Local and General News

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 125, 1 April 1886, Page 2

Local and General News

The Justices of the Peace resident in this district will meet in Palmerston tomorrow, to revise the jury list. The shooting season began this morning. Heavy firing has been going on since daylight. Messrs Stevens and Gorton held an extensive sale of stock at Palmerston today. We regret that a number of entries came to hand too late for advertisement in our last issue.

A meeting of the Borough Council will be held this evening. Taranaki celebrated its forty-fifth anniversary yesterday. I There is now quite a rush of applicants for the New Zealand Cross. The Manchester Eifles are reminded of the Church Parade next Sunday afternoon, j Halcombe and Sherwill's market-day stock sale will be held here on the 7th mst. It is said, by a conservative journal, that Mr Gladstone never reads a newspaper. Kequisities for going to law : A good purse, a good cause, a good attorney, a good counsel, good evidence, a good jury,, and last, but not least, good luck. Football clubs in all parts of the colony are now commencing the season. It is high time the Palmerston and Feildmg men made a start. A meeting of the creditors of P. H. Peterkin, a bankrupt, will be held at the court house here on Wednesday, April 7, at 2 p.m. The Auckland Bell informs us that Mr Cobb has married Miss Webb. He knew that they wore intended for each other as soon as he spider. The Court of reviewers under the Property Tax Act will sit at the Court House here on Saturday next at 10.30 a.m. Since the date appointed (Monday last) to receive nominations for the Feilding Easter Races, several more have come to hand but too late to be accepted Mr Rolleston, member for Temuka, and J. L. MacKenzie, member for Naseby, addressed their respective constituencies on Tuesday last. Both gentlemen received a vote of confidence. Most of the taiUrs in FTawkes Bay district are reported to hare taken up shares in the North New Zealand Woollen Factory Company. The News says it is better to invest money that way than to put it on a totalizator. At Mr Locke's meeting at Gisborne, a Mr Mullooly asked, amid uproar: — " Would Mr Locke be in favour of placing a charge of dynamite under the Native Department to blow the whole concern to ?" On Saturday next the auction rooms of Messrs Halcombe and Sherwill will be a great centre of attraction, for on that day the Feilding Eace privihges. a collection of pure bred fowls, and a large and varied assortment of drapery goods, will be offered. A special meeting of the Acclimatisation Society wns held on Tuesday last, when the rules were amended in accordance with notice of motion which had been given at the previous general meeting. The annual subscription of 21s now includes cost of license to pursue game. Our readers are reminded that the Munga Munga Minstrels will give their grand entertainment to-morrow night in the Public Hall. From the care the performers have taken, individually and collectively, in perfecting themselves, we are safe in foretelling that they will give pleasure and satisfaction. Being the first of April the "big gome* berry" season has evidently set in here. A. pnmpkin weighing 84 lba was brought under our notice at the railway station to-day. Any person possessing a heavier one or even a heavier potato than this " infant" will receive the usual notice on leaving it at this office. According to the Marlborough Express a rather amusing scene occurred recently at a place of public amusement not a 1< '0 miles from Blenheim, when a young and handsome married lady chastised a wouldbe masher — who had offended her — with a horsewhip, t» the delight of the onlookers, but with hardly so much pleasure to our mashing friend. We learn from the Post that Mr Morrah who has been for some years Inspector of the Bank of Australasia for the colony, will leave for Europe by the next 'Frisco mail steamer. On his return he will probably retire from the service of the bank on a pension. During his absence his duties will be performed by Mr Sawers formerly manager of the Wellington Branch of the Bank. A very pleasing case of an awakened conscience was brought under our notice yesterday (Wednesday). It appears that some five or six years ago a laboring man incurred a debt of £5 18s with the avowed intention of robbing the storekeeper who trusted him. Since then he has joined the ranks of the Salvation Army where a material change has been wrought in his mind for the better. He called on his creditor a few days ago and paid the money "to ease his conscience." While we are glad to give all honor to the man for the obvious sincerity of his repentance, we must also congratulate the officers and soldiers of the Salvation Army m Feilding on the success of their labors. The larrikin element here has developed a new and most objectionable phase. Last night a number of boys were assembled in front of Mr Young's fruit shop, and it is supposed when the attention of the person in charge was occupied in serving a customer, that one or more of the lads got on the counter and stole a quantity of fruit from the window, consisting of water melons and apples. As far as is known the loss is confined to these. Mr Young informs us that he knows the names of several of the boys, but as he does not wish to bring disgrace on their parents he will not put the affair in the hands of the police, but he wishes to give warning that he will not be so considerate should any similar petty thefts be committed. It will be remembered that at the time of the last Intercolonial Cricket Match, we expressed an opinion that W. E. Barton, of New Zealand, should be given a show in one of the Australian teams visiting England. Some time ago the subject was raised on the Melbourne Crickot Ground by Mr Blaelcman, and it was resolved that Barton could not be invited on account of the team consisting of none bnt Australians. The Press in New Zealand xeem pleased that the matter was considered. We fail to tee the justness of the grounds of Barton's exclusion, simply because he is in New Zealand. If New Zealand is not in Australia, it is in Australasia, the same «a Tasmania, and are we not all Australas-. ians P We also think that a team of Australasians would be equally as well received at home as a team of Australians. An effort should be made next time to include New Zealand cricketers among those to be selected from for a colonial I team. In England the field of selection For a team is considerably larger than here, and by extending the number of cricketers to pick from, we have every- • filing to gain, as it is possible that we I may not embrace all the cricketing ability ' of the colonies. — Sydney Globe.

