LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 93, 25 April 1900, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On our fourth page will be found an interesting article entitled " Some Prophecies that Failed."

In spite of the Borough Council's offer of threepence per head, the number of dead rats received up to date only amounts to about fifteen. The Counoil is distributing tree a solution for the destruction of rats, j which will probably result in the thinning of the rodents.

In consequence of quarantine the Union S.S. Company's time-table is subject to alterations.

The annual meeting of the New Zealand Grand Lodge will open in Auckland on Thursday. A large number of the local brethren left by the Mapourika last night to attend the Communication. In addition to the usual business, an elaborate programme has been prepared for the entertainment of visitors, so that an enjoyable time may be anticipated by all the brethren from this district.

The rapid growth of the trade of the Northern Steamship Company between New Plymouth and Manukau has demanded the construction of a new steamer to assist in coping with the extended trade. The Company, with characteristic enterprise, has ordered the construction of a new boat, which has just been launched at Dundee. Captain Norbury, who has been so long in command of the Gairloch, and who is extremely popular, will leave Auckland on Monday next, vid Sydney and Suez, to bring

out the new boat, which is named the Ngapuhl. We trust that the popular skipper will have a safe journey, and that the enterprise of the Northern Company will be rewarded.

The Union S.S. Co. notify that as all cargo from Australian ports must be fumigated, the process will be carried out at the risk and expense of the consignees. The Taranaki Kifles held their usual parade on Monday evening, under Captain Okey and Lieutenant Cook. A parade for personal payment in aid of the hall fund will be held on 10th May, and the usual recruit drill will be held on Wednesday night. There was a general desire amongst the officers of the West Coast Battalion to hold the next Easter Camp at New Plymouth. The City Band, under Bandmaster Haigh, played a number of selections on the balcony of the Imperial Hotel on Tuesday evening. The concert was thoroughly enjoyed by those who congregated in the vicinity, and the progress made by the Band was favourably commented on. The hotel is situated oppoisite the Naws Office. Those who were listening to the sweet strains had, fortunately for them, concluded their day's labour, Ours had just begun, and under the circumstances we confess that we have a decided preference for sounds that reach us from afar. The charm of music is distracting to journalistic work.

In Japan there is an electoral qualifi-l cation consisting of the payment of a fairly large sum in direct taxation, and it often happens that candidates with more ambition than money are obliged, in order to qualify themselves, to obtain adoption by parents of sufficient wealth, lhis adoption is done with Japanese thoroughness, and the new member of a family entirely abandons his old ties of blood and takes over the ancestors and the domestic worship of his new parents. An amusing story is related of a distinguished Japanese economist who had arranged a suitable adoption, and the affair was about to be concluded when it was discovered that his prospective father was ten years younger than himself. The matter was referred to the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice, and the answer was that such an anomaly could on no account be permitted; so that the unfortunate economist had to continue | his search for a parent of sufficient years as well as sufficient wealth.

Perhaps what has yet been the largest amount of shipping ever seen in Table Bay during the past busy months could be put down to yesterday (says the Cape Argils, March sth), when the fleet there numbered no less than 105 vessels. In the docks there were 34 vessels. The majority of these, of course, were British steamships, and varied in size from the large White Star Liner Majestic (14,270 tons) to the yacht Khouma, 466 tons.

The historic undergraduate who wrote out a list of the minor prophets as a substitute for the Kings of Israel he had forgotten, has been surpassed in the art of evasion by a young lady teacher in a London Church school. Invited in a geography paper at the monthly examination to " describe a voyags from London to Plymouth, naming all places of interest you pass," she wrote as her answer, " When we got to the mouth of the Thames I felt so dreadfully ill that I had to go below, and saw nothing more for the rest of the journey." The Taieri Advocate says that Mr. John Mitchell, of Mosgiel, has devised a scheme for branding frozen mutton which is free from all the objections attaching to those at present in use. The brand does not cut the meac or require any colouring substanco, and at the same time is effective, cloan, attractive in appearance, and easy of application. Our contemporary asserts that Mr. Mitchell's invention is far and away the best brand yet designed, and, like most pood inventions, simplicity itself The brand is applied to the warm carcase of the sheep, and by suction the skin is drawn up to any desired pattern, and the brand stands out in relief as clean and neat as the brand on a pat of butter. The patent has been applied for in New Zealand, and so highly is the invention thought of, that as soon as it was shown in Dunedin a company was at once formed to exploit it on tho various markets. Patents have now been applied for in many parts of the world.

