LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 192, 12 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A petition is in circulation in Vogeltown asking the Education Board to establish a school in that go-ahead suburb. Pickpockets were at work at Wirths' circus on Saturday evening, one New Plymouth resident being relieved of 30s in silver.

' During the month of January, 30 vessels entered Waitara inwards, aggregating 9423 tons, whilst 31 were cleared outwards, aggregating 9468 tons. Reporting to the Borough Council the Baths Committee recommends that season tickets for the remainder of the present season be sold for half-price. A good many Isaac Waltons tried their luck at the wharf yesterday, with very indifferent luck. A small boy with primitive gear fished in water about two feet deep. He was laughed at, but he hauled up three schnappers in quick time, about the only decent 'fish caught during the day. Mr. Saunders, together with the Empire Picture Co.'s operating expert (Mr. Haughton) left by motor-car on Saturday night for Mt.' Egmont to secure views of the scenery there. The ascent was commenced at 3 a.m. yesterday, and some fine pictures were taken at Bell's Falls, Humphries' Castle, the mountain tracks and the house itself.

At a meeting of the Taranaki Veterans' Association held on Saturday afternoon it was decided to hold the annual shooting match in March. A committee was set up to make the necessary arrangements. ,An invitation from the young men of New Plymouth to entertain the veterans on the night of the Battle of Waireka was accepted with thanks. Messrs. Donald Petrie. Auckland (exchief inspector of schools), with Mr. Murdoch Fraser and Mr. W. W. Smith (curator of Pukekura Park) has been on a botanical exploring visit to Mt. Egmont. The party, which returned at the latter end of last week, succeeded in discovering several specimens unknown and undescribed. It was found possible to "do" only a portion of the reserve, which is perhaps the most attractive hunting ground in the Dominion for botanists.

During the past month 118 cows, 61 bullocks, 7 calves, 568 sheep, 226 lambs, and 126 pigs were slaughtered for local consumption at the municipal abattoirs. Compared with the corresponding month of last year, these figures showed an increase of 28 in the number of cattle slaughtered, <l calf, 39 sheep, and 13 Jaimbs, and a decrease of 15 pigs. Six cows, 2 bullocks, 1 sheep, and 2 pigs were condemned. The fees received during the month amounted to £133 lis 3d, an increase of £l6 18s lid. It is not often that a man who is the worse for liquor makes his appearance voluntarily at the Courthouse. At the Palmerston courthouse recently, however, an individual strolled in and sat down on one of the benches, where he promptly fell asleep. On being awakened by a constable he apparently forgot where he was and asked if his mates were in the next cell. When he was informed that he was not in the lockup and that he was not under arrest an expansive smiles gradually illuminated his features and he effected a speedy exit. Swiss manufacturers exported in 1900 6,800,000 watches, representing more than £4,000,000, while in 1910 the exportation had increased to 9,470,000 watches, valued at nearly £5,000,000. The sale of the cheaper grade of watches has grown considerably. In 1885, 561,000 watches of base metals were sold, 1,730,000 of silver, and 440,000 of gold, as against 5,845,000 of base metals, 2,682,000 of silver, and 943,000 of gold in 1910. For a long time the chief buyers of Swiss watches have been England and Germany. As the sales have grown, the prices have gradually been lowered. A Swiss gold watch may now be had for about £2, one of •ilver for Ss, and a good metal watch for a little over 4s.

