opinion that China will become the greatest commercial country in the world, for, says he, "we have the Americans in everything they can get hold of, and they are a people with 'plenty go' in them." '

That crack in the Powderham street culvert is growing. Yesterday, perhaps owing to the increased pressure caused by the wet earth in the filling, the Assure had opened sufficiently to allow of a man's hand being inserted. The shore end of the concrete wall appeared, too, to be pressing outwards. The fissure a week ago was barely wide enough to admit of the insertion of one's finger-tip. Keen observers yesterday noted another crack in the northern wall, commencing at the top, directly above the highest point oJ the arch, and extending irregularly downwards to the arch itself.

Writing to a relative in Waihi, Mr. Percy Douglas, of Ashanti, West Africa, at one time a resident of Ohinemuri goldfields, says that Wongara boys are the finest-looking men in the world, and would. make, great footballers. He was thinking of training a team of them to tour the Dominion. These boys come from the desert, and he hadn't seen one under 6ft—6ft 6in was a common occurrence. They are coal black, and have wonderful, features, and no thick lips, though tne top lip has a curl upwards, giving them the appearance of being just a bit superior to anyone else. The nose is not flat, but inclined to be of Roman type. The writer states that twenty of them carried a cylinder weighing 38cwt 50 miles in two days, all on their heads. "You're the one!" "Mind the Step!" "Isn't she pretty?" These and similar remarks (says the Wellington Post) were i heard with great frequency at the wharf I when the passengers by the New Zealand | Shipping Company's new steamer Roto-1 ma had to run the gauntlet of a big crowd. There must have been thousands , of people on the wharf; so thick were! •they that movement was almost an imposibility, and women's hats were badly crushed. Many women, too, must have suffered from the jolting,and knocking they were subjected to. The crowd was in a good humor, and the newcomers were given the benefit of it. Interested eyes gazed upward as the passengers essayed to disembark, and any little peculiarity of gesture, mannerism, or costume .was a subject for remark. Females were especially singled out for attention. As each came into view she was cheered. Elderly ladies were left in peace. Several did not appear to «njoy the heartiness of their reception, but the great majority good-humoredly submitted to the ordeal. In some cases they smiled, this being the signal for a renewed outburst. Others would wave an umbrella, perhaps, and in waving court disaster, as they sometimes got mixed up in the gear of the gangway, their plight evoking bursts of laughter. For over an hour the bantering went on. Speaking on the question of the necessity of erecting a municipal swimming bath at the Central School, Mr. F. P. Corkill, at yesterday's school gathering, said that while he was in Wellington lately he was astonished to find thai the Government could not oblige them with assistance, but if they had been a secondary school they could have done so. It was not fair that assistance should riot be given to primary schools. There was a great deal of technical and secondary education going on nowadays to the starvation of primary schools. (Applause.) The committee had been harping for a long time on the unnecessary amount of frill in the syllabus, the children having to do all sorts oi unnecessary things to the exclusion of the better side of education, i.e., the knowledge of the three "R's." The committee had considered the matter over and over again, and the time had come when they should use their influence. If possible, unnecessary loading of the syllabus should be discouraged on every opportunity. Later, in dealing with the unsatisfactory method of financing the school committee's operations, Mr. Corkill said that a few figures would show "the position: In 1903 the committee received £124 18s Cd; next year with 584 pupils they got £136, since then the payments had fallen, while the roll number had gone up. What the amount would be next year they did not know. The present position was that they wanted £3O to clear up the liabilities for such everyday requirements as firewood, etc. A circular that had been sent out by the Department the other day showed that committees were expected to provide everything out of the capitation, and, for instance, provide even their own water supply, which would be at least £ 10 more. He did not know how they were going to carry on next year. MEN'S HOLIDAY SUITS. SOME ADVICE TO THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER. The Melbourne for fifteen years devoted its time exclusively to the manufacture and selling erf men's and boys' apparel. We have earned a reputation for giving big values and honest merchandise. Every garment we sell is made under the supervision of our own expert tailors, and has the pledge of our reputation that itwill give complete satisfaction in fit, style and workmanship. In buying your suit at the Melbourne you can be absolutely certain of upright, honest treatment. We tell you the truth about our values, and don't expect you to purchase without investigating what we say. We suggest that you inspect our splendid large new stock of tailor-made Buits, then visit "the other shops and compare £heir value with ours. That is all we ask. We know we can serve you.bestj both in

