LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 8 November 1907, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

I In 1 contractor has made ;i commencement upon tin; work of erecting the new (illicit tor llit Education Buard ou St. Michael's Square. A movement is afoot to make the township of Tamnaranui the headquarters of the new Xaumaramii electorate, instead of Waitara. Land in (lie Waniranui district is still hands rapidly. Only hist week a hlock comprising several thousand ol acres up tin; Wanganui river "was disposed ol tor the thinl time dnrine the ]>:iKl eighteen months, ~a i. h re-sale representing a suljstimtin] increase in price. ■ :j lilt Monday We reported lli.it thirsty visitor* to (lie IJei-reation Grounds (now I'tikekiiiM I 'ark) had lo remain thirsty. n- i lie t ouii Ia in a;i, dry. 'pile shortage oiyi'aiatiaki's -taple product was (lie ll'Mf the etlt I'a lire to (lie jrroumls. I lie water having' lieeii <-u1 o(T. There are -K teams on (lie widening 111 < 'ai rinLit<.ii -ro.nl near Sln.rt ■ !:uid--t reel. Ye-lentay tl„. 11 ait been liaekrd out on to i]i,. laiilianknient to tip a I I til" earth, when it ■ •vershot the mark, mid linrse and ear' d'dn't -lop till thi'.v had readied tlie foot ■if tie' embankment. some tliirly feel '•"vn. \<« damage was done.

duo <■ f flic while sivmus in Piikokura l'ark is silling on 1 j,, ||„. swamp where tlif iii-w lake is to he. T'» Iho-e "U!IO ;iiv nn.'w;ire of (lie in- • ln-fry of the su-.ui in |>r<-|Riring its in-sl a yi-i( sliouli] ho intcrrsinir. Hut Hi.- iii(|iiisitivi< shonht i-miline (heir appreciation In .si.nlll-ni'in.L'. 'l'lin ot her ,IIV .1 hoy WHS seen endeavoring to shift i'ip female -waii from her i™s, Apart from iinv punishment at the hamls of Hi- it was very fortunate for h ; m flint Mr Pwan was not at homo. J lnlrn'i'i-i nee of this sort has cost many an anianl its life.

Tliovo is a brisk demand locally for potatoes- Messrs Webster Bros, landed sacks at the breakwater the other but only 33 reached their store, the rest having been quickly snapped up by retailers.

Mv S. Hill and jMr Jemison leave for Wellington this morning in connection with exhaustive kiln trials of the Smart road pottery clay. Various articles arc to be made from about a toil of the sliill', and burned in a pottery kiln at Mount Cook.

Mr E. Sole intends to throw "Aotea" open to the public on Sunday week. These beautiful grounds have been greatly improved during the winter season. and in n few days the Prince of Wales' feather ferns and other varieties now unfolding will present a rare sight.

At Wang.iiuii on Wednesday evening, champion sculler Webb was presented by the Mayor on behalf of the testimonial committee with a cheque, for £435. An address, which is in course of preto be handed to Webb later, in addition to some further subscriptions still to come ill.

Not a great number of shareholders took advantage yesterday of the opportunity to inspect tin- Ingiewood Oil Prospecting Company's derrick and boring plant. Those who did so were shown round by the chairman of directors, Mr L. W. Alexander. Gas was showing 1 very freely. The depth of the bore is now 305 feet as the result of 32 days' actual boring. The love of the Maori for billiards was exemplified in one of the cabins at the Duingree prison camp. The cabin was occupied by four natives, who constructed a miniature billiard table out of an ordinary dressing-room table. Every detail was complete—cloth, cushions, and pockets. The cloth was made out of an old piece of tweed, and the balls were represented by marbles. The make-shift was a poor substitute for tha usual billiard table, but served to remind the natives of many lazy hours spent over the green baize cloth of the far-away village hotel. Another and more profitable pastime of the Dumgrei natives is mat-making.

A Creek steamer arrived at Cardill recently with two young Russians on board, who had been picked up at live o'clock that morning in the sea oil' Start Point. The men were stowaways who had, jumped from the Russian steamer

Alicone, on a voyage from Libau to Rotterdam. They had sought this means of escaping Russian military service. They had been discovered on the Alicone. They were told that they would be Liken to Rotterdam, and from there sent back to Russia. The terrified fugitives preferred to risk their lives in the Sea m the hope of being picked up by passing craft. They had been tossed about in the seas for some hours when rescued,

and could not have survived much longer. There was a fairly good attendance last night at the concert in the wmtelcy Hull given to raise the funds for t-lie gymnasts' proposed trip to Wauganui. The programme was a varied one, and some of the items were of exceptional merit. The published programme had to be varied owing to the absence of one of the principal performers. Vocal items were given by the Misses Blanchett, Baker, Ford, Ainsworth, Sole, IJercus and Gideon, and .Messrs Asher and Harris; cornet solo, Mr Lawn; *ccitation, Mr 11. T. Ainsworth. Several tableaux were rather effectively staged, despite the occasional protest of the Jimeliglit apparatus, the best spectacle being "The Little Match Girl." Accompaniments were played by Mrs Amhury and Misses Baker and Buckman. Mr W. A. Collis. on behalf of the Gymnasium Club, returned thanks to all who had assisted.

