LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The dredge Thomas King is undergoing her annual overhaul and repaint' ing.

Mr. iS. G. Smith, of New Plymouth, has .een nominated by three districts for a seat 011 the North Island Railway Appeal Board.

The Bank of Now Zealand has purchased a large building adjoining its Wellington head office, in Lambton Quay. The price is said to he about £40,00(1, the frontage being S7 feet.— Press.

On the application of the committee of the Taranaki A. ami ;P. Association, the Education Hoard decided to allow School Committees around New Plymouth to dose their schools on Thursday, March 1, to enable the children to attend the Taranaki Show.

The Magistrate's Court, was occupied for a considerable time yesterday in 'hearing evidence in the ease in which Benjamin Graham Diver (Mr. A. f-T. Johnstone) was charged with attempting to carnally know a girl under the age of 18 at Moturoa. The accused, who pleaded not guilty, was committed to the, Supreme Court for trial Bail was allowed in one surety of £JO, or two of £"2 ii each.

The opening of the band rotunda at the liast End Reserve will be marked by a picnic to be held this, afternoon, and a musical recital by the Citizens' Band in the evening. This afternoon's programme includes games and fideshows. The rotunda will be formally opened by the Mayor at 8 o'clock. Tea and refreshments will be obtainable, both m the afternoon and evening. At yesterday's meeting of the Taranaki Education Board, Mr. A. B. (Vlison, land agent, wrote, offering the Hoard an .acre and three-fifths of land at Fitzrov, adjoining the school, for £IOOO. The land, he stated, was of very good quality, and in every way suitable for agricultural nurposes. The Board resolved that it does not contemplate purchasing any additional land at Fit.zyoy at present.

ihe Taranaki Education Board, at its meeting yesterday, considered the question of tflio appointment of an assistant secretary, for which there were 73 applications. Rev. A. li. Chnppell, who is an applicant for the position, retired during the discussion. The number was narrowed down to six, and the final choice will be made at a special meeting of the Board to be held at as early a date as possible after Mr. Wilkinson's return from the North.

•Some of the applicants for the position of assistant secretary to the Taranaki Education Board, a position carrying ;C3OO a year, have a quaint idea of the responsibilities of and qualifications necessary for the position. One gave a glowing testimonial as to his capabilities as a cheese-maker, while an inexperienced lad of 17 naively remarked that he was prepared to give his whole time to the Board's service.

A boy attending one of the schools in the King Country, recently attached to the Taranaki. Education District, has a splendid record in scihool attendance. M. L. Symonds, teacher of the Miuigaotnki school, Haka, notified the Hoard yesterday that the lad, (leorgj Higginson, a proficiency pupil, wiho was now about to leave the school, was present every time tiie school was open from April 1, 1010, to December 31, '/"."i, This record was broken early in last year, owing to the boy being laid

h measles. The Beard unanimously resolved to congratulate the i.»y on liis splendid record of attendance. A warning to shop-keepers wns provided in a ease heard before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M, in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. J. Birmingham, trading as Alls. B. Birmingham, grocer, West End \Mr. A. A. Bennett) admitted keeping Irs business premises open after (> p.m on December S, contrary to the provisions of the Shops and Offices Act. Counsel admitted that a technical breach had been committed, but said ■that as her husband had been working late on the evening in question, Mrs Birmingham had opened the front dooi of the shop, which also formed the entrance to the private apartments, for company. Mr. W. J. Wakelin, representing tlve Labor Department, said he 1 nd explained the provisions of the Act fo defendant, and had previously warned him. He had been instructed to prosecute in this case, and tli.is warn others. Defendant was convicted and fined ;C1 with costs.

Slips Hunt, instructress of millinery ami dressmaking, resumes classes from February 1 at Devon Street East. VISIONS OF WE.-U/ni visit us all, at time, but are rot likely to pome true without the {pod health which will enable us to grasp the wenlth that continual striving brings Nothing is so sure to pull down the vitality as the constant Colds, Coughs, and C*. tarrh, which afflict so many people, and nothing will so surely prevent those weakening diseases of Or Sheldon's Nexv Discovery for Coughs and Colds, that remarkable curative medicine for all disorders of the Jfow, Throat and Lungs. This new scientific specific is unsurpassed. It will quickly relieve the most obstinate Coughs, th-: worst cases of Hoarseness, So>"> Throat, or Catarrhal discharge from the ?yes or nose. It is guaranteed, Try it. Price, Is (id and 3a. Obtainable everywhere*

The latest time—and labor—saving device for busy bank depositors has been evolved by a Boston (MassaehuH'tte) bunking institution, and is called the "multiple bank cheque." Its "liief use is to make it possible for :i depositor to pay all his monthly bilis by drawing one cheque on or about tlie first of the month. The new chequ.' is precisely like the old style one, except that its size is much increased ta 4>i vr. room at the bottom for writing n list of firms, with the sum set opposite well one which tht drawer desires to pay These are added up, and the cheque I'it the total, payable at the bank, ii (U-.iy filled out and signed. The bank deposits the sums named to the credit of those pavees who are depositors, and remits to the others.

