Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 160, 5 January 1895, Page 2

Local and General News.

Mr D. Laing has purchased Mr J. B Pringle's farm on the Taonui road and takes possession at once. At Wellington yesterday an employer was fined £o and cosbs for failing to allow his assistants a half-holiday. The Pohanrina County Council is inviting tenders for the lease of Reserve 78 at Pohangina, additions to the County office, and for the suppty of metal. The first shipment of mutton from the Lougburn Freezing Works left Wellington by the Rangatira on the 27th December. The Company make the next shipment on the 10th January. The Customs duties collected at the port of Wellington last month amounted to 24,924 15s lid, as against £24,779 16s 7d for the corresponding month of last year, and 0s 6d for the previous month (November) oi' this year. A find in quartz which is causing a sensation is reported from Mr H. Syrue's claim on the range at Bald Hill, Otago. The stone, which has been proved for a length of 50 feet, is very rich, 3dwt of loose gold being the average prospect from a dish of the stuff, while the hard stone is held together with the precious metal. Mr I. Brent, of the Furnishing Warehouse, Kimboiton road, Feilding, has just made to the order of a gentleman in the Kiwitea a large telescope dining table which is worthy of note. The top is of picked rimu, the legs being of the same material, the whole harmoniously blending, making a splendid piece of furniture. Writes a London correspondent : — The Bank of New Zealand Estates Company are now engaged in paying off of their 5£ per cent debentures out of the fand^placed^aAJjhedispqsal of the Bank of New Zealand~syTille loan wnicuT the New Zealand Government raised here at 4 per- cent interest recently. It is said that an effort will be made to convert '*he other i5750,GG0 of 5| per cents into 4 per cents at an early date. J3y this means and through th,e probable abolition gfib very, costly London Board a, saying o^j £%S,QQQ to £30,000 per anniim in the bank's expenditure is autiv :„ ■ . •

Nominations for the Birmingham sports on the 18th and Halcombe sports on the 22nd close on Tuesday next. In the Assembly Rooms to-morrow evening the gospel will be preached by Mr McLean, who will also preach every evening next week in the Gospel Hall. If the Wellington City Council adopts the suggestion of the Post which journal advocates the trial of wood pavement in the Empire city, a slight lift will be given to the timber trade in the Southern portion of the North Island. Our Colonial Treasurer, Mr Ward, is going Home to England ostensibly on private business, but the idea is — among well-informed people — that his visit to the Old Country is to " put a head " on Lord Rosebery in connection with the very rude remarks of the latter at Guildhall on the question of the annexation fo Samoa by New Zealand. A correspondent would like to know the reason why Chairman Reid, of the Kiwitea County Council, voted to have the offices removed to Birmingham — the extreme edge of the County— instead of a more central position such as Waituna "West or Beaconsfield ? He presumes that it will placate the northern members of the Council \v?io have been moving for a separation of the County in their particular district. The following is the complete result of the recent volley and independent firing : — Wanganui Rifles : Volley, 15*96 ; independent, 17*14. Alexandra Cavalry : 13-14 — 16*61. Taranaki Rifles: 937 11*29. Palmerston Rifles: 8*92 9*32. Hawera Mounted Rifles: 8.73— 11*91. Manchester Rifles : 7-86—11*15. Wairoa Mounted Rifles: 7*77— 10"35. Wanganui Navals: 6*66—9*96. Manawatu Mounted Rifles: 6*41—8-90. Royal Rangitikei Rifles : 6*03—7-74. People who live on comparatively small islands are noted for their conceit of country, and the smaller the island the greater the conceit. The most turkey-proud people on earth are the negroes of the West India Islands, and these latter are but mere specks, as it were on the ocean's surface. Even the inhabitants of our own British Isles have what the Scotch call " a quid conceit o' themselves," and this remark recalls a rather good story in illustration. Lying a few miles off the northwest coast of Scotland are two little islets knewn by the names " meikle " (big) and "wee" (little) "Comrie," with jnst a handful of people living upon them. The head of one of the families on the rocks was wont to include in his daily prayer this petition : " The Lord bless the Wee Comrie aud the Meikle Comrie, and the adjacent islands of Great Britain and Ireland."