Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 173, 25 January 1896, Page 2

Local and General News.

■ — The whole of the accounts due to us by advertisers and subscribers for the period ended December 31st, 1895, have now been issued. We have to request prompt settlement in each case because although many of them are for small amounts yet they total up to a very large aggregate. Entries for Messrs Abraham and Williams sale at Palmerston North on the \ 30th instant, are advertised to-day. The Rev J. Cocker will preach in the Primitive Methodist Church to-morrow night, taking for his subject " A stormy night at sea." H. Freeman, who purchased the gate privileges at the last Otaki Maori meeting, sued the Stewards for L6O for breach of contract in postponing the races till next day. He was non-suited. Under the amended Factories Act it has been decided that in small factories where there are only one or two employes the fee to be charged shall be only a nominal one of one shilling. On Monday night a social gathering will be held in the Primitive Methodist Church when the delegates to tbe late Conference will give a report of the busi ness and some incidents of the trip, the public are invited. The Emperor of Germany speaking at at a military banquet at Breslau, said that the stronger the tendency now-a--days to seek rcfupe in claptrap shibboleths and party considerations, tbe more firmly did he reckon on his army. The Highbank estate at Rakaia (36 miles from Christchurch by rail) has recently been acquired by the Government under the .Land for Settlements Act. It has an area of 9000 acres, and is admirably adapted for small settlement. We understand that Mr A. C. Arthur, of Gisborne, and formerly member for the East Coast, has had a stroke of luck in Western -'Australia. Mr Arthur has gone to Loudon to float a vers' rich area of ground owned by him and his brother. Ladies will be pleased to hear that Te Aro House having purchased a London warehouseman's stock of jackets is offering them in Feilding at and under half the usual local retail prices. To secure a good choice early inspection is absolutely necessary ; included in this shipment is a great variety of ladies and maids sailor hats offering at less than half the usual local store prices. Mr Alfred Eade, of the Corner Furniture Warehouse, has a replace advertisement to-day, in which he states positively that he has five hundred pounds worth of stock which he must sell as he wants the cash. As his work is well known to be of the very best, Mr Eade has made up his mind to refuse no reasonable offer, for people who once buy from him are sure to come again aud often. In reference to the charge made by the Wanganui Herald, tbat the Education Board treats the Committees in a high handed way in the matter of teachers' appointments, and that unless the Committees select the same person as the Board, the appointment is|conferred upon the one favoured by the Board, the Wanganui Chronicle says it is absolutely untrue, and that if the writer is the gentleman they take him to be he will publish an ample apology. A very simple method of keeping butter fresh for 6 months has recently been hit upon in Normandy. The butter, having been carefully washed and wiped is placed in stone jars, which must be completely filled. These are then deposited in a cauldron half filled with water, the temperature of which is raised to the point of ebullition. When the water has thoroughly cooled down the jars are withdrawn, and the conservation of the butter for the time named is said to be thoroughly assured. Tbe great clearing sale of Messrs A. R. Allan and Co.'s stock in trade by Mr J. R. Montague, auctioneer, commenced yesterday, was a splendid success, and the bargains obtained by purchasers were highly gratifying. The attendance was so large that only half of those present could gain admittance to the shop. Buyers were present from all parts of the district. As the whole of the lots were not disposed of the sale will be continued on Monday, when the several articles will be sold without the slightest reserve. The sale will begin at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, at which hour the horse, trap and harness will be put up. Two among a party of boys who raided the orchard of Samuel E. Sheard, of Camperdown, N.S.W., met with drastic treatment. The owner found the boys helping themselves to fruit, and it is al - leged he asked them to desist and leave. They declined, and he threatened to shoot them if they did not. As they still paid no heed, he went into the honse obtained a gun, and fired among them, wounding John Brownlee, aged 14, in the thigh, and Amos Pritchard in the abdomen. The latter was seriously injured. Sheard was subsequently arrested on the charge of shooting with intent. He alleges that there was only one grain of shot in the gun. A verdict of £500 was given by Mr Justice Matthew as damages to a bank's client whose account was closed without notice having been given. It appeared that the plaintiff had both a loan and a current account at the bank, and that tho manager, being of the opinion that he had over-advanced upon the security for the loan, closed the plaintiff's account and refused to honor his acceptances or cash his cheques. An offer was afterwards made to re-open the account on plaintiff's transferring a certain sum from the current to the loan account, but plaintiff said that would be of no use, as his cheques and bills had been dishonoured. For the defence it was contended that there was no obligation to give notice before closing an account. The youngest cyclist in New Zealand (says a writer in Christchurch Truth) is ! at present in Christchurch. He is not quite four years old, and rides a perfectly made bike, with all improvements, constructed on a scale suitable for his diminutive size, the wheels for instance being about one foot in diameter. His name is Steadman, his father being a bicycle maker of Dunedin. It is a most amusing sight the way tlie little fellow starts with his foot on the rest, and having given the machine way, to see him throw his leg over aad get into the saddle with all the ease and assurance of an habitue of the racing track, He can pilot himself along the roadway apparently as cool as a cucumber, but occasionally he takes to the footpath, and I hope consideration for his youjh aud size will save him from "5s ana costs " therefor.

The programme of the Sandon Hack | Racing Club's meeting on Tuesday, March j 17th, appears to-day. In all parts of the colony active measures are being taken to enroll voters in view of the next general election. The Salvation Army will hold farewell services to-morrow on the occasion of tbe departure of Captain and Mrs Matthews. The Loyal Manchester Lodge of Oddfellows met last evening, there being a very good attendance. The v»sual routine business was transacted. The Feilding Public Library will be officially opened by the Mayor, Mr W. A. L. Bailey on Wednesday next. The ceremony will take place in the afternoon at three o'clock. The Engineer of the Manchester Road Board, Mr Charles Bray, invites tenders for public works as detailed in the advertisement, he also notifies that tenders for collecting the dog tax will be received up to Saturday next. Mr F. Hunt, the well known Marton cyclist, left Marton for Napier this morning, to compete in the bicycle events to be held next Wednesday. On the following day he leaves for Christchurch, to compete at the Christchurch Cycling Club's meeting on Feb. 6 and 8. The Feilding " Tuis " will give a minstrel entertainment in the Colyton Hall ' ou Wednesday evening next in aid of the Colyton School fund. The company include some of the best local amateurs, the corner men being Messrs H. Flyger and R. F. Haybittle, aud apart from the object the performance will be well worth witnessing. The company have appeared in Feilding on two occasions, being well received each time.