LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 181, 13 July 1900, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

" The Scramble for China " is the heading of a very interesting article which appears on the fourth page of this issue. An addition to the Telephone Exchange is No. 192, Mr. F.Jones, Tannery Company, Limited.

Ihe s.s. Corinna is due here npxt Wednesday from the south with a general cargo, and, after discharging same, sails for Greymouth direct.

The Town Band will give an open-air concert in front of the Government Buildings this evening. The annual meeting of the New Plymouth Chamber of Oommerce will be held at 7.30 this evening.

A combined Foresters' " social" is to be held on Thursday, 23rd August, particulars of which will be advertised in a future issue.

The Northern a S. Co. intend running the Kanieri to Kawhia on her way to Onehunga when sufficient inducement offers. Early application to the Company's office is requested. A " social" will be held by the Town Band 1 next month.

The Thornhill, from New York, arrived at Fort Chalmers at 5.35 p.m. on Thursday.

Trains will leave for the Breakwater today, connecting with steamers mentioned below, as f0110w: —5.45 a.m., Rotoiti (from North, if required); 8 a.m., Takapuna (from South); 9.30 a.m„ Rotoiti (for South); 9.30 p.m., Takapuna (for North). A passengercar will be attached to the goods train leaving for breakwater about 3 p.m. His Worship the Mayor has received a reply from the Colonial Secretary in answer to his suggestion, made at the request of the Scenery Preservation Society, that the date for observing Arbor Day should be changed from Wednesday, the itith, to Thursday, the 19th, in which it is notified that the Government offices will be closed on the Thursday. The Mayor has convened a meeting of citizens at the Town Hall to-night to consider the question of closing on the 19th, Both companies ot Volunteers are to be inspected by the officer commanding tbe district, Lieut.-Oolonel Porter, on Monday evening at the Drill Hall, at 7 o clock.

At the ballot for Crown lands m Thursday there were several curious coincidences of numbers. For instance, at the first ballot the last number put in the box was drawn, although the contents-had been thoroughly well shaken about. Later on the lucky number was 151, and at the succeeding draw the same number came out, while at the next draw 51 appeared, and at the draw between 61 and 151 the latter was for the second.time the winning number.

The work of re-fitting the street lamps is proceeding apace. It is to be hoped that the question of street-lighting will receive more attention in the future.

The Guards put in some useful work yesterday afternoon on the racecourse. There was a good muster, and the corps is to be congratulated on the progress they are making. They made a very creditable apI pearauce as they marched through the town to the Drill Shed.

Never since the Courthouse was built has the Judge's bench been occupied with such dignitaries (?) as on Thursday. In the usual way this particular spot is held in too much awe to allow of ordinary folk making themselves at home there, but this was not so on the occasion in question. Had Judge Conolly looked he would possibly have fainted at the sight of his accustomed seat occupied by a person who, not content with the comfortable chair, reclined back at ease, and, resting; one leg on the desk, exposed to public view the sole of a boot of considerable dimensions, with all the nonchalance of a Yankee.

A return laid before the House shows the number of applicants for employment in the different departments of the Government during the year ended 31st March, 1899, as follows:—Railway Department, 1687, appointments made 401, still on books on 30th August 1134; Post and Telegraph, 1001,131, 2130; Defence Department, 169, 141, and 100. There has been farther trouble with the Irish Brigade at Johannesburg. The Boer Government recently expelled Father Delacy, | a Roman Oatbolic priest and an Irishman, who was suspected of British sympathies. The Irish Brigade protested in Tain, and thereupon 60 of them resigned from the Boer service in disgust. Perhaps the war in South Africa has produced no parallel to calamities which have befallen a much respected family named Webster, in Kimberley, who were amongst the besieged. A 12-inch shell exploded in Mr. Webster's dining-room when Mrs. Webster, who had three weeks before been confined, had her leg so smashed that it had to bo amputated three inches above the knee. Her eldest daughter had her arm wounded, a son had his leg broken, his arm broken, and his hand nearly severed at the wrist, while a younger son, five and ahalf years old, was killed outright. All suffered many hardships, and the youngest survivor of the family, a girl of 18 months, is still in the hospital, though progressing favourably, and weighs at last report onlv 131b.

One of the last acts of the French Minister of War (General Gallifet) was to issue an order prohibiting the sale of spirits inside barracks. Wine, beer, and cider may be sold in canteens, besides tea, coffee, and cocoa, but no liquor containing any added alcohol. This covers absinthe and the long list of "apetitifs," or so-called tonics and appetisers, which are the favorite poisons of the French nation. The prohibition to sell spirits extends not only to barracks, but to camps and manoeuvring grounds. Of coarse, soldiers will be free to spend their pocket-money in cafes and public-houses as before, but at any rate prohibition inside 1 barracks will remind young soldiers of the dangers of alcohol. General De Gallifet has now removed the reproach against the army that it was a school of drunkenness. So it was, only writers like M. Gohier, who said so, were called enemies of the army, The enemies once more have proved to be the am y's truest friends. In a country like France, where military service is compulsory, the effect of the Minister's order cannot J be over-estimated.

! Mr. William Thomas, who lived in New Zealand in the "sixties," has written to some of the London papers pointing out what was done in the colony in the way of putting military settlers "on the land " in the Waikato. He suggests that a similar thing could be done in South Africa; 100,000 military settlers, he thinks, could be placed there, sufficient land, mules and appliances being given them for the first twelve months of their settlement. With a plentiful supply of ammunition to boot, Mr. Thomas is of opinion that these men would be sufficient to cope with " the rebellious Boers and disloyal Dutch," from whom the land necessary for these military settlers could be taken.

News fhom Ei'som on Derby Day not only causes a thrill of intense interest among sporting men, but it causes a flutter of excitement tbronghoutEngland, as many people take an interest in it who, on other occasions, have no sympathy with racing events. So it is in cases of illness; when strangers are the victims, we feel no anxiety, but when a friend or relative is stricken down, we await the news of their progress with impatient suspense. Many letters of thanks are written ' daily by grateful friends, or the sufferers themselves, for the benefit received through Holloway's marvellous medicines. They have been a source of relief in almost evfiry known complaint. The Pills give tone to the stomach, increase the appetite, and aid the digestion, whilstthe Ointment, when absorbed into the pores, prevents disease from having a fatal influence upon the svstem,—Advt. Mr. W. J. Freetb, district representative of the Ocean Accident aud Guarantee Corporation, is prepared to quote exceptionally lowratesforAcoidentlnsurance, Contractors for hush felling for the next few months should ask for quotations at the office New Zealand Express Co., Brougham-street.—Ad. Sentenced to death! the doomed man stands, To die in prime of life,

No shade of hope, no outstretched hands, No friend except his wife; She heeded not the doctor's voice, " His cough would kill him sure,"' She saved his life, and did rejoice, Willi Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, 13