Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 109, 2 November 1894, Page 2

Local and General News.

The Otangaki Masonic Lodge, Ashurst, meets on Tuesday the 6th November. Raising. Tho monthly meeting of the Feilding Fire Brigade will be held in the shed this oveniug, at 7.30. We have to thauk the Traffic Manager for a copy of the Railway Time Table for the current mouth. There will be mass in St. Bridgets next Sunday at eleven o'clock in the forenoon. Mr Willis, M.H.R., addressed his constituents at Wanganui last evening, and received a vote of thanks and confidence. The Feildiug Sports Committee will meet this evening at Mr Sherwill's office a.t 8 o'clock, and every following Friday (except Novomber 9th, Prince of Wales birthday.) The usual fortnightly meeting of the Loyal Manchester Lodge will be held in the Foresters' Hall this evening, at 7.80. Members are particularly requested to roll up for the initiatiou ceremony. The following tenders were received by tho Borough Council last evening for 15 chains formation on Shenvill street : — T. Smith, £16 15s (accepted); J. Kenevan, i*2o ; H. Peach, i:22 ;E. Lyne, i 23. Horse-owners are reminded that nominations for all events at the Spring Meeting of the Feilding Jockey Club, to be held on the 29th and 30th instants, close with the Secretary, Mr E. Goodbeh«re at 8.30 this evening. Yesterday the agent of Fitzgerald Bros.' circus and menagerie was in Feilding making arrangements for the appearance of this really excellent show on Thursday, the Bth instant. The Auckland papers describe this as the best show of the kind that has yet visited the colony. While bushfelling on his section beyond Waireka, a man named Joseph Sextis met with a painful accident on Tuesday. In using his axe the implement crashed through a piece of dead wood and entered his left foot, almost cleaving it in two. The man was carried out to his residence on Wednesday, on the Bluff road, and surgical assistance sent for. The Mayor reported at the meeting of the Borough Council last evening that tho overdraft, with the accounts passed for payment that evening, was i's6o, while £"400 of general rates were still outstanding. After discussion by the Council, it was decided that summonses be issued against defaulters, according to a previous resolution of the Counoil, without further notion The Manchester Rifles held a Government parade last night in the Assembly Rooms. There was a good muster of all ranks. After inspection by Captain Kirton, Lieut. Halcombe, Color-Sergt. Milson, Sergts. Aitksn, Pethcrick aud Gould put the corps through the manual, bayonet, and firing exercises, which were done very creditably. At the conclusion of the parade Capt. Kirton stated that the capitation grant for 18U4 would be i-2 10s per man, also that Colonel Fox would inspect the corps ou Wednesday, December 12th, therefore parades for drill, in order to bo fully prepared for that event, would bo held every Thursday evening this month, and on the first Thursday in December. The Premier in the course of hie speech at the opening of the bridge at Pahiatua said they had (the Government) made it possible that money could be lent to the people at 4 per cent, instead of the 10 per cent, charged by the large land and loan syndicates, which had drained the life blood out of the people for years. Money had been hidden away by the people, because they were afraid to invest it. They were now aeked to trust the people and put their money in New Zealand Consols at 4to 5 per cent. They would have had a repetition of what bad occurred in Australia had the representatives in the House tiot trusted the Government and tho Government not been prepared to do its duty fearlessly. At Christ Church, Wanganui, yesterday, Mr Frederick B. Mcßeth, of Kiwitea, was united in tho bonds of matrimony to Miss Lillian M. Battle, of Wanganui. Tho ceremony was conducted by the Rev. T. B. Maclean, and the service was a full choral one. The bride, who was given away by her brother, looked very nice in a handsome white embroidered Llama silk, with veil awl flowers. Miss Ellen Battle, and Miss M. Cunningham, of New Plymouth, attired in charming costumes of heliotrope, attended as bi'idasmads,. Tho bridegroom was assisted by his brother, Mr Duncan Mcßeth. The path to the church was strewn with flowers, and ou returning to the carriuges the happy couple received a deluge of vice and good wishes. Wedding presents were coatly and numerous. Wo join in,, wishing Mr and Mrs F. Mcßeth a loug life of Uappiuoss au».l prosperity.

The valuation of the property in the Pohangina County now proceeding will have the effect of raising its rateable value nearly two thirds higher than it stood last year. Owing to the circus coming to Marton, the Marton Operatic SooieP have decided to postpone their production of ' Old Soldiers ' to tlip l'.rli inst. A meeting will be held at Apiti on Saturday evening to arrange for sports to be held there about Christmas time. The Polo Club will hold a practice to-morrow afternoon, at '2.30, iv Mr I Turner's paddock. Mr Cooper has received a number of sticks, which will be available for the practice. The population returns recently published by Mr Hnyter, the Government statist, show that Melbourne has sustained a loss of 46,000 people in the last two and a half years. For 10 years ending 1891 there was an average increase of 21,000 a year, so that the comparison works out very badly. The Melbourne Argus sa?s :— " It is at once impossible and improper to hide from ourselves the gravity of the present position of the colony. In the language of soberness it may be said that we havo no modern record of a country suffering ! & reversal of fortune so sudden and so complete as that which has befallen Victoriu." A meeting of milk suppliers to the Bunny thorpc creamery was held ou Wednesday eveniug, Mr J. Dixon iv the chair. Dissatisfaction was expressed at the action of tho Dairy Union raising the test from 3*6 to 38, and also at raising the standard weight from lO^lbs to 11 lbs to the gallon of milk. The method of testing was considered unsatisfactory. The following are the individual scores made in the shooting match on Wednesday betweeu the Feilding and Marton Rifles : — Feilding : Corpl. Parker 81, Vol Richards 72, Vol Evans 69, Vol Say well 63, Sergt Aitken 61, Lieut Bray 60,*Sergt Petherick 56, Vol Evans 56, Vol Bennett 54, Vol Scott 50. Marton : Vol E. Humphrey 71, Vol C. Humphrey 68, Sergt A. Suellgrovc (37, Sergt E. Suellgrove 02, Lieut Parker 60, Corpl Batten 60, Corpl Follett 52, Celor.- Sergt Henderson 41), average two men 122.