LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 58, 28 August 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A full report of the lighting speech delivered by Sir Joseph Ward at Well lington on Friday is published on our\ third page. Delays in legal processes at Christ-) church will shortly be the subject of representations to the Justice Deparfj ment. The Supreme Court is unable to take all the ease.* at present awaiting hearing, and the judge will be away from September 2 till November. An inmate of the Old People's Home, one who was not really qualified to enter the institution, but who was admitted by the Board owing to, her bed-ridden and destitute condition, died on Saturday. She was a comparatively young woman, only 28 years, and death came as a release from years of suffering. A special telegram from Wellington to the Daily News save that a deputation from the New Plymouth Borough Council, consisting of Mesrs. J. Clarke, J. C. Morey, and 11. Stocker, waited on the Hoin. J. A. Millar on Saturday re the land in Loach street until recently occupied by the railway, and about which some dispute has arisen. The Minister gave a. non-committal reoly. As far as is known, roli'r skates made their first appearance at the latter end of the eighteenth century. A kind of wheelskate seems to have been used on the brick-paved roads of Holland more than 150 years ago, and a musical instrument instrument maker, named Merlin, appears to have been the first to exhibit these contrivances in England. The real roller-skate, as we know it now, was patented in 1863 by Mr Plimton, of New York. His weie the first roller Skates which enabled the skater to do on wheels everything that he could do on the steel blade of an ice skater.

The sneak thief was in evidence at Bell Block on Thursday evening. Two New Plymouth residents hired a gig from ■a, local staMe-keepcr for the purpose of attending the social.' The pip; was placed in the yard at the back of the hail, and when ready for the homeward journey the rug was found to he missing. We are informed that this is not the first occasion on which articles have 'been deliberately taken, but on this occasion, however, the person is known, and it would be well for him to communicate with the owner (the name of whom is on the rug), or leave same care of this office, when we will undertake to restore it to its rightful owner. There it a popular idea that deserts like the Sahara are the bottoms of ancient seas which have been lifted above the original elevation by geological forces. This notion is an erroneous one. It is alxsolutely certain, high authorities contend, that the c ands of all the great deserts.have been formed on the spot by the disintegration of the solid rock on which they rest. Desert sands correspond in all respects so far as their mode of origin is concerned, to the dust and sand that accumulates on our high roads in summer. All deserts are situated where the winds from the ocean, before reaching them, are exhausted of their moisture by passing over mountains or across extensive tracts of land.

' "Is this the X«w Plymouth Borough Council Chamber?" asked the Eltham delegate to Saturday's meeting of dairy company representatives before the business was commenced. Mr. Arthur Morton, the chairman, answered in the affirmative. "A bit out of date, isn't it," continued Mr. Hodgson. The answer was to the effect that this wfts the court room forty years ago, and had not been remodelled. Mr. Connett chimed in that he remembered an incident that occurred in this room forty years ago. A lawyer named Cudd rose to speak, and somebody called out "Sit down and chew your oud." That settled the lawyer. The room in question is part of the Town Hall, which was formerly used as the Provincial Council Chambers before the abolition of the provinces. The results achieved in Victoria by scientific research and exhaustive field tests in the development of the sugar beet plant with a view of producing the maximum sacchariferous contents have encouraged the hope that that State will ultimately be able to supply her own sugar market. From Germany the Victorian Department of Agriculture has ordered several tons of the highest grade of sugar beet seed, which arrived in Melbourne last week. This will enable growers to cultivate with greater advantage to themselves, and will render operations at the State factory at Maffra more profitable. Saceharometcr tests show that a sugar content of Hi per cent, is now attainable, though formerly it used to be as low as five per cent. About 121b of the seed per acre is required, and the Department will supply at 6d per lb parcels sufficient to sow half-acre or one-acre blocks.

