Local and General News

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 148, 14 July 1888, Page 2

Local and General News

The Pahiatua Road Board has £1000 to its credit. Good gold has been fouud in the crop of a rooster killed in Wellington. New Zealandera in Melbourne are beginning to look for ways and means to get back here again. We have to acknowledge receipt of a batch of Parliamentary papers from the Government printer. A correspondent of the Hawera Star says a piece of gold has been found at the mouth of the Taungatara river. It is said that Mr Blackett, Engineer-in-Chief is likely to retire on a pension at a very early date. We have received a copy of the Victorian Engineer, a monthly journal published in the interests of civil and mechanical engineers. The only civil servant who has not ha his salary " rotrenched" is Maxwell. Verily he " knows his way about" with the " powers that be," The Governor leaves for Sydney to-day to be present at the opening of the Melbourne Exhibition on August Ist. Chief Justice Prendergast will reign m his stead. Dick Seddon is asking for leave of absence for a week. His application will be granted, but there wont be a dry eye in the House when he goes. Happily joy seldom kills. It is announced to-day by Mr 0. Brown, of Manchester House, that his great clearing sale of drapery, clothing, and boots will be continued until the end of tho current month. It has been officially announced there is to be a coinage of four shilling pieces — double florins. This won't interest us much. Fourpenny pieces are about up to our weight with so much Protection about. Ths regular Atlantic steamers are carrying grain from New York to Liverpool and London for one farthing per bushel. This compares badly with 9d to lOd per bushel from Melbourne to the Channel. The following is the " grog" bill of the Wanganui Hospital for the month of June : — Whiskey, 4ozs ; brandy, 48ozs ; wine, 4ozs ; porter, 30 bottles ; gin, 24ozs. No wonder the Manawatu people want to get a hospital of their ova. Mr Thomas Bayly, of Waitara, is turning out a capital article from his dairy factory, and has (says the Hawera Star) found a market for every pound of butter made lately at eighteen pence per lb. This is good news for dairy factory shareholders. The annual social gathering and promenade concert, in connection with the Church of England, will be held in the Foresters' Hall on Friday, the 20th mst. For further particulars we refer our readers to the advertisement. Parisian physicians are interested in a new spectroscope, the invention of Dr Henocque, for investigating the changes of the blood in patients. It is being applied to the study of the phenomena of nutrition, and is expected to prove an important instrument. It is stated (says the Manawatu Times) that in the event of plaintiffs succeeding m the action Milverton v. Palmerston Borough Council at least two of the owners of land in the locality will enter similar actions. This is a bright look out for the ratepayers. Old Chancer, father of English poetry who died in the year 1400, makes use in bis "Well of English Undefiled " of many familiar expressions, such as " Wet the whistle," the supposed Yankeeism " I guess," "Blow," in the »ense of inform, "Not worth a bene," " Right here," " Murder out ,"etc. A nevr insurance company has been formed in Denmark. Only young girls are admitted as members. Each member pays a small sum yearly, beginning at the age of thirteen. If the member marries she forfeits all her rights ; if she remains single she receives a pension at the age of forty. Kimbolton road and Manchester street are in a dreadfully sloppy condition owing to the heavy rains and excessive trafic, and we hear much grumbling there anent, but we may inform the growlers that as soon as the weather gets fine enough to enable men to work, the roads will be put in good repair. The public will be pleased to learn that S. J. Thompson, of the Red House, has just opened up 20 cases of winter drapery (latest fashions), comprising dress materials, trimmings, hosiery, laces, gloves, men's clothing, Crimean and woollen shirtings, etc. For cash the prices are lowest in town. — Ajdvt. The Government contemplate bringing n a bill this session, if possible, with the object of doing away with the employment of Property Tax Assessors, The? intend to have the work done by the permanent officers of the department, and they reckon that by adopting this course a saving of about £6000 a year will be effectedMr John Bishop is having his shop in Kimbolton road (opposite the blacksmiths' forge) very neatly fitted up with shelves, counters, etc., with the view of opening it as a grocers and ironmongers establishment, at no distant date. The work is in the hands of W. Watts, builder, which 1 is a sufficient guarantee it will be patisfactorily completed.

