LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 200, 21 February 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At tho Magistrate's Court, New Plymouth, yesterday, before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., a first offending inebriate was convicted and discharged. The late town clerk of Inglewood, W. do fi. Ogier, will appear at the Magistrate's Court, Xew Plymouth, to-day, ,on a charge of embezzling the funds of the Inglewood Borough Council. Of the four pupils of the Xew Plymouth Girls' High School who entered for the senior civil service examination, Marjorie Bollinger and Monica Lennon passed fully, and Myrtle Mackie and Annie Mace passed iii live subjects out of six. The season for whales in southern waters generally commences about March, and although the reports of whaling fleets, which have operated in "Foveaux Strait and around the shores of Stewart Island in the past would lead one to believe that the industry, so far at least as these regions are concerned, is not a very lucrative one, it is understood that Norwegian fleets will exploit the southern waters again this season.

At the meeting of the -tew Plymouth Harbor Board yesterday, Mr. Newton King mentioned that he had recently been waited on by a deputation of farmers who were anxious to have a freezing works started between New Plymouth ami Stratford. They wore only waiting to have an assurance from the Board as to when it would be possible for ships suitable for carrying frozen meat, bo enter New Plymouth. He moved that the Board 'at its next meeting give an assurance to the farmers as to when they could safely anticipate that the port will be available for the shipment of frozen meat and dairy produce by ocean wing steamers' to the world's markets. This was .carried, and the matter will be further discussed at the next meeting of the Board.

The much-discussed question of the Opuiuike railway was brought up at the meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board yesterday by Mr. Hughes, who tabled the following notice of motion, to be discussed at the next meeting of the Board: "Tkat the Minister for Public works be written to pointing out the necessity for taking into consideration when determining the route of the Opunake Railway, the provision this Board is making for the direct shipping of wool and dairy produce to the world's ,markets. The Board also draws attention to Mr. Cuddie's circular commenting on the transhipping and carting of dairy produce as detrimentally fleeting its quality. Furthermore, that the Board wishes I point out that a line from Moturoa via Opunake to the mam line, according to the Railway Commissioners' report, will relieve the roading problem, abolish toll gates, cheapen imports and exports and develop a district that Ims hitherto been practically isolated." ... v

