Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 320, 22 May 1894, Page 2

Local and General News.

A German proverb reads : " If I rest I rust" ; but the local application is: " If I trust I burst ! " Mr G. 0- Hubner, who has the contract for repairing the Warwick street bridge, is making good progress with jiis work. The death is announced of Mr W. A. Croucher, of Sauson, a colonist of oO years' standing, and one of the oldest settlers in the Sandon district. At tie Old Builo> , in London, recently, t in men and a woman were sentenced for » -tt-ruiiticully robbing letter-boxes. In .!.-. yoir> hey had carried off property ■ 1 1 i-«l a £3 51 »(). On Thursday last seven of Mr J. Coldwell's family at Inglewood were ■oisoned by eating tinned sardines. Medical assistance was procured, and latest advices state that all are recovering slowly from the effects. Mr John Nairn, projector of the Manawatu Nursery, Palmerston North, has an announcement in to-day's issue notifying that he is in a position to offer special inducements to those who con.cmplate planting largely. Mr Nairn ! Jso draws attention to his large stock of tuit trees, etc. We have to acknowledge receipt of a ■omplimentary ticket for the concert to be held in the Birmingham Town Hall to-morrow night ; also one for the social and dance to bo given by the Manchesttines on Thursday next. The residence of Mr J. G. Wilson, M.H.R., in Bulls, narrowly escaped destruction by fire yesterday morning. h appears that when the household (■tired to rest on Sunday night a log >v(is left burning in the fireplace. In the morning it was discovered that tho iog had rolled out on to the floor, through which a hole large enough to allow it o fall to the ground had been burned. A curious prosecution was conducted recently at Paramatta, New South Wales, when two men named Firth, who described themselves as Seventh Day Adventists, were charged, under a statute of Charles 11, with exercising their worldly labour on tho Sabbath Day. The defendants pleaded justification, owing to their religious convictions, but were fined ss, or in default to be set publicly in the stocks for two hours.

The last of a series of anniversary services in connection with the local branch of the Salvation Army was held last evening. The tea was well patronised aud there was also a largo attendance at the after meeting, the financial result being satisfactory to the promoters. The chief attraction was Captain Thompson and family's string band, which played a number of popular airs. Vocal items were also given by this talented family. Amongst others who took part in the proceedings were StaffCaptain Edwards and Captains Stone, Dixon aud Thompson.

The Kiwitea County Council met at Feikling to-day. Meetings of creditors in the estates of T. M. Jackson and C. F. Lampp were held at the Courthouse to-day. The lady's bracelet presented to the Manchester Rifles is now on view at Mr J. Scott's. A Bill will be introduced at the next session of the New Zealand Parliament to legalise The Ten Commandments. Sir P. A. Buckley (Colonial Secretary) \ is to give evidence to day before the Pox j Correspondence Commission. A coffee supper will be held in the Makino school, in connection with the Primitive Methodist Church, on Friday, 25th May. With so many skilled musicians and good vocalists in Feikling, it is a matter of surprise why an Orchestral Socioty is not formed. A nightingale's song can be heard at the distance of a mile, but, says our local Martin Tupper, the smell of a cheap drink reacheth a league. Captain Edwin wired at 1.40 p.m. today :— North-west to west and south gale, with rain and very cold' weather, after 12 hours from now ; glass rise. Diamonds are twenty times more numerous than they were thirty years ago, yet the average newspaper man finds it seventy times more difficult to wear them. A trial of Bennett's stump extractor will be held at Mr Anderson's farm, Stoney Creek, to-morrow at 12.30 o'clock, and at Bunny thorpe on Friday on Mr Jensen's farm. A poll on a proposal to borrow .£928 for work on Junction and Mcßeth's roads was held yesterday at Birmingham and resulted in a majority voting in its favor. The Premier arrived at Christfihurch yesterday, and leaves this morning for Palmerston South, m order to be present to-morrow at the marriage of Miss Nellie McKenzie and Mr AI. P. Cameron, of Wellington. The gentle Jabez Balfour has been informed that he can remain in Bucuos Ayrcs, if lie likes, without molestation, but not without money. As soon as the latter runs out Jabez will be " iked out" like a civil servant when a retrenchment scare is on in New Zealand. Selah ! The Makino road School Committee had the pleasure, on Saturday last, of receiving a very satisfactory inspection report of their school from Mr Vereker Bindon. The headteacher, Mr J. R. Black, is to be congratulated on the success of his efforts to improve the school. Now is the time for the doctors. During a football match at Wellington on Saturday last, a player named N. W. Bell had his leg broken by getting it locked in that of another player. At Napier on Saturday a player named Lindergreen fell during a rush, and fractured his right arm in two places.

