LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 134, 28 November 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. 11. S. Fitzherbert, S.M., a first offending inebriate, who was arrested on Saturday night, was convicted and discharged. In regard to the tailor and tailoresses' dispute amicably settled on Friday last, the master tailors agreed that the provisions of the award should take effect as u'om January 1, 1912. A 'resident of Palmerston North has demonstrated in a very practical way that it pays handsomely to keep one or two cows where possible, the two items of butter and milk alone costing him 18s per week. Subsequently lie purchased two cows, and these, in addition to supplying milk and butter for the house, provided enough surplus butter to cover the rent.

On Friday evening next, December 1, in the large hall of the High. School, the annual gymnastic squad competition wiU be held. All parents and friends of the old 'school are invited to be present. Throughout the year the squads have been assiduously training for the event and the contest should be very interesting. The preliminary events will be decided during the afternoon, and the final, on the horizontal and parallel bars, will be reserved for the evening's display. The evening performance will commence at 7.30 p.m. As the result of the heavy traffic and bad' weather the Main South road along the coast is breaking up considerably. The maintenance of this road is becoming more and more of a problem every year owing to the increased traffic. The best solution would, of course, be a railway. Failing this, at seems as if before long the local .bodies and ratepayers, interested will have to consider raising a loan sufficient to re-metal the whole road, so as to enable it to successfully resist the heavy strain placed upon it by 1 the increased traffic.

Has someone* boon playing a joke, or is tarring and sanding -footpaths classed as painting and decorating? These queries were asked by one of the employers' assessors at the Conciliation Court on seeing the names of Messrs. J. C. Montefiore and Adams and Day, two contracting firms, cited as employees in the painters' suid decorators' case yesterday. Otherwise, he could sec no reason why these contractors could be included. Reference to the seci'etary of the Taranaki Painters and Decorators' Union, who was preserot, failed to elicit any information on the reason of their inclusion, he pointing out that the arrangements had been left in the hands of an organiser. This drew forth a remark from the assessor before mentioned that it did not show much business ability when carriers and contractors were included in a painters' award. The names were accordingly struck out. -The ligmont Lodge, 1.0. G.T., met in regular session on Monday evening in their lodge room. The lodge was duly open<-di by the C.T. and business proceeded One new member was initiated. A great deal of interest was shown in an original cartoon bearing on the coming poll, and being the work of a local cartoonist. The lodge was invited to take .part in the demonstration next Saturday. The matter was taken up heartily by the lodge members. Miss Griinley had some suggestions, which were referred to a committee to carry wit. The lodge passed a vote of condolence to -be sent to the relatives of the late Bro. Burroughs, all -standing. The O.T. and several officers having matters concerning the election to attend to, the P.C.T. took the chair. The arranged programme had to givo place to an impromptu entertainment. In this the new piano was much appreciated.

The result of the weight-guessing competition at the recent show held under tho auspices of the Taranaki Agricultural Society were announced yesterday. The weight of the three sheep was 2301b, ami the weight of the single marked sheep 801b. No less than -six guessed the combined weight of the three sheep correctly, and the result had to be decided on the weight of the single sheep, which was also correctly gauged by the winner. The result was as follows:—,H. Xewknd (Frank-ley road), 2301b., 801b., 1; Thomas Taylor (Vivian street), 2301b., 821b., 2; 11. Bishop (Smart road), 2301b.. 701b., 3; Stewart (lngl-eliekl) 2301b., 851b.', 4; A. Emery (care of Mrs. Perry, Vivian street), 2301b., 801b., 5; 14. Whittle (New Plymouth), 2301b., 881b., <i; L. A. Nolan (New Plymouth), 22»1b. 140z., 7; P. Gillanders (Haweraj, 2291b., 130z., 8; F. A. Lichtwank (Tarata), 2291b. 40z., 9; W. Ambmry (New Plymouth). 2291b 10oz., 10.

