Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 198, 20 February 1895, Page 2

Local and General News.

The trade in bicycles in Great Britain now amounts to a million pounds sterling per annum. The editor of Science Gossip has entered upon a crusade for the suppression of the word " scientist." If the teacher in a country school wants to " lead a happy life " he should never "let on " that he knows more about his business than any members of the Committee. A public nuisance which should be put down with a firm hand is that of allowing the dead bodies of animals to remain unburicd in any place where they are likely to prove offensive. On the banks pf the Oroua river, between the Aorangi bridge and Poole street, there are at present no less than three carcases of cows in a state of pntrifaption, and., with the warm weather which is now prevailing, residents in that locality 3£G a^pogt Stifled wjfo tliQ steccli.

The valuation list of the Pohangina Dounty is now opon for inspection. ] At the Palmerston S.M. Court yestor- ( lay Mr E. H. Devorill was n'ned 10s and 7s costs for jumping on tho express t brain while in motion at tho Paliiier-ston ) platform. A Nelsoniau, Mr John Armstrong, lias < reached his jubilee iv Oddftjllowship, « having been initiated in tho Loyal Nelson Lodge in 1845. Tho District meet- , iug resolved the other day to send him a < letter of congratulation. ; A fanner named Walsh, living at Sale, Victoria, met his death recently under . shocking circumstances. Walsh was : fouud lying dead in a paddock, and must ( have been attacked by a boar, which inflicted such frightful injuries that lie could only crawl a few yards before he bled to death. In some of the valleys near Ruahine there are large numbers of black raairi (.tantalum ctuminghami) trees. This is a very valuable wood, and in England is used in machinery for " bushes and journals." It is valued at Hs 6d to 4s per pound. As a heat giving firewood it is unequalled. The A^ent-Gcneral and London Manager of the Bank of Zealand have had thoir hands full during the Christmas holidays, signing debentures under the new i; 2,000,000 loan. These nuaiber 10,700, each of which has to be personally signed by Sir Westby Percival aud Mr Tegetmeier. The following resolution, which will bo of considerable interest to tradesmen, was passed at tho last meetfng of lie Pohaugina Couuty Council : " That this Couucil will not accept any orders given by the contractors for payment of money due by the Pohangina County Council to such contractor." As a wool producer New Zealand which held first place among the Australasian colonies in 1893, has in 1894 been beaten by New South Wales, Victoria being a good third. The respective number of bales sonfc to England were - New South Wales, 404,600 bales ; New Zealand, 372,400 : Victoria, 337,100. A man named Wm. Thompson was charged at the Police Court yesterday, before His Worship the Mayor, Mr W. A. Sandilands, with being in charge of a team of horses while in a state of intoxication. He was convicted and lined 20s with costs 7s, or in default seven days' imprisonment in Wanganui gaol. The fine was paid. Mr J. McKerrow, Government Land Purchase Inspector, leaves to-day for Grey mouth in order to visit and report upon no less than 23 estates of an aggregate area of 150,000 acres, which are under offer to the Board of Land Purchase Commissioners under the Land for Settlements Act. Two of these properties are situated in Westland. 16 in Canterbury, 4 in Otago, and 1 is at Kaikoura (Marlborough.) Medical science seeks to add a new I terror to life. The telephone it is this time. The Paris Faculty of Medicine have reported that there is great danger of spreading coutageous diseases, especially diphtheria, through the telephone. At the same time they offer their crumb of consolation : This, they say, can be prevented by the use of a specially prepared antiseptic paper. Bishop Neville took a novel course in the General Synod (according to the Nelson Star) by quoting the usages of racing clubs as a predecent for the Synod to go upon in connection with the Otago election petition. The introduction of the sporting precedent seemed to take the Synod generally by surprise. The Napier Telegraph is responsible for the following. There was an excursion of school children from the country, and one little girl was heard to make a very amusing remark. Probably she had seen the sea for the first time, for on looking at the vast expanse of the Pacific before her, she exclaimed, " Oh, here's another flood." We drink more tea than our parents ; we take it oftener, stronger, and of a coarser quality. The results are less obvious than those of alcoholic intoxication, but not less serious ; and in truth the time may be not far distant when the earnest disciples of the new temperance will plead with us with tears in their eyes, " Give up this accursed tea, and take to cocoa, or even to beer."—Waipawa Mail. The Government has had a good deal to say about a cheap money scheme, a fair rent bill, &c, Ac, but they act not as they teach. Any persons who forget by twenty-four hours only to pay their income tax are charged 10 per cent,, not at the rate of per annum but on the amount ! A little arithmetic will show that this overshadows pawnbrokers' charges, as well as the iniquitous capitalist. How about the " beam in the eye ? " — Manawatu Herald. At the Fruitgrowers' Conference, which recently sat at Sydney, Dr Cobb, pathologist of New South Wales Department of Agriculture, estimated that the damage done yearly by fruit pests in New South Walea amounted to .£IOO,---000. It was resolved to ask the Minister to establish an entomological laboratory for the study of the treatment of the pests, the matter being considered as urgent. The Tuapeka Times reports that an old lady at Miller's Flat (Otago), who was summoned by the Rabbit Department, caused considerable amusement in Court. " I'm now," she said, " going on forty 3'ears in the colony, and I've never before been pulled up before a magistrate until these upstarts interfered with me." Pointing to the inspector, she continued : " God made the rabbits, but the devil supplied the inspectors to worry the lives out of the poor settlers." The Manawatu Racing Club have received really excellent acceptances for their annual Autumn meeting, there being no less than 77 acceptances out of 98 nominations. As far as the Manawatu Club is concerned, a best on record has been attained, and we think that it constitutes a New Zealand record. In the Flying 14 out of 16 have accepted, Hurdles 6 out of 7, Hack Hurdles 5 out of 8, R.C. Handicap 12 out of 16, Hack Flat 10 out of 15, Borough Handicap 14 out of 16, Maiden Hack 16 out of 20. When it is added that a valid reason is forthcoming, other than the handicapping, for the non-acceptance of those who have fallen out, it must be admitted that Mr Henry deserves congratulation on his achievment. — Standard. The new experiment in potato culture by Dr. H. de Latour is worthy of consideration by potato growers and horticulturists. The doctor took cuttings from some haulms of the Bruce potatoes, which he had growing in his kitchen garden. Two of these cuttings he allowed to come to maturity. One of them produced two potatoes weighing an ounce each, the other one potato weighing half an ounce, these were kept for seed, and at potato planting time were cut into sets, the larger potatoes into four sets, the small one into three sets, these were planted beside other potatoes, ten of the sets grew well, and one died. The produce of this 2i ounces of seed was dug by the doctor on February the 4th in the presence of Mr Brownlee, and was sorted into table potatoes and small ones for seed. There were altogether 84 sound potatoes weighing 22Ubs, and of these 55 were table potatoes weighing 211bs, the remaining 19 small seed potatoes weighing l^lbs. There yet remained 12 tubers that had been worm eaten and which were consequently not' counted -in oi 1 weighed.— Oainaru Mail.

