LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 92, 4 September 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is understood that a big Maori sports gathering is to be 'held on tile Recreation Grounds in December. Application has been made to the Park Board for the use of the large lake, on which to hold canoe -hurdle .races and other aquatic events, Foto and bicycle .races and other competitions, on the lines of those held at the Waitara meeting some time ago, will be included in tho programme. Sitting in his civil jurisdiction in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Mr. A Crooke, S.M., gave judgment for the ■plaintiff by default in the case of W. Lints r. McKoy, claim 9s Bd, with costs. ss. The adjourned case, in which C. Carter proceeded against F. von Lubbe on a judgment summons for £4 lfte lOd. was also heard. The defendant produced his books, and a statement of his- affairs was put in by Mr. .J. Barker, accountant In answer to a question, Von Lubbe stated that 'he owed his creditors some £2OO. Ilis Worship declined to make an order.

Reserved judgment was delivered by Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, in the case in which J. IT. Wood sued Cornwall and Wliitcombe for a sum of £3O 10s, balance of commission alleged to be due to him on a land sale. In non-suiting the plaintiff the Magistrate stated that he had not the slightest doubt that the defendants had not been guilty of wilful misrepresentation to Wood. Whitcombe, in reckoning the commission on a free-hold badis, had simply made a bona fide error. Westwood (whose property it was that was sold) was not obliged to pav rnore than could be legally charged. In His Worship's opinion, -the defendant" were justified, after having found that a mistake had been made, in. reckoning the commission -as if the deal had been a freehold one. The St. Aubyn Town Board, which is now defunct, held its last meeting on Saturday night, when Joseph Caddy's tender of Gd per foot for laying a drain from Newton street to the railway line was accepted, as also was his prices of 4s Gd each for the supply of 12-inch pipes. The tender of Messrs. Kyngdon and Russell, -at £sl ss, was accepted for tlio earthwork contract on Belt road and Gaine street. It was decided to authorise the. contractor (J. G. Russell) to lay the following concrete crossings, to he paid for by the Board: South road, south side, four crossings, north side one; Hine street, north side, one: Belt road, west side four, cast side one; Devon road, south side one. ,One more on the South road, two in Hine street, and one in Gaine street are to be paid for by property-owners. As T. and R. Parkin wish to complete their contract for delivering metal on Gainsford and Newton streets, it was decided to a-sk the Borough Council either to allow the foremen and men to continue spreading the metal or to send out some of its stuff to do the work.

In urging the formation of a local lirancli of the S.P.C.A. at the meeting oil Monday, Mr. .T. li. Roy said that the work of t;hc society would depend upon the paid inspector.' In ord'er to efficiently carry out the duties of inspector a man had to be specially qualified. ITe had to be a humane man. He had to undemtand that all 'apparent cases were not cruelty; lie must have a knowledge of veterinary surgery; must be a bit of a lawyer, a-nd bo vested with the 'power of a special constable. Mr Roy warned those present not to let their enthusiasm be of a champagne order. Personally, he had not hoard of any flagrant cases of cruelty in Few Plymouth for sometime, but there was a lot of insensible cruelty. Mr Roy concluded bv suggesting that the services of the local Boy Scouts should be enlisted. The seeretai y (Mr G. P. Robinson) reports that a large number of persons 'have already shown practical sympathy with the movement by enrolling themselves as members. The annual' subscription for men is only 5s and that for ladies and children 2s fid, and Is respectively. Speaking at the public meeting 011 Monday night in connection with the formation of a local branch of the S.P.G A., the Rev. A. H. Colvile remarked that it was a sad but certain fact that in the majority of children the natural instinct was to oppose any little things weaker than themselves. In short, the natural instinct of many children was to tally, and this was very often expressed in their relation to animals. If this tendency was checked it* helped materially to evolve the true type of man, but if not curbed the child' would turn out to be cruel. Passing 011, the speaker referred to the extraordinary idea among many children, and men also. that it was a sign of being effeminate and sentimental if a person displayed a love and a. care for animals. If was, however an effeminate and degenerate type that was callous to everother sort of suffering but its own. H wns the strong man and the sportsman who was invariably kind and generous to anything weaker than himself. '•'Therefore," remarked Mr Colvile, ''we base our appeal to you to-night not only on actual protection of animals, but upon tlie desirability and necessity of forming the characters ■of our in tliis respect along the right lines."

SAFE STORAGE IN BRICK BUILDINGS. WE HAVE IT. There are times wliei: von want storage—for furniture, for goods, for bapprupro. We always have it when von want it. It's dry. safe, convenient, clean. Storage is available in this town, and in all other towns in which we have offices. Charges are reasonable.—The New Zealand Ex-press Coy.. Ltd. —Advt.

