LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 280, 29 April 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There was not a lutle excitement and confusion at Okato one night last week, when the county inspector paid a surprise visit, bailing up quite a number a' people driving without lights. A correspondent informs us that thcro has since been quite a considerable demand for lamps in the township. In the Magistrate's Court, New Plymouth, yesterday, Mr. A. Crooke, SJkl., gave judgment for plaintiff by default in the following cases: —John Grayson (Mr. A. H. Johnstone) v. Ernest Ilinc, claim £1 Is and costs ss, Richard Langman (Mr. J. C. Nicholson) v. Harold Rusden, £8 7s 7d (£1 3s fid), Stephens, Byrn and Co., (Mr. Nicholson) v. Daniel Deegan, £2B Is ( £2 4s) and £9 8s lOd (8s). During the past couple of months, it is stated, buyers have been quietly operating in Taranaki on behalf of Canterbury clients, and as a result some 14,000 sheep, mostly breeding ewes, have been shipped to Canterbury from this province. One buyer alone forwarded i line of 9000. Several thousand lambs have also been forwarded to Feilding. Outside buyers have been active amongst cattle also, and quite a number, principally young steers, have been transferred to the East Coast. It was mentioned at the Tourist League's meeting last evening that a family from outside the Dominion had been induced to settle down and retire in New Plymouth as a result of reading the illustrated booklet recently issued by the League. It was also stated that an English family liad just Written to the effect that after reading the booklet they had decided to come out to New Zealand and spend some of their holiday in New Plymouth. These arc typical instances of the benefits arising from advertising the town's attractions.

A reference by Mr M&ssey in his speech at Rawakawa last Thursday evening to the time when his party was in opposition, elicited the interjection, "When you were in the wilderness/' "Yes," said Mr Massey amil't laughter, "but we have now reached the promised land, and I am glad to have been able to take the part, of Joshua." In reply to another interjection. Mr Massey remarked, "The term 'Liberal' has been dragged into the mud so much in thin country that I will not allow anyone to use it to me without qualification. You may call me a ReformLiberal if vou like."

The gossips are a noisome bunch who play an ugly game; they'd leave the finest Waldorf liinch to mangle someone's fame. They're prono to injure all they touch, with their long tongues and jaws, and vet they cannot hurt you much unless you give them cause. The man whose life is circumspect, who minds the golden rule, won't see his reputation wrecked by any prating fool. And those who suffer most from talk quite often, are the guys who hear a tale and walk a block to put the neighbours wise. T often say, with Virtue's tongue, -'The gossips I abhor," and then I tell how Sandy Bung ran off with Mandy Dorr. The noxious deeds that others spring we righteously despise, and then we do the self-same thing, dad Bust our pious eyes! We all are gossips, more' or less; with glee we trot along to tell about our fake distress when some good man's gone wrong. On Smith and Jones we're keeping tab, and if they make a break, we'll stand around the streets and gab until our windpipes ache. So when we roast the gossip vile who deep in scandal delves, 'twere well to pause a little while and just size up ourselves.—Walt Mason.