Local and General News

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 143, 3 July 1888, Page 2

Local and General News

The second mushroom anchor for hauling off the Fleione has been successfully laid. The firebricks for the Palmerston gasworks have arrived at Foxton per s.s. Napier. Hanlan is said to hare cleared £20,000 by his race with Trickett. The latter says he is perfectly satisfied, and will never row again. To show the progress of Otaki and Shannon, on the Wellington-Manawatu railway, Oddfellows' Lodges were opened there on Saturday last. The total deficiency in the funds o f the Pemberton Small Farm Settlement (through Dudley Eyre's "financing") is set down at between £500 and £600. A large dwelling house of 16 rooms at Karere, Palmerston, occupied by Mr Monrad, was totally destroyed by fire on Saturday last. Insurances — £400 in Northern Company. Captain Bendall states that the Pleione ought to be in Wellington harbour within two months. She is gradually hauling herself off the beach, having moved 60 yards during the last high tides. Mr Mitchelson, Publio Works Minister, denied point blank in the House on Fri-' day a statement made by the Post recently that the new Eailway Commissioners are to be Trimble, Wright, and Nicholls. Mr Gladstone, in a recent issue of the North America* Review, breaks a lance with Colonel Ingersoll in defence of Christianity. Tfce Pall Mall Budget of May i 7th contains extracts of Gladstone's article, given as replies to portions of Ingersoll's statements. It is alleged that in order to remove the stain on the character of New Plymouth harbor made by the mishap to the Hawea, an enthusiastic inhabitant got up in the night and stole away the rock on which the vessel struck. This is why the divers cannot find it. In contrast to the present financial condition of New Zealand, it is pleasing to read that one neighboring colony, at least, is in a prosperous condition, judging from the returns of her revenue. The total revenue of Victoria for the year shows an increase over last of £870,000. The Property-Tax Department estimate that if all property exceeding £100 in value had been subject to the taxation last year, £80,000 of additional revenue would have been derived, and that the private incomes of £150 and upward not derived from property already taxed amounted last year to £2,800,000. The terrible disease cancer would seem to be on the increase in New Zealand, the deaths having increased from 53 in 1885 to 73 in 1886. Since then (says the Times) we have hunted up the statistics for 1886 and find that in this year no lesß th&u 214 deaths occurred from cancer. This is a tremendous leap m the death rate from this cause which should be made the /subject of searching enquiry. We regret to learn from the Wanganui Herald that Mr Bear, school-master at Halcombe, who has been staying at Wanganui during the last few days, died yery suddenly at the Commei-qial Hotel yesterday morning. Many of our readers will remember the deceased gentleman sang at the concert given here in aid of the Feilding Fire Brigade a few weeks ago. He leaves a wife and family to mourn his loss.

The Borough Council -will meet on Thursday next at the usual hour. At the Palmerston borough pound, last week, two horses were sold for 6d and 3s respectively. The tender of Mr W. Watts for the erection of the bell-tower in Manchester Square, has been accepted. A preliminary advertisement appears to-day aneat a great boot sale to be held in the shop lately occupied by Mr Oolyille. Mr Alfred Eade has just received a lot of new furniture, bedsteads, crockery, etc., to which he requests attention. His new advertisement will appear shortly. The rehearsal of the Cantata last night, was most successful, and augured well for the performance this evening. Many of the solos and concerted pieces are very beautiful. A man named John Martin was nearly burned to death in his hut at Skippers, Otago, last week. He and Edwards, hia mate, procured a gallon of whisky and drank till they became helpless. Edwards appears to have endeavored to rescue him, but was too drunk to remember what occurred. Charles Henry, of Feilding, who lately filed his schedule, was arrested at Palmerston on Saturday evening, at the instance of the Official Assignee, it being suspected that he was about to* leave the Colony. It appears that some months ago the debtor forwarded some articles to Sydney, and on this occasion he said he was going to Napier, but a. box of his was found at the station labelled ' ' Wellington" whioh led to his arrest as above. Messrs F. Stratford and T. Wray this morning became sureties for the debtor's appearance when required. — Manawatu Timea. Recent visitors to the Pohangina Special Settlement report the grass sown on the reosnt burns is coming on splendidly. One settler ia the vicinity is now running two sheep to the acre on grass whicn has not been sown more than three months. A considerable extent of falling ia also going on, and the settlement of the block is doing much good in the district. At present a piece of the road leading to the Block is very bad indeed for a mile and a half, but this trouble will shortly be a thing of the past, as the local Eoad Board was auccessf ul in carrying their loan proposals, and this road is one of those included in the schedule. — Manawatu Herald. __________ '