LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 225, 28 January 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

According to the Labor Department's Journal during December 5500 men were employed on co-operative works. (V these,"3433 were employed on various sec--1 tions of railway and 2127 on road works. Dunedin ratepayers do not display any great amount of enthusiasm in connection with municipal matters. Out of over -20,000 voters on the roll only 743 took the trouble to record their votes for the election of three member.? to the Dunedin Drainage Board. A gentleman who acted ns judge of dogs at a show down South had his nether garment damaged beyond repair from an attack bv one of the canines. The offending dog was not awarded a red ticket. This is just one of the ordinary risks which judges are apt to incur. Throughout Xew Zealand mountain climbing seems increasing in popularity. The Ben Lomond climb at Queenstown (Otago) is just as popular as ever with tourists this year. The majority of people start out on the ascent about midnight, in order that they may see the sun rise. An important discovery of asbestos has been made in the Lardeau district of British Columbia. It occurs in seams and slips, and the fibre varies considerably in length, but some of the samples are over nine inches long. The world's supply of asbestos has hitherto fallen far short of the demand. About forty thousand acres of the Taihara Block, "Poverty Bay, officially described as "on the verge of nowhere." forms the last of the unsettled Crown land in that district. The block is still in virgin bush. It is not probable that the land will be available for about twelve or eighteen months.

After having to contend with soft metal for years in the East Coast districts, sonic hard rook has boon struck in a hill two miles from the road on the way to Akitio. A tram line was laid down, and a crushing plant has now been installed, and in the near future all the township roads will be metalled with good, hard material. At a recent clearing sale down South was a venerable-looking four-wheeled vehicle. It turned out to he the first buggy built in the Tokomairirio district somewhere about lialf a century ago. Notwithstanding its age and the hard | work it had gone through it found a purchaser at 311s. Tt should have been worth that for exhibition as a curio. A Timaru policeman surprised about twenty boys and girls who were stealing fruit." He secured tile names of ten youthful thieves. The boys ran away, but some girls who were captured by the constable, amid tears and denials, furnished him with a list that includes representatives of almost every family resident in the neighborhood.

The Garrison Band will parade in Devon street this evening. The artistic work embodied in the illuminated address presented to His Excellency the Governor on Thursday was executed by Mr. Benoni White, of the staff of the Hooker Printing Co. At a meeting of ratepayers at Gis- , borne last night a resolution was carried I unanimously in favor of rating on the | unimproved value, and a poll on the i question will be taken on Thursday. | "Ratepayer" writes to suggest that the Borough Council should arrange to utilise the spoil from the Good Templars' Hall site to reduce the steep gradient in Carrington road near by. A visitor who makes a close inspection of the oil works and gets near the drills when at work is lucky if he escapes without damage to his clothes. Lord Islington was no exception, oil from No. 3 bespattering his trousers. "Between oil and butter-fat, Sir j Joseph," observed the Mayor of New Plymouth at the oil wells yesterday—"You should be as slippery as eels!" hastily added the Premier, amid great merriment. "I'm afraid some of us are!" ejaculated Mr. Tisch. The accompaniments at Thursday night's concert were played by Miss Clarice Douglas for the Liederkranz and Liedertafel; by Miss Chong in Mrs. Wilkes' vocal items, and by Miss M. Evans, who accompanied Mr. T. Woodard. The remainder of the accompaniments were played by Miss Clarice Douglas. At Kaponga, yesterday, the Premier was informed that there were several deputations anxious to meet him. Sir Joseph replied that this was a good sign, for it showed that when people wanted things to be done or improved the place was progressing. He was glad to meet deputations and to know of their needs. Mrs. Winston Churchill appeared as a Free Trade speaker during her husband's campaign in Dundee. Addressing a meeting of women workers, she said: "Everything depends on this election. If we lose, the clock will be set back many years for all the causes which we have at heart. But if we win! It seems too good to be true! Never again will the Lords use their veto!" The public schools throughout the Taranaki Education district will resume, after the vacation, on Monday next. Parents are reminded that according to a recent amendment in the Education Act, which came into effect on January Ist, it is compulsory for children to attend every time the school i 3 opened instead of as formerly one day's absence p*r week being permissable. Bookmakers appear to do well, from a financial point of view. John Martin, a bookmaker, was fined £U)O at Hamilton (near Glasgow) Sheriff Court, and Walter Ritchie, his clerk, £25, on a charge of using offices for purposes of betting. It was stated that Martin's prolits on a recent week's transactions were £4(i(i, the figures being: Winnings of clients £3OO, and losses of clients £842. The gross takings at the Recreation Grounds on Thursday afternoon amounted to £lO4, which should net roughly £OO. The Pukekura Tark Board and the Recreation Sports Ground Committee divide the credit balance. This phase of the proceedings must be considered very satisfactory, especially from the point of view that the money will eventually be disbursed for the benefit of the public in improving the Park and providing recreative entertainment. Dr. Purdy, Chief Health Officer of; Tasmania, gave a singular explanation! re exterminating one pest by introduc-1 ing some other natural enemy of the pest, which itself may be a pest to human beings. He mentioned that Inspector Franklin, of the New Zealand Health j Department, after exterminating cockroaches at the Tararua Old Men's Home | at the Thames, had to re-introduce them to keep down the bugs. Thus, cockroaches especially during hot weather, may prove a blessing in disguise, as most persons would prefer them to the dreadful pest, that of bugs, which in a dwelling are apt to render life almost unendurable.

