Local and General News

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 125, 14 April 1891, Page 2

Local and General News

The R.M. Court sittings will be held in Feildirrjj to-morrow. • The Palmerston bakers notify a rise in the price of bread. The great fire in Palmerston North early on Saturday morning, was distinctly visible in Feildiug. Some queer characters have been loafing about Feilding lately. " They may be honest, but they don't look it." We have been requested to state that a display of winter and autumn goods will be made in Messrs J. C. Morey and Co.'s on Saturday next. The cornet and case advertised for in . the Star on Saturday last were returned to Mr Trimble's auction mart yesterday morning. This shows the benefit of advertising. The Manawatu Times says there are some peculiar rumours current in conuec tion with the recent fire at Palmerston North, and understands that the agents of the insurance companies are inyestigating matters. Martial ardour has entered the breasts of many of our townsmen (says the Foxton paper), and they propose taking all necessary steps to form a Volunteer Corps. Two or three gentlemen have been talked of as captain. Someone lias estimated that the time thrown away in this world in courting the girl you want to marry, and who is ready to marry you, would build all the railroads and bridges and tunnels and factories and public buildings. Te Aro House, Wellington, has in today on our first page a replace advertisement to which we are requested to direct the attention of our readers. All the latest novelties in winter dresses are now obtainable at Te Aro House, Wellington. Notice is given to-day by Mr Sherwill, Returning Officer for the Manchester Road Board, that elections to fill three vacancies on that Board, by the annual retirement of members, will be held at times and places specified in the advertisement. The Agent General telegraphs to .the Government from London that the price of New Zealand hemp has advanced .£1 — that is to say, for first class hemp, from i£27 to .£2B. Eleven hundred bales were sold with animation, but the prices and qualities are not detailed. Two men — well-known to the police — were brought before Mr Kirton, J.P., on Saturday charged with being drunk and disorderly. As they had been locked up for some time, they were imprisoned until 4 in the afternoon, after which they were ordered to leave the town. Since the opening of the Gorge line of railway, several articles of production in this district have found a market in Hawkes Bay. For some time apples and I other fruit have been exported thither, and last week a consignment of butter was forwarded by order from Feilding to Napier. A new line of duty has lately been imposed upon the police force. The last issue of the Police Gazette contains an order from the Commissioner that for the future the police are to collect weekly, and pay into the Magistrate's Court, all moneys which are due for the subsistence of children who have been sent to industrial schools. Mr W. Kells is forming a cadet corps in Palmerston. He received thirty-two names at the Volunteer parade last night (says the Manawatu Standard), and as there are twelve vacancies to be filled, he is willing to receive applications from lads over thirteen years of age anxious to join. Why cannot the Feilding youths follow this good example ? There was only a moderate attendance at the Assembly Rooms on Saturday night. After some amusing sparring between some of the novices, Bob Matthews gave an exhibition of his skill with the Indian clubs. Bob had a.i interesting set to with an amateur before the close of the performance. The strictest propriety and order was maintained during the e yening. The Hon. Mr Seddon is a bit of a " shellback," but only as a deck hand. In a speech at Nelson he said " New Zealand does not require much steering, there is a natural buoyance about her, that if left alone she will rise to the wayes and sail almost without aid from the crew." This is very pretty, but if our nautical friend Clarke Russell were to read it he would turn sea sick. A number of country papers have fallen into the grave error of accepting our I morning contemporary as an authority on finance, and are congratulating the Government on having a surplus of upwards of a quarter of a million to commence the financial year with. We need scarcely say that such a surplus does not exist. We only wish it did. Our contemporary got rather mixed over its figures. — Post. It has long been a cause of complaint in volunteering quarters that while men in the ranks have received medals in acknowledgement of 16 years' service, there was no corresponding recognition in the case of officers. The Defence Minister has, therefore, given orders that officers shall also be decorated with silver medals on the completion of 16 consecutive years' service, or 20 years' broken service.— Post. The Otago Miners' Association have suggested that the Government should either establish a mint or provide that post offices in mining districts should purchase gold. It is a pity they aid not go a step farther, and ask the Government to dig the gold for them. That would, besides, not be a bad way of providing for " the unemployed," and the mine owners could sit and look on at their work bsing done for them. Thorough ploughing is the half of cul tiviilriji This is just as true of autumn pl'iuuhine as of any other Where weed* and trash are only tnrnel ovr and not thoroughly buried, they are apt to get a gno'i early start in the spring, and giv> trouble all through the season. -Where iho weed soed is deor>'y and thoroughly buried by s od ploughing it will be late in star! ing, and much of it vnll not grow nfc !>ll. This is one advnntHge of good ploughing that cannot be over estimated. The Minister of Defence intends to place the fortifications and 'Permanent Artillery in four centres under the control of officers commanding the Volunteers in the respective districts. The captains commanding Permanent Artillery are already under notice. There will be a Sergeant- Major in direct charge of each district. Volunteers and militia men will occasionally drill together, and a surprise I alarm will be given shortly to test the efficiency of working, Colonel Hume has i resigned the inspectorship of Volunteers. [ This means the militia will be mustered as soon as the ceusus.returnß are complete.

The Bengal razor advertised for laas been left ofc this office. Captain Edwin telegraphed at 9" a.m. to-day — Warnings for northerly gale 3 after from 16 to - 2'4 hours have been 9est to all places. The old friends of Dx Johnston will In glad to learn that he hns returned to this district and wiJl reside permanently in Feilding, where he will resume the practice of his profession. . Mrs IS ; ulibin.s : •'Josinh, are you going to get uj ?"' Mr Mihlrirss (viuvninj:) '; "'Weil, [ have on^ consolation — I shall have slpep enouuh whon I'm dead." Mrs N.:"Yes, jt.no you will find the fire lit when you awake, ju>t as you d> now. As showing the durability of fcoi.'im, it is meutioncd that Mr Black, of Akaroa, last week du&j up from the trendies in t lie Onawe pah some of the tofara posts used by the Maoris in the palisading erected by them for their defence against Rauparaha and which have been in the ground upwards of 60 yeiirs Tlie" saphndrotteil off, but the heart is still sound. A correspondent writes : — There was a good- deal of excitement at Mangaone yesterday over the Local option poll and election of candidates for the Ashurst Licensing Bench. Most of the settlers were in favor of granting an extension of licenses in the district, and in spite of the presence of the Ashurst hotelkeeper, and his particular friends on this occasion (is not the Act absurd ?). the anti-teetotallers, carried the poll by a large majority. The settlers of Mangaone evidently believe that a lot of good wholesome whisky is better than a lot of adulterated tea or patent medicines.