LOCAL AMD GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 137, 3 November 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AMD GENERAL.

Australian mails (ex Makura at Auckland), will arrive bora per Rarawa this 'morning, "I beliere if Women wore in Parliament, it would be good for Parliament, mid facilitate business."—Chunk from Mr Hughes' speedh las* ni^lit.

Tho Aurora bais arrived in Sydney, | and is preparing for Sir Ernest 'Shackle-' ton's axepedition. Crs. 0. Billing and M. Hopson are not seeking re-election to the Taranaki County Council. Cra. A. Morton and D. McAUum harq been returned un- ' opposed. Mr J. Hill has arranged for the local Boy Scouts to have the same sito for their camp on th e Egmont Road as last year. The camp is to be held in January. 1

Therr 0 was a gale of great violence in Maslerton on Sunday night. Sheds were blown down, windows smashed, trees uprooted, and orchards stripped. Trees fell across the telegraph lined no'.tli and south.—Press Association.

"If you put the Tories back into power at the next election, tlhen God help the small man," said 'Mr D. J. Hughes at tho Patua schoolroom last night.

Customs revenue collected at the port of New Plymouth during last month amounted to £4094 7s 6d, and tihe beer duty to £!h> IDs. In October, 11)13, the figures, which were smaller on account of tile strike, were £3019 7s 3d and £B9 Gs. The Labour Bureau, to be really of use

to farmers and employers generally, should advertise more, is the opinion of tho -Liberal candidate for Taranaki. The district agents should, through l;he newspapers, annuouce what labor is waiting.

The return of the number of birth, deaths and marriages (Mr J. S. S. Medley, Registrar) for the district of New Plymouth for the month ending 31st October, IAI4, is as follows, with last year's figures in parentheses:—Births, 25 (37); deaths, 11 (9); marriages, 9 (12). The New Plymouth General Labourers' Union has to date paid in to the citizens' committee tho sum of £lls 18s lid to be used exclusively for the relief ol' any cases of local distress. Mr Skitrop, the borough engineer, who allocated parti of his salary for this purpose, has also paid in the sum of £l4 to date.

A special meeting of tho Land Board ;s convened by the Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr Bullard) to take placj at Taumaruaui on Saturday next 7th instant-, for the transaction of ordinary business, in lieu of the ordinary October meeting which lapsed on 28th ultimo, for vant of a quorum The Board meets at lhe same place on the preceding day to deal specially wiLh applications received for the Aukopac Block and to submit, at auction a quantity of milling timber on the Wanganui river.

Messrs Ogle, Vaughan and Caplain Thompson, of the Waitara Harbour Board, have gone to Wanganui to inspect tli o plans of a new dredge, which is said to be the "last word" in machinery for harbor deepening purposes, lis tihief merit for work at river entrances lies in the fact that with a stern attachment it goes on cutting all tho time, and on tho Waitara bar, for instance, it could, by simply moving backwards and forwards, clear away any obstruction. The local Board repra'entagives are hoping that a smaller patter* of the Wanganui vessel might be adopted for use in Waitara.—Waitara Mail.

A molorman who recently brought a heavy load from South Taranaki to New Plymouth had a g:,od word for Taranaki oil. It was the heaviest load lifted out of the district, and the fuel used waa petroleum from tile New Plymouth wells. This motorman bad driven in Russia. Prussia, Germany, England, Scotland, Canada and the United States, using various oil fuels, but hj« declared that the heavy Taranaki oil he was burning that day waa tho finest oil he had ever used.

Ratepayers, in -the Taranaki County at all events, are >rell satisfied with the I'lar.figeraent of affairs by the TaranakIlospital and Charitable "Aid Hoard, for they liare re-elected unopposed their quota of four members, viz., Messrs J. Brown, J. R. Hill, D, McAllum and G. V. Tate. The policy of the Board in providing now and up-to-date hospital accommodation is therefore evidently endorsed by idle ratepayers.

The Op'make-New Plymoutli-Elthim Carrying Company have just landed a 40 'h.p. Daimler motor waggon of 4-ion carrying capacity, which they will at once place on the road -to cope witih the increasing 'amount of dairy produce that has to be hauled to the railway, 'this waggon will be used principal* - on th« Wt-hani road. On the New'Ph-mouth-Opunake road, the company will utilise a similar waggon of three ton capacity. In addition, the company have half-a-dozen horse waggons on the road. As tlhis is only one of several firms engaged in hauling dairy produce, some -idea of the need of the railway and its prospects cf paying can lie gauged.

At a County Council meeting yesterday, Cr Hill asked if provision was made tor any allocation i n Foreman Linkla tier's length for metal for two lulls oil the Manutahi road. He said that one of these hills in particular was verv bad in wet- weather, and he considered that'if something wa s done it would be very beneficial to the people in the Lepperton and Tarurutnngi districts, as the cross road was very useful tio settlers going to iLepperton ./unction. The chairman said that in view of the present state of 'the Waitara Riding fund it was out -of the question to do the work asked for this year, but it; might be possible to do something next year.

' Lcnl Kitchener, according to a meagre paragraph in the tliiily press, lias rra<ie one >isit to Paris :io consult with tile French general staff. An Auckland man (according to the Observer) declares that he lias received a letter f.'om Home wherein is stated the real reason for the visit of the Cold One. Kitchener was puzzled that plans he had made werj frustrated, or at least not carried out. lie jumped to the conclusion that there was a traitor in the French camp, and immediately went to Paris to see about it. A meeting of the General Stall' was liel! jViars-hal JofTre pressing At this meeting Kitchener (so the story goes) demanded tthe instant arrest and trial by court-martial of one of the French staff—indicating him. The officer's colleagues were astonished. The' Britisher must be mistaken, General ■ was beyond suspicion. "Unless General —— is eouri-inarfialled," said Kitchener, "1 withdraw the Rrit.ish Army!" T'le officer wa«s court-martinll-ed. It was proved he was a spy in tlie pay of the Kaiser. Tie was shot. Kitchener went back to London.

To-nigh i the Salvation Army opens their Self-UcJiial Sale of Work. Tiiero is a good variety of plain and fancy work to choose from, and a3 the caise of rescue is a mlost worthy one it is to he hoped that the sale will be well patronised. Mr MeCTellan's quartette party is giving their programme, which will be full of interest.