In reference to remarks by Mr A. L. D. I'raser, M.11.R., allowing that tlie

descent of Hon. .). Carroll could be traced back forty-seven generations and that vl Mr Parata forty-three, the Ilawcra Star is informed that tlie genealogy of W'etere le Kerenga can be traced back lifty-live generations, and on the same lines of ancestry are counted the Maori King, Tawh.au, Rcwi Maniapoto, Wahanui, le Hculieu, and other celebrated leaders of tlie modern Maori, but they branch oil' at the forty-sixth generation, whereas W'etere Tc Kerenga iias an unbroken male descent (with the exception ol one woman who came in on the thirty-L-igUth generation) and his line of ancestry is the kawai arikj (sacred vine), running unbroken through males. Wertere Te Ranenga was a well-known chief, and reaxLd at Mokau. It was his daughter who headed a party of natives and went to the \relief of C. W. Hursthouse *nd his survev party when they were taken prisoners i>y Mahuki. It id claimed by an Ure* wera native named lWh-x (who it is believed is still living) that his ancestry can be traced back three hundred and thiily-six gent rations, and the names given are apparently those of men, not mythological deities.

It anyone should ask a company of Li'ilishcrs what visions the name "-New Zealand'' conjured up, the chances are thai in, two would coiiiea,, alike. One might speak ot the new Dominion that risen out of the Imperial Conference. Another might dilate on the ideal little country where there are no pour, nu out-oi-works, no drunkards. Another iniyht ,->ay he thought ol' football and the yatne the All iilaeks played. A lourih, perhaps, might mention some slianye Alaori earving* that he prized above all others in his collection. Jint even this l'ourth would have re-called liis carvings only as curios, not as the embodiment ui wonderful old sagas, mysterious tales which reveal the mythic history of a primaeval nation. It was left lor an artist tu discover this, a discovery winch makes the "Te Xuliunga" of W. Diltmer (( eurge lion Hedge aud Sons) one ol the most fascinating of recent publications. The discovery may have been made btloro, but never has it been detailed in drawings so imaginative, drawings which have no parallel except perhaps the Omar Khayyam illustrations of Llilni \ edder. .Folk-lore becomes a living thing when we get an artist of such power as Air Dittmer depicting with such extraordinary sympathy such legends ol how .Maui, in a great rage, tore hall his hair out and baited his hook with it, and threw his line far, lur out, and pulled all this beautiful land out ol the sea.—London News.

I he .Minister for liailwavs forwarded l Jir following reply 'to the Jidueation JJoard's reipiest lur all earlier morning train to New Plymouth lor the convenience of school children attending ihc High and Teclmical Schools:—"1 ha\ e the honor. by direction of the -Minister lor Jlaihvays, to inform you that the matter lias been fully investigated, and it is foun.l that, in order to comply with the rnpiest. it would be necessary for the mwuiiig train to take Its departure from Uawera at a. verv , much earlier hour tlian at present. This would be a source of inconvenience, not only lu the residents of iiatvera but to other settlers along the line who use thi.- tram regularly to travel to New Plymouth, and who have to drive the distance Jriiiii their homes to reach the I'ailway stations in the mornings. It is considered that the present hour of departure of the train from Haweraliamely, i.*2o a.lll, —is sulliciently early having regard to the public convenience and the rci|uirements of the settlers en route. The train requires to stop at every station between Hawera and Xew Plymouth, and a sulllcient margin of time must be given to enable the necessary work to be carried out. It is therefore not possible to reduce the journey time in any way without running the ' I'urely as a passenger train, and I lus he business does not warrant. The Mmi-ter regrets, therefore, that after having given the matter careful consideration, lie cannot see Ms way to '•"uiply with the request to start the liijiii lioin Ilawera at an hour which I'";' 1 ' I '' !t to reart Plymouth

Hoys will l„. l„, V3> ( .]j m i, in „ h .,, ( , s ]jl;ivm«r marbles. (ii- diiiuj, anvlliini; to tllcil- flotllfd. You aI«aVS !', K " *"• ■ vo " l ' '»•>•« «'cll dressed, alwl n '" lln y- lilf il lon. llemomber, when V"" w.'iv y,ani- y „„ looko.-l forV'l " I" 1 ""» yom- new suit—how !' '•>»•>• "f (lie oilier boys 111 Sll!l(l;l\' school. [lrpss your hoys Well. ;V ,!l , :! re - s n "'"i In suits from "The Ilipyv,. -|i|,.,i,li ( | lot nf Conway s,„|s |„ lh |„ iyi of from 7to 1Q yr.u- a! !)s fi,| (o )9i w *uils fr,.,„ Ss n,i i 7. W!|^. :niil tunics from 2, lid. boys' xiu-ioik -mis i'i-ohi m «d lo :ys i«i. l.ovs' from ;M. 11,-an,,,'.,,! ~" l,s ' l " lil '■'* '»'■ If von want your ov dri'-snl ,VPII (1( „ Vi at iliu uood-value store "Tim Kaslr"— Advl. If you want vonr furniture removed carefully. p\|.edil ionsly. and economieally. employ the Xe w Zealand Expras I'oinpany, Limited, wlio male" .a special feature of this class of work, and lvirj lire also able to supply first-chss flrv storage accommodation!—Advt,