LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 205, 27 February 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Several local swimmers will probably be competing at the swimming carnival which is to be held at Eltham to-day. Mr. W. Lints is to give an exhibition of life-saving. Becoming startled by a passing train this morning, a valuable horse, belonging to Mr. G. Goldsworthy, reared and impaled itself on a gate. The animal had to be destroyed. In order to secure some Wellington and other outside talent the Irish National Concert, which wa3 to have been held on March 18 at the Theatre Royal, New Plymouth, has been postponed till Thursday, March 21. The weasel has always been looked upon as the bane of the fowlyard, but it is now recorded that he has started on a new line, that of destroying trout. Recently a weasel was seen at Mikimiki coming out of the river-bed with a live trout 4in long in its mouth.

A Masterton telegram states that the Government Commission appointed to investigate the grass grub visited Masterton last week and inspected several properties. They found the grass grub very bad. On Saturday they left for the Woodville district, where a similar condition existed.

Mr. Herbert Bloy's appearance at Miss Rosina Buckman's concert next Wednesday will give all lovers of the violin an opportunity of hearing this talented violinist for the first time in New Plymouth, and this opportunity should not be missed. Both Press and public are unanimous in their praises of Mr. Bloy's playing, and everywhere he has been !' spoken of in the most eulogistic terms. The unsettled ,weather prior to February has heeh blamed to a certain ex- | tent, bub this is" surely not the only cause of the decided slump in swimming circles at New Plymouth this year. Three or four years ago it was not unusual for as many as thirty and forty com- ! petitors to face the starter in one event, but nowadays, according to one of the executive, it is with difficulty that five or six are persuaded to compete. It was all right, so he told a News representative, until the novelty of the thing wore off. Next season the Swimming Club intends to largely devote its energies in the direction of fostering swimming amongst the boys. - Early in March members of the New Plymouth Golf Club (erstwhile the Ngamotu Golf Club) 4 will be called upon to decide whether next year they will transfer the base of their operations to new grounds out towards Bell Block, about three miles from New Plymouth. The tenure of the present grounds is not regarded as being permanent enough, whereas in regard to the new grounds the club has a lease for a considerable number of years, with the right of renewal. Naturally the main question will be that of expense, as if the new grounds are to be put in order for the opening of the 1913 season a caretaker will have to be employed all this season, in addition to the caretaker at the present links.

Rapid progress is being made with the •erection of the Taranaki Agricultural Society's winter show building© at St. Germain Square. • The concrete foundation ■work is practically completed, and the ■iron-and part of the timber are on the ■job. The- carpenters will be making a -start very shortly, and the building will be up in plenty of time for this year's ■winter show, which will be the third to be held at New Plymouth. For the first winter show the society utilised the Drill Hall, supplemented with a number of tents, which were pitched on the street. The second show saw the society accommodated in the Drill Hall and temporary quarters built with iron were put up over the street, which was closed for the time being. Even with this make-shift accommodation, the society was on the right side of the ledger to the extent of about £IOO on each occasion, and with the advent of buildings of its own (three times the size of the Drill Hall), the prospects for the winter show are exceedingly bright. °

The three courses offering at the New Plymouth day technical classes are attracting the attention of those who have not hitherto taken advantage of their proficiency certificates, as affording training along the industrial line. A good many have entered on the different groups, and parents who have talked over the matter with Mr. Heatley consider the school will fill a need hitherto not catered for. Boys taking the. industrial section will receive such practical instruction in handwork and drawing as will materially advance them in their future professions. Girls taking the domestic section will receive a good training in the domestic arts and sciences, and at the completion of their course will' be encouraged to qualify for the examinations of the London City and Gulids' Institute. Those boys and girls who take the commercial course will be given opportunities of insight into actual office routine and of becoming expert stenographers and typewriters, the services of Mr. White having been obtained. Tho evening classes opening on;. Monday will prove of inestimable advantage to those whose time is occupied during the day. Holders of proficiency certificates are entitled to free tuition.

