LOCAL AMD GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 162, 15 December 1914, Page 4

LOCAL AMD GENERAL.

A soaking downpour of rain, especially welcome to fanners well at Wanganui on Sunday, freshening up the pastures, which owing to the dry season were beginning to wear a very parched appearance.

How familiar the whole scene will be when Parliament meets again. Nearly all tin 1 same faces will be visible

again t When a general election comes along, it is generally estimated that about a third of the sitting members will be displaced. On this occasion—as the figures stand at the present moment—there are only seven members who have not been in Parliament before. There was never a new Parliament with so few colts in it.—Eltham Argus. The gambling spirit- that urges people to speculate in "unknown quantities" Mas strongly in evidence at a sale of unclaimed goods held in one of the Auckland wharf sheds the other morning. The things werq mostly stray boxes ot merchandise, unclaimed lu'-ij.M "*e and pieces of machinery. The articles put up lor sale included an extraordinary variety of odds and ends, but bidding was keenest over the unopened eases that had nothing in their appearance to indicate what they contained. Soon alter the sale commenced, the shed presented an amusing spectacle, the various purchasers eagerly opening up their prizes to discover the amount of their profit or loss.

| With reference to tho discussion at the I Borough Council last night on the elleet of the fresh jn thy Waiwakaiho river at the new water intake, we are in n position to say that the Borough Engineer considers that not the slightest harm was done by the liood-water on Suiuhiy. Tlie stones at the entrance to the race were washed away, but that was expected. They served lio useful purpose, and were merely left where they were when the stream was deepened.' As a I successful piece of engineering, the work | reflects great credit on Mr. Skitrop.

SAY CAMROC, AND SAY IT PLAINLY.

It id a delicious DRY Ginger A'o, ancl is guaranteed prepared from an jri/f-nai E"ifa*t tcrraw! u Try it. Aa'f ft»r Camroc. *•».» 6hat you get .u »j

About £SOO was taken at Opunake on Saturday for the Belgian Relief Fund by the sale of gift stock, produce, etc. —Our correspondent. 'The boys of the Salvation Army Home hold their annual demonstration in the Eltliam Town Hall next Wednesday evening.

The distribution of prizes to pupils of the West End School will be made by his .Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. E. Wilson) on Thursday afternoon next. By this morning's express, Messrs A. fUllies, I'j. A. Oakshott, G. Miles, and R. Bishop, all of Ingluwood, leave to join the reinforcements for the. front.

Owing to the Patea bar being unworkable at the end of last week, a quantity of South Taranaki cheese had to be railed to Wanganui, for shipment to Wellington. A fish, claimed to be distinctly rare, has been washed up on the Te Horo beach. In shape and size it resembles a schnapper, but the body resembles a mass of barbed wire.

Mrs Evans, M.A. (formerly Miss Kate Edger) is coming from Wellington to speak at the Girls' High School "break-up" to-morrow night. Mrs Evans was tlio first woman in the British Dominion to get her degree. The New Plymouth branch of the Victoria League has handed in to the Red Cros3 funds, the sum of £lO 7s 5d which was collected by the Uriti Nursing Committee on election day. At last night's meeting of the Borough Council, tlio Mayor, in response to the request of the Council of the Royal Humane Society, presented Master Ba-den-Powell Beliringer with a certificate of merit for rescuing Miss Evelyn Death. The father of tlio lad, Mr. F. Beliringer, .returned thanks for the presentation. The milk received by the Eltham Co-operative Dairy Factory Company during the past month totalled 3,243,058 lbs., producing 222,8741b5. of butter-fat, and 7815 cheese. The. total progress payment .for the month was £11,144, or at the rate of Is. per lb. of butter-fat. The payment on butter was fixed at lid. ,and totals £3ss.—Argus. While some countries at great distances from the seat of the present great war are feeling its effects very badly, New Zealand bids fair to maintain almost normal conditions in many industries. An evidence of this is found in the Eltliam Co-operative Dairy Company's decision on Saturday last to make a progress payment of Is. per lb. on butter-fat supplied during the past month. This is the same amount as has been paid out during the past two seasons, and £he decision will be heartily welcomed by all in the district.—Argus. ITlie West End Foreshore Improvement Society's committee, at its meeting last night, arranged for various attractions for the Boxing Day picnic at Kawaroa Park. ; llot water, tea, sugar, and milk will bo provided free for all. There will be afternoon tea and refreshments, and various amusements, such as houp-la, pillow-fighting, children's races, tug-of-war (five men, prize £1), bran tub, treasure hunt, and guessing competitions. The secretary was instructed to secure an orchestra. An application from 1 a resident for permission to run a side-

