LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 271, 13 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A very senseless joke is sometimes indulged in, viz., drawing away a person's chair just as he or she is about to sit down. The "joke" was played on a Palmerston young lady, with the result that she fell on the floor, striking the end of her spine. Following on that she had to be taken to the hospital, and is lying there in a very serious condition, with a possibility of being a per- , manent invalid. The poor girl is only eighteen, and was a great favorite among ; her schoolmates and friends. The Chinese revolution is likely to have one curious effect, namely, to cheapen the price of silk. The reform movement is spreading quite as much among the well-to-do Chinese as among the lower classes-, and, in addition to dispensing with their pigtails, the Chinese are abandoning their former dress in favor of Western clothes, and for the silk garments which they used to wear are being substituted clothes made from Yorkshire woollens, and cut in European style. On this account large quantities of Chinese silk will find its way into the world's market and cause a drop in prices. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. Our prompt and reliable methods always impress folk whether they employ us for moving furniture, passing entries, forwarding parcels, or checking baggage. What can we do for you in the way of forwarding or express work? You may be sure that whatever work you want done, we will do it well.—The N.Z. Express Coy., Ltd.—Advt. For Children's Hacking Cough at night. Wood's Great Peppermint Cure, 1/6, 2/6.

It is rumored "out least" that the Stratford Co-operative Fanners' Association contemplates establishing a creamery at Pohokura. A great scarcity of labor in all branches is reported from Gisborne. This is attributed in a large measure to the extensive public works being carried out in the district. For the first time in the Hawera Electric Light Co.'s history a strong financial credit balance has been shown; on the year's operations. A dividend of 5 per cent, on ordinary shares and 7 per cent. on preference shares will be paid. During April 106 cows, 69 bullocks, 8 calves, 651 sheep, 99 lambs, and 141 pigs were slaughtered for local consumption at the New Plymouth abattoirs, and 35 cows, 1 ox and 15 bulls for export. The fees, which amounted to £134 12s 3d, represented an increase of £l3 17s 6d on the corresponding month of last year. The ceremony of formally blessing and opening the new convent at Wanganui was performed yesterday by Archbishop Redwood. The building, which is of three stories, stands on a magnificent site overlooking the town and suburbs, and cost nearly £IB,OOO, but the purchase, of the land and the furnishings, and laying out of the grounds will bring the total up to £25,000. The Parihaka Road Board, after much discussion, decided to support the Local Government Bill, and Mr. P. Willcox was appointed to attend the conference at New Plymouth to-morrow. The chairman (Mr. Jas. Young) and Mr. Ducker were appointed to give evidence on the board's behalf before the Railway Commission, which will sit at Opunake on Friday next. The board favors the old route, land for which was reserved many years ago. Mr. W. A. McCutchan voiced his opinion of the future of New Plymouth harbor at the banquet at Whangamomona on Friday evening. He considered that in a short while it would be within sixty hours of Sydney. In the future it would be to New Zealand what Southampton was to England. (Applause.) Speaking of his work on the Harbor Board, Mr. MeCluggage subsequently stated that very soon the New Plymouth harbor would accommodate the largest .boats, and this would save the district thousands of pounds annually. There was an attendance of over 200 at the Men's Brotherhood meeting in the Good Templar Hall yesterday afternoon. Mr. J. B. Roy, who presided, dwelt in his opening remarks upon the benefits likely to accrue to New Plymouth .through the Brotherhood. The speaker for the day was the Rev. J. W.. Burton, who spoke on "Personal Freedom as an ideal of Jesus Christ." During the afternoon the Garrison Band favored the meeting with three sacred selections. A meeting is being convened for Thursday evening for the purpose of definitely organising the Brotherhood. An Onehunga fisherman says he has often been surprised with the contents of his fishing nets after drawing them, but he got the surprise of his life last week when he landed a well-conditioned stag. It had the appearance of having just died when caught, as its flesh was quite sweet antl fresh. Someone said it was six years old. How the animal got into the harbor is a mystery, and also where it came from. It may have been chased from the Waitakere ranges and fallen over a cliff into the Manukau harbor. The middle bank is always bare for miles at low water, and no doubt the animal got stranded there and was gradually forced on to the highest point of the bank by the flood tide until it got entangled in the net and was drowned.

The secretary of the Winter Show has received a letter from Mr. Moore, of the Raglan district, to the effect that it is most likely that the settlers of the Raglan district will be competing in the district produce display. This should cause our local district settlers to get to work as soon as possible, as it would be rather a poor advertisement for our local districts if outside competitors should step in and beat us on our own ground. The prizes in this competition are also very tempting, the society having allocated the sum of £lO as first prize and £5 as second, and these alone should he worthy of consideration. But the main oiiject should be the advertisement of the district. The secretary has also been asked to attend a meeting of the settlers at the Omata Hall on Wednesday, May 15, at 8 p.m., for the purpose of explaining to the fanners generally the general workings of the district exhibit.

