The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1894. Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 21, 25 July 1894, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1894. Local and General News.

The death is announced at Waipawa, at the age of 90, of Mr John Steven, familiarly called " Grandfather Steven."

A boy named Wm. Hamilton, 14 years of age, had his left hand shattered by a gun accident at Christchurch yesterday.

All members of the Wesleyan choir are particularly requested to meet for practice at 7.30 this evening instead of Friday evening.

The American yacht Vigilant averaged 294 knots per diem in her trip across the Atlantic to compete against the English cracks.

The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce are urging upon Government the desirability of establishing railway communication between Canterbury and the West Coast.

Mr George Fisher, ex-M.H.R., of Wellington, has accepted the appointment of district manager of the Equitable Assurance Society of the United States, the appointment covering the whole Wellington district.

An elderly man named Thomas Waterford was fined ;£lO or six months' imprisonment in Sydney the other day for an unprovoked assault on Maggie Temple, whom he mistook in the dark for his wife.

This morning while Mr W. G. Haybittle was assisting in moving timber in Messrs Bartholomew's timber 3 T ard, a piece slipped and jammed the third finger of his left hand, severely crushing it, and completely cutting the nail off. Dr Johnston dressed the wounds.

The usual weekly meeting of the 1.0. G.T. was held in the Foresters' Hall last evening, when there were over fifty members present. Six candidates were initiated. The nomination and election of officers was adjourned for a fortnight. Songs, recitations and readings were given by members of the lodge.

To-day's N.Z. Times says :— The Budget proposals were of course the sensation of the hour last night in the lobbies. The Opposition iv tfieir criticism declared the policy of the Government as laid down in the Statement to be one of borrowing pure and simple, and this will probably be the key-note of their speeches in the debate.

In reply to a deputation yesterday the Minister of Education admitted the noed of some alteration in regard to the system of payment of school teachers The institution of a colonial and uniform svßtem would, however, press hard upon weak boards. Legislation would be necessary as the Minister had no power to interfere.

There arrived from Sydney by the Talune this morning four Shropshire rams, purchased by Mr E. Menlove, of Oamaru, at the recent Sydney Ram and Ewe Fair ; and two of the same breed bought by Mr P. C. Threlkeld, of Christchurch. The sheep were bred in Tasmania, and will be forwarded to the South as goon as possible. — Post,

The Mutual Improvement Society will meet to-morrow evening in the Primitive Methodist Church at 7.30. The subject for debate is : "Is Prohibition more desirable than Moderation ? " Messrs W. Johnston and Haycock will take the affirmative and Messrs Attwood and Carty the negative. All the meetings are open to visitors.

The committee of the A and P. lesoci ation have decided that there shall be two classes for dairy cows in the programme for the forthcoming show. One of the classes will be the same as hitherto, viz , for cowp, any breed, iv milk. In the new class prize* will be awarded for cows yielding the largest quantity of butter fat -i- Hh<iwn by the Babcock tester. Dairy now* can compete in both classes — Mana wmu Times The Post says : The petition of the railway station masters to the Government for classification complains that the average of salaries of railway officers is some £40 per man less than that of similar officers in the Postal Department. When a stationmaster is appointed to perform the additional duties of a postmaster he is paid less salary than the postmaster received, whereas when a postmaster is appointed to take over the duties of a stationmaster his salary is at once increased. '

Many horses object to pigs. Mr. J. Marshall, carrier, had one of" these particular horses in his brake yesterday, md the animal, on discovering that he iad a load of these unsavory animals behind him, firmly refused to budge from the railway station. All sorts of M-rsuasion was brought to bear on the ibber, but without effect, and in order n reach his destination Mr Marshall atl to borrow another animal, which Hiparently was undisturbed with the nature of its load.

At the parishioners meeting held at Awahuri last evening there was a very mall attendance. The Rev. lunes Jones occupied the chair. It was propi seel by Major Campbell, seconded by Mr Briscoe, That owing to the dimiuu.nn in the attendance at the church

; vice*, the lack of interest shown in church matters, and the impossibility ■ nder existing circumstances of raising lif quota to the General Church Fund, 'his meeting resolves to discontinue the church services at Awahuri for the time being. This resolution was carried, and he Chairman said that he hoped that Jie arrangement decided on would be only a temporary one, and that in the -vent of an assistant curate being procured for the district the services might be resuscitated, and fresh interest shown by church members.

The conference of representatives of the local bodies interested in the proposed reconstruction of the Awahuri bridge was held at Palmerston yesterday. In addition to ail the Wardens of the Manawatu Road Board, several Councillors and the Mayor of the Palmerston Borough Council, and representatives from the Manawatu County Council were present. Messrs G. L. R. Scott and J. P. Armstrong, in their reports, recommended the erection of an entirely new bridge of 80ft spans. An opinion was read from Mr C. Bray, engineer, in which he stated that the present structure was sound, and recommended the addition of five 70ft spans and the carrying out of some protective works. After considerable discussion it was resolved, on the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr Ransomo, That the portion of tho bridge now standing be raised two feet, and that the addition to connect with the bauk oil the Palnierstoa »ide consist of live bOlt truss spans.

In the House last evening Mr Ward said the debate on the Financial Statement would not commence until Tuesday next.

Yesterday afternoon a couple of horses, attached to a waggon in which was a con* signment of butter belonging to the Cheltenham Dairy Company, took fright at ths Feilding railway afcation — where the driver had left them for a moment— and bolted down the road to Aorangi. They bad not proceeded far, however, before tbe vehicle capsized, the result being that the pole of the waggon was snapped in two, and one box of butter burst open. The horses escaped uniDjnred.

In the Legislative Council yesterday, the Indictable Ofiences Summary Jurisdiction Bill, Criminal Code Act Amendment Bill, and Offensive Publications Bill, were put through their final stages. Iv moving the second reading of the Industrial Conciliation Arbitration Bill Mr Montgomery said those Councillors who had opposed the measure in previous years said they now accepted the verdict of the country, and would offer no further opposition to it.

The first meeting of creditors in the estate of H. Hickford, a bankrupt, was held at the Courthouse this morning. After receiving additional proofs of debts, the Official Assignee adjourned the examination until 2 o'clock, so as to allow the Palmerston and Wellington creditors, arriving by the noon train, an opportunity of being present. The liabilities filed are .£1132 16s, and there are a few more small accounts to come in. The assets are stated at JE1277 16s sd.