LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 151, 22 December 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Following their usual custom the Garrison Band will again render Christmas carols, commencing at an early hour on Christmas morning.

A meeting will be held in the Town Hall to-night to consider the question of holding a monster seaside picnic at Moturoa on New Year's Day. The High School Board will hold a special meeting this afternoon to select from the 49 applicants a principal in succession to Mr. E. Pridham, resigned. The following amounts have been paid out by dairy companies for the month ■of November, 1911:—Bell Block £2343 16s. Od (last year £2155); Uruti Valley .€B7B Os 5d ( £OO9 18s fid); White Cliffs £414 8s lOd (£47fi 7s 7d). A Wellington telegram, received last night, states that Sir Joseph Ward, who is in charge of the Old Age Pensions Department, has notified the Commissioner that old age pensions are to be paid on Friday the 29th and Saturday the 30th inst.

Local anglers have not much to report in big bags during the past few weeks. Mr. R. Birch took an eight pound brown trout from the Waiwakaiho on Wednesday. In the same river Mr. E. Bayly recently secured a couple of nice fish and Mr. C. M. Hill a 3%1h rainbow. While speaking at the No-license banquet at Normanby on Wednesday evening (says the Hawera Star) Mr. Halliwell gave an emphatic contradiction to the rumor that he was to be a candidate for the Patea seat at the next election. He had, he stated, no ambition for political honors.

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, H. F. Caldaghan, who appeared on remand, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon for a breach of a- prohibition order and similar charges. In consequence of his efforts to reform he was leniently dealt with.

Two pupils of the Central school yesterday received prizes for performances that would be hard to heat anywhere. May Harvey has attended the Central school for eight years without missing a half day, whilst a lad named John Skilley has an unbroken attendance of nine years, the first five .being spent at Clyde Quay (Wellington) and Wanganui schools and the last four at New Plymouth. This lad has just finished his school career, having entered the Postal Department.

The small birds liave been exceedingly destructive on the young turnips throughout Otago this year. The Oluitha Leader hears of one farmer who has had 30 acres aibsolutely ruined, and there are numbers of others who have fared badly. The young rape has suffered nearly as severely. Most of the farmers who have been able to save their crops hare had to watch from daylinght till dark, and with pea ri lies, guns and tin cans, try to keop the bird* off. The sparrows are not so destructive as the linnets, and other birds a-escmbling the goldfinch, which appear to be new this year. As soon as the young plant gc«ts into a double leaf the danger is past.

An incident that slightly upset the equanimity of the congregation in one of the New York churches occurred during the morning service last Sunday week. The collection was in progress when Mr. J. Pierpont Morgan, the multi-millionaire who is one of the sidesmen, tripped, and fell. The well-known millionaire went sprawling along the aisle, and the contents of the plate were scattered all over the floor. It was it rather serious 'fall for the aged financier, who, however, suffered no ill effect ami \va.-> able to resume the collection, after the lost offerings had 'been returned to hi* plate. A New York writer, commenting on the incident, says it is the first time in Mr Morgan's history that he had ever let money go. The Feilding correspondent of the Manawafu Times writes: A sensational arrest took place on Monday morning, when Mr. Crean was arrested on a warrant issued by a Marton firm for a £4 debt, on the grounds that he intended leaving the Dominion. Mr. Crean was taken to Marton, where he was bailed out. Considering that Mr. Crean has -a stock in his shop worth considerably over £IOOO, that he is doing remarkably well, and' has never signified his intention of ever going away on a holiday, the arrest has caused quite a sensation; particularly in view of the fact that the debt had not, it is stated, ever been sued for in a court of law. Subsequent proceedings will be awaited with interest.

With the opening up of new tram lines in Sydney and the general growth of the rnefcropoli the tramways, of course, carry passengers in greater number every year, and' the Teceipts are bounding upwards at great pace (says the Herald). Comparing the week ended 25th November with the corresponding week of last year there was an increase in fares collected amounting to £4187.- This is not 'the record figure, but anything previously that has exceeded that amount has probably been on account of some 'exceptional contrition in the city. The (growth has Been a gradual one, leading up to the increase stated. The receipts were £28,815, as compared with £24,628. The railways 'earned during the same period £123,790.

A blind man and a paralytic have decided upon the curious idea of touring France together by road with each other's help. They have arrived in Calais, and soon attracted a large crowd around them. The paralytic travels lying 'on a small steeraible hand-cart, which the blind man pushes. On arriving in a town or village, the couple stop in the market square aiid await the gathering of a crowd. Then, although probably neither ever heard of Florian's fable, the paralytic paraphrases it almost exactly in the following speech:—"VVe are travelling together, indispensable one to the other; not only for the mutual help which we render each other, but also with an altruistic aim, wishing to prove that one can always remedy physical misfortunes." Then they off or post-cards for sale. The blind man holds them in his hand, but the one who can see Teceives the money.