At an inquest held at Dunedin the other day on the body of a child named Thomas Beath, Dr Colquhouu remarked, in the course of his evidence, that a large number of children, who died under the age of six months or so, died from improper feeding, and that it was wrong to give young infants sago, burnt flour, maizena, and other starchy foods. It was remarkable the amount of ignorance shown by women in this respect. To-day's Chronicle says : — Mr Smith, representing Mr Osborne, well-borer, has succeeded in tapping the water-bearing strata at Mr W. B. Williams' Brewery at a depth of 200 teet. From present appearance there is promise of a first-class flow when the pipes are well into the watershed. The flow at present rises to a height of 20 ft. above the surface, and the strata from which it comes is of greater thickness than was found in any of the previous town wells. Says the Bulletin :— " The New South Wales Oddfellows have just made a law fining a man 2s 6d for sleeping during lodge bnsiness, 2s 6d for reading the newspaper, Is for eating, Is for interrupting a speaker, and 2s 6d for singing an indecent or religious song In New South Wales Parliament members read newspapers with impunity, snore on [ benchee — one lately dropped on to the floor with a dull thud — and one member is known to have eaten sardines from a tin during debate The Temuka Leader says the harvest is over in that locality and the crops have been threshed. Machine owners state that the yield is not only the poorest for many years, but that it has been expensive to thresh owing to the amount of coal required to put it through. As a consequence we arc informed that the average wage earned by the working man has been about 24s per week for, say three months, " clear of tucker." This year the cook was the best off. Had it not been for the favourable weather the result would have been much worse. The question for the debate between the Palmerston and Feilding Mutual Improvement Societies, to bo held at Palmerston on June 27th is : " Would it be just and beneficial for the State to restrict the accumulation of very large private fortunes, or when accumulated diminish them with a view of appropriating the superabundance to the systematic lessening of poverty." The Feilding Society will open the debate in the affirmative and will be represented by the Rev. Mr Judkins, Messrs J. C. Thompson, G. E. Johnston, J. Trewiu and A. G. Carty, while the Palmerston Society will be represented by Messrs G. Grant, R. Leary, G. Lanrenson, W. Stubbs and J. Dillon. Messrs K. Wilson, M.A., J. G. Scott, banker (Palmerstou), and J. H. Stevens (Feilding) will be the judges.

We understand that arrangements are now being made for the early production in Feilding of an original Irish drama written by Mr Samuel Knight, of Awahuri. The play is in four acts, and is said to be replete with incidents that are highly interesting and sensational, while the comedy scenes have been most favorably commented on by those competent to judge of their merits. As this will be the first production from the pen of a local author, who has already acquired a reputation for being a humorous and witty writer, we trust the play goinp public of Feilding will liberally accord their patronage to the performance. Miss Helen Fergus, with her dramatic company, assisted by the leading amateurs of Feilding, will be responsible for the successful representation of Mr Knight's drama, and as rehearsals are now in full swing there is no doubt but that a very successful performance of the play will be given. A great deal of local interest naturally centres in the forthcoming production of the play, which the author has appropriately entitled " The Banshee."