LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 186, 12 January 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

California has passed a new law which sends a man to prison when he fails to support his family, makes him work there, and pays a daily wage ;to his wife. It is about time we copied the system in New Zealand. A recent visitor to Salt Lake City declares that there are about five thousand colored folk there already, "and the vi-ay in which the Japs are pouring in—well, a white man can hardly get a position; the work so hard and so cheap. There's just now no knowing how it's all going to end."

A fortune estimated at five millions sterling awaits the next of kin of Peter Taylor, an Amsterdam millionaire, for- ! merly a native of Falkirk. Peter had a ! brother William. The brothers did not agree, and Peter emigrated to Holland, and eventually amassed a huge fortune. The feud between the two brothers continued, and the millionaire, having no family himself, left .his money to his nephew, upon condition that if the latter died childless the fortune should lapse for 100 years, and then pass to the next of kin. By this means William was prevented from ever touching a penny of his brother's millions. The nephew died without leaving an heir. A century has now passed, and since the news about Peter Taylor's millions leaked out claimants thereto are multiplying daily. The parish records of Falkirk are now being carefully examined for traces of the millionaire's nearest collateral relatives.

The Feilding Star says that the latest rumor in political circles in Wellington is that it is the intention of Sir Joseph Ward to retire, and that his seat (Awarua) will be sought for by Mr. Rob>rt McNab.

It it not generally known (says <hc Waihi Telegraph) that thirty years ag:< curfew law obtained in Aratapu, and ».'. 8 p.m. all lights in the various residence were supposed to be extinguished. Those were the days when the rights of individual workers received no consideration, when the truck system swayed the district, and when the mill hands only dared to approach the hotel on pain of dismissal. A fence, fourteen feet high, encircled the mill area, and to-day th-it sacred area is practically deserted, whilst the wicked territory contains all the business acumen of the town.

Mr. George Hollis writes to the London Times under date November 23: "In your obituary column this morning there will be found what must be nearly a record. Five persons attained to ages between 80 and 90, and five more to ages .between 90 and 100. The aggregate of these ten persons amounted to 880 years, giving an average of 88 years apiece. Curiously enough, nine out of the ten were ladies." Commenting on this letter, The Times remarks: "In our obituary notices to-day (November 24). there are' those of eight persons whose ages make a total of 692 years, and whose average age is 86 years." Experiments with lucerne have recently been made by Mr. Earle Vaile. of Broadlands., Waiotapu, who has done so much to test the quality of the North Island pumice soils, writes the Auckland Herald. He put in 20lb. of Hunter River seed to the acre about October 1, and in spite of the exceptionally cold spring, the seeds germinated well, and the plants are now up several inches high. The importance of lucerne, to the pumice country can scarcely be over-estimated, for this crop, 'besides providing the maximum amount of nutritious fodder, is a nitrogen accumulator, and would do much to prepare these soils for future crops. Mr. Vaile states that the lucerne crop is looking strong and vigorous, and that with a spell of warm weather it should provide quite a lot of feed during the summer. There are now 750 acres on Broadlands under cultivation, besides a considerable area surface sown in grass; and Mr. Vaile is proving his faith in the possibilities of pumice country in a very practical manner. The escape of a man named William Wheeler, who was pinned down by a fall of stone near the Cascade river (Tasmania) for several days, was remarkable. Wheeler was working in a race 'by himself, and was trying to ir,emove a stone weighing about scwt with a bar, when it pinched' his toe. In trying to extricate himself he fell, and the stone then rolled across his legs, pinning him down. There were two heads of water running at the time, and the lower part of his body was under water.' He lay in that position for six days and six nights without food. He said that he thought that while there was life there was hope, and he prayed for his discovery. A miner named Price, who was working about a mile away, happened to take a walk through the bush, and came on to the place where Wheeler was lying. He could not remove the stone, and went back and got his- mate. The .pair' removed the stone, and then carried Wheeler to their hut. He is expected to fully recover. Since September 9th, there has been in effect in New York a law which permits the destruction of any commercial sign or advertisement on a highway. It authorises the destruction "by anyone" of such signs and advertisements "within the limits of a public highway." Taking advantage of the law, a squad of automobiles representing the Automobile Club of America, has been touring the State, armed with axes and hatchets, destroying thousands of advertising signs which have disfigured the country roads. On fences, rooks, and trees throughout the State the wandering advertiser had erected these defacing signs, and the law was the result of a general protest by automobilists and 'others. Of course, the law does not apply to cases where owners of land near cities, or elsewhere, hav* sold the privilege of erecting advertisement signs, but it is made a crime to paint or erect any advertisement on private property without the written consent of the owner, although private persons arc authorised to destroy such signs on private property. Already, it is reported, the appearance of the country highways of New York has been greatly improved by reason of the activity of the sign-destroy*r* Messrs Maskelyqne and Devant are just putting into their programme a new and very mysterious illusion. In the centre of the stage—surrounded on all sides by a high gauze screen, so as to be inaccessible without detection to both light and human bodies—stands a window, removed, as its appearance tells, from some old red-brick house. It is supported on a Small platform resting on posts, so that the audience can see beneath it, on both sides of it, above it, and through it. And in this window, while appropriate and blood-curdling music, composed by Mr. Jean Bertrand is played by the orchestra, there appear in succession a "traditional" ghost in white, the ghost of a miser counting his gold, the ghost of a house decorator .washing down a wall, the ghost of a sailor fighting the ghost of a man, the ghost of the same sailor kissing the ghost of a girl, and last, the ghost of a fire from which the ghosts of two firemen rescue the ghost of a baby. The sailor looks out through the window after the fight; the firemen both come bodily out of it on to the stage; but how they or any other of the ghosts get behind it to begin with is a mystery which is not likely to be solved by any less able wizard than Mr. Devant himself. Messrs Maskeryne and Devant are offering a prize of £2O for the best short story in which the characters are the ghosts appearing in this remarkable illusion.