In Spnin boys under 1G are not allowed to lift or carry more than 101b, or push or draw heavy loads. All the girls at a secondary school in Temesvar, Hungary, have threatened to go on strike unless the new rule that they must all wear their hair tightly plaited is cancelled.

After an absence from England of seventeen years, the 2nd Battalion Welsh Regiment reached Southampton from the Cape a few weeks ago in the Braemar Castle. Only three of those who left in IS'Ji returned.

Jennie Trammel, who is twelve years old, was married at Denver (Col.) to Mr. James M. Taylor, who is twenty-five years her senior. By this marriage Mr. Taylor becomes the husband of hifl brother's step-daughter and the brother-in-law of his wife's mother, as well as the husband of his own niece by marriage. The ceremony was performed by Magistrate Morris, in the presence of the girl's mother and her stepfather, who gave their consent.

Some Christchureh City s Councillors lately registered ''indignant protests" at the action of constables in ''moving them on." It seems likely they believed a councillorship gave them privileges not held by the ordinary and lowly ratepayer. Once, in Wellington, three men were in earnest conversation on a footpath. The man on the beat moved them on. They made no protest. The men were the Minister for Justice, thu UnderSecretary of the Department, and the Commissioner of Police! Councillors, indeed!

The Eltham Dairy Company last month manufactured 288,4911bs of butter, and will pay out £10,502, at the rate of lOd per lb butter-fat. The average test was 3.47. In November last year tjhe payment amounted to £9576, also at the rate of lOd, so that there is on increase of £720 in favor of last month over tie same month last year. The supply is being well maintained, and the output is averaging 180 boxes per day, which is the largest continued output ever obtained, the record for one day being 187.

The salary to be given to the electrical engineer who will carry out the Government's big water-power scheme is to be £BOO a year, and he must be "'first class." No applications are to be received from outside the Dominion. A salary of £ 1000 and upwards is not uncommon for a Xew Zealand city engineer; but he is usually imported, which makes a difference. The engineer of a city gas company is paid £1250, and is given the privilege of receiving fees a» a consulting authority, which possibly adds another £SOO a year to his salary.

Mf. T. W. Driver, the well-known exposer of spiritualism, as practised by pre-sent-day mediums, is drawing big audiences in Auckland. At the conclusion of one of his meetings last week he challenged the Rev. S. Barnett, who had asked several questions, to produce an apport, under strict conditions, by meana of spiritualistic agency, before a committee of Auckland citizens and the Press. He stipulated that £SO should be handed over by himself if Barnett succeeded. The challenge was not taken up. The meeting applauded Mr. Driver heartily. Mr. Driver then issued a challenge to the three mediums advertising in Auckland to make good their claims.

A correspondent to the Lytteltou Times gives the following interesting particulars of world celebrities:—John Bunyan was a tinker; Faraday, the chemist, was a bookbinder; Homer sang his own verses in the street; Stephenson, the railway king, was a fireman; Dr. Livingstone: was a factory lad; Sir Isaac Newton and Burns were laborers; Hugh Miller a stone mason; Sir Humphrey Davy an apothecary's boy; Defoe, a brickmaker; Jeremy Taylor was the son of a barber; H. Kirke White's, father»was a butcher; Haydn, the musical composer, was :t wheelwright; Shakespeare, a woolcomber; and if your correspondent will have a hod-carrier, poor Tom Sayers, who had courage and perseverance enough to. make him anything, was one.