NEWS OF THE DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 180, 3 August 1904, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

There is .some lalk of the Moturoa Lodge of Druids erecting a lodgeroom of its own. Mr K. M. Smith, M.H.R., has received a telegram in which the Premier states that a loan of £IOOO, applied for by the Tarunuki County l.'oim-il for the erection of a new bridge to replace " the Snake " over the Wuiongomi River «l Sentry Hill, has been approved. A special meeting of Iho Borough Council is called for Thursday evening to discuss ami finally ileal with the proposals to exchange certain reserves on the. Aveuuq Road for St. (lermnin'M Squniv, now owned by the Agricultural Society. The impression prevails that the council will not adopt the proposals, principally on the ground tlint it is undesirable to give up control of the ground to nny nominated body. Ohristclnneh and Dunedin butchers waited on t.li;c Premier yesterday mon.ing to claim exemption from the Shops and OlliceM Hill so far as regarded the hours of labour on the Saturday half-holiday. They ronimded that a Saturday hulMioliduy would almost ruin their bus'inessi>.S', besides being detrimental to the poorer class, who did their shopping in the evening', knowing they could get cheaper joints. Mi' Scddon replied that the matter was one for Parliament to deride, but pointed out that whatever hour the shops closed working and other people would purchase meat jußt tho same. The matter should bo decided by tho people themselves, who were chiefly affected,

I A well-attended meeting of Dunpdin shop assistants Inst night endorsed | the Premier's proposals in the Saturday Half-holiday and Offices Hill. The lady members of the Hospital Annex Committee are requested to meet in the Borough Council Chamber at 8 p.in, to-day. All are requested to be present.* An Invercargill telflgram states that after a long spell of fine winter weather, sleet', snow and luvil have fallen all over Lite distinct. The Ixack country is covered to a depth of four inches. The electric lighting committee of the New Plymouth Borough Council met yesterday morning, and decided to recommend the Council to call for applications for the position of manager of the electric lighting works, stich manager to act as clerk o.f works during the installation of the system.

Warned apparently by the total destruction by fire of the Moturoa and Waitara freezing works, the directors of. the Paten refrigerating works are taking precautions against fire. A nightwatchman is to be appointed, a supply of water laid on if possible from high ground, and already there have hew placed in position a I number of buckets filled with water ! in case, of emergency. A first-class good commercial standing after many years is about ihe best, test that can be applied to any concern, an-d such u one is the Dr. Uuigston Institute, of Collins-street, Melbourne. The people and press of Australasia speak of them as being all that can be wished for, both in honesty, fair 'dealing, and skilled treatment. The representative will be at tho White Hart Hotel on August Bth to l.fith for a stay of seven days, and invites tho afllicted to call and have a free test of their combined treatments. The consultation is free of charge.

A leading German paper expresses the hope that the steps which arc now being taken in various quarters, notably by the United States, to secure an international agreement with regard to the use of marine mines may bo crowned with success. The journal in question declare*) it to be intolerable ihat floating mines should be allowed to drift upon the high seas to the common danger. Mere claims for compensation or diplomatic representations when damage or loss has been sustu,incd are comparatively unsatisfactory. The only remedy is n total prohibition of floating and unnnrhored mi'iits as instruments of warfare. A Mangorei correspondent writes : —There has lieen, a great deal of in. terest manifested here in the evangelistic services which have been held in the up|x>r school, and the " waysido chapel" during the ])ast fortnight by Sister Amy and Iter. Woolloxall. The meetings have been fully attended night by night, and Thursday evening's congregation made a record in tho nearly forty years' history of the little chapel. Mr Woolloxall ia evidently in his right place as an evangelistic preacher, and is becoming popular on this road in the homes of tho |>eoplc. There Is some talk of opening a Sunday-school in the chapel, and if this is accomplished it should prove of benefit to the district, as a good many young folk are now to be found at Lower Mangorei.

Without making any particular fuss tho Flour Trust is increasing the price of flour by substantial lucremints, says the Wellington Post. When the "hitch" occurred nt tho end of Mny, it will be remembered, the Trust reduced the price of (lour to £7 •"is i>er ton 1'.0.b. in order, it was stated, to force into the combination certain mills which had refused allowance. Since then the recalcitrant mills have come in, nnd about three weeks ivgo the association raised the price to £8 f.o.b. Without apparent reason the price has been still further augmented, and last week the local ngtmts of tho Trust circularised bakers stating that the price of association flour was now £8 10s per ton f.o.b. This represents a rise of 25s per ton inside the part month or so.

There was nn exciting srOTie in the Druids' lodge-room prior to the social on Monday .night. A rat was discovered in a cabinet containing regalia, and. on making bis appearance in the room, wis-chas<d vigorously. Ileconim was set nt naught, nil present from the Arch-llruid to he youngest member joining in the rat-hunt, annul with weapons of all kinds. The unwelcome intruder was '■iven u lively five minutes, nnd eventually succumbed to a succession of kicks when penned in a corner. By the way, amidst all the yelling nnd excitement one prominent member kept fairly quiet, until the rodent approached him—then he jumped, evidently not relinking such company. That, rat in a 'gathering of men caused more noise, though, perhaps less squeaking, thnn a mouse 'll a bevy of ladies.