A meeting of the Olmra Medical A'fociution wik held on the 1 nth inst, with n view to the appointment of i successor to th" late T)r. Dunk (report l , the Advocate). It. was stated that, a film of ,C 1 *25 -was due for the lati doctor's salary and an endeavour shonlc bi. made to wipe out this debt by voluntary subscriptions, and £OO was 'iubseribed in the room. Tt was also a;.reed to lake over the £SO debenture from Airs Dunk An endeavour is also being made to amalgamate the two -oeiel ies—Mutiere and Olitira—and it was ascertained that the service*, of Pr Latc'iniore might be obtained hyi •jll'oring him the salary of £750 per .iiiuum to work the two places. The Advocate slates that the sum of £U2 IDs had been subscribed altogether U| to Friday last.

From information given to a "Times'' riporter on Monday, it appears (lint ibere is serious dissatisfaction nmunj employees at the Defence Store*. Buckle street. During the past montii it is stated, no less than ten employee? have left the service on this account Apparently Ihings reached a cliiuaN <•1. Monday, when six employees resigned on account of the insistence .lint till whole stall' should work on Arinivvvsary Day. Jt. is stated that the 'members of the staffs sent a deputation to the officer in charge asking that they sould not have to work back cn u :lf.y that (lovernment regulations rc • r.uire to be observed as a holiday. Tl; request was refused and then, it is stated, six of the stall" .mmediatelv resigned. "This, it is understood, will mean a serious dislocation in the supply of stores to the various rsnr.« uUla ih". supply of goods essential 1,, i|. • carrying on of work at it.. 1 camps .vill i)t seriously hampered

Tlit* Now South Willis statistical oilice had tn search bnck for three years i*i order (o fin<i a record equal to that fit tlic Jlelbourr.e woman who lust week gft>'C birth to three sons awl one daouhtor. and in the whole of the record* since I?7S—l!' years affo—there arc only five n-;"i of quadruple birthOne occurred in IKSS nunlltr-r in lijO.i, a third 111 ISO-i, and a fourth in IK'IT. and the fifth in 1013 Twins, u::d cut. triplets, are fairly common happenings In Xow South Wales Last year there were "<O7 cases of twins, of whom liS7 were Vivinjt children, and eight cases rl tiSpiels. of whorti 23 wore living fliildren. The In ' quadruplets, in 1013, Ii:ld New South '„'»)?« parents, the father helnj 32 end the mother 31. Onlv three of the children were alive when hovn. In all the other cases in this Stcte the four children were alive. The world's record is held I>y the wife of an Ttai'an bricklayer, who, in a Palermo clinic, Rave birth to five live sons, a fact that- excited the interest and the curiosity of the scientific wor(d, and is be Moved to be unparalleled A. number of Wanganui pirls have, say? an exchange, made Romothinsr of

> mi mo for themselves in the North Island as the pioneers of female farm inborn' in New Zealand. There has I been a great shortage of labour f«r harvest, work in that district, ns >vci! -is in other parts of the Dominion and the girls. all of whom are daughter? of well-to do people, offered their forvioe to fill the gap. Their name-; are the Misses Stevenson, Allium Christie, Nixon, Harper, and Mrs T .ioncl Chamberlain They were first (mi)lovcd by Mr. Harry Wilson, a veilknown farmer in the district, and won *ot to work weeding mangolds. They weeded an area of five, acres, and alio thinned out throo or four acres of soft turnips. They started work at 7 a.m. and worked till 5 p.m. on the eontraet ■villi the result of their work that hlook them on again for hay-making and they raked and stooked eight acres of hay, and assisted in building the stack. The same team of girls is now working for Mr. Allan Cameron, at Marangi, and here their work is stacking and carting fifty acwa of oats. Hoth Mr. Wilson and Mr. Cameron are '•xperienccd fanners and they ere loud in their praises of the work which Ihesi) «ir;s are doing. They are now work' iiig for Is an hour anl doing a n ; ne hour day.

