CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 202, 15 January 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

A BRILLIANT METEOR. Commenting upon the falling of tln< meteor, which was vividly witnessed in Picton. the Nelson Colonist says:—One of the most striking astroncmiie.nl features witnessed for some years in the southern part of the South Island occurred last Tuesday evening about 8..').) o'clock. It took the. form of a wonderful meteor, which appeared from the south-east, and travelled through the atmosphere for a time parallel to the earth's surface, then describing an arc. descended, and burst, with a loud report, into fragments, emitting a blue light. At the time the Nikau was crossing Cook Strait, and the captain, thinking that it might be a distress signal from the Waimea. which was steaming along some miles away, laid his course towards it. Tt being subsequently apparent that nothing was amiss with the Waimea, Captain Hay resinned his former course. Tn Nelson the phenomenon wa's witnessed by a number of people, and the noise of what is supposed to have been the explosion was heard four minutes after the meteorite burst.

S.P.C.A. If is now some few months since a branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was fofined in New Plymouth, and naturally the public begin to look for results. By a strange paradox the amount of good achieved by such a society is measured by the less that is publicly heard of its activities. Some persons are apt to imagine that the more the society's inspector appears as prosecutor in the Magistrate's Court the greater the effectiveness of the society. Always, however, it should be borne in mind that the, society's policy is prevention rather than cure. It has been proceeding along this line since its inception, and the results, as disclosed in the matter contained in the reports presented to the monthly meetings of the committee, have fully justified its existence. Without courting the limelight of publicity, it moves along quietly and unostentatiously but effectively, administering advice here, a warning there, and in some cases holding up a minatory finger. The fact that its advice is being taken heed of is reflected in the absence of public prosecutions, and it goes to show that the society is commanding that measure of respect whieh is commensurate with its philanthropic aims. A succession of court cases would mean that the opposite was th'c case: that its advice and warnings were not carrying weight, being flaunted in its face. It is necessary to touch on this aspect of its work in order that the public may be fully appraised of the facts when the society conies to give an account of its stewardship. Yesterday's meeting of the committee of the society may be taken as typical of its work. The inspector (Mr. Ralph Collins) reported that several cases of slight cruelty had come under his notice during the past month, but that in each instance his warnings had proved quite sufficient, being readily acted upon. Many eases of cruelty largely arise out of ignorance, and it is here that the educative work of the society comes in. As the secretary remarked yesterday to a representative of this journal, the mere fact that there was now a branch of the society established in the town had proved the means of frightening many persons into more humane measures in their treatment of animals, horses in particular. WAR INCIDENTS RECALLED.

Wo arc in receipt of an interesting letter from Sergt.-Major Bezar, of Wellington, anent tlie fighting at Te Arei. This gallant soldier, who belonged to the old Die I lards, the 57tli Toot, is well known and respected in this district among the old warriors. He came out here direct, we believe, from India, where he was attached to the Central Field Force, and went through the .stirring Mutiny lighting. Before that he saw service in the Crimea with the 57th. Arriving here in ISM I. he did good work in the Maori war. But his letter; let it speak for itself:--"! was greatly interested in a j paragraph from your journal, reproduced in the Wellington Evening Post of the 10th inst., referring to some discoveries made and fragments of shell found of the war of 1860-61. I am rather amused at what is stated to be the length of the sap (three miles). Oil, cl( ' lir - »<>! It was nothing near that length. If T say one mile T shall be over the mark. 'Then, again, only one sap roller was I a ken away, and (hat not in spite of the vigilance of the sentinels, for there were none near coo-ey, as all men retired at sunset to their respective camps. The roller they did take was taken to (he pa. and not thrown into the river, a s we could see it there in the morning, as we manned the trenches. The placing of a shell next night to the advanced sap roller was.not done by the engineer. The idea was conceived'bv a midshipman of the Niger. T regret I cannot recall his name. When they came down for the second sap-roller, they did not get it, for both sap-roller and half a dozen warriors were blown into fragment*. After this a small redoubt was thrown up, and SO men placed there at niglii. \>)v,>ry evening towards retiring time the middy could be seen going up (lie sap to the roller, accompanied by a stalwart '.lack Tar.' with the shell in a box. Sap-rollers were, not in demand after their attempt to capture a second one. I shall not be surprise,] ( 0 1,,,.,,. {l, av ]llf|||v f,-;, fiill p n f.s of shell are found there, seeing that

lour l;n>' mortars (two It'll :uid two twelve-inch) threw iiiiiny scores of -hells at the pa. I',(.inl. too. ought to lie pi-otly plentiful, for in oik; day there were over tweut ythoiisiiml rounds tired in Hint locality."' Willi due deference to the gallant sergeant-major, we think he is mistaken abotii, the length of the sap. Recently the writer went over the locality with a party, included in which was Air. \V. I!. Skinner, who. in hi? capacity as a -urvc\or. probably knows the district better than most people, lie traced the sap from Xo. 1 blockhouse, showed where the sap was broken, and then continued riidit up to Te And. with the dcmi-paiallel whereat the mortar.-, were placed in position, and Lieut, McNaughten was killed. From the starting point to Te Arei cannot be far short of three miles. The top part of the sap, which was unique in construction, is well preserved, (.lie fern, etc., that covered it having been recently cleared. It is well worth a vi-dt, apart from the ttnupte view- obtainable from the spot and the surrounding gorgeous river scenery.