At the annual meeting of the Dunedin Benevolent Institution, the report showed that during the year 81 wives, with 279 children, had been deserted by their husbands. Australian magpies are the latest mentioned antidote of the sparrow nuisance. The Australasian is responsible, says the Telegraph, for the assertion that although the sparrow is plentiful on the neighboring properties and districts, on Dr. Pluminer's Wyabun Park estate they are scarcely «ver seen ia consequence of the owner having encouraged the formation of colonies of magpies. Lieutenant Holditch, R.N.R., who has been making some experiments on the use of oil at sea in rough weather, points oit the fish or colza oil are the only varieties of any use. He also points out that when running before the wind, the oil has most effect on the water when the bags are towed from the cathrads. If the experiment succeeds this will form a new utilisation of this waste product. When Sir George Grey dies, the Maoris and the poor whites in New Zealand will have lost their truest friend, and England will have lost a public servant, among the best that she ever had, whose worth she failed to understand." In these well chosen words does Mr Froude conclude an account of a visit he made to Sir George Grey, and his opinion will be endorsed by all who know anything of the history of the times. The annexation of Burraah was brought about in this simple and matter of fact fashion. A notification appeared in the Calcutta Gazette as follows : — " By command of the Queen- Empress it is hereby notified that the territories formerly governed by King Thebaw will no longer be under his rule but have become part of Her Majesty's dominions, and trill during Her Majesty's pleasure, be administered by such officers as the Viceroy and Governor-General may from time to time appoint.— Dufferin." Mr A. J. Whittaker, of Hawera, has had a peculiar and alarming experience of that dread affection tetanus, or lockjaw. The Star say 9 that he was suddenly seized with a crampy feeling at the side ttnd back of his neck, extending down to the jaw, and Dr Richards being sum m«ned. diagnosed the complaint as being tetanus. Remedies were applied, and though Mr Whittaker has not quite shaken the attack off, he is, we are glad to say, recovering. The following episode occurred in Melbourne recently: — Ernest E. Knight, charged with forging his wife's name to a cheque for £20, and uttering it, was sentenced to two months' imprisonment at the City Police Court. The prosecution was instituted at the instance of his wife, who is a woman of independent means, to whom he was recently married. The husband is addicted to drink, and has been continually imposing on her by means of forgery. We have received the March number of the Industrial Gazette, from whicu we cull the following ; — It is expected potatoes will be dear before next season. — One of the principal hop-growers of Nelson writes, calling attention to the complaints of the English papers that the New Zealand hops are wanting in strength. Our friend remarks : — " So long as the brewers and merchants will have a pea green sample, so long will the hops lack strength. The fact is the/ are picked before they are ripe to ensure brightness, and to complete the error they are bleacked. with sulpher, which is detrimental to fermentation." At the present time, when wool>growrr«, at any rate those with ordinary merino flocks, are deploring the low price of their staple, it is refreshing to hear of high prices being realised for weols of superior quality. At this year's Jab. Ffb. series of London wool sties, the hot water-washed fleece wool from Sir Samuel Wilson's crack Western Victorian flocks as follows: — "Mount Bute," 75 bales at 3s 2d to 5« per lb (30 bales selling at over 4* and 7 bales at s*) and " Ercilboime," 56 bales at 3s and 6£ to 4s and 4£ per lb In 1867. two bales fetched 5s 0£ per lb. being required for a special fabric for the Paris Kxhibition, but the average price this year is the highest price yet realised.