LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 104, 18 September 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A whale sixty feet long lias been stranded on the beach at Castlecliffe. The Borough Council has -received notification that the Surveyor-General has instructed his department to compile a plan of Greater New Plymouth. 7 s there anything about the accused which makes you so positive that lie is the person who came into your room a witness was asked in the Magistrate's Court in Wellington. ''Only his face, - ' was the reply. The funeral of the late Alfred Pearn, of Waitara, and formerly of Inglewood, took -place at the Te Henui Cemetery yesterday. The veterans paraded to pay their last respects to their late comrade. The Rev. Harrison, of Waitara, officiated at the grave-side.

Mr. D. McAllum explains that at the last meeting of the Hospital Board ie made reference, in touching on the question of the compulsory detention of moral degenerates, to the deplorable state of affairs (as shown by the Hospital records) existing in Chicago, not Ot'ago or any other southern province. The Prime Minister intends making a statement regarding the decision the Government bars arrived at in connection with the Parliament Buildings. It is understood the Government will proceed with half the scheme, namely the two chambers. These will involve a .cost of about £130,000. So much money lias already been spent on the foundations and grounds that the work must proceed.

It is anticipated that there will be a laige attendance in St. Marys Hall tonight, when the Rev. J. E. Watts-Ditch-lield will deliver an address to mim only at. 8 (i.ni. The rev. gentleman, who is touring Sew Zealand under the auspices of the Church of England Mens' Society, can only spare one night to New Plymouth. He is well-known at Homo as one of Englands foremost preachers; and New Plymouth men may consider themselves very fortunate at having an opportunity of hearing him. Mr. WattsDitchfielcl will also preach in St. Mary's Church at 1 o'clock to-night. The Prison Board sat at New Plymouth on Monday and yesterday, and investigated the claims for release of all indeterminate .prisoners at the local <raol, and those of other prisoners serving under its jurisdiction. The personnel of the Bonn], whose recommendations will be forwarded on to the Minister for Justice, is as follows:—Sir Robert Stout (president). Dr. P. Hay, the Rev. J. L. A. Kayll (secretary), and Messrs. P. G. I'.svifigtoii. if. R. Blair, (i. Eenwick, and Wm. Recce. The majority of tli'e Board, including the president, will leave by this morning's mail train for Wellington. Sitting in his civil jurisdiction at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Mr A. Crooke, S.M., gave judgment for the plaintiff by default in the following undefended civil' cases:—Equitable Building Society v. W. Woolven £-13 15s Id, and costs £3 10s; .Tames Ilall v. Fred. Amos (Dunedin) £lO (is (id, and costs £1 12s (id; L. A. Nolan and Co. v. F. F. W. Belk £2 l;>s 7d. and costs 18s. In a judgment summon# case Henry Autvklge, who made no appearance, was'ordered "to pay £2 2s 8d to J. S. Lister on or before September 24, or in default undergo three days' imprisonment. Mr A. 11. Johnstone appeared for the judgment creditor. All the White Star liners are now being equipped with deck seats which can at a moment's notice -be transformed into rafts, Each of these seats measures Oft in length, and is provided with four metal air eases. One person can instantly change a seat into a raft by lifting up the front portion, and opening it out flat, in which position it immediately locks itself. The seats are secured to the deck by means of a. lashing over a hooked pin hinged at eai'h end, and should the deck become submerged, the front portion of the seat floats upwards, turns the hook round, and tips off the lashing, and so automatically turns itself into a raft ready for use.

At the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, on behalf of the Borough Council, Messrs. Webster Bros., in conjunction with L. A. Nolan and Co., offered the leases of eight borough reserves for public auction. The sections have a currency of 21 years with the right of renewal. Only two were disposed of, in each case at the upset price. The two sales woreSection 5, corner of Wakefield and Eliot streets, %-acrc —C. E. Roebuck, at annual rental £8 15; section VA, corner Shorthand-and Eliot streets, y.-acre—E. W. Griffiths, at annual rental £7 10s. The sections are comprised in the Avenue lload reserves, 36 in all. Only six remain to be disposed of. Including those sold, yesterday, the reserves represent an annual revenue to the Council of £l4B.

Mr. J. H. Nowlyn, of Christeluirch, inventor of a voting machine has received a letter from tin:' Department of Home Affairs in Melbourne, stating that the Commonwealth is not at the time considering the adoption of a voting machine, as it holds that the Senate elections, the House of Representatives election-, and usually one or more referendnms on the same day. Any machine. therefore, which was to be both cilective and economical would have to cover the same ground. One letter stated further that if Mr. Newlvn were to exhibit his new machine in Melbourne there would be no objection to responsible officials inspecting it, on the understanding, of course, that the Commonwealth would not be committed to any expenditure in the matter.

