LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 226, 12 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It i- five years to-day since the s.s. I'liigi'.in was wrecked near Cape Terav.liili, whereby 70 lives wore lost.

Mr. John Nicholson, senr., has disposed of his farm on the Manaia road, comprising .">:> acres, the price .being £7,") an acre. The purchaser is .Mr. Bennett, of Mahoe. Witness. . It is understood that the Mayor is calling a meeting of citizens for Thursday evening next to consider what steps should be taken to entertain the early settlers in. Pukeknra Park next month. ' The East End Reserve Committee is making arrangements for a monster seaside sports on Easter Monday. The Railway Department 'has been requested to provide special trains from Stratford for I lie occasion. It was reported at the Expansion and Tourist League meeting on Monday evening that the Rev. 1). C. Rates, Government Meteorologist, is about to visit Ml. Egniont, with a view to establishing a weather station on the northern side. It is understood that, arising out of certain disputations at a dairy factory in the Hawcra district relating to tests, a Supreme Court action is being taken to recover damages in respect of alleged publication in connection therewith, says tile Star. The crops in Canterbury are reported to be ripening too soon owing to the heat-wave. The harvest will be seriously affected. The root crops will be small Jn some cases the rape had to be eaten oil'. The season began well, but its close will be very disappointing. The ehildren of the l'ohokura, lluiakama and .Makahu schools will hild their picnic at the New Plymouth beach on Tuesday, 25th hist. Many of the children attending some of the schools have never yet viewed the sea and are looking forward to the trip with very pleasurable feelings.

Mr. S. M. Fennell, late E.N., has been notified by the. hydrographic department of the Admiralty that it has been decided to incorporate the view of the approach to the New Plymouth Harbor, taken by E. C. Rennell and forwarded lijj Mr. Fennell, in the next supplement to the New Zealand Pilot, which will be insued in about two years' time. The present view shown on the Admiralty chart will be erased.

According to a return prepared b'v the Deputy-Official Assignee (Mr. J. S. S. Medley), during the year ending December 31st, 1012, there were 0 bankrupticies in New Plymouth, producing assets, as per statement fded by bank'nipls, to the amount of £2234, and liabilities, according to the same computation, ;;-.!;o - i'iting to £2542. For 1 the year ending -DecL'mber 31, IS)]], the figures I were: Bankruptcies ",. assets £2OIO. lia- ! bilities £3438. >

Sitting in his civil jurisdiction at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, Mr. A. Crookc. S.M., gave judgment for the plaintiff by default in the following undefended cases: —Sargood, Sons, and Fweu v. Patrick J. Sheehv. claim £l4 12s costs £1 18s fid: Henrv Weston v. same, claim £4 fls fid (18s)'; E. S. Bavlev v. Robert Doneghue. claim £8 3s (£1 3s 6d); Michael Jones v. Margaret Warner, claim £1 fls fid (13s): Hallenstein Bros, v. William Parker, claim 4s lid (ss). As the 2.30 'bus to Fitzroy had just passed Nobbs' lane it was run into by a boy who was riding a bicycle to town. The boy collided with the off-side horse, and his bicycle, then struck the wheel. The driver, O'Brien, at once applied the brake and brought the horses to a standstill in a marvellously short, time. The wheel utterly wrecked the bicycle, but the boy, as boys will, escaped unhurt, the wheel stopping l within a few inches of his prostrate body. Only the presence of mind of the driver prevented a serious accident.

The flavor (Mr. 0 .W. Browne) depu-i tationispd the Minister for Ttaihvays ves-' terday morning with n request that the Council bp allowed to prppt public con-' veniences at Hip lower end of TJiyiiic-],,,,,, street and abutting on thp railway yank Tn view of the fact that, it was proposed to make extensive alterations to thp goods yards, (hp Minister said thai hp eould not yet give a definite reply. T'nH dm plans of the alterations wpi-p definitely doeidpd noon hp did not know "•hcUi»v Hip structure proposed bv ili» [ oimcil would be in the way or not. If •■'■ were found that it would not lip in t hp Iv.lv. tlipri ho did not anticipate anv dilHenllv. Mr. ftonavne 'thouaiht. . f it •;"H'l b« accomplished, hut could not sav definitely at this juncture. . ' The Hon. W. T-T. TTerries iMhi'Mcr for' Railways), Mr. T. W. Ronavne (Cenn-al Manager). Mr. H. Brixton (Chief Traffic Manager), and Mr. J. V.. Armstrong! (District Traffic, -Manager I witne«=o,l r demonstration in the To.vn r ~all -<e?ter'hiv morning of Mr. L. de LaunvN patent railway crossing ahrm. Thp invention considerably inter \ste,l the rartv who were impressed with its -nnpliritv. ;Mr. Ttonayne. who has. seen <.evenl similrti' patents, considered that tl is Cll p ivns superior in mnnv respe-ts to any hp md sppu. Thp promoters -.rTered to honthe expense of a practical trial. Acting on Mr. Konnyne's suggestion, hoi., ever" tHe Minister undertook to ~-nd the Depnrtnient's chief electrical ,< ns \ to report on the patent at Tnglewood. .If 111«. report is favourable ,a public trial will be undertaken.

