LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 217, 12 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The dairying industry in the Wairarapa is developing at a very rapid rate. It is estimated that between £II,OOO and £12,000 was paid out for milk delivered to factories in the Pahiatua district during the month of January.

Jack Johnson announces his intention of writinga book, in which he will record his impressions of his recent .trip to Europe. He still harbors the delusion that he was a real attraction in London during the Coronation festivities, and also that the police conspired to keep him indoors so that the crowds should not run after him. The proudest moment of his life was when he was admitted to the (Masonic Order at-the lodge at Dundee la»t summer, a retired British Army officer acting as his sponsor. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Egmont Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U., was held last evening. Bro. Hugh Bennett, N.G., presided. There was a fair attendance of members, and a candidate was initiated. A letter of recommendation was granted to a member who proposes paying a visit to Australia. The report of the annua] district meeting was received, which showed the numerical strength of the Order in Taranaki to be 1104 members/ an increase of 10 for the year (1911), and the accumulated funds £27,209 7s lid, an increase for the year of £1316 14s Od. The secretary was granted leave of absence for April Bth to attend the B.M.C. meeting at Christchurch.

The usual weekly meeting of the Egmont Lodge, No. 112, was held in the Good Templar Hall last night, and was opened in dun form by Bro. J. C. Legg, at 7.30 p.m. It was resolved that the lodge pay an official visit to the Prince of Peace Lodge, Waitara, on Tuesday, the 19th March. Bro. S. W. Maunder proposed that as Bro. Arnold had resigned the secretaryship of the management committee, that Bro. G. Hayden be proposed as an additional member and also secretary. —Carried. The secretary appointed Sis. I. Connett as assistant in place of Bro. Howell, resigned. There being no business to bring before the lodge, the programme r of the evening, "Sisters' night," was then proceeded with, after which the lodge was closed in usual, form by Sis. Rekl, V.T. Next week's programme takes the form of a "Dutch autcion."

Recently the Empire Theatre staff spent a couple of days on the mountain and took views of the principal features, including the crater. The picture, which has been toned and is of high quality, is to be screened at the Empire to-morrow evening. •

At its meeting last night the Bofough Council accepted the following tenders: Gig hire, M. Jones; coal and firewood, J. Ward and Son; horse-shoeing, M. Shivnan; cement, Sash and Door Co.; general hardware, Bellringer Bros. It was also decided to invite tenders for kerosene and oils.

Visitors to the North Egmont Mountain House on Sunday last included Mr. Justice Sim, Hon. 0. Samuel, M.L.C., and Mr. H. D. Bell, K.C. In all 80 persons visjlted the house. The whole of the walls of the new hostelry are now practically finished, and a start has been made with the construction of the roof. Passenger revenue on the- North Island main lines and branches for the monthly period ended February 3 totalled £60,652, and goods receipts £81,084, the gross total from these and other sources having been £161,651. This shows an increase of £11,932 compared with the corresponding .period of last year. The South Island main lines and branches produced a revenue of £118,203, an increase of £BOOO.

A recent Lancet publishes the results of an investigation which relates to the amount, quality, and effects of the soot falling annually in London. The calculation shows that the total" amount of deposit falling annually upon the Administrative County of London, including the City, amounts tamo less than 76,000 tons, in which are present over 6000 tons of ammonia, about 8000 tons of sulphates, 3000 tons of chlorine' in chlorides, besides carbon and tar.

A peculiar case wa9 heard at Waipawa, Hawke's Bay, a few days ago, when the licensee of a country hotel was charged with permitting drunkenness on his licensed premises, one of the persons arrested for being drunk being the licensee himself. The magistrate reserved his decision. The police stated that the licensee had been arrested and convicted of drunkenness, and his brother, who was also intoxicated, was fined for interfering with the constable in the execution of his duty.

