LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 12, 26 July 1882, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Parliamentary return shows that railway material to the value of £170,589 is now under order from England. His Excellency the Administrator of the Government has been pleased to appoint John Frederick Rockstrow, Esq., Public Vaccinator for the Foxton district. Farmers and others interested will be glad to learn that there is a marked upward tendency in the price offered for cheese, 8 1/2 d being readily obtainable in Wellington for good Manawatu samples. Another bullock was sacrificed on the Railway line near the Makino station, on Monday morning, by the train from Halcombe. We understand the beast was the property of Mr Lethbridge. Grain exports are largely increasing from Southland. For six months of this year already expired, the exports of wheat have been 115,500 bushels, and of oats 179,800 bushels. At present there is enough grain at the Bluff to load 12 1000-ton ships. We congratulate Mr Gould on his complete restoration to health, which he attributes to the bracing air of the Kiwitea, in which district he has been residing for the past seven weeks. He resumed his duties as Stationmaster at Halcombe last Monday. Legal costs and expenses on this coast are assuming gigantic dimensions. A recent Maori case, heard at the Native Land Court at Marton, will cost each side £1000 and upwards. We understand that the value received in this case will be literally nothing, by either plaintiff or defendant. The travelling public will be pleased to learn that during the current week the repairs to the bridge at Kakariki will have progressed so far as to enable the railway authorities to pass goo s. timber, and passengers over, without the passengers being inconvenienced by having to alight from the carriages. The annual general meeting of the Manchester Rifles was called for Satur day evening last, at the Town Hall. Owing to the small attendance of members no meeting was held. After those present were put through half-an-hour's drill, Captain Lethbridge dismissed the men. The annual meeting will be held at some future date, which will be duly advertised. We would suggest that the hour of the next meeting be fixed at 7.30 or 8 o'clock. [Since the above was in type we have received an advertisement caling an adjourned meeting for Saturday evening next, at 7 p.m.] On Friday last a seaman named David Hannah, employed on board the schooner T. B. Taylor, at that time lying in Wanganui River, was drowned by the upsetting of the ship's boat, which he and another seaman named Robinson had borrowed from the master of the vessel in order to go ashore. They left the ship's side under sail, and after proceeding a short distance, the boat upset when acking Hannah made for the shore, ho ing to reach it by swimming, but he overestimated his strength and sank, after shouting "Good bye" to 'Robinson who stuck to the boat. Robinson was picked up by the pilot boat, much exhausted.

We have to acknowledge the receipt of a batch of Parliamentary papers from the Government Printer. The an Francisco mail will arrive by the 6.30 p.m. train this evening. The post office will be open for the delivery of letters from 7 to 7.30 p.m. We understand that Messrs Bartholomew and Bailey are the successful tenderers for the contract to cut. 10,000 sleepers for the Hawera line. It is rumored that Mr F. Bryce has disposed of his property in the Kiwitea to the M'Kenzie Brothers. The price has not transpired, but we understand it is a satisfactory one to both parties. The meeting of the Manawatu Farmers' Club, advertised to be held at Sanson last Saturday, lapsed for want of a quorum. Another meeting is called for the 29th inst., at the same place. Several slight shocks of earthquake were felt on Monday night and Tuesday morning. They were felt all over the Colony. No damage of any kind is reported. Rumours are still current, a despatch from Yokohama says, with regard to the probability of war between China and Japan. No preparations for such a contingency are, however, being made by the latter. It is said that " Levianthan Thompson" attributes a great part of his wonderful luck or good fortune, in betting, in all kinds of sweeps, lotteries, consultations, etc., to the regularity with which he has always paid his newspaper subscriptions. He is very superstitious on this point, although the weakness is almost pardonable. On the 25th April, 1882, the employes of Messrs John Brinsmead and Sons, of London, presented, to Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and Princess Helen of Waldeck, a grand oblique pianoforte, in a very handsome ebonised case, decorated in Adams' style. It is 7 1.3 octaves in compass, and contains all the recent improvements of the firm, including a third pedal that produces most melodious effects, the sound being sustained to an almost indefinite length of time.— Morning Post. The Auckland Herald says: — " We are informed that details of the scheme of the settlement of the Patetere block by immigrants from England may be expected by the next San Francisco mail. A body of settlers for that block may be expected, it is said, in the spring. Mr Howard Jackson, surveyor, who was connected with the survey of the Feilding settlement, has cut out the Native reserves in the block and marked them off, a procedure which was necessary before the certificate could issue so that everything is now in train for the settlement of the Patetere block. At the R. M. Court, this morning, before R. Ward, Esq., R.M., the following cases were heard : — Bellve v Ewen, £5 10s 6d; Smithson v Gould, £5 17s 3d; Hill for Borough rates v S. Bishop, 16s; C. Humphrey, 20s. Verdicts in each case for plaintiffs were given with costs. M. K. Samuels v Spearing. £3 2s, defendant to pay 10s a week, or in default four days in Wanganui gaol, v J. Robinson v R. Hastie for assault. This case was dismissed as the assault was provoked by the bad language used by the plaintiff. The Court then adjourned. The concert to be held at the Town Hall on Friday evening next, promises to draw a bumper house. We have inspected the plan of the reserved seats at the Post Office, and find it is almost filled up. The tickets for the stalls and back seats are also meeting with a ready sale, thus showing the strong feeling that exists of sympathy with the object of the concert, viz., to defray the remaining debt of the Presbyterian Church. Great anticipations of pleasure exist among the musical patrons in Feilding, who have not been fortunate enough in the past to hear the musical talents of the M'Kenzie family and other local talent.

Ladies' Kid, Calf, and Leather Boots. Children's Kid, Lace, and Nailed Boots. Men's Water-tight, Shooting and Kid Boots. Boy's and Youth's Water-tights, Shooting, and Nailed Boots. Over 1000 pairs at R. Loudon's. Children's Ulsters reduced in price at R. Loudon's. Boy's, and Youth's Ulsters reduced in price at R. Loudon's. — Advt.