Petone borough ratepayers carried a loan of £40,000 on Monday for a sewage drainage system, etc. Mr. E. W. Mason, a farmer near Feilding, was attacked by a bull on his. farm last Saturday, and sustained several fractured ribs. It is stated that the Commercial Bank of Australia, Ltd., intends opening branches of the bank in New Zealand at an early date. A Wellington grocer was convicted on Monday of soiling adulterated pepper. It transpired that the pepper contained 20 per cent, of starch. Mr. Robert McNab writes to the Wellington Times: —"Accept my .units' thanks for defending me against 1 i. Newman's statement, made under the cover of Parliamentary privilege and in my absence in Australia, that I was in receipt of £SOO a year of the country * money for historical research. You have my statement that I never rcceiveu enough to buy a stamp to post a single manuscript to the Government L rinter. It is bad enough to be cursed wit.i j hobby that is as expensive as kcepimr a stable of racehorses without Inn nig 1 <irliamentary George Washington,-; oil your track." I Mr W. Anibury has resigned from the ( presidency of the Taranaki Agricultural Society. Referring to bis resignation in his annual report. Mr. Amlmry remarket as follows:—'After twenty years service on the committee, and four years as president, I am now going to take n 'shell.' ... I am confident that tnc Society never had a better outlook. With the development of the town and district, the increased attention given to the improvement of stock and farms, the changing of the show dates to the autumn, with the show-buildings for the Winter Show, tbe wide-spreading interest in the work of the Society, with a strons committee and the continuous bard woik of the secretary, there is no reason why the Society should not become more progressive and prosperous than ever before." Several members spoke appreciatively of Mr. Ambury's services, and on the motion of Mr. G. W. Browne the following motion was passed: "That this meeting sincerely regrets that Mr. Walter Ambury, who has held the position of president for the past four years, declines to accept further nomination, and places on record its high appreciation of the manner in which he lias carried out the duties of the office he is now relinquishing." A curious position has arisen in connection with tbe merging of the St. Aubyn Town Board in the Borough of New Plymouth. Some, months ago the commis'sionejy; cut out from tbe area proposed to be merged a small piece of land on the edge of the boundary as not being suitable for municipal control. The small area in question comprises part of a farm and half an acre of closed road Owing apparently to au oversight it still remains in the St. Aubvn district. As the rest of St Aubyn has amalgamated with the borough, tbe ■excluded area now enjoys the unique distinction of being the smallest town board in existence. It is a Lilliputian kingdom of it* own, and what is to prevent its two owners from electing its own town board town clerk or nominating themselves, and, in short, floating a town board of their own, and striking and collecting their own rates? On the other 'hand if they are averse to dabbling in municipal politics they can sit tight and pay no rates, for the simple reason that there is at present no one in authority to collect tboin. They are virtually residing in "no man's land." Seriously, the outcome, of the position will doubtlcs* be the merging of the area in the Taranaki County Council. Meantime the position is decidedly unique.

, A civil claim arising out of a motorcar accident was heard in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., when George N. Skelton sued Ernest L. Loftus for ,C"> lis damages. Mr. G. Grey appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Quilliam defended. During the hearing of the case ,tihe amount of the claim was reduced to £3 Bs. Plaintiff's story was that the defendant, while driving a motor-car, neg ligently collided with him (Skelton) while in -a trap. Both parties were negotiating the Waitoitoi Hill at the time Skelton driving up and Loftus proceeding down the hill. The car, lie said, appeared round the, hill without warning, causing the pony in the trap to back. The horse backed across the road, and the car, coming on slowly, struck the gig, shattering all the spokes in the left wheel. Defendant, alleged the plaintiti (who called two witnesses in support of his story), had ample time in which to avoid the collision bv stopping his car Hie trap had cost Ifis fid to repair a-nd_ plaintiff said he had been put to additional expense, amounting to 10s The defendant denied being in -any way negligent. The accident was in no wav avoidable. The trap had backed into the motor-car, and 11.impact was very slight. The car did not run into the trap. Another occupant of the car gave 1 evidence on plaintiff's behalf. In «ivin« judgment for the defendant, with £7| lis costs, the Magistrate . said that the accident was unavoidable, eaoh partv having done what they could to avoid it.

