LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 203, 24 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The committee of the Taranaki Veterans will meet thin afternoon to consider the draft petition forwarded from headquarters, Wellington, re military pensions.

A wireless station hasbeen opened at Melbourne for communicating with ships at- sea. The charges are lOd a -word, with a minimum of 8s 4d per message, plus the ordinary telegraph rates from or to Melbourne.

The first woman in history to join the Diplomatic Corps of any nation is Miss Clothilda Luisi, a native of. Uruguay." She belongs to one of Uruguay's oldest families and is a Doctor of Law of the University of Uruguay. Her first appointment will be at the Uruguayan Legation at Brussels as an attache.

One first-offending inebriate was convicted and discharged at a sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., Wynfield aSmuel Brown, who is at present undergoing sentence, appeared on remand on a charge of failing to provide for the future maintenance of his unborn illegitimate child. The case was adjourned until the 12th April.

A very strange incident occurred at Vauyet, France, during a recent storm. A man, 80 years of age, was caught up by a whirlwind and hurled over a hayrick. Tie came down in safety on the other side, but as his friends were congratulating him on his escape, the old man was killed by lightning, which spared the 'other men who were standing round him.

This being leap year, it may not be amiss, as showing the antiquity of woman's rights in the matter of "popping the question," to quote the following, passage from a law passed in Scotland in ancient times:—"lt is sta-tut and ordaint that during the rein of hir maist blissit Mageste, for lik yeare knowne as lepe yeare, ilk mayden ladye of bothe high and lowe estait shall hae liberte to hespeke ye man she likes." In the Marlborough district lucerne growing is rapidly increasing. One Riverlands farmer has expressed the intention of devoting 300 aires to lucerne next year, his proposal being to thresh for seed and chaff, and the growth for the feeding of sheep. The land that it is intended to put to this purpose is subject to flood, and experience has s'hown that lucerne will thrive even after being wholly inundated. Women's clubs are springing up like mushrooms in Sydney. A new residential club, to be known as "The Queen's Club," has just been completed, and is now open for the use of members. It is situated at the corner of Macquarie and King streets, the position being an excellent one. The new club is to be conducted on the lines of the successful. Alexandra Club in Melbourne, and is affiliated with one of the leading women's clubs in London. A great deal of trouble has been taken to make the rooms arand up-to-date. "The starling," said Mr. Alpass to a Masterton Times reporter, "is the worst of all birds when it gets a taste of fruit. If they once start the fruit on a tree they come in such flocks and are so persistent that in a few days there is nothing left on the tree but a few shrivelled skins to indicate where a few days previously rung a half-ripe apple or pear. As to cherries or strawberries, they do not even leave the stem to tell the'tale." He added that, where he could poison blackbirds, and so keep the pest in check, he had been unable to cope with the starlings when onec they turned serious attention to his orchard.

►At the monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Trades and Lahor Council held on Wednesday the following resolutions were carried:—(l) That the Minister in charge be asked to instruct the Inspector of weights and measures to infuse some activity into his duties and report on result of a special inspection; (2) that the queetion of whether the Trades Council should take an active part in the forthcoming election of Mayor he refered to the executive to report on; (3) that a strong protest he entered against the action of the Borough Council in introducing "class distinction" when dealing with the several applications for increases of pay from members of the borough staff.

The services in the Whiteley Memorial Church to-morrow will be conducted by the Rev. J. W. Burton. The morning subject will bo "The Spiritual as a Stimulant to Living"; and in the evening the sermon will be on "Xeinesis."—Advt.

VTSITINfi CARDS. When you run out of cards, send vour order for more to the Daily News Printery. 3/6 for 50, or 5/s for 100 (postage paid).

A meeting of the Mangatoki Dairy Co. on Thursday, held to consider the question of manufacturing cheese next year, decided to stick to the making of butter.

The New Plymouth Fire Board has forwarded a resolution to the Borough Council suggesting that the burning of rubbish within the brick area should be absolutely prohibited. Mr. H. Street, of Bell Block, has secured two championships with his Holstein cattle at the show at Pukekohe. In addition to the championships his beasts were awarded first prizes in the four classes in which they competed. At a meeting 'of workers held in the Town Hall last night, tie following resolution was carried: "That the 'Labor representatives in Parliament be respectfully called on to support the Liberal Party's humane and progressive programme by supporting Sir J. G. Ward in the no confidence motion."

At a gathering of temperance workers held in the Good Templar Hall this week, the following resolution was carried:— "That the No-License League fall in with the suggestion emanating from the Mayor (Mr. G. W. Browne), viz., that with a view to saving the expense of an election, we agree to the .present committee being re-nominated as miembera of the Taranaki Licensing Committee for the ensuing three years."

About 200 children from the Waitara school, accompanied the teachers, Mr. T. Buchanan (secretary of the committee), and a number of other adults, journeyed to Ngaere for the annual school picnic yesterday morning. The weather, which was far from propitious when the train left, deterred many from making the trip. The gardens were reached about 10.30 a.m., and a few hours pleasantly spent there, the party entraining about 2.30 p.m. for home, which was reached at 5.30 p.m.

A particularly pathetic story comes from Lucindale (Victoria). The one-year-old child of a settler became ill, and the father took it into the township seeking medical attention, leaving his •wife at home ill in bed and a two-year-old daughter playing with some friends. When her father drove away this child separated from her companions, and apparently endeavored to follow the buggy. After a while she was missed, and a Jarge party went out in search of her. The child was found two miles away lying dead in the bush. She had been killed by the intense heat. The youngest child, who was ill, also died, and the settler, on returning to his home, found that in his absence, his wife had given birth to a baby. It was reported in our cables yesterday that special leave to appeal "in forma pauperis" 'was refused by the Privy Council in the cases Jones versus Lefroy, of New Zealand. This was an action in which Joshua Jones sought to obtain leave from the Supreme Court of New Zealand, the Chief Justice; presiding, to issue a summons for service on persons resident in England, or upon their attorney in New Zealand. The claim was based on an allegation that a contract had been made in England between plaintiff and the executors of Wickham Flower. In his judgment, delivered on June Ist last, the Chief Justice said there Was an allegation that defendants, contrary to the covenants and conditions implied by law on the part of the mortgagees, put up for sale by public auction by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, New Plymouth,, and bought in the property, which they had a right to do according to the Land Transfer Act. On July 20, 1908, the Full Court decided that the property had passed to Hcrrman Lewis, and that there was no cause of action against defendant* in connection with the land. His Honor, therefore, refused to grant the leave asked, but he gave leave to appeal direct to the Privy Council. Mr. E. G. Jellicoe was counsel for Jones.