LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 268, 22 March 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a meeting of the New Plymouth Employers' Association held on Monday it was resolved that the general opinion gf jtliS Association hp» Hut, a'hni , «<i».. March 30, should be observed as Anniversary Day, in lieu of Friday, March

Good progress is being made with the election oi the Rahotu post office, which is expected to be completed early in April. In reply to a deputation at Rahotu, the Hon. .lames Carroll. Actiii"Prcmier, stated that the Hon.' T. Mackenzie would probably visit the district and perlorm the opening ceremony.

-Messrs. J. l)e Castro and E. Larking met with a nasty trap accident ncai Okato on Sunday evening. They were driving from Rahotu, when the horse shied and sapsized the trap, throwing the occupants on to the road. Mr. Do Castro broke three ribs, and sustained a fractured wrist, whilst Mr. Larking had one of the bones in his arm splintered. *

Yesterday, a couple of bananas grown at Mr. J. Avery's residence on the Avenue road. New Plymouth, were brought to this office. Though small, the fruit was full-flavored. The tree, which is about six years old, is growing in a fairly sheltered position, and has several bunches of fruit. It lias been bearing in previous seasons, but this is the first occasion—due probably to the excessive dryness—on which the fruit has ripened. l-nder the new harbor franchise, Eltham, Stratford, and Inglewood form a combined district, and have the electing of one representative. The representative at the southern end at present is Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, whom the Eltham paper suggests should be supported by the towns named at the forthcoming election. It says: "He is' a very large importer, a man of keen business instincts, has financial knowledge, is a strong supporter of the deep-water harbor, and is imbued with progressive ideas generally. He has already done good service; on the board, and it would be a grateful compliment to him if Eltham. Stratford anil Inglewood could see their way to unite in supporting his candidature in the forthcoming clee> tion." Major F. W. Sandtord, reporting to the Edueaiion Hoard last night on the No. 1 Battalion of Junior Cadets for the past twelve itioitihs said the detail work done by the officers and cadets was well shown on the battalion parades held. He regretted that all the rifles on issue had been called in, and that all shooting exeept on the miniature range was done awav with. This would mean that at many of the smaller schools no shooting of any kind would be taught. A new feature of the work was the holding of schools of instruction for officers, and this be hoped would be the means of greatly improving the knowledge and increasing the efficiency in the officers, non-commissioned officers, and scouts. Under th.* new regulations the number of cadets and scouts would be greatly increased, and they would have the benefit of an occasional visit from one of the sergeant-instructors, The report was adopted.

Tha quality of the oysters received from the Bluff this season is said to be inferior. A total of 83 cars will lie in use on the Wellington and submban tramlines ut an early date.

Five thousand cases of Nelnoti apples were .shipped for Loudon by the iiimutaka on Thursday. There was a smart shower of rain down the coast yesterday morning. little rain fell locally.

The Taranaki Education Board offices will observe the half-holiday on Saturdays in future instead of Thursdays. The Brindisi mail which was despatched from Wellington on February 10 arrived in London on the night of March 17. Tile large laundry which is being erected by the I'nion Steamship Company at Evans' Bay, Wellington, is Hearing completion.

Timaru reports that the countryside is parched, and it is feared that rain will be too late now to do much good, as frosts are sure to follow the present hot weather. In some parts of the district settlers have to cart water.