The soap industry was the subject of an interesting article in a recent number of Chambers' Journal. When Henry Ward Beccher, then at the height of his popularity, was asked by the astute manager of an English soap firm for a testimonial, that popular clergyman very quickly wrote out a recommendation, which speedily found its way as an advertisement to the newspapers, and greatly helped to capture the American market. This recommendation began by saying that if "cleanliness is next to godliness," soap must be considered a means of grace, and a clergyman who recommends moral things should be willing to recommend soap. Few commodities of civilised life, the writer goes on to point out, have been so cleverly and widely advertised. Sir John Miflais was furious at first when he realised that his picture "Bubbles" had been sold to Messrs Pears for advertising purposes. But it began a revolution in favor of artistic advertisements, which must be familiar to all newspaper readers. The average consumption of soap in Ens-land and the United States-Billed tlie best-washed countries in the world—is about 141b per head per annum. In Russia it is only iy 3 lb. The tendency of recent years has been towards improvement in 'quality, and much more toilet or perfumed soap is being used now than 30 years ago. And the area of raw material for its manufacture has also increased. Not only animal tallow, but vegetable oils and fats, resin from American and French forests, palm kernels, • oils from cocoa nuts and cotton seed, as well as the Manchurian soya bean, are all drawn upon for materials.

The editorship of the Labor paper, the "Voice of Labor," is to he taken over by Professor W. T. Mills, M.A. A man was arrested yesterday for using obscene language, and will be dealt with at the court this morning. At a poll of Waverley Town Board i ■.-..apayers proposals to borrow £I2OO ;'< • lighting and £3OOO for metalling purpuses were iost. Krom Messrs. E. Griffiths and Co. (local agents of the Eoyal Exchange Assurance Company) we have received handy wall and table calendars, together with a file and blotter. A shipment of butter on behalf of the Mangatoki Dairy Company, ex Turakina, realised 13os. This is a shilling higher than the average price for last week, reported by the High Commissioner. Appendicitis has been making itself unpleasantly conspicuous of late in WaThe local Herald understands that a, local doctor has performed no less than a dozen operations for this complaint during the last fortnight. Before Mr. Fitzherbcrt, S.M., yesterday morning, A. iMcLeod was charged with having forged a cheque for £B. He had been arrested in Gisborne. SeniorSergeant Haddrell applied for a remand till this morning, which was granted. 'A recent visitor to Salt Lake City declares that there are about five thousand colored folk there already, "and the way in which the Japs are pouring in—well, a white man can hardly get a position; they work so hard and so cheap. There's :just no knowing how it's- all going to end."

A dastardly trick was played on an Eltham resident recently (says the Argus). Underneath the copper boiler in the wash-house a quantity of explosives was placed, and when the fire was lighted the employee received the force of the explosion to such an extent as to turn him twice backwards; besides being severely burned on one arm, eyebrows and whiskers singed and his clothing set on fire. The scattered firebrands twice set the building aflame, but prompt assistance prevented further damage.