Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 87, 6 October 1894, Page 2

Local and General News.

The Rev W. H. Judkins' subject for to-morrow oveuiug is announced. The Town Clerk, Mr G. C. Hill, gives notice that persons swinging on the Kiwitea footbridge will be prosecuted. The auction sale of bankruptcy stock at premises in Fergusson street is going on this afternoon. All goods remaining after the auction will be disposed of privately this evening. The death is announced of an old and respected Rangifcjkei settler, Mr Donald Fergusson, of Upper Tutaenui. He had been resident in New Zealand for 53 years. It is stated that the Hon. Mr Cadman will bo appointed Acting-Minister of Railways between January Ist and the time of the House meeting next year. No additional Minister will be appointed meanwhile. At Apiti on Wednesday last Mr F. G. Babbage was united in the bonds of matrimony to Miss Mary Rankin. The marriage was celebrated in tho new Wesloyan Church, the Rev. T. R. Richards performing tho pleasing ceremony. This evening Mr DeWinton will lecture from the balcony of the Feilding Hotel, commencing at 8.15, and taking for his subject : " Public Opinion." Tomorrow evening Mr DeWintou will 1 preach in the Assembly Rooms commencing at 8.15, after the services in tho churches are over. Wo hope to see a good attendance on this occasion. Tenders are called by Mr H. W. Cliraio, engineer to the Stratford County Council, for road works to be let in various contracts. The work to be tendered for consists of yj milos formation, BiJ miles light formation and metalling, and 12 miles metalling iv about 2 mile contracts. A schedule of tho contracts, which close on October 17th, may be seen at this office. Complaints are made of the inadequate character of the arrangements provided at the Palmerstou railway station for trucking stock. Tho yards aro i miserably small and ijj bad repair. The attention of the Railway Commissioners was drawn to the necessity for providing better yards, but nothing has yet been done to remedy the present rather disi creditable state of affairs. — Standard. At the Palmerston District Court yosterday, Mr John M. Munro, of Taonui, a bankrupt, applied for his discharge. Mr Reado appeared for debtor, who, in answer to questions, said he possessed no property and had been compelled to file through the scarcity of work. A discharge was granted, subject to debtor paying each of the proved creditors (four) us in the £. A young man named Ingram met with an accldfcot under rather singular circumstances at Ohingaiti the other day. Ho was looking throu«lj a tool-chest with a lighted pipe in his mouth, when a spark from the pipe fell into a powder canister and occasioned an explosion. Ho was a good deal burnt about the face, but his injuries aro not of a serious character. The bottom has completely fallen out of pptato growing in Tasmania. In some districts this season's crop is bringing only lOs per ton. Tho Tasrnanian Mail is recommending growers to aban, don potatoes aud turu to long field carrots, which yield about 40 tons to the acre, and aro good feed for horses or cattle. A change of some sort for a tiiino would certainly bo healthy for £ho Tasmaniau farmer, whg has bee'u #row.i»g Wpfchiug but potatoes for many