New Zealand great in nature's gifts Possesses charms for every eye, With sounds and rivers, lakes and rifts, And mounts on which vast glaciers lie, All make this land a paradise, With atmosphere so fresh and pure, Where coughs are cured we do advise, By taking Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. 23 Wade's Worm Figs are most effective and not unpleasant; children thrive after taking them. Price Is.—Advt.

"Tub Boy Stood on the Burning Deck."—Some irreverent person has declared that his reason for so doing was that it was too hot to sit down ; but this is a libel, The I reason was that the gallant boy would not | desert his post. With an implicit obedience ! 1o his father's commands he stayed upon the burning ship, and went to a glorious death. .But suppo.se at the last moment young Casabianca had been saved, what then! He would certainly have been very much burned, and Ihe best thing for him would have been an immediate application of Holloway's famous Ointment, a certain remedy in all cases of burns, scalds, abscesses, rheumatism, lumbago, sciatica, bronchitis, asthma, sore throat r.nd the like.—Advt.

Sir Redvers Buller, through a friend, has I denied the statement credited to him Viz.: '"hat he would eat his Christmas dinner in Pretoria. He is not the tpyo of man to use such bombastic and high falutin talk. He knows his contract and he is going to carry it out thoroughly. It can be safely said that tykes' Cura Cough needs no such credits. Use it, and it will act for itself,—At all Chemists and Storekeepers.—Advt. You cbu depend on ridding your children of worms with Wade's Worm Figs, the wonderful WpOT Worriers, Prjcg Js,—Ad,V(j,

Mr. Charles Arnold, who has arrived by the Damascus from Capetown with his com paay, and who opens next week at the Frincess's Theatre in "What Happened to Jones,' was in South Africa when the war i broke out. While he was in Capetown, the Earl of Roslyn arrived, and being deeply interested in the " Tommy Atkins Fund " requested permission from Mr. Arnold to recite the "Absent-minded Beggar" at his theatre in aid of the fund. Permission was gladly given, and the Earl of Roslyn began to make his preliminary arrangements, which included a call on Rudyard Kipling, who had just arrived from England, The Earl deemed that the presence of the author of the poem would give the occasion eclat, and invited Mr. Kipling to be present. "Not I," said the Empire's poet. " Why should I listen to your recitation ? They are the worst verses I have ever written, and I am certainly not going down there to hear you recite them." When the eventful night arrived, the Earl went before the footlights boldly. On reaching the verse in which the poet describes the relatives of the absent-minded beggar, putting the " sticks up the spout," he forgot the lines and stuck hopelessly. Mrs. Arnold, who was acting as prompter, whispered audibly, "Sticks 1" "sticks!" At last the Earl could stand it no longer. " All right, I know I'm stuck," he retorted angrily; "you needn't rub it in; but for heaven's sake give me the cue." He got to the end somehow.— Awtralasian.

Wade's Worm Figs, the wonderful Worm Worriers, never tail for adults or children, jrce Is.—Advt. | JAMBS EKED IKJUKBD. Mr. James Reed, struck his leg against a cake of ice in such a manner as to bruise it severely. It became very much swollen and pained him so badly that he could not walk without the aid of crutches. He was treated by physicians, also used several kinds of liniment and two and a half gallons of whiskey in bathing it, but nothing gave any relief antil he began using Chamberlain's Pain Balm. This brought almost a complete cure in a week's time and he believes that had he not used this remedy his leg would have had to be amputated. Mr. Reed is one of the leading merchants of Clay Court House W. Va, Pain Balm is unequalled for sprains, bruises and rheumatism. Sold by the New Plymouth Co-operative Society