LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 169, 16 January 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Attractive-looking diagrams of the type of traincur lo be used in New T'lvmoutli Were on'view in Afr T. Avery's window yesterday, ~

In tlip. police court yesterday betore Messrs C, E. liellringer and J. S. Brooker, J.'s P. John •[)'. Wells was charged with fiulrng to maintain bis wife. The ease was adjourned until 10 a.m. to-day.

I lie Xcw Plymouth l>0!oi!i;h Council's new traction-engine was at work yesterday in connection with the repairs which are being effected to contra! Oevon Street, and gave everv satisfaction.

In the past the custodian of the Mountain House lias acted as guide to any climbing parties. The committee has decided to appoint a separate guide, and Mr Upson has been appointed to the position.

On Monday evening next, in the Borough Council Chambers, Sir George Clifford, a member of the London board of directors of the Taranaki (NX) Oil Wells, Ltd., will confer with the shareholders of the company.

Ihe series of weekly dances which have been held in the' East End Bathing Reserve Pavilion was brought to a conclusion last night, when a very enjoyable and largely-attended dance" was held. An excellent suiiner ~as provided by the ladies' committee. New Plymouth scouts will go into camp on Mr 11. Pote's property at Bed Block next week, under Scoutmaster J. R. Sullivan. The scouts are much indebted to Mr Vote for his kindness. Anyone willing to assist 1 in arranging the cam]) is requested to communicate with Mr J. R. Sullivan.

The monster meeting of protest in connection with tile Council's extending tin; houra of billiards saloons, that was being arranged by the churches for next Sunday evening, may not eventuate, pending the Council's consideration of two notices of motion that have been given by councillors dissatisfied with the decision come to. The Christchurch City Council is enforcing the resolution requiring applicants for employment to pass a medical examination and produce a certificate of fitness. The Ceneral Laborers' Union protests, on the ground ihat not fifty per cent, of laborers are able to secure such certificates in consequence of the trying nature of their work. As a result of the recent visit to the district of Mr 0. Hatch, general manager for Australasia of Cook's, special articles descriptive of New Plymou ' and its attractions will apcar in Cook's publications, which have a worlcl-wide circulation. It is expected bis visit will also result in a bigger proportion of the oversea tourist traffic being diverted to this district.

Twin girls who were born joined together and are now in a Paris 'hospital awaiting an operation to separate them, are in vigorous; health. They are poin•ed face to face by a strip of skin an inch thick. They have been clot)hed : in woollen vests which confine their arms so that one may not injure the other by her movements. An examination lias shown t)hat they havo 110 vital organs in common.

. Before leaving Sydney for New Zealand Mr. John MeComiack, the tenor, made some admissions aa to the gold •he was taking away with 'him in exchange for the "notes The gross takings of the eighteen concerts in Sydney amounted to £ lb,000; those in Melbourne, £7000; Adelaide, £3000; •and Brisbane, £2OOO. Altogether tlie tour stands out as the most successful recorded in Australia.

In these days of labor troubles and ■sudden "downing of tools," it is interesting to know, the Clutha Leader states, that 011 i>j certain station in the backblocks of Otago thero is a man who has worked on the same station for over twenty-six years. During that •time the station has changed hands .more than once, and this man, w!ho started work tit ten years of age, has been taken over by the new owners.

What constitutes a mongrel? This question was debated l>y the Mackenzie Coiuity Council last week (says the Timaru Post). Tho 'member who brought up the subject defined a mongrel as a dog which did not earn its own living. Another member thought that for the purpose of registration this was too hard a definition. For instance, some time ago every dog was considered to be a rahbit (log. Tho rabbit pest is evidently not a serious one in the county, for notice was given to move at the next meeting for a tax of £1 011 all sporting dogs.

Arising out of a ease in point, MA ,T. S. Evans, S.M., told a Wellington (Solicitor that a husband was 'bound to ■maintain 'his wife 110 .matter what her conduct, was. In the case before tho Courtj, counsel pointed out that the wife's conduct was not everything that could l>c desired. To this, the Magistrate rejoined that a woman could do what she pleased, even to living in adulteiw, and her husband was still responsible for maintenance, as had been held by the Kupremo Court. The only way a hus'band could escape liability was by •securing a divorce.

• In connection with. the question of the hours for closing billiard saloons in Xe\v Plymouth, Cr. Anrlmry has filed a notice of (motion to lie discussed at the next meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council, to rescind the resolution to allow the saloons to remain open .until 11 p.m. Cr. Collis has filed a notice •to move that in view of the fact that the Borough Council proposes to allow the billiard saloons to remain open un,tii 11 p.m., the new by-laws shall contain a provision prohibiting persons under the age of 21 years from frequentill <* the saloons after 0 p.m.

Recent visitors to Pelorns Sound de■scribe in caustic terms a disgraceful seeen which occurred at the Waitata rOlub's sports held at Tumor's Bay, Waitata, Moras Sound, last week. It is stated (says the Marlborough Express) Uliat the gathering numbered about 500 people, including a. number of Wellington and Blenheim liolida.v-makers in the Sounds. As the result of a dispute over the handicapping in a motor-launch race a free fight developed, and it is estimated that about forty aggravated -and drunken persons participated in an ignominious contest, which is a. reproach on British civilisation and a sense of the fitness o? things. Members of the Star Boating Club (Wellington) and otihers adopted forcible means in an endeavor to quell the fend, but their efforts, though comimendalble, met with little success. Ultimately ore, section of the fence was broken down by a ' visitor, and ladies and gentlemen who were besieged in the sports area were thus enabled to make their way to their .launches and start on their homeward journey after witnessing a most harrowing spectacle.

He wlio doesn't read advertisements is blind. ill! wlio dor-ii'l hear ailvertisemenU is deaf. He wlio isn't readied by advertising is blind and deaf. And lie who doesn't advertise is foolish.

Tlip ostrich is a descendant of a genus of bird which in prehistoric times attained an enormous size. In the ai•lnvial deposits of Madagascar evidence lias recently 'been found to show that ■ostriches i ti't anil 15ft in height once lived on the island.

■ The annual sale of pontage stamps in England represents e. weight of wboiit ■MO tons, and the number of packets of ■all descriptions dealt with >by ilie pout ollice aui'horilies each vcai', is more than 4,(Ml),000,0110.

. Mr. Kdinund Jlorne, of Watford, is Ihe patriarch of the London and .YorUi-Western Railway line. He is a. ■retired servant of the company, and has eight. sons, one grandson, one son-in-law and a nephew or two in their service.

A resilient, of New lirigliton lias a three-year-old vine under glass, which, nil hough planted! in the .sand and without any special treatment, has sixty•live 'bunches of grapes, varying in length from nine to nineteen inches. There are forty-live ilnmches measuring over fourteen inches in length. A house with sound-proof rooms, designed for £he sole use of music st ndcnts and teachers, is to be built in llerJin. The house will contain ,10 rooms, ■in any of which lessons may be given and practice may be done without the .possibility of disturbing others or of being diUurbed.

Aii expensive trick was pin veil on a •AVhakaronga dairyman the other day (says the Jlannevirke News). It was discovered when his milk was poured into the vat that a large eel h.aij. been .placed in one of the cans. As it was ■impossible to tell which can it was in 11:;' supplier eoiisfqiiontly lost the whole ol his evening and morning milk, which was condemned at the faetorv.