At the monthly meeting of the local branch of the Society for the Prevention ot Lnielty to Animals yesterday, the inspector reported that he had stopped a pood many people driving horses with =ore shoulders and the like, and in each «»se. his warning had had the desired efrect. J. wo eases 0 f more gevere crue ]t v wi'o mentioned by the inspector. In acioss the back with an iron rod but as eye-witnesses of this .particular act or cruelty would not consent to <*ive evirtfflco m the Magistrate's Court the case >«<! to he dropped. The other case was Tnt of a horse which had been injured o.\ -i kick from another animal and had '-" mowed throne;!, neglect to get into ■'■ 1 1 had state. As the owner had sub--nnontly destroyed the horse, the 1 .. nation beyond issuing a severe warn-

A claim for rates was preferred against •a native named Puki Nuilirenui in the Magistrate's Court vesterdav bv the Taranaki Comity Council. According to the County Clerk, the, defendant' had paid lis on account and promised to pav the balance when he could afford it. J-ne defendant said that lie occupied one section under the Public Trustee, and had nhvnyß paid- the rates. With regard to the_ other sections for which a demand lor rates had. been made against ?W, V ? e l ?n . owl , that he occupied them b„t clamed that he should not be called upon to pay rates for them, beja so i, O no ]easfi fm . them _ ■ H«T' 'w a P? eared for % Council. At f iSV« t0 fondant that the. Act of 010 provided that the occupant of n section of native land was liable for IoV ° f hh occu P a ™ alone Defendant agreed to par the second year's rates, and judgment was •-ordingly entered up for the pavme ot ±1 Us Id. and costs £1 ] B .

When professional men become enamored of a thins, =t is safe to say it is really good. Scores of professional men are consistent drinkers of RUSSETTA CIDER. Physicians prescribe it: it is made from pure apple juice and cane sugar-non-alcoholic al=o? All hotels and stores. io

Tin- Xt!\v Zealand Herald, in commenting editorially on recent fatal accidental at railway crossings, says that level crossing in cities and 'on frequented roads should not be permitted in these days of engineering and under no circumstances should u crossing be placed where approaching trains cannot he plainly seen or where adequate warning signals are not installed. Enough lives have been needlessly lust at dangerous level crossings to justify the public in demanding more consideration from a Department supposed to be concerned for the public interests.

An interesting example of farming enterprise is related by an officer of the Department of Agriculture. A settler has utilised a hillside stream to provide energy sufficient for the lighting, heatinc and household needs of himself and three neighbors. Tn addition to this he hag built a hothouse for raising tomatoes, and this he heats entirely with electricity. The efficacy of this method of raising tomatoes has not been tested, but the progressive settler in question anticipates a large crop and at a low expense.

An officer who returned recently from the North Island tolda southern reporter two tales to illustrate how different the feelingjn regard to compulsory training was there. One man had been in the habit of walking about six miles to attend his drills, and has not considered the matter worth mentioning. His comrades, however, heard of the matter, and took up a subscription, with the result that, rather to his surprise, he found himself the recipient of a pony. The second case was more unusual, and showed a degree of patriotism which would ■ scarcely be believed. In a period of roughly six months, a scutcher in a flaxmill did not miss a single parade, I and it was only by accident that those I in charge learnt that each night he atI tended he had paid 10s for a man to take his place at work.

Rather an uncommon sight was witnessed on the Island Bay beach recently (says the Wellington Post). Four of the local fishermen went out into the Strait in their oil-launch about daylight and returned at 3 o'clock in the' afternoon with one of the biggest takes of tish ever seen in the bay, viz., about 300 largel.apuka. bass, hake, and three sharks. Lines fiftv fathoms (300 ft long), each with ten hooks, baited with herring and mackerel, were used, and it is almost needless to say that the boatmen were obliged to work exceedingly hard to haul' in such a quantity of large fish. Their launch returned to the bay almost gunwale down, and the operations of unloading* the finny cargo was viewed with the greatest interest by a large crowd of local residents and visitors. Should we drink water with our meals? There are many people who take no liquid with their meals under the impression that they will thus escape the evils of indigestion. The following; taken from the Montreal Star, suggests that such self-denial is not only needlessbut harmful. "In one school of medicine a scries of experiments were conducted' upon young men who were students of the college. The young men were physically sound, with healthy digestive o'rf gans. and all had been accustomed to I drinking one or two glasses of water \ with their meals. Eight of these young men were instructed to drink no water with their meals, and only enough to relieve their thirst between meals. Thej other eight were instructed to drink I about a quart of water at each meat I and as much as thev desired between meals. The first eight, with the exception of one, all lost weight. In addition' to this loss- of weight they complained* of more oy less headache and constipation. The other eight, with the exception of one. all gained in weight, \oneof them reported any constipation or inI digestion."