Very few cf (lie multitude of friends possessed by Dr. Ward, laic rf (J,, Sydney l).ai]v 'lYiesra"h, who has ji,-i ;;on? f -i Pri-diane to lake charge of a paper there. knew that, in his early life, long before lie wis a journalist, long hetoie lie \vn". e r!»itvnnn, he was n rcil.iie,-, says the Sydney Sun. He was .'«lv fitteen years old when the big Maori War broke out. and as he lived in the i liriillc of the hostile country, he and ail the oilier lads of his age found themsolvr.; out with their rifles. scoutiii™ ami exchanging potshots with Te Kooti daj liitt-r day. He was in scores of eneoui:teis, but escancd unwounded, though or. one occasion he had a very narrow escape. They were within easy distance of the enemy, skirmishing in the open, when young Ward caught sight of n. brr.vc wearing on his chest a greenstone tiki. large, and of beautiful design. Tic decided that that was his tiki, ami marking the warrior, dropped to on' knee and took deadly aim. The Mao'i .ducked and the bullet whizzed harmlessly above. Those were the days o\ muzzle-loaders, and young Ward knew that- there was no time to load again. He saw the Maori sink to take aim, and dashed for a tree like a bascbalhr He threw himself forward and slid aiong the ground, and heard the bulb; hit the trunk nist as lie got to cover. '•Jt was the most uncomfortable moment T ever experienced," he remarked, n relating tlr-: story. "I missed iuv tiki, too but I wasn't altogether sorry When it's all over, you know, you'"<. glad you didn t pot the man you tried to."

A Fruit Distributing Company, known as tlul Tropical Fruit, Company, ha < been formed at the Fiji Islands for the purpose of exporting to Xew Zealand, and for facilitating the distribution ot bananas through tilie Dominion. The company is composed o.f several of the leading banana plantation owners, whose brands are already well known on the local markets, and their operations will tend to improve the class of fruit now largely handled in the Dominion. Messrs Webster Bros, have been appointed sole distributing agents between New Plymouth and Wang«.nui, . /

Owing to (lie amount of time wast™ liy useless discusaions at the Napier Torough Council meetings, ninny of the councillors luive announced their intention of not standing for re-elec-lion. ,

The Kltliam District High Sclio.i! rommitf.ee has decided to hold the annual school picnic at t|ie F.ast End beach at the latter end of February or on March 1. Whatever the effect of the. war will he on the minds of the Maoris who a:e now serving with the King's Forces, one Maori, in a. letter to the Xgaruawahia Advocate, gives a very clear indication of what the effects ci' travel will lie. Tie says: "Good Day! How am you getting on? It only way thought and pn'sing me .time, so T link to meself 1 drop you some few liri--> of word. I in ['"ranee now, where nil th» Germans nj'e, and all the finest Waliinc f ever seen in me life. When [ seen all this things I thought I seen all over lie world; I been Kngland, and been in .London, and seen plenty much good filings, too. I link if the war be over this year coming I stop in London, hut u;<: in France. Kin Ora."

A quaint conversation was overheard jesterday in a New Plymouth tram ear. A boy oi tendf" years was questioning bis father as follows-.—"l say, dad, is Charlie Chaplin a greater man than. President Wilson?'' "Mo!" "Well, dad, why does lie get nearly seven time's is much salary?" "Eh! Ob, my son, yon see—er, Charlie makes the world laugh, and—" "But, Dad, you said the other day, that all the world laughed at the President's Peace Notes. Why don't they raise his 'screw,' too''? "Well, my Vcv, I can't toll you just now. You had better ask your mother.. It looks as if 'Wont-row's' hobby is collecting Peace JColi.es, while Charlie's hobby is (ol'eeting Bank Xotcs." And, clittck!:ng at his little joke, lie settled backto read his paper. Charlie Chaplin appears at The Empire to-night and to-morrow night as 'The Shopwalker," the new two-reel Mutual conicdv. Also on the same proCiiimme is 'Going Straight," a fourrrc! Griffiths-Triangle drama. Extraordinary values in white and colored towels are being offered at the Melbourne. Ltd.'at 2s fid a pair.. The towels are extra large and heavy anil of Fnglish make, therefore considerably better wearing than American and .!:i|.ane.se makes so much on the market. Apart from patriotic reasons the towels ui'l sell on their merits alone, being it finitely better value than the foreign ii-akes.

(in XFonday afternoon next, on the premises lately occupied by Mr. 'J. Wooiler .baker South Road, Messrs. U'.fbster Bros, will hold a clearing sale c.f all the stock-in-trade, including a baker's cart and horses of the late bakery business.