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Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13636, 15 April 1908, Page 4

A movement is on foot to form a second Tennis Club in Waitara.

A section of three acres in Kaponga township has been reserved by the Government as a recreation ground.

Part of Dawson Street and Hine Street in this town have been exempted from the widening requirements of the Public Works Act of 1905. Mr H. S. Fitzherbert, S.M., yesterday gavo judgment by default for £5 18s 2d in a case brought by the Auckland Clothing Company against J. Skipper.

Tlio quarterly meeting of the WhiteIcy Wosleyan Methodist Circuit took place last night. There was a good attendance. The income for tho past quarter was in oxeeLss of the exjH'nditurc by £9. A substantial increase iv Iho church membership was reported.

Mr. G. W. Browne, who is a borough representative on tho Hospital Board, dosires us to make it clear that" it was not ho, but Mr. Joseph Brown, one oi tho Taranaki County representatives, who brought forward certain charges against tho hospital statf.

Tho mail train was a few minutes late in leaving New Plymouth this morning. Complaints have boon made that the delay was occasioned through only ono window of the booking office being opened and one booking clerk being unablo to copo with tho heavy passenger traffic by scheduled time. On inquiry we are informed that the delay was caused by tho unusually large quantity of luggage that had to be handled, and not by any lack of facilities at tho booking office.

The choir of the South Road Wosleyan Church gave a successful rendering of tho musical cantata "Under the Palms" on Monday evening. The "solos were taken as follows: — Sopranos, Mesdames Crozior and Godbehear, Messrs Hobson, Dixon, and Gilbert (2) ; contralto, Miss Howoll : tenor, Rev. Keck: basses, Messrs do la Hay and K. Mclaaacs; quartette by Mrs Crozier, Miss Iris Dixon, Rev. Keck, and Mr K. Mclsaacs. Miss Cannell presided at the organ. There was a large and appreciative audience. |

At a meeting of the Auckland Markot Gardeners' Association held last evening, it was decided to forward a petition to the Government requesting that the Prime Minister's proposals that prison labour bo used in the production of vegetables on a State-owned farm should not be given effect to., Members were sure that when Sir Joseph Ward made the suggestion hej was not aware that of the vegetable^ sold in Auckland a large quantity were grown by white labour. It was also resolved to forward a letter to the! Inspector of Police, drawing his atten-j tion to the fact that Chinese worked in their gardens on Sundays. v ' '

On Sunday, April sth, five men and throe women wore arrested in Hydo Park, Sydney, tor drunkenness. Each one of them was found to have a bottle containing methylated spirit. One evening last week a large fire near His Majesty's Theatre, Wellington, created quite a scene, and the theatre hose had to be put in use. The orchestra with rare humour played "A Life on the Ocean Wave," when commencing the performance, with several inches of water in the orchestra and on the stage. A I deputation from Wanganui waited dn the Minister of Railways on Saturday last with the object of securing an extensive addition to the wharf goods-shed. The Minister remarked that he supposed about double the business was done at New Plymouth! with a shed 210 feet long, while thai at; Wanganui was 280 feet. -He did not remark, however, that the congestion at New Plymouth is very great and that it is necessary to at once lengthen tho shod.

The hatred of the Japanese is not universal even in California., The Los Angeles correspondent of The Times, commenting on tho fact that the Japanese residents formed a committee to take part in the welcome of the American fleet, writes: — The attitude of Los Angeles towards the Japanese is very different from the attitude #of San Francisco and other coast cities. The Los Angeles Times, in a leading article this morning, says: — "It is sickening to all real American sentiment to hear of ignorant, immoral, law-defying foreigners, gaolbirds, and cranks of unbalanced minds going up and down the coast clamouring for the exclusion of men better from all points of view than themselves."

Wellington is still making efforts to gain .a share of the American fleet's visit. In a letter to the Premier, the Wellington branch of the Navy League points out that the fleet is tp consist of two separate squadrons of eight battleships each. As the coaling' of sixteen battleships simultaneously would probably be attended with delay, it is suggested that possibly it might suit the convenience of the United States naval authorities to have one of the squadrons coal at Wellington, The extra journey involved (about one day's steam) would be more than counterbalanced by the time likely to be saved in the coaling, quite apart front the lower cost of the best New Zealand coal at Wellington. Sir Joseph is being asked to use his influence in the direction of diverting at least a portion of the fleet to Wellington.