The co-operation of the New Plymouth Borough Council was solicited by the town clerk of the Christchurch City Council in regard to the following resolution which had been carried unanimously by his council: "That the Municipal Corporations Act be amended with a view to extending the period for which a councillor is elected to three arid that all the other borough councils he asked to assist in the matter." Councillors resolved to instruct their delegate to the Municipal Conference to support the proposal.

New Zealand's contribution of -£IOOO to a Japanese famine relief fund has been acknowledged in an unusual and pleasing way, the Prime Minister (Sif Joseph Ward) having received through the Japanese Embassy in London a golden goblet, accompanied by a diploma which sets forth that the gift commem- , morales New Zealand's generosity on the occasion of the bq,d failure of the crop in the prefecture of Miyagi and two other prefectures in the thirty-eighth year of his Imperial Japanese 'Majesty's reign, this being the year 1908. The gift will find a place in the Dominion Museum. .

Writes one who has lately visited Santiago, the capital of Chili:—From one end of Santiago to the other runs the Alameda—an avenue four miles long. Trees are planted down the centre, making a most delightful promenade. On either side of the trees run broad roads, and the irrigation waters flow by the side of the trees. Everyone is to be seen on the Alameda. It is amazing to .one where wealth is fairly evenly distributed, as in New Zealand, to see the affluence and poverty in Chili. But the poor peons are usually of a happy 1 temperament,

Startling statements regarding the »ums gambled away annually at the French casinos and the amount of money g'ven to the croupiers in tips were made the Chamber of Deputies recently by M. Kerduezoc in supporting a Bill for a progressive tax on gambling clubs and casinos. He said that the amount of the taking at Enghein, the casino near Paris, this year was £380,000; at Yichy, £156,000, and at Trouville £137,000. The tips to croupiers at Enghein amounted to £89,480, the head croupier receiring •ver £2OOO, while at Vichy and Trouville the tips amounted to £29,280 and £35,320 respectively. The Patea Shipping Company, which has its headquarters in Wellington, is being reorganised. Mr. James H. Williams, whose name has been associated in the shipping business for many years formerly in connection with the Black Diamond fleet, and later with the Wellington Ferry Company, has taken over the steamers Kapiti and Arapawa. Under the new scheme the steamers Kiripaka, Mana, Kapuni, and the recently built Hawera will be run under the control of a distinct company. The Kapiti and Arapawa will probably be retained principally in the WellingtonWanganui service. The other four steamers will maintain the WellingtonPatea service with calls at 'other ports when necessary .—Eltham Argus. "That in view of the proposed electric tramway system between Fitzroy and the Breakwater, the owners of all verandahs over footpaths in Devon street between Te Henui and' Outfield road at present exceeding the 12ft. limit be notified that such verandahs must be either removed or narrowed to in? on or before January 1, 1914? is the text of a motion of which notice was given at last night's meeting of the Borough Council by Cr. Morey. Referring briefly to the' notice, the mover said his purpose was to let owners of shop properties see what was going on, for in his opinion there was going to be a big protest. Cr. Jackson remarked that they would howl themselves to death before January, 1914 (Laughter.) To this Cr. Morey rejoined, "Ne oneknows about it yet. The people have no idea that they are going t'o shift their verandahs."

Tlie thunderstorm which passed over Te Kiri on Thursday last was of unusual severity, and one settler (Mr. J. Huiwiler) }vill have occasion to remember it for many a day to come. He was working on a hay stack, close to his house-, when a report like a cannon-shot startled the whole neighborhood. Looking around. Mr. Huiwiler noticed that a lightning holt had struck a huge dry rata tree standing in an adjoining paddock and split it from top to bottom. Thee urent, travelling down and around the tree, entered the ground, and in doing so hurled- a vast cloud of .earth and ideforis into the air. just as though, a. great charge of gelignite had been exploded. Large .pieces of timber, ripped and torn about, were scattered around thp paddock for chains, and it was fortunate that no cows or stock were grazing in the vicinity at the time. Mr. Huiwiler describes the spectacle as grand and awe-inspiring, and one which lie will not likely forget for a long time.— Star.

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