LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 274, 16 May 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

- There are 2798 miles of railway at present open for traffic in New Zealand.

There is a serious epidemic of mumps at Gisborne, not confined to children, many grown-ups being also laid up. According to the Standard, there is an unusually keen demand for dairy heifers throughout the Manawatu district at present.

The Gigantic, which is to be built for the Atlantic trade of the White Star Company, will be' 1000 ft in length, or 118 ft longer than the lost liner, Titanic, *nd her sister ship', the Olympic.

The deadlock in connection with the steamer Wairoa still continues. It is understood that negotiations were in progress yesterday, and it is expected that the vessel will be free to sail in a day or two. "What a gigantic corporation the Canadian Pacific Railway Company is," remarked Mr. Harold Beauchamp to an interviewer, "and how wisely and tactfully it exercises its great power! As the owner .of thousands of miles of railroad, millions of acres of land, numerous hotels, fleets of steamers trading in the Atlantic and Pacific, and on the lakes or inland seas of the Dominion, its revenue —slightly over £25,000,000 per annum—almost equals that of Canada itself."

Reporting to the Board of Governors yesterday afternoon the Principal of the New Plymouth High School (Mr. Moyes) intimated that he had received word from the Registrar of the New Zealand University that matriculation candidates were to understand distinctly that the matriculation course was in future to be a four years' one. Hitherto pupils had entered for matriculation at the end of the third year. The majority of the candidates in 'the school were, of course, in their third year, and they would therefore require another year's study before entering for the examination.

The annual meeting of shareholders in Reuter's Telegraph Company, Ltd., was held in London on Thursday, when the directors reported that the profit for 1911 was £135,473. A dividend of 4s per share (at the rate of five per cent, per annum) was declared, together with a bonus of 8s per share. This, in con* junction with the capitalised bonus of £2 per share, distributed last month, whereby £8 shares were converted into £lO shares, makes up the total distribution for 1911 of 35 per cent, on the old capital of £94,712, which capital was increased recently to £500,000. The company's reserve now stands at £132,521.

In the opinion of the Principal, prayers should be read daily at the New Plymouth High School. At yesterday's meeting of the Board of Governors, Mr. Moyes asked to be permitted to read prayers at the morning assembly. He wanted this innovation simply because it was the custom in the various colleges throughout the Dominion. The Principal added that should the Board grant his request he would undertake to see that nothing approaching the teaching of Scripture was introduced in the school. The suggestion was, along with several other recommendations from Mr. Moyes, held over for discussion until the next meeting of the Board. The Pahiatua Racing Club has appointed a deputation to proceed to Wellington on May 20 to interview the Minister of Internal Affairs regarding its application for a reinstatement of its totalizator permit. The Pahitua Club, which owns a valuable freehold course, splendidly appointed, is one of the clubs which fell a victim to the Racing Commission's report eighteen months ago. The Commission only spent a few minutes at the course, and, without consulting the officials, hurried off. As a result of its recommendation the whole district from Woodville to the other side of Masterton is deprived of race meetings.

A meeting of the New Plymouth Beautifying Association was held last night. The secretary stated that he would be compelled to resign on account of his duties at the Technical School occupying his time. The credit balance was stated at £3 19s 2d. It was suggested that the next work to be undertaken by the Society should be the improvement of the path up Paritutu. Marsland Hill had absorbed a large amount of the Society's funds during the month and still required further attention. Owing to the small attendance, on account of the rough weather, the meeting was adjourned until 8 p.m. on Saturday at the president's office.

A tangi is being held at Moturoa over the body of a prominent local native, Heta Hakaramu, who died suddenly this week at Mangere, near Onehunga. Fifty-seven emigrants arrived by the, Arawa from London yesterday, including 23 domestics. The vessel brought 10,000 cases of apples from Hobart for transhipment to the Corinthic, which is leaving for London to-day. A unique position has arisen at a township in the nortli. Owing to the lack of interest shown by men in the annual meeting of householders for the election of a school committee, a committee composed entirely of ladies has been elected.

Early yesterday afternoon New Plymouth's spell of fine weather was broken, to the accompaniment of heavy rain, a thunderstorm of unusual magnitude, and particularly vivid sheet-light-ning. Late' last night it looked as if bad weather had thoroughly set in .

That Labor means business is shown by the fact that the Party has secured control of the New Zealand Times, so long identified with the Ministerial side of politics. It is reported that Professor T. W. Mills will be one of the active controlling heads. The Taranaki County Council has been advised that the Opunake Railway Commission, which will sit at New Plymouth next week, will hear evidence regarding the proposed route from Opunake to New Plymouth, via Okato and Oakura. By advertisement the Council intends inviting all those interested to give evidence before the Commission regarding the route.

At Waipawa on Thursday Dr. Koss was fined £2 and £1 Is for assaulting Mr. H. F. Norris, a lawyer of that place, by striking him with his hands. The dispute occurred at a meeting of trustees in- connection wjth a will. The magistrate remarked that both the informant and defendant 'would have consulted their dignity as professional men if they had settled their differences out of court.

Despite the bad weather, there was an excellent attendance at the euchre party and dance in aid of the Western Park. The prizes were won by Miss N. George, Miss Williams, Mr. P. Allen, and Mr. C. Johnston. After partaking of an excellent supper, provided by the ladies, dancing was kept up till an early hour. The music was supplied by Mrs. George, and Mr. W. McLean acted as M.C. The next party will be held on May 19. The Kawhia Settler reports that whilst the scow Ngaru was negotiating the bar the wind suddenly veered to the west, and the vessel, missing stays, gradually drifted into the break on the northern shore and took the beach between the North Head and the hot springs. Fruitless efforts to refloat her were made on Tuesday, and, lying broadside to the merciless surf, only the continuance of fine weather prevented her from being cast up high and dry. Kedges to seaward enabled her head to be turned to the breakers on Wednesday morning, but as the tides were taking off, little opportunity was afforded for a successful effort.