A local gentleman has received advice that Dolores' opening concert in Wellington was received with remarkable enthusiasm. The house was packed to overflowing. Dolores will give one concert at New Plymouth on April 3rd. Nightly a lamp twinkles from Beacon Hill, Wellington, and Morse talk is flashed far over the sea. The record so far is a conversation acro-s a gap of 12 miles, between the signal station and the (lovernment steamer Tutanekai. Men of the mercantile marine are quickly becoming prolicient in the dot-and-dash ing, but they are still some way behind the expert operators of the warships. , A Dunedin Star reporter yesterday was shown some Oaniaru potatoes fairly riddled by a grub now ravaging the North Otago district. These potatoes came in a live-truck consignment by rail to Dunedin, and are now lying at one of the railway sheds. They were orig-, inally packed to be shipped in centals' to Rio de Janeiro, but were condemned for shipment, and ultimately found their way to Dunedin. THe grab is very active, and is white with black head. Specimens with their cocoons have been forwarded to Mr. T. W. Kirk. The Oaonui School retains for another year the Tisch Shield, which is presented to the school gaining the highest number of marks for best kept grounds, premises, etc. Oaonui tied with Inglewood and Pihama for first place, and, as they already held the shield, the inspector's recommendation that they retain it for another year was adopted at the Board's meeting last night. Tht following were the twelve highest on the list: Oaonui, Inglewood and Pihama, 105 marks; Korito and Marco 103: Fitzrnv and Huiakama 159; Kent 157; Bird 150; Norfolk, Awatuna and Stratford, 155. At the usual weekly sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. H. S. Fitzherbert, S.M., judgment was given for plaintiff by default in the following cases: Henry A. Coborn v. Wm. D. Cox, claim £1 fls (costs ss); Hallenstein Bros. (Mr. Hutchen) v. Alfred Wooller, £1 7s G (12s). In the following judgment summons' cases orders were made as follows: R. 11. Campbell (Air. Grey) v. N. L. Campbell, claim £1 8s (no appearance of defendant); amount to be paid forthwith, or in default seven days' imprisonment; Emma Loveridge (Mr. Quilliam) v. N. L. Findlay, claim £l7 4s (no appearance of defendant); amount to be paid within fourteen days, in default fourteen days' imprisonment.

Speaking at the " Annual meeting of the Society for the Protection of Women and Children, Mr G. Uiurenson, M.P., stated that some time ago one of the pri.so.iers in Lyttelton gaol complained bitterly, against the Salvation Army being allowed to play hymns around tile gaol. The prisoner was asked the nature of his objection and said he had 110 animus against hymns as hymns, nor against the .Salvation Army as a religious organisation. What he objected to was the hymns chosen. He asked indignantly if it was a fair tiling that the prisoners watched by warders with carbines in their hands should be serenaded with the strains of ''While Gentle Agnes Guard thy Bed." He further complained that the Army sang I a hvinn to the tune of ''Home, Sweet Ilo ™ e -\.r- I

me Arbitration Court will sit in Xew Plymouth on Tuesday next, 28th inst. The only business before the Court is the case of Sidney St. John Lidiard, at present residing in Wellington, against Frederick Iredalc, of Awakino, a claim under the Workers' Compensation Act. The plaintiff alleges that in consequence of an accident sustained at Marakopa in October, 1900, ho being then master of the s.s. Pitoitoi, he has become incurably blind. He claims' £r>oo compensation accordingly. The evidence oi Dr. Liiulo Ferguson lias already been taken by commission on behalf of plaintiff at Dunedin, and other evidence is being taken at Wellington by both parties. Mr. P. .J. O'Jtegan, of Wellington, is to appear for plaintiff, while Messrs. Weston and Weston, of New Plymouth, are acting for the defendant. The hearing of the case is expected to last the entire day.

An axeman who travelled some miles to compete at a sports meeting down the coast last week returned home disgusted with at least one of his opponents. He had with him his own pet axes, beautifully ground to a winkingly bright surface, to suit his own particular cut. As usual with chopping men, he loved those tools, and felt quite at sea without them. Some of his opponents realised this, for when he went to get them, they were missing, lie made the best of the situation, however, with an axe kindly lent by a sympathetic timber-hewer, and succeeded in winning the event. The loss ot the weapons was placed in the hands of the police, but they turned up next morning on the verandah of the hotel lie was staying at. They had not been stolen, only removed temporarily, apparently to handicap the owner out of the event, an action that all true sports will look on with contempt.