LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 232, 29 March 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Australian and English mail, which is usually despatched from New Plymouth on Thursday morning, will close at 6.15 a.m. on Wednesday next, April 3. To-day the New Zealand Times Co. are issuing a special Taranaki number. A lot of time and trouble have been expended 011 preparing the publication, which is sure to be of interest to everyone in the province. Copies may he had from all booksellers. Can a telephone conversation be admitted as evidence in Court? The question was raised in tho Invercargill Magistrate's Court during the hearing of a civil ease. A witness for the plaintiff stated in his evidence that the plaintiff and lie had telephoned to the defendant. "How do you know that it was the defendant at the other end of the wire?" asked counsel for the defence. The witness hesitated. ''Because he said it was he speaking," said the witness. "That's 110 proof. Jt might have been anyliotly using his name," retorted counsel, and he submitted that this could not be Imilwl as evidence. The Court smiled. The Magistrate remarked that telephone conversations entered into cases almost every day, and although perhaps they were not very reliable, they were admissible as evidence.

Owing to a thunderstorm in Sydney J inward Press messages were delayed till j an early hour this morning. - Throughout the winter months a series J of social gatherings are to be held under j the auspices 'of the young people of the/ Queen Street Primitive Church. Sir William Hall-Jones' term as High Commissioner has been extended to the end of May, to give the new Government time to consider the appointment of his successor. The visiting Australian Press delegates were entertained by the Wellington, newspaper proprietors yesterday on an excursion, round the harbor and luncheon at Day's Bay,—Press wire. Mr. J. Jeromson, the green-keeper at the Manawatu Golf links, whose disappearance had been reported to the police, has telegraphed from Auckland to his parents at Palmerston, saying: "Am quite well; letter to follow." Major Sandford received a telegram yesterday from Captain Stevens stating that the junior cadet officers' camp, which was to have been held at Easter, has been abandoned, but that probably arrangements will be made for holding a. camp later. Good progress is being made with the ironsand works at Moturoa, and the contractor, Mr. L. Jackson, expects to complete building arrangements in a day or j two. The plant is nearly all placed in) position, and a trial of the 50-h.p. engine is to be given to-day. It has been estimated that in Blenheim this season about 3000 acres of peas have been cropped. The threshing records show some remarkable returns—--40, 50 and even up to 70 bushels per acre have been recorded. One crop from a 40-acre block topped 71 bushels per acre. i | Referring. to the telegram that the Dunedin Star understands that Mr. Martin, recently the organiser of the Reform party, has accepted the position of organiser for the "Trade" for the Dominion, the Christchureh Press remarks that the Star is rather premature, as no appointment has yet been made. Before Messrs. E. Dockrill and J. F. > Eustace, J.P.'e, at the Magistrate's j Court yesterday morning, the borough inspector (Mr. Tippins) charged Thomas I Donovan with having ridden a bicycle ) in Devon street without a proper light on March 21. Donovan pleaded guilty and was fined 2s Od and 7s costs. Gerald Bruno Burgess was charged with having driven a gig in Gill street without lights, on March 14. He pleaded guilty, and was fined 2s 6d and 7s costs. Clement Billawski, charged with a similar offence, in Devon street, who had, it was alleged, refused to give his name to the officer when stopped, was fined 5e and costs 7s. The Rev. J. Charteris, the newly-ap-pointed Methodist minister, was enter-) tained at the Queen Street Methodist! schoolroom on Wednesday evening. Mr. j C. E. Bellringer, circuit steward; extended a hearty welcome to Mr. Charteris, and Miss Stewart followed suit on behalf of the Christian Endeavor Societies. The chairman (the Rev. R. J. Liddell) also added a few words of welcome. During the evening the following programme was rendered: Pianoforte duet, Misses White; song, Miss Lepine; recitation, Miss Pepperill; song, Miss Charteris; song, Miss Ibbotson; recitation, Miss Brokenshire; song, Miss Stewart; song, Miss White; song, Mrs. J Rich: song, Miss Guilford; recitation, Miss Asher. We are pleased to learn that a movement is afoot to obtain some public recognition for Mrs. Lee, whose services'

as a nurse during the Maori war have I deservedly won for her the title of "Thej Taranaki Heroine" (says the Gisborne ] Herald). The story of Mrs. Lee's brave ] exploit in standing by >tlie patients in a 1 hospital encampment at a time of real ] danger, when all the neighboring settlers | were fleeing for safety from the ap- i proaching Maori horde, has already been related, and several letters have appear- ; ed commending the brave woman's gal-: lantry and title to honorable recognition. Mrs. Lee has passed the allotted span of life and is in very poor circumstances, and it must be to the discredit of a country that one who served it so well in a time of great peril should not be in a position that she can end her days in comfort and in the knowledge that her great act of self-sacrifice was appreciated by the people. Two Petone youths became so fired with the stirring episodes of Red Indians and cowboys ' depicted on the screen of a local picture theatre that on Sunday last they determined to emulat# tie valorous deeds of one White Buffalo, chief of the Pawnees, and Sly Slocum, crack-shot, cowboy and hero-in-general. Obtaining a pea rifle and a service rifle they sought out a spot amongst the Korokoro hills. Here the doughty White Buffalo placed himself at several paces distance from the crack-shot, and held out his hand with the fingers outstretched. '"The rifle of Sly Slocum never misses," quoth he; "let him fire a bullet between my fingers, that we may behold his mighty skill." Si/ Slocum raised his trusty weapon—the pea rifletook steady aim, and pulled the trigger. A wild howl from the Indian brave proclaimed to the surrounding hills that for I once tie rifle of Sly Slocum had failed its master, and on Monday a disillusioned youth of eighteen years was admitted to the Wellington Hospital, where he underwent an operation for the removal of a .22 bullet from the palm of his hand.— Times.