LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 196, 17 February 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Whangamomona folk will hold a picnic on the Kust End bathing reserve to-day. A Toko picnic will be held there on March 3.

Mr. W. D. Leslie, one of the Australian howlers, say* there is no place ho has seen which affords such opportunities of get I i«« on as New Zealand. Messrs. ,1. C. Williamson. Ltd., have secured the lease, of tho new Opera House in Wellington. It is expected to be ready for occupation next month. Mr. Hugo had a largt attendance at his last lecture in St. Mir-'g Hall hut evening, when he spoke upon "eyes," and showed drawings of all : inds of eyes. The Master of Christ's College, Christchurch, is not a believer in home work for young boys. He holds that the proper phica for them at night is in bed. The Public Service Commissioner .has intimated to the principal of the New Plymouth Girls' High School, that it is not proposed to admit female candidates to the next public service entrance examinations.

Tho Taranaki Countv Council has received information from the New Zealand State Advances Denartment to the effect that the loan of fiiOO for the formation and metalling of the L'pper Plymouth road, at Koru, has now been granted.

Some of the settlers between Waitara and Huivangi have decided to bring the luxuries of town life a .little nearer ky constructing a party telephone line. Six subscribers have been obtained, the furthest out being Mr. 0. J, HerricUs, of Huirangi. The Juvenile Temple of the Good Templars' Lodge held their annual picnic at tho Meeting of the Waters on Saturday last, and, under the capable management of Superintendent Bio. L. Peppercll, a vory enjoyable dav was spent by some 50 or (SO young "people. The usual weekly meeting of the Kgmont Lodge, No. 112, was held last night, when, after the customary business was doalt with, Bro. Hartnell, D.l). vacated the Chief Templar's chair in' favor of Sister Keid, who ably nresided over an excellent entertainment givcu by the Sisters of the lodge. •Mis* Emmie Pickering lias (savs a Sydney paper) challenged Miss Alma Larson to a race for the women's sculling championship oi Australia. The challenger holds the championship in heavy boats, and is now out after the other title. Miss Pickering asks that the ma tcli be rowed in about four months' time for a stake of £SO a side.

At a well-attended meeting of the East End Bathing Reserve Committee last night, arrangements were reported to be well in hand for the forthcoming bazaar. It was decided to include competitions between the East and West End Life-Saving Clubs in the next programme of sports. A payment of £139 to Messrs. Boon Bros, for additions to the pavilion was authorised.

A well-known New Plymouth resident, Mr. N. A. Christiansen, had a narrow escape from sorious injury at YYuitar.i on Sunday. He was cycling along the street, when ho met a motor car, wh'nt'i in attempting to pass him, skidded into him, and 1 the front wheels passed over his body, with the result that he is now in the New Plymouth hospital suffering from severe bruises on the body and legs.

A somewhat exciting incident occur red in the Magistrate's Court last week (says tho Lake Wakatipu Mail). A solicitor engaged in one of the cases, as he was leaving the building, somewkat severely criticised the decision of the Magistrate. The solicitor was immediately called back by the Magistrate and asked to apologise for the uncalledfor remarks, which practically amounted to contempt of court. Th» apologr was forthcoming. The "sneak thief" is in active operation down the coast. A young fellow near Tc Kiri reports the loss of a large sum of money from a room in his parents' residence. The Rahotu factory hands lost a substantial amount from their residence, whilst other losses are reported from Opunake. The sooner some of these light-fingered gentry are laid by the heels tho better fo*r ali concerned. Meanwhile settlers in the district will be wise not to leave too nmeh loose money lying about when thev are absent from horn*.

Suspicions regarding the spurting value of the mallard ducks imported by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society have been raised, by the extraordinary tameness of the liberated birds, Eta Us the Herald. In a letter addressed to the president of the society (Mr. W. Hazard), the opinion is expressed ':y Dr. Hope Lewis that the mallard ducks introduced into New Zealand are merely decoy birds used to catch the wild ducks. Dr. Lewis states that the decoys are only about two-thirds the size of the wild bird, and he had no doubt that those imported by the society for game were actually specimens of a variety domesticated by years of training for a specific purpose. Miss Paulino Bindlcy, the Bendigo soprano, who conies to us with Paul Dufault, would seem to be a most fortunate young woman, for, in addition to being possessed with a wonderful voice she possesses the charm of a most winning personality. Miss Bindley recently won the prize of a trip round the world, offered by the Bendigo Independent for the most popular young la<ly in liendigo. The young singer was * the recipient of over 800,000 votes. On Christmas morning, just previous to ber departure on the Paul Dufault (our, Miss Ilhidley was presented with an aquamarine necklet from the members of the Roman Catholic Cathedral choir, of which she has been the leading soprano for many years. At the conclusion of the Dufault tour Miss Bindley leaves for Europe to study' for Crand Opera. "In these get-rich-quick times," said Dr. Purchas, in his addrons before the medical congress, "the all-absorbing topic that engages the mind, not only of our own people in these young States, but also of those of the old communities is the accumulation of wealth and the enjoyment of luxury. The medical journals in Kngla»d and in these States have for years demanded an investigation into quackery by a royal commission. The worst 'duise of quackery is the teaching of the practice of (he limitation of families. As ■ athologieal study is indispensable to the treatment of disease, so the. work of such a commission could not fail t > present a statement of this greatest possible national trouble. According to the Lancet, quackery has destroyed more lives in ("ireat Britain than the sword, famine, and pestilence united, and never was there a period at which the force ami I ruth m" this opinion was more obvious (h,ui at this day." All Photo Piipplin obtainable at the Davlct Pflarrnacy.

It is reported that a resident of M:»s>terfcon will in all probability be among those who will be ottered a'seat in ♦l;e legislative. Council. At the meeting of the Egmont County Council on Friday, it was stated that the residents of the district were paying over £2OOO per annum to oilier local bodies for passage through the various toll-gates by which the county is hemmed in.

Even »i siicli a go-ahead country ns the United States singular errors can be made. The city of Los An«eles ha* a new water scheme that cost 23 million dollars. The water was convoyed 200 miles to the city. As, however, it was taken from a river which Hows through nn alkaline desert, the water is so charged with what is practically Epsom salts that it is unlit for domestic supnlv. Here and there along the coast, between Okato and Opuiiako, the yellow (lower of the noxious weed ragwort can be seen luxuriantly flourishing, principally on land in tho occupation of Maoris. Unless checked before it get* too strong a hold, and it Bhould be easily checked now, it will, in the course of a few years, be found extremely difficult to cope with. Building operations aro proceeding briskly in Opunake to repair the damage done by the recent disastrous fire. Already five fine shops are being erected in concrete. Very little progress has i so far been made with the re-erection of the hotel, which, it is understood Is also be built of concrete. Some of the material is now on the ground, and it is understood that it will shortly bo vigorously pushed forward. Several passengers, oblivious of tho vagaries of our train service, were left at Patca yesterday. Induced by the ■cry of the guard, "Ample time for refreshments at next station!" they pot oil' at the seaport town for refreshments, and were quietly enjoying their tea and sandwich when the train started. Only the most activo and alert succeeded in boarding the moving train; the others, which included some delegates to the Press Conference at New Plymouth, were left behind. They pr.> eeeded to Hawera by a late train -iint stayed there the night.