LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 287, 26 April 1913, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The price of tho London Times is to be reduced to 2d on May 5. The last reduction was made in 1861, since which year the price of the paper has been 3d. This is a slack season for general labourers (says a Dunedin correspondent), and it is reported that there is a good deal of unemployment. About thirtyfour applicants have registered with the Government Labor Department. The Ractihi papers says that a number of men thrown out of work by the destruction of Gamman's mill have buen placed on the roads works which are being proceeded with in the native lease lands adjoining Ohakun.e. It is understood that Gamman and Co. are setting about the immediate re-ereetion of their mill. A witness in a railway case in the Southern States of the United States, asked to tell in his own way how the accident happened, said: —"Well, Ole and 1 was walking clown the track, and T heard a whistle, and I got off the track and the train went by, and 1 got back on the track, and I didn't see Ole; but 1 walked along, and pretty soon T seen Ole's hat, and I walked on and seen one of Ole's legs; and then 1 seen one of Ole's arms, and then another leg, and then half of Ole's head, and I says, •My gracious! Something must'er happened to Ole!'" "Within forty days," said the Lord Mayor of Melbourne last week, "the period of latitude we have hitherto allowed the ladies of Melbourne on the subject of hatpins will come to an end." He was alluding to the passing by the City Council the other day of a by-law prohibiting the wearing of unprotected hatpins in the city thoroughfares. "The maximum penalty is a heavy one," the Lord Mayor continued, "and no effort will be spared to see that the general public is protected on the sidewalks and in conveyances from what has in the past been a serious menace to eyesight."

A nioiuoi'iiil service for the late Mr. Percy Ambury will be held to-morrow night in the <jill-street Baptist Church. The New Plymouth Draughts and Chess Club purpose holding a match, town v. country, in about two weeks' time. The match will be played at New Plymouth. The cinematograph film hiring companies have formed a big combine, their operations covering the whole of New Zealand and the Commonwealth. This is probably preliminary to increased charges being levied on all picture showmen. In connection with the forthcoming visit of the battleship New Zealand to New Plymouth, the local Expansion and Tourist League is making representations to the Railway Department to have the. excursion tickets made available for return for seven days from date of issue. The subject of Ilible-in-Schools is provoking a good deal of discussion at the present time, and there are many who dissent from the platform of the newlyformed League. In the YVhiteley Memorial Church to-morrow evening the Rev. J. W. Burton will voice some of these objections, taking as his subject, "Another side to the Bible-iii-Schools question."

The issue of books at the Carnegie. Library, as disclosed by the annual report presented at the meeting last night, is instructive. It shows the following figures for the year:—History and biography 270, geography and travel 301, science 26, poetry 10, miscellaneous 221, fiction 1<5,02G. The library on March 31 contained 71)5!) volumes, of which 370 were added during the year. At the Carnegie Library a book register is now kept, by the librarian, and subscribers, on payment of one penny to cover postage, may have their names entered in rotation as desiring any particular book. As soon as the book is available the subscriber is notified. In the event of the book not being taken out in 24 hours the next on the list is notified, and in this way subscribers have a much better opportunity of obtaining the book they require. At the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. A. Crooke, S.M., E. W. Garner was charged, on the information of Mr. B. Tippins, Borough Inspector, with having ridden his •bicycle on the footpath in Avenue Road. Mr. F. E. Wilson appeared and .pleaded guilty on behalf of the defendant, who was' unable to attend the Court., The Magistrate, in inflicting a fine of 7s Gd and costs 7s, stated that he had intimated bis intention of increasing the fine in similar cases.

If one were asked to name any part of the borough where money would be plentiful one would say Moturoa. So thought a lady collector on Park Saturday. With high hopes sh? visited that locality and appealed to the l large number of men employed there. Hardly one escaped her, from the highest to the lowest, but not a solitary coin could she extract. She made her way to a building where a clerk or other official was employed. Here were produced a threepenny bit and two pennies. She got the wee coin, but the man refused to part with the coppers. Some time ago a member of the Petone Railway Workshops staff built, a ear in three days less time than some of. the other hands. The result was that several "please explain" memos were sent from headquarters in regard to the matter. The man who built his car in quick time claimed that his work was just as good as that of his fellow workmen. Matters in this department have been somewhat strained for the last day or so, and the other night a very large meeting of employees was held to discuss the position. Tt is rumored that as a result a deputation will lay the whole position before the Departmental headquarters. A jobbing gardener named James Oillick reecived a sharp shock of surprise at the Duncdin Police Court the other day (says the Star). He was proceeded against for failing to contribute towards the maintenance of h'is wife, the arrears on an order being C 8 Lis up to March '2-f. He asserted that he had been unable to pay anything at all. In the course of his examination his Post Office Savings Bank book was produced, and it disclosed the fact that although he previously had sworn before Mr. Bartholomew, S.M., at a previous hearing he had withdrawn 30s, he had really withdrawn .€!>. Evidence was also given to show that other large sums of money had been withdrawn by defendant. By way of explaining these withdrawals dcefndant' swore that he had been withdrawing more money than he required to pay his accounts, and had re-deposited the Ihilance. It was, in fact, he asserted, practically the same money all the time. Mr. Bartholomew sternly reprimanded defendant fojr. having told him deliberate lies, and warned him to be more careful in the future, and sentenced him to two months' imprisonment with hard labor, the warrant to be suspended for seven days, provided the money was paid into court.