LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 207, 21 January 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. A. G. Crawford lias taken over the Waitara-Nciv Plymouth coaching service from Mr. E. Coulter. The arrival of the colonishing ships Gertrude and Devonshire at Auckland in February, 1863, is to be celebrated next month. The Mew Plymouth Borough Council last night decided that Thursday shouldbe the weekly half holiday for the ending year. The Postal Department advises that the "Wellington Brindisi mail despatched on December 30 arrived in London on the 17th inst. Feeling in favor of the Saturday weekly half-holiday is growing steadily in Southland, and it is expected that in 1614 that day will be substituted for the present mid-week (Wednesday) halfholiday. One of the peculiarities of the cases before Mr. Povnton, S.M., at Kimbolton last week was that the summons had been issued by Mr. Poynton as Superintendent of the Advances to Settlers Board, and had to be heard by him as Magistrate.

intend closing down their fruit canning works, owing to the increasing wages bill. Labor is too costly for,fruit canning, but the vegetable preservation works are to be continued, as the work is nearly all done by machinery. A Wellington telegram states that the Cormthic brought 079 passengers of whom 532 were third-class. There were -JOB assisted passengers (134 adults and 71 children). There are 32 domestics, 14 farmers, and 31 farm laborers. The capital possessed by the immigrants ranged from £2 to £IOOO.

While swimming in about four or five feet of water off the beach at Te Henui yesterday, a bather noticed a sharkeight or ten feet in length close at hand. He immediately warned a companion, and both made a "bee-line" for the shore! splashing vigorously in an attempt to frighten the shark. The monster followed the bathers into shallow water, turned, and was then lost to view.

A member of a party of motor cyclists while coming from Manaia to New Plymouth oil Sunday, was run down by a motor car, the cyclist pulling off on the wrong side of the road. The man was carried along by the car for some distance but was found to be unhurt, but the machine was rather knocked about. A blacksmith's shop was handy, however, and after several hours' wait the party resumed their journey to New Plymouth, arriving in the evening.

Messrs. fiilmoiir and Clarke report the following salesMr Candy's section. Elliot Road, to Mr. Putt; .104 acres Pencarrow Estate to Mr. Fay, of Feilding; Mr. McHardv's farm at Tataraimaka to Williams Bros.; section at Dartmoor to Mr. A. Sadler; section at Dartmoor to Mrs. Whclan; section at Dartmoor to Mr. Holmes; four sections at Dartmoor to Mr. C. Saunders; section at Dartmoor to Mr. Lyttlc; section at Dartmoor to Mr. Skitrop; section at Dartmoor, Mr. O'Donnell ; section at Dartmoor to Mr. Fay; section at Dartmoor to Mr. Harrv Brooks _ :two sections at Dartmoor to Mr. Ellis: two sections at Dartmoor to Mr. TT. Mirnro; two sections at Dartmoor to Mr. Collyer; two "sections at Dartmoor to Mr. Pea.rcc; section at Dartmoor to Mr. Gardiner; two sections at Dartmoor to Mr. McKenzie; section niitL dwelling in Young street to Mr. W. Gilbert; quarter of an acre with residence, corner of Devon street and Paynter's Lane to Mrs. Hodge. The Chief Templar of the Egmont Lodge, Bro. L. Pepperell, called the Lodge to order promptly at 7.30 p.m. last evening. The formal business was gone through and a strong housing committee was appointed in anticipation of the Grand Lodge session at Easter. A vote of sympathy was accorded to Bro. Herricli, of Prince of Peace Lodge, in his very serious accident. It was what the Templars call an open night for visitors and friends. After the 8 o'clock recess a large company assembled comfortably filling the Lodge room, and a very good programme was gone through. The C.T. presided, and opened with a neat little speech of welcome to the visitors. Songs were given by Mrs. Yates. Misses fiwen Blanchett, Morshead and White, and Mr. MacGregor, violin solo; Master L. Moverlcy (encored), piano solo, Mrs. Moverlcy, recitation. Miss R, Connett. Bro. Prat ur<rcd the claim* of the T.O.G.T. in n telling speech on the benefits of the Order. "After an ample supper the Lodffe was closed in proper method by the C.T.

A New \ ork cable to the Australian papers stated that Dr. Alexis Carroll announces the repair of a broken leg within four days and the healin« of a cutaneous wound in one day. Wonderful results have been aaccomplished. bv a thyroid extract, and the discovery is said to be the first scientific triumph of ]fil3. The process may become applicable not onlv in eases where the tissues have been divided, but also to larger areas, where the tissues have been absolutely destroyed by disease. The Biscovery is the result of speculation on the manner in which the cells multiply and affect the growth of the tissues, and Dr. Carroll argues that it ought to be possible to promote by artificial means proliferation of the cells and consequent growth of the protective tissue. Experiments upon live animals have succeeded far beyond expectations, and if they are any guide they prove that a wcfimd which would heal under ordinary conditions only in forty days, will, under the thyroid system, heal in one day. J

The public \vc;iltii ol' die. Dominion approaches very nearly £ 50,000,000, an increase of nearly £10,000,000 in the last three years.' When it is said that this increase is counterbalanced by the increased cost of living it should be borne in mind that in spite of that the saving power is increasing, and increasing at a higher rate than in the past.

During the cross-examination of a bankrupt at the Courthouse, Napier, it transpired that the man's wife had swallowed a tooth while in the hands of a dentist, and that it had remained in her lungs for several months. Bankrupt said it was his intention to issue a writ on the dentist claiming damages, but he had not the money. The matter therefore was never gone into.

Some boys at a picnic at Mangaweka (says the Settler) put a strap round one ot their comrades' neck, tied him to a tiec, and left him there. Some time afterwards the hoy was seen by some passeis-by, who went to his rescue and found that the buckle of the strap had tightened round his throat, and that the ad was being strangled. Within an hour afterwards, however, the- boy was ciuito himself again.

The annual report of the Department of Agriculture for 1912 shows that there are 11,002 persons keeping bees in the Dominion, owning 71,5*4 hives-an average of nearly seven hives to each person. In all 1,457.272 lbs of honey were produced ((i,7 %fons), averaging' about 2()lbs per hive, and in addition there were 2<S.o(>llbs of beeswax, averaging about 1-3 lbs from each hive. The result gives a gross return per hive of 8s 9d. The season was an exceptionally poor •*e.

"The demand for land has never been as keen in New Zealand as it is here in the north," remarked a deputationist to the Premier at Dargavillc on Wednesday (says the Auckland Star). The speaker added that gum lands in the Northern Wairoa district were selling freely at £8 and £9 per acre. This v/as mentioned as an argument for the opening up of more Crown lands, which sir. Massey promised to do as quickly and as extensively as possible. He remarked that the Government were making arrangements for a value system of land purchased for settlement. He mentioned that in.the past the Government had been paying up to £ls an acre for land no better than some which he had seen in the north that day.

A Wyndham (Otago) paper states that two anglers beheld an unusual spectacle' one day during the holidays, while indulging in trout-fishing on the lower waters of the Mimihau stniirn. Suddenly a heavy commotion in still water near the bank startled the anglers, who noticed a good-sized trout being roughlv "handled." Closer investigation proved that monster eel had seized the trout by the head, biting into the fish's eye, and was literally drowning it. A iacl accompanying the anglers jumped into the water and frightened the eel away. The trout, which was in its last throes, and was easily captured, proved to" be a two-pounder. "What between sha»s and eels, to say, nothing of the guddler and the sportsman, the "'spotted beauties" have a bad time of it.