LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 182, 31 January 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

English and American mails, ex Aorangi at Wellington, will arrive liere this afternoon, the 31st insi. The recent spell of fine weather will he greatly appreciated in the Olmra, which was looking quite brown and thirsty on the occasion of the visit of the Chamber of Commerce party. Compared with the Olmra district, the settled part of Tnranaki is quite verdant. In the Fire Brigades* demonstration at [ Waitara on Thursday Mr. R. Pepperell's special prize of a silver sovereigu-i ase j for the competitor scoring most points for the day, was awarded to Fireman I. Aroa, of the Fitzroy brigade, who notched 0 points. The runner-up, a Hawera fireman, scored 8 points. Several horticulturists yesterday were loud in their praises of a very tine specimen of the lilium iiuratuin, or goldenbanded Itlv of Japan, which is on view in the window of Mr W, A. Collis' studio in Devon Street. The spike, which was grown by Mr Collis, has about 30 different blooms. The flowers are well worth seeing. The annual donations to Dr. Tiarnardo's Homes from New Plymouth last year amounted to £4B 2s 9d. This amount has been forwarded to London through Mr. N. K. MacDiannid. of the Bank of New South Wales. The lion, secretary (Mrß Dockrill) wishes to thank all those ladies who so kindly assisted with the collecting. The Rev. F. 11. Ktidford,of Wanganni, who is now visiting New Plymouth, will be the preacher at the Tabernacle tomorrow morning.

Mi'. W. T. Jennings, who returric.l .yesterday from a visit to the Whangamomona district, says that great activity is being shown on the railway works.

Tim Boy Scouts' camp at Egmont road was broken up yesterday morning. All the boys have spent a most enjoyable week and have benefitted greatly by it.

Mr. S. Avann, of old Carrington road, met with an accident on Monday, when he was knocked down and run over by a horse and cart near his house, lie was injured internally, and i., laid up in consequence.'

A large stall of workmen was engaged in Robe street and Powderham street yesterday in making a start with the laying of the underground tekphone cables which are to take the place if tho overhead wires in New Plymouth.

Ihe origin of the recent fire at Oaonui is still a mystery. The enquiry held at Oaonui by members of the Taranaki Education Board elicited no more than is already known. There appears to have been no structural defects in the building, and, as it was unoccupied at the time, theories are afloat in the district that tho outbreak was the work of an incendiary.

I wish I had spent the whole of my holidays in New Plymouth," said a lady viiitor, who has just left for south after spending a few weeks in New Plymouth. She had spent some time in various jxirts of Australia. and lwd then returned to New Zealand, staying in Auckland for a time, and had then come on to New Plymouth. Everything in New Plymouth, she said, was conI ducive to the spending of a happy holiday. "I expect the Boer Government won't stand any nonsense over the Indians," writes an English agricultural chemist in business at Durban (South Africa) to his brother in Wellington. "The present state of things will not be tolerated by South Africans. It would be a .Messing for the future if the Indians were deported. There is no country in Vtlie world to equal South Africa, nut wherever the British Hag llies liberty becomes license. Thank God, the Dutch aro in power here, and they have not forgotten how to use the" sjambok! That is tho general opinion among Europeans here."

Hie long spell of dry weather has been very favorable to settlers that have had their bush felled during th<j past season. The burnings have "been satisfactory in most eases round the Whangamomona district, and there was a general wish for rain at the beginning of this week. .Vlr. IJottomley and mate, settlers on the Moki road, had a bit of bad luck 011 Wednesday lasL, They had some work on the Whanga road, and while away, p. spark from some burning bush dropped on their tent, destroying clothing, bedding, provisions, explosives and £2O, which they had received in £0 notes for work done for the Public Works Department.

An English doctor and his wife recently lost some wedding presents in a mysterious manner. Dr. and Mrs. A. Livingstone came to reside in Strood

(Kent), and their wedding presents and I other articles were packed in crates and forwarded from Liverpool. When the box which had contained the prev ents was opened there was found only j A jar of cod-liver oil and an empty niekle bottle. A second box delivered contained cod-liver oil which had 'been consigned to a London chemist, the direction label having been taken from one of Dr. Livingstone's boxes—which is missing—and substituted for that of the chemist. No trace of the wedding presents has yet been discovered, They consisted of silver and plate, and are valued at about £4O. President Woodrow Wilson's message to the United States Congress, embodying the proposition to inflict penalties 011 the individuals responsible for the infraction of the anti-trust law, instead of attempting to penalise the trust, finds hearty endorsement from the Commonwealth Primo Minister. '"ln my opinion," said Mr. Cook, "President Wilson is doing the one thing that seems to go to the root of .the whole matter. Ho is applying the principle of personal responsibility to those who control the trusts. Ho evidently 110 longer believes in the soundness of the old saying, that 'a corporation lias neither a body to be kicked nor a soul to be damned.' He apparently thinks that a trust should be represented by a human body, which may be dealt with by legal process, ft would seem as if he is on thei right linei."

A few days -ago it was announced that the first coach from Opotiki to Motu, connecting with the (iisborne railway, had successfully made tile trip. It may be interesting to readers to know that this road was first made by a Xew Plymouth business man—Mr. (J. 0. llawke. For many years Mr. Hawke held the position of District C.cvk for Taranaki under Colonel Roberts, nnd Sergl. llawke was sent across to Poverty Bay with a squad of twenty-five Arawa natives to form this particular road eight feet wide. Mr. Hawke says that the plans for the road were not forthcoming, so he and his party followed an old bridle track. In places where the bridle track had been over-grown he had to use his own judgment. Strange to say, the plans were sent hurriedly forward about a year after the road had been formed. Mrs G. H. Saunders' well-known Irish Terriers have again won fame for the Pukekura kennels at the Auckland Exhibition Show this week. "Pukekuri Ginna" added further to his already long list of wins by securing first place in the open class, special trophy for best Irish Terrier dog, and special trophy for best Irish Terrier, dog or bitch. ''Pukekura Policy" won one first and two thirds. "Pukekura Tigris," the star pup of the kennels, only secured two seconds, and was also beaten by her kennel mate, ''Pukekura tlinna," for the special trophy. "Tigris" is ten months old, and has so far won 24 firsts and eight cups and specials (previous ia present show). This is the first time she lias been beaten, and her defeat is accounted for by the fact that sin- was very much upset by tho boat trip from New Plymouth to Onehmiga. Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph's Church to-morrow morning at 7-10.' There will be no ten o'clock celebration.

The next, meeting of the New Plymouth Brotherhood will be held on Simday, February 8. when Rev. P>eader, oi Stratford, will deliver an address o.i '•Patriotism." The ninth anniversary of the Kitzrov Methodist Church will be celebrated tomorrow, when special services will be held there both morning and evening. Miss Buckman, and other well-known New Plymouth singers, will cmUrUuue solos, and the services will be fully ehoral, with special music. The Vest-Pocket Kodak is the perfect miniature camera. The Davies Pharmacy hate them. ■ f