A hazardous ocean cruise from Auckland to Cuvier Island has just been made by Mr. C. B. Law, a young Englishman who recently came to Auckland from the Malay States. Mr. Law was in a twelve-foot canvas canoe, with no other provisions than a small tin of biscuits, and voyaged the ISO miles from Devonport in about three days, during which he had nothing to drink. His original objective was Kawau Island, about 30 miles up the Hauraki Gulf. He passed Kawau without knowing it, and the wind blew him off to sea, driving the frail canoe by good fortune down to Cuvier Island, about twenty-five miles east of Cape Colville. Mr. Law returned by the Monowai, which the lighthouse-keepers signalled for him. Albert Wadham, an inmate of the Old People's Home, appeared in court on Saturday morning in answer to a charge of having behaved in a disorderly and offensive manner at that institution on February 7th. According to Mr. Lepper, secretary to the Charitable Aid Board, the old man was a great nuisance at the home. On occasions when he procured liquor in the town he made himself objectionable and gave the matron a trying time. This was not the accused's first appearance in court. Wadham was fined 10s, or in default-ordered to undergo 24 hours' imprisonment, and was warned by the Magistrate (Mr. A. Crooke, S.M ; ) that a repetition of his bad behaviour would result in a more severe penalty being imposed. In Centerville, Maryland, U.S.A., the whipping post has been revived for the benefit of Laurence Stiner, a wife-beater, who was sentenced to receive six lashes. Stiner requested that his wife should be summoned to witness his atonement at the hands of the law, saying that he deserved it, and wanted her to see him punished. Mrs. Stiner was given a chair near the whiping.po&t, 'and sorrowfully but dutifully watched the proceedings. Stiner took hia punishment bravely, and seemed much less distressed than the observant wife, who wept. When the sixth stroke fell a sigh of relief escaped the throng gathered'to see the whipping. A blanket was thrown about the victim's shoulders, and ho was hurried to his cell, where the physicians applied ointment bo his scarred shoulders.

Dimples, pretty dimples, are now considered by girls a decided improvement to female beauty (says the Family Doctor), and if Nature lias neglected to supply them artificial ones are procured, and in the following manner: The operator places a glass tube over the particular spot where it is wanted, no matter whether on the arm, cheek or neck. He sucks the air out of the tube, thus raising a slight prominence, around which he ties a piece of silk. Afterwards he slices off the small pimple with a surgical knife. The wound is then dressed, the bleeding arrested and attended to from day to day until quite healed, when a silver cone is placed over the spot immeditely in the centre and bound on. The patient attends daily for several dressings. When the cone is removed at the completion of the process, the wound has developed into quite a pretty and natu-ral-looking dimple.

Members of the Equitable Building Society of New Plymouth (First and Second Groups) are notified that subscriptions will be dco and payable today (Monday), at the Secretary's OfTioc. Currie street, from 0 a.m. to 12.30, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 0 p.m.— Advt: '., -cri

Ask persistently for the Roslyn Writing Tablets.—Advt.

American families are not particularly numerous, a3 a rule. The average number, according to statistics, is 4.14. and it has been said Unit liiia iraeiwn probably stands for the breadwinner, which reminds one of the story of the lady who was impressing upon her ehildran that her costume/which looked so rich and handsome, was merely the work of a worm. "Is that papa?" was the eager enquiry. A candid crtirism of Australians is offered by Mr. A. F. D. Bedford, a Manila merchant, who has been visiting Australia, and i.s now in New Zealand. "Of course, I am only in a position to speak from what is a superficial knowledge of Australia," he said, "but the impression I have gathered is that most of you are tired—always tired, and wanting to lean up against a post. I noticed that parti j cularly on the wharves at Brisbane and Sydney. Many of the young fellows I se about are not only stunted in body, but seem stunted in mind, too." A pathetic instance of maternal solicitude on the part of a quadruped was witnessed doVn South recently. Two or three trucks of sheep had been loaded up en route to the freezing works. As is usually the custom the ewes had been put into one truck, and the lambs into another. Early next morning a ewe was seen standing beside a truck. The animal had got out of the truck in which it was placed the night before, and had made its way to the truck where her lamb was shut up. The bleating of the two sheep was intense, and frantic efforts were made by the one to get to the other. The trucks were shunted about from the loading yard on to the goods train, and the ewe followed the truck about, despite the whistling of the engine and the noise of the guard and shunter. Even after the train was all marshalled up the ewe trotted alongside the track. The train started off and the ewe started to trot, and the laet that was seen' of that sheep was the poor ewe bleating sadly and following the train on its way to Fairfax.