LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 257, 9 March 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mrs. Donnelly's estate (Napier) was certified for stamp duty at £33,102. "Nothing succeeds like advertising; it is as much a necessity to the business of to-day as is food to the human body.''— Mr. T. M. Sleigh, at Edinburgh. Mr. J. Dunlop, of the Scotch Commission of Agricultural Experts, < is to be one of the judges at the Royal Agricultural Show at Sydney. Taumarunui natives have refused the Government's offer of 17s (Id and 22s Od an acre for a block of 17,500 acres, and propose to lease it to a syndicate. The Ngacre School holds its annua! outing to-day at the Breakwater. The picnickers will be conveyed to the port by train at 10.45 after the arrival of the ordinary morning train. New York is shortly to have a hotel for suitors, the first of its kind in the world. The cost of the institution will be about £150,000, and American millionaires are contributing liberally.

A New Plymouth man experienced u great shock the other evening. He had occasion to put his hand in an envelope box, and, instead of getting an envelope, he grabbed hold of something animate—a big, healthy rat! The business man fainted! To conform with the recent amend ment to the Shops and Offices Act,'the grocers of New Plymouth announce thai on and after Monday next they will close their respective places of business every evening at 6 o'clock, Saturday* excepted. The annua] sports of the New -Ply mouth High School will be held at the; school grounds to-day. The sports will commence at 10.30. Good entries hava been received for the various events, and the large attendance which is expected should witness some interesting sport. , The Sunday School anniversary in connection with the Wh'teley Church is. to be celebrated on, Sunday next, Die preacher being the Rev. C. C. Harrison, of Stratford. A feature of the services will be the special selections by the scholars. This year the management have been most fortunate in their choice and a very profitable time may bi' looked for.

; The negotiations for ,the- sale of Lan caster Park to the Christehurch City Council are likely to be pushed ahead, sportsmen being strongly of opinion that the council is the proper body to have control. The Canterbury Cricket Association, which owns the park, owes £IO,OOO, and the council is only offering £BOOO, but it is considered probable thai the parties will come to terms. ' The Supreme Court sitting was continued yesterday. In the Douglas shooting case George Gedge was convicted, and ordered to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for two years, the costf of the prosecution, £.15 15s 4d, to be paid in monthly instalments of £l, recognisances for his good behaviour being forthcoming. The cases of Lewis John Pepperell (who pleaded not guilty to three charges of carnally knowing a girl under the age of sixteen years, the girl being ill and unable to appear), andAlbert Edward Madgwick (charged with cattle-stealing near Rnhotu, and who is at present too ill to appear, being confined in the New Plymouth hospital), were adjourned until the June sessions. Two petitions for divorce were dealt with, in both cases the decree nisi being affirmed. ' The will, case of Benjamin Gray, Okato, was heard at length, and will be continued this morning. Two motions for discharge in bankruptcy were agreed to. Our report of the proceedings at the sitting yesterday appears on pages two and throe of this issue.

The Rev. D. C. Bates, Dominion Meteorologist, has returned to Wellington from a visit of inspection of the southern weather stations. He visited most of the chief stations between Lytteltou and Bluff, also Qiicenstown, and then went through Central Otago. Mr. Bates passed over the ranges by the Bealey, and inspected the stations at Hokitikn, Oreymouth, and Westport. lie found the country extremely dry in Central Otago, but Canterbury bad perhaps suffered less than other places. The West Coast impressed him very much'in regard to resources, scenery and general progress. During his visit south the value of the meteorological observations was frequently brought under his notice. Mr. Bates was pleased to hear the appreciation that was expressed of the work the Meteorological Office is doing. He leaves shortly on a similar visit of inspection of the North Island stations. "I am watching with interest the developments of wireless telegraphy niul its assistance to the weather bureau." says Mr. Bates. "Already some experiments have been carried out with a number of steamers coming to New Zealand and they now report, when it is convenient, their wireless weather communications from other vessels in these seas, especially the warships. AVhen the New Zealand high-power stations arc established we will have regular reports from ships travelling between Australia and New Zealand and the islands, and these will undoubtedly be a valuable factor in determining our weather fore casts."

A PERSONAL NOTE. TO THE READERS OF THIS PARAGRAPH. We want to get right into the pros ence of each individual reader of our advertisements, just, as closely in personal touch as possible. We want .you, madam or sir, to know that onr effort is to reach you personally just as if a letter were typewritten and mailed to your home. We are selling such a lot of pood merchandise at bargain prices that" we want to impress you with your shopping opportunities. You must'come in and buy all the soft goods and ready-to-wear apparel that you require for proacnt and future needs. The inducement is one you can hardly resist—prices thatare down to the most sensational bar-gain-giving point. There will never lie a better shopping time than this. Will you come? MELBOURNE CLOTIIINO CO.

Stratford Hospital Hoard is about Ix> erect an infectious diseases ward in connection with the institution.

