Local & General News.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 49, 7 October 1884, Page 2

Local & General News.

In another column Dr Johnston advertises for tenders to fall 40 acres of bush. We have to acknowledge receipt of a number of Parliamentary papers from the Government Printer. On Sunday next as Father McManus will be holding service in Foxton there will be no Mass in the Eoman Catholic Church on that daj. Yesterday Mr Hill, the Borough Engineer, was busy taking levels at various points with the view of effecting certain much needed improvements with reference to drainage and other matters. On the whole the fruit trees throughout the district are looking well, being full of blossom, the apples more especially. If the winds and frosts do not play havoc amongst them they .should bear good crops. The peaches, however, will this :j c.i sea bo c^t;y'-'.~:\u j vr sjv^lcins a failure.

Mr Joseph Bray calls for tenders for metalling the Spur and Taonui roads, I tenders to be in by noon on the 18th inst. ': Mr Pollock is putting down an artesian well next to his shop in Manchester street. On Friday evening next a public ball wiii be held in the Foresters' Hall under Uiivius; ices of tho Pesldi.ig String Band, of which Mr Curren is a most efficient leader. We are informed that as soon as Derby street is liiiislu d and the approaches made passable, the Kouian Catholic Ohurch will be consecrated by Bishop .Redwood. Some of our local athletes have already commenced to practice for the contest in some of the events at the forthcoming Boxing Day Sports. Six deaths have occurred in a week at Barmedman (N.S.W.j from a peculiar epidemic which prevails. The first symptoms are shivering and sickness, after which the flesh of the patient gradually ■ becomes black. The E.M. Court to be held here tomorrow is likely to be veay busy. Besides the civil business, which includes one or two defended actions, there are five rather important criminal cases to be heard. We have received copies of a number of letters from Mr A. Burr, addressed to the Minister for Public Works, oa the subject of the Central Railway Route. We would gladly publish these, only as the report of the committee will be laid before the House in a few days, no public end would be served. The Feilding Band played a selection of pieces on the Square on Saturday night. They afterwards proceeded to the Public Hall where they "discoursed sweet music" until the business of the Sports Committee commenced. We are glad to observe that Mr Daw is effecting great improvement in the performances of the members of bis bund. We hope that the meeting to be held on Saturday evening next at the Denbigh Hotel to form a cricket club for ihe ensuing season, will b« well attended. We are glad to. observe that the hour 7 o'clock is a most convenient one and will enable visitors from Taonui to assist at the meeting and return to their koines by the last train. At a meeting last night in Wellington it was decided to form a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals. The Governor presided. Mr Howard Vincent, who is a member of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal* addressed vhe meeting. In Invercargill s young man named Francis Campbell, carpenter, committed suicide on Saturday by shooting himself through the head with a revolver. He had been suffering from ill-health for some time, and this, coupled with the sudden illnesß of his mother, appears to have unhinged his mind. A daring robbery was committed at the Orari Hotel, Timaru, on Saturday, L 260 in cash and notes being stolen from under the bed of the proprietor. A young man named Robert McKay was to-day arrested on suspicion of the theft by Detective Kirby. Persons who keep poultry should look out for their eggs. One settler in town, who wondered why his ducks didn't lay, recently found by accident three large nests in his garden. The birds had made holes in the ground, in which they had deposited their eggs in eood numbers, one nest containing no less than 96. The four Masonic Lodges in Wellington have united for the purpose of forming a company to erect a Masonic Hall, at a cost of £10,000 in £1 shares. As soon as 4000 shares are taken up the company will be registered and directors appointed. The list of shareholders will be confined to Masons only. Yesterday morning his Excellency tho Governor presented to Master William Rankiu the bronze medal and certificate awarded by the Royal Humane Society, through their Australian branch. The award is made in recognition of young Rankin's bravery in jumping into the Wellington harbour and rescuing a little boy named Pearce, who was drowning. A German paper gives a test for watered milk which is simplicity itself. A well-polished knitting-needle is dipped in a deep vessol of milk, and immediately withdrawn in an upright position. If the sample is pure, some of the fluid will hang to the needle ; but if water has been added to the milk, even iri small proportions, the fluid will not adhere to the needle. Mr H. J. Walter brought with him from the well-known nursery of Mr La ing, of the Hutt, specimens of some finecamelias, among which was the now celebrated scented variety. Mr Laing claims to have grafted the magnolia on to the camelia, with the result that the latter delicate flower attracts some measure of the former's scent and retains a light pink hue. Mr Laing is hopeful of producing a camelia that will possess some of the qualities of the verbena. — Dunedin Star. The examination of the scholars at tending the Feilding Public School did not terminate till about half past six on Saturday evening. Even then the work of the Inspector was not nearly done, as he would have to wade through all the ! papera of the pupils in the upper standards. As he was yesterday occupied with the Makino School, it has been impossible for us to get the results of the Feilding examination in tune for to-day's ihsu*. : We expect however, to bftablato publish I them oa Thursday. j Both Bench and Bar were at fault in their law in the R.M. Court the other day- In a case under the Resident i Magistrate's Evidence Act, 1870, Mr FitzGerald raised a point that the new fees fixed by Order in I'ouncil were ultra vires, as the Act itself fixed the fees, and the Governor in council had no power to raise them. Mr Wardell accepted M r PitzGeratd's reading of the law, and only allowed the old scale of fees. Both gentleman were wrong. The Financial Arrangements Act, 1878, under which the Order in Council was issued, gives the necessary power to raise the fees.— Post. On Thursday last, says the Post. Mr Macarthur asked the Minister of Public Works whether it : was the intention of the Government to restore the railway passes to newspapers published within the colony, under such restrictions as wonld prevent any abuse of the privilege. He said that he had moved in the matter in the interests of many of tho country newspapers which were compelled to send to a distance for the purpose of collecting news. The Minister replied that he could not see his way to granting the request. When these passes were withdrawn their number was incredible, and the abuses of the privilege ' hc3 beei) Iktiucml and flagrant.