LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 110, 25 September 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

English and American mails, via Vancouver cx-Makura. arrived in Auckland yesterday, and will arrive here by tonight's express. The original position presented to Parliament praying that New Plymouth be made a borough has been presented to the Carnegie Library by Mr. W. 11. Scott.

About' 100 llolstein-Friesian cows in the Dominion are now being semi-offi-cially tested by 'he Agricultural Department for their production during the current lactation period.

The first shipment of Taranaki dairy produce for Home markets left by the Rosamond, yesterday, for transhipment into the Turakina. It comprised 2000 boxes of 'butt?i: and 140 crates of cheese.

'One of the speakers at a farmers' gathering in the Soutli remarked that in days gone iby anyone actively connected with farming was called a clod hopper. Now there was* ;i change. The present day up-to-date farmer was expected to have some knowledge of scientific farming, and possess a, fair educatftm; and instead of being clod hoppers a great many of them wore riding in their motor cars and enjoying the advantages of refined surroundings.

Sitting in his civil jurisdiction at tke Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, Mr. A. Crooke, S.M.,*gave judgment for the plaintiff by default in the following undefended v civil 'cases:—Commissioner of Taxes v. H. F. Callaghan, £1 7s (id and costs ss; same v. H. Mitchell, 6s 7d and coats ss; T, C. List v. Joseph H. Slight, £1 Os 7d and costs ss; same v. Lomax and Co., £2O 17s 4d and costs, £2 14s; same v. G. H. Thomas, £2 5s Geland costs 15s; same v. H. A. Wilson, £1 10s and, costs sa.

In the cmuse of a chat with a News representative, Mr. R. Hill-Johnson, stage-manager for the Xevv Plymouth Operatic Society, spoke in glowing terms of the work being done by members in the rehearsals for "The Geisha." He was very favorably impressed iwith the enthusiasm and attention displayed by the chorus and principals alike. The Society contained. much promising ma-, terial, and 'for amateurs many of those taking part in the production gave taste of surprising ability. All things augured, he remarked, for a very successful staging of "The Geisha." Some idea of the magnitude of the production may be gleaned from the fact that over sixtypersons are engaged in rehearsing for the performance. A make of piano entirely new to Taranaki has just been imported by Mr. Hoffmann, of Devon street. Tihe instrument, which is distinguished for its rare tone and exquisite touch, is known as the Romhildt, and comes from- that famous piano manufactory—Weimar. The sample to hand 'is tastefully designed in burr walnut. It was the Romtiildt's great popularity in England and on" tile Continent that induced the firm to introduce > it into Taranaki. Mr. Hoffmann has also landed a fine mddel of the Haake, which has been described as the most popular family piano sold. To a Hawera resident, Mr. Hoffmann has just disposed of a Bechstein Grand piano with a pianola attachment. The price was £240.

A diversified entertainment will be held in the Inglewood Parish Hall tonight, under the auspices of the local branch of the Taranaki Provincial Scottish Society. It will take the form of a Scottish concert, followed by a supper and dance. The best of the local and New Plymouth talent has been drawn upon to provide a. capital programme of twentyione items,-which will be preceded by the President's address. The entertainment will be essentially a patriotic one so far as Scots are concerned, the pick of the folk songs being set down on the bill-of-fare. In addition to innumerable songs and recitations, there will be sword dances and selections on the bag-pipes, the Society leaving no stone unturned to make the evening a pronounced success.

We have received the syllabus of the New Zealand Competitions Society's Second Annual Festival, which is to be held at the Town Hull, Wellington, commencing on November 13. Once again the Society has secured the services of good judges, namely, Mr, Sidney Wolf, music instrumental -and vocal; Mr. J. F. Montague, elocution and dramatic; Mr. W. F. Ward, literature; Rev. Father Hicknon and Mr. J. M, Clark, oratory and debating. The prize list, thanks to the generosity of the citizens and bushu-vs firms of Wellington, exceeds £(150, the chief prize being a £125 Grand Chappell Piano, presented by Messra. F. J. Pinny, Ltd. Text .books, containing full particulars, are obtainable from music shops or from the secretary, Mr. James Dykes, Featberston .street, Wellington. Entries close on September 30, and it is hoped that this district will be well represented at the New Zealand Festival, which promises to be the largest vet held.

