LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 173, 14 August 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The poll on the Borough Council's loan proposals will probably be taken on Wednesday week. .The total receipts at the concert given by the West End School pupils in aid of the Western Park on Wednesday evening was .CM. The school concert a, few weeks earlier drew £.)•», a record house for a New Plymouth school concert.

Mr. F. J. lieatlcy, instructor in the chemistry classes'at the Technical School, desires us to notify that classes will meet as usual at New Plymouth to-day. The visit to factories is postponed owing to factories not starting this Saturday.

The West End School committee had ■ a long debate on Thursday evening concerning Bible-rearfng in schools, and it was eventually decided to allow the local clergy to conduct classes before school hours, attendance of the children to be optional with parents. At the time appointed for commencing the ratepayers' meeting last night there were 10 persons present. Of tli■■■■ seven were members and past memo.. of the Borough Council, and two \\vi\. officials. Thg Mayor and two ex-Mayors are included in the above. Later the attendance approximated fifty. The rising generation seems to be of the utilitarian order. A little five-year-old school-girl left thu following letter lying round yesterday, and it was thought good enough to publish: "Those After the opening ceremonies the Conbe cut down. The pine roots are always tripping people up. Once when I was walking up the ''ill and some, of the roots trips me up and I fel over and dirtied my stocking—all the fault of the pine trees—D. W." What can be Mr. Hughes' reply to an argument like this? Whilst on the journey through Canada en mute to the Old Country, the New Zitiland Press delegates visited the large lumber mills at Vancouver and thereabouts. .Mr. G. Fenwick, of the Otago Daily Times, in the course of a speech subsequently, said: "The magnitude of the operation of these mills greatly astonished and surprised us, nothing similar to them being found in Australia or New Zealand. We weit the more interested in these mills owing to the fact that large quantities of lumber from them are shipped to our country. We speak "of this lumber as Oregon," and I ] had always been under the impression that the lumber we were getting was Oregon pine. I-find, as a matter of fuct, that it is Douglas fir." One of the largest purchases of poultry ever made in New Zealand has just been completed by Messrs. A. Moritszon and Co., Dunediu, They have contracted for the coming season for the delivery of '20,000 ducklings and 5000 chickens, all to weigh 41b each and over. This deal has been effected with Mr. Burlcy, Avonhcad Farm, Riccarton , and the poultry will he packed and graded at the Government depot in Christchurch and forwarded to the freezer for export (says the OUgo Daily Times). A contract has also been entered into by the same linn for the year 1011 for the supply of 30,000 ducklings and 10,000 chickens. On the farm from which these orders are being secured there arc sufficient incubators to hatch out"12,080 birds at one s'etting. ''.ls' single life happier than married iife?" was the enthralling subject of discussion of a Wellington debating society (he other evening, says a writer in a

contemporary; and, sad to relate, the "Ayes" had it! It would lie interesting. 111 this connection, to know whether those who thus allirined the joys of cellliney were married or simile. If Hie former, they must, presumably, have drawn blanks in the great niintriinonial Jotlery: if Hi,, hitter, they were clearly 'not entitled to express an opinion concerning a matter they knowiiothing about Consequently, in both cases they should have refrained from voting. Marriage has been likened to a fortress with closely-guarded approaches, and while, those within would give the world to get out, those without would like nothing better than to get in. Bat that story was doubtles's invented hy some sour old cynic "crossed in Jove." and quite possibly it was the same acidulated person who. being asked ''Do vou think married people live longer tlian eiiHe people?" replied, "No; it only seems longer."