NEWS AND NOTES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 136, 9 June 1905, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

Boring has been resumed at the petroleum works, New Plymouth. The total depth of the boring so far is 1290 foet.

The new Wellington Custom-house, erectea on Jervois Quay, at a cost oi £27,000, was opened yesterday by the Governor, in the presence of a large gathering. .

The Eltham Argus says one thing the shopkeepers in that town appear to be agreed upon is that during the past twelve months there has been more cash trading than there formerly was. All the traders offer inducement in the way of good discounts for cash and the people avail themselves of the benefit much more freely than they used to.

The plans for a new post office at New Plymouth are in the hands of the architectural branch of the Pablo Works Department. The new building is to be erected on space in front of the present building in Devon Street, and will contain post and telegraph offices and telephone exchange, the present bnilding being retained for other departmental offices. The new post office will be constructed of red pressed bricks, with Oamaru stone facings, will be two stories high, and will be em bellhhed with a four dial clock tower, the dome of which will be 76ft from the ground levei. A flag-pole will extend another 20ft into the air. A feature that will lend impressiveness to the bnilding is a handsome portico, to be thrown across the footpath before the main entrance.

There is evidentlly a gang of thieves " working" the Taranaki district, unfortunately not without result. The sum of £10 was stolen at Inglewood the other night, and there is no clue as to who was the thief v On Friday last £20 worth of jewellery was purloined from the Bridge Hotel, Waitara. A suspect has been arrested at Mokau. Several barglarks are reported bom Eltham.

Nineteen unemployed have already signed the book at the office of the Petone Borough Council, and their names have been forwarded to the member for the district with therequest that he should place them before the Government with the view of employment being found for them if possible Tbis number is not regarded as representing anything like the number out of employment at Petone.

Qnite an amusing little incident in relation to the pronunciation of the names of the Russian admirals and warships happened in the Auckland Bmi preme Court the other day, says the Auckland Herald, when His Honor stopped tha business in order that the contents of an extra edition containing the news of the crushing defeat inflicted . upon Admiral Rozhdestvensky by Admiral Togo might be read*. This task was entrusted to Mr J. C. Martin, one of the counsel eDgaged in the case proceeding, who signified his willingness. The task, however, was harder than he anticipated. The first paragraph was all plain sailing, but on coming to the name of Dlebogatoff, Mr Martin seemed puzzled as to how to pronounce it. Seeing that counsel was somewhat embarrassed, His Honor came to his assistance, and pronounced the name. However, there was worse to follow— the pronunciation ot the names of the captured warships. But Mr Martin was equal to the occasion. Instead of reading the names of the various warships, he announced that ao many first and T?econd-olass battleships, and ao many armored and protected cruisers had been either lost or captured.' It was thus that the situation was saved, and the honor and dignity of the Court upheld. Most Politicians need.a box To drown their ravings in. The Poet wants a few bard knocks, The " Dead beat" wants some " tin." The Pillman makes a bold display, The public to allure. But the man who sneezes night and day Wants Woods' Gkbat Peppermint Cuke. 15 Professor Scott stated at Christchurch last week (says the-Lyttelton Times) that New Zealand had taken a part in making the history of the motor car. lir 1881, he told his audience, he had designed and had built, in Dunedin, a steam carriage. It was carried on four wheels, the back wheels connected by gearing from the engine, and had two speeds. The steam passing from the engine was partially condensedj and that remaining was superheated in the fire, so as not; to be visible. Rubber tyres had been ordered from England for the oar, bat they did not arrive in time, and iron artillery wheels were used. The - failure of those wheels had finally resulted id the disintegration of the car. The car had attained speeds of over 20 miles an hour, and had proved quite successful until he had attempted to drive it to Christohuroh in 1882 to be exhibited in the Ohristohuroh Exhibition. The wheels failed on thehillt near Blneskin, and a complete collapse resulted. The engine was sent on to Ohriatohorch by train, and was finally bought for use •on a yacht, and the boiler for many years assisted in the manufacture of the best pork sausage* inDunedin. . "