LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 232, 19 February 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Taranaki Acclimatisation Society last night decided to ask the Minister of Internal Alfairs to declare next shooting season an open one for imported frame. A hoy was brought up before Mr. A. Cr'ooke. S.M.. in the .Juvenile Court yesterday, charged with (he theft of a purse containing .'is. The .Magistrate after administering a caution to the lad. discharged him. An "interesting event" occurred at the Wellington Zoo on Saturday, when the lioness, who is under oiler by Messrs Willi) ISros. to the city gardens for £IOO failing which they ask her return, gave birth to two cubs.

One of the life-saving reels recently imported from Sydney by the Surf and Life Saving Club is at present on view in Messrs. TSellringer Tiros.' window. Il appears to be very lightly yet strongly built, and eminently adapted to the purpose for which, it is intended.

The Xgaere School held its annual picnic at the East End beach yesterday. Despite the inclemency of the weather some hundred and sixty pupils, teachers and friends, were in attendance, and furthermore they fully enjoyed themselves, although the rain continued riirhl throughout the day. The East End Committee placed its building at the dis posal of the picnickers, and needless to say this was much appreciated.

Mr. M. .1. Reardou (secretary of the Slaughtermen's Federation) told an Evening Post reporter on Monday that in Taraiiaki an American agency has recently opened up a new line with Vancouver. This is for the export of calves in the skin. They have sent an experimental line of 75 head, and intend to extend (he trade. The killiiiQ- will be done at the New Ply mouth 'abattoirs, and the freezing in an establishment near the New Plymouth wharf. On Monday Mr. A. Cliff (secretary of the Taranaki Agricultural Society) went to Mastcrton, and yesterday Mr. Norman fiewlcv received a wire stating that lie had booked 32 entrants for the jumping events at the Autumn Show, and about 20 extra cattle entries, with the prospects of still further increasing the, number to-day. Mr. Bewley reports'" that since Saturday nearly 200 'additional entries have been received at New Plymouth. Entries finally close to-day. Among the, many craft in the smooth waters of Queen Charlotte Sound at the ttnveiling of the -Cook Memorial at Shi]) Cove was the Wellington ferry steamer Duchess, which crossed the Cook Strait the previous night and ran during the day of opening a number of local excursions. The presence of the Duchess so far from home was the subject of comment among the passengers of larger ve.s-.els. The ferry-boat proved herself perfect in the rougher waters of the open sea.

Six totara piles were taken from ITo-,' kianga to Opunake and owing to difficulties connected with landing them at the latter place they were taken on to New Plymouth, landed and railed to Kltham. Freight and railage amounted to £iS lis f)d. Cost of cartage from Kltham to Opunake £lO. Fairly expensive ipiles by the time they reached Opunake, where they were used for wharf repairs. And still a few people wonder why Opunake people want a railway.—Eltham Argus.

Shortly after the Marama left Vancouver for Xew Zealand a male, passenger developed measles. The case was isolated in hospital on the upper deck, but the infection had spread, and the hospital accommodation was soon overfaxed. The first-class smoke-room was then utilised for the accommodation of a. number of the patients. Tn all there were twenty cases. On the vessel's arrival at Auckland the outbreak was well under control, and after the Health Officer had seen'that the hospitals were properly isolated he allowed the Marama to berth at the wharf. The other passengers were allowed to land. , A small boy named Nelson Heals, aged about six years, met with a very painful accident on Monday afternoon. He attends the Fitzroy .School and generally goes home by bus. On this occasion he was late, and just got on the steps when the bus drove of!, the driver being unaware of his presence. As a result lie was thrown under the bus, a Wheel of which passed over him crushing one leg and inflicting a scalp wound. The driver at once went to his assistance, and Mr. Xewton King happening along in his motor car conveyed the lad to town, where he was attended to by Dr. Fookes. He did not regain consciousness until early yesterday morning, but is now improving and no serious results are anticipated.