The Wanganui Chronicle Parliamentary reporter states that ex-District Judge Robinson, well known in Nelson. Greymouth, Kaseby, Duiiedin, Dunstan, Cromwell, Wellington, etc., has a jietil ion to the House disclosing a peculiar hardship. After forty years' service he has been refused the pension, he had every right to count on, by reason of the error of an understrapper. Tho case against him is that his period of service was broken lx-causo in 1874 be was some months out of a certain office. His answer is that ho was absent on leave for cigf'Jt months in that year from his post of warden (Nasoby), and tho auditor of the Trust Fund Accounts, Mr Stratford, did his work and in the Gazette notification of Mr Stratford's appointment as auditor of Trust Funds it was not stated I hat he was replacing Mr Robinson absent on leave, and that on his return Mr Robinson, as a matter of course, stepped back into tho auditorr.hip as into the wardenship. Thus by the error of a clerk was a deserving officer of forty years diddled out of his pension.

In order to allow of free and Informal discussion of tho various proposals submitted to the Borough Council in connection with the. pro-, posed exchange of reserves the repre? sentatives of tho press wero asked to retire from the conference on Monday evening. From remarks that wero made in town yesterday morning it would seem that at times the debate was not only interesting but very heated. On ono occasion the Mayor was called upon to uphold the dignity of the council, and to smartly rebuke a delegate who made an imacrcptahlo inference to tho effect that such interruptions as thoso of Cr. Wilson might be permissible amongst borough councillors, but were never allowed amongst gentlemen. The Mayor felt hurt, and very rightly brought up the speaker " with a round turn.l' Then another delegate, endeavouring to pour oil on' tlie troubled waters, ventured a remark about a man who was always waiting for someone "to tread on the tail nf his coat." This again brought Ml' Cork to his feet in indignant reinoiKli'nm'e. No one had trodden on tho tail of his coal, and what, was more, no tine would lie allowed to. Several lively passages of words occurred during the eveming, and really it. was a P'ty the reporters left.

Important to sufferers from tinearnnjsm.- The proprietors of Bock's RHEUMATIC POWDER wish it known that every tin of their powder is sold with a guarantee. All Chemists or Storekeepers are authorised to refund the price paid to thosi not having benefited by the use ol it. Closo on 500 Cured Cases are known to the proprietors, and the following aro a few of *hoso who have kindly consented tu hove their names mentioned to induce other suf-'ei-ers to also benefit by use of Dock's Rheumatic Powder— h, R. iVelvh. Makotuku ; Thos. A. Pruden, F,ltham ; James Harvey, Mrs Hart, nnd Mary Ann Hodder, Ashhurst ; W. H. L'ikies, Pohangina; Joseph Cummerfleld, Foxton ; Maurace McCullum and Albert Burges, Waihl ; H. E. Dean, Patea : John Douglas, , Hampden, Otago. All chemists and 1 stores.* I

The gross is springing freely in the districts eastward 01' Stratford, ami it is expected that the dairying kuuson will open about the middle of the present month, Mr Garry's orchestra has been engaged for the Star Football Club's social on August 17th, the night of the Taramiki t. Britain football match. All the arrangements are well forward.

The Stratford Post reports that Meesrs Sole and MeCluggage waited on the Premier last week, awl in course of conversation he informed them that the loading of back blocks would receive profcrense to the erection of public buildings, and it is anticipated that the road and railway to Wiliangumoinona will be well provided for in the estimates. Ballasting operations on tho Strat-ford-Whanganioniona railway are now proceeding, tho Public Works Department hutting opciiod a line quarry near the Skinner Hood. The rails have been laid boyond Toko for a distance of about two ami a-half miles, or nearly to the Gordon ltoad. A siding, probably for a flag station, is provided for the Ahuroa Bond, near the school, about a mile and ahaM from the present terminus, but it is expected that the next station building-s will be at the Dougkis Uoad. WHAT RHEUMO DOES. Mr W. WEAKING-, Miner, Mataura, states as follows :—"I am 79 years old, and have lived in Mataura 40 years. For seven months I was a great sufferer from rheumatism, so bad that at times .1 could not leave my bed. It was told of Ilheumo, and took four battles. The result was that I wits completely cured of rheumatism. Mr MucGihbon, who is a J.P., and a well-known merchant here, can verify my statement. 1 •shall always lie glad to tell sufferers what your wonderful medicine Rheumo did for me." Sold everywhere, 2s 6d and 4s (id. ICempthorne, I'rosser and Co., Wholesale Agents-.* 1

NEW ADVERT!SEMENTS. Rugby Union.—lnvites offers for advertising in connection with the Britain v. Taranaki football match. Hospital Annexe.—Meeting of committee this afternoon at 3 o'clock. Lepperton Pound.—Several cattle impounded. Railway Department.—Notifies arrangements for tho Taranaki v. Wellington football match at Hawena on August 10th. Football.—Mutch to-morrow In Recreation .Grounds in aid d{ hospital annexe. " Hospital Saturday." August (ith, Saturday next. Newton King.-Sale of Mr C. T. Hull's dairy stock at Lepperton, on Thursday, August 4th. Good ],i a i n cook( wn i tl . css _ nn j . loiirinuid wanted. Young gi r i wanted for light housework 1 .