LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 246, 23 February 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sand-flies are unusually troublesome in some parts «f New Plymouth at the present time. A number of American visitors to the Dominion arrived in Wellington yesterday by the Corinthic. > The referees and umpire in the labor trouble at Patea commence their deliberations at Pa tea to-day. The courts of the Park Tennis Club will be open as usual to-day, the grounds committee haying decided against a temporary closing. On Sunday last, Mr. Barnard, Stratford, created a mountain-climbing record, going from the East Mountain House to the top of the mountain and back in three hours and a half.

The Public Trustee hag forwarded to the Education Board a statement of accounts in connection with the Taranaki scholarships, showing a credit balance of £BB2O 15s 2d, with an estimated net income of £902 15s Sd.

Stratford Borough Council is considering the advisableness of raising a loan of about £IO,OOO for genera) town improvements. Committees have been set up to report upon requirements in various portions of the borough. The council of the Taranaki Chamber .of Commerce yesterday appointed a committee, at the suggestion of the General manager of Railways, to draft an improved time-table for train's running to and from New Plymouth, owing to ,tht> very frequent complaints of the inconvenience of the present service. At a meeting of the Wellington Harbor Board on Tuesday it was decided that in accordance with the powers, conferred by section 23 of the Harbors Amendment Act, the chairman be granted an allowance of £2OO per annum as from January 1, 1911. The chairman, Mr. R. Fletcher, expressed his thanks, but said he had not yet made up his mind whether he would accept payment. His inclination was to leave it alone.

An anomaly that was referred to in strong terms of disapproval was disclosed at the annual meeting of the Taranaki Rifle Association last evening. It was pointed out that whereas free passes on the railway were issued to competitors from Auckland, from other centres the privilege was available for only 100 miles. Several speakers spoke on the question, and it was resolved that representation be made to the Minister of Defence in the direction of getting passes issued to all rifle meetings over any distance. One of a party of three Hawera residents had an unfortunate experience at Mount Egmont last week end (says.the Star). Starting from Dawson Falls House they took the route to the old Stratford House, and made the ascent from that direction. When descending from the summit towards Fantham's Peak, this member of the party somehow lost his footing, and the descent of the next six hundred feet was accomplished in quite record time. Fortunately the incident was not attended with any very serious results. Judging by the enthusiasm of members at the annual meeting last evening, new iifo seems to have been infused into the affairs of the Rifle Association. The following resolution, moved by Lieut. Willis and seconded by Lieut. Turner, was carried unanimously: "That this meeting expresses the hope thai every member of the council wHI regard himself as representative of the association in his district, and will put forth every effort to make next year's, rifle meeting an unqualified success by 'collecting funds and trophies and inducing others to become members of the association."

"Sportsmen" are thus dealt with by the Te Kiwi correspondent of the Ha*wera Star:—Picons this year are fairly numerous, but I am .sorry to say that many so-called sports arc shooting them. They oft complain of the scarcity, yet while the old birds are rearing young they will not leave their guns home! As for ducks, they have been breeding well this year in the bush, yet they do not receive all the protection that the law wants. The trout, too, find many friends seeking them, and from off the highways one notices the gas lamps moving along the river, presumably for eels. Never will game be plentiful when poaching and shooting out of ■season are rried on.

A woman named Gilmour was charged ,at the Police Court, Inglcwood, yesterday with keeping a child over five days contrary to the provisions of the Infants Act. Defendant pleaded guilty of the action, but was ignorant of there being any law against it. She had kept the child since September, and had taken every earc of it. Mrs. Kemp, Inspeetoress of homes, inspected the place and the child and called Mrs. Gilmour's attention to the necessity for registration, which Mrs. Gilmour positively refused to do. The Magistrate recorded a conviction and ordered defendant to at once hand the child over to its mother and pay Mrs. Kemp's expenses (6s (Jd).--Record.

When George Gedgc. a Toko farmer, appeared at the Stratford Police Conn on Monday afternoon, before Mr. C. D. Sole, J.P., charged with having on February 17 wounded one Lionel Kirkbv by discharging a lirearm, Mr. Stanford applied for bail, and asked that it should not be made too heavy, says the Post. Accused was very well known in the district. The Bench said the bail would need to be fairly heavy. The offence was a serious one—it amounted practically to a charge of attempted murder. Bail would be fixed in two. sureties of £2OO and accused's own recognisance of £IOO. Rail was not forthcoming, and Gedgc was taken up to New Plymouth.

At the annual meeting of the Taranaki Rifle Association last evening a member asked if it were not possible to do something for Captain Mills, who is "till "under arrest" for alleged breach of discipline. "Can't we get up a petition to send in to the Department," said the speaker, "or do something to finish up the matter? And if he is .guilty let them put him out, or if he not guilty let them reinstate him/ VVhile the meeting throughout the evening showed a very kindly feeling towards Captain Mills, electing him a life member and also being unanimously desirous of appointing him their treasurer, no definite line of action was determined upon in answer to the query Aforesaid. In applying to the Education Board for the establishment of a new school at the Skinner road gravel pit, for the benefit of 22 children, nine parents who are employed at the pit pointed out that the nearest school was four miles away by rail, but there were no suitable trains, either ballast, or passenger. They had no legal outlet. The Public Works Department would find half an acre of ground and also provide timber for a building 2-1 ft by 12ft. if the parents would erect it. This they were willing to do if the Hoard would provide a teacher anil furniture. The petition stated (.hut the Department, said they would lie working that ballast pit for at least; three venv>.- The matter was referred to the Chief Inspector to report to Hie chairman, who will make the necessary application to the Department. I

At the S.M. Court at Inglewood yesterday, the police charged men named O'Dowd and Vercoe for bciirg unlawfully on the premises of the Railway Hotel on Sunday, Ist January, each being lined 5s and costs 10s. A largu number of settlers were proceeded against by the Inspector of Wt'edtj, and fines of varying amounts were imposed.

