LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 April 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The New Plymouth Borough Council is instituting its new rubbish scheme on Monday morning next. Carts will make regular calls at all premises. The time-taWe appears in this issue. The Chilian barque Curzon, which arrived at Sydney recently from (Port Gamble, on th c Pacific Slope, is one of the few privately-owned vessels subsidised by the Government to carry Chilian marine cadets. On the Curzon there is a batch of fourteen young sailors who are now in their last year of training, having completed t'hres years at a college before joining the ship. The men are accompanied by an instructor, who puts them through nautical and ordinary drill each day while they are at sea.

What is probably a record among local bodies was referred to by Mr. Orhell, chairman of the Waikouaiti County Council, a few days ago. When the accounts were under consideration, he pointed out that the payment of interest had been confined to a shilling in seven years. This, li fi considered, was a credit to any local body. Even better still was the record established by the clerk that for 15 consecutive year's there had not been a shilling of 'rates outstanding at the end of the financial year. There appeared to be every prospect of ihe record being continued ui-broken, as, although the new year had just opened, there only remained £lO 2s 3d in unpaid rates. An unusual accident occurred near the entrance to Kenepuru, Pelorus Sounds, last Thursday, says the Pelorns Guardian. About 100 pigs were being towed in .1 punt by Mr. Taylor's launch for delivery to Mr. Vickers at Jlavclock, when the punt became partially iinmersed through the pigs congregating on one side. The result was that about half were precipitated into the water. The porkers struck out for terra firma in opposite directions and many reached the shore on either side. About thirty, however, went under and wore lost, but the arduous work of collecting the remainder from both shores and reshipping them was successfully accomplished. The British Lancet describes how bv purifying thousands of gallons of soapy water dujly a continuous supply of clean water was obtained for soldiers' baths in the field. The used water was passed into a tank, and there had slaked lime thoroughly mixed with it by means of a windmill mixer constructed fr«m a couple of bicycle wheels and ,a hop pole. The water was then passed through a charcoal filter six feet square, and appeared quite clear, free from dirt, soap and lime. The method of purifying was designed by Captain Basil Hughes, of Bradford, and Captain n. Norman Goode, of the R.A.M.C.

•A company has been registered in Tnvereargill under tlie name of the Southland aid Otago Co-operative Timber Company, having its capital limited by guarantee. The Southland Times understands that the bulk of the sawmillers have intimated their intention to join. Owing to the increase in wages, the increase in all commodities used by sawmillers, the increased cost of and difficulty in working bush, and the great cost of producing, marketing and distributing timber fcv individual sawmillers, the company has been floated with the object of applying the cooperative principle in marketing and distributing the timber, minimising the cost of delivery and working expenses, and guarding against sales to purchasers who are not financially sound. For a considerable time past many sawmillers have been giving heavy 'trade discounts off the trade price list, which has entailed losses upon them, and generally speaking the timber trade has beeu disorganised. There is no talk at present of raising the price of timber, but the formation ef the new company, it is stated, will have the effect of reducing or abolishing the trade discount, and adhering to the original list price.

Olenn Gano, r female impersonator, was engaged by Kalem to take Helen Holmes' place, in a particularly dangerous feat in one of the Hazards' of Helen series. Oano, dressed as a girl, was supposed to leap in front of a mrving train from a bridge. He was suspended on a rope which was to swing him to safety as the train rushed by, but unfortunately the rope caught in the folds of his dress, and he was struck a glancing blow by the engine, sustaining terrible injuries. This happened during the taking of "A Matter of Seconds" showing to-night at the Empire Picture Palace.

A furniture sale of more than ordinary interest is advertised in this issue hy L. A. Nolan and Co. on account of Mr. C. H. Drew, Who lias sold his business and is leaving for England. The whole catalogue is first-class, and is one which can be confidently recommended to all. A glance at the advertise,ueat will be interesting to most people.

The parade of a portion of the 12th Re-

ini'orcements, arranged for to-morrow, has been postponed until Monday.—' Press Association.

The Council of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants has decided to accede to the request to confer with the waterside workers and miners.

At Masterton yesterday, Thomas H. Hart and John Poole, railway servants, were fined £5 each for stealing four and a half dozen oranges from a railway truck. •

At the Masterton Magistrate's Court yesterday, Samuel Allen, with two previous convictions against him, was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, by Mr. Hewitt, S.M., for sly-grog selling. —Press Association.

The London Observer has brought to light a new form of conscientious objector. As the story' runs, a Seaforth Highlander resigned from his regiment and joined the Navy because he had conscientious scruples against wearing a kilt.

A conference between representatives of the Clothing' Trades Federation and the wholesale clothing manufaoturers commenced yesterday at Wellington. Proposals that were submitted by* the workers for a new award to govern the industry are being discussed.—Press Association.

A meeting of delegates from all parts of New Zealand was held at Wellington yesterday, when it was resolved to form a Returned Soldiers' Association, also to make Wellington the headquarters. Captain Donald Simson, who was elected chairman, said that there were about 5000 returned soldiers in New Zealand. The police raided a Taranaki Street (Wellington) fish shop on Sunday, and yesterday James Grant was convicted and fined £25 for selling liquor without a license. The police had the shop under observation all the morning and about a hundred people (mostly soldiers), were seen to enter it. A search revealed a quantity of whisky, and Grant was in possession of a marked note wherewith a bottle of whisky had been purchased.—Press Association. "There are two classes in the community I object to at the present time," said the Prime Minister, when speaking at the Commercial Travellers' Club, Wellington. "They are the croakers and the shirkers. I believe that the croakers are the most objectionable. There would be no shirkers if there were no croakers, because the croakers find excuses for the shirkers"

Says the Dunedin Star: Some time ago we mentioned that a number of women had been assaulted by some mysterious man, whose practice is to approach them from behind and knock them off their feet. Last Wednesday night five other cases of a like kind occurred—one in Stafford Street, another in High Street, a third in Maitland Street, and two in Glen Road. »

The removal of house and shop refuse by the Borough is to be inaugurated on Monday ncit, and there can be no doubt that the service wni make a decided improvement in the sanitary condition of the town. The success of the service now depends upon the hearty co-opera-tion of the townspeople. Any kinds of house or shop refuse will be taken in reasonable quantities, but the Toceptacles must be of regulation type and must be in readiness just inside the gate when the cart arrives. Residents are asked to note the time-table advertised in our columns from day to day during the coming week.

The annual meeting of the Taranaki District Law Society was held in the law library on Thursday night, Mr. D. Hutchen (president), presiding. The annual report and balance-sheet were adopted. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr. D. Hutchen (re-elected) j vice-president, Mr. H. Halliwell (Hawera); hon. treas., Mr. lA. It. Standish (re-elected); council, Messrs. A. H. Johnstone, .1. B. Roy, H. R. Billing, and A. Bewley; lion, auditor, Mr. F. E. Wilson; society's representative on New Zealand Law Society's Council, Mr. T. Shailer Weston, Wellington (re-elected). In regard to the statement in the Newell. Road notes, appearing in Thursday's issue, that an attempt had been mado to blow up Mr. Duggan's gate with gelignite, and suggesting that another constable should be put in the place of the local constable if he could not find the criminal hoodlums, another correspondent writes that the matter had not even been reported to Constable O'Neill, the constable in question, who is a very capable n:an and could be relied upon to "track down" the criminals, if he is given anything (jo work upon. -The correspondent further writes that the statement, as published, unless rebutted, is calculated to do harm to the reputation of the most energetic and capable police officer in Taranaki.

An extraordinary and tragic story was unfolded in the Coroner's Court at Lithgow (N.S.W.), last week, when an enquiry was held respecting the death of Mary Jane Cook, aged fourteen, of Oakey Park. From the evidence it appears that the girl was helping her sister, aged sixteen, to make beds, when they engaged in a pillow fight. Mary Cook received a light blow on the chest with a pillow, and immediately collapsed. She died a few minutes later. Medical testimony was to the effect that death was due to shock to the sympathetic system and nerves.

The great war play "Under Fire," to be staged at the Theatre Royal on Monday, May Ist, includes a number of scenes of a startling and vivid nature. For the hist time since the beginning of the war there will be staged a play which includes the representation of actual scenes as enacted in the groat struggle. A newly organised company will include Julius Knight, Lizette f'arkes, Emma Temple, Rosslyn Vane, Kileen Sparks, Louis Kimball, and J. B. Atholwood. Over 200 people will take part in \,hc drama. That the .1, C. Williamson's great war play "Under Fire," will do much to stimulate recruiting is indisputable, as it aroused considerable attention in Sydney and Melbourne. A special feature in the production is an explosion scene which fairly thrills the audience. Rarely is a production so finely mounted as "Under Fire."

Miss Eileen Sparks, a clever young Australian actress, has a fine comedy opportunity, of whieh she makes much in •'Under Fire." A few smart ready-to-wear hats, special purchase, direct from Home.— Miss Retford, Currie Street.* The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., draw the attention of clients to their Stratford sale, whicli they are holding in their Stratford yards on Tuesday, May 2. Full particulars will be found in our advertising columns on page 8 of this issue. A specially good line of men's oily canva.s riding coats at 37s Od is being shown by the Melbourne, Ltd. These coats have double shoulders and sleeves, epaulettes, leather straps with patent fasteners, and are guaranteed by the Quaker to be absolutely wa±Acn*«>«