The Premier and the Speaker are both i on the sick list. | The Waipawa Mail is about to com- j mence an action against the Bush Advocat > for libel. It is rumoured that a man lived for twenty-nine years in Picton. He died at , last. A new and startling advertisement from Mr S. J. Thompson, of tke Ked House, will appear shortly. ! Letters re Awahuri School Committee, and other interesting matter, are unavoidably held over to make room for English cables. : We notice that Mr Edwin Young has made large additions to his business premises, and has opened a coffee and. dining saloon. ; The " screw" of the Mayor of Wellington has been reduced from £300 to £105. This will prevent the position being aimed at by any member of the " unemployed." We learn from the Manawatu Times that yesterday morning it was discovered a burglary had been committed at Mr D. E. Lowers store in Palmeraton. The operators must have been disturbed as they only annexed a few currants. On Wednesday next fruit growers and others desirous of obtaining some excellent young fruit trees grown and reared in the district, will have an opportunity of doing so, for on that day Messrs Stevens and Gorton will sell an assorted collection from the nursery of Mr Thomas Hall, at their auction rooms, Fergusson street. The success which has attended the efforts of Messrs Pringle Brothers to satisfy their customers since they purchased their butchery business from Mr Linton, has been very marked, and m order to keep pace with the times, and lose none of the advantages they have gained, intend to continue as they have begun. Further particulars will be given by advertisement m our next issue. A Losing Joke. — A prominent physic* ian of Pittsbure said jokingly to a lady patient who was complaining of her continued ill-health, and of his inability to cure her, "Try Dr Soule's American Hop Bitters!" The lady took it in earnest, and used the Bitters, from which she obtained permanent health. She now laughs at the doctor for his joke, but he is not so well pleased with it, as it cost him a good patient. — Harrisburg Patriot. A report of the annual meeting of the Wanganui Sash and Door Factory and Timber Company will be found on our first page with to-day's issue. The Company appear to be making satisfactory progress, and a dividend of 5 per cent, was declared for the six months just ended, which, with a dividend of 5 per cent, for the first six months of the last financial year of the Company makes the annual dividend one of 10 per cent. This should prove satisfactory to the shareholders, a number of whom reside in this district. The awful consequences of " mean advertising" are shown by the following : — •• A man down on the south side put a sign in his window which read : ' Boy Wanted,' A few hours later passers by saw him jerk it down wrathfully and tear it up while he gave vent to some bad language. Finally a neighbor approached and asked the cause of his anger, when it was learned that his wife had just presented him with triplets." If he had " used the columns of the local paper" instead of his window he would haye got exactly what he wanted. Mr Macarthur has discovered a discrepancy in the Financial Statement and has asked the Premier to explain it. The alleged discrepancy occurs on page 7 of the printed copy of the Statement, wherein the Treasurer says he saved no less than £53,730 out of the £74,050 which was proposed to be saved last session, but was distributed amongst the departments. It appears the Treasurer did save in some departments the £53,730 claimed, but in other departments instead of there being a saring there was an excess of expenditure amounting to £8583. The real saving therefore is only £45,147 as shown in table No, 7 attached to the Statement, aad hence the discrepancy. — Press. At the Police Court on Thursday morning, before Mr Krull, J.P., William Henry Fisher was charged with forging the endorsement of Mr G-. V. Shannon to a promissory note for the payment of £15. Tho promisory note was drawn by Mary Ferris. Sergeant Anderson, in asking the Bench for a remand for eight days, stated that he had, through the police at Feilding, communicated with Mr Shannon, who disavowed all knowledge of having signed the document in question. The signature of Mary Ferris, the drawer, was evidently genuine, but valueless, as she was an inmate of the Alexandra Home, Wellington. The prisoner had, Sergeant Anderson went on to say, two or three days ago offered the promissory note for £2 to a resident in town, but at that time it did not bear any endorsement. Afterwards it was negotiated by Mr Messiter, who nad made an advance of £10. The remand was granted, and the prisoner was further remanded for a similar period on a charge of uttering the note knowing it to bear a false endorsement. — Wanganui Herald. Tliose poor Civil Servants ! Insult has now been added to the injuries they already have suffered and are suffering. The latest phase of development of tor* ture inflicted upon this suffering and mnch-kicked class is the undergoing of a certain inqnisitonal process at the hands of heads of departments. A paperhas been circulated in one department, at any rate, requiring the officers to state their ages, whether married if so how many children they hate, would have had, or expect to h.tve ; what rent they pay, how many teeth they have left or, if possessed of false ones, how many, and whether upper or lower set ; Whether mother«in law is alive and living handy ; how many pipes, cigars or cigarettes they smoke daily, how many " tots" they take in the 24 hours ; if the children go without boots and socks (or stockings), how many ? and what was last weeks' washing bill, and whether paid, or was work done at home. All this is with a view to further retrenchment. — Press.