LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 225, 17 January 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On a charge of drunkenness, William Bumell was fined ss, in default 24 hours' imprisonment, by Mr. H. S. Fitzherbert, S.M., at the local court yesterday morning. The Borough Council last night adopted tho Mayor's motion to appoint an overseer at a salary of C 3 per week. Applications will lie called from persons having a thorough knowledge of formation and metalling of street?, asphalting and tarring footpaths. Our Urenui correspondent writes: As Mr. W. Fisher, of Minii, was driving home from Waitara to Minii on Friday evening one of wheels came oft' when about a mile from the Urenui township. The horse bolted oil' with the shafts only, but was secured near the pound. One of the aninial's hind legs was broken. Mr. Fisher, who had jumpco out of the buggy, hurt one of his arras, but not seriously. It was reported at the Borough Council meeting last evening that the municipal baths had been burgled one night recently, and that some .10ft of armored hose had been stolen. Entry had apparently been effected hy sealing the water pipe in the absence of the caretaker, who did not notice the loss until next morning. Councillors were indignant, over the matter, and unanimously agreed that the police should be instructed to take action immediately and find t.he of- ' fenders. "With no stay of proceedings, ■ I hope," said Cr. Ma nnix. "Xo, certainly not," Jang out tho chorus.

The New Plymouth tennis courts will be closed this afternoon. General Chute's famous march from Wailii (near Hawera) to New Plymouth, lasting eight days, was commenced 011 January If, 1808. A special meeting of the Stratford Hospital Board will be held on Saturday morning for the purpose of electing an acting-chairman, in consequence of the enforced resignation of Mr. Cameron.— Post. Under Saturday's date Messrs. Budge and Ander.son have written to the Town Clerk, resigning their positions on the Stratford Borough Council owing to the new provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act making tliem ineligible to hold their seats. The Reserves Committee of the Borough Council has resolved to ask the sexton for a list of the names of all overgrown and untidy plots in the cemetery, with a view to notices being served on the owners, requiring them to put the plots in order. The ping of a pea-rifle bullet on the paling fence at a West End residence yesterday morning startled the milkman and his horse, and frightened a crowd of little children who were playing in the next field in a line with the shot. Whence it came and its mission are a mystery.-

The Commandant of the Defence Forces in New Zealand, Major-General Codley, has called a conference of regimental officers, to be held in Wellington on Thursday evening to discuss the new defence proposals, particularly with regard to the question of whether or not to allow the existing volunteer companies to continue.

Attempts to fly will be made by two Aucklanacrs in the course of the next week or so. One Aucklander has just completed a machine on the lines of that of M. Bleriot, the French airman, while the other gentleman has only a little work to ao to finish his machine, which is a bi-plane. Two other aeroplanes are in course of construction, and good progress is reported in each case. Speaking at Opunake the .other day, Mr. B. Dive, M.P., said he had come to the conclusion that the people of Opunake -were anticipating events—they were looking forward to the future when they would have a railway line. Some of his hearers might smile when he mentioned the railway question. But he did not wish to pose as a prophet, though he laought he could say there would be a railway line to Opunake sooner than the people though there would. He was practically giving away a State secret when making this statement. At elnirch parades the band usually heads the volunteers, but Sunday's church parade at Eltham brought about an innovation. Captain Clark had his men ready at the appointed hour, but the hand was not in attendance. The Territorials were kept waiting for some time, and eventually, rather than be late in arriving at the church, they marched p(V without the band. The Territorials marched down Mills street, and the band marched along Mountain road, the Territorials being seated in church before the band arrived at the church door. Argus. Some difficulty has arisen in regard to the wages required for County Council work in itheOmoana riding of the Eltham County. The engineer stated at Saturday's meeting that a county contractor at Omoana has to pay men l*)s, lis and up to lis a day, and the question was what was the Council 'going to pay. The regular rate of wages paid by the council is os, riding foremen getting 9s Gd, and the engineer thought it would he somewhat of an anomaly if he were to offer lfts a day to induce men to go to Omoana while the foreman received lid a day less. The engineer was instructed to do the best lie could and use his own discretion. —Argus. To show what can be produced in New Zealand 011 grass pasture, without the aid of turnips or any artificial food, Mr. J. W. [larding, of dnglewood, is having six fat bullocks killed at Waitara Freezing Works on Tuesday next for shipment to England. The bullocks (four Herefords and two Shorthorns), which were reared by Mr. Birdling, of Kainganui, Waitara, took all the prizes for fat cattle in this district during the past season, and fanners will no doubt be interested to learn what their destination is to be. Mr. Birdling has kindly undertaken to furnish us with the weights of the beasts which caused so much comment, and these will be published in the course of a few days.

