LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 209, 4 March 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A London cablegram states that the Commonwealth subini\rine-s a.ro lenviu ( * tor Australia. B

lu the Magistrate's Court yesterday Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., granted a land agent's license to Mr. Walter Bcwley.

''No smoking allowed" board:! on vailway stations are being removed. Mi Hiley evidently believes in smt'-p-rs indulging themselves "wherever t'hey do most congregate." On the motion of Mr. Qnilliam (Govett and Quilliain), probate of the will of the late John Pnrdie, deceased, has been granted by the Supreme Court to Hugh l'urdie and James Purdie, the executors named in the will.

A meeting of the •committee in charge of the, arrangements for the entertainment of tho pioneers oil the 73rd anniversary of the province on the 31st inst. will be held at tile Mayor's rooms next Friday afternoon, at 5 p.m. The Sydney Methodist Conference discussed the request of the Rev. James Wilson, of New Zealand, to be admitted in 1915, and resolved that, in view of Mr Wilson's intention to visit England, the request be not entertained.

In tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, beforo Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., judgment for plaintiff by default was given in the following cases:—J. A. Roberts v. Henry Shirley, £(i 4s Sd (costs £1 4s Gd); Bernard Byrn v. Robert McKenz.ic, C<> l!)s Gd (18s Gd)). At the conference of the Commercial Travellers' Associations of New Zealand, a draft of a reciprocal treaty wall the Australian Association was presented and approved. It will he presented to the Australian Conference, to be held in Melbourne at Easter. In connection with the anniversary of of the, province, .which takes place on the 31st inst., the Mayor wishes to ascertain if there is living any native who was present! on the beach 73 years ago, when tho settlers binded. If w), he would he glad of particulars. The motor-cyclist was looking at a part of his machine, tlrt had become damaged on one of Taranaki's roads. A rural ite passed in a trap. ''Smashed, eh!" he exclaimed. "Tity you did not go over into the gully yonder, machine and all! There -would then have "been one of you motor liogs the less!" The only judgment summons ease before the Magistrate's Court at New Plymouth yesterday was that of the. Mortgage Loan and Agency Co.. Ltd., v. Thomas Percy Smith, Defendant did not appear and an order was made for payment of the claim and costs £5 lis 4d, on or before March 10, in default six days' imprisonment. Tho 'bus trallie in London is playing havoc with the tramway returns. During 1912 the passengers carried by the tramways dropped to the extent of 24,332,160 on the 1911 returns, whilst the motor omnibus service last year showed an increase of l,"i0,!)!t.'i.!)ll over 1911 figures. These ligures are taken from the annual report o!' the Loudon Traffic Board.

A scathing, though perhaps unwitting, comment was passed on the running of the Taranalci railways by counsel in the Magistrate's Court, New Plymouth, yesterday, lie was claiming expenses for a witness who had come from ILawera to New Plymouth on Monday evening in order to attend court at 11 a.m. yesterday. The Magistrate remarked that the witness could have come by tho train yesterday morning. "Yes," rejoined counsel, "he might have taken the risk of travelling by the train which is supposrd to arrive here at 10.45 a.m., but that would have been cutting it very line." The much-adjourned case of Otway y. Mitchell, for hind agent's commission, came before. Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court at New Plymouth yesterday. Mr. A. R. Stiwdish for the plaintiff' intimated that he. had received word from liis client to the effect that ho could not be present, as he had to attend a Supreme Court case in Christchurch to-day. Cpunsel could not, however, apply for a further adjournment, as when the case was last adjourned he had undertaken that there would be no more postponements. His worship said he could not further adjourn the case, as it was evident that the plaintiff did not intend to be present at all. lie therefore struck the case out, allowing the defendant's solicitor £2 2s and £1 witnesses' expenses. Two previous adjournments cost the plaintiff £1 Is each for defendant's solicitor, so that his non-attendance has been rather expensive to him. The question of whether a witness in a civil action in the Magistrate's Court is entitled to expenses when he is not subpoened and does not give Evidence was the subject of a brief argument in the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday. The case was ono which had been previously adjourned and was finally struck out owing to the non-attendance of the plaintiff. Counsel for the defendant had brought his client and a witness from Ilawera, and claimed expenses for the witness. His worship and counsel for the plaintiff contended that as the witness had not been supoened, he could not be allowed expenses, according to the Magistrate's Court Act. Counsel for the subpoenaed his witness because he had supoened his witness because he had been informed at the last minute that the case would be struck out, and to do so would only have added -2s to the costs of the plaintiff. Finally £1 was allowed.

Friday night last was a wild and anxious night for the five n:en engaged in salvaging the wrecked liner Devon ,(says the Dominion). These men have been working on the vessel for some considerable time, and it is the practice for them to sleep on board the vessel each night. It will be remembered that on Friday night a heavy southerly came up, and this brought with it a big ocean roll. Mountainous seas thundered and pounded against the liner. Each time •as the water receded, making ready for the next curler, the Devon would roll, strain and creak in an alarming fashion. The men on board could get no sleep, and they remained up all night, wondering how the vessel would stand the heavy seas. During the night the vessel's stern opened slightly, and this caused a portion of the deck aft to fall away. Following this was a loud crash, caused by the collapse of the mizzenmast. A steam winch near the mast also fell away, as the deck sank in. Wlnit with the falling of the .mast, the shrieking of the wind, and the rolling and creaking of the liner, the lot of the five salvagers was most unpleasant, were glad when the day came, and they then prepared to get ashore. Tile line which was used for reaching the ahoro was found intact, and it was not long before the five meji had reached terra firma. It is anticipated that the work of salvaging the Devon's cargo will be completed in a week's time. All Photo Supplies obtainable at the Davieg Fharmacj,

Toko, big i»«il little, was al the liust, End beach yesterday holding its annual picnic.

