LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Patea Mail, Volume XXXIX, 29 June 1914, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

.Vi''!->vialHi ovorcoata for mou P'J'i boys in tb'i Ihtmia cl un n'lveiiist)ii)ent in i:jjuo by dm Nuv Z>«lauu Glutting l'V.fory of ll'V.v<i;\t. A'i doKOiijiiious aul ix-iceo of .;•-•.«u i'..'v ioI-4 by nr.ij ijrtu

The final shoot for the Palmer Cup will take place at the Rifle Clubs Range on Wednesday next. A meeting of ladies willing to assist in the forthcoming School daDce will be held in the Technical School tomorrow at 3 p.m. A special meeting of the Councilis to be held to-night to institute a special order dealing with the renewal of the £5,000 general purposes loan. The school dance has been fixed for Wednesday, July loth inst and not Friday 10th inst as already itatert, The dance will be held iu the Druids' Hall. For overcoats which are overcoats in. every sense of the word, readers are , requested to call at Messrs R A. Adams and Son's establishment. A replace advertisement with further particulars will be found iu this issue. The following advertisement appeared in a recent issue of the Opunake Times. Found—Bottle of beer (gold top), Owner can have same by applying—pretty sharp —at office of this paper and paying cost of this advertisement. One of the two delegates the Johnsonville Town Board is sending to the conference of local bodies convened by the Wellington Central Chamber of Commerce in Wellington on the Bth prox, is named O. Jerusalem. It is hard to resist putting an exclamation mark after O.J.'s

name says the Feilding " Star." The Kakaramea Tug of War Club are holding their first annual dance npxt Wednesday evening when they promise a special treat to all attending The Club which waß recently started has already made a name for itself in the Tug of War world and is deserving of the support of settlers ia the districtdeferring to tho discovery by Mr Milne-Pott, of Opotiki, of supposed diamonds, the Rotorua Chronicle says

that Mr S. J. Dannefaerd, of Rotorua, an expert in judging stones, has, after caret ul investigation, pronounced them as nothing more than siliceous crystals, and in no way associated with diamonds. An extra large piir of men's trousers measuring 54 inches round the waist was put up last week at a Gisborne salvage sale by Messrs Samson Bros, with a guarantee to preseut with them a new hat if the man who bought the nether garments could fill them. A robust speculator was not lacking, and. reliiing to a side room, ha returned, to the huge delight of the audience, to claim the reward, which was duly

handed over. While the students while parading through Cathedral Square at Christchuroh recently, one old lady remarked to another: "Arn't those fellows silly, running about like that ? " referring to the scantily-clad "negroeß." Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and said quietly. "Do not let me hear you say that again," and on turning round she found herself confronted by a ''policeman." The old lady took the matter seriously, and went away quite upset. She did not know, she said, that these students were protected by the police. The Dunedin Star says it is understood that the Hon. F. H. D. Bell, Minister of of Internal Afhirs, is preparing a measure whioh will impose a tax on motor cars. Tho tat, it is further understood, will be much higher than motorists expect. Probably they will decided to taka action in order to protect their interests mere effectually. This will, we suppose, be claimed as another evidence of the Government's regard for the " fat man."

In referring to the benefits to be acquired from technical instruction, Mr A. E. Sykes. at a householders' meeting at New Plymouth recently, referred to a case which had come under his notice in Sydney. A young man, without any initial advantages, had, by means of attendance at technical classes, become so competent as an electricil engineer that now. at 28 years of age, he was in receipt of a salary of £ISOO a year. This success should, he thought, , encourage New Plymouth bDys to devote their spare time to study. Why should not the islands have their own member in the House of Representa. tives ? Surely that part of New Zealaand is important enough to be directly represented In Parliament by a man familiar with the local conditions and needs. Such a member by his speeches in Parliament and by other means would bring the Cook Group much nearer to the capital. We believe that in justice to the islands and in fairness to the general publio of New Zealand, which has to pay for any administrative mistakes, the folk of Rarotonga and the sister isles should have a representative in- Wellington.— Post.

An English publication (The Engineer) has fallen iuto a curious error. Iu a recent issue it says •—" The longest stetch of railway in the world is said to be in New Zealand, where there, is a distance of 136 miles in a perfectly straight line. This fact is remarkable when it is taken into consideration that New Zealaud is one of the most difficult countries in the world for railway construction, as it is very mountainous, necessitating sharp curves and very heavy grades." Inquiries made by a member of The Post staff show that the longest stretch of railway line without curve in New Zealand is a section of fourteen or fifteen miles between Rakaia and Ashburton. An amusing, but unpleasant experience happened to a well-known Waimahaka resident. Hiving arranged to be away for a few days with his wife and family (says the Times correspondent), be made his house secure, as he thought, A large pig (just about ready to kill) was let out of its stye, so that it could forage itself in the eardeu. On his return some three days later he was surprised to find the pig anxiously waiting for him in the front room. With his two front _ feet on the window sill, he was peering out bdtween the curtains, ready to welcome his niastei's return. The pig must have forced opeu the door, aud then closed it again, aud during bis stay amusing himself by chewing the bottom out of a couch, eating half a bag of fbur, half a bag of sugar, sandry door mits, linoleum etc, It Is needless to say that tho pig bad a warm reception on his owner's return.