LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 215, 20 December 1910, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The "Daily News" will not be published on Monday or Tuesday next (Christmas and Boxing Days), or on January 2 (New Year's Day). A sharp shock of earthquake was felt here at 8.10 a.m. on Sunday. As the result of last week's Tains the potato blight is increasing in virulence throughout the district. The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce has suggested to Mr. Lloyd-George that all new coins should be marked with their value across the centre, as in the case of sixpenny pieces.

We are in receipt of a copy of the Christmas number of the Canterbury Times. Though it is not so pretentious as the other Christmas weeklies, it is a splendid production and more than worth the sixpence charged for it. The duplication of the Hutt railway and the accompanying reclamation work's are expected to be completed by March next. Besides a new road and extra railway line, there will be a specially formed cycle track provided. Seventeen male students who will be leaving the Auckland Training College at the end of the year, to commence workin backblock schools, have purchased magic lanterns, and intend to introduce lantern teaching into their schools. "The Home across the Sea" is the title of a brochure published by the Orient Shipping . Co. (Union S.S. Co., local agents), giving views of one of their flue ,new liners, the 'X)tway," 12,000 tons, and of several historic spots in the Old tryThe trawler Nora Niven, which returned to Wellington on Saturday -week from Owenga, Chatham Island, passed through a great "school" of whales, about 130 miles westward of the Chathams. Captain Goudie, who has had many years' experience at sea, stated that he has never previously seen so many whales together, and they ranged up to an unusual size. They were of the "right" species, and would have proved a rich find to a whaler.

A correspondent, who has not been down the Coast for some time, states that he was agreeably surprised with the state of the Main road, which, from current reports, he had been led to believe was in a shocking condition. He considers that the road now is better than it was eighteen months ago, and a settler to whom he expressed this opinion endorsed it by affirming that he had never known the road as good as it is now.

According to the Greymouth Star, work at the Otira end of the Alps tunnel is progressing satisfactorily. Electric locomotives are now .running three-quarters of,a mile into the tunnel, and rapidly carrying away the excavated material. The extreme face of the work is now one and one-eighth of a'mile from the Otira portal. Work at the Bealey end is going along fairly well. The ground there, although not so wet as at Otira, requires a great deal of timber. ; The drain-mouths in the borough frequently become blocked with debris. Consequently when heavy rains come it is impossible for the water to get away, and so the water has to find an outlet elsewhere, generally through the metal. An instance of this is to be seen at the junction of Carrington road and Courtenay street, the water, unable to get away into the 'drain mouth, having ploughed through the road, washing tlie metal away, and generally doing serious damage. At a meeting of the Ftfe Board last week the following resolution was passed: "That the Board having had reported to it that the exits from the gallery in Whiteley Church are "a source of danger, has no option but to insist on the same being made safe; that it is not the duty of the Board nor of its officers but of the church trustees' architect to advise what is necessary, but that the Board's superintendent will be pleased to confer with any such architect as to any proposed alterations." The Borough Council has been advised of the foregoing. A new light has been shed on the recent split between the King and Mr. Winston Churchill. It is said that his Majesty told Mr. Asquith that never again would he meet the Home Secretary, eitlrer politically or socially. While, the King, as is his custom, exercised scrupulous care in perusing all' State papers submitted to him, Mr. Churchill became restless. Finally he aroused the Royal wrath by pointing out that the documents vreire merely matters of routine, thus implying that the King, in going through them so thoroughly, was putting himself to unnecessary trouble, as it was 'his business to sign whatever papers his Ministers submitted. It is declared that Mr. Churchill was virtually requested to leave the Palace.

A resident of Vogeltown wishing to post a letter may pop it into the box at the corner of the Victoria and Mill roads, just by Mr. R, Cock's house. But that letter if posted after mid-day on Monday won't catch the mail train on Tuesday, nor would it be delivered even in New Plymouth that day, except where there are two deliveries, for the box is cleared at about eleven o'clock only. So the letter-writer has to trudge right down to the box near the Recreation Grounds gate on the Carrington road. It is felt that the rapidly increasing population of Vogeltown warrants the early clearing of the Mill road box in time for letters posted there to catch the mail train, and doubtless the postal officials would consider the matter favorably if representations were made.

The audience at the Rahotu School children's recent performance of "Dick Whittington and his Cat" had a rather lengthy wait between two of the acts, and, on the curtain again going up, the observant critics noticed that the cat had changed during the interval from a | lively yellow to an ordinary black and white. It appears that the first pussy had a very strong objection to appearing before the footlights, and seized the first convenient opportunity to decamp The management were in a quandray for pussy was a most important per former. Indeed, the play could not g< on without lier. The chairman, how ever, waited not on the order of hi going, but rushed home and comman deered the family cat, which was hastil pressed into service, and the perform anee enabled to proceed. The following are the winnners o attendance certificates in the West En< School preparatory classes. The first si: ,in Primer 111, the first five in Prime 11, and the first one in Primer I mad full attendance, not being absent oi one occasion when the school was opei during the year:—Primer III.: Join Cavaney, Walter Stewart, Eric Blan chett, Leslie Greiner, Muriel Bennett Alice Lamerton, Spences Ellis, Willii Rea, Ivy Parrott, Gordon Fabian, Perci Johnson, Gladys Hodge; Primer II Vera George, Nance Thomson, Erii Brokenshire, George Cavaney, Charlii Emmerton, Allan Fabian, Trevor Hasell George Stanley, Leslie Smart; Primer 1: Marjorie Gardner, Norrien Hoskin, Con nie Hasell, Ken Nodder, Sam Medway Top boy and girl in each of these classes were: Primer 111, Gerald Webster anc Elsie Siffleet; Primer 11, John Stanlej and Nancy Wilson; Primer I, Fred Newall and Isabella Coad. Every othei child in the, primer classes received a

' —^-. '■' ':-'>^?mmw% A tea-room is at present at the breakwater on a spare piede Ti bf •' land between the railway line and the ■ beach. " ... The Harbor lioard is creating a semaphore signalling apparatus on the end of , the wharf. The port is already equipped with a Morse night-signaller. The poultry thief who generally turns up before Xmas is on the warpath. A Xew Plymouth resident the other evening lost six flue ducks that he had specially bred and fattened for the festive board.

