LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 1, 20 May 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

To-day is the s"th anniversary of the establishment of the Taranaki News. The fund for the proposed radium institute at Pahnerston North now appears to bo stationary at £2500. The Pungarehu store, conducted by the estate of the kte Mr M. B. Gibbons, was destroyed by Are on Monday night. There is some talk (the Timaru Herald states) of the Gevernment buying the Eookwood Estate for closer settlement. The Mangamahu Hotel, in the Wanganui district, was burned down during Monday night's gale. Nothing was sav° ed, Hie occupants escaping in their night attire.

The returned Territorials from the Takapau cassual camp reached Now Plymouth last night, after spending a strenuous time with, wind and weather. The camp was broken up ' some days earlier than wa3 intended, owing to the boisterous weather making it untenable. The circulation of "sweated" sovereigns is reported by a southern paper, and the public are warned to be cautious in their transactions involving the interchange of these coins. The "sweated" coins are stated to be palpably short weighted, some, indeed, having been found to be nearly a fifth light, while the effect of tho "sweating" has been to leave thean dull and leadenish in color. A young (Russian Pole, who was charged in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday with theft of money, informed the Judge that as he was .1 foreigner, he would ask His Honor to cjonduct the case for him. Mr Justice Edwards gravely explained that he could not act as judge and counsel I both. He would endeavor to see justice ; done, as he always did, and justice, he remarked, did not always concern counsel I so acutely as did the 'desire to win th* case.

While General Hamilton's party is visiting tho oil wells this afternoon, it has ibeen arranged that the Hon. Minister of Defence, Mr James Allen, and Mr H. J. Okey, MP., accompanied by Major-General A. J. Godley (commanding tho New Zealand Defence Forces), Colonoi Cha.ytor (commanding the Wellington Military District), and Captain Stevens (officer-in-chargs of No. 8 Area Group, Taranaki), shall visit the Corona tion Hall, with the view, if possible, of settling the question of an exchange of property between the Defence Department and the Agricultural Society. It was between the lighU on day night, but past lighting-nn time says the Waitara Mail, wlhen a nmn who had evidently more respect for his fellow men .than he had for the boroiHi bylaws, posted .himself at the Manakori'hi end of the bridge, and, waving an „ m . brella, warned gig-drivers, cyclists and others that the borough inspector was at | f , otl ! l T. sWc ,rf the Dri 'dge, siting to ' catch delinquents who were hoping to 'get home without having to light up. there must have been a lot of matches »truek within a -hundred yahls .of <,»> inspector, hut a capture was not made. Mr. Smart, head of the Commonwealth Publicity Department in London, has completed tho organisation of a travellmg cinematograph and lecture theatre J,™" 1 e] J ab , orate er «e*">n. costing about ± 1000 and drawn by four horses. It requires the services, of four men. One of them acts as an advance agent, goinff on be ore the full company to arrange for billing" after the manner of a theatrical troupe. The Commonwealth Picture Theatre will tour through the villages of England and Scotland, and will first visit Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, in the hope of securing farm hands. The several States will send lectures from time to time to supplement the Commonwealth's organisation, lie theatre seats 200 people, and is illuminated by powerful arc lamps, themselves no small novelty in the remote English villages. In the afternoon the theatre will be used for free picture diowß for school children. In the evening the displays will bo suitable for adults.

The proceedings in the Supreme Court yesterday were protracted l>y Hie wearisome circumlocution inseparable from an examination of witnesses through m interpreter. His Honor siharpV enjoined tiie interpreter to cut the 'questions short, and later, to inform the witness that "unless he Tefrained from making speeches, and answered questions briefly, he would be committed for contempt of court"—a warning which called diown a torrent of indignant explanation from the voluble Austrian in the witnessbox. At a later stage, the prisoner, who could speak both English and Austrian, complicated the situation still further byquarrelling with the interpreter's rendering of a reply by the witness, an objection which was indignantly rebutted! bv the interpreter, but excitedly uphold by a venerable Austrian at the back of the court, who had iro connection with the case. His Honor at lust became resinned and the case proceeded in tangled An.--triau and broken English. Te» heat of summer sorelv tries the Skin and Complexion. Use Svkes' Glycerine Jelly j it quickly remove* tt>*f EricHy sting.

Mr. Fred Pirani, Reform candidate for Wanganui, replied to Sir Joseph Ward's Wanganui address in a virile political speech on Monday night. A practice hag sprung up in Manaia lately of torturing cows by tying keroseno tins to their tails. These outrages have been going on now for some two or throe weeks.—Witness. No rat could lave 'the slightest chance in an encounter with a wcka (writes Mr. Drummond in tfhe Auckland Herald), In Christohurch a few days ago i live mouse was placed in an enclosure in which two wekas, a male and a female, are kept in captivity. The trap in which the mouse had been caught was opened, and the mouse came out. It was pounced upon immediately by the male weka. Its activities wore unavailing. The bird's deadly bill camo down upon its head with terrific force and unerring aim, and it was stretched out instantaneously. In a few seconds the pick-axes were busy upon it, and had laid open its body, and it was not long before nothing was left of the mouse except the bonca and some particles of fur. The male weka, by the way, on this and other occasions behaved most gallantly. He killed the mouse and prepared ft for the meal, but refused to accept any of it for himself. As soon aa the mouse was dead, be called the female to the feast by continued clucking. He then dug his bill into the carease and drew out the pacts/ which shd took from his bill and devoured. His actions were a lesson .in unselfishness anfl consideration for others.