Electric batteries, phosphorescent paint and magic lanterns are part of the equipment of Seyyide Idrissis', ths Mahdi who has resisted .the Turks in the north of Yemen (S.W. Arabia) for years at the head of a band of 20,000 Arabs A correspondent (says the London Daily Mail), writing from Iledeidah, gives details of the manner in which this curious figure retains his hold over the fanatical tribesmen . Highly educated, Seyyide Idrissis, who studied at Cairo, claims to be a heaven-sent prophet, and his followers believe he converses nightly with Allah. He sits in a dark room with his face daubed with luminous paint and holding in his hand a wand connected with an electric battery. He makes all who come to seek his counsel touch his wand in homage, thus receiving a violent electric shock. The disciples flee, with profound obeisance, in abject fear. Sometimes he employs the familiar "Pepper's Ghost" trick, showing hia followers his "decapitated" head, from the lips of which fall words of wisdom, or done a kind of ballet costume sown with electric lamps. He uses a magic lantern for projecting !his portrait in the darkness. The correspondent says Seyyide Missis' star is on the wane because he accepted arms from the Italians, and his followers cannot understand their prophet being airmed by enemies of the faithful.

The discomfiture of a young man who is associated with the business staff in an Auckland establishment was brought about in a most embarrassing way the other afternoon (says the Star). He was informed that a lady had called to see him, and on approaching the latter was met with the double query as to whether he would shake hands with her and as to whether he did not know her. With praiseworthy gallantry he satisfied the. elderly party on the first point, and was forced to infer (in other words) that he did not know her. "You say you don't know me," faltered the visitor with failing breath, "and you are the young man who took my daughter from me." (Hurried departure of exploding bystanders). It appeared from the cross-questions and straight answers which followed, that the lady had come into town from a district further south for the purpose of visiting her recently-married daughter. To procure their address she had to call upon her son-in-law, whom she had not thus far seen. The old, old story of names misheard and directions wrongh given accounted for the rest. "And I felt so proud of my son-in-law, too, when I saw you come to me," sighed the disappointed one in the midst of her apologies, "because they told me that he is consumptive—and you don't look delicate." It is said that a certain unmarried man has been getting what the small boys rail a "time of it" during the last day or two. Roslyn football jerseys are the best.— Advt. For Chronic Chest Complaints. Wood's Great Peppermint Cure. 1/6, ?/8„

Sportsmen who have been "doing" the back portion of Taranaki since the sporting season opened report that game is scarce. One pair of sportsmen travelled two hundred niifrs and got only a dozen birds between them. The season baa been against the birds this year, every district in the Dominion suffering. ( The master of an important school "out back" in Taranaki is living with his wife in a habitation 12ft x 12ft in extent, there being two rooms lift x Oft. "It's better than a tent," remarked the teacher to Hon. Uurcnson. Is it any wonder that there is a dearth of competent teachers for the backblocks schools? _ Nominations dost- to-day for the election of a member of the Education Board, to All a vacancy caused by the resignation of the Rev" Mr. MeArthur. So far the following nominations have been received:—Mr. Mcßeynolds, nominated by the Pungaw.hu school committee; Rev. Mr. Bradbury, nominated by the West End and Central school committees; Mr. Wilcox, nominated by the Rahotu committee. People of the towns have little idea of the disability of the eettlers in the backblocks and the- difficulties of maintaining roads in decent condition. "They call it the Bank Bend, because it would take the Bank of England to keep it in order."—this is how the Roads En**ner (Mr. Murray) described a portion •■:' tvf M»r«o road, near WhangamoiHofia. i'> f ";" Minister for Public Works, w'fto ■><•::-• ,: interviewed by a deputation of seU;i> on Friday. Motu, Poverty Bay, established'a record for itself during March as the wettest spot in the. whole of the North Island, a record, in fact, that was only beaten by the extreme south-west point of the Dominion, Puyspgur Point. The rainfall at Motu totalled 11.(5 inches, rain falling on 22 days out of the 31 days of the month. The record for Puyaegur Point was 17.47 inches on 19 days, and Okura 17.47 inches on 10 days. The lowest rainfall dui&g March in the North Island was 2.31 inches at Waihakeke, in the Wairarapa, and in the South Island 1.15 inches at Waikari, in Waipara county, Canterbury. A man applied to the Thames police for employment of some kind, and was told to look in later on. The constable happened to notice that the man's hands were covered with warts. • That set him thinking, and led to an inspection of the police records, which showed that the applicant for work was "wanted" elsewhere. Looking up the man, he addressed him by his proper name, he having given a false name when applying for work. The man first denied, but afterwards admitted his identity, and was forwarded under escort to the place from which the warrant had been issued. It was the warts on his hands that gave him away. A man named A. Crawford, a giant in stature, being fift Sin in height, disappeared from Whangamomona a few days ago. Mr. Frank Bell, suspecting thingswere not quite right, set out into the bush to hunt for him and after much travelling and searching came unon him in a nude condition. As soon as the demented man saw his pursuer, he set across country at a great pace, but Mr. Bell kept on his trail, and eventually closed with him. After a great struggle, the man being weak as a. result of his exposure in the open and absence of food, Mr. Bell brought tiro unfortunatei ndividual into the township, from whence he was sent to Stratford. How the man lived through the cold nights—and it can be cold at this time of the year, as people who havo been there only can realise —is beyond comprehension. Anyone with ordinary stamina must have succumbed. For his humane action, Mr. Bel] deserves every credit, and we are glad to hear it is to be brought under the notice of the authorities.