The returns at the Eltham railway station for the last month show an increase of close on £IOO per week, compared with the corresponding four weeks last year. The increase ha 3 been an all-round one—goods, parcels, and passengers.

The Telegraph Department will as usual this year afford special facilities for _ the transmission by telegraph of Christmas and Xew Year greetings. The special rate will come into operation from to-day till Saturday and also from next Tuesday till the following Saturday. We are in receipt of 19H1 wall calendars from the Xew Zealand Insurance Co. (Mr. J. Paton, local manager), the Guardian Insurance Co. (Messrs Medley and Kundle), the Ocean Accident Co. (Messrs Gilmour and Clarke), the Commercial Union (Messrs Webster and McKellar), the Phoenix Insurance Co. (Mr. Newton King), and the 'Westport Coal Co. At a meeting of the South Taranaki Winter Show Company at Hawera on Saturday, it was reported that the profit o» the show was £354, the skating rink £l5O, whilst, the offices were let to permanent tenants, bringing in £U9 a year. It was decided to pay a dividend of 10 per cent, on the capital paid on shares, to write off £155 in depreciation, and to carry forward the balance. It was decided to increase thft capital from £3OOO to £SOOO.

Tn all Melba's unique adventures of many lands perhaps she has never had a more odd experience than on the occasion of her concerts in Winnipeg on September 28, when, owing to the enormous crush in Walker's theatre, where the concert was given, two cylinders of oxygen had to be placed on the staee to revive the atmosphere, so that the'diva might enjoy the usual facilities for displaying her marvellous breath control. The cylinders were lent from the Winnipeg Hospital on the suggestion <rf Dr. Devme, and Melba pronounced the experiment a complete success.

The quarterly meeting "of the Loyal Egmont Lodge was. held last evening Bro. W. Hooker, N.G., presiding. There was a fair attendance of members, and a large amount of correspondence was dealt with. It was decided to continue the levies to the hospital fund for a further twelve months. Bro. C A. Matheson was elected N.G., Bro. L JBrabant, V.G.; P.O. W. H. Butler, executive secretary (re-elected); P.P.G.M. Ainaworth, permanent secretary (re-elected)? Bro. A. Milne, guardian (re-elected); Bro. A. E. Pratt, warden; P.G. H. E. Bennett and P.G. L. F. Webster, supporters of the N.G.; Bros W. C. Woods and H. J. McGahey, supporters of the V.G. A letter of recommendation was granted to one member who has left the district.

A suggestion has been made to us that the Railway Department should run an express train on Christmas eve to connect with a train that leaves Aramoho for Wellington a<bout 1 a.m. on Christmas Day. Such a train, it is pointed out, would enable many Taranaki people to derive full benefit from the convenient holidays, ft is pointed out, too, that on Christmas' Eve a train will run from New-.-Plymouth to Stratford, but there is no train leaving Stratford after business hours for New Plymouth. If the engine and carriages on the outward train are to run back '-empty," would it not be possible to make it a passenger train ?\ There must be many Stratford and Inglewood folk, with their old family roof-tree in New Plymouth, who would be glad of the opportunity to gather round the old family table on the great Xmas festival day.

A splendid meeting of workers was held last night at Mr. Cock's residence, Vbgeltown, in connection with Thursday's garden party in aid of the tennis courts in the Recreation ©rounds. The work had all been departmentalised, so to speak, and every department reported' most satisfactorily. The Xmas trees will be splendidly furnished, as the, result of an active canvass, and the biggest trees in the grounds will probably (have to be selected. There will be no dearth of good things in the ice cream, afternoon tea, and refreshment stalls, and possibly strawberries and cream will be provided, too. There are already numerous entries of decorated go-carts, Push-carts, and bicycles, and the procession of these on the lawn should be a pretty sight. It was reported that' Mr. R. Deare (Boot Arcade) and Messrs. Gilmour and Clarke had kindly placed their motor-cars at the disposal of the committee, and others were to be approached. Tickets were stated to be selling fairly well, the public appreciating the arrangement of making the admission ticket include afternoon tea.

Slovenliness in schoolboys' talk was a matter touched upon by Dr. Findlay. Attorney-General; in his'speech at the distribution of the Auckland Grammar School prizes (says the Wellington Post's correspondent). He was strategist enough to say that his remarks were based upon observations of.the boys at the southern schools, and possibly did not apply to the Auckland Grammar School. There were some men, he said, who priced themselves in avoiding being dressy, but one suspected that some of these men did so (because they had only pne suit, and that did not fit them. Just as a man, in avoiding being dressv, was in danger of becoming slovenly "in attire, so desire to avoid being dressy in speedb might result in becoming slovenly in speech. There were the words "rotten" and "rotter," and all their forms. In their wish to get away ffom anything that might sound dandy in speeoli, some boys used these words, and*e had even heard college boys use the word "rotten' instead of an adjective that had a definite meaning He appealed to the boji to speak their mother tongue, which, Hi said, was the greatest language flu* th» world had ever known.