LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 282, 25 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At the Primitive Methodist Church an energetic mission will commence tomorrow, and continue for a fortnight, conducted by the Rev. James Charteris. The North Taranaki Hunt Club held its weekly meet at Mr. F. Sampson's homestead at Lepperton on Thursday afternoon. The chase proved exciting and the afternoon was enjoyed by all. Thefinal instalment of the Moa Riding Bridge loan, amounting to £1440, has been remitted to the Taranaki County Council by the State Guaranteed Advances Department. The total loan was for £6400. The services in the Whiteley Memorial Church to-morrow will be conducted by the Rev. <W. A. Burley, M.A., of Hawera. The morning subject will be "A Great Sacrifice," and in the evening Mr. Burley will preach upon "The Key to Spiritual Knowledge." The Rarawa is to commence her biweekly winter running in June. She will leave Onehunga for New Plymouth on Monday, June 3, and Thursday, June 7, and thereafter on every Monday and Thursday, and will leave New Plymouth for Onehunga on Tuesday, June* 4, and Friday, June 8, and on every Tuesday and Friday afterwards. A meeting of the young people in connection with. Whiteley Church was held on Wednesday evening to decide upon the character of the winter entertainments for this year. After some discussion, it was resolved to have a series of lectures and literary evenings. The first lecture is to be given on June 13 by the Rev. J. W. Burton upon "India," and will be illustrated by a large number of lantern slides. This will be followed by a "Tennyson evening" a few weeks later. Some 200 Territorials went Into camp at Waverley yesterday for a week's continuous training. The New Plymouth detachment, to the number of 14, entrained shortly before 1 p.m., and their ranks were swelled by small numbers picked up at intermediate stations. It is understood that a number of the local Territorials destined for this "casual" camp were found missing at the last moment. These are liable to heavy penalties. The officers accompanying the locai men are Quartermaster-Sergeant Armitage, Staff 'Sergeant-Major Bond, and Lieut. Howell (senior cadets).

Several local residents had all the excitement of a hare hunt at a very late hour the other night right in the heart of the town. They espied pussy sitting under .the brilliant electric light at the corner of Egmont and King streets, She was gazing bewilderingly around, ,and was apparently dazed at the strangeness of her surroundings; possibly on a previous visit New Plymouth may have been a small village, fee that as it may, the prowlers were close up to the animal before it took fright and bounded away up King street, along Queen street, past the White Hart into Devon street. Here a dog set out in cahse, but was soon outdistanced, and the last that was seen of .the nocturnal chase, but was soon outdistanced,, and the Melbourne corner at other than a i walking pace in search of pastures green. The winter session of the Technical College will commence on Monday, June 27, and opportunities are afforded to those who wish to improve their status j by taking up classes especially suited to their vocations. For those who wish to take up classes which will enable them to obtain proficiency certificates classes are provided. Those who are learning the various trades in woodwork and metalwork have opportunities of taking up classes in the necessary drawing, etc., connected therewith. Classes in dressmaking and millinery are formed on Wednesdays and Fridays respectively, and intending students should enrol at the beginning of the session. In com- , mercial work the college affords a course in typing, shorthand, book-keeping and accountancy. The value of such classes to those taking up office work is very great, a good knowledge of the subjects materially enhancing the value of the young folks seeking employment. Recently, the Taranaki County Council wrote to the Minister of Public Works asking him whether he would recommend the Government to grant a license to the council and the Egmont County Council to use water from Bell's Falls (Mount Egmont) for the purpose of generating electricity, should the Main South Road tramway scheme be undertaken. A reply has been received by the county clerk (Mr R. Ellis) from Mr H. J. H. Blow, under-Secretary for Public Works, in which he says that he is directed by the Minister to state that before a decision can be arrived at in respect to the matter, it would be necessary for the council to comply with a notice , which he enclosed, setting forth the particulars which every applicant was required to supply, when making-an application for the use of water for power purposes under section 5 of the Public Works Amendment Act, 1908. Briefly put, the conditions stipulate that plans will have to be submitted detailing the proposed headworks and development station, the estimated quantity of water to be taken, and the horse-power to be developed. Further, power is given to the Minister to levy a rent charge of 6d per horse-power per month on the total horse-power capable of being developed. Roughly speaking, it is understood, so a News reporter was given to 1 understand, that the nominal horsepower of Bell's Falls is 1500. Again, before a license is issued, the , county would have to deposit £2 10s for every head of water in the falls. The maximum amount to be thus paid is fixed at £SOO. For comfort and figure elegance the corset we moit strongly recommend is Warner's Rust-«*oof, No. 601, at 8/11 Advt.

The Opunake Dairy Company has decided to manufacture casein. A man who endeavors to run a dairy farm by hand-milking in the present condition of labor should have his head read. This is the opinion of a leading dairyman. A Christchureh reporter, in the course of his enquiries into the methylated spirits habit, asked a barmaid if she had been asked for the beverage. She said she hadn't, but that every day a man demanded limejufce and glycerine. One of the Paris papers, the Temps, says that the call to all Moslems to participate in a Holy War, which was sent forth at the beginning of the Italian campaign in Tripoli, is secretly enveloping all Islam, and is moving steadily from tribe to tribe in every Mohammedan country. The electricians have been putting in the connections with regard to the motor lately obtained for the Technical College, and the lathes, etc., will be ready for the next session. This should afford those who intend making their livelihood at woodwork a good opportunity of taking up such classes. An Oamaru Mail reporter asked Mr. James Allen whether he thought there would be another election this year. Mr. Allen replied emphatically: "There is not the slightest chance of one this year." He would not say, when pressed to do so, that this meant that the Reform party would succeed the present Government in office. The West Coast Reserves Commission continued its sittings in Hawera on Thursday, when evidence of Waimate Plains lessees was tendered, mostly in the direction of showing that they were under the impression when taking up the leases that they would receive full compensation for improvements at expiry of the leases, with right of renewal. The case for the natives was begun on Friday. Mr. Havelock Wilson, general president of the National Seamen's Union of Great ■Britain, describes New Zealand as a most delightful country, and he is enthusiastic in his praise of the Dominion and its people. "I have often heard it described as God's own country," he said, "and from what I have seen of New Zealand and the conditions under which its people live, I must say that term is well applied." Good business is being done locally in grain (says the Dunedin Star), large shipments of oats going beyond the Dominion, mostly to Australia. As a matter of fact, a tremendous quantity of oats has Tjften sent from. New Zealand to Australia this year, the increase on the total at this time last year being close on 60,000 bags. There is a keen demand from Australia for all kinds of fodder, and good business has been done at advanced rates. The only obstacle in #he way of shippers here is said to be j the lack of cargo accommodation in ships. One firm complains that the Moeraki on | her last trip shut out between 3000 and 4000 sacks.