From St. Petersburg comes the news that a valuable discovery of buried treasure lias heen made in the village of Malaia Pereshtchepina, in the Government of Poltava. Some farm laborers, while digging in a field, eame across an old chest which was found to contain an extraordinarily fine collection of gold and silver coins and vessels. The treasure trove, which was exhibited at the Slate Hank, includes a number of coins dating back to the fourth century, but the most valuable piece is a large silver dish damascened in gold. It bears n Latin inscription showing that it is of very ancient origin, and was in possession of a bishop living in the eleventh century. The rim is encrusted with precious stones, and it is richly embossed. There is another very similar dish embossed with I lie image,of King Sapor IT., a Persian monarch living in ihe earlier part of the fourth century. Among the mo 4 important of Ihe ofhir articles are 11 solid gold Persian cups. several silver vessels of Byzantine workmanship, and about 450 gold and 50 silver coins. There, is also a quantity of bracelets and other ornaments. The gold weighs about 351 b. and the silver iiOlb, and the collection is valued by o\perts at sometliing like C 100,000. Tin laborers kept the find for a long ti'"e in their cottage, thinking it was only brass and lead. The laborers and the owners of the field will divide the value of the treasure between them. Thousands say "It is the best." "Camp Coffee' has found a rousing welcome in many a thousand liomes. Wlty not give | it just one try in yours to-day? 1

The underground railways in London, .since electrilicaiion, have carried over 29,000,000 passengers. The train mileage covered was 41,000,000 miles; 2.44)0,000 movements of signals were made, and there was not a single fatality.

■''Thirty-three per cent, of the children in the schools of England cannot see properly," declared Mr." G. IT. Archibald, of England, in the course of a lecture at Auckland the other night. He said that 1260 of every 2000 children in England suffered from simple nasal or throat troubles, and be emphasised the fact that if a child's "baby" teeth were, properly cared for, the cb'ild would be spared a great deal of suffering. The servant problem is evidently more serious in America than it is in New Zealand. The New York newspapers daily contain extraordinary offers from despairing householders who arc unable to obtain domestics. Perhaps the most remarkable advertisement is that inserted in good faith by Mr. George Telow, a. millionaire distiller, who wants a cook for his summer bouse in the Alleghany Mountains. The advertisement reads as follows:—"Wanted, woman cook for mountain home; good wages. Pvoom with private bath, private dining-room. No laundry work or milking. Use of back verandah and half an acre of lawn. Lots of ilowers to look at. Off one afternoon each week. Seventeen-mile motor ride once a week." ■ln connection with the Wailii strike the Auckland Herald says that an entertaining story comes from Waitckauri, some seven miles away from Waihi. A dance was held in the district on Friday evening, and an arbitrationist from Waikino was present. The ladies refused to dance with the arbitrationist, and one of the men present called him "Scab." The arbitrationist, who refused to be spoken to in this .way, promptly challenged the insulter, and gave him a good thrashing. Another who insulted him was treated in like manner, and also a third. The result of it all was that he became the hero of the evening, and. the girls vied with each other in their endeavours to obtain a dance with the man who had held his'own so well.