Preference to unionists, althoughmade a strong point of in the reference of the butter- workers' dispute to the Wellington Conciliation Board by tho workers, has not been gained. "On this question," as the statement of tho board allows, "there was not the remotest chance of .agreement 'between the parties. The question has been considered at length by us, as the claim for preference was pressed on behalf of the "union. Having regard to all the circumstances of the case, however, and more especially to the fact that the factories ' arc widely separated and often in remote parts of the industrial district, we have decided not to recommend preference in this instance. Tho decision represents the finding of a majority of l;he board. After a careful and complete investigation we ar6 able to record that, with the exception of preference, the decision generally represents the unanimous • finding of the board." • The Newspaper Press Directory and Advertisers' Guide has reached its sixty-third annual edition. It is the*, recognised standard work of reference in regard to the newspaper press, and contains a complete list, with numerous particulars • regarding -circulation, price, etc., of all papers and periodicals published in the United Kingdom and the British Isles, together with a directory of the newspaper press of the Empire and of American and Continental papers. There are also instructive special articles dealing with the import trade of the oversea markets of the Empire, the now tariffs of Australia and New Zealand, the unification of South Africa, and other subjects interesting to advertisers and manufacturers. It is quite up to "date, recording even the demise of The Tribune, which only ceasecV publication early in February last. It is interesting to note that there are now p/üb^ lished in the United Kingdom alone no fewer than 2353 newspapers, of which London contributes 404, 'including 31 dailies. The Directory is published by Messrs C. Mitchell and Co., Mitchell House, Snow Hill, London, E.G., and tho price is 2s 6d post free.

In connection with the production in Melbourne of . "Brewster's Millions," a prize was offered for the best suggestion as to how Monty Brewster should spend his money. Competitors were restricted to postcards for the expression of their ideas, and as some of them took the offer quite seriously, there were some frantic efforts made to contract a long essay on some complicated scheme into a shorfo enough length to go on a slip of cardboard measuring sby 3 inches. One individual, for instance covered every portion of his card except the space reserved for the address, with the complete specification for a flying machine, which he wanted money to float. However, competitors were mostly content with the simple and not very original suggestion — "Give it to me" — varied in the case of a few badly treated husbands and wives, who urged Monty to givo it to their matrimonial partners. The pithiest of these was "A Jonah," who wrote: H'Marry my widow." This is not "advice, but a Monty." With an easily understandable precaution against betraying himself to tho wife of his bosom, he did not sign his name. Vladimir V. de Sviatlowsky/ professor of political economy at the imperial University of St. Petersburg, is in Wellington. Ho has a commission from tho Russian Government to learn how tbe labour laws of Now Zealand arei working, and to discover whether simi-i lar legislation would bo practicable in« the Tsar's Empire. The professor, who is the author of five books on political economy, is familiar with most of the books and pamphlets that have treated of New Zealand's experiments, and his| mission now is to get information at first hand. He will pass on to Australia, then to London, and is due •home in September. The professor was tho leading spirit in tho organisation of labour unions in Russia and bringing the membership up to 140,000, inoluding 65,000 in the capital. At first the Government was hostile, and the campaigning was arduous, for assemblies wore forbidden, but gradnally the authorities came to bolioyo that the professor's work meant good not evil to Russia, and from opposition the authorities changed to an attitude of sympathy, which culminated in the despatch of the economist to thje" Antipodes. "How axe matters in Russia?" the professor was asked. He smiled, and shrugged his shoulders meaningly. "I have not been there since June," he said. ''There are great changes."