The annual meeting of the Xew Plymouth Harbor Board will be held on Monday, March 10. Henry Martindalo was fined £5 at Wellington yesterday for issuing a notification regarding betting on a horse race. Mutton birds in countless numbers are to be seen in the Straits (states the Southland Times). They are busy driving the sardines shorew'ards. At Wellington yesterday, on a charge of being the occupier of premises in training street used as a gaming house, Wong Ling was lined £2O. The mail train was half-an-honr late last night, due to delays down the line to allow heavy excursion trains to pass. The railway services have been very irregular lately, The business of the Xew Plymouth Harbor Board yesterday was put through in record time, most of the members being anxious to attend the Royal Artillery Band concert. The amount taken at the gates of Pukckura Park yesterday, on th eoccasion of the Royal Artillery Band eoncert, amounted to £271 Ills, which is a record shilling "gate." The concert in the Theatre Royal brought in £l2O. The delay of the mail train last night recalls the remark of a. prominent ollicial in the Egyptian railway service, to our Stratford reporter some months ago that New Zealand is the only country he knows in which express trains litvvc to suit the convenience of goods and excursion trains. Another picnic was held at the East End Bathing Reserve yesterday,, the third during the week. This linie the visitors were some 300 people from Midhirst and the surrounding district who, spent a most enjoyable time and formed a most favorable opinion of the reserve as a holiday resort. The Xew Plymouth Life-Saving Club will give an exhibition of life-saving on the Fast End beach this morning, and of holds and release work in the Henui river this afternoon. All members are requested to roll up. The W 7 est End Club will also engage in practice today. Mr. .1. Crozier has kindly built a shed at the breakwater, where the second reel is now stored. The District Health Officer (Dr. Ohesson) has reported to the Taranaki County Council that the boiling-down works near Inglewood are in an unsanitary condition, and totally unlit for use. He expresses a doubt as to whether a permit was issued for the premises, and points out that the Council lias a remedy against the owner under the Public Health Act. The following are the amounts paid out yesterday to suppliers by some of the principal dairy companies having their offices in New Plymouth, the figures in parentheses being the amounts paid out in 1913 for the month of January:—Mangorei, ,€4400 lis Id. (£,'1720 12a 3d); flahotu, .C' 2035 12s Id (£1043 17s 2d); Warea, £2013 10s 2d (£1875 fls lid); Oaknra, £1072 14s Od {£1528 Is 10d); Omata, £IOSB 10s 4d ( £IO3O 4s sd). "I beg to propose that we do now adjourn for a surf bathe," said the best man at a wedding festivity in Xew Brighton the other day. The bridegroom was a surfer, his bride was a surfer, so were tho best man, the bridesmaids, and most of the wedding guests. The proposal was unanimously seconded and carried. There was a plentiful .supply of bathing suits of the most fetching' variety, and the whole gathering arrayed itself for dips, and went in a body" to the briny. It was a new departure* but it was voted one of the best ever. A Press Association wire from f!isborne states that H.M.S. Philomel, the lirst warship to go up to the Cisbome wharves, was welcomed yesterday with great pomp and ceremony. There were in the inner harbor at the time three of the largest ships ever accommodated: Philomel, 2575 tons; Kaita'nga, 1981 tons; Takapnnn, 1030 tons; in addition to the Ripple, Kiritomi, and other regular traders to the port. H.M.S. Philomel and the. Kaitangata each draw 17 feet, and were berthed without difficulty, a striking contrast to the. position a few years ago, when ordinary rowing boats were occasionally stranded in tho river. A meeting of committees and teachers of schools in Xew Plymouth and the surrounding district w"as held last night to discuss the question of holding a combined picnic for the children of these schools at Stratford on March 12. Mr. C. 11. Dolby presided, and representatives were present from the Central, Fitzroy, Frahklcy road, West End, and Bell Block committees, as well as Messrs. 11. Dcmpsey, E. Bary, Mcllroy and Mrs. Dowling, on behalf of the teachers. After a short discussion it was decided to abandon the idea, the feeling of the meeting being that a picnic on the lines suggested would not be appreciated by the children. A correspondent - writes from Lower Mangorei—On Monday evening last the suppliers and friends of Mr. Fred Jordan gathered together at his house and presented him with a beautiful marble clock on the occasion of his marriage. The bride was presented with a silver-plated cake basket. Mr. J. R. Rowlands, in making the presentation, referred at some length to the esteem in which Mr. Jordan was held by his confreres, and wished him and his wife a happy and prosperous wedded life. ilr. Jordan suitably responded. During, the evening, songs were contributed by local friends, and after the usual toasts (which, by the way, are necessities at functions of this kind), had been honored, the happv party dispersed.

Instances of high house rents in Auckland were quoted by some of the northern city councillors hist week, during discussion on the workers' dwellings scheme. . Mr. J. Court said that not long ago the Works Committee of the Council eiimc across.a case in which Us (id a week was being- paid in" the city for four or live-roomed houses, with conveniences that "were not fit for dogs." He had, he declared, often seen dogs ami horses who were provided witli better housing. Mr. R. Tudehope said that he could not see where the justification for the cry regarding exorbitant rents came in. He knew of several workers who were paying no more than 10s a week for their houses, which afl'oided fair accommodation. He also cited the ease of one house of seven or fight rooms in one of the best streets in Ponsonby. worth probably£6so. which was let for ,£] a week. The latter, however, might he an exception to the rule.

Harvest Thanksgiving services will be held to-morrow in most of the Methodist Churches in New Plymouth. At the Whiteley Memorial, Rev. S. J. Werren will be the preacher, morning and evening; at Queen street, Revs. 11. T. Peat and R. h. Liddell will conduct the services. .Similar services will also be held at Frankley Park, and Omata. Buy your Kodak now from the Davies Pharmacy, and enter for the £SOO competition for the ten happiest pictures.

