LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 177, 13 December 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The total amount won from the Waihi mine to date is £10,038,700. Wonderful Waihi!

The AVellington Building Trades' Unioa has rejected motions to cancel registration under the Arbitration Act, and to secede from the United Labor Party and to join 'the Federation of Labor. General Godley says the New Zealanders in the Cadet Training College in Sydney are having a splendid experience. They will return educated, drilled and thoroughly equipped, and will be a line object-lesson for our lads. He wishes it were possible that more young New Zealands could go through the college. In this issue the Taranaki County Council notify that the Maketaw'a Bridge on the Mountain Road will be closed against all traffic on Monday, the 16th of December, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. We understand it is possible for horses and vehicles to negotiate the ford alongside the bridge, but motor traffic will be unable to cross between these hours.

At tho instance of the borough inspector (Mr. B. Tippins), two by-law cases were brought on in, the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Percy Martin pleaded guilty to driving loose horses along the footpath in Dawson street, and was convicted and fined 10s, with costs 7s. William Buckley admitted having cycled on the footpath, and was mulcted in a fine of os and costs 7s.

At a largely attended meeting of the East End Bathing Reserve Committee last night, over which Mr. P. C. J. Bellringer presided, preliminary arrangements were made for holding various athletic and swimming events on New Year's Day. It was also decided to provide hot water, tea, sugar, milk, and buns free. There will be donkey'rides for the young generation, boating on the river, and arrangements have been made for the erection of an "ocean wave" machine. It is anticipated that a moving picture entertainment will be put on in the evening. The meeting adjourned until to-day week to receive reports from several committees set up.

At the Eitzroy School Committee meeting the headmaster reported a very good attendance during the past month; also that the programme for the entertainment was quite ready. All the scholars taking part were very enthusiastic. The concert will be held on Tuesday next, and the proceeds are to be devoted to prizes. A resolution, approving of the asphalt crossing at the cross roads was passed and is to be sent to the Borough Council, as the committee feel that it materially adds to the safety of the children. The further raisirk' of funds for the gymnasium was left o\er till the new year. Several accounts were passed for payment.

A London cablegram states that the National Bank of New Zealand lias declared an interim dividend of 12s.'

Directly and indirectly, the cost to New Zealand of the Governor and his establishment is not under £12,000 a year, and is probably much more. The Montreal Star says of Canada: "Wo are always the loudest in singing 'God Save the King,' but the last in rallying to the support of the Hag."

A rich deposit of radium ore has been found in Weisenberg, Germany, and the price of the land immediately rose to seven times its former value.

The Swiss Government, says a Paris correspondent, has been greatly aroused by the discovery that ''no fewer than 1000 girls were induced to leave Switzerland during the past year to join Mormon colonies in the United States."

"It is rather strange," said the Chief Justice, in the course of the anti-trust case in Wellington, "that a century ago a celebrated French writer predicted that the result of the coming of joint stock companies would be the appearance of trusts."

The Hospital Board yesterday set up a sub-committee to go into the question of securing new ofiice accommodation. The lease of the Board's present quarters expires shortly, and it was suggested by Mr. J. R. Hill that the Board might approach the Taranaki County Council with a view to being accommodated in its buildings. . The Whangarei County Council recently appointed a new secretary and treasurer, who found the Council burdened with a debt of over £IO,OOO. He recommended that for twelve months all road work expenditure should cease, with the exception of £SOO, to be allotted for any unforeseen emergency. The recommendation was adopted. "It is a lamentable thing that such a paltry sum should set a whole family by the ears so that they will probably hate each other like sin for the rest of their lives," said his Honor Mr. Justice Cooper at the Auckland Supreme Court on Saturday. The remark was made in connection with a disputed will case, in which about £2OO was involved. It was very lamentable, said his Honor, that there should ever have been a dispute over such a "miserably small sum," which would possibly be swallowed up in law costs before the end of the dispute was reached.