Was there any weed, asked the. Rev. A. TL Colvile on Monday night for the formation of a branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New Plymouth? Since he had,be added, recently preached a sermon 011 the subject people had told him with indignation that there was no need for a local branch to be formed, and that in Tarana_ki cruelty to animals was not in prac tice. Many other persons on tire other hand, had personally informed 'him, or written to him. to an absolutely contrary effect. He proceeded to read 11 letter he had received from a country resident who in strongly urging the formation of a. local branch of the Society, spoke feelingly of the cruelty to which animals in our midst were' frequent.lv sulijeeted, especially in the country. „ ,®''' emphatically rironouneed Mr Colvile, 'that it is needed .here, Wliethor it is imperatively n ded or not, the fact remains that it i ,lwavft good to have it both as a detriment to thov whose tendency is to be -nturally cruel ami in training peon]-, to their respond bihties and feeling- i wards animals. I cannot say that o-r . ..wn fc not alto . rlnt ? A y - n ' !U,< A ™ Ihm Stoel 1' r 0V ""- fWvf> » stock driven m town . rmi „ h]y . ll0M( , s 01 king in an unfU st,t,. with SO re liaek, sboulder or le-» j( ... that, sometimes peorde bar,, netnallyliad to get out. of eertaii) of our own omni buses and walk up a. Ml!, a , agamst the conditio,, of .], ol^s . J horse f" 1° S,K tK "' N 0 " r <» iioise-bieakers who -ye not horse-break <?rs r

A NEW lI.AT MEN. A now stylo of in'"!V- head pear is heini; shown by the Clothing Company and The new liat is made of fuv felt, wilh row;h bairv beaver finish, and looks cy ;mti"l,v smart. The shades are in «>•«>•• ns and browns. ■Tnd<jin<; by the \vir>- ilir- new style has taken on in An-tvn'ia, I lie hat is sure to have a sensation"' run in New Zealand. Just now. owt>,..; <n its popularity and the delav i>» wHinir shipments from tlie. Old Coinri I —, sunplics are extremely short, and 'V->rnn:;ki residents are very fortunate i» i»*vi t .<r able to purehase from a pood s-Wlion at the Melbourne. Purchasers are advised to make an earlv call. as the stock in hand is limited, Special window displays of these poods are bein* made at the mini's four stores —New ?'• month. Inplewood. Stratford and Elthain.— Advt.

At tin? Wellington District Convention of the \Y .C.T.I'., held in Wellington yesterday, resolutions wore passed in favor of uupporting only candidates who were opposed to the ihree-iiftha majority on the licensing question, and protesting against any increase in u'taJisator licenses. Tiie debate between the Egmonfc Club, Stratford, ami the Xew Plymouth BroUierhobd- Debating Society, to be, held on Thursday night, should be most interesting. Stratford will move a motion in favor of leasehold, and will be strenuously opposed by Xew Plymouth, who are taking freehold. This is the first debate of its kind held in Xew Plymouth for some time, and as both Societies are right out to win, a good debate should result.. The Stratford team, which is considered a strong one, is as follows: Rev. Header, .Messrs. J. Staples, J. W. Boon and R. blasters; emergency, Mr. C. I). Sole. The Xew Plymouth team is as follows: Messrs. G.* 11. Dolby, W. Forbes, H. B. Reid and G. W. llartnell; emergency, Mr. S. Okey. It is perhaps not as widely known as it .should be that the hot salt-water municipal baths are of great benefit to persons riiitiering from muscular rheumatism, neuralgia, and the like. The baths, which have just been overhauled and improved, are constantly used in tihe summer months by those in need of curative treatment. Xot only from X T ew Plymouth, but from places very far distant, do the baths attract patrons of tihe hot salt-water baths. Their health-giv-ing properties have been recommended by several medicos, who have written to i those in charge of the baths on the subject. The following is an extract from one of the letters received: ''Hot .saltwater baths, alone or combined with the cooler waters, have an important pa-rt in the treatment of rheumatic affections of the limbs, lumbago and sciatica. A suitably regulated course is of undoubted help in many nervous affections." It people would only realise it, many a trip to Rotorua would be avoided. The improvements to the bath-rooms include the construction of a men's and a ladies' waiting-room, which will each he fitted up with a settee. The baths are fed by a 300 gallon boiler, which is capable of supplying a dozen baths immediately following one another, without steam having to lie got up aagin. The baths, including the salt-water bat'hs, are now open for the reason. The swimming bath, which is of ample proportions, has been thoroughly overhauled, and everything is in fir.-t-cla>s order. Finishing touches are bciiijg. p:it to the improvements, which will undoubtedly greatly to the attractiveness of the baths. The trouble about the New Plymouth swimming poo] is that it is not sufficiently well known.