LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 180, 29 January 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

.A sum of about C-2IHII) has been expended by the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants on a building in Aitken street, Wellington, to provide headquarters for the Society. The new building, which will be a most convenient one. is to he formally opened on Kebruurv 14.

The revenue of the llreynioulii Harbor Hoard shows a shrinkage of about CTitOU compared with this'period last year. .As the shipping is still restricted, the full loss of revenue for the year will probably total some CltUMu. The loss is wholly the outcome of (he strike, ami consequent clo-ing of the port and stoppage, of the coal'export. The loss of revenue means thai. Ihe Hoard will have ein.iifiil less to spend on works.

Mine. Kmmy Dc-tinn. the prima donna who sang for a cinematograph company recently in a lion's cage, has received for this performance the largest salary ever paid to a singer. For singing a, single aria from ,; »igiion" she has 'been paid .-C'i'iCwi. She was in the cage exactly live minutes, so that the payment •works out at (-">00 a minute. In addition to this. (] u \ lilm company had to insure her for ti"i,MD against 'death or injury.

In view of the approaching visit of [Sir .loscph Ward (slates the Auckland | Star) an endeavor is being made by i the more moderate seel ion of the Labor I Party to arrive at a basis of agreement that will obviate the clashing of Liberal ■and Labor interests al the general elections. An initial step is the holding of ii cting in (he Trades Hall within {he course of a few days. It, is felt thai unless some agreement is made that will prevent the split ring of votes InLiberal and Labor candidates, the chances of defeating the llovernmenl will he sadly minimised. Willi an active organisation of ihe Liberal Party and a give-and-take co-operation with I the Labor Party, prospects are regarded us excellent.

llotorinu' journals in Kuofand supply 'accounts ui a Clu-is'.ciuivvli invenli.;'n which has been taken in hand by In,. Motor [ui|)Voveiiients and Patents' (oi»paay- 11 is a horizontal two-stroke, emnne. intended, for use in cycle-cars and motorcycles. It consists' of two horizontally opposed cylinders containing trunk pistons ci ected to a tunthrow crankshaft. It is ..Intel Ihit its special feature, is its rolni.l const ruelion and ample dimensions of all workin"! parls. Amongst (he other novel features are the double-bore pistons and the rotary distribute,...- valves. The rotary valve is shielded by the piston when the explosion pressure is el. its maximum, Py a syslein of forced lubriratien every moving! ]>art reia-iyes oil under pressure. The Motor (ivcle of November 27 stated that tests were to he made on the lirooklan.ls track, and tbat the journal was looking forward villi inter, st to the. road results nlu>m- »! tvjth (his iu(,.|vsri,; s - eil"ine.

Tin- City of Auckland is i-suiii" I:M..:lli) debentures at AYi |M-c fi-nt., jit pur. Loudon cubic.

A Maori woman was arrc.-tcil last night at Westown by Constable i:«ai], on a charge of lunacy," owing to a ciunlilnint from tin. residents con.-rniiiu her conillict.

A special meeting of tin- Xcw Plymouth l!on.ii..;li Council will be held this mining, when mutters in connection with the proposed Brougham street public convenience will b» further discn^ed. Aii inquiry will be held to-ilav into the destruction by lire of Ihe (Jaonm schoolmaster's residence recently. The Taranaki Education Hoard will l!« represented by the chairman (Mr. J[. Trimble), and Messrs. Adlani and Youu".

One result of the recent lire at the Oaonui schoolmaster's, residence was the total destruction of the school committee's account books ami records, which were temporarily housed there. As a member of the 'Education Hoard put it yesterday, the committee has onlv a bank balance, jmd can start with a clean sheet 1.

An interesting- event tool; place at the zoological collection at the Ngucru (iardens recently. Two monkeys gave birth to young ones on successive davs. It is a rare sight, to see the respective mothers with their oirspring, and al-o io see the curiosity with which the whole of Hie monkey collection regard these new arrivals. Tlim should prove an additional atlraetion to the vi.umrcr fi v on their visits to the gardens.

• Victoria has 14.000 berths lor iimnigrants booked from the I'nited Kim'tlom for this year, and special dloris are to be made to mo thai ihev are all availed of. Ust year iTiltl)' bovs •arrived, but this year it is expected that double the number will be secured. In order to attract land-seekers, a special publicity campaign will be organised throughout the rural dislricts of Kngland and .Scotland. KITi.rU will be, made to attract land-seekers from America, ami two men will be sent there—■one of whom will probable be a successful imgatkmist settler.

-U a meeting; of the Citizens'' Committee of the XI Regiment K,nd i ast a letter was read from the secretary of the East End Bathing Reserve Committee agreeing to give the band permission to [day on (he reserve as requested. ' but rent-in"- permission to take up any collection, as it had previously refused similar applications from other bodies. Mr. V. Sole expressed surprise at the Committees action, and doubted whether it had power to prevent the'band from taking up a collection at the reserve. It was decided, on the motion of Mr Diiicen, "That the Citizens' Committee thank the East Bud Committee for its surprising generosity, and regret, that the honor of playing on the reserve for nothing is not sulliejenlly attractive." The new Town Hull at lnglewood passed through it.- baptism of Jire on Tuesday evening. According" to the Record, the fire was the re-tilt of an accident to one of the films being .shown by Ihe Vituscope Picture proprietary. While Mr lUdah was altering a screw underneath, the. film \-:utghl l.to. ant flared tip. Mr Iloki,',. will, commendable promptness, spread Lis coat over the Humes in the hope of smothering them, but the name was too fierce / lm l die coat was .smothered instead of the fire. Water was then ybl-uincd, anil the fire was soon overcome. There was a si Hit panic amongst the audience, and a quiet introduction given to what a real live fire would mean, as: iinmediatelv on the alarm being given ail at once made lor the entrance door, despite- the fact that four escape double doors- were thrown open in one minute.