The bankruptcy of J. D. Tnstin, of Wanganui, painter, is announced. The Oddfellows' Lodge mot last evening, when the ordinary business was dealt with. The Chronicle records the sudden death last night of Mrs Dall, of Wanganui. The deceased lady was a sister of Mrs Peter Bell. A sale of work and gift auction will be held in the Assembly Rooms on December 7th, for tho purpose of augmenting the organ fund of St. John's Church. All members of tho Feilding Fire Brigade are requested to meet in full dress at tho engine shed on Monday evening next, at 7.15 sharp. One of Wellington's oldest identities died on Wednesday, Mr Francis Burdett Jones, who came to the colony about the year 1840, and lived to the age of 84. At tho Wanganui Supreme Court yesterday, Stephen Neary was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour for stabbing Sergeant Villors. Mr G. W. Russell has given notice in tho House to ask whether the Government would bring in a short Bill to prevent tho wholesale naturalisation of Chinainou vow going ou in the colony. The Committee of the Feilding Benevolent Society will meet at Mr Sherwill's office on Tuesday, October 9th, at 11 a,m. sharp. The business is to dispost of unexpended balance of £9 11s 9,d. Ml- D. Peterseu, who has for some time past run a lino of coaches between Feilding and Birmingham, has sold out to Mr Andrew Laing, of Birmingham, who will take up the running on Monday next. A long discussion took place in the Houso on Thursday on a provision movod by MrPiraui, preventing Government from taking reserves from local bodies for public works without paying compensation, which was eventually carried with the condition that it should not refer to reserves granted since 1876. The Ministry are amusing. On ono side they are weeping because the best class of men are clearing out for Australia, while on the other side they are legislating so that they may not come back again. All returning miners would come under the provisions of tho Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion Bill. Tho Public Trui'.oo dealt with 21 estates last month. The largest were tho*e of Geo MacKilligan, Lyttelton, £1350; Mary Hardiuc, Auckland, £1000; Chas Dahl, Wellington, £700; Andrew Hervey Auckland. £500 ; Ada Gibsen, Wellington LoOO; Jane Weatfield, Wellington. Ij2s<) ; Lawrence M o rison, DunedinLl2o. Yesterday MrJ. Linton, District Coroner, hi'ld an inquest on (ho body of Johu Jones, who dropped dead at Bunnythorpa on Thursday. The evidence wont to fhow that deceased was 76 years of nge. nnd he had been ill for'sooie time. The jury returned a verdict that deceased bad died from uatural cau-es. At tho recent International Press Congress at Brussels (writes a London correspondent), the King of Belgium referred to the export of wool from New Zealand, and its use in the factories of Belgium. " I wish you did more trade direct with Antwerp," he said. Perhaps his Majesty's remarks will set the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce a thinking, and induce them to seriously take up the subject. In tho House ou Thursday the Speaker read a letter from the Auditor-General stating that he had withdrawn his audit inspector from the Public Trust Office owing to the reflections made upon that officer's veracity by tho Public Trustee. As that officer was, Mr Fitzgerald said, •incapable of telling an untruth, ho demanded an inquiry by the House into the matter. A horrible accidedt occurred at Perth, Western Australia on September 23. A man named White intending to go out shooting, was jesting with his niece Mary Cole. The girl, in a spirit of fun asked him to shoot her. White, who .alleged he was ignorant the gun was loaded, pointed it at hor, and pulled the trigger. The gun went off, and the charge entered her body blowing off the top of her heart. Death was instantaneous White was ar rested. The full programme of the concert to be given next Tuesday evening by Mr Byron DeWinton on behalf of the Library Fund will be found in our advertising columns. An excellent evening's amusement will be provided, and as the tickets are selling freely a crowded house will no doubt reward the efforts of those who will contribute the different items. Tho very nominal chargo of^one shilling will be the price of admission, and the concert is announced to begin at 8 o'clock. Lord Beaconsfield was perfectly accurate in asserting that by far the larger portion of the nobility owo their elevation to the peerage to tho spoliation of the Ohurch under Henry VIII, and open and flagrant aale of honours by the elder Stuarts, and the borough- moogering of modern time 9, to which may vow bo added the ridiculoud and indefensible practice of making peers right and left of all and sun dry whom the ministers of the day wish to reward or conciliate, and does not know how otherwise to dispose of.— The World It is understood (says the Christchurch Star) that tho legal opinion which a meeting of the creditors of Harper and Co., in July last, decided should bo obtained on the question of whether or not the Official Assignee had a claim against tho Union Bank for a sum of jtai,OOO, transferred from the Trust or Investment Account to what was known at the No. 2 Account, was received recently. It is stated that the opinion is to tho affect that the Official Assignco has no claim against the Bank in respect of the money in question. The Colonial Bank has reduced its deposit rates by J per cent bringiug them into couformitv with those of the Bank of New Zealand. The National Bank alone maintains the old 5 per cent rate. We should be glad to sco this bank alt>o reduce its ratos, and are inclined to think ere loog it will find it judicious to take this step. The tendency is distinctly in the direction of cheaper ropney The banks in Australia are contemplating a further reduction to 8 per cent, with tho probability of a corresponding decrease here, say to 3£ per cent. In the ouUide market the supply of money is more free, but there are eomplaiuts of inactivity resulting in a reduced demand, and very little business is being done. The current mortgage rate is 7 percent., but first class securities would be negotiated at 6 to 6} per cent. — N Z. Trade Review.