LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 17, 8 June 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A meeting of the New Plymouth Card Association will be held at the Central Fire Station on Wednesday at 8 p.m.

A sitting of the Arbitration Court will bo opened ait New Plymouth on June -25, at 10 a.m>. Mr Justice Stringer will preside. °

M r J. U. Ellis lectured to the Brotherhood yesterday on 'the "Influence of Horticulture," and a report of ihis address will be published to-morrow.

Thie XI. Regiment Jiand played a well selected programme of mu-iip in the Recreation Grounds ion Sunday afternoon to a very largo assemblage of the public.

It is doubtful if the (speeches, constantly repeated almost withbut variation, which win both Mr. Massoy and Sir Joseph Ward enthusiastic votes of confidence from the same electorates, have any real effect upon politico! opinions proportionate to the exertions they eritail.—Timaru Herald. The report of the Worfe ttommittce of the New Plymouth Boroulgh Council for the month contains a recommendation thai tlhe Finance Committee be requeued to submit a report wiith reference to a site for new municipal buildings.and their probable cost..

The Finance Committee of the New Plymouth Borough Council has recommended) that the rates to be struck over properti-s in the borough for the ensuing year bo as follows: A general rate of Is Id in the *. on annual value,, water rate for u.velling houses at 6d in tlhe f annual value, and for stores, warehouses and buildings other than dwellings 3d in tne £ annual value. The rates will be payable in two instalments —on Jund 19, andi on Dcccm'uer 9, 1914. The drawing of the art union in connection with the recent Band Carnival took place in tlhe County Chambers on Saturday evening, in tne presence nf a large gathering of the public. The chairman of the Citizens' Committee (Mr G. W. Browne) presided, and Miss Wliittaifcer was appointed to effect tho draw. Tho first prize, No. 963, gold nugget went to A. Ijander, of Wefctowu; the second prize, marine picture, to Mr Knowles, Fire Brigaae, New Plymouth; third prize picture! "Milford Sound," No. 907, to Mrs H. Hammiond, Devon St., New Plymouth; fourth prize, picture, No. 771, to J. Thompson, c/o Mrs Box, Mokau.

Thero .were only two creditors present at the .meeting of creditors of Jais. Ncvil Johnson on rriday at New Plymouth. Mr A. Bewley appeared for the bankrupt. Bankrupt's .sfaaciment set oat that aince he took over Mr W. 0. Crozier's stables in August, 1911, he had made them pay limfcil the increasing number of motor-ears in the district interfered with his business, and caused the Mure, of this businc-ss. He iliia.d owned a house property in Feilding, tat ia-/t his equity to 'the mortgagee, and on another at Fitroy he owed £SO deposit to Mr 0-. W. lkr-tnell. lie had a small interest unae-r his late father's will, bmt had not realised it yet. T.iiabilitieis were shown at £715 8s lid and assets at £572, leaving a deficiency of £143 8s lid.

A Celestial green-grocer paused quite a sensation in Devon street on Fridlay by inaugurating a series of 'runaways" which traversed the principal streets of the town. He left his cart, to which was attached a mild looking horse, standing unattended in the street, and the animal, evidently reverting to the days of its pristine glory, made off up the street at a very good apology for a gallop. It had hardly been captured and reclaimed by its unmoved owner when the iiHlcfaiti'jsaWc borough inspector appeared, and demanded to know why the wheel of the cart had not been fastened with a e'hain. The Celestial, after a laconic explanation, mounted the vehicle when the horse, its blood heated bv the sound of tho war of words, started off again. It was checked in its career in Powderham street, but had hordilv reached Devon street again at a leisurely amble, when it made a fresh dash for liberty. This was too much for the over-wrought nerves of thie Chinaman. whb promptly vacated the driver's seat, probably deeming it an empty honor, and when last seen the horse and cart were 'travelling rapidly past the. railway station, leaving a wake of cabbage strewn road and a very much perturbed Celestial earnestly enquiring "wbaffor."

The question of afforestation of waste lands was brought before the annual meeting of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce on Friday night by a letter from the Wellington ■Central Chamber. ; referring to tho report of the recent Royal Commission in which it was stated:/' From 1905 to 1909, tho estimated quantity of milling timber in sight sank to the extent of one-fifth. The DepartI merit of Agriculture estimates that the : present supply will last from 35 to 40 years. Imports of timber will help to conserve the laupply. The Government has made some effort by planting 21,000 acres with 49,000,000 trees during the the last nine years, at a cost of £22,000 per annum. The Commission recommends that 8,000 acres be planted L'vcry year, and that the state should supply trees to local bodies and private indiviidnals at cost and advise as to the planting." It was- decided to- support the principle of remitting the taxes on waste, land planted with forest trees, and to forward copies of the resolution to the Wellington Chamber and to .the Minister for Internal Affairs.