Twenty-four young Swiss will arrive in Kaponga next mouth. Another batch is coining out in August next. The tender of Messrs. Campbell and Bourke, Wellington (£17,81)4), has been accepted for the erection of the new Sacred Heart Convent on St. John's Hill, Wanganui. Plumbers are said to be making a fortune in Duncdin just now, there being a big rush to connect houses with the drainage system, and thus the artisans are able to pick and choose their jobs. Some of the charges sent in are causing anathemas in certain households. It is understood that the Marconi Co. will later proceed either against the New Zealand Government or the Australasian Wireless Company, or both, in connection with the setting up of wireless stations in New Zealand, on the ground of alleged infringement of patent rights.—Dominion. The Revs. Butler and Houchen are setting an example to all church workers which is worthy of emulation (says the Stratford Post). They apparently arc vigorous advocates of the principle of personal service; and on Tuesday they were to be seen, covered with paint, painting the roof of the Church of England, the roof having not previously been painted. At Monday's meeting of the Patea Harbor Board a committee was set up to enquire about the purchase of a dredge. It was stated that at the present time the river was workable only ten days out of fourteen, that it was no use going on with the construction of the breakwater if the ships could not get up the river, and that the port must be kept open at all costs. A Te Aroha tailor gave his employees a' half-holiday on Wednesday, as other local tradesmen did, instead of on Saturday, as provided in the award. For that he was fined ss. For keeping a weekly record of overtime, instead of a daily one, he was fined 20s and costs. Our labor laws are becoming a serious matter to business people, who appear to never "know where they are."

It is understood that another fishing company is about to be formed for the purpose of exploiting the Chatham Islands fishing grounds. The new company, it is alleged, is to have its headquarters at Lyttelton. From all accounts, there appears to be plenty ol fish in these waters, and, no doubt, the good catches that have been made of late have attracted notice.

Perhaps few persons are aware that Edison, the noted scientist, had only three months' schooling, and his teacher did not think him a brilliant boy by any means. His mother was a clever and sensible, woman who allowed her son to educate; himself by giving him the run of a cellar as a laboratory for his chemical experiments. Edison read everything he could get hold of, and tried everything he heard of. That was his education from first to last.

A mechanic who left Feilding some months ago for South Africa has written to a friend in Palmerston stating that it is very difficult to obtain employment, while the cost of living is very high. The building trade is not brisk, and carpenters are assured that they are much better off in New Zealand. A good many who could do so have gone back to Australia and New Zealand, while many others would do so if they had the means.'

A report from San Francisco says that a maritime disaster was signalled by means of wireless on January 27. A message was received stating that the fine passenger steamer Cottage City had been wrecked at Cape Mudge, in the Seymour Narrows. The cthergrams. continuing, told that the passengers and erew had.been saved. After that came the brief but eloquent message, "Goodbye!" The Cottage City was a 2000-ton ?teamer in the Orient-Vancouver service. She left' Seattle on the morning of January 27 for Alaska, with a big passenger list and heavily loaded with mcrchandiAC.

■ A preacher once said. "Editors dare not tell the truth. If you did, you could not live. Your newspaper would lie a failure." The editor replied, "You are right, and the minister who will at all times tell the truth about the church members, alive or dead, will not occupy the pulpit more than one Sunday, and he will find it necessary to leave' town in :i hurry. The press and pulpit go hand in hand with whitewash brush and kind words, magnifying little virtues into big ones." And the minister went away looking very thoughtful, while the editor turned to his work, telling about the unsurpassed beauty of the bride, while, as A matter of fact, she was as ugly as a mud fence.

Few serious surgical operations have been performed under such remarkable circumstances and in the face of such difficulties as one that was successfully carried out one day last month at the little English railway station of Earlostown, near Warrington, Lancashire. A passenger from Warrington fell between the station platform and a moving train in the early morning. The train was immediately stopped, but the man was found to be wedged in such a fashion that it was impossible to extricate him. A medical man was hastily summoned, .\m\ ho decided that the only possible method of extricating the man and saving his life was by amputating one of his legs. Instruments were brought, and preparations for the operations were bes,un. There was little light, and a riiig of porters stood around holding dim sta"tion lamps, while other persons struck matches to assist the surgeon. It was found impossible even to give the sufferer chloroform, and he remained conscious throughout the operation. His fortitude under these circumstances was admirable. In spite of the cramped posltion in which the surgeon was compelled to work and the lack of light and appliances, the amputation was quickly and successfully finished, and the man was removed to the hospital.

A San Francisco message of January '] says:—Another sensational iiistnne'o of the immense value of wireless as a means of savin? life in the event of marine disaster has just been reported. Soon after leaving battle yesterday the steamer Queen was found to he on fire flip, flames were then confined to the forward hold, hut they soon spread, and ocfore long got beyond control. The Queen was, fortunately, equipped with wireless, and urgent calls for help were made when the (ire began to get out of hand The calls were picked up at Seattle, and powerful tugs, with fireighting appliances, were rushed out to 'he burning ship. There were ninety passengers aboard the vessel, and their position was becoming desperate when the rescue boats arrived. The whole of them were quickly transferred to one of (he tugs, without accident, and taken hack to port. Meantime the work of fighting the fire on the Queen was proceeding vigorously. It was a terrific light, for the names had got a big hold on the cargo. Eventually the hiigc'quan(ities of water poured into the burning ship had the effect of drowning the lla-mes. The Queen was safelv towed Hack to poi-1. Jt is feared lhat the greater part of Ihe cargo has been destroyed. The steamer also Pilfered "real damage.