LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 272, 14 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Land and Income Tax Department gives notice that returns of income must be furnished not later than Ist June. The road over the Whangamomona saddle, as a result of the recent spell of fine weather, is in fairly good condition, there being only from two to 2% feet of mud on it. We hasten to explain that the folk "out back" don't consider a road bad until a horse is unable to pull its legs out of the mud. A Press Association telegram states that May Hallett, who caused no little stir in Wellington society circles some few years ago, is now a genuine widow. Her husband, Don Campbell, was assistant purser on the Titanic, and went down with the ship. Campbell was purser on the Ulimaroa at one time.

The Government has decided to appoint a Commission of Inquiry into the condition of the Civil Service. Speaking to a Post representative yesterday, the Prime Minister said that the personnel of the Commission had not yet been decided, but it would be announced at an early date and it would commence its investigations without delay. The Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. has received advices from London indicating that the legal formalities in connection with the reorganisation scheme are not likely to be completed in London before the Long Vacation. The sanction of the court cannot, therefore, be asked until later in the year. Shareholders will thus be grantedl a conveniently longer time to decide their opinions, and arrange for the meeting of calls. They will probably not be required to pay the first instalment earlier than November or December next.

The usual weekly meeting of Egmont Lodge, 1.0. G.T., was lield in the lodge room last evening. Bro. 0. Hayden, C.T., presided, and the lodge was opened in due course and the routine business transacted. Two friends were proposed for membership. It was agreed that a letter of sympathy should be sent to Bro. W. H. Pillai on his late severe accident. and also an offer of help from the lodge to the W.C.T.U. in the bazaar they intend to hold in a few weeks' time. A very pleasant evening was spent with music, recitations, readings, and a practice of the new odes composed by the Chief Templar. Sister Rusden, pianiste, led with the odes, and also gave a piano solo. Others taking part were: Bros. H. and G. Hayden, L. Pepperell, G. H. Maunder and Sisters B. Connett and L. White. Mrs. Douglas explained what was needed for the bazaar, and two brothers promptly volunteered. The lodge closed at 0.30 p.m. in -due form. For Chronic Chest Complaints, Wood's Great Peppermint Cure. 1/0, 2/fl.

At last night's meeting of the Borough Council a petition received from a number of Vogeltown residents, asking for increased lighting facilities in that suburb, was referred to the electrical engineer for report. At a sitting of the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr. A. Crook e, S.M., one first-offender was convicted and discharged for drunkenness, and ordered to pay 30s costs incurred in medical treatment and bringing him to New Plymouth from Whangamomona, where he was arrested. The option was fixed at fourteen days' imprisonment. "The matter of public conveniences has been left out of the estimates, has it not?" asked Cr. Jackson at last night's meeting of the Borough Council. The Mayor: "It would have increased the overdraft too much." On Cr. Jackson"s motion it was decided to ear-mark £225 of the increase (£250) in the water rate to the purpose of erecting the conveniences.

"Give us a decent road and T will undertake to get married within six months," exclaimed a settler to the Ministers on their way to Whangamomona on Friday, He afterwards explained that he was anxious to get "hitched up," but it was impossible for a woman to reach his section—it was as much as an energetic man could do. The wife of one of his neighbors, living closer in, had not seen another woman for over a rear.

A good story is told by a correspondent of the Press concerning a New Zealand notability who was at one time practising as a lawyer in a country township. lie was engaged in a sheep case and the opposing counsel had just finished a searching examination of a witness, in which the terms "dry ewes," "wet ewes" and "wethers" had been freely used, Then arose the future politician and astounded the Court by asking the witness: "About these wethers you mentioned, were they 'wet' wethers or 'dry' wethers?" -The totalised grin on the faces of the farmers present could have been measured in yards. The comparatively unknown beauties of the Mokau river were enlarged upon by the Mayor (Mr. G, W. Browne) at last night's meeting of the Borough Council. ITe said that a motor service had recently been inaugurated on the river, and he considered that steps should l be taken to advertise the scenic resources of the Mokau. Mr. Browne added that if New Plymouth people only realised the magnificent scenery along the banks of the river, they would not travel outside the district so much when in search of the beauties of nature. From what he had seen, Mokau, with its diversity of scenes, surpassed the morc-widely known and advertised Wanganui river. The suggestion thrown out by the Mayor was not seriously discussed, several councillors facetiously remarking that it would be a good idea to take the councillors for a trip to the Mokau.