XT IS THE RESOLVF to obtain the GENUINE EUCALYPTI EXTRACT which will procure for you a remedy of sterling value and will protect you from having your health injured by one of the many crude oils and so-called "Extracts" which are passed off by unscrupulous dealers as "just as good," and which are, according to authentic testimony, very depressing to the heart. The GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT' is absolutely non-injurious, and brings instantaneous relief in headaches, fevers, colds, bronchial and gastric affections, and its great antiseptic powers protect from future infection. Wounds, ulcers, burns, sprains, are healed without infl»nmation. SANDER'S EXTRACT is en dorsed by the highest Medical Author ities, and is unique in its eflVcl: pnritv reliability and safety are its distinguish able qualities. Therefore, set th. GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT; insist, if you have to, but get it, and derive the benefit.

It in understood that a ferry service between Gwboriie ami Napier is to be inaugurated almost immediately.

Dr. Coward estimates, that the recent tour of the Sheffield Choir will result in a loss of between \C4floo arid £SOOO.

Business is reported to. be very dull in the West Const of the South Island. The weather is as unfavorable as that experienced in other parts of the Dominion. Many people are under the impression that if fifty-live hundredths of the total votes recorded at the poll are in favor of National Prohibition the issue will be carried, but this is not the case. The Act distinctly provides for a three-fifths majority, as in the case of local option. A sitting of the Juvenile Court was held yesterday, before Mr. H. S. Fitzherbert, S.M., when a youth, aged about ifi, pleaded fiuilty to 'the theifti of a bicycle. Senior-Sergeant Dart prosecuted. The youth, who had already appeared before the court 011 charges of a similar nature, was convicted and committed to the Burnham Industrial school. "What is the legal definition of a wowser!" This was a question addressed to Mr George Hutchison at GonviHe the other evening. "It is not a law term, replied 'Mr Hutchison, "nor is it to be ■found as yet in a slang dictionary, but from inquiries I have made from a person who seemed to know, a wowser is an individual with warts on his chest caused by leaning against public house bars." This answer brought down the house. A farmer, many years ago, discovered that wood can foe made to last longer than iron in the ground. Time and weather seem to have no effect on timber. The posts can be prepared for less than Id each. This is the recipe: Take boiled linseed oil and 1 stir in pulverised coajl till the mixture has the consistency of paint, lhen apply. This sounds simple and may be worth a trial. It is presumed the reason is that it is practically a deposit of indestructible carbon 011 the wood, the same effect that is got by charring. The early development of the great northern territory of Australia is anticipated by Sir A. Gonld, ex-president of the Senate of Australia, who arrived in Auckland recently. He said that in the near future the Commonwealth Government would put railways through the country, go in for extensive irrigation schemes, and generally make the territory suitable to carry a large agricultural population. Australia requires more immigrants, and so does New Zealand, he said, but both countries should advertise more in Great Britain.

Bxmtanee is to be found even in industrial schools, and the police investigations into a girl's escape from one°of these institutions been brought to a close (says the Auckland Herald), owing to the fact that the girl has married since her escape, an<l is -now livin« happily with her husband. Tho girl in question, who was seventeen years of

age, was an inmate of the Mount Albert Industrial ,School. She was put out to licensed service, but absconded from her employers early in March of this year. All attempts made by the police to locate the girl were unavailing until last Saturday, when her whereabouts were discovered by Constable Haminerly. The constable found that the girl had married last moil ih. Site was tak«n to the Home where she'-Jrad recently been an inmate, but the manager having no jurisdiction over her on account of her marriage, she was allowed to depart. The Japanese explorers, who sailed from Sydney on Sunday, for the Antarctica, have been camped in Parsley Bay sinte May last, having resided in one of their .portable htouses. This building has been taken to pieces, ami packed on board, and will be re-erected at the base in Antartiea. During their wintering at Parsley Bay, the Japanese proved themselves estimable neighbors , their camp was always a model of cleanliness, and the people of the district extended to them friendship which was fully reciprocated. The Japanese, oil arrival at Parsley Bay 'could not speak English, now they can make themselves we'll understood in the language. They have also been much interested in gaining a knowledge of English methods and English ideas. They have made copious notes of all they hare seen and) heard, and if spared to return to their native land, tliey hope to be able to introduce English ideas into their everyday as well as their .scholastic life. The party hopes to reach Sydney on their way back to Japan about May or June of next year. Sea-sickness is doomed to become a thing of the past so soon, as the .patent chair inverted by Mr Gray, of Qamberwell, enters into universal use. This chair is not supported by leg's, like mere ordinary chairs. Instead, what appears to be a species of pivotal attachment is fixed to the underside of the chair. By this ingenious device both chair and occupant .preserve their horizontal position, however much the ship may pitch and roll. I he possibility of sea-sickness is thus entirely obviated, and the user of the patent chair is enabled to sit in perfect c-omfort while his less fortunate fellow passengers are suffering all around him. Two strong iron uprights are fitted into slots on cither side of the chair, and the .passenger by holding these preserves a level balance. A capstan arrangement on the deck would control several chairs at once and obviate the necessity of the uprights. "The idea of the chair," said Mjr Gray, "flashed across niy mind one day when crossing from Holland in a turbine steamer and 'knocking about most horribly—l am ti poor sailor myself. I made the chair you see in my bedroom, and I ha.ve tested it going round Land's End on a voyage from London to Belfast when it acted perfectly. One lady liavimr onoe sat u'n it, was very reluctant to get out again. 1 am hoping that my chair may be on the market in time to be used by the Queen during her voyage to In-' dia." ' ° I