Sir Hiram S. Maxim, who is American born, thus comments on British weights and measures:—''] have been in England about 30 yoars, still I do not understand English weights and measures. I do not think there was ever but one man in the world that did, and this gentleman was in the employ 01* the United States Government. It was his business to know, and he made a study of the subject, and when he was about SO years of age ho claimed that he had mastered the whole subject, but the strain on his nerves' wits so great that he soon went out of his mind, and died shortly aiter. So at the present time there it no one living on this planet that understands the whole subject through and through. I am 71 years of age, and I do not think I shall study the subject much longer. In my own .business I find it better to use the metric system, ami the system is making some advance. I understand that in China things are quite as badly mixed as they are in England. T am glad this is so, otherwise it would throw the earth out of balance. If we can always manage to be as stupid as the Chinese, or perhaps I should say so firmly wedded to old ideas, the world will not be out of balance to any appreciable extent, and it is very fortunate that China happens to ho on the other side of the world, otherwise the world would wobble as it travels around its orbit instead of spinning as it does at the present time." Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (First a.nd Second Groups) are notified that subscriptions will <bc due and payable today (Monday), at the Secretary's office, Currie-street, from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.ni. to 8 p.m.—Advt LAME BACK. This ailment is usually caused by rheumatism of the muscles and may be cured by applying Chamberlain's Pain Balm two or three times a <lay and rubbing the part vigorously at each application. If this does not afford relief bind on a piece of flannel dampened with Chamberlain's Pain Balm and relief is sure to follow. Sold by all chemists and storekeepers. For chronic chest comphints, Woods' Greki Peppermint Cure. Is 91 and 2i (d.

Good rich cream, with a large percent- ' age of butter-fat, will keep sweet the I longest. < Mr. F. W. Kandford, of Vogeltawn, has shown us some potato haulms badly inI feeted with Wight. This is early, with , a vengeance, for the main crop potatoes i are not all planted yet.

Sydney specialists affirm, after a long series of observations, that influenza is one of the principal causes of appendicitis, the influenza bacillus having been, in fact, found in the appendix. After an epidemic of influenza, cases of appendicitis have been noticed to be much more frequent. , H,ere is a commendable example of frieidly co-operation among workmen that 1 , is pleasing to notice. A painter, |work«jng on a Poverty Bay job, got injuredthrough a brick falling on his head. 'A ruimbe* of fellow painters engaged on another house in the vicinity, hearing of their mate's mishap, formed a working bee and spent their half-holiday in helping to paint the house, thus making a pleasant surprise for the injured man, who had been taken to the hospital. After detailing his daily duties, and declaring that his duties were extended over sixteen or seventeen hours a day, a recent witness before, the Sydney Dairying Wages Board informed the 1 Board that he received one Sunday a month as a holiday. He proceeded to explain how he was expected to spend it. His employer's wife expected him on his monthly day of recreation to work in the garden, mind the baby, peel potatoes, shell peas, carry water, and indulge in other harmless lint useful sports. - "Why this enthusiasm for the destruction of hawks and shags, and no mention of stoats and weasels," said Mr. J. P. O'Regan at the annual Acclimatisation Societies' Conference in Wellington the other day. 'All our beautiful native birds, which we all wish so much to protect, are being absolutely destroyed by stoats and weasels, and here is a body of practical men, representing all the acclimatisation societies, waxing themselves into warm indignation over shags, whick do not do a tenth of the damage that stoats and weasels do." Mr. Pollard (Marlborough) saill they all recognised that it would be a good thing to get rid of the stoats arid weasels, but the question was, how were they to do it?

Says Sir Edmund Cox on the thieving tribes of India:—The adults of the tribe are expert railway thieves. "Various bags have been deposited beneath the seat. One of the Bhamptas lies down on the floor under the pretence of going to sleep. His confederate puts his feet on the opposite seat, and spreads a cloth over his legs, thus concealing the man lying down. When all is quiet, the man on the floor takes from his mouth the tiny curved knife which all Bhamptas carry concealed between the gum and the upper lip, and ripping the seams of the bags, extracts any valuables that they may contain. Tf time and oportunity permit he deftly sews up the seams again. He passes up what he has stolen to his accomplice. At the next station both move into another carriage, and very likely find fresh victims there."