LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 243, 4 March 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Park Saturday will bo hold early in April this year. A smart shook of earthquake was experienced locally at 11.41 last night.

Mr. F. C. Bellringer, Chairman of the. East End, Reserves Committee, Has been appointed by that body as a delegate to meet the committee appointed by the New Plymouth Tourist and Expansion League. The Technical School opened its first session for 1913 yesterday. There was ■an increased attendance in all classes, and more particularly was this noticeable at the day classes, which have almost doubled.

Entries for the forthcoming draught tournament at Easter are. now being received, amongst the number being several old draught players. The secretary has had a cleverly contrived ballot box made for drawing places, etc. At yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki County Council, the chairman and Cr. McAllum were appointed a committee to meet the Borough Council re the adjustment of accounts concerning the areas recently merged into the Borough.

Customs revenue to the amount of £4433, and beer duty totalling £55 were collected at the port of New Plymouth during last month. For the corresponding month of last year £3512 was received in Customs revenue and £55 in beer duty. "I was ashamed of our toll house, after seeing [Tawera. The toll keeper there has not too much accommodation, but still he has room to turn round, which is more than our toll keeper has." The chairman of the Taranaki Comity Council at the meeting yesterday. At a meeting of the East End Reserves Committee last night a letter was received from the Stratford School Committee thanking the' committee for the pleasant time spent on the beach on the occasion of the recent Stratford picnic, and enclosing a donation of £2. Needless to say this tangible appreciation was acknowledged with thanks.

The usual weekly session of the Egmont Lodge, No. 112 was presided over last night by the C.T. Rro. G. W. ITai'tnoll. All arrangements were reported to be complete for the concert the proceeds of which are to be devoted to the entertainment of Grand Lodge representatives. Tt was reported that Mr. Bedford, a platform speaker on behalf of the No-License League, would be here during Easter week, and would address a meeting publicly, describing the ."Democratic Vote Campaign." A meeting of the Grand Lodge Reception and Housing Committees will be held to-mor-row evening,.'when important business is to be discussed. The social part of the evening 'was left in the hands of four Brothers, who supplied a good programme of competitions which drew forth a good many entries.

There was considerable talk, some time ago, concerning the proposed electrification of the Christeburch-Lyttelton line, hut such an innovation may take place before long. It was recently stated that a sample car had been ordered from a motor company, and that other sample cars would probably be ordered later. The car is of the petrol-electric type, taking about a third of its power from the transmission line at starting, but running at full speed on its own power. It is believed by experts that this type of passenger ear will ultimately be running on all the suburban railways. and will even be adopted on the main lines. The Railway Department, however, is going to test the system thoroughly before making any definite arrangement. The only occasions since the year 1800 that" Easter Day has fallen' on March 23 were in 1845 and 1856 (Leap Year), and the year 1700 was the last occasion on which Easter Day fell on March 24 and not until the year 1940 (Leap Year) will this occur again. Until 1752, the "old style" of year computation prevailed, under which years were reckoned to begin on March 25. The latest possible date on which Easter Day falls is April 25. and the last time this took place was in 1886, and the next time will be in 1943. Easter Day (Sunday)' always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox, and the earliest date on which it can fall in any year is Manwt 22. although it is a long time since it fell on this date, viz., 1818. With reference to the Borough Ciuincil's queries in connection with trams and motor 'buses, the Town Clerk has received from the Ceelong City Council a copy of a letter written to the hitler body by the resident secretary and engineer of the Melbourne Electric Supply Company. Ltd. Tn the course of this the following paragraph occurs:—"lt is evident that the most popular svsteni in Geelong and generally elsewhere is the tramway system, both in consequence of its better riding qualities, more roomy and airy cars, and the better lighting that is possible. The motor 'buses at present in use. and which are being used solely for pioneering purposes preparatory to running a permanent tramway line in the district in which they are now operating, weigh approximately 3 tons each, and have seating accommodation for IS passengers, and are licensed to cany 24 passengers." DOX'T WAIT TILL TO-MORttOW! It's little colds (hat grow into bigcolds, the big colds that end in consumption and death. Don't wait till tomorrow to treat the little colds, for one dose of Dr. Sheldon's \ T ew Discovery for Coughs and Colds will break up n cold if taken at the beginning. Dr. Sheldon's New Discoverv is a safe and a neverfailing remedy. Price Is (id anil 3s. Obtainable everywhere.

Six. unions exhibited at the Masterton Horticultural .Show turned the scale at 12%1b. A Masterton resident has secured letters |>atenl for an automatic lire alarm for use iu private dwellings. An iiKht.st.ry of a new kind, the manufacture of concrete bricks, lias been commenced in Raefihi.

There were no deaths, marriages or baptisms in the village, of Hard wick, near Wellingborough, England, during last year. The returns i'or l'Jll show that the weigh of lish landed in England from liritisk fisheries was 1,170,210 tons, and the value of fish landed in the Jiritish Tsles lias practically doubled. Says the New Zealand Trade Review: --"One very important factor in the growth of imports is motor cars and bicycles. AYe may safely assume that this line accounts for fully £800,(100 of the year's imports, and has an increase of nearly £250,000 over the previous year."

The consignment of butter to be taken by the Remuera (says the Auckland Herald) will bring the total of butter exported so far this season from the Auckland province to 208,708 boxes (14!),;)84cwt), as against 255,480 boxes (127,743cwt) for the corresponding period of last season. The increase of 43.282 boxes (21.641cwt) is equal to about 17 per cent. It is anticipated that by the end of the season the percentage of increase will be very much higher.

An extraordinary "find" is said to have, been made in the Mataiira river by some young children whose parents reside close by. The youngsters fished out of the water a sack and bag, which on being opened were found to contain a heterogeneous "plant," including a a quantity of blacksmith's tools, engineering dies, motor accessories and parts, tins of jam, also of hoot and linoleum polishes, pots of camphor i"e a pair of new buggy lamps, and other articles. .So far investigations have proved resultless.

A coinmunieaton received by the president of (.lie Auckland Acclimatisation Society, from tlie Minister for Internal Affairs, slates that Cabinet has decided that the coming game season shall be an open one. The rule is that one year in every three is observed as a close season, and only an Ordor-in-Council can change this. The present year is the one set aside for a close season, but the various acclimatisation societies asked that it should be made an open one and evidently their request has been granted. Although the coming season has been proclaimed an open one. the Cabinet has decreed that no sale of game whatever will be allowed.