LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 90, 6 October 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A somewhat severe shock of earthquake was felt in New Plymouth at about 7.7 lust evening. Telegraphic reports from other centres show that the shock was felt practically throughout the Dominion. A Stratford correspondent says that one of the features of a fashionable wedding there recently was the scattering of largesse in the shape of silver coin from the window of the 'bridal carriage as the happy couple drove to the railway station after the wedding breakfast. There is land hunger in New South Wales as well as in New Zealand. For eleven blocks made available in the Richmond River district, in the northern part of New South Wales, last week, altogether no fewer than 133:1 applications were received, with deposits totalling £7153 lis.

The Taranaki Northern Union Football League is purchasing a ground, the finances being guaranteed by the New Zealand League. Mr. Smith mentioned last night at the banquet that the ground will be a splendid one for cricket, and that the purchase will be completed i* « few days.

An unrehearsed incident in connection with the Governor's visit to Napier took place on 'Friday afternoon (says the Hawke's Bay Tribune). A well-known contractor in Napier in the exuberance of his spirits planted a hearty thump on Lord Islington's back, and at the same time expressed his pleasure at meeting his Lordship. The Governor was somewhat startled at this rather unusual method of being greeted, hut returned the salutation in a friendly manner in spite of a tingling back.

The Masterton Daily Times statos Hint a sensational incident is reported to have occurred on the road hctween Carterton and Masterton on Saturday evening about 11.30 o'clock. A Masterton resident was riding homewards on a bicycle, and when half-way along the road noticed four men spring out from the fence. Two joined hands across the roadwav. one of these calling out. "How many bottles have you got?" The cyclist did not know any of the individuals, and having visions of a stieking-up case, rode straight at the two men. As he reached them he struck one man with his list in the face, knocking him down. The other man attempted to catch hold of the cyclist, but the latter, though he nearly came off the machine, was able to get away. The men then called out to him to stop, and ran after him some distance, but the Mastertonian made the! pace, and soon left his assailants far behind.

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There was a big attendance at night's euchre party and dance at the Good Templar Hall in aid of the Way Benefit fund. The euchre tables were fully ocupied. The members of the tire brigade were present in force, and >Suipt. Bellringer was- in charge. Tin* prizes in the card tournament were won as follows: Ladies, Mrs. Grant and Mrs. W. Bennett tied with 11 games each, Mrs. Grant winning in the play off. Gentlemen: I. Bullot first with 12 games, and S. Roberts, W. Roch anil W. McKoy tied for second place with 11 games, S. Roberta winning in the play oil. At the dance which followed, despite the warm night, there was a big crowd. Mrs. George provided splendid music. The supper was contributed, and the ladies' committee managed it excellently. The benfit fund should Ik> considerably j augmented as the result of the function.

A suit in which a Frenchwoman, Mme. Cotton, is the present plaintiff, is unique in the annals of long-drawn-out cases. This lady is the legal heiress of a goldsmith who in 1658 lent the Government of Venice 800,000 crowns, the present value of which, with interest, is estimated at close on a million sterling. The heir of the original lender was a Frenchman, Joan Theirry, who died before the loan was repaid. There was a lawsuit over his succession, and Louis XIV. claimed the estate, and annexed the French portion of it. The suit was still dragging on at the time of the Directory, when Bonaparte forced Venice to repay the loan. Since then France has been the custodian of the Thierry estate. The Government have been sued dozens of times, but to no purpose. Now Mme. Cotton is suing the Government of Austria and Italy, as well as that of France, because each in turn has owned Venice.

The suggestion was made by a correspondent writing in the Melbourne Age that municipal councils should pay threepence per pint for house flies, sixpence per pint for the larger article, and one shilling per pint for March flies. By this means, he argued, there would be no (lies left in Melbourne. The Department of Public Health contends that after the action which it has taken to impress upon the public the danger of the deadly flies, such an incentive as threepence per pint is not necessary for their destruction. Its artist has designed several posters, which have shown the fly in every phase as a carrier of disease germs. The pictures are calculated to convince anybody. The Department during the last warm season distributed as many as 15,000 of the posters over various parts of the State, and it is preparing for the flies of next season a deluge of no fewer than 45,000 more posters to ensure their destruction.

Discussing the future of the petroleum industry flii oil correspondent in an English paper says:—The demand for benzine and fuel oil is growing greater every day, and in this country alone, as soon as the Admiralty, steamship and railway companies, - manufacturers and other large power users are assured of a large and permanent supply, the demand will Ve stupendous, and there is no reason why Britfsh capital should not create this supply. Tliore need be no alarm felt at the. present slump in the oil share market by those shareholders who have invested in reasonably good companies, as It )6 generally conceded by those best able to speak with authority that in the near future we shall see a great revival, and it Is nl*r> well known that so soon ft* tlii? takes "luce th*vg are inatiy really good properties in the ilritish colonies, and elsewhere to be offered to the public. The existence of petroleum is 'being proved practically all over the world, and in a few years hence the public will not bo questioning whether there is a reasonable chance of getting oil, but what its specific gravity is, the number of markets they can supply, and the prices expected to be obtained.