A mooting of delegate-; of the Eltliain, X-jaere, Normanby, "Awatuna, Kaponga, Pihama. Opnnake, Lowprurth, "Riverdale and .Tolls Dairy Companies, presided over by Mr. Jacob Marx, chairman of the Manp'tftol<i Dairy Com]-,any. was held in Ellham on Monday to consider a soqiresiion for the I'lilnrrremoiit and extension of tlie present l-Jiham t'aeon Cojrmanv's opcrn{ions. ,Ai,-.-r umic it was resolved io appro* i- of the formation of a n wni" 111 \ i >) > npital of £30,000. tin.- lw»m of allotment to lie one share to one t(.:i of cn';"« (one foil of bniter is eqnal to two of cheese). P Inn I: and lniiltlnigr* of (he Eltham Company will lie ii'ken over at book value lc?s depreciation. A committee consisting of the chairman or on" repmrntrtiYe of each Skmtli Taranaki Dairy Factory was -appointed to give effect ,to the proposal .

'i\iie Trade Ui'view reports that about £2,000,000 has been in motor cars in New Zealand during the last two years. ■ New rhubarb seems to be as precious as tlie latest i.ishion in millinery, says the Dunedin Star, for the wholesale price here is 4d per Hi. Catlins settlers have struck a go'd mine in opossum skills, and they arif being sent away by the thousand at 3s Gd to 5s each for good pelts (savs the Invercargill News). The Victoria Cross and New Zealand H iir medals won by the late Ensign Mclvenna, YXL, together with the revolver given to him by Captain Swift when the latter fell mortally wounded in an engagement during the Maori war. have been presented to'the Auckland Museum. It was Ensign McKenna's wish that these interesting relics should be forwarded to the museum after his death, and his widow has now given effect to his desire.

The old-time proverb, "'lt's an ill-wind that blows nobody any good/' is just now being exemplified at Waikino (where the Wailii strikers recently dogged the free laborers or Arbitratio'nists). The Wailii Telegraph says:—"The invasion of Federationists into Waikino during the past few days, and now the incursions of a stna 11 body of police, lias caused a transformation of affairs there. The butcher, the grocer, the baker, tlie draper, and news agents are all doing extra business. Trade has looked up in'tlie erstwhile labor-bereft township." People often remark that too many dramas are shown at various picture theatres, and add that more scientific and scenic films should he screened. A vote taken 011 the question, at one of Auckland's leading places of entertainment last week, however, shows that the ma jority of people do not conform to this view, for 503 votes were cast for dramas, which head the list, comedies came next with 180 votes. Next in order came scenic 180 votes, sporting 140, comic 102, tropical 08, historbal 80, scientific A whale with not an ounce of oil in its carcase is surely a curiosity. Tlie crew of the New Zealand Whaling Company's ltakiura relate that, a whale 80ft long rather bedraggled looking, but of failsize, was brought in by one of the company's vessels to Kussell to be boiled down. Tlie customary cutting-lip .process was gone through, and the parts put into the boilers. But not an ounce of oil could be obtained, and it turned out that the whale had marks 011 it which suggested that it had been ehot on a previous occasion, and that it was suffering as a result from some form of bloofl-poisoning, which rendered its flesh and fat useless.

Messrs John O'Connell and W. Kitto 40, industrial 45, sacred 39, and trick 30. came into Shepparton (Victoria) one day recently with specimens of golden quartz, which they reported having obtained from a reef a mile and a-lialf from the township of Caniambo, 18 miles from Shepparton. Mr O'Connell tells a remarkable story. For six months lie had been in the Moonoompa Hospital, where he underwent three operations. He was discharged seven weeks ago and two nights afterwards dreamt, that he hud discovered gold at a certain spot not far from Caniambo. After having had the same dream five or six times, he with Kitto, whose acquaintance he made in the hospital, went to the place indicated in the dream, and there discovered a reef. Several leaders were worked in the neighborhood about 30 years ago, but the-reef was missed.

An extraordinary fatality occurred at New York on July 21, when Robert Kinsella was drowned on the top of the roof of a 12-storied building where he resided. He had gone on to the roof for the purpose of releasing a foot and a-lialf of water which had collected there after the drain pipe became clogged. He ran his right arm down the drain-pipe, and as he released the rubbish the suction of the rushing water caught him. His arm was drawn in up to his shoulder and became wedged in the pipe. Three companions strove frantically but vainly to release the imprisoned man. The" suction held him in the pipe, and his head was drawn into the water which still remained on the roof. Looking up through the few indies of water that covered his face, mutely appealing to his helpless friends, Ivinsella was drowned before their eyes. Dr Dillon, the St. I'.terslmrg correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, writes:

"I Juu convinced that Europe niul.' the. United States are tinder a dangerous dolusion in putting faith or hope in the future of the Chinese Democratic Pcpubiio, instead of awaking to the .-onsciousnessof the necessity/which is daily growing more pressing, of international intervention there to he delegated to the two Powers who wield absolute sway over the Par East. This is 110 bit of amateur prophesying. It i,s well within the domain of practical politics, and may at any moment be endowed with the sharpest. activity—as usual to the surprise of European diplomatists. I have no hesitation in stating that the present Far Ea,stern imbroglio will, because it must, end in intervention, and that intervention will, in order to be efficacious, have to be exercised through Russia and Japan."