In the course of his, address at New Plymouth last night the Premier said that within a few days complete specimens, plans, and speciftcations for workers' homes would be issued free of charge. There were eighteen different types planned, the cost varying from £IOO to £750, according to size. This would do very much to improve the type of workers' homes, and at the same time would give the Department better security for its loans. Iu connection with loans to local bodies, £195,000 was the amount dealt with at the last meeting of the board, while the total amount so lent since the Department started had been £1,552,190. One frequently sees suspended in a drawing-room disused electric light bulbs decorated out in the form ot miniature balloons. Ladies who handle these bulbs should do so with great care. Should the bulb be allowed to knock against anything solid, the glass is almost sure to fly into myriads of particles, extremely dangerous to the eyesight. Yesterday a local lady was ornamenting a large-sized bulb, when it slipped. There was a loud report, and the bulb was scattered to fragments. Several pieces of glass struck her on the face, inflicting little cuts, and a quantity went into her eyeß. Fortunately a doctor was handy, and after a couple oi hours' careful searching removed the glass from the eyes and face. It is a marvel that the eyesight was not destroyed, as several particles pierced the eyeballs. Stratford does not look very beautiful to the newly arrived passenger by rail, the platform enabling him to look on the back-yards and lean-to projec-1 tions of numerous business premises. I This was discussed by a deputation to the j Premier yesterday. A r arious remedies ! had been sugested, one, it was stated, j being to the effect that shrubs and! trees be planted, so as in time to wipe out the present background. Unfor-| tunately there was. an uncertainty as | to what the Department proposed doing) in regard to the railway station, and iul would be useless planting shrubs this year to have them pulled up'next. It I was asked, without in any way desiring' to encroach on the Department's plans, j i that some hint be given as to what is to be done. Sir Joseph Ward said he did not know, but would refer the matter to the Minister of Railways. The amiability and warm hcai-teilne** of His Excellency the Governor has, we have already pointed out, won the hearts of the people during his short visit to Xew Plymouth, and here is another instance, yet unrecorded, of the innate soul of Lord Islington that distinguishes a man and a brother. The incident occurred at the unveiling ceremony of the South African memorial on Marsland Hill. Some half a dozen lady j folk, the relatives of the departed! troopers whose memories were being re-1 vered, were standing close to the dais after the formal introductions had been concluded, when the situation was observed by His Excellency, who immediately asked that the ladies occupy the I seats upon the platform with him. The I sense of honor conferred upon the ladies will linger long as a pleasant memory, of the Sovereign's representative while in New Plymouth.

A correspondent of the Westminster Gazette tells this curious story of a double dream: ''l had an uncle and an aunt, both of whom were extremely portly. One night they both dreamed at the same time that they were in a shipwreck, and that they swarmed up a mast for safety. And both awoke to find themselves half-way up respective pillars of the four-posted bed in which they were sleeping. The picture of this stout colonel and his wife thus situated has often since occupied my mental vision with delight." A unique curio was picked up accidentally on the beach at Colac Kay a few days ago by Mr. J. Crawford, bootmaker, of Invercargill. lie was .strolling along the beach when he observed a piece of grey-greenstone in the exact formation of a human foot. The stone measured 4-VSsia long by about l"/ 2 in wide, and the sole could not have been more perfectly modelled, every feature of the foot being in exact proportion. The upper portion of the stone is also an accurate replica from the toes to the instep, including a natural mark on the big toe not unlike a toe nail. The curio is perfectly smooth, having apparently been washed by the action of the waves for years. In connection with the Australian invention for the stability of aeroplanes over which Mr. Hammond is so enthusiastic, it appears that European and American inventors have made many unsuccessful attempts to build an airship which will right itself automatically after encountering a blast of wind, ami all sorts of complex mechanism have been inefl'ec--1 tually used. At present the aviator has i to remedy a cant by altering the movable ! planes, but in the Boomerang, the name adopted by Mr. McMullens for Ids monoplane, there is a simple attachment of wires which prevents the machine from canting when struck on one side by automatically transferring the influence of a compensating balance on to the opposite wing. Dr. Findlay was questioned at Duncdin recently in reference to the Melbourne cable message which conveyed the inti- | mation that Mr. Holman, Attorney-Gen-I eral of New South Wales, hoped as the result of conversations with Dr. Findlay to establish reciprocity regarding defaulting husbands. He stated that he had discussed the matter with Mr. Holman when he was in XeW Zealand, and he had readily expressed his willingness to endeavor to have the reciprocal legislation contemplated by the Xew Zealand Destitute Persons Act placed upon the Xew South Wales Statute Book. The provisions of our Act at present were wholly in favor of the Australian States. They provided that husbands deserting their* wives in Australia and coming to Xew Zealand could be proceeded against here upon a certificate of judgment obtained by the wife in one or other of the Australian courts. This would enable a deserted wife in Xew South Wales to take proceedings there against her husband who had deserted her and come to Xew Zealand, and to obtain an order against him there without trouble or expense. The order would then be sent over and j filed in one of the courts here, and be made the basis of a judgment against the defaulting husband in Xew Zealand, unless he could show that it should not have been made in Xew South Wales. "Wc put that on our Statute Book," said Dr. Findlay, "with a view to reciprocal provisions being placed in the Statute Books in all the Australian States, and I have already reason to believe that these reciprocal provisions will be made at the earliest convenient time. Mr. Holman readily approved of our law."