Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 30, 13 March 1884, Page 2

Local & General News.

Australia annually imports 21,000,000 | lbs of tea, worth £1,000.000, from India. The Feilding portion of the San Fran cisco mail arrived by the noon train today. The average of life in England exceeds that of France by 11 years, though the French climate is considered superior. The General Manager of Railways, Mr J. P. Maxwell, was a passenger by train last evening to Wanganui. A very handsome baptismal font presented by Mr Theodore Haultain to St. John's Church, hns arrived, and will be placed in position by nest Sunday. One solitary passenger went by the special train to Foxton this morning to witness the Foxton Regatta. We hope he will enjoy himself. A recent return gives the number of sheep now in New Zealand as 22,238,152, as against 12,401,106 ior last year, show- ! ing an increase of 880,046 sheep. Mr D <uglas left for Wellington last night. This gentleman has been entrusted with the duty of presenting to the Governor the petition of 678 ratepayers of the Oroua County for the suspension of the Counties Act. Our Bulls correspondent informs us that Capt. Wright has again disappointed the Salvationists, but Mr Gordon Forlong still continues to make recruits from tlie ranks of the "publicans and sinners." To the mind of £1 Madhi, Christianity and Government taxes, are equally offensive. In the old times Huni Heke, of the Bay of Islands waa of the same way of thinking. The Napier Telegraph hears from Wei lington that when the Hon W. Johnston resigned the porfolio of Public Works his department disclosed a shocking state of neglect. Piles of letters and other communications unattended to, ieft a pretty legacy for the incoming Minister. We draw the attention of our sporting readers to alterations made in the time of starting the various events at the forthcoming Easter Race.*. It will be observed that one hour earlier for each race has been decided on. This has been made necessary in order to get through the programme while it is yet day. Eight tons of tallow, being, we believe, the first consignment from Mr A. Bell's boiling down establishment at Makino, j were yesterday forwarded by rail to Wanganui, en route for London. The article which was of the best possible quality, and in splendid condition, wa* packed in barrels containing 6c wt each. The three English Masonic charitable institutions, which are -supported by the voluntary contributions of the craft, dur- . ing the year 1883 realised a total income of £55.994 14s 3d Of this sum the boys school reciived £24,895 7s Id, the Benevolent Institution £18,449 6s, and the girls school £12,650 Is 2d. Mr Sven*den is determined to be to the front in his particular line of business. We notice that he has just received his stock of ladies' and gentlemen's boots ani shoes suitable for winter wear. These goods are from the best makers m the colonies and are warranted to be of the best and neatest fashions, and to be of the best lasting qualities. Mr Proctor, the celebrated astronomer, writing to the Newcastle Chronicle says : —"Once in New Zealand, I saw a sunset display of equal and indeed greater splendour; and in America and Australia I have frequently seen colours more striking ; but for combined beauty and grandeur the sunset in New Zealand alone surpassed the beautiful display of November 26th" Mr Carthew announces that he has just received, by direct steamer from London to Wellington, his usual monthly supply of new books, journals, periodicals Ac. 4c. As the number of these is necessarily limited, we recommend every one to make an early visit to the establish ment in order to secure the best literary productions of the day, before the opportunity be lost. •

A committee meeting of the Horticultural Society will be held at the Manchester Road Board office to-morrow erening at 8 p.m. Messrs Stevens and Gorton will hold their first «tock sale at their Cheltenham Yards on Friday, the 21st March. We expect to see a largo attendance as the entries are numerous and cattle are in prime condition. Owing to the Clerk of the Court being absent to-day on Licensing Court business at Ashurst, we have not been furnished with particulars of the election of the Licensing Committee at Halcombe yesterday. Mr Durall. a successful Insurance Agent well-known in this district, is about lenvine for Cape Colony, whether to pursue his calling among the followers of the late lamented Cetewayo, we know not. Anyway, we wish him success in whatever capacity. The County Chairman has asked the Government whether, if the Council let the contracts for the repairs to the Awahuri Bridge at once, they will be prepared to guarantee that the application for funds made two months ago will be granted within three months from thin dale. Mr Macarthur has telegraphed to the Minister of Public Works asking when Mr ltochfort may be expected to commence the surrey of the Oroua Valley. He also stated that the public were getting very impatient. Mr Mitchelson's reply will be interesting. Tbe Assessment Court for the Halcombe Town Board was held yesterday morning at the Hilcombe Railway Station before h. Ward, Esq., R.M. There were only 10 objections, all of which were granted, chiefly by conseut of the Assessor Mr Purkiss ; and the business which was almost entirely of a routine character was satisfactorily settled. An order for 7000 whistles has been given to a London firm. These will be served out to the Metropolitan Police, in place of the ancient rattle. An attempt was made, for economic reasons, to teach the constables to whistle with their fingers in their mouths, but as this was done during the winter months, several fingers were "chattered" off during the lessons, the project was very unwillingly abandoned. At a well attended meeting of the Presbyterian Church members last night, the following gentlemen were elected a Managing Committee for the current year:— Messrs J. H. Stevens, J. Boal, J. C. Taunt, A. P. Webster, E. Loudon, G. Bartholomew, and G. McLeod. The Revs. Doull and Murray gave interesting addresses, aiid the choir sang several of the new hymn* to favorite Old English secular tunes — a novelty iutroduced with great effect by Mr Sankey. The Secretary read the report and balance-sheet which will appear in our next issue. Now that newspaper reporter's railway passes maj be said to be abolished, we have every expextation that members of the House, whose gold token enables them to travel free, will be tendering thrir services to the newspaper proprietors of their respective district*, at special or general reporters. With a few honorable exceptions, we know none of the mem born who are in the slightest degree qualified for the position, and we warn the Press to be careful in employing men who from want of proper education, combined with a general ignorance of the social amenities of life, might tend to lower the dignity of the Fourth Estate. Some weeks ago there appeared in one of our Palmers ton contemporaries a very interesting account of a scene which took place in Wellingt n at a meeting of the creditors of one of our local tradesmen. A statement was made that the estate realised upwards of 20s in the £. We were interested a little, and wrote to the the trustee enquiring why we had been neglected. Last night we received from him the following reply: — "I was at the meeting of creditors referred to, and heard no such conversation as that mentioned, in fast i twits the very opposite ai the minutes of the nvetin_' would show. With reference to the dividend, I enclose you stamps which is a final dividend of 4s 8J in the £. I regret it did not pay 22s as mentioned in your cutting." So much fur the ''remarkably hon<Mt" debtor.