Twenty-three years ago there lived in a certain district a young gentleman and twenty-seven fanners and their families. After seven years the twenty-seven farmers and their families had disappeared, and the young gentleman remained in opulent possession of all their holdings. Shortly after he started to lay up for himself a store of riches and other men's farms, the capital value of his holding was £BSBO and the unimproved value £BSBO. This was in 1897, when he had 1748 acres. Last year he had 8031 acres. The respective values were then £104,100 and £71,744. The unimproved value had jumped from £3 9s 3d to £8 0s 2d an acre, or about 350 per cent. Some of this land has been disposed of lately at £2O, £3O, and £4O an acre.—Wellington Times. After figuring at Mars-la-Tour, Gravelotte, and lots of similar places where there was strife in plenty in 1870, it mjght be reasonably inferred that a man would have had enough unpleasantness to last him an ordinary life time. Quite the contrary, however, was disclosed in a somewhat amusing ease in the Magistrate's Court at Palmerston, where Frank Zimmerman and Anton Max pleaded guilty to resisting a police constable while the latter was in the execution of his duty. Counsel for accused explained that the two men had fought side by side in the Franco-Prussian war —in what precise engagements was not stated—and had not seen each other for thirty years. Their meeting on Saturday had evidently been a "somewhat joyous one." Zimmerman was fined 10s and Max 20s.

In answer to the telegraphed resolution, forwarded by Tuesday's conference of local bodies to the Hon. G. Russell, Minister of Internal Affairs, expressing the opinion that each class of local body should be separately represented from each district at the conference, at Wellington, on the Local Government Bill, the chairman of the Taranaki Hospital Board (Mr. F. C. J. Bellringer) has received the following reply: "There are seven different classes of local bodies in the Taranakd hospital district. These would give Taranaki seven representatives, and if the same proportion, on a population basis, were allowed throughout the Dominion, the conference would be unworkable and unwieldy. The conference, after all, is only an advisory body, and the real legislation will rest with Parliament.— G. W. Russell."

An echo of the sudden disappearance of Superintendent O'Brien, of the Wellington Fire Brigade, was heard in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when his wife applied for a separation order and maintenance and guardianship orders. Plaintiff stated that her husband had received £365 salary per annum. Until recently he allowed her £l2 10s monthly to maintain herself and daughter. The last payment due was about a fortnight in arrears. She last heard of him about May 4, when she received a note from him saying that she was to prepare for a shock. She had been told that he was last seen on the Aorangi prior to the vessel's departure for San Francisco. It is believed that there is another woman in the case. The court made an order for a payment of £2 10s weekly for support of plaintiff and her child, and £5 for past maintenance.

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11l an interview with a reporter at Christchurch the manager of a large drapery firm said: '"'A number of the professional shop-lifters are well known to us and to our staff, ami are carefully watched from the moment they enter the premises till they leave. I think that the. amount of shop-lifting which used to exist was due to the offenders being treated too leniently, and we now have au inflexible ruin that in every ease in future proceedings must follow'. We ourselves don't display any goods outside, because we think it a bad system, and one condume to theft, Shop-lifting, as far as we are concerned, is almost entirely confined to women, and very little is done bv men."

A sporting scribe who was present at the Hawera race meeting says "An uncomfortably large section of the horses were out for practice only." Another wrote that ''the running of some of the horses was open to grave suspicion." Which leads the Wellington Times to observe: '•.Neither of these statements can possibly be correct, in view of the fact that, the stewards took no action!" Isn't it more evidence of the ring-a-rosy game the jockeys are playing on the New Zealand turf? Tt is time for one of two reforms: The appointment of strong-backed stipendiary stewards —or the abolition of the totalisator. [f the latter comes first, there will be no need for the former; for there will then he no racing to reform! —Feilding Star. Few warships can boast of such achievements as <-iand to the credit of H.M.kS. Encounter, now at .Auckland. The official records of the battle practice carried out by the British Navy last year show that the Encounter occupied premier position in the navy, with a score of 440 points, while the next ship, the Formidable, scored ISISI points. The official records show that the Encounter's shooting was really phenomenal, and probably constitutes a record for the navy. There is no fixed maximum of points; hits at long range count more points than those at shorter ranges. At the opening of the firing the ranges are quite unknown. In the Encounter's case it was found that the firing had been opened at a range just over four miles, and finished at about three miles. The vesflel herself was travelling at a speed of 15 knots an hour, and the target was towed at eight knots an hour in th;« opposite direction, so that the shooting was carried out under conditions equivalent to firing from a stationary position at a target moving at the rate of 23 knots per hour. Well over 00 per cent, of the shots went through the target. The splendid success of the Encounter ■ contributed greatly to the Australian squadron beating all the other squadrons of the navy in the gunnery tests. But it is not only in gunnery that the men of the Encounter have established a remarkable performance. Since the ship | has been on the Australasian station she ■ has won every trophy that has been j competed for at the squadron regattas, winning principally with her 12-oar cutters. Tn the. last two years the Encounter has also won the all-comers' race at the squadron regattas. It is but natural that the men of the Encounter should feel proud of themselves and their ship.