A contractor offered twelve shillings per day for navvies in Mastcrton n Ir\t days ago, but failed to secure the >non ho required. Tho Fcilding Star states that a case of infantile paralysis has occurred at Kiwitoa, near Fcilding, the victim being a girl nine years of age.

It is announced that Mr. J. VY. 11. Scotland, the New Zealand aviator, will give an exhibition in Christehurcli on Saturday, Later lie will lly in Marlborough, and then attempt .the lirsl ■flight across Cook Strait. "Where did William the (.'on<|iieror land'/" asked the teacher. The new pupil, a boy from Mangawcka, scratched his head, looked out of the window, scraped his light foot up and down his left shin, and hazarded, "On the jaw!" Calculations show that for the year ended December 31 last 2SOO motor-cars and 1700 cycles were imported into Xow Zealand, the total value being about £1,000,000, as compared with ;C777,278 for tho previous year. During February the estates of 187 deceased persons were assessed for stamp duty, the largest being that of Thomas George Maearthv, Wellington, £389,689, states the Press Association. The Taranakn estates were: —Mary Powell, £9717; Jas. Will.amson, £0.510; Hannah Sadler, £1480; Isabella Davidson £1252; Elizabeth J. Haxley, £1000; Wm. •T. MaePhcrson, £1001; Jessie E. L. Bennett, £744.

Paul Dufault, the brilliant Canadian tenor, was delighted with liis visit to Xew Plymouth a few weeks lrack. Mr. Dufault considers Pukekura Pa-k one of tin; most beautiful spots he haa seen 111 any part of the world, and in order to see more of the beauties of our local surrounding)) will pay a return visit to New Plymouth on Thursday, March 12, and give one concert. This should indeed be good news for music-lovers. The Whangarei Hnrbor Board has decided to proceed with the port improvement scheme recently outlined by the Board's engineer, and embracing an expenditure of £70,000. The matter ■was again referred to at a meeting of local bodies on Friday, when, in view of the fact that at present the Hoard's borrowing powers are limited to£ 10,000, it was decided to take the necessary steps to secure special legislation to raise the amount to £IOO,OOO. On Wednesday last, while some cattle were being driven to the eattlc yards through Green Island (says the (Hugo Daily Times), one of them walked into a doorway, which was standing open, and found its way into Dr. Carswell's consulting room. The drivej of the cattle went in, and taking the animal by the horns, led it quietly out, no damage being done. At the time of the fatal accident on -Mt. Egmont last season, a number of sympathisers subscribed the sum of £0 183 for the purpose of putting up standards and ft guiding wire from the crater downwards. The Mountain House Committee procured the material at a cost of £2 9s, and sent it to the house. As the snow is coming oIT the mountain, the time is now opportune for carrying out the work, but the cost of erection will apparently be. very heavy. For example, £2 a cwt. is the price asked for taking the material from the house to the Bummit. The work will cost £lO to £l2 over and above the balance in hand. The committee will therefore be glad to receive further donations from those who would like to see the guiding wire erected. A correspondent writes:—"When it becomes better known, the llurwortli (Carrington-Frankley) cross road, recently opened up by the settlers of the district, will undoubtably be one. of the most popular drives, motor or otherwise, in the vicinity of New Plymouth. The road is level aud straight, and there are a number of clumps of beautiful native bush adjoining, in which are to be seen some lovelv specimens of punga and mamuku ferns', besides other pretty native trees. In order to celebrate the opening of the load, the people of the district are holding a monster picnic on Thursday next, sth inst., on the same lines as those beach outings so popular with New Plymouth residents, when hot water, tc , etc., will be provided gratis. A committee has been formed, and the public are cordially invited to avail themselves of the chance to spend a day in the .-hade of tlie beautiful native bush. A social will be held in the schoolroom in the evening.

In mi interesting pamphlet de.-.ling generally with ttiQ epidoptera pest, Mr S. Cochrane Mackay refers to Hie value of night lights in the destruction of moths. By his system he claims to accomplish, by constant euro in the moth season, a complete annihilation of moths at a very trilling expense. Mr Mackay says that, after experimenting with various makes of lumps, he has reduced the consumption of kerosene by more than half by the simple expedient' of using a wick made of an old sugar bag, instead of an ordinary work. The orthodox wick burnt about nine pints of oil in one night. Afr Cochrane recommends a lamp which can be set in a pan of water so that its llame may be as low down as possible, lie has destroyed with a lamp such us this as many as ]R-t moths in one night. He recommends a galvanised iron pan 2ft 4in in diameter and 2in deep, with a film of kerosene on the water in it, to kill the moths. The lamp costs ss, the pan 3e Gd, and one night's kerosene less than one penny, lie points out that destroying moths means perfect tomatoes, fruit and dahlias and that as the moth season is nearly over, gardeners should start the work of destruction now, to lessen the number of caterpir.ai'6 next seasor.