LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 214, 19 December 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Bluegum trees in Masterton have been attacked by the caterpillar, which is proving very. destructive. Messrs. Gilmour and Clarke, district agents for the Ocean Accident ana Guarantee Corporation, Ltd., forward a 1911 calendar.

To-day is the thirty-first anniversary of the establishment of' manhood suffrage in New Zealand. The Triennial Act was also passed on the same date. Plans have been prepared for a building of 46 storeys, which it is proposed to erect opposite the New York Post Office. It is to cost £ 1,500,000, and is to be completed within a year. The captain of an Atlantic liner receives little more than £lO for taking a ship worth a million pounds, valuable cargo, 2000 passengers, and a shipment of ■specie across 300 miles of the worst sea in the world.

Says a. London daily':—We English must feel a little shame in reading that •in China, "in the draft of the new laws, it is prohibited for the newspapers to recount crime at length, as sensationalism i 9 believed to inflame more crime." ' Persons desirous of contributing Christmas cheer for the patients of the District Hospital or the inmates of the Old People's Home are asked to communicate with the matron of the Hospital (Miss Browne), Mrs. Bayly, Old People's Home, or Mr. C. Lepper, secretary to the board.

In reference to the Taranaki Jockey Club's Xmas meeting, the publican's booth will be open both on Monday and Tuesday. On the first day, however, only non-alcoholic drinks will be sold, owing to the recent legislative action. Mr. E. Whittle, of the Red House, will have charge of the booth. John D. Rockefeller, the "Oil King," lias built a palatial London office at the western corner of Queen Anne's Gate, at a cost of £50,000 . The handsome building, looking like an hotel, stands out prominently, isolated in its own grounds, with a lovely view of Buckingham Palace over the lake and gardens of St. James' Paik. The .East end of the town as well as the West end, as reported in our Saturday's issue, has been visited by the Xmas "pot hunter." One resident had a clutch of eight ducks (all plump and in full bloom for the festive season) "lifted" from his place on Friday evening. If the owner can catch the sneak thief he vouches for it thajt he will supply the sauce.

A rather sensational incident is reported from Stafford, on the West Coast. On a recent night, about 11 o'clock, a young fellow named J. Grambrassi told a young lady he was dancing with, that "that was the last dance he would have in this world," aind shortly afterwards he was found ~ the general opinion being that he had taken opium in some form. As soon as possible he was conveyed to Hokitika for medical advice, and he is now in the Westlaind Hospital. Apropos of the surgical operation by which a half-crown was recovered from a child's gullet, here is an old story. The baby had swallowed a shilling and the young mother was naturally greatly distressed. No doctor was available and she frantically appealed to a bachelor boarder for assistance in the dilemma. "Go to Captain of the Salvation Army." he said; "the Army can get money out of anybody." Just then the baby* coughed the coin into view and the captain was not needed. ■ When the English Parliament was' framing laws in the year 1:730, it would not, of course, be imagined that one of those laws would be cited nearly 200 years later to decide a question between a landlord and a tenant regarding the tenancy of a butcher's shop in Kilbirnie. However, in the Wellington Magistrate's Court recently a law framed in 1730 was the base of a civil action in which a landlord claimed damages on account of a tenant being unable to quit until some time after the lease had , expired.

In order to afford facilities for the transmission by telegraph of Christmas and New Year's greetings, special printed forms may be obtained at the telegraph office for use on and between December 20 and 24 and 27 and 31. Such telegrams will be delivered at the principal telegraph offices on cards bearing views of New Zealand scenery, etc. At other offices the telegrams will be written on ordinary forms. A uniform charge of 6d for each telegram will be made, provided the address and signature do not contain more than eleven words. If, however, the text as printed is varied in any way, or other words added thereto, the telegram will be treated as an ordinary one and charged for accordingly-

That the English manufacturer appreciates help from his colonial kinsmen in the direction of suggestions for improvements in manufacturing methods is shown by a letter received by a resident of Kaitoke, says the Wanganui Herald, fe'ome time ago he bought some scythes bearing the brand of a Sheffield manufacturer. They were so highly tempered that, after use, notches appeared in their edges, and he wrote to the manufacturer drawing attention to this, and offering suggestions with a view to remedying it. He has just received a reply thanking him and expressing appreciation of any hints offered by colonial customers. While expressing the opinion that perhaps the scythes were put to rougher use than they were intended for, the firm goes on to say that it has given special instructions for even keener supervision to be exercised in the future in passing goods for despatch. The firm also sends him a present of a pocketknife, with its compliments. In view of the assertion frequently made, that John Bull is too slow and sleepy to take a hint from anyone, the above incident is rather interesting. Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (First and Second Groups) are notified that subscriptions will be due and payable today (Monday), at the Secretary's Office, Ourrie street, from 9 a.m. to 12.30, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.— Advt.

MEN'S HOLIDAY SUITS. The Melbourne for fifteen years devoted its time exclusively to the manufacture and selling of 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 it will 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 suits, then visit the other shops and compare their value -with ours. That is all we ask. We know we can serve you best, both in price and quality.—A\vvt.

Major Peixotto, who was in charge of the American boys who toured the Commonwealth last year, has once more been sinking the praises' of Australian football. Speaking at a public gathering at San Francisco a week or so ago, he declared that as far as football was concerned the Australian game was the greatest in the world. He became quite enthusiastic over the possibilities of its general acceptance in the United States, and declared that if Americans desired "safe, sane football," they could not do better than emulate.the Australian style. A sensational tragedy was 'brought to light in Paris lately, when the dead body of Baroness d'Ambricourt was discovered in the bedroom of Captain Mevnier, a French army officer. Captain Mevnier sent a note declaring that he murdered his fiancee, and that he intended to take his own life. The police, upon visiting the captain's room, found the bodv of the woman, who had apparently been poisoned. They then energetically set about looking for Captain Mevnier. but were unable to discover any trace of him, and it is now believed that he carried out his threat to commit suicide.

Six mules bred at Orongorongo Station, says the Wellington Post, will shortly be shipped to the South Island by Messrs Dalgety and Co. They are consigned to Mr. Pinekney's station, Waikaia," in the Lakes district, and will be used for packing purposes. The animals are specially spited for the rough country to which they are going, as they have been bred in. the ranges. They are to be used principally for wool pockets, and each is expected to carry some-2201b of wool. There is an unsatisfied demand for mules for padding purposes throughout New Zealand, but the breeding is not extensive.