LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 159, 5 January 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tauranga's Borough Council is jroinfi in for a Town HalL the eo*t of which is not to exceed .£OOOO.

Ag ffir as the Tongariro National Park is concerned, tlio tourist, /cason compares very unfavorably with that of last year, says (ho Taihape Times. So far only two parties have made, the trip from Ohakune East, and each of th: so- found (lie tracks in bad order and the -going" generally rather dillicull. His anticipated.'however, that prospects will brighten during' the holiday months.

It is very evident, aceovding' to the Auckland "Slav," tluit some, (if the striker.-* are fimlinjr a dilfieidty iu obtaining work at their regular orcupations, l'nr a commercial man who i ravels the Waikato regularly says lie has not seen so many swaggers on Hie roads for a number of years, and recently some, children found a purse on a district road which contained n few shillings, and also a card on which was (ho ollicial seal of the Auevkland Vfatersidol'.s' I'liiun, hut the name of (he owm.t was" obliterated.

Mrs. Charles K. Ccorgc. wife of a Well-known journalist and lawyer, of San Francisco,.has been adopted as « daughter of I lie free tribe of Indians, in the IVai'c River Country. She was given the name of Water," and as her dowry was assigned 320 acres of a reservation on liie Assiniboinc River, estimated to lie. of the value of .C-2000. Her adoption is (he reward for her skilful nursing of the chief's papuloses when she was on a visit to her 'husband to AUktlii. Slia has also been presented with a full Indian costume befitting her new rank.

The use of ob.-cene language ill the Wellington streets is said to be growing'. Inspector llendrey mentioned this in the Police Court the other morning, and said that drastic steps to stop it would have to be taken. ••They use it a- freely us they - iise' I (hp ordinary 'Hood morning,'" he'added. The Magistrate (Mr J. S. Hvana, K.M.I &'•>"' tl>at' In. had heard a good deal of bait language used in the streets. Inspector ITenclreT: "I believe they use it unthinkingly; they are so accustomed to it." '

Whilst driving from to his home at Alaketawa, Mr It. Stevens met with a serious accident, being thrown out of his.gig unci suffering injuries to his head. lie was taken to a private hospital in I'ntfcwood. where Tit* received medical attention.

The Nc.v PI-, mouth Hospital Hoard has appointed Mr" A. 11. Kendall clerk of works fo> the erection of the new hospital. Air It. Sinclair, of New Plymouth, will assist Air Kendall in the hitter's duv.'s a> the Hoard's health inspector while his time is more fully occupied with his new duties.

The Xcw Plymouth High School senior eadet (A) team tied with the Wellington College team for third place in the route-inarching competition in connection with the Auckland military tournament. The High School team was awarded 213 points, this heing only eight points behind the winning team. "Apparently the farming community on the Continent are a eery honest lot, for in many districts there are no fences to divide the farms, a stone only in many cases marking the boundary line," said Air. Perry, in the course, of an address at Masterton. "In other parts, particularly in tlermany, a row of fruit trees is the lioundary. while a row of fruit trees arc planted all along the roadway." "There cannot hi\ any | school boys there," remarked a farmer present, amidst laughter.

The Thames Star relates a sad case of double bereavement. Air. George Henderson, of I'ttkaki street, Thames, who lost a younger brother, Air. Henry Henderson," of Auckland, from miner's phthsis less than a fortnight ago, received advice from Auckland stating that his only remaining brother, Mr. David Henderson, died on Monday morning from the same complaint. Air. George Henderson is now the sole survivor of live brothers, two others having met accidental deaths, one having I been killed in a mine at I'uriri live years since, and tho other crushed by a fail of earth at Mercury Bay 32 years ago. During the past year or two, the quantity of Oregon pine imported "into New Zealand has increased considerably, and the arrival of nn American four- | masted schooner in one of the Domin- ! ion's principal ports is quite a common j occurrence nowadays. A few w< eks ago the schooner Baiubridge arrived in Lyt- ; telton with H(IO,000 feet of timber, and i on Alondav another vessel, the Salem, anchored- in the stream with a load of f)U0,(i;)i) feet of Oregon pine. Previously the freight was generally consigned to one particular lirm, but it is now stated that tint competition has become keen, and opposition has entered the held, and for the future the cargoes will be in ore frequent. It is understood that the Salem's freight is the first load: in the interests of the opposition. We have to thank Mr J. S. S, Medley, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for the New Plymouth district, for the vital statistics for the month of December, and also for the whole year. For purposes of comparison, the figures for last year are given. The figures are as follow: In December, 1(11.1, there were ;i!l births, as against 2!) iu 1K12; deaths 10 (1.-)); marriages 10 (14). 'Hie total

number of births for 1013 was .'177, which constitutes a record, Wins ten more than in 1012. Marriages also were a record, I:> 3 being performed, as ngainst 104 tlie previous year. The registrar was failed upon to oll'ieiate on i") occasions, as against 12 in If) 12. Tlie number of deaths was 133, an increase ef seven on the previous year. There is an amusing reference, to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Chamberlain, remarks a Chronicle writer, in Lady Dorothy NeviU's "lender Five Pioigns." Lady Dorothy once expressed her doubts as to the success of Anglo-American marriages. A short while after she received a noto from Mr. Chamberlain: "[ am going to the t'nited States to marry Miss JinilicolL—one of those American girls whose importation you once deprecated so strongly in my hearing. Von said: 'I like the Americans verv w. 11, but there, are two things I wish they would keep to themselves their girls nnil their tinned lobster.' I am willing to give up tJie lobster, so you must be prepared to like the girl." And on meeting her Lady Dorothy was roust rained to admit her "the most eh;;ruling woman imaginable."