Xew York hotels and, restaurants receive targe sums yearly for renting their cloak-room privileges, according to testimony 'brought out in a suit against the Hotel Albany by George Abrams, who declares an attempt is being made to break his hat and coat checking contract. The testimony showed that he paid £3OO a year to the Hotel Albany management and that another man was trying to secure his privilege by offering £4OO. In exchange for the former sum Mr Abrams collects the outer apparel of the hotel's guest's a* they enter the dining-room, and depends on the tips for bis profit, which amounts to £IOOO yearly. Mr Abrams stated' some of the other yeao-ly prices paid for the checking privilege at Xew YoTks hotels are:—Louis Martin's, formerly dale de l'Opera, £1600; Churchills, £l*4flo; Hotel Knickerbocker, £1300; Hotel Astor, £6OO. The uniformed' boys who take care of the coats and hats have their suits made with no pockets in them so that tk>y cannot withold the tips they receire. . li.'r'ih'iiS'li

The old question of what is a bona fide traveller was raised in the Waitara Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, when three men named Phillips, Luseombe, ami Alexander were charged with having been in the Club Hotel, Waitara, after closing hours on the 9th inst (reports the Mail). Counsel for defendants, having pleaded not guilty, said his clients motored from Hawera. that day, and had slept in New Plymouth the night before. They had no drink in the house after 10 p.m., and when the constable came in at ,'10.25 they were surprised to find it was after the closing hour. He quoted a Supreme Court decision, and submitted that as ..the clause which dealt with the offence, in fact, created it, exempted bona fide travellers, the old definition' of one who had slept not less than three miles away from the licensed house the previous night must be made still to apply, although it was evident a bona fide traveller could not obtain liquor after dosing hours. Hfe Worship said the point was a nice one, and ha would reserve his judgment so as to look up recent judgments. As a result of an experiment, a Kai.koum settles' has been able to produce a potato ■which gives promise of being impervious to disease. Two distinct kinds of tubers were crossed—«■ Maori and a well-known English—and the hybrid is somewhat peculiar, being in some tubers round (the shape of the Maori), and in others oblong, similar to the English variety. The colors of both, however, appear in the hybrid; it is. white, with pink or red spots. It is ten years ago since the cross was. effected, and since then the new potato has been subjected to the severest tests without injury yet (states the Kaikoura Star). In one instance several sets were placed in a box and covered by Up-to-Date tubers in the worst states of Wight, yet the new kind escaped l . They have also been planted side by side with blighted sets of other species, but were not injured, even in the haulms. This yeaj they were planted with blighted Up-to-Date tutors scattered among them here and there, but so far they seem all Tight. They aw in full bloom, and growing vigorously, so the result will be awaited with interest. A few years ago some of the seed was tried- at Blenheim and some at Dublin (Ireland) and were oil right, though crops along side were completely swept off by blight. The Government has had the potato examined on, five different occasions by inspectors, and is now negotiating for the present crop—or what of it the settler will sell—in order that trials may be made next season in other parts of the Dominios.

No fewer than seven members of the teaching staff of the Newtown (Wellington) school will enter upon fresh engagements in other schools at the conclusion of the Christmas holidays. It is reported that it cost the Nolicense League of Wairarapa (which includes Masterton) approximately £12,000 to conduct its campaign in connection with the recent licensing poll. At Hawera. yesterday, A. J. Hastie, formerly of Mamiia and chairman of the Waimate County Council, was sentenced to throe months' imprisonment in Mt. Eden gaol, Auckland, for disobedience of a maintenance order.

Organised in Wellington, a small moving picture company will set out in the course of a few ihiys on a tour of America ami England, making a speciality of the exhibition of pictures of New Zealand .-ccnery and wonder sights, including some views of the Hot Lakes district. Milford Sound, Wairakei geysers, and the Waitomo Caves.

Largely due to the influence of Queen Mary, there is an increased liking among women for knitting, crocheting and lacetnaking. It is two generations since these truly womanly fads have been so much in vogue, and all the intervening years of fancy work failed to display as satisfactorily a well-shaped hand and pretty rounded wrist. There is nothing more fascinating to watch than the play of the fingers in knitting, and the pursuit has the advantage of not interfering with conversation. Rather, it gives exercise to the nervous hands, which would otherwise be playing with objects on.the table or aimlessly tapping the arm of a chair.

What is now looked' upon as a. first essential of the dairying industry—the systematic testing of cows—New Zealand farmers and dairymen may learn considerably from the methods of the Dutch farmers. There are in Holland no less than 08 ""milk-control" societies, with 2500 members and 50,000 cows are tested yearly. For a society of fourteen or fifteen members, the cost of a herd testing association is only £SO per annum, and the whole cost of the business is borne by the farmers, the Dutch Government not even supplying one expert or implement. This shows a -forward and patriotic (spirit, and is indicative of the intelligent co-operation and study of the methods which have brought dairying in Holland! to that high commercial standing which it enjoys to-day.