One of Hi,, things which surprised Mr. David McKenzic, the \W York !in;VHcicr, win) is now in NVw Zealand dm :i motor tour rnuii.l the world, was lark of information about Yew Zealand in almost every country lie, vi>H<-d (say- (he Kvcninjr Post). Tlmi Dominion'was not contemplated in the itinerary \\h>i> the party It-ft London, ami on tin'- Continent, am) in tin- countries- since vi-il.-d .Mr. MucKenzic was almost unsuccessful in liis search for details about Now Zealand. The tourist agencies were not able to help him, ami it was oniv when lit! came to .Australia thai lie could learn anything delinite. .Mr. MucKcnzie ■urges that, if the country were oniv properly advertised, it could vasllv increase, its tourist U".illle. If people in America only knew about New Zealand they would conic over here in thousands to spend their winter in our summer. He considered Unit, the New Zealand Government, should take even- adviufagc of the opening of the Panama Canal to advertise its real at tract ion--

which he regarded as distinctly superior to those of Australia.

A curious story of a strange air ship has been brought from (lie wilds of South America by Mrr A. 11. Savage Landor, Ihe famous explorer. Mr. binder lirst heard of the ship when travelline; in the forests of Peru. -'The balloon, described to mo as a huge square globe," he writes, "had passed over the settlement some time, in 11)10. It Hew the Stars and Stripes and had an anchor dangling down. It was travellingin a westerly direction. h Hew a little higher than the trees and caused a great scare among the natives. It, is (jttite possible, after discarding all ihe .embroidery from the story, that a balloon,'actually went over that place, ami may probably have been Wcllnian's abandoned bulloon with which be had tried to «,o across the Atlantic." The Well man airship was abandoned in Ihe Atlantic in October, 1!I|0, and if Peruvian natives saw it later il must have drifted at least HOIIO miles after ; (s passengers look refuse in a passing steamer. A derelict balloon well may have been an alarmim; sprcLe-le to the natives of South America.

At the bowling social hist, night, Mr N. .). Jung, of Stratford, ma.de some highly complimentary references to New l'lymoiitli. No other place, lie said, [cut itself .so well for ;i bowlin;; tournament us did New Plymouth. They had plenty of green accommodation, and their greens were in ;<uod order. There was, moreover, )>'.i>r,lv ~! in', omnin.latinn obtainable lor visitiicr bowler-, and the hospitality of tin. local howlers was undoubted. The siirnmnliirrs of (he local greens were not to be c •.<■•. lied in any part of Neiv Zealand, lie did nol, lie .said, think that (here w : a nieer place than New l'lymoiitli fmm the. North Capo to the' Plot!'. ii. had recently travelled as far as l'a i'lidi'. and could honestly .siy that he 1,.,| IM ,I .-ecu a-, place which cool,l ho! I ■> c.iudle to New I'lymoutli. A nno.d .V..' had been said about boomiim' Hie !"w\ but ho conMdcred (hat ihere v.-., „.. doubt thai il was a step .in Hi" ••-, ■■■ direction. New Plymouth was im.louh'i. lly a h.aiitifil town, he conclude!. ■>v.l the inland towns Wollld 111 lbe (calc ■:■... olcn-cd to rt( o New Plymouth pr 0.,;■.... ;,.. ()„, uietrnI'.''!., of Taranaki. Kn-hyu an.' Kod ■ ' si-VH, at iiie Davie.-; Piurn

j The practice of spilling ami |in auction i' h while sales (if !"'•

slnll's are being conducted has gro-ii to such un extent tliut the nntliorii' s ill Wellington have determined tu pii:. 1 down. SlimillDll.-cs have heeil is- I against several persons f(ir allcg.-.l lilVilclies .if (he In l.iv, ill .plc-lion. iie.l Ihev will he lii-iir,: nt the Magistrate's r.uu-i lliis week.

"I am afraid radium will not cure ■ :. nrer." So remarked Dr. 11. .1. I.otz, w ; i u interviewed on lioanl the Maloja at rV>mantle. Dr. 1.01/. is one of'the l.c'known and ~1,1,-1 established of Wc < Australian medical men. lie bad just returned from a (rip round (he World. "Jn sioiie ease (he application of radium has an ill-eil'ect. It makes the cr ■•'

worse instead of belter. II is wonderful what faith is expressed in radium. You will liii-i people drinking water into which radio-active substances have lien passed. They do (his in desperation. They want to try every remedy, or supposed remedy. In America they inject radium jelly into the (issues after operating. As a matter of fuel, radium at present is practically unobtainable. The smallest i|uaulity of radium procurable ii valued at JJ-tiMI). Thai, is to .-.n, you can't gel less than .VUimO worth. Any smaller (|iianli(y than (lie radium purchasable for (he' amount does (lie growth more harm than (rood." Scotland Yard is advertising partii"! lars of a mysterious theft which to;,k place at a date unknown, but probably within the la-t month or two. from a show case in Dlackmore Mu-eiim, S:i!i<bury, of six New Zealand greens!.me curios of some value-a mere, four tikis and an axe. There is no doubt that the robbery was committed by an expert, as the show-case, when found, after being forced open .bv chisels, contained such excellent replicas in plaster of Paris, that it i- very dillicult to tell them from the originals. At tirst sight it would seem that the labor;...is and intricate carving of the Maoris of a couple of generations and much more back, now a lost net even nntnngst, themselves, could not be copied, but bogus band-carved llutes. feather boxes and other articles, are known to lit- very prosperous sources of income to various dealer- in London, and parlieu'iarlv in Bath ,