Oiiu of yesterday's audience at tlic Uoyal Artillery Xand; co*cert had to bo forcibly awakened at tJi«> conclusion of the performance. Was it the music? Tlie Taranaki Agricultural Society notilies in this issue that members' ticketa for the show will uc procurable at the gates oil Wednesday :>ml Thursday next. One of the planks in the decking of the little footbridge .11 (Jilbert Street, near Carrington Koail, hits worked loose, and yesterday canned a youig lady a nasty fall. Owing to tlie (•wi-fti li.nilv Isiiy crowds which travel!.'.l to New t'lvmouth to hear tlr lioya'. ArliHir.v Band yesterday, t.vo ou.w.ird trains were required to ret nil the people to their homes. The ,< <. .1.4 4111 was sent out at about ;,h:i i.tu .-i-;ljt through to Ilawera. The Karawa was a crowded ship on the voyage Xorth last night, and passengers who left their arrangements until the last moment woiilu probably find themselves without a berth for' the night. The lloyal Artillery Hand, bowler.; competing in the Exhibition tournament, and several meufjers of the Press Conference returning Xorth, helped to considerably swell the ordinary passengei list. A fair quantity of benzine and kerosene from the ill-fated lloa has been wash up 011 the sea beach between Turakina antl the qinuth of the liangitikei river, and 011 Tuesday Constables Sweeney (Foxton) and Wilson (Bulls) searched this portion of the coast and recovered 180 eases of benzine and ."0 cases of kerosene, sonic of which had been left «3 washed up. but in some cases the oil had been removed. Jll addition to the benzine and kerosene a good quantity of splintered wood aid other wreckage from the vessel has been washed up_ all along the coast. About (iOO persons assembled at the Waitara beach 011 Thursday, to participate in the official opeuini.' day of the Waitara Surf-bathing and Seaside Improvement Society, which was inaugurated under most a isjjicicus circumstances. The "niece tie resistance" of the afternoon was the life-saving display given by Mr Lints and members of the New riymonth Society. This was watched with the keenest interest. The water then became a scene of animation, over a hundred indulging in the joys of surf-bathing. Waitara possesses a fine beach, which the Society is out to improve. In more ways than one the wireless plant installed some months ago at Chatham Island has demonstrated its usefulness, and particularly in case of mishap or delay to the mail steamer Himitangi. Xo newspaper is published 011 the island and the arrival of Xew Zealand papers is eagerly awaited. The want of speedy news, however, is about to be filled. The residents are now making arangcnients to subscribe for a small supply of the world's intelligence weekly by wireless, and it is intended to publish a budget 011 Fridays, containing the most important items of outside information. A cyclist who was riding along Dee street, Invercargill, 011 Saturday (states the Lyttelton Times) was surprised to observe a shower of bank-notes blowing about. Quickly dismounting, and assisted by others who had come on the scene, he commenced gathering them up. While doing so an excited man 011 a motor cycle came up and explained that he had dropped them. It appeared that he had gone to the bank and drawn a sufficient amount to pay the wages in the establishment where he was employed. He was very fortunate in recovering all the money, as there was a strong wind and tho notes were blown in all directions. This month promises to be a busy month for shipping at Waitara, and there is ever;, 1 prospect of a record shipment of wool, the sheds being practically full at present. The Orari has arrived in the roadstead, and has commenced loading. She will take over 3000 bales of wool, which will considerably case the pressure at the shed. In addition the Orari will ship 350 sacks of tallow, oleo. pelts, etc., and eijual to '>0,1)00 carcases of meat. It is expected that a week will be occupied in loading'. Almost immediatelv afterwards, the Xairushire is expected direct from Sydney, to load for West of England ports. She wil? load about 13,500 carcases and 200 casks of tallow.