At about the end of October or the beginning of Xovember it is anticipated that strawberries will be obtainable in Auckland. The representative of an Auckland firm which handles strawberries very largely discussed with a Herald reporter the crop prospects for the season. "There is not quite so large an area as usual under cultivation this year," he said, "because the season last year was so bad that it drove many people out of the industry. A number of growers lost money, and have been unable to carry on. Then the new plots are a little backward for this time of the year, due to bad weather met with. It is too early yet, by at least three weeks, to sav what the extent of the crops will be, because rain and hail are likely to come along at any time and upset all previous calculation's." There was a very good attendance at the Fitzroy Hall last night on the occasion of the Benefit Concert tendered to Mrs. Gilbert. An excellent programme, was rendered as follows, and that it 'was in favour with the audience was evidenced by the number of encores demanded *»d acceded to. Overture, Miss Warren; song, ''Because," Mr. Haslam (encored); songs, "The Starling" and "The Wood Pigeon, Miss Wey. Reuter (encored)';, song, "The Veterans' Song," Mr. Johnson (encored); recitation,""The Reason Why I am Single," Mrs. Haslam (encored) ; song, "J Hear You Calling Me," Mr. Haslam (encored); pianofore solo, Miss Warren; song. "Waltz Song," from "Tom Jones," Miss '\Yey. Renter (encored) ; 'song, "In Old Madrid," Mr. E. Clarke; recitation, Mrs. Haslam; song, "Song of the Cruise," Rev.- Kempthorne (encored); quartette, Mrs. Kempthorne, Miss Thompson, Kev. Kempthorne and Mr. Weller (encored). After an interval, during which a lavish supper, provided by the ladies, was done full justice to, a couple of hours were pleasantly passed in dancing to music voluntarily supplied by (lie ladies present, the llev. Kempthorne acting as M.O.

_ The unnecessarily dismal conditions of life on shipboard wove pointedly referred to by a police official whose "duty the other day took him into- the forecastle of an 'oversea liner (says the Dune-din Star). ' This officer had heard that forecastle conditions were not such as to tempt good men to go sea faring, hut he was shocked to see that the only provision made for a grimy stoker to clean himself after coming ofl' duty in the stokehold was a ifinsin of water. This hand basin of water did not tend to help a man to rid himself of the stokehold grime and to experience the pleasure of bodily cleanliness before retiring to sleep. On pointing out to an accompanying ship's officer the absolute lack of incentive to cleanliness—the -lack,,in fact, of almost' the possibilities of cleanliness —the police official was told that if better provision were made for the crew it would not be taken advantage of, but would probably be abused. Then the police official thought he understood why there was a dearth of good men at sea'; and -lie said he could not see where abuses would come in if a warm shower bath were provided for a stoker before ho sat down to his food.,

Mr. James R Duke, the tobacco king, has nearly completed an expenditure of £3,000.(100 on a new park round his home, at Somcrville, N.J. It was formerly a dairy farm, but Mrs. Duke; had a fancy for an artistic country estate, so landscape architects were called in, and lakes, hills, waterfalls, shrubberies, drives and fountains, without regard to cost, were ordered. The park extends over 3000 acres, nearly five times as large as Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens combined. There are thirty-two miles of drives winding in and out of beautiful groves, past grassy lawns dotted with statuettes, gigantic flower beds, rose-bowered pergolas, fountains, balustrades and temples. Fountains are the tobacco king's particular weakness, and he has had two hundred of all sorts and designs set up. The gigantic fountains of Versailles are rivalled by the group near the new mansion. Every day 20.000.000 gallons of water will be spouted when they play. The mansion is so -designed that servants and tradesmen enter it by a tunnel from the main road without passing through the gardens at all. Mr. Duke has arranged to open the park to the general public free of charge two days every week.

SALE OF LONDON JOB PURCHASES. The .sale of London "job" goods recently bought by the Melbourne Clothing lompanyV managing director, is now in full suing. Th.-, -if • p.cuit, a rein.'iLibie o;>,i,:>i ■•,,,_ ~; j . Ji :H ing new goo<K at the beguiling .< r the season, t'he purJia-.- n ie :.!,■ u b, the lirmV, representative el the d 0,,. „f the Kn-gli-!l -mi'iiie:. ju-i ai ~|, , i ( ,ci when business u,.,, ccepticiii.illj quiet there owing to \ irious causes, chief of which of cause was the gn,u .stiil.e of docker,. Manufacturers and wareliumseineu were in desperate straits, a po-ilion of alTaira of whiih \m\ nm 'q> nil nur managing director took full advantage. With cheque book in hand he was able to buy practically at hi- own pi' ■ and we have been enabled to offer in this our iirst iitistiilment of job goods a medley of bargains little .short of run ellniis.'The I list of bargains lias already been published. It volt have not seui it please call or write. Whatever happens, don't let anything keep you away from this great sale.