From a London morning paper:—"To the rich.—A gentleman, twenty-seven, good looking, very musical and artistic, good voice, sportsman, whose life since the age of seventeen has been a lonely struggle for bare necessities against insistent ill-luck and disappointments, asks someone who may take an interest, and would not even miss the means, to give him one year'of full, real life; to see the beautiful places and things in the world, and to have funds and carte blanche to gratify his own tastes, and taste what the happiness that money gives really is." This young man is 'suffering from an acute form of laziness. He should bo. ordered to work.

The entertainment held in the South Road Gymnasium last night, in aid of the prize fund of the West End School, was largely attended. The Mayor (Mr. G. W. Browne)'was in the chair", and the Mayoress \vas also present. Very cleverly, and in an adept manner, the'school children gave all manner of turns, including several action songs, scarf drill and Japanese fan drill, and their training reflected considerable credit on their teachers. A duet was contributed by Misses Rea and Anibury, two songs (encored) by Mr. Farmer, and a song by Miss Rea. The committee and their energetic chairman (Mr. H. Gilbert) are to be congratulated on the success of the entertainment.

In regard to the blowing up of a bridge at Mokihinui, in connection with which two.jnen have Ijecn arrested, the Westport Times gives the following particulars:—"An extraordinary occurrence is reported from Seddonvillc. On Monday last a bridge about 20 chains from the Mokihinui mine was blown to pieces and completely destroyed. The bridge was formerly owned by' the Cardiff Company, but was purchased by the State Coal Mines Department. 'The Buller County Council controlled it, a,s the structure linked up the Lyell-Mokihinui tracks. The bridge was about 105 feet in length and nine feet wide, and its cost was about £2OO. The bridge was blown to atoms, only part of one pier being left standing." Englishmen and Germans, as well as Turks and Bulgarians, have been fighting in South-east Europe. Many German officers resigned their commissions when war broke out, and took service under the Turk. And the men of other countries did the same. There is quite a host of these scattered around the Balkan battlefields. And if Englishmen, then Scotchman as well—the latter, of course, being übiquitous. Grant-Duff, in his diary, repeats a story he heard, but for which, he does not vouch, of a previous Balkan war, when Russia and Turkey were the belligerents. The rival commanders-in-chief had met to discuss terms of peace. As the Turkish Pasha entered his rival's tent, he pulled off his turban and exclaimed in the broadest Scotch: "Eh, Jamie, mon, it's you, then!" The last number of the New Zealand Trade Review notes that the season's produce is coming forward for shipment in good volume, and that prices generally are satisfactory. It estimates that if the reported advance at the opening sales of iy 2 d to 2d per lb is sustained, it would mean an increase of £1,000,000 on the season's clip. As against this, however, there is a decline in the value of other staple products, yet, for the Dominion as a whole, the prospects are satisfactory, with the Government's estimate of 92 per cent, for the season's lambing. As regards money, though somewhat tight all round, the position is expected to improve with the returns from the realisation of exports. The heavy total deposits in the Savings Bank arc referred to as a factor in local monetary conditions, as the institution has attracted sums: which, but for that, would probably be in general circulation.

Remarkable features surrounded a marriage ceremony which was solemnised in Sydney last week (says the Sun). ! For 30 years, it is said, a couple had been living together as man and wife. Lately the woman, who had been deserted by her companion, applied to the Court for a warrant for bis arrest in respect to the maintenance of two children. The man was arrested, and. -appearing before the Court, he consented to an order being made against him. The amount was fixed at 30s weekly, and lie was bound over in securities to keep up regule.r payments. He admitted his inability to raise securities, but after having a conversation with the woman (he solution of the whole difficulty was found, In fact, the couple agreed to get married and start life afresh. The prospective bridegroom, in charge of a policeman, went to a pawnshop, where lie was enabled, with the assistance of a contribution from the officer, to redeem h wedding-ring. The policeman (hen escorted the man and woman to the altar, where, the former performed the double duty of giving the bride away and accepting the functions of best man. 8.-.ek to the Court the newly-married ci>u»l ■ went. The wife refused to press the order against her husband, and (he case was therefore dismissed.

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