show was deferred for further information. A motor 'bus met with a singular accident yesterday. ITlie driver had stopped on the incline above the Theatre Royal while ho went into Veale's shop, being undefc the impression that he had jamb'ed on the brakes. But in a few seconds the coach ran away, and, turning on to the footpath, demolished the first of the theatre verandah posts. Luckily, this checked the 'bus, and the driver, who rushed after it in great alarm, found that it was uninjured except for the severing of one small steel connecting rod across the wheel. The workmen at the theatre speedily rigged up a new post. The local authorities concerned with the protection of the Waiwakaiho bridge have been stirring up the 'Minister of Public Works to send the departmental

engineer to inspect, and report on the steps he deems necessary to take to prevent erosion of the piers. The 'Minister has at last given the necessary instructions, and at last night's meeting of the

Borough Council Cr. Kibby stated that at the end of last week grown-up persons were seen in bathing dresses beneath the bridge. He assumed that something was being done. The fear is that the delay in protective works may prove dangerous to tlio structure. We (says the Manaia Witness) understand that tho toll-gate charge on the

Manaia-Hawera road for passenger motor 'buses is lis '6d for every time tho •'bus goes through the gate. This is a heavy charge, and certainly does not tend to foster or encourage enterprise, and is a rather serious handicap on Mr. Mourie in his endeavour to meet the changing condition of the times, and provide the public with tho quickest available means of locomotion. Both the

Wahnate County Council and the Manaia Town Board should endeavour to do something to co-operate with the Hawera Chamber of Commerce towards influencing .the Hawera County Council to modify this charge, and bring it within e reasonable limits. (The Urenui motor 'bus pays the Clifton County Council as ' each day for the Waihi toll-gate.) 1 A story of gallantry, on the part of . a schoolboy, fourteen years of age, conw , from Whatawhata, states the Hamilton j correspondent of the Auckland Star, j. After school, several boys went to WaiI pa river to bathe. When they had been , in the water some time, one of the boys. Bert Sandos, screamed and disap- , poured. Herbert Parkes immediately | went to the rescue, and, with great difficulty, got him to within a few yards of tlie bank. Through exhaustion, lie was compelled to release his hold, and Sandos again sank. Parker supported himself lor a few seconds on a willow branch, tlien dived, and again brought his friend to the surface. He eventually succeeded in getting Sandos to the bank in an unconscious condition. Both boys were taken to the Whatawhata Hotel", where they received attention, and Sandos was restored to consciousness. Something in the nature of a sensation occurred in an Invercargill church ou Sunday last (states the Otago rimes). The parson took for his subject, "Bible-reading in Schools," and was strongly advocating this change, in the educational system, when a leading , member .gf the e 0!)gl . ( , Tmc • •us uiul, in stentorian tones, utloved a protest against the minister endeavoring to influence the minds of the congregation on tho (location which , loomed largo at Tlinr*lt>;,-'x election. It • was some time before the serenity of the I • congregation was restored. j I lie interior ol the bungalow at > Knwjiroa Park lias been freshly painted, and is now a very attractive place. The . work, which is eapitallv done, was given - as a donation-by Messrs. Nippert Bros. j The liasmnssen System is the latest J discovery for Deafness, Noises in the. < Head, Giddiness, and all Ear Troubles, t An absolute, guarantee given against in- < j-ii'.y of any kind. Cases of 30 years « standing have been cured in a few £ months. Full particulars on application. 141 Devon Street (Phillips' H