LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 222, 13 January 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The gala day and fete which was held at Opunake on Wednesday afternoon, passed off very successfully, over a thousand people being present. During the month of December the visitors to Dawson Fulls Mountain House numbered 332, which is far more than for the corresponding month in the previous year. An A. and P. Association has been formed ia the Ohura. The initial show will take place at Nihoniho on March 2. The member for the district (Mr. W. T. Jennings) has been asked to open the function. The Governor has purchased the Viking, one of the largest and most luxuriously appointed yachts in Auckland harbor. Arrangements have been made to have her refitted and made ready for commission in March.

Dr. Clark, ex-member of the House of Commons, who is in Sydney en route for Xew Zealand, states that he does not tiiink Home Rule will meet further serious opposition except from the irreconcilable* of Ulster. There are no burning questions in Ireland that will lead to unjust legislation. The Feilding Star states that on Tuesday last the local police received information that two lads who had deserted from the Amokura were in the Feilding district. Inquiries were made, and shortly afterwards the boys were found. The police took them into custody, and they are to be returned to the ship. Whilst bathing up the Patea river a day or two ago, a couple of youths nearly came to grief. One ot them got into dilliculties and his mate, on'going to his assistance, was seized round the waist and rendered' quite helpless. Another boy, seeing their plight, jumped into a bout that was moored close by, and pushed out to their assistance, and succeeded in getting the two bathers out in an exliausted condition.

Monday's Hawera Star states; It is with regret that we have to record the death oi an old and esteemed settler, Mr. William Cameron, of Okaiawa. Mr. Cameron, who had beta in the district for about twenty-live years, had been ailing since his return from the Old Country, and passed' quietly away this morning. Death, we are informed, was due to heart failure. The bereaved relatives will have the sympathy of a large number of friends from all over the district. An exchange says:— Taranaki is having a splendij season, so a visitor from the butter province stated on Saturday. A noticeable feature of the dairy industry there, he said, was the ever-increas-ing number who are going in for it. This is accountable for by the way in which everybody is making money at milking, though, added our informant, it is now merely repeating an oft-told tale to sayit. But, he. remarked, it was wonderful to see how many people went into the business with, practically nothing, and in u few years became well-to-do.

The Otira tunnel has been completed at the Otira end for a distance of 53'/ 3 chains, and the bottom heading is 1)1 chains 01 links in. At the Bealey end the bottom heading is in 12 chains and the lining is completed up to nine chains. The Greymouth Star says there is no possibility of the work being completed in the contract time, live years. The contractors have had to face enormous difficulties, which were increased by the fact that this is the first really long tunnel in the world whose dimensions have been on such a small scale. The smallness of the tunnel makes the handling ol spoil extraordinarily difficult. Speaking in the recent election contest, Dr. Chappie, .UP. for Stirlingshire, stated that while crossing the Atlantic, on his way from New Zealani to England, on board the Philadelphia, he received a wireless message telling him that he had to face an election on the 13th of the following month. While asleep in his bunk his slumbers were disturbed at four a.m. His electric light was switched on, and opposite to him, standing in his berth, was a Oft telegraph message boy, who exclaimed, "A tehgram for you, sir!" That in the middle of the Atlantic! The message was from Mr. MeLcllnn, his agent, stating that he had to be in Stirlingshire to face an election on December 13. When he rose from his bunk he had made long speeches; he had the Grangemouth audience thundering objections on the Lords; and before he had tumbled into his bath he had won tne election by 4000. i A cablegram published the other dnv stated that ttoa Cullman diamond will be conspicuous amongst the Crown jewels on the occasion of the Coronation. His Majesty has named the famous diamond "The Star of Africa"—a particularly appropriate Honor to the Union of South Africa. The largest section, now one of the twin "Stars of Africa," is at prestnt fixed to the front of the Imperial Crown, and the famous Black Prince ruby has been placed in the centre of the Maltese Cross. The smaller diamond is to be seen fixed in the head of the sijeptro, where it glitters luxuriously. Both the ''Stars of Africa" can be detached and used as a pendant to be worn by the Queen. It will be remembered that Queen Alexandra on occasions wore them so detached. At the Coronation the larger part will be s:t in the sceptre, making it the most mnginncent in the world. The smaller portion will now be set in the front of the- Crown below the Black Prince ruby, instead of the groat oblong sapphire, which will he transferred to the: back of tihe Crown.

"New Zealand offers a multiplicity of attractions," said an officer of one of the Home steamers now in Auckland, appropos of the present epidemic of desertion. "The climate, social life, and the Xew Zealand beer so deeply impress the averago sailor that he is extremely loth to leave. This is a veritable paradise to him, the surroundings being positively alluring to a mariner just off a six weeks' voyage." -'Yes," lie added reflectively, "we do sometimes have trouble, and there is generally beer at the bottom of it. At Home our men go ashore, and, after drinking the best portion of a gallon, return in an amicable mood. In New Zealand they probably consume the same amount, but instead'of returning they proceed to paint vour peaceful cities red, and the rcsu'lt is disastrous to both themselves and their employers."

Every home that vnlt!<>9 cheerfulness, comfort and refinement will welcome the New Roslyn Writing Pad (copyrighted); 100 sheets fine-ruled;. tablet size paper. Obtainable from drapers and storekeepers at 6d each.—Advt.

It is probable that a branch of the Kennel Club will be formed in 'J'aranaki, and a meeting is to be held at an. early date.

Mr. E. Dockrill, chairman of the South African Memorial Committee, has received a letter from the Governor's private secretary stating that His Excellency will be pleased to unveil the memorial to South African troopers on. the 20th, the date of his visit to New. Plymouth. At Normanby on New Year'g Day (Sunday) three Maori couples'were married. The old custom of using .rice asa symbol of peace and plenty was indulged in, but owing to there being a. triple marriage the supply ran out. Native ingenuity, however, was equal to the occasion, and a bag of oats was procured as a substitute, handfuls of the grain being thrown upon the happy couples. His Worship the Mayor (Mr. Q. Tisch) has received a communication from the Superintendent of the State Guaranteed Advances Offices to the effect that the preliminary application for a loan of £11,225 for street and drainage works has been granted. The rate of interest is £4 17s Od per cent., including sinking' fund, the loan extinguishing itself in 30y 3 years. The .granting, of the loan in subject, of course, to the approval at the ratepayers, and the necessary step* will shortly be taken to take a poll on> the question. Asked when passing through Christchurch on 'Monday what he intended to do if his constituency (.the Taieri) w.er* abolished in the readjustment of electoral, boundaries this year, titui Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister for Agriculture, remarked that, to begin with, the Taieri wan not .wiped out yet, and it was a puzzle to him why people had specially selected it for annihilation unless they were guided by the principle that every seat he was elected to must be wiped out. Taieri was the fourth constituency he (had contested and won, and he believed that he had now represented in Parliament almost all of Otago, except the city of Dunedin. Seriously, he thought that it was a great pity that the constituencies were not left as they were. The public were tired of the changing about which. had ta&en place. No sooner did a member know his district and the people writ, and no sooner did the people know him, than the whole thing was shuffled', again like a pack of cards. As to the 1 Taieri, he could only say once more that he was not at all certain that it would. go.