A correspondent wnitcsi:—-In a railway carriage quite recently in Taramrki. the Homc'llule. question cropped up, anil the publication "by ■bin. London Times in 1888 of the forged lo.ttcr.s by I'itjjot, and the consequent action ibroujjht in 18f>0 , jy Parncll, then leader of (he Home Rule movement, against thai paper were mentioned, ms wefi n.- an enquiry as to taw the letters were p'rm-cd to he fcii'^erias. Not one pre-ml i>me.mil>ered the exact ciiviinK'Hico-. beyond the fact thai the hdlc . w;v proved to he for-jeno-i oivinrr to (lie v.TOriH' apcHinjr of some u'uni.s. V-<» yon inform me what tlir-e words were? --('•'Amin.Vs of Oiiv Time" 'lias 1!i- mlliiwrn-?: "When Tiwot was in |h,. witness liox he was l>v «<v t'liirhi. tiir-sall 4a> writ' l down cTlabi woi-1--f.'neh ns likelihood .and hesilsw-. U" missni'lf them, so tint thev w.'v id'Msli'tied with the wo-d's w-'-il in Mi,. ]'..;-.r.,,i letters— and 'li.'si.ieii-v.' TV"■nit, w'liieu heiii" arrHed at "\!:v.'ri-l. committed suicide, and 'Pin- Times jvihfished an as well as nayine' a larse sum for costs audi damages- which | amounted to £5000.")

Sir Hartmann .iu.-it, A?si'>tant-IJnder-'Rccrctaury of the Colonial Office, left Melbourne, on Saturday for New Zealand en route for America and England. A public meeting of the borough electors will be held in the Town Hall at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday next to consider the question of closing Davy, Wakefield, monyand Bell .streets. It w understood (says the Southland Vimes) that the police intend to appea' igainst the decision of the ■Magistrate in connection with the Club Hotel Heritor case in Invcrcargill. At a recent meeting of the Hoard of Control of Lancaster Park, Oii/rislchurjh it wau decided that an offer made byMr. W. Lints, of New Plymouth, to organi-.c a carnival in aid. 'of Lancaster Park Should be accepted. The carnival will be held in November.

A ram avis, in the shape of a whit" hawk, has been forwarded to fchte Otago district agent of the Department of Agriculture by the fields inspector at Ranfurly. The bird is being ex'hibiUl it, mounted form by the .Agricultural Department nt the Dunedin Winter Show.

A hoarding'housc at Te Fuia, Poverty Bay, is noted for the novel manner in which it is lighted. In the middle of a bubbling mudhole the proprietor has sunk three or four corrugated iron tanks. What for, you may ask? And he will tell you that that is his gas plant—natural gas. i'cculiar, is it not? But nevertheless true. The flames of that gas arc as clear and bright as l coal gais.

Some time ago! a Taihape farmer purchased a line of owes for 3s per head. Subsequently thfe wool from these cwc ; was sold at a good price, and the lambs ■realised approximately 16s per head. It was estimated that in two seasonthe ewes yielded a. revenue equal to about six times the amount of the purchase money. On Wednesday tho ewe* were put in the sale-yards and realise! 16s 8d per head.

A curious accident occurred on Vic Auckland wateifroi.'t on Monday eveiing about six o'clock, according to tV. Herald. A portable woodi n ticket office had been erected on the King's Wharf from which tickets were being issued Ic those who wished to go on to the wharf. The office was on ttofe railway line, but waa supposed to be on a set of raib which were not being used. A truck however, wliich was being shunted came along the rails and knocked over the office, splintering it to matchwood. Fortunately, the man inside made gooJ his escape, and was "uninjured. A well-known philanthropist in Easi London gave, the other day, a slum child's version of the story of Eden. She was fitting with other- cMldren on the kerb outside a public-house in Shoreditch, and her version of the story proceeded: "Eve sea, 'Adam 'avo a bite:' 'No,' ses Adam, 'I don't want a bite:' 'Gam!' ses Eve, 'go- on, 'aw a bite I' 'I don't want a bite!' fies Adam." The dliild repeated this dialogue, her voic" rising to a sihirill i-iliriek. "An' thci Adam look a bite," she finished up "An' the fla'min' angel.camp along wiv '■s sword, an' 'e ses to 'em both, 'Nah, then—sihtade!'"

A story is told of a ranger not a hundred m,i!cs from South Canterbury who, seeing a Maori witli a gun and 1 bag, accosted him and asked him whcr» he had been. The Maori replied that lie fctid been shooting. Had 'lie met with any luck? Oh, yes, lie had fi'liot a few ducks. "May I see year bag!" queried te ranger. "O.'rtainly," replied th; Maori. The ranger looked at the contents which 'hie found to consist o£ a number of duete with their heads an! feathers off, and cleaned ready for the oven. "What sort of ducks are they?' 1 the ranger n*ked. "Oh!, you're the ranger; it's your business to know that, replied the Maori. It is understood that no prosecution is <to follow.