LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At a sale of dairy cattle held at Stratford yesterday, £">o was obtained for an extra good grade Jersey cow (third calver), tlie purchaser being Mr. D. Malone, of Kaponga.

There were forty-two murders in London last year, and in only nineteen eases were arrests made. Five suspects were acquitted. This disquieting fact is brought to light in the report of the Commissioner of Police. There was an increase in the number of burglaries and house and warehouse-breaking, and here again the thieves seemed to enjoy remarkable immunity, for in 2077 cases only (IS4 persons were brought to justice, a percentage of about 25.

Further reference to a previous question regarding the cessation of the publication of the monthly Customs returns was made in the House by Mr. S. fi. Smith (Taranaki), who asked the Minister for Customs whether he yet had any explanation of the matter. Sir, William Herries said that instructions were going out that the information was to be given. He did not know why the practice had been discontinued. There had been no instructions to that effect from him.

To prevent premature burial the. Japanese Diet proposes, according to the Kobe Herald, to prolong the interval between death and burial to 70 hours Dr. Matushita, a Tokio physician, advocating the delay, said that the husband of a woman who had been buried 24 hours after her apparent death married within a week of the funeral service, and the woman's indignant mother had the family grave opened to remove her daughter's body to her own graveyard. She was amazed to find that ' her (laughter had been buried alive. The inside of the coffin had been scratched by finger nails and the shroud had been torn to pieces. The doctor also cited the testimony of a cremator who had heard shrieks 'from within a coffin beingcremated.

The train from Hawcra to Wanganui was over an liour ami a half late, in reaching its destination on Monday evening. At Waitotara, wlicre the stoppage of all slow trains is unnecessarily long even in normal running, a record wait was indulged in while the driver and fireman endeavoured to get up steam with inferior coal. The locomotive had not proceeded very far up the incline near the -station when another breather was necessary, and from that locality to Wangamii the train crawled home like a lame duck, with frequent spells in order to coax the coal to burn. The above shows conclusively that the trouble of inferior fuel is not confined solely to the Wangamii tramways (says the Herald).

A man named Bertie Wishart was found on the South Road near Omata about fi.3o yesterday evening in a ■semiconscious condition and with a motor bicycle lying on top of him. The discoverer of the mishap (Mr. J. Nelson) endeavored to assist the injured man to a nearby house, but Wisbart collapsed. Dr. Fookes was summoned, and the man was ordered to (he hospital. .He is suffering from a fractured skull and is in a serious condition. The cause of the accident appeared to have been due to the military overcoat, which the rider was wearing, becoming entangled in a cog in the back wheel of the machine. Military papers in the possession of Wishart gave his age as 38| years and his occupation was that of a cbeesemaker. He had served with the Expeditionary Force in the Auckland Mounted Rifles. The medical report last night stated that Wishart had regained consciousness and his condition showed slight improvement.

Attention is directed to Rahotu sale on Frirlov next when 75 very choice 15luonths Jersey l>eifo£S_ are to be offered,

The attention ,>f returned soimers of New Plymouth and district is directed to the arrangements which are being made for a military funeral to he accorded the late Captain Russell tomorrow. The executive of 'the R.S.A. desire the earnest co-operation of returned men in connection with the provision of a firing party, and in addition, wish to see a big mu.iter. It is hoped the Wnitara and Inglewood branches will be represented.

Tn, startlingly dramatic, circumstances two ministers were struck dead by lightning in a tent at Springville, Indiana. A congregation of Free Methodists bad filled' the canvas structure, a huge affair, to listen to he Rev. John Timber, a well-known evangelist, and during his exhortations a thunderstorm burst over the region. The preacher seized upon it to illustrate the points of his remarks. "If lightning should hit this tent and strike yon dead, how many of you would be «prepared to face your God?" he queried impressively. Hardly had the words left his lips when a bolt did strike the tent, killing the Rev. Henry Lens, and the Rev. B. W. Huston, who were beside Mr. Timber on the platform, burned, the evangelist himself dangerously, and struck down several of the congregation. In the House, Mr. Hawken (Egmont) asked the Minister for Education if he would endeavor to have a supply of cement secured for the building of a new school at Manaia.,- The building had been burned down some time ago, and while there was plenty of cement in Auckland none could be'obtained for this important work. ' The Minister' (Mr Parr) said that he had been endeavoring all along to get as much cement as lie could for Taranaki school buildings. He would look into the matter. Speaking to a Daily News representative last night, Mr. P. .1. White (chairman of the Taranaki Education Board) said the Board had communicated with the firm supplying the cement and an assurance had been given that the cement would be forwarded at once.

"Can a hospital board take shares in a dairy factory?" was a question asked at the Cook Hospital Board's meeting at Gisborne last week, when the Farm Committee reported that the surplus over the milk supply to the hospital was being separated and sent to the factory. It was a question as to whether or not the board should take shares in the factory the farm was then supplying to, so as to secure the bonus of 2d per lb, or supply it to the other factory and secure a better price for it. It was decided that the chairman and secretary go into the question and ascertain whether the farm could take shares in the : factory and thereby benefit by the bonus 'and other privileges. '■'•■"-

The trial of Samuel John Thorn on the charge of having murdered Sydney Seymour Eyre at Pukekavn will be rommenced in the Auckland Supreme Court on Monday, before the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout. Tt is expected that the trial will last the "renter part of the week. '"Mr. ,T. C. Martin has been engaged by the Crown for the prosecution. If the Crown Prosecutor, the Hon. J. A. Tole, K.C., is sufficiently recovered from his indisposition Mr. Martin will appear with him, and if Mr. Tole is unable to appear Mr. Martin will conduct the case for the. Crown and Mr. R. P. Hunt will be associated with him. Mr. R. A. Singer will appear for the accused.

The flower stall wjjich was to have been held in New Plymouth to-day in aid of the girls' hostel fundi, has been postponed owing to the aeroplane tragedy.

The N.JS. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. wish to draw clients' attention to the preliminary notice re sale of freehold lands on Esk and Flint Roads, Stratford.

Applications for the management of the New Plymouth Returned Soldiers' Club close to-day.

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