A Reuter message from Buenos Ayres. under date January Bth, appearing in London papers, says: "The whaler Dcutsehland has arrived in harbour here from the Antarctic with the members of Lieutenant Filclmcr's expedition on •hoard. Captain Bahlel, commander of the ship, died of a heart attack before they left the Antarctic, but the rest of the. expedition are well. Lieutenant Filehner discovered new land in latitude .'lOdeg. west. He gave it the name of Prinz Regent Luitpold Land, it extends as far south as latitude 70. and westward to the Grand Barrier. It is stated that by special permission of the Emperor William, Lieutenant Filehner will return to the Antarctic in December next. as soon as he has collected his outfit, to continue his exploration work."

An Australian correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph tells a hair-rais-ing story of the manner in which the Japanese are "spying out the land" in Australia. The spying began, it seems, soon after the establishment of the Commonwealth. "Mysterious vessels, intangible as a phantom ship, began to appear in Australian waters." As soon as any of these mysterious craft were sighted | by a vessel flying the British flag, they i "displayed a tremendous haste to get I hull down on the horizon." Unimaginative people said these ships belonged to Japanese pearl-pirates, but the correspondent of the Express hints darkly that their errand was much more serious. But worse still was to happen. "People in widely separated districts wen: frightened out of their wits liv what appeared to be an airship travelling at nighi. at prodigious speed." The Japanese spies again, says the correspondent. The Japanese Antarctic expedition, led by Lieutenant Shirasc, according to this' authority, kept the Federal military authorities busy shooing members of the expedition away from the forts and other harbor defences Japanese have been discovered with "a photograph of the bridge over the Tiawkcsbury river in Xew South Wales, avid a chart of the Queensland coast," in their possession. Worse and worse. "Thousands of Japanese reservists" are being stationed in New Caledonia, getting ready to "drive Australia's slender garrison into the Pacific." Like the first report of Mark Twain's death, the story bears evidences of being "greatly exaggerated." " j

Excess uric acid in the blood is responsible for many of the ills that flesh is heir to. Rheumatism, gout, sciatica and lumbago are all due to excess uric acid. Hence the only way to secure relief is to purge the excess from the system. RHEUMO does this; it removes the cause, and a cure rapidly follows. Chemists and stores. 2.'fi and 4/1 per bottle. 4]

Tin- total amount of the Hospital Saturday and Sunday collections at Wellington was £407 IDs 3d, made up o£ street collections £212 His O'/.d. hotels £ll 7s .")'/,d. bands £SO 18s Oy.d. Chineseresidents £7O lis (id. other lists and donations £(i-2 14s 4Vl.d. With the Covernment subsidy the amount will lie swelled to £S!)(i lf.s Sd.

Some idea of the power of an air brake >i'iiy In' gamed from the following facts: It lake* a powerful locomotive drawing a tram of ten passenger cars a distance ,ol about live-miles to reach a speed of sixty miles per hour on a straight and level track. The brakes will stop the same train from a speed of sixty miles per hour in 700 ft. Roughly, it 'may be stated that a train can be* stopped by the brakes in about 3 per cent, of the distance that must be covered to give it its speed.

Tim Eastbourne (Wellington) Borough Council has made one step further In connection with its proposal to purchase a ferry boat to run between Wellington and Day's Bay and Rona Bay, oii"the opposite side of Wellington Harbor. A definite quotation has been received from Mefiregor and Co., of Dunedin. builders of the (iovernment steamer Enrnslaw, foi an '-'improved Earnslaw." The boat would be built of steel, with its principal dimensions as follow:—Length 160 ft, beam 2iift. draught 10ft (Jin. Kite would carry I.'SOO passengers at a speed of fifteen standaid miles per hour—close on thirteen.knots. Councillors appeared to be very satisfied with this class of boat, but final consideration was deferred until an amended quotation for a twinscrew steamer is received.

Commander Evans stated vesterday (says the Lyttelton Times of Saturday) that he, and the other responsible officers of the Polar expedition had come to the end of the information they had to give the public. Absolutely nothing had been held back, and there was nothing else to give. Besides giving information in Christchurch, lie had received large numbers of telegrams and cable messages from newspapers in other parts of the world, seeking for information.He was not a journalist, and had. not acquired the art of making "'copy;" and he had found it necessary to decline to be further interviewed or to reply to further messages from newspapers. *The members of the expedition now wished to be allowed to complete their work without unnecessary interruption.