a <rmors occurrence. Sergt.-Major Bezar goes on to relate a curious incident. "If you will kindly search the files ~:' the Taranaki Xews for that period you will."' lie says, ''notice a very interesting item from the war. Your corrc.-pondent (Dr. (Irailing) said: _ -Captain Mercer was throwing shell from the mortars at the pa, when the following very singular circumstance occurred in the (light'of one of them. A shell, when discharged from the mortar, rose in (he u-ital manner, and fell in the place it was directed for, but, to the amazement of all. after striking the ground it rebounded from the earth, rose in the air. ami came back (without bursting) close to the place from which it was lired, like a boomerang. The shell must have fallen with the fuse down, and as there was not sufficient powder to burst it the explosion forced it back to'us to be furnished with a better charge.' What comment can we offer here? From the mortar battery to the pa was. f believe, about 1200 yards. A NEW DEPARTMENT. The Government has decided to separate the Department of Immigration from that of Lands, and to establish it as a separate Department, with the Hon. IT. D. Bell as Minister (says the Dominion). The Under-Secretary for the new Department will be Captain J. Email Smith, at present Secretary for the Cook Islands, and formerly Resident Commissioner. Tt is. understood that no new appointment will be made to the position of Secretary to the Cook Islands, and that the Cook Tsland Department in Wellington will henceforth be carried on under a chief clerk. A POPULAR RENDEZVOUS. During the past month or so the accommodation of the new hostelry on the slope of Mt. Egmont (why did they not retain the mountain's old name, "Taranaki"?) has been taxed to the utmost, and the pressure as yet shows no signs

of casing off. The old house near by is able to accommodate a large, number of people, who can obtain their meals at the .hostelry or provide' their own, as they wish. ' Uany people thought the scheme embarked upon was too ambitious and in advance of the times, but it looks as if the faith and enterprise shown by the promoters are going to be rewarded as they undoubtedly" deserve. THE DANGERS OF THE SURF. "There is more danger in the heavy surf to the nnitiated than most people imagine," said a local authority to a News man yesterday. ''The force of a descending and splitting ware is very great. It is really not the weight of the water, but the concussion produced that is dangerous. Some of the waves fall live or'six feet. The fall forces the air down, producing the concussion. This is how most surf fatalities occur. 1 have seen men rendered black all over through this concussion, and but for the intervention of others they would have been drowned. Fn such water safety lies in diving. A person who does not understand (he danger that lie s in the surf should be very careful indeed in indulging in the exciting pastime." Forewarned is forearmed.

FKd.M CARPENTER TO MINISTER.

The Hon. YV. 1). .Johnson, Minister for Public; Works. Western Australia, was given a public welcome at Eltham. the home of some of his relatives, on Friday evening. In replying to the. toast of his health, Mr. Johnson referred to his early associations as a carpenter in Eltham. He had been in politics for twelve years in West Australia, and he was pleased to say that he had done a ■little to build up the State of his adoption. Jfe spoke in terms of praise of the development of the Taranaki district, lie would go back to West Australia and tell the people there the great progress, on modern lines, that the people have made here. Speaking as a Laborite he said he was pleased to see that Ylr. Master was going to bring the Legislative Council into closer touch with the democracy than it was at present, and if Mr. Massey did so his policy would be viewed with verv trreat satisfaction by the States of the Commonwealth. ! LIFE SAVING. | On Thursday evening a public meeting is to be held in Xew Plymouth to in augnrate a branch of the Royal Lifesaving Society at the East End. We hope the meeting will be largely attended, and that the branch will be successfully launched. A more useful, and at the same lime more necessary organisation could not be instituted in a seaport town and popular seaside resort like New Plymouth. The guar required is not extensive or expensive. A reel and ropes constitute the plant, costing only about £l.l. Put the value of the organisation lies not so much in the plant, iix'fnl as it must prove on a beach like ours that is dotted with bathers every fine day in the summer, but 'in the knowledge of life-saving imparted to members. Many a. life has been lost through ignorance of treatment of the apparently drowned. The Society has a very effective «yrtem of resuscitation, and this is taught members. The subject is such a valuable one that it is surprising it is not taught more than it is in our schools. YVe hope the public, will extend practical support to the efforts of the. Eu*t End Bathing Committee, who are initiating the movement, and thai we will have not one branch but two branches established in the town, one at the East End and the other at the West End. THE P.UFFETTED TIMES.

Welling;,)!! - - olde-t morning paper, the Times, has had in recent years a "rocky run," to speak in terms of the vernacu- !*■'. It Ihks heen everything i» turn in regard to policy and nothing in particular. It has had more editors and more managers and seen more changes in its staff than all the metropolitan papers of the Dominion put together. It is undergoing another one of its periodical changes at the moment. It is stated that a majority of the shares have been bought up by a syndicate, in which largely figure Mr. W. .1. Geddis, managing director of the Napier Telegraph and part propire.tor of the Auckland Observer. Mr. Henry Brett, chief proprieliir of 11m- Auckland Star. etc.. and Mr. Vigor Tlrown. the Napier mag-

nate, and that the paper's policy will

again be changed from Labor-Socialistio to moderate Liberal. The Labor page; was unceremoniously dropped on Monday, and other changes of a sweeping nature, it is said, are to be instituted. Whether the paper can be put on an oven keel, after the buffeting it has been subjected to for so many years, remains to be seen, but this is certain, if it is at all possible the new crew will do it, for the skipper, Mr. Ceddis. is one of the most experienced, resourceful and capable newspaper men in the country, and will evidently have al! the financial backing that is required.