LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 130, 23 November 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

All Government offices will be closed to-day. The next meeting of the Education Board will be held on December 19 and 20, and schools will break up for the Christmas holidays on December 22.

The Registrar of Electors received information on Tuesday evening that the writs had been issued. The time for enrolment has in consequence now expired. Senior-Sergeant Dart picked up a quantity of stamps in the private box lobby at the post office last night. The owner can have them on application at the police station. Mr. W. Forbes, one of the candidates for the Taranaki seat, lias very kindly presented a trophy for competition ait the animal meeting of the Taranaki Rifle Association to be held in February.

In the S.M. Court yesterday morning an application for registry as an elector was objected to by the Registrar of Electors on the grounds that the applicant's residence was insufficient. The S.M. upheld the objection. A similar case was adjourned for reference to Stratford.

The police troop horse was in evidence at yesterday's show. Entered in the name of Mr. 11. J. Egan, mounted constable, and named "Conscription," this upstanding hack was ridden to victory by Senior-Sergeant Dart in the class for 14-stone luocks. The rider tipped the beam at 14st lOlbs.

. The unfavorable weather last night militated against the attendance at the Good Templar Hall, where the Church Missionary Society continued their Christmas Fair. This, of course, considerably, interfered with the business done. Mr. Sumner enlivened the proceedings with several songs. The ladies in charge report very satisfactory business during the afternoon, and "if the weather is at all favorable this afternoon and evening, there should be large attendances and brisk business done. The fair will reopen at 2 p.m. to-day.

The long period of broken weather is greatly retarding farming operations, especially working the land and sowing crop? (writes our Tariki correspondent). Several instances are reported locally of maize being sown and owing to continuous rain instead of coming up the seed hjas apparently rotted in the ground. Although feed is plentiful the general complaint is that the cows are not milking as well as in previous seasons, and from reports from other districts there is reason to fear that the total output of both butter and cheese will be below that of last year.

The Frankleigh Park Sunday School committee held a meeting on Monday evening to make final arrangements in connection with the garden party which they are holding at Mr. J. H. Frethey's beautiful grounds on November 30 the proceeds of which are in aid of the' new Sunday school building, which is now nearly completed. Everything promises for success, and all that is wanted to make an enjoyable day's outing for the crowds that are coming is a fine day. The committee have made arrangements for 'buses to run during the afternoon commencing at 2 p.m. '

The difficulties that some people in the backblocks have to contend with m order that their children may take advantage of the benefits of the education system can hardly be understood by townspeople. At yesterday's meeting of the Education Board an appeal was received from Mrs. C. J. Sears, of the Upper Carrington road, who asked the Hoard for som« assistance in the matter of her children's education. She pointed out that her residence was over five miles from the Okato school and her three children would be able to ride there but for the dangerous condition of the Katikaia river, between her house and the junction of Dover road. Some money had been granted by the Government for the Carrington road, which might be spent on a bridge if Mr. Murray could be brought to understand the need. The river was only fordable when not in flood; when low it was passable for an experienced rider, nut to send children over it would be wilful murder. The chairman will enquire into the matter and report at next meeting.

Capiain Tuber's startling story about the British navv appears to be more or less a fairy tale. No doubt some of the details are correct, but one could never persuade the people that, the keen Tirrtish Xavy was ready, as it always is, and so also is Crescent Blend Tea. It is as good to-day as it was a month ago. and as it will he, a year hence; and it is a popular tea. Only 2s per lb.— Advt. . ... ;.j ,;i;J!IfS

Cabinet has approved of a grant of .C 705 towards the tost of rebuilding the Patea School.

Advice from the High Commissioner states that the price for Danish butter on the 19th inst. was 13(is, instead of 1265, as previously stated.

"In defence matters the right of the State should supersede the right of the parent, and those who fail to register should be fined and disfranchised." Mr. J. D. Hall, Christchurch North.

A testimony to the integrity of the ■detective force was paid by Mr. Justice Denniston at the Christchurch Supreme Court. He had. he said, never found a detective in the police force in this Dominion guilty of deliberately inventing evidence.

Here is a sad story of what may happen to a man at one time holding a good position. Mr. George B. Watson, a former member of the New South Wales! Parliament, and who, when old and hungry, gave himself up recently as a vagrant, was charged at the Ball'arat City Court with having insufficient means of support. He lost a fortune during his. career in the mercantile world. Watson, who is 76 years of age, made an appeal to the Bench not to send him He said he had latterly spent some time in the Benevolent Asylum, and'he acted unwisely in leaving the institution. The Bench sympathised with the accused and discharged him from custody, understanding that he would again be taken into the Benevolent Asylum. The greatest character' among hotel landlords in all England, .Harry Jones, the host of King's Arms Hotel, *Molmesbury, Wilts, died suddenly at the beginning of September. He was the last of the old-time landlords, a quaint figure in most eccentric costume. His dress always consisted of a bright green frock coat with gold buttons, blue trousers, doubled three times at the bottom, a yellow waistcoat, a blue and white bow tie, and a beaver tall hat, old gold in color. Upon the slightest excuse, a., birthday or any other anniversary, he would write to the King and Queen or other members of the Royal Family offering his congratulations, and the many letters he had back in acknowledgment were framed and hung around his bar parlor. The old man had three boasts, one of which he was very proud, that he had never touched whisky, never seen a billiard-table, never been treated in his own bar. Lord Roberts once went to see him, and to the landlord's great delight consented to be photographed shaking hands. Some school committees have adopted a practice of doing work in improving school grounds, etc., without the auth° ority of the Board ; in fact, the first intimation the Board has is the receipt of an account from the committee with

a request for its payment, or for a subsidy towards its payment. The chairman, at yesterday's meeting of the Board, remarked that there was too much of this done. The matter was brought forward during the discussion of an account for £8 lis 6d received from the Mahoe School Committee, when it was pointed out that clause 72 of the Board's regulations was explicit on the point that in all cases where a subsidy |was required on voluntary subscriptions collected locally by the committee for the purpose of the improvement of the school grounds and buildings, but in all cases special application must be made to the Board in writing and full particulars of the work required and an estimate of its cost given before anywork of this kind could be incurred by a committee, and that would not hold itself responsible for any liabilities incurred unless its sanction, had first been obtained. It was accordingly resolved to draw the Mahoe School Committee's attention to this and that they be informed that not having complied with the regulations the committee was not entitled to a subsidy.