Several American towns prohibit courting in the open thoroughfares, and a little time since in Suffolk (Virginia) seven young men, all members of well-known and wealthy families, were -prosecuted for flirting with seven college girls. They were mulcted in , the costs, and ordered to publicly apologise to the principal of the collg. At Gennantown (Penn.) the Xonvood Cemetery "became so popular as a. meeting place for happy couples that the directors ordered the notice ''Flirting is Prohibited" to be affixed at every entrance. In.Russia it is a crime for lovers to kiss in public, and not long ago two young men were arrested in Odessa for having been guilty of this offence. They had all been dining together in a restaurant, and kissed on parting. They were, condemned to short terms of imprisonment and the sentences were confirmed on appeal. The general fine in Russia for a kiss in the open street is fifteen shillings, but in a tram-car it may cost anything up to twenty-five shillings.

Tlic unprecedented drought which afflicted the Northern Hemisphere during the summer of 1911 compelled some of the butter exporting countries of Europe to seek for their supplies outside their own borders. Foreseeing the effects of the drought. Messrs Weddel and Co.. London, sent a special representative to visit the various countries and to call the attention of consumers to the excellence of New Zealand butter, emphasizin especially its reliability as to quality and purity of manufacture. x\s a result the linn sold several hundred tons to Continental buyers. Me**rs Weddel and Co. have just issued a brochure, illustrating the system of handling, and showing the various stages from arrival at the London docks to delivery to their clients oh tlie Continent. For a copy of the publication, which is very interesting, we have to thank the firm. Among the butter shipped to the Continent Ave notice several Taranaki brands, inoludin? Midlmist, Tiiglewood, Kltliani, Makahu, Tarata and Stratford, f

Here, to-dav and gone to-morrow, Lots of fun and much of sorrow; Health and illness, love and hate, So ni tin i i rlv, often late; For durnur life each living human Must coughs and colds endure; Cut them short, 0 man, or.woman, With Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. 2

A policeman's lot is not a happy one when "Camp Coffee' is off. It is so vrarming on cold nights-! 10

Mr. Arthur Va-rney, organiser of technical instruction and secretary of the Wanganui Technical College, has been aptonnYMScT'al S6Cretary of the Wellin ffA very pleasant function took place itt Mr G. Cock's Picadilly Dining-rooms last evening, when the first junior team of the rukapa Football Club held a social. Mr. T. Bishop presided over a good attendance of members. After partaking of the good spread put on by then host, which, by the way, was all that could be desired, both in variety and quality, the following toasts Were'done full justice to:—The King, the Rugby Wn, the Tukapa Club, the ladies, and PJ' C ' SS - during the evening the chair- ?', e °PP or tunity of presenting Mi. \\. Drmlnvater, the manager of the team, with an enlarged photograph of ■its members. The chairman and Mr. N. West (captain of the team) referred at ■some length to the good qualities of Mr. JJnnkwater and the good fellowship that had always exsited among them. Mr. Dnnkwater suitably responded. Messrs. Julian, Smith. Eobsoii. Tuohey, Eva, L. m ' l; h, Bullot and others contributed items. Various members of the team played the accompaniments 011 a piano kindly lent for the occasion by Mr. L. E. Hoffmann.

The Eojland Hall Committee were not favored with the'best of weather last evening, when they held their euchre party and dance. Despite this fact there was a good attendance, twenty-four tables being occupied. When the last game was ended it was found that Mesdames G. Waters, Keegan,. Bullot, Gardiner, Hope, K. Bennett, and Misses W. Young, A. Kinsella, D. Olliver and Peddie had tied for the ladies' first prize witli* ten games each. In the play-off Mrs. Gardiner took first (an electro-plated butter dish), and Mrs. Bullot second (a. silver-mounted photo-frame). The gentlemen's first prize (a twelve-pound ham) went to Mr. H. E, Bullot, with twelvegames, and the second prize (a real horse-skin razor strop) to Mr. W. Gleeston. The ladies' committee, consisting of Mesdames Olliver, Moon, Bullot, Power and Misses Walsh and D. Olliver ministered to the wants of those present int the way of refreshments, which could not have been better. It might; be mentioned that arrangements were made tohave the results of the Egmont ejection announced as they came to hand, and, needless to say, those present greatly appreciated this step. Excellent musi» for the dance was supplied by Miss Kathleen Bennett, and Mr. B. Bullot made an efficient M.C. The next of these functions will be held in a fortnight's time,, when even better prizes are promised.