The closing hours for hairdressers and tobacconists' shops at Inglewood were last year made the same as for other shops. These trades have now been exempted from the general closing regulations. The Union Steamship Company s fleet, according to the latest returns, consists of sixty-five steamers of a total gross register of 155,271 tons. The largest vessel is tho Marama, or 6437^tons, and tho smallest the Squall, of d 69 tons. A peasant from Ober Hessen, who saw electric light for tho first time at an hotel in Mayenco, Germany, where he was spending the wight, broke a. blood-vessel in endeavoupng tp Wow out the light. His condition is hope-

less. "■ t Six pounds a month for barking me a dog is not bad pay! The tax collectors in Paris have employed meu to go round at night and bark like dogs. Whenever a dog replies* they make a noto of the address, and the collector. calls in the morning.

There has been a considerable falling off in the butter and cheese shipments for the whole Dominion for the end of March and beginning of Ap*"> as compared with the corresponding period of last year. The Rimutaka, for London, carried 2148 boxes >of butter, as against 7672 boxes of butter for the same period of 1907, the shortage < being attributed to butter Btored for local requirements. Next month local industries wiU be given a place of honour in the principal shops of the four centres. The scheme for a "local industries, week, according to the secretary of the Wellington Industrial Association, Mr ;I±. F. Allen, has caught on. CtoristchuWsn. has definitely decided to make the display between June 4th and 10th, a*nd Auckland and Wellington will probably make similar arrangements as to time. When the old lady appeared at the * big -door of the life-saving station, the New York Tribune says, she. regarOed tho rough waters of the bay withfr^nir encd eyes. "Isn't something, beingftone for that ship in distress?" she anxiously demanded, pointing seaward. Oh, that's all right, ma'am,' 1 * replied a man in oilskins. "We've sent 'em a line to come ashore." "Goodness me!'exclaimed the lady. "Were they waiting for a. formal invitation?"

"The Government programme for entertaining the American fleet will; be considered when. Ministers meet m Wellington next week. The hearty cooperation of the citizens of will be appreciated by the Government. Information as to tho number of. vessels to visit New Zealand has been asked for, and I am informed tna* fourteen are coming, though, this is not definite. .Xjthall let you have any information I can later." — Telegram from Sir Joseph Ward to the Mayor of Auckland. The small- boy was an Imperialist, „ and hia father had pronounced viewa on the question of alien immigration, go this piece of news found immediate acceptation: "The population of China," announced the school, teacher impressively, "is. so vast- that two Chinamen die at every breath we take." Shorty afterwards, he was observed to be turning purple in the face, and puffitife like an bverburdeneg steam-engine. "What's the matter?, What are you doing?" asked the, instructor s anxiously. "Killm' Chinamen/ grunted the patriot.

The advantage of using oil fuel, a* against coal, is thus referred to by al shipping authority:— "lf oil was used an the Lusitania the fire room.complement would be reduced from 312 to 37i hands. . . : and the voyage hetwieenj Queenstown and -New York by aft • least eight hours. It takes 35 men 2i hours to pufrSO tons of coal on board a liner, while a steam pump can pub into* supply tanks 300 tons of fuel" hi an hour, silently and cleanty; The necessary operation of .burning down. and cleaning fires which the «se;or coal demands for Continuous steaming is a loss of power 4 , and the deposition of toot and other matter in the boiler tubes 6f a ship like the Lilsitania ac^ counts for a loss- of quite 10,000 indicat-edvhorse-power every four hours. ,

Trade in human hair is increasing ia Japan, according to the British Commercial Attache at Yokohama. The value of the exports of this «'commodity" has -risen from £360 in 1904 to £10,421 in 'the first eleven- montha of 1907. Franco appears to be the best foreign customer, for in 1907, she tooK 115,7101 bof it; valued at £5528, while 38#531b weight, worth £2653 went to the United States, Great Britain's share was only 35781 b. valued at £170,, or less than 2 per cent, of the total. The hair is all blaok in colour, and rather coarse, coming almost entirely^ from women of the lower classes. Iti is collected in the spring and autumn, the best quality coming from the women of Izu, who are blessed with locka of extraordinary length. After being combed and cleaned by means of /Sand, the harvest thus gathered is sorted in bundles ready for the market.