One witness declared in a case at Christchurch recently, that a motorcar ran over one dog. A second witness declared that tlic car ran over two dogs, and a third swore.that it ran over three. Yet these seemingly inconsistent statements were all trire, for the motorist admitted that there were six dogs on the road, and that he had run over them all.

At a recent inquest in London on the body of William Crockett, 7!) years of age, the evidence of Dr Wright, who I made the autopsy, was that deceased j had a cancer, about the size of a walnut on his heart. He had never met with a ease like this befare, and the coroner said it was the first time in his experience that a case of cancer on 'the heart had been proved to exist. A vigorous crusade against rats was strongly urged by Mr. W. J. Napier at a meeting of the Auckland Harbor Hoard. He said that with the constant traffic to •Japan and other ports in the East, it was improbable that the outbreak o! plague would be confined to Asia, and the utmost vigilance was necessary in order to guard against the possibility of infection. Rats, also, be said, caused enormous damage to cargo and stores. There was an epidemic of weddings at Gisborne the other day, no fewer than seven of these interesting functions taking place. This unusual rush to get married was nearly responsible for a serious matrimonial tangle. Two of the weddings were appointed for one particular church, one being set down for 2.30 and the other for throe o'clock, in the first instance the bride was somewhat late, 'and the second bride arrived on the scene before the first wedding had been performed. There was som.e confusion, and as a result bride Xo. 2 was very nearly married to bridegroom No. 1. Happily the error was discovered in good tjme to avoid possible complications, and the ceremonies proceeded without further hitch.

With regard to the application of the settlers at VVaitaanga iu the Auckland Education district for the establishment of a school, Mr. W. A. Ballantync, inspector, reported to the Taranaki Education Board yesterday that there were at present seven or eight children in the district ready to attend a school if established, and as the settlers were willing to erect a suitable temporary building at their own expense and arrangements could be made with a daughter of one of the settlers to take charge of the school, he recommended that a school, be established.—lt was resobyed that application be made to the -Department for the establishment of a school.

Nine whales—all "right" whales—was the extent,. ; pf the catch of the Hcbberley-Norton-Jacfcson party of. ten at Campbell Island last season., -In conversation with a Southland News reporter on Monday, the returning members said that they had brought, with them in the schooner Huanui a ton and a-half of whalebone, and that commodity had puch a high commercial value that the syndicate finished up the season, therefore, with a handsome profit in hand. In addition to this, they brought over their annual clip of 110 bales of wool. There are now some 7000 sheep on the island, and they came through a very boisterous winter without mishap. The party will return to Campbell Island in April to commence the 1011 whaling season. In the Japanese capita! there are 538 poor men's ' hotels. The north-east oi the capital is where the greatest number is to be found. In these inns the traveller is lodged in a room with a superficial area of three feet by six. li the traveller be better oh" and"requires .more cubic fc.et of air lie can obtain an apartment the same length, but double the breadth, and if he be more fastidious he can have the luxury of an apartment six feet by nine feet. The 16west cost of a night's lodging is eight sen. In some parts of Japan the lodgings at poor men's inns can he obtained for 5 sen (about a penny). There is a reduction on the 8 sen inn if the room or cubicle be engaged for two nights. 'JJhis class of room is furnished with wool coverlet; for 10 sen at second coverlet is to be had, iucludiiig the room with an area of 30 feet; and if the best class of sleeping partment be engaged thecosi is 25 sen, or about ad. It seems that three travellers, if they wish to keep tu themselves, can hire this latter class oi apartment. The patrons of these inns for the most part belong to the laboring ! classes.

Two young fellows named Kawaon Stark and Stanton Hicks, of Dunedin, and at present on a visit toPntea, have (says the local Press) constructed an experimental wireless telegraph set from a lot of old junk and unconsidered trifles, picked up chiefly from odd corners in a lumber room. Tliey brought absolutely nothing with them, lint their practical .knowledge of the science enabled them to rig up a simple wireless telegraph outfit with which Mr. Bonner was able recently to send and receive wireless messages, from Iris workshop into his house, with perfect distinctness. By means of the apparatus thus placed at his disposal, Mr. Rennet' (the Postmaster) has been enabled to achieve the distinction of being (he first to send and receive wireless telegrams in Taramaki. Though essentially a scientific toy, its working principle is practically the same as that on the biggest ocean liner. Though at present only used over a distance of about "rflft., its range could be extended about a mile in radius, and by its means any telegraph operator could learn in a lew minutes to send, or receive messages by it. Messrs, Stark and Hicks, continues the Press, have been engaged in the study of wireless phenomena for some years past. About 2'/ 2 years ago, when' lads of 17 and 10 years respectively, they achieved the distinction of being the first to transit messages to land from land stations in New Zealand. On that occasion it was done at Dunedin by means of instruments made by themselves, and the messages were .sent and received over a distance of about five miles. The demonstration was supervised by telegraph officials acting under instructions from the Postmaster General, by whose courteous permission the function was held.

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