"There are some things bought out of town by this council which could very well be bought locally," was the burden of a complaint by Cr. Morev at l.ifit night's meeting of the Borough Council. Citing a case in point: The Library Committee sent to Sydney, at a cost of £32 ss, for a new edition of the "Encyclopaedia. Brittanica," and, as a matter at fact, that same edition could have been bought here (New Plymouth) for £3O 9s, at a saving of £2 2s. "Now, I want to know why the committee should send away when it can get the books in our own town at a cheaper rate. I am at a loss to understand their action. It is quite unjust," said Cr. Morey. According to the Mayor 'it ought not to be." After a long- and rambling discussion, the Council adopted, on Cr. Morey's initiative, a resolution recommending the Library Committee in future to purchase where practicable and when prices were the same, all books and magazines from local shopkeepers. Under an Act passed over thirty years ago, the Railway Department may resume private rural land wanted for railway coastruc•tiou without payment >of compensation, unless special damage can be proved, it being held that the added value given to the rest of the property by reason of the line going through it is full condensation. This supposition is entirely unsound. The building of a line is admittedly a benefit to the owner of the land through which it runs, but the benefit is common to all his neighbors, and it is inequitable that he should have his land taken from him without full compensation. Again, the Department might take the whole of the frontage of a man's property and put him to great inconvenience and loss. The law is to be altered during the coming session, and compensation given in all cases, so the Hon. W. D. Mac Donald, Minister for Public Works, assured a Te Wera deputation last week. The hon. gentleman said the principle of the present Act was quite wrong, and lie intended bringing down a Bill to alter it at once.

The library proved a fruitful subject of discussion and, incidentally, dissension, at the Council meeting last night. The ball was set rolling by Cr. Morey, who took the Library Committee severely to task for privately selling to one of its members a copy of an old edition of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica for £3, when, in his opinion, it would have fetched considerably more if publicity had been given to the sale. He taxed the committee with "giving something to someone else for next to nothing." If it had been put up to auction he would not have minded if it had been knocked down for five shillings, provided the general public had an option of bidding. The way the committee had gone about things, however, was one of the matters he objected to. Proceeding, he challenged the committee's authority to act as it had done, and he added that all the information its minute book afforded on the matter was a motion approving of the sale at the figure named. The minutes did not disclose to whom it was sold. Personally, he knew that the purchaser was a member of the Council. Replying on behalf of the committee, one of its members (Cr. Buxton), while deprecating Cr. Morey's strictures, remarked that he was glad that attention had been focussed on the library. It was, he considered, about time the Council awoke to the fact that it had got a library. In this connection he would like to know liow many councillors were subscribers to the ' institute. A councillor: 'Cr. Buxton." More words were bandied about, and eventually a resolution was carried directing that in future all old library books should be ■sold' by (auction at the Council's—not! the committee's—direction. It was also decided to ask the committee to explain by whose authority, and to whom, was the edition of teh encyclopaedia in question sold. Before the motion was passed, several councillors reminded their fellows that, in effect, the committee's task was a thankless job, and that it was not everybody who would be prepared to give their services so liberally and freely.

YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED, Our prompt and reliable methods alwavs impress folk whether they employ ns for moving furniture, passing entries, fonvnrdinsr pnreel«. or checking baggage. What can we do for von in tbn way of forwarding or express ivork? Yon may be sure tlint whatever work you want done, we will do it well.—The N.Z. Express Coy., Ltd.—Advt.

The New Zealand Land Valuers' League, which has branches in the four centres, has decided to join the United Labor Party. Anent the squabble between the Prime Minister and Mr. Massey, the former remarked to a Dominion reporter the other night:—"Evidently Mr. Massey is not going to deny the reflection he cast upon the Mackenzie* and upon myself. He side-tracks the nutter by saying that he fouiwill deal with it in the iloiLse."

The following are the nominations, which closed yesi. rday, received for the vacanacy on the Education Board:— Rev. Mr. Bradbury, nominated by Messrs Corkill (Central), Gilbert (West End), Bendall (Frankley), and llaill (Koru); Rev. 1, G. Hammond (Opunake), nominated by Messrs. Dudley and Mildenhall (Opunake); Mr. Mcßeynolds (Opunake), nominated by Messrs. Conaglen and Pettigrew (Piharna), J. Clark and F. Annis (Rahotu); Mr. ]*. Willcox, nominated by Messrs. J. Fleming and F. Newport (Rahotu); Mrs. Jane R. Dougherty (Tataraimaka), nominated by Messrs J. Morris and W. H. Hawkins (Tataraimaka). In touching upon an item of £25 appearing in the estimates for competitive designs of the proposed now municipal buildings, the Mayor, at the Council meeting last night, said that before deciding what shape the buildings should take, it might possibly be thought necessary to consider the adviseableness of including an opera house or theatre. If such a course was decided upon the £25 would have tr> bo augmented, The Mayor also dweLt upon the. necessity for providing proper fire-proof accommodation to house a museum. Cr. Buxton followed in a similar strain. As in- | sbancing the value of one collection unj der offer to the museum in the event of a proper building being forthcoming, he stated tjhat the British Museum authorities had written to the present possessor asking to be supplied with a brass casting of a little Maori god which was included in the exhibits.- If the London institute was so anxious to obtain merely a replica of one of the exhibits, surely it was worth while for the Council to secure the original, and the other exhibits.