"Bag-piping" is a new form of hunting recently discovered by Mr Donald McLean, late of Scotland, and now of the town of Warsaw (Canada)^ McLean has a little shanty out in the woods. He was deer hunting there, and had two fine bucks hanging from a- -> tree. Returning »iroin another expedition at nightfall, he heard the howls of a big pack of timber wolves. He did not want to lose his deer, and he knew his rifle would be useless in the dark. So he seized his trusty bagpipe. "The" Campbells are Coinin'— Tra-la, tra-lal" he piped. The wolves. stopped a short way from camp. .The strains of "Loch Lomond" next shivered the wintry air. The howling ceased for a moment. McLean next sent one of his own compositions over the waste, and the wo|ves turned and loped for the woods. There has not been a wolf near the camp since. ,

Another tribute to the genius of the New Zealand composer, Mr Alfred Hilly > comes from Sydney. The Sydney correspondent of the New Zealand Herald! writes : —"New Zealanders who were fortunate enough, to bo present at the Butt-Rumford concert in the Sydney Town Hall a few nights ago^ were moved with the spirit of patriotism at tho reception given to the music oU their national, composer, Mr Alfred Hill. As soon as the opening hars off the 'Poi Song' were played the audi-" ence, who had been made familiar with it at a previous performance,: showed their approval in a very, emphatic manner, and were equally dempnstrative during the interlude be-» tween the two .verses. Though the song was given as an encore number, it was redemanded, and the second ,» time was received with equal enthusiasm. Mr Rum ford is speculatingas to how this song will be received at Home, for it is quite different from the usual run of- songs, and therefore off the beaten track. Its great success in Sydney is, no doubt, the first of a succession of triumphs."

"Wo understand that Mr. Soronsen's property at . Smart Road, on which valuable clay deposits have been found, "has been sold to an Auckland syndicate, the option held by Mr. S. Hill having expired. *

During the last fifty years "Europe h:is> made the rare mistake of foolishly providing civilisation, ships, and cannon for tho Asiatic nations. . But beyond any doubt her most . imprudent move was- to teach and educate them to such an extent that they can now do without her. — "Dopeche," Toulouse.

Tho English liation is sentimental at times, but it is never naive. The presence of the Kaiser in England and all his winning words, and ways have not prevented tho British Admiralty deciding to create a new naval base on the east coast of England, just opposite the German shores. — Independence Beige, Brussels.

As showing how •' 'Books for Bushmen" are appreciated by tho country settlers, w*e have to-day received the following from a Purangi resident: — "Will you. kindly send a .parcel of Booka for Bushmen when you can spare them I did not ask for them last winter, as I begged some from friends. Thesu have all gone, and soy oral men havo been enquiring for jnore, as the camps are forming up for winter. It is very kind of you to collect .them for tho backbloeks. Thank you, and the many friends that send them on."

It has long been recognised that various forms of dust, when mingled with aii) in certain proportions, are- capable of producing destructive explosions when brought into contact with flame. This danger sometimes exists in flourmills. A historic instance is the; explosion of three flpurmills at Minneapolis, in 1878. It was then demonstrated, by experiment, that two ounces of flour in two cubic feet of confined air. when ignited, would cause a violent explosion, and it was calculated that the contents of a flour sack distributed through 4000 cubic feet of air would cause an explosion capable of throwing a weight of 2500 tons to a height of 100 feet. It has been shown that any dust that will burn may cause an explosion. An instance is kaown where sugar dust in a confectionary factory caused an explosion, and in {mother case dry soap dust proved equally dangerous.

With reference to a paragraph which appeared in yesterday's issue respecting a low level bridge over the Tongaporutu River at the junction of the Okau and Mangatoro Roads, which was described as a public works puzzle, we understand that it was simply a question of spending the money available to tho best advantage. A certain sum was. voted by Parliament for opening up i the roadr to have built a high-level bridge would have left nothing for the track, and the bridge woidd probably have decayed (the timber available is very inferior and will not last many years) before the land was properly roaded. By constructing a low-level j bridge something was available for im- j proving the track, and by the time this crossing has decayed it will be possible to get hardwood timbers to the site for building a permanent bridge. The present crossing is sufficient at ' all times except when the river is in high flood, and that is only rarely.