I The usual fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Egmont Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U., was held last evening, Bro. C. A. Matheson, X.G., presiding. The lodge adjourned for a short space as a mark of respect to the late visiting Bro. E. A. Pratt. The secretary informed the lodge that he had forwarded all particulars of the sad event, and the necessary certificate, together with condolence of the' 1 lodge to the lodge in England, of which the late Brother was a member. Leave of absence was granted to Dr. Walker, lodge surgeon, trom February 20th, and Dr. Milroy was accepted as deputy-sur-geon in conjunction with Dr. Blackley. Letters of recommendation were granted to two members who have left the district. The attendance was particularly good, and a large amount of correspondence was dealt with. The district secretary, Bro. C. E. Bellringer, informed the lodge that the district officers would pay the lodge an official visit on February 13th, when it is hoped there will be a large attendance of members. A petition signed by eighteen Awatuna East district ratepayers" asked the Eltham County Council on Saturday to consider the abolition of the Riverlea toll-gate. They thought that as the loan was carried their increase in rates was I quite sufficient to pay without having J tollgaie .ehnruvs when'they wont to Kaponga or LI tham, while the revenue derived through other sources was insufficient to warrant, its retention, and there was irreat probability that the return was not commensurate with the outlay. The chairman said he thought the time had arrived for the abolition of both tollgates at the end of the financial year, Ma roth 31. Seeing that the loan had been carried for putting the roads in both ridings in good order, he thought the time had arrived for doing away with the gales. Most of the revenue was coming from their own ratepayers, and there was £'3oo to pay for collecting it. The gates were put there in the first instance to ?top extraordinary traffic, and that had ceased. If that traffic again came lie thought they enuld find «. remedy, lie was in favor of doing away with the gates at the end of March.' After discussion. generally favorable to the abolition of tlie gate, it was decided that, consul; ration of the tollgates abolition lie over for a month, in the meantime I'.gnioiit County to be approaehed as to subsidy for EI tham road.

| BILIOUS ATTACKS CURED. Snfterors from bilious attacks should read this remarkable letter from Mr. Donald Coutts, of Condali, yie.:—"r have been a continuous sufferer from headache and bilious vomiting attacks for 25 years. During that time I have Veen treated by doctors, besides using all dorts of medicines that proved useless. Being almost afraid [ could never be cured, I tried Chamberlain's Tablets, and can assure you that they completely cured me, and T feel like a new man. I can conscientiously recommend them to all who suffer from stomach and liver troubles."

Employers of girl labor state thai considoraliii; ililiiculiy is being experience.! ill Auckland in obtaining girls to-fill vacant places. The financial outlook at Christchurch is -said to be us good us it ever has been in t'lie life of the present generation, and, 011 fchie whole, could not be expected to be much better. A new up-tordmte telephone exchange is to bo installed at I'atea shortly and it in expected will be in working order at the end of the present mouth. A Cliertsey farmer has expressed the opinion (says the Christchurdi Press) that the oat crops would yield on an average from 30 to 35 bushels per acre, and wheat between *2O and 27 bushels. A resident of Palmer&ton had a brief interview with Powelka recently, and describes him as looking remarkablv AvelL and fairly cheerful, lie is said to haviv a very satisfactory prison record so far. The material difference between the wage-earner to-day and the slave of 1000ymrs ago, says Mr. Peter Bowling, is tnat whereas the slave ran away from, the master, now the wage-earner' Ims to run after him. Biohard Arnst, the world's champion Soulier, has been presented with the sculla used by Edward Hanlon in hiss race for the .title against Triekett in 1880 and 1,88-2, Laycock in 1881, Boyd in 1882, and Beach in LBB4. A -steerage passenger by the Manuka from Sydney lost his memory during thetrip across, and >wag unable to recognise hia relatives, who came to meet him. Arhis mental condition was otherwise normal, he was allowed to land. A Xelson resident states that a little borer has attacked the blackberries there, and it is hoped that it will da much towards keeping them down. The borer attacks the stem about six inches from the end and then works out towards the tip, completely checking the growth. •An old-age pensioner, 82 years of age,, was charged ait the Magistrate's Court the other day with being found drunk, but she did not put in an appearance. "Well," said Mr. 'Bishop, "I can't tell her what I think about it. It is necessary that these pensioners should be warned,. ■ns they might lose their pensions. Eighty-two years of age, and gets helplessly drunk and run in I It is most e» traongnary."

Opossums arc said to bo very plentiful on Stewart Island at present, and ar« doing considerable mischief to gardens ami orchards and some of the native trees, especially the ironwood. The skinsof tliesn marsupials are said to be superior to even the best Tasmanians, and if this is so it would be of considerable benefit to the inhabitants if the restriction 011 these animals were removed, allowing the exportation of the skins.

The unfortunate fellow who was committed to the Auckland (Jaol hospital from Cambridge on Thursday, and whow thought to be a lunatic, was suffering from an extraordinary hallucination. In reply to ft question from a medical ma* who examined him, lin stated that he had succeeded in winning the Tnuraaga seat in the House of Representatives, hut had sold out his rights to the Hon. James- 1 Carroll for £IO,OOO. He did not intend to do uny more work. In reference to the reported new fall-) on the mountain, the caretaker of tilt North Egmont Mountain House (Sir. T~ R. R.vnn) writes to as as foljowa:—"Mr. Lloyd and' myself explored the bush from Bgmont House to the Mnngnnui stream, and are convinced that the so-called new falls ane none other than the Curtis Kails marked on the -map. The faj/s are pretty enough, but not to be compared with Bell's Rills. So as to make sure we took an aneroid, and worked up from the tiQOOft level," Strange tilings happen at inquests (remarks the Collingwood Argus). A year or two ago at a local inquiry into a death we noticed no less than three consecutive witnesses and two of the jurymen sign their names "with a cross"—a striking commentary on the efficacy of our modern (education system. At last week's inquest into the drowning of the man Lee in the Aarere river, another object lesson was provided in the shape of several witnesses who had to testify—one after the other—that owing to their inability to swim they •were compelled to stand helpless within. 15 feet of a drowning man, unable to assist a fellow creature in his last extremity; and the police said the number of such witnesses who could be called as being present at the catastrophe could have been increased to half-a--dozen—ls feet to the shore and six helpless men looking on at a poor man going to his last home. Surely the absolute necessity of making the art of swimming a compulsory subject in the curriculum of our public schools was never more amply demonstrated.