A Dominion reporter was infomied that tlie new twopence-in-the-slot publio telephones which have been erected iit. Wellington have proved a complete success, and it is the intention of the Department to erect others as soon as they can be turned out.

''The man who is not prepared to train for the defence of his country does not deserve to'have a country to' train in," declared Sir John Findlay the other night at A uckland, in answer to a question. "If to-morrow this country, witli all its advantages, were put below the tyrant heel of an Eastern or semi-East-ern despotism the man who now objects to military training would learn by bitter experience that the man, even without land, has many things to be thankful for in such a free country as New Zealand under the British flag." The enormous expenditure that a war between two great European Powers would entail can be seen from th-.» following details of the cost of the FrancoGerman war of 1870, which appears in the current issue of the Army and Navy; Gazette:—'The cost from July 17, 1870, to the 18th of the following May, on which day the Treaty of Frankfort was Tatifed, was 1,{)12,000,000 france, or about £77,000,000, this being for war charges, properly so called. This sum works out at something like £312,0Q0 a day. But if the charges for the provisioning of Paris, the support of the families of soldiers, the maintenance of the invading army, contributions imposed by the enemy, loans, succor for the victims of the war, repair of damage done, or other indirect charges, and the vast indemnity of five milliards, with its inter- ' est, be added, the total cost of the war is brought up to the colossal figure of £ 394.000.000, and to a rate of some £1,620,000 per day. The cost of the war to Germany is estimated, with contingent charges, and the reorganisation of the army, but not the ordinary military budget, to have been £135,000,000. In modern conditions a year of war would cost France £440,000,000, while for Germany the outlay would be something approaching the vast mini of £1,100,000,000."

Geologists have of late years come to the conclusion that the entire central European plain, which extends from south-western France through the low countries and North Germany to the Russian Baltic provinces, is slowly sinking. The lowest section of this great coastal region is that part of Holland which lies from fifteen to twenty feet helow sea level and has to be protected by immense dams and dykes against the danger of being submerged. A Dutch engineer .named Ten Cate has studied this subject, and he deals with Holland's danger at length in De Ingenieur, a Dutch technical paper. His investigations go back 2000 years, and his conclusion is that the Dutch coast line sinks eight inches every 100 years. This does not seem very alarming, but very little counts in a country which lies naturally so low as the Dutch coastal provinces. Ten Cate proves his assertion by pointing to the situatiori of remains of Roman settlements in the Low Countries, which he calculates must now lie from five to fifteen feet Wlow their original level. They were built some sixteen centuries ago. There are, of course, the historical facts of the formation of the Znzder Zee, the Dollart and other bays at great flood tides. Sufficient data exists for the last 200 years according to which the subsidence of the Dutch littoral can be figured out to a nicety, and for tliafc period it amounts to 36 centimetres, or about 14'/ 3 inches. A further indication of the lowering of Holland's level is tlm fact that the low hills or mounds t« which as late as the Middle Ages people and their cattle used to flee for safety at flood times would now afford the necessary protection.