LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 176, 24 January 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

According to the 'Palea Press, an unexpected ami most unwelcome visitor appeared 'in the river on Sunday morning, in tlie shape of a shark about 7ft long. An Ashhurtnn orchurdi-t estimates that during the cherry season, which lasted about eight weeks, more than a thousand thrushes and blackbirds were shot in Li- orchard. A public meeting at Wairoa, at wliieh about 301) people were present, unanimously carried a resolution reipiestiiv the postmaster lo remove the silencer oil' the town clock at once, l'ailin" this the council is requested lo do so °Pross message. The North Taranaki Dairy Company have received account sales for their second shipment of butter. This realised •5Ss per box. Had another Id per box been received the net price would have been 12',<.d per lb. There were 47:S boxes in the shipment. Mail. The annual picnic of (he Wigtown ami FrankVv Park Sunday schools was liehl on .Mr. 11. W. Sa.xt'on'.s property at Vogeltnwn on Thursday. \ l ;u -ge munber of children, teachers' and friends , spent, a most enjoyable time, Racing ami "limes wetc provided for the little ones, finishing with a substantial tea. A Jinal reminder is given of the baud concert at Aotea 10-nior>-ow afternoon. Everyone interested in the band should bs present, especially when it is remembered that the collection which is to bo made will be solely devoted to the fund for sending the band to the Auckland contest. At a mi cling of tin: Taranaki Equitable Pudding Society List night,. Mr P. Hopkins presided. The appropriation No. 1, of £:!()(), was drawn by Mr J. Down, and No. 2 appropriation. f:i00, by Mr 11. ■ huh. The appropriation in No. 1 group was sold for i'J-t 10.-, ami 1 that in No. 2 group fov £7O. The Royal Artillery .Band will visit New Plymouth on February -20, and will give a concert on the afternoon of that day at the Recreation Sports Crouiid. In the eveuin;.' the band will probably yivc a concert in the Coronation Hull. Trmin arrangements will be made to enable country residents to hear the baud. On Tue-day (says the Southland Times) the local detectives wvrc responsible for a remarkably smart piece of work, for which they are deserving of commendation On Tuesday afternoon it was reported to them bv .Mr. Tiinncclill'c, of Waikiwi, tnat the. sum of .C4O bad been stolen from his lesidencc. Kvidence pointed to the suspect having got away by the second .express, and Dunedin was accordingly communicated with, with the result that on tee information of the local detectives an arrest was made. New Plymouth is making a bold bid for greater attention as a holiday resort. The Expansion and Tourist League in the seaport town has issued an illustrated booklet, setting forth the advantages and attractions of the huh of Taranaki. The booklet contains excellent views of the principal places of interest, including Mt. Kgmoiit, the harbor, Recreation Grounds and various beauty spots. The enterprise of the Tourist League in '-boosting" the oily borough by the aid of pen "and picture's will no doubt: be duly rewarded. Ccrrtiiiiily, the New Plymouth people are i giving evidence of being very much more alive than Ihcv were a few years ago.—Pahiatua Herald.

'J he sui),rise llight of Mr. .[. .1. ||amr montl. over Auckland in the monoplane •. lirilannia on Sunday morning was proe duclive of much curiosity and not a little excitement. Residents whose houses are situated in hollows heard the 3 throbbing of (lie Cuomo engine some 2 speonds, even minutes, before I hey saw the machine, and were at a loss to ex- „ Plain it. Those who had heard a mab chine m flight before had no dillieulty ± in recognising the distinctive sound, but , lew who had not seen a llight thought . of an aeroplane (ill the machine was visible. Ji.rds scurried away from the ' strange invader of the sky, and some- - tin.*, small children who were expected . to look ami admire expressed their feci- , mgs in a 'howl. The llight was visible at some stages from almost every part 1 of Hie city and .suburbs. ' From New Plymouth conies a most fastelully-prinied pamphlet, profusely i illustrated. Idling in Micllilluous phrase the manifold beauties of Mount Ivmion; I'.ud neighborhood. It is circulated by tl'e New Plymouth Tourish and K.xpansiou League, and is very creditable to the public-spirited citizens „!' lh (! metropolis made famous for its oil, ironsand, hreakwater and butler-fat. Taranaki !-»t,ou!y (lows with milk and honev. but it is beginning (o parailiim its' highways, therefore it is in »roal favor with the motoring tourist." The j' u |ed visitor who drives through the virgin forest and takes refuge, in the mountain house snuggling on the snow line, «ets 'is hrsl taste or Paradise. The air is delicious, the scenery as the vision s retches over the foothills and across the fertile plains, ami sees in far perspective the. smoky outlines of the volcanoes of Ruapehu, Tongariro and Y<. a . ruhoe, is absolutely superb. The Kxpunsion League docs well to advertise tie glories of its conical mountain to all whom it may concern.--('hris(.diurch Star. I The son-ice at the Whitelcy McthoJliet (.hureli at II and 7 to-morrow will be conducted by the Kcv. \ Reader „f Stratford. lie will give „ special address to middle-aged men, the subject, bong -The Perils of the Noontide." Mr Skeates. the well-known Auckland jeweller, arrived in New Plymouth bv the Rarawa yesterday, and" will take i charge of the New Plymouth branch , shop during 11 r Thompson's absence. He. i has brought with him a quantity of new i jewellery, etc., which has just" arrived 1 from Home, after being detained bv the 1 Btrikd, ' ' f

H is doubtful if the building trade in | ..Ma.sterlon was ever in a slacker t-oiitli-tioii than duriiifr u u , j, lls t f ew mouths, j During the month of September building permits issued from tile bonmgfi ollices aniountcMl to only ,U!).—Age. J j Dover House, the residence of the late : (Mr. J. Pierpont -Morgan at KocUhamp•;ton, Clouccstershire (lOngland), which 'stands in 1 II) acres of "round, is advertised for sale. The property is expected to realise £ l.'iO.OIIt). A:.: action for damages for breach of : promise of marriage will engage the attention of tin. Supreme Court at Sn.pier in .March. A writ has been issued by .Messrs 11. .1. Dolan and Co., on be- ' half of .Miss Alice Taylor, of Auckland, claiming .CiUl from .lames Kssclmont. '•Where do yon come from?" asked a lawyer of a man who appeared as » witness in the .Magistrate's Court in .Wellington. "From the top of the hill," : \vas the reply. "Where?" again queried the lawyer. "The (op of the hill," repeated the witness clearly and distinctly. '"Where's that?" persisted counsel. "Oh, well—tin; Terrace Gaol," said the witness linally. The Tongau (.'roup numbers thirtytwo inhabited and about 150 small islands, and they consist of three subgroups, with a collective area of only 385 square mile. Tonga-tabu (l.'lb square mile) is the largest and most important island. Though Tonga possesses a Parliament, its deliberations are. but triennial, and, consequently cannot entail a great deal of labor on its members. Persons should beware of the stranger wishing to dispose of a bicycle at an absurdly low figure (says the Patea Press). A Patea resident was "caught" in this manner a few days ago, when ho purchased what appeared to be a very good bicycle for a nominal sum. His delight at his bargain was turned into sorrow when the police F.ppeared on the scene a few hours after the purchase and claimed the machine.