Chatting with a Daily News representative, Mr. A. Cliff, secretary of the Taranaki Agricultural Society, who returned on Saturday from a visit to Masterton, expressed the opinion that the showgrounds in connection with that town were the best in New Zealand. The appointments, he said, were particularly good, and as far as he could see its only defect lay in its distance from Masterton. The arrangements as regards the railway, however, were admirable, and with the advent of a tram service the difficulties of communication would be overcome. At the autumn show, which had just concluded, the Agricultural Society provided tents, bedding, and catering (the last at a reasonable charge) on the grounds for those in" charge of exhibits. About 120 took advantage of this arrangement, which Mr. Cliff thought hardly a good thing for the business people of Masterton. Incidentally Mr. Cliff mentioned that the success of the autumn show at Masterton andthe promise of help given to him by exhibitors there and elsewhere, spoke volumes for the welfare of the Taranaki Agricultural Society's autumn show, which next year will replace the spring show. He added that he learnt from Various sources that many outside exhibitors, having more leisure time at their disposal than in the spring, made an autumn show an occasion for a holiday.

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The statement of election expenses filed on behalf of the Hon. J. Carroll, who was elected unopposed, shows the expenses incurred to have been nil. "I away to-day, we come hack tonight," was the somewhat startling notice pinned on the door of a Palmerston Xortli Chinese laundry one day last week. Looks as if "John" went away on Matrimony bent. The Waitara Freezing Works are being kept busy with the work pertaining to the export of frozen sheep and lambs (says the Waitara Mail). Big cattle are coming forward, also, rather better than expected at the beginning of the season. The other evening 19 trucks of sheep came by train from the south.

The amenities of Parliament. Mr. Isitt (loudly): "The policy of the Reform party was mean and attenuated. It begged, with a mendicant's whine, to be returned to power to administer a policy which its opponents had framed. It was a plea which evidenced their own importance." Opposition members .(stentorwusly): "We can't hear you!" Mr. Isitt (with great solicitude): "I apologise, gentlemen. I had forgotten for the moment that sound always reverbrates in empty spaces." (Loud laughter from all parts of the House.) The Patea Press says:—The centrifugal pump by which the Kapuni was to be emptied arrived per the Kiripaka on Friday, and was immediately taken to the stranded vessel by the Mana. Little time was lost in getting it in position and working, the hole having been blocked temporarily by canvas. Success attended _ the efforts, and the Mana, after pulling the Kapuni, into the stream, towed and beached her on the opposite side of the river. At low tide this morning she was almost high and dry, showing the extent of the damage. A gang of carpenters are now busy affecting temporary repairs. When this is finished the vessel will sail for Lyttelton, where she will be put on the stocks and overhauled.

Four youths with limited nautical knowledge had an anxious time on Sunday. They had rowed out of the harbor and past M-oturoa island when a nasty squall arose. The wind freshened, very quickly, and inside a quarter of an hour a considerable sea was running . The youths battled away in an aimless sort of way with the oars for about an hour between the breakwater and Moturoa, but instead of making headway, they were driven with the wind. The youths by this time were in a bad way, and their strength had given out. They hoisted a distress, signal, but the launches were all away out of the harbor. Just when it seemed likely that the boat must be driven into the racing surrent between Moturoa and the Saddleback islands, the squall died away. The lads hauled down their distress signal, and after a hard battle, managed to get around the breakwater into calm water. The incident was watched by a party on Moturoa island, and several people on the breakwater but no boat was available to go to the lads' assistance. A serious tragedy of the sea might easily have happened had the wind not lulled. Had the youths kept inside the harbor where there is always a fine stretch of rowing water, the squall would not have interfered with them. Unless precautions are taken there is sure to be a serious mishap at Moturoa one of these days and guardiaus would do well to caution inexperienced youths against foolhardy boating ventures.