The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1898.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 11391, 5 December 1898, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1898.

i * The Imperial Parliament hai been summoned to meet on February 7th. The Imperial Government has granted a gift to the Barbadoea of £40,000, to St Vincent £25,000, and a loan of £50,000 to each. ♦ The- Mayor (Mr E. Dbckrill) and Mrs Dockrill, who have been attending the Auckland Exhibition, returned by the Tutanekai on Sunday morning. We are requested to state that members of the various Ambulance Classes who I are to receive certificates must be at the Whiteley Hall at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 6thinst. A programme of much excellence Wf s phyed by the Town Band in the Recreation Grounds ou Sunday afternoon. There was an exceptionally large crowd of people present. * Since the Premier's visit toElthamand New Plymouth rumour has been busy with the names of probable aspirants for political honours. Some four or five aro freely discussed. Lady Ranfnrly will present the certificates to the successful candidates of the Ambulance Classes. The proceedings will commence at eight o'clock on Tuesday evening, at the Whiteley Hall. — A gentleman asks us to srafre for the information of those interested that he picked up in the street this (Monday) morning two cards 1 , addressed to South Africa and London, respectively, and placed them in the pillar box. The English Pressstrongly support Mr Henniker Heaton's appeal to the Austra» lasian Premiers to concede the Imperial Penny Postage Scheme, theugh the difficulties in the way of the various colonies adopting these proposals are but little ventilated. At Dunedin on Saturday, in the Gore arson case, convictions of conspiring to commit ar?on were recorded against Robson and Baldwin, and the former was sentenced to eighteen months 1 hard labour, the latter, on account of his youth, being let off with six months'. The overdraft of the Tarauaki County Council, including accounts passed at the meeting this (Monday) afternoon, is £4681 12s 6d. The riding balances are as follows :— Moa, debit, £124 15s 8d; Waitara, credit, £436 14a 2d; Omata, £286 12s 7d; Parihaka, debit, £273 16s 7d. Mr J. T. Campbell, a well-known schoolmaster at Lepperton, after 12 years' residence in the district, is leaving at the ond of thß year. The settlers at Lopperton intend showing their appreciation of Mr Campbells past services by tendering him and Mrs Campbell a complimentary social, which is to be held on the 15th inst. The Review of Reviews, Australasian edition, for November is to hand from MrGilmour. The subject of tho charactei sketch by Mr W. T. Stead is Mr James Creelmau, an American journalist. The Bouk of the Month is Secret Pages of Bismarck's History, by Dr. Busch. Articles by Dr. Carroll Dunham and Captain Parker on the American mismanagement of their war is a trenchant criticism of the various departments which had the management of affairs.

A NATIONAL MINING VENTURE ' There is an interesting leading article in the Wellington Evening Post of the 30th November, under the above heading, from which we extract the following sympathetic remarks :— " Tho failure of the enterprising endeavour of the Taranaki Company to strike payable petroleum in that district, and the neglect of the Government to render any assistance to the promoters, who, after expending nearly £13,000 on the work, are about at the end of their resources, are both matters for general regret, because, whilo there are excellent prospects of striking payable oil, the work of discovery must presently be discontinued if the Government refuse its aid. And, unless it be that Taranaki has ceased to be represented by a " right colour" member, it is difficult to understand why, in faoe of an official report that was in possession of the Government while Parliament was in session, sooe aid was not extended to a most plucky and deserving mining enterprise, which, it crowned with success 1 , would certainly be tho beginning of a great and profitable industry of incalculable value. The report to which we refer was a few days ago handed by Mr Bamual, the chairman of the Petroleum Company, to the local press for publication, and as an official record o£ tbe work that haa been done, the result* achieved, and prespects of ultimate success it the company be financed, is a distinctly encouraging document. The report is addressed by Mr John Strauchon to the Surveyor-General under date 21st July last, in a'cordatice with instructions issued on the 14th of June. The leading points of this document should in the public iuterest be brought under review. . . . . Mr Strauchon concludes his report with practically a Btrong recommendation for a Government subsidy, which it seem 3to us this enterprising but unfortunate company has fairly earned.