Mr (1. A. Lyno has bueu appointed Registrar of bogs for the Pohangina - Dounty. The momborH of tho Manchester Rifles xro roinindod of the muster parado to- ' morrow night. Tho Cycling Sports, to be held on the Dval this afternoon, promise to be largely xttomlrtl as the weather continues line. Wo have to acknowledge receipt of a complimentary ticket for the Cycling Sports, to-day, from tho Secretary, Mr E. H. Fisher. The Victorian wheatgrowers arc having another bad time. Rust is prevalent in many parts, and the grain is in many cases shrivelled. Probably the labourer who would most feel the heat yesterday would be the plumber, astride an iron roof. One was noticed to be looking —well, warm. Tho most curious paper-weight in the world is said to belong to the Prince of Wales. It is, so report goos, the mummified hand of one of the daughters of Pharaoh. At the request of the settlers in Pembertou and Rangiwahia, Mr Carr has postponed his salo advertised for the 2nd of March to the end of that month on a date to be duly advertised. A meeting of the Feildiug Sports Committee will be held io Mr Sherwill's office on Friday night, to receive the report of the sub-Committee, re the formation of an Athletic Club. A well informed correspondent of ours in England states that there will be a dissolution of Parliament shortly, and in the elections to follow the Conservatives will be returned with a good working majority. Tho Manawatu Daily Times says no less than twelve persons have signified their intention of trying to win the trophy offered to the one who shall first swim through the Manawatu Gorge. More work for the Coroner. About 600 school children from stations between Palmerston and Danevirke are going to Foxton on Saturday for a school excursion. Arrangements have been made for the Star of the South to take them to the heads. A poll of ratepayers in the Pohangina riding of the Pohaugina County will be taken on the proposal to raise a loan of £7328 under " The Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1886,'' at the County offices on Saturday, March 2nd. Horse owners interested in the autumn meeting of the Wanganui J.C are reminded that acceptances for the Cup, Flying, First Hurdles, and Wanganui Two-year-old Stakes are due to morrow evening, as are also entries for the Ladies' Bracelet and weights for the first day's back handicaps. Messrs Abraham and Williams report the sale of the following properties :— 4O acres and house, at Linton, to Mv John Dowd, at i'lo per acre ; 76J acres, at Linton, to Mr Tews, at IB per acre ; one acre, with 4-rooincd house, at Colyton, to Mr T. H. Thoruley, at .£lso.—Standard. Mr James Trewiu met with a painful accident at his residence this morning. Whilst cutting wood the axe which he was usiug caught in a clothes line over- ' head, with the result that the implement descended with considerable force on to Mr Trewin's head, inflicting an ugly scalp wound. However, after the cut had been stitched up and dressed Mr Trewin was able to attend to his business. The Wairarapa Daily Times says : — Tho Borough of Greytown is said to be feeling very sick over the Saturday half-holiday. Business at 1 o'clock folds up its tent like the Arab and flies away towards Featherston, Carterton, and Masterton. The not unnatural consequence is that the shopkeepers are looking down their noses, rents are on the decline, shop-assistants are being reduced in numbers and wages, and the Borough Council, which put up the Saturday shutters in the interests of cricket, football, and other pastimes, is being emphatically prayed for by the whole community. A largely-attended social was held in the Wesleyan Chapel at Birmingham as a farewell to Miss J. Palmer, who had been a teacher in the Sunday School there for some time past, and who is about to leave the district. The social was promoted by the superiuteudant of the Sunday School, Mr G. Anyon, assisted by the teachers and pupils, on wbose behalf a handsome illustrated Bible was presented to Miss Palmer by the Rev. T. Richards, who occupied the chair. Mr G. Anyon and Mr A. Fergusson spoke in eulogistic terms of the assistance rendered to the church by Miss Palmer. Solos were rendered by Miss Laing, who sang " The Old Wooden Rocker " ; Mrs E. Palmer, "In Sheltered Vales " ; Mr W. Barlow, " Till Then " ; Mr F. Barlow gave a flute solo; Mr J. F. Stevens sang " Bethleham."