TARANAKI

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1680, 11 May 1904, Page 25

TARANAKI

(From Our Own Correspondent). His Honour, District Judge Ward was welcomed by the members of the New .Plymouth Bar on Wednesday, May 4th In the course of His reply, the Judge stated that he first visited imw Plymouth in 1856. when the place was a small village, and the country sparsely " settled, and he contrasted that period with the present time, when the town had grown to an important centre, and the district had been widely settled. His Honour has had 42 years continuous service on the judicial bench, and had it not been for a Break in his service he would now have occupied, the bench for a period of 47 years. I Understand His Honour is 77 years old, and if such be the case he looks remarkably hearty for a man who has long passed the allotted span of three score years and ten. During the month of April there were 15,083 boxes of butter, valued at <£33,882, and 990 crates of cheese, valued at .£2475. exported the New Plymouth breakwater. 'The total exports - of the season from the breakwater to date are:—.Butter, 155,506 boxes, valued at <£349,881; '.cheese, 9234\ crates, valued at <£21.844. For the corresponding period last season the figures were: —Butter, 118,968 boxes, valued at <£267,678; and cheese. .11,988 crates, valued at <£29,956, At the end of April last there were 5923 boxes of butter : -in the Moturou freezing works, compared v‘with 25,738 boxes at the same period last ; .‘season.. ;Vv.. The total Customs collected at the port V of New Plymouth during April was <£2047 11s 4d for general, and <£4 4s preferential tariff. The beer duty for the same period :/ was .£BS 10s. - The Government observer at New Plymouth reports that during April the rain- ' fall was 5.180 inches. Rain fell on 19 days, the maximum in any 24 hours being - 1.520 inches. Taranaki has enjoyed a delightful spell of fine autumnal weather during the past fortnight. At time of writing there is ' ©very indication of it continuing. Mr Romulus Street, an oil settler, who arrived here with his parents in 1842, , died in the New Plymouth hospital last His complaint wa* an internal . trouble. The deceased was a farmer at Bell Block* and hi* friendship wo» much esteemed .by 'a large circle of friends. Mr A. Manners, an old New Plymouth • boy, was: on a. short visit here last week. • It is reported that he had inherited much . < wealth fn>m the Manners family in Engv land and he is now enjoying his inherit'Vance. He left for Auckland last Saturday night. ( ■ V A, Wellingtonian, Mr Waller, who resports that he is the holder of a patent for wiversing marine steam engines, has been

enjoying a lengthy holiday at New Plymouth. He left for W anganui a few days ago.

There is a general complaint throughout Taranaki that money is *'tight,” and many predict a quiet winter. When people have not a pocketful of money to spend on pleasure they complain about the uullness of times and scarcity of cash. Personally I think there is too much time and money spent in pleasure in New Zealand. Bitter experience will prove the umly antidote for this sort of folly. Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R., was not invited to the luncheon provided by the military officers when His Excellency the Governor visited New Plymouth last week. The in ember for Taranaki was much, put out over the omission, and was not satisfied with the explanation that the function was purely a military affair. He says he will have something to say ab; ut the matter when he addresses his constituents.

‘Mr IT, r>erry, one of the promoters of the company to exploit mineral deposits in Taranaki and other parts Cf New Zealand. received a cable from Mr Farmer King the other day. No information as to die nature of the cable is available, aiu it is therefore not known whether Mr iving has been successful in floating a company in London. Mayor Qock, of New Plymouth, turned on the “g id top” at his installation function to-day. It is the first time in the history of the civic chair that champagne was uncorked in the Town Hall. If Mayor Cock continues to uncork “fizz” at all his functions ho will soon become a formidable rival to Mr Witheford, M.H.xt. It is said that one can enlist people’s sympathies through the bottle, and perhaps Mayor Cock is experimenting with a view i..f higher political ambitions. Mr Tom Taylor, paid a flying visit here last week. He put up at the Criterion Hotel, where ho go' the comfort and good living provided by first-class licensed hotels.

After the ceremony of unveiling hatch-ments-at St. Mary’s Church last Thursday, the squad of bluejackets and marines from the warship Psycho was marched round the churchyard, at che request the Mayor, in order to view the graves %>f the men of the old warship Niger, who lie buried there. It is reported that some of che bluejackets were “visibly affected,” but history does not relate whether it was caused by sentimental emotion, or the effects Qf the good cheer which the men received at tne hands of the townspeople. As a rule Jack Tars are not a sentimental class.: