LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 226, 30 January 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There is good news for wool-growers in this morning's cabled report of the London wool sale*. The Breakwater, New Plymouth, is to be the rendezvous of the annual picnic of the Eltham School on Fcburary 23. There is a record number of entries for the Feilding Show, which is to be held on Fcburary 7 and 8, and everything points to a very successful show. Burglars entered the premises of the Manawatu Club, at Palmerston North, and got away with the contents of cashboxes totalling between £25 and £3O in cash. The Hawera branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants is in favor of federating with outside labor associations. The resolution i 3 to be dealt with at the conference in February.

A peculiar growth was shown us recently by Mr. F. Hawkins, of Smart road, in the form of a Russian pea plant. The bottom portion is the regular pea, which is in flower, but the tops are those of the wild turnip. The police are appealing against the decision of the Magistrate in dismissing an information against Westport publicans for selling liquor on December 20. The appeal will be heard in the Supreme Court at Westport in March, Under the heading of ''Welcome news for Woodville," the Examiner states on good authority that S. Bolton intends cutting up his Broom-fields and Nikau estates into forty dairy farms. Another effect of the graduated land tax.

The Prime Minister was unable to receive deputations which intended waiting upon him on Friday owing to the limited time at his disposal. Among the matters which it was desired to bring to his notice were the compulsory universal Saturday half-holiday, . the local police administration, and the case of Captain Mills. Good progress is being made with the Whangamomona railway tunnel, and at the present rate of procedure the drive will probably be completed in about four months. Breaking down, blocking and concreting is progressing satisfactorily, but it will be some twelve months before the road will be ready for the laying of the rails.—Post.

The Polynesian Society, which has its headquarters in New Plymouth, has been in existence for 19 years, and has published a volume of its proceedings every year. These volumes contain a considerable 'amount of original and valuable information relating to the early history of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The Society is about to bring out in book form the early history of Taranaki and the West Coast of New Zealand, which has been running through the journal for some time past.

At the conclusion of the annual meeting of the council of the Polynesian Society to-morrow evening, the president, Mr. S. Percy Smith, F.R.G.S., will read a paper on "The original discovery of New Zealand about the tenth century by the great Polynesian navigator Kupe." The business meeting will bis held in the Council Chambers, Town Hall, at 7.30, and the paper will be taken at 8.15 p.m. We have been requested by the council of the fiociety to state that the public are cordially invited to be present. Once again we have to refer to the wretched accommodation provided for reporters at the Theatre Royal. Guided by past experience, a couple of the local pressmen arrived early on Friday night, ami found that no provision had been made—no chair, no tabic. The custodian of the building did what he could with a dirty, unsuitable table, and a prominent Liberal supporter when appealed to sent for another table. No one seemed to have thought of it before, but the local branch of the Liberal and Labor Federation should have .included this matter in its arrangements.

'"Sportsman" supplies the Wellington Post with an interesting description of an unusual encounter between a weasel and two quail at Titahi Bay a few days ago. He was out after rabbits, when he was surprised to observe, close to a big rotten tree-trunk lying on the ground two grown quail being chased by a weasel. The birds ran along the ground and absolutely "scorned to lly." When they had gone .some distance thenpursuer desisted and turned back towards the dog. The birds returned to the attack, and engaged the weasel separately. They apparently wanted to keep him off something, and as often as the animal turned on them the quail ran along the ground' as before. Advancing to the log, "Sportsman" found a nest of three young quail—no doubt what the weasel was after. At sight of the intruder the animal made oil' and escaped. Judging from the average brood of quail, the contributor thinks that the weasel had already consumed at least two of the young ones and that the quail were trying to save the lives of the-remainder. "Sportsman" thinks that far too much latitude has been allowed weasels, and their depredations have spoilt quailshooting badly. The young birds must have been eaten off in large numbers; often scarcely one is to be seen. "A Sport" writes as follows: —I must inform you that Omata,\after all the Maori war.s of of) years ago, as we read, was the other evening again chosen for a similar purpose, namely, fight, instead of war, but this time it was between two cow men, one whey-fed and the other skim-niilk-reared from birth. The date had been fixed, also the hour; the chosen spot was the school ground, which had been previously inspected by the sports, who were to see fair play and make a ring and allow plenty of fresh air to reach both. T almost forgot to state why Mr. Whey and Mr. Skim-milk were not on the best of term. As you may guess, a woman was at the bottom of it, as usual. Both wanted the same girl, so Mr. Skim-milk said to Mr. Whey in angry tones that he would throw him through a window, and Mr. U hey said he would take it out of his hide, and took on the challenge to light to a finish. At the appointed hour the two turned up, and Mr. .Skim-milk, with nice white bools and plcnffv of pull" and froth, said be was lit and well; Mr. Whey, calm and collected, not even sour, and with only a singlet on, looked also well and lit. but, lo! at the last minute Mr. Skim-milk forgot to call for his letters, and asked to be excused for a moment. Some say he .skipped home to bed. The Omata chat is now that Mrs. Whey would linve knocked butter out of Mr. Skim-milk in live minutes with his beaters, but he could not race along a dusty road, especially after Mr. Skim-milk gave all hands the slip.

The Garrison Band played a very fine programme of music to an appreciative gathering at the Western Park yesterday afternoon.

At the local Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning, . before Mr. H. S. Fitzherbert, S.M., a" first offending inebriate was convicted and discharged.

What is reported as a narrow escape from drowning occurred at the East End beach yesterday, when "Puckie" Steele had an attack of cramp while in the. water. Fortunately the bather managed to reach the shore before being placed liors de combat.

A noiseless typewriter is about to be put on the American and English markets by Mr. W. P. Kidder, of Boston, the inventor of the Kidder self-feeding printin» press. The principle is that the printing is doiiie by pressure and not by a hammer blow. The roller of the ordinary typewriter is used in the invention only to guide the paper. It does not serve as a backstop for the type. This work is done by a narrow band of steel. The type delivers a forward stroke, and is held rigidly in place before the paper by a locking apparatus, while a pressure of about sewn pounds is delivered by a to Sg le jwnt arrangement. Only a slight touch on the keyboard is necessary to bring this about. The carriage is made noiseless by the use of ball bearings, by cushion stops, and by th» elimination of the cog. The machine is as speedy and as handy as an ordinary typewriter. A company with a capital of £275,01)0 preference shares and 225,000 ordinary shares 'is now being formed by private subscription in England,' and a factory will be erected shortly near Birmingham to supply the English market. Canadian capitalists are extensively interested in the invention.

Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (First and Second Groups) arc 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 D p.m.— Advt.