LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 79, 20 August 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Hawera Hospital Board is suing a number of persons for unpaid fees- for attention at the-institution.

A grant has been received by the Education Board from the Department for the erection of si school at Ihaia road. The Board has ordered the timber for the building, ami a start will 'shortly be made;- with its construction.

The.Palmer.ston Xoi'th Hospital Board proposed to erect an Old People's Home at a cost of £SOOO. It was resolved to offer prizes of £4O and £2O for the best designs, competition to be open to members of the Institute of Architects. It is stated that the Bushv Park estate, situated near Gore (Otago), has ■been placed under offer to the Government for tlip purpose of closer settlement. This is the famous area acquired by the. late Sir John Mackenzie's sons.

Mr. Pearce (member, for Pa tea)' has been making arrangements .for the reoeption of the deputation which' intends to visit Wellington to urge the prompt authorisation of the Opunake railway The Priiiie Minister (Mr. Massey) and the Minister of Public Works (Mr. I'raser) have fixed the interview for Wednesday.—llawera Star. At the annual meeting of the Northern Wairoa Co-operative -Dairy C<4., Ltd., held on Thursday last, Mr. Thomas Bassett, chairman of directors, speaking on the subject of the, over-run, mentioned that there were 40,000 boxes of butter in cool storage in Auckland of such poot quality that it would have to be milled, and some of the factories which made that butter had a high over-run.

The A.B.C. Boot Co. is making a very generous offpr to the public in order to popularise the Round the Mountain Road Race. The firm is offering a prize of the , best pair of boots from their huge stock to the person who hands in the names of the three first placed men during the big strike sale. , The conditions of tho offer are that each person is allowed only one pick, and the same must be signed and delivered at the firms premises personally by the eompetitor. Should more than one person pick the treble the value of the boots w.ill bo equally divided. The first fossil camels ever found ill America are being set up in the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburg,' and curious little animals they are, being not much larger than greyhounds, with slender legs and long necks. These skeletons were clothed with flesh ages ago, and existed in the Niobrara Valley in Western Nebraska, where Professor 0. A. Peterson, of the Carnegie Museum, and Dr. B. LoomiS. of Yale University, found them. These fossil camels are said to be the remote ancestors of the modern camels aim dromedaries of Arabia and Africa, and of the' American llamas. •

The usual weekly meeting of -the !•>- mont Lodge, N-0."112,' was held in the lodge room last night, the C.T., Bro. F. 11. Pepperril, presiding. Bro. W. Bransgrove was elected anil installed into the office of Guard, rendered vacant by the resignation of Bro. C. M. Burton." The C.T. read a communication from the Grand Lodge Secretary" congratulating the lodge oil the advances made in regard to housing arrangements for the visitors expected at the Grand Lodge session next Easter. The programme for. the evening was set down &s "Grumblers' Night." The result was that manv and varied grievances wore brought to the front. Although thp. hall is just a new one, several defects were pointed out to the hall committee. The Juvenile Temple was opened by the Superintend: ent at 6.30 p.m. with a large attendance. A programme -of recitations was gone through, winch showed that the juveniles are deriving benefit from the Order in the matter of platform speaking.

Writing to the Taranaki County Council, the Hon. T. Kelly assures that body that no effort will be waiting on his part to impress- the Government of the great advantage to Taranaki and New Zealand generally that will accrue by proceeding with the construction of the Moturoa-Te Roti -railway. '"lts construction," adds Mr. Kelly, "will materially promote the dairying industry and the meat freezing industry of the provincial district. The harbor at Moturoa will soon offer an outlet for our produce to place it on the Home markets at a cheap rate, and facilitate the import of Home goods at low prices. On my return to Wellington I will put the matter fully before the Hon. Mr. Eraser, Minister for Public Works." Expressions of opinion favorable to the immediate construction of the line have also been received from a number of local bodies interested. A deputation, organised by some of the southern local bodies, proceeds to Wellington to-dav to wait upon the Minister regarding' the proposal. The Mayor (Mr. G? W. Browne) will represent the Borough Council, and Mr. Penn th-e Taranaki Chamber of Commerce.

Tho Presbyterians of Waipu (North Auckland), who are at present scouting the world for a Gaelic minister, may be considered to be one of the most interesting bodies of settlers in New Zealand (remarks tho New Zealand Herald). They liai! from Nova Scotia, their fathers having sailed from that colony in ISS4 in a boat built by their own hands. The pilgrimage was led by the late Rev. Norman Macleod, who on landing immediately set his flock to clear the native bnsh and build the church, at present sbinding . This gentleman afterwards constituted 'himself as magistrate, policeman and governor, and on one occasion sentenced n girl member of his congrca- | tion to six years' confinement in a closed room for an offence against the doctrines of the church. There are 100 Gaelic speakers in Waipu. and a few of the older people have great difficulty in making themselves understood in English, while many of the settlers have the distinct, Highland accent, despite the fact, that their fathers hailed from Nova Scotia and tli" t they liave been born in New Zealand. This preservation of language and traditions is due to Waipu being somewhat isolated from tho outer world" The Legislative Council is to be reformed. and there is, of course, a difference of opinion as to the details; we can make sure that a workable scheme will be evolved. This is not the case with Crescent Tea, for this tea docs not require reforming. Its flavor is perfect; its aroma is a revelation; and it is pleasing to tho palate. Three grades: Is Sd. 1= 1 nd. and 2s per lb. For Influenza take Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Never fails. 1/6, 2/G.

Tin; Borough Council last night decided, 011 the motion of Cr. Gilbert, to pay its casual hands 9s per day, as from September 1. It also approved of the employment of a permanent staff in terms of the borough engineer's recommendations, made some months ago.

The site of the proposed avenue leading up to the base of Paritutu has been selected by the committee of the New Plymouth Beautifying Society. The committee recently found that, the railings up to the summit of the peak are in such a state of disrepair as to-make the climb not unattended with danger, especially to children. The society proposes to rectify this matter. The whole of the work which it has in view will take more funds than the committee has in hand, and it is endeavoring to secure the co-operation of the men employed on the wharf in clearing the track. Donations to the funds of the committee will be tliankfullv received.

IT. F. Oallaghan appeared on remand in the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, charged with drunkenness and a bread) of a prohibition order. The charges were investigated a month.ago, when a remand was granted in ordei 1 to enable the police to make inquiries whether there was a vacancy in the inebriates' home at Rotoroa. On behalf of Callaghau, Mr. Pi, C. Hughes stated that his conduct during the month had been ' exemplary, he having been perfectly steady, and attending regularly to his business. Counsel's statement was borne out by a member of the police force, and according to Senior-Sergeant Tladdrell there was no vacancy at Rotoroa. Under the circumstances the magistrate gave permission to withdraw the charge of a breach of the prohibition order., and convicted and discharged the accused on the charge of drunkenness. A deputation from the New Plymouth Fire Brigade waited on the Borough Council last night, and asked it to extend the water main to the Recreation Grounds, so that there would be a sufficient supply of Water- to enable the first demonstration of the Taranaki Provincial Fire Brigades' Association to be held at New Plymouth, as desired by the association. ' Mr. F. C. J. Bellringer, superintendent of the Fire Board, also mentioned that the promoters of the inter-colonial demonstration : had been anxious for some years past to hold a demonstration in New Plymouth, but owing, to the lack of proper facilities on suitable grounds it had been unable to , <lo so. The brigade intimated its willingness to bear part of the cost of extending the main. During the subsequent discussion, it was mentioned that the engineer had previously reported that the ; cost of the work would be £350. In the 1 face of the financial position of the council the Mayor moved tliat the meeting , regrets that it could not accede to the ! request at "the present time, but that when the loan proposals in connection with the extensions were .brought for- ■ ward it would consider the matter. |