Local and General News.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 304, 30 June 1896, Page 2

Local and General News.

. * To-day is the last of the season for shooting imported game. There will be mass in St. Bridget's, Feilding, on Sunday next at 11 a.m. The Skating Rink will be opened in the Cheltenham Hall on Thursday next. The Awahuri Library Hall will be opened -with a concert and danco on Wednesday evening. Mr John Plimmer, who has been aptly described as the ' Father of Wellington,' celebrated bis 84th birthday on Sunday last. It is estimated that this year N.S.W. will produce 315,000 tons of sugar cane, yielding 40,000 tons of raw sugar, worth £875,000. Our Beaconsfield readers should not fail to attend the concert to be given in the Beaconsfield school house to-morrow evening. We (Standard) understand that Mr K. Mullins has assumed the proprietorship of the United Hotel, Bunnythorpe, from Mr Cloggie. Last week Mr S. Strachan.headteacher at Halcombe, was married to Miss M. Sullivan, formerly of Feilding. Their many friends in the district wish the newly married couple long life and happiness. A little boy, a son of Mr R. Halley, was sent to the Palmerston Hospital yesterday afternoon, suffering from a broken thigh, the injury having been sustained through a fall while playing with other children. The School Committees' Conference at Dunedin have adopted a motion in favour of each individual member of the School Committees being allowed to vote for candidates for Education Boards, the polling to take place on one day. A London warehouseman sued for a nullity of marriage on the ground that the parties were within the prohibited degrees, the wife being niece by hall blood to the petitioner. It was explained that the parties did not discover that they were related until some time after the marriage. The directors of the New Zealand Farmers' Dairy Union have decided tc refund the amount of the reclamation recently demanded and give 3£d per gallon for the July milk. As soon as the balance sheet has been prepared it will be placed before a meeting of shareholders in Falmerston. Mr Alexander Robertson, who died at the residence of Mr Walter Crawford, oi Mount Curl, has lived to the great age of 90 years. In his younger days, in Scotland, he was noted for his bodily strength and his skill in athletics. He has lived between 30 and 40 years in the Rangitikei district. In the division on the Removal of Women's Disabilities Bill Ministers were divided, Mr Thompson, Mr Seddon and Mr Hall Jones voting for the measure, and Mr Cadman and Mr M'Kenzie were against It. In 1894 no member of the then Government supported the BUI, while Mr Seddon's name appeared among the noes. The Government will take up Mr Joyce's Unclaimed Moneys Bill, whicb provides that all unclaimed moneys, which have not been paid to the owner within two years after notice hae been gazetted, shall be paid to the Savings Bank of New Zealand, or to the credit of the Colonial Treasurer for the use of public revenue, provision being made for repaying to the owner on his claim being substantiated. Preaching at Gore on Sunday last, the Rev A. H. Wallace is reported by an exchange to have said : — " In one district in New Zealand four of the head masters were, to Mr Wallace's personal kaowledge, absolutely unfit to teach the Bible to the children. One of those masters was an inveterate gambler, another was sent to prison for embezzlement, another fell out of his buggy when he was drunk (had his leg amputated, and died) and another was an habitual frequenter of the racecourse." A singular discovery has been made by Mr F. King of the Exchange Hotel. A day or two ago (says the Westport paper) it was noticed that the small quantity of sand at the bottom of the bucket used in scrubbing out the bar contained gold. Since then he has panned off the sweepings of the bar, and can always get a nice prospect of fine gold. Probably other householders will have a similar experience. If so it would go to show that the gravel of which the streets are formed is auriferous. A lady has been chosen as manager of the Mataura Dairy Factory. There were eleven applicants, says the "Wyndham Farmer, and the choice of the directors was unanimously in favor of Miss Lizzie Dumbleton, a member of a well-knawn family of cheese makers. Miss Dumbleton has the unique distinction, so far as, we are aware, of being the first woman in this colony who has been appointed to the responsible position of the managership of a co-operative cheese factory. She has had several years' experience as assistant to her brothers at Woodlands, Otera, and Mataura. In answer to Mr Meredith who drew attention in the House to the startling fact that there are 40,000 more females than males in the colony, and wished to know if the Government would take steps, by immigration or otherwise, with, the view of bringing about an equalisation of the sexes of the colony, tbe Premier said he presumed the question was asked with a view to getting a substantial tax on bachelors. (Laughter.) The matter would receive tbe serious consideration of the Government. (Mote laughter.) _. : A private letter received by a Napier gentleman from the Transvaal makjes mention of a peculiar deadlock which exists in Johannesburg at present in connection with the Rand Club, "Our troubles it seems are not yet all over," says the write*. " There are now about a hundred members ready for ballot for admission to the club. The British hajve pilled all the Germans and their friends, while the Germans have pilled all the British and their friends. Hence jihe deadlock, and the committee has been obliged to suspend the ballot."— Napier Telegraph, ' ' (