Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 171, 18 January 1895, Page 2

Local and General News.

> +- Fire insurance in Babmain, near 1 Sydney, N.S.W., is 4s 6d per cent. We have to acknowledge receipt of a very handsome calendar and timetable from the New Zealand Shipping Company. A Hawke's Bay correspondent states that owing to the ravages of the codlin moth this year it is difficult to get a sound apple in the district. Mr Froude used to tell bow Carlyle's " Sartor Resartus " was rejected when | it was first offered to the publishers, most of whom laughed at it as display of , eccentricity and bombast gone mad. Miss Alice Mitchell, of Gore, South- ' land, is credited with have done one of the most notable bicycle rides ever , accomplished in New Zealand by a lady. Accompanied by ber brother, she rode from Gore to Christchurch, about 355 miles, in seven days. The Taieri Advocate says:— lt is ' rnmoured that there is a possibility of a ' meeting of farmers being held in the district shortly for the purpose of considering a proposal for the reduction of tho wages of harvesters. Hitherto 8d and 9d have been paid to harvesters, and it is proposed to reduce the rate to 7d. A little girl accidentally set fire to her I clothes in a bedroom at Bromley, Eng- [ land, and was burned to death in the 5 presence of ber mother, wbo was dying ' of consumption. Being too weak to get up aud render " assistance, the poor i woman was doomed to lie and see her child burned to death. I Mr Carr has beeu instructed to sell by fc public auction on Friday the 25th inst. . at noon in the Assembly Rooms, section , No 715, in the township of Feilding fronting Derby street and Kimbolton " road. For other particulars see the advertisement over the signature of Mr Waiter Rutherford, the Public Trust office agent, Palmerston North. ', The December quarter's figures being ! now available, we have compiled the ■ results of the revenue collections for the first three quarters of the year •-^Customs, £1,134,468 ; Stamps, £450,298 ; Postal and Telegraphic, £33,414 ; Land and Income Tax, £283,590 ; Beer duty, £42,089 ; Railways, £779,252 ; Registratration and other fees, £37,143 ; Marine, • £14,676 ; Miscellaneous, £291,396 ; Terri- | tonal, total"

A carnage lamp socket found thiß afternoon has been left at the Star office. Capt. Edwin wired at 1.15 p.m. today : Strong N.W. to W. and S. winds : glass rise. At the special meeting of the Borough Council, held this forenoon, it was decided to hold the weekly half -holiday on Wednesday. A Library Committee was appointed. According to the Evening Post, Cyril Tyler, the boy soprano, has lost bis voice, and in consequence his manager has been compelled to cancel all further engagements. A slight mishap occurred at the Colyton creamery this morning, when a part of the gear gave way. Suppliers had, in consequence, to take their milk to the Cheltenham Factory. The Sydney Daily Telegraph combats the remarks of the London Globe concerning the shipments of eggs from tbe colonies, and says the British farmer long ago let the egg trade slip into the hands of France, Germany, and Belgium. It is with these countries the colonies are competing rather than with England. At a meeting of the Feilding Cycling Club, held in the Club Rooms last evening, it was decided to alter the date of the forthcoming races to Wednesday, February 20th. A vote of thanks was passed to the Sports Committee for the offer of their " properties." Mr A. C. Matheson was appointed a judge, and Mr J. W. F. Halcombe a lap-taker. A Scotch youth, who had arrived in London by the night train, saw some policemen flashing their lamps Not knowing what it meant, he asked a man near him : ' Fat is a' thae loons daein' wi' tbe wee bils o' hchtiea ?' Londoner : ' 1 bes your pardon, sir.' Youth : '_Fat is a' thae loons daein, wi' the wee bitso' lichties ?' Londoner : ' Get out, yon bloornin' Portngee !' The first anniversary of the Primitive Methodist Church at Colyton will be celebrated on Sunday next, when tbe Rev. Mr Gnndly will preach. A tea meeting will be held on Tuesday, the 22nd instant, at which a number of ministers and friends will take part. Tea will commence at six o'clock, the proceeds of whicli will be applied to the augmentation of the Trust Fund. A meeting of the Halcombe Town Board was held last evening. Present Commissioners Graves (in tbe cbair), Burcbam, Gill, and Toober. Amongst correspondence was a letter from the Mayor of Feilding, suggesting that the Board fix upon Wednesday as the halfholiday. The resolution fixing Wednesday as the half-holiday, passed at fche last meeting of the Board, was confirmed. A farmer on the Kimbolton road was driving some sheep down yesterday, and when he arrived at the Kiwitea stream the animals refused to cross. The consequence was that a delay of several bours was caused, and the unlucky drover had to employ extra labor to carry some of them over tbe water. He wants to know now when the Commissioner intends to send in his report anent tho liability of certain local bodies in connection with the proposed bridge. A meeting of members of the Church of England was held in Colyton on Thursday evening wheu the following gentlemen were elected a Church Committee : — Messrs Friberg, Pleasants, Simpson, Andrew, Geo. Ashworth, Jos. Bray, Lankshear, Hocken, aud James Garlick. Mr Friberg was appointed secretary and Treasurer. It was decided to take steps to procure the necessary funds for building a church on the section so kindly presented for that purpose by Mr Simpson, and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to him for his gift, also to Mr Jobn Andrew for the practical interest be had shown in the matter. On this section of railway, during the summer months, a cool truck is provided for the carriage of butter and other dairy produce by the special train from New Plymouth to Wellington, which runs on Tuesdays and Fridays. All produce to be conveyed by these trains should be at the Feilding station before o p.m. on the days named. As on tho other days the produce is put into the ordinary roadside van on the mail train, wbich leaves at 4.3 p.m., when no particular care is guaranteed, tbe wisdom of selecting the special, instead of the ordinary, trains must be apparent. A cool truck is not run unless for lots of one ton and over. Pending the revision of tbe railway tariff rates, tbe Government, in view of the fact that the fruit season is well advanced, have decided to encourage the fruit industry by the establishment of a uniform rate of carriage irrespective of distance. They have fixed a rate of 6d for parcels up to 561 b, and of a shilling up to a cwt., for tbe carriage to tbe centres of native fruit, with tbe proviso that empties ai'e to be returned free of charge. The steamers bring over Australian fruit at cheap rates, which arrives in very inferior condition as a rule. The new arrangement will give our people the choice of an article in superior condition, fresh, plentiful, and appetising. There is every reason to anticipate, for tbe native industry a cousiderably advanced position in the local market. A minister up Marton way, reports tbe Mercury, wished to ascertain what influence the hard times had upon his congregation, and said, at the close of his sermon : *' I would ask everyone wbo is still able to pay his debts to rise from his seat." The whole congregation arose, with the exception of one man. The parson then asked that all those wbo were unable to meet tbeir bills should rise. Thereupon the aforementioned solitary got up, a hungry looking, poorly clad man, whose features revealed the terrible struggle of one fighting bopelessly against the vicissitudes of this world. The minister regarded him attentively, yet kindly. " How is it, my friend," he said, " that you are the only one among all these people who cannot pay his debts ?" " Sir," answered the man hesitatingly, "I publish a newspaper, and these, my brothers, who rose just now, are all subscribers and—" But tbe minister interrupted him hastily, " Let us pray," he said. A meeting of ratepayers in the Ongo Riding of the Kiwitea County was held at Waituna yesterday, Mr W. Baker presiding, to decide what amount of loan should be raised for roading the riding in place of the £11,000 proposal, which had been thrown out by a technicality on tbe Road Board being merged into a County, The Chairman stated that as Councillor for the riding he would take steps to raise the loan if the meeting wished, but he did not believe the proposal would be carried. Mr Shannon read a list of amount of thirds due on eaeb road, making a total of .£8,825 19s 4d, but, after paying off £460 from Terrace road, and the £5,0001 oan there was available but £'3,425 for interest on a new loan. He advocated taking steps to raise a smaller loan, sufficient to form and bridge the roads. Mr H. Crabb was in favor of completing the roads. Mr Shannon read his proposal for a proposed loan of £4,000. Mr Powell proposed that £11,000 be raised. After considerable discussion it was proposed, as an amendment, that the loan be for £6,000 and this, ultimately, was carried by 11 votes to 10. Messrs W. Hare and H. Crabbe were then appointed to assist Cr Shannon in drawing Up a schedule of works, to submit to a future meeting. The business terminated